Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate Update

Flagstaff Named in Top 100 Cities for Youth

2011-10-23T10:44:00.001-07:00

Flag one of best cities for young people

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/flag-one-of-best-cities-for-young-people/article_b3f39e97-7971-5c19-ade0-ef4d91e40f92.html

Programming for local young people is being recognized with funding and plaudits.
Today, the Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth will celebrate Flagstaff being named as one of the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" for its attempts to keep kids and young adults engaged.
Next week, the early childhood education and welfare organization First Things First will hand over nearly $2 million for the state agency's Coconino region programs for the next fiscal year.
More than 300 applications came in from around the country for the "100 Best" honor. The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth headed up Flagstaff's application, which contained a lengthy list of social support services and positive diversions for youth.
Ruth Ellen Suding, the Coalition's executive director, said it's important for caring adults to be friends and neighbors with youth. She said the "100 Best" title is a testament to the work of many and, it is hoped, a morale-booster.
"It's such a tough time right now for social service providers and for people who are trying to keep programs and activities going, particularly for children and youth," she said. "And with budget cuts and constraints financially I think it was a really good time to highlight all the really great things that we are doing and are able to do."
Suding recognized Nancy Tabor, a sixth-grade teacher at Sinagua Middle School, for assigning all of her students to write an essay about what makes Flagstaff a good place for youth. Suding said she appreciated the effort on the relatively small project.
"It's people like that who push our youth to be better and to be more involved that really makes a difference," she said.
COLLABORATION ON 'TRANSITION' SCHOOL
Recognizing that young people face serious crisis and more adult-like challenges, Flagstaff's application mentioned the variety of services for youth who are abused, runaways, homeless or in jail. That includes the Alternative Center and the Flagstaff Youth Shelter, Project Safe Place and outreach.
Robert Kelty works with at-risk youth as the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools. The "accommodation" school district under his supervision includes the compulsory schools for minors inside the adult and juvenile detention centers, a transition program for youth who have just been released from custody, and the alternative Ponderosa High School (and its sister school in Page, Tse'yaato' High). He said it's unique for the school district to work so closely with the county court system to provide a safety net.
This is the first year Ponderosa made "Adequate Yearly Progress," according to the federal government, and enrollment is up to between 65 and 70. Students are generally between ages 17 and 21, and they may have already dropped out, had a child, or been in jail.
Kelty has held office for about a year. In that time, he has partnered with the Ponderosa High arm and the juvenile court office to create a day program at the court and detention facility that allows recently released offenders to ease back into school.
"I think it's that type of attitude of everyone saying, 'Let's put our best ideas on the table and then implement them and then see if they're going to be successful' that really makes us stand out," he said.
LENGTHY LIST OF SERVICES
The application, at 14 pages long, included student-written essays, a nod to Paula Stefani, an Arizona Daily Sun Citizen of the Year and local child and family advocate, and a wide range of opportunities for youth of diverse backgrounds. Here's a non-exhaustive list:
-- Social, recreational and cultural outlets: the city's "Youthfest;" the YMCA and the Club 4Twelve youth center connected to Grace Fellowship Church; Big Brothers/Big Sisters; scouting; sports leagues; programming for youth through Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Outta Your Backpack filmmaking and social justice programs; Girls on the Run; Flagstaff Youth Theater and Theatrikos; the NAU Community School of Music and Dance; and enrichment opportunities with the Second Chance Center for Animals, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory and Willow Bend Environmental Education Center.
-- Educational: robotics and Odyssey of the Mind teams at many schools; the Kinlani Dormitory that allows students from the nearby reservations to attend school in town; and opportunities for motivated high school students to take classes at Coconino Community College. Flagstaff Unified School District was mentioned for its Teenage Parent Program, Project New Start alternative school, many services for low-income families, the before and after-school FACTS care program and Camp Colton, the sixth-grade science camp.
-- Civic leadership: the city's Flagstaff Youth Advisory Council, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association's I.A.M. Youth program, Grand Canyon Youth, Teen Court, Project Citizen (which has encouraged kids to research and advocate for real current events, such as bike lanes and school closure), and the Coconino Youth Conservation Corps.
-- Health: the county health department's traveling immunization clinics and dental varnish and fluoride treatments; low-cost checkups from North Country HealthCare and Native Americans for Community Action and Sacred Peaks; Flagstaff Medical Center's Fit Kids and Maternal Child Health programs; the city's youth bike helmet ordinance and Foodlink school gardens and nutrition lessons.
The competition was first held in 2005 and is sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance, which is dedicated to mobilizing Americans to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce.
Flagstaff will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying it as one of the nation's 100 best communities for young people and access to the alliance's community development resources.
Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@azdailysun.com or 556-2261.
$2M to boost early childhood services
The local council of the early childhood wellness-focused First Things First is preparing to divide up its $1.9 million allocation for fiscal year 2013.
Julianne Hartzell is the council chair for the Coconino region. Next week, she will be on hand when the statewide First Things First presents the check.
First Things First is a state agency funded by a voter-approved tobacco tax, with monies having gone toward the KinderCamp kindergarten preparation program, oral health outreach, training for child care providers, childcare scholarships and in home visits to support families. The agency has regional councils, with the Coconino region covering all of Coconino County (aside from the Navajo Nation), Winslow and the Hopi, Kaibab-Paiute and Havasupai tribes. The Navajo Nation has its own council.
The agency builds in lead time - FY13 doesn't begin until next July, and revenues are being collected now for FY2014 - to make sure the money is in hand before it is disbursed. The local team, now aware of how much they have to work with for the coming year, will begin proposing how to spend it this week. The state First Things First board will review and possibly approve the plan in January or February.
Hartzell said the allocation varies every year, depending on a formula that takes into account poverty rates and number of kids in the region. The funding is slightly lower next year compared to this year.
The planning sessions for how to spend next year's money will take several meetings.
"There are so many needs out there and we have to make sure that we're doing the best we can to the best of our ability," she said.

