That could be possibile someday, say transit planners with the Maricopa Association of Governments.
In fact, demand already exists for commuter rail service between Queen Creek and Phoenix, said Marc Pearsall, a MAG transit planner who spoke to the Town Council Wednesday night. Pearsall presented findings from three Valley commuter rail studies that the organization started developing in 2008.

So, what’s the hold up? Money. Pearsall said identifying a funding source is the main obstacle, especially in the current economy.

After that, the normally hesitant railroad companies Union Pacific and BNSF Railway, which own the land that a commuter rail system would require, are likely to strike a deal, he said.

“The moment you identify local funding for commuter rail, the industry average is somewhere between three to five years (to start operation),” he told the council. “It’s relatively quick.”

Pearsall said the findings, which were accepted by MAG’s Regional Council in late May, could be a tool for implementing a rail system. If and when that occurs, the 34-mile Queen Creek-Phoenix corridor should be the first line constructed in the 110-mile network branching across the Valley

What started as a controversy over aproposal to clear the way for hundreds ofhomes near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
and provide a critical north-southtr transportation corridor for Queen Creekended Wednesday on a surprisingly serene
note.

 Housing plans near airport a bad idea In a unanimous 6-0 vote, the Queen Creek Town Council approved a general plan
amendment changing the land-use designation on 257 acres of land at the northwestern corner of Meridian and Queen
Creek roads to make way for the so-called Barney Farms development and 975 homes.
Councilman Jeff Brown was absent. Council’s decision to change the land use designation from heavy industrial property
to high density residential, commercial and light industrial ended, at least temporarily, weeks of debate that pitted a prominent
Queen Creek farming family against airport officials, a steel plant and some elected officials in Mesa who felt the homes
encroached too far into the airport’s flight path.

This is a Short Sale lender approved at 125K Buyers didnt step up to the price. This beautiful two-story home is located in a quiet cul-de-sac lot. The backyard has an extended patio and oversized lot. There is an RV gate with plenty of room for your recreational toys. The interior is an open floor plan with neutral paint, carpet and tile throughout the home. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, attractive cabinets and countertops ready for entertaining family and friends. Prof SS company

Download the Report: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

If you like this info or want to see other market indicators, let me know. I will be glad to post other indicators

The following dashboard indicates how foreclosure activity is affecting the market in each city.
There are five main components to the dashboard.
The pie-chart at the top left indicates what proportion of the active listings are lender-owned, pre-foreclosure or normal. The pie chart at the top right indicates what proportion of monthly sales was lender-owned, pre-foreclosure or normal.
The column chart at the bottom left shows average pricing for active listings in $ per square foot, divided into the three categories and the column chart at the bottom right does the same thing for monthly sales.
The Distress Index gauge at the center shows a value from 0 to 100 which expresses the overall level of foreclosure activity. This allows easy comparison between one city and another.
REOs or lender-owned properties have already been through the foreclosure process and completed their trustee sale. These properties were sold by the trustee to the beneficiary (lender). In a few trustee sales (typically less than 5% at the moment), the property may be sold to an investor or wholesaler who is prepared to bid higher than the bank. These properties are not classified as lender-owned. The lenders use the ARMLS system quite heavily to market their inventory of homes and compete aggressively on price. At the moment we lender-owned properties constituting a significant share of the homes listed for sale, and an even large proportion of the homes sold.
The Pre-foreclosure category includes those properties that have started the foreclosure process but have not yet had the trustee sale. We also include those which are being marketed in a short-sale situation, even if a notice of trustee sale has not been issued. In a full pre-foreclosure situation, the owner(s) have received a notice of trustee sale and the property is being marketed in order to try to sell the home before foreclosure completes. Many of pre-foreclosures are in a “short sale” situation, where the price asked is lower than the outstanding debt secured by the home. Such sales require the approval of the lender. A few may also (or instead) be the subject of bankruptcy proceedings and the sale may require approval by the court. We generally refer to all these situations as “distressed sales”
Normal sales are those where the owner has the unencumbered right to sell the property without requiring approval from a lender, court or external corporation of any kind, and the owner is not a financial institution. In a normal market these constitute the vast majority of all listings and sales. The degree to which these sales become a smaller proportion of all sales indicates the level of distress being felt in the market.
If you like this info or want to see other market indicators let me know I will be glad to post what you like let
Active listings include active-with-contingency and are measured at the beginning of the calendar month. All figures are for single family detached homes only. Monthly sales means sales that closed during the preceding calendar month. The date shown at the top of the dashboard is the date on which this measurement was taken.
This info was provided by the Cromford Report       www.cromfordreport.com

For more info on Queen Creek Homes contact me

The retailer is one of several stores and restaurants in the works at the 2-year-old Queen Creek Marketplace. Others include Olive Garden, Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen, In-N-Out Burger and clothing retailer rue2.
Stacy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Phoenix-based Vestar Development Co., said fall 2011 is the earliest possible construction date on the Penney store.

The retailer’s representatives, however, had little to say about their own plans.

“I do know that we’re interested in the location, and that we’re always looking for good locations, but there are a number of things that have to fall into place before we commit to going forward,” said Ann Marie Bishop, a J.C. Penney spokeswoman. She declined to elaborate.

Marketplace officials said they’re in escrow with Olive Garden, which would be another first for Queen Creek. It could close by the end of the summer, said James DeCremer, vice president of retail services at Strategic Retail Group, a brokerage firm negotiating the deal.

“They’re up in the air as far as when they’re going to build,” DeCremer said. “They’re going to go through the permitting process.”

DeCremer said In-N-Out has already closed escrow and could be open within a year. He said rue21 signed a deal with Marketplace officials and “the construction process has started and is moving forward.” Rue21 is a clothing retailer for young people.

Queen Creek Marketplace is a 1.2 million square-foot shopping center that opened in March 2008. The the center has been rocked somewhat by the souring economy, losing OfficeMax in June and Circuit City in 2008.

Plans for a J.C. Penney store at Marketplace have been bandied about for years, but building plans have never been clear.

“Personally, I don’t think the retail environment is going to get a lot better in 18 months,” said Bob Kammrath, a Phoenix real-estate consultant.

“If new-home construction starts up again, which it will sometime in the future, there’s no question that the Queen Creek area will be one of the areas where a lot of new construction will be taking place,” he said. “That will make it desirable again for retail expansion, but it’s just that nobody knows exactly when that’s going to happen

Call me for your Queen Creek Home questions

While renting can be a great option in some situations, here’s where buying a home really makes more affordable sense:

 You intend to live in the area for a while.
 You’re looking forward to a time when you don’t have a house (or rent) payment. Granted, this can take many years, but you never pay off rent.
 You’re interested in investing your money in something that will give you a solid return. I realize that what I just said sounds crazy in today’s market, but logically, we all know that the market will stabilize and home prices will appreciate.

If you’re in a situation where you need to decide between buying and renting, you might automatically think that renting will work better for you for a number of reasons. But for those who are ready to make a more permanent commitment to an area, the benefits of home ownership are plentiful, and include home appreciation, mortgage interest deductions, property tax deductions, capitol gain exclusion; and the pride of home ownership, which should never be underestimated.

If you’re thinking of making a move, give serious consideration to finding the perfect house. This is an optimal time for buying and saving, making home ownership even more affordable.

Call me with your Queen Creek Home questions

So, what kind of down payment will you need? Well, 20 percent is a good, solid figure, although you might be able to get away with 10 percent. The more you have to put down on your house, the better off you’ll be in the long run.

Consider this: a lower down payment may mean that you have to provide proof of private mortgage insurance, which can add roughly $100 to your monthly payment. And the smaller your down payment is, the higher your monthly mortgage payment will be, just because you had to finance more.

Now consider this: Do you have closing costs covered? Closing costs will be another few percent of the property value. Closing costs and points can add between three and seven percent to the amount you’ll have to hand over when you sign on the dotted line.

So the bottom line is this: Start saving and save a lot! I don’t want to discourage you. I want you to be fully prepared for that big step.

Some suggestions for helping you save for your first home include opening a separate savings account that you can have regular automatic deposits go to. A separate account makes it very easy to see how much you have, and to keep from using house down payment money for other things. If you’re starting early with saving for a first home, consider putting that money into certificates of deposit, or if you are really starting early, you can invest it in stocks and bonds.

Another good way to gather down payment cash is through down payment assistance programs. Many lenders, charities and local governments offer help in the form of loans that don’t have to be repaid until the house is sold, paid-off, or refinanced.

Gifts from relatives can come in handy for home down payments. Newlyweds are often fortunate enough to receive gifts of money that they immediately stash away as part of a down payment for a house. Sometimes relatives are happy to gift new homebuyers with financial help – just because.

One last thought about gathering money for a down payment and closing costs on a home: Do everything you can now to make sure that your credit is in tip-top shape when it is time to apply for a mortgage. Pay down credit card debt and make sure that you do all you can to repair anything that looks negative.

Is it going to take time to save up a good down payment? Sure it is. But when you have that 20 percent in hand, you’ll be well on your way to securing that great first home!

What’s behind this surge? Certainly, the first-time homebuyers credit helped to fuel it. And with that credit extended, it’s safe to expect that we’ll see further increases. 

What does this mean for sellers?

Well first, we’re not out of the woods yet. But things are improving. Sellers should do everything they can to make their property attractive for sale. You don’t have to put a bargain basement price on your home, but you do need to price your property reasonably. Pay attention to what homes that are comparable to yours are selling for in your area. Look at the pricing trends for the last year or so to see what you can learn. A reasonable price may be the key to selling.

As a seller, you should also do all you can to boost curb appeal, and to make your home as attractive as possible to buyers. Repairs and upgrades will give you an advantage, as will keeping everything neat and clean. These things are noticeable during open houses and should not be neglected.

Before you jump headfirst into the market, take some time to explore a few questions:

1.Are you prepared financially? Make sure you have the down payment and closing costs you need. The percentage of your down payment will range anywhere from three to 20 percent of the value of the property. Closing costs will cover things like taxes; title insurance, points and other purchase related costs, and can range from two to seven percent of the property’s value. You may also be required to have mortgage insurance. Your lender should give you a breakdown of these costs after you complete your mortgage application.

2.This may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning: Know how much house you can afford. Your monthly mortgage payment will ideally be less than or equal to one fourth of your gross monthly income. If you’re carrying a lot of debt, it might be less than that. Your income, your debt, expenses, and considerations like child support or alimony will determine the amount you can borrow to buy a house.

3.Ask yourself if you are prepared to deal with the additional expenses that come with home ownership. This could include maintenance and repairs, utility bills, and insurance.

4.Check your credit. You need to know what creditors will see when they view your credit report. You can get a free credit report from Experian, Trans Union and Equifax each year by going to www.annualcreditreport.com. Examine each report for inaccuracies, and if you find any, dispute them. If you see anything negative, take steps to fix it.

5.Finally, make yourself familiar with the market you’re buying in. Check out listings in the areas you’re interested in moving to so you have a good idea of what houses are going for.

For first time home buyer questions contact me.