Owning vs Renting

2011-04-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

A substantial majority of both home owners and current renters agree that owning a home is a smart decision over the long term. That’s according to the results of a National Association of Realtors® survey of 3,793 adults conducted online by Harris Interactive. The "American Attitudes About Home Ownership" survey found that in today’s challenging economy, 95 percent of owners and 72 percent of renters believe that over a period of several years, it makes more sense to own a home. In addition, an overwhelming majority of home owners are happy with their decision to own a home – 93 percent of owners surveyed would buy again.

“Home owners and renters agree that home ownership benefits individuals and families, strengthens our communities, and is integral to our nation’s economy,” said National Association of Realtors® President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “The results of this survey illustrate just how important issues related to home ownership are to people in this country.”

The survey uncovered some differences between home owners and renters, as well. While more than half of owners are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with the overall quality of their family life, only one-third of renters report the same levels of satisfaction. Similarly, 43 percent of home owners are very/extremely satisfied with their community life, compared with 30 percent of renters.

A majority of renters – 63 percent – said that it was at least somewhat likely that they would purchase a home at some point in the future. Among this group, young adults (18-29 years old) have the strongest aspirations for home ownership; only 8 percent of young adults said that it was “not at all likely” that they would purchase a home at some point in the future.

In today’s market, many aspiring home owners are faced with worries about job security and creditworthiness. Among renters who are very or extremely likely to buy a home in the future, three out of five consider confidence in job security and creditworthiness to be an obstacle.

One point of agreement between renters and home owners was support of the mortgage interest deduction (MID). Seventy-four percent of owners and 62 percent of renters say it’s “extremely” or “very” important that the MID remain in place.

“At a time when the middle class is under increasing economic pressures, both home owners and renters agree that the mortgage interest deduction should not be targeted for change,” said Phipps. “Given strong public support of and aspirations toward owning a home, we need to keep policies in place that support and encourage responsible, sustainable home ownership for our future.”

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. and fielded October 6-20, 2010. A total of 3,793 adults, 18 and older were surveyed, including 1,880 home owners, 1,115 renters, and 798 young adults. All samples came from the Harris Poll online database and were weighted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income to be representative of the U.S. general population of adults 18 and older. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

5 Mortgage and Foreclosure Myths

2011-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

In a mortgage market that changes as quickly as this one, today’s fact is tomorrow’s fiction. For buyers, misinformation can be the difference between qualifying for a home loan or not. Sellers and owners, knowledge is foreclosure-preventing, smart decision-making power! Without further ado, let’s correct some common mortgage misconceptions.

1. Myth: Buyers with bad credit can’t qualify for home loans. Obviously, mortgage guidelines have tightened up, big time, since the housing bubble burst, and they seem likely to tighten even further over the long-term. But just this moment, they have relaxed a bit. In the last couple of weeks, two of the nation’s largest lenders of FHA loans announced that they’ve dropped the minimum FICO score guideline from 620 (which allows for some credit imperfections) to 580, which is actually a fairly low score.

At a FICO score of 620, buyers can qualify for FHA loans at many lenders with only 3.5 percent down. With a score of 580, the lenders are looking for more like 5 to 10 percent down – they want to see you put more of your own skin in the game, and the higher down payment lowers the risk that you’ll default. However, if your credit has taken a recessionary hit, like that of so many Americans, this might create a glimmer of hope that you’ll be able to take advantage of low prices and interest rates without needing years of credit repair.

2. Myth: The Mortgage Interest Deduction isn’t long for this world. Homeowners saved over $85 billion in 2008 by deducting their mortgage interest on their income tax returns. A few months ago, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform caused a massive wave of fear to ripple throughout the world of real estate consumers and professionals when they recommended Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) reform, which would dramatically reduce the size of the deduction.

Fact is, the Commission made a sweeping set of deficit-busting recommendations to Congress, a few of which are likely to be adopted. Fortunately for buyers and sellers, MID reform is not one of them. Very powerful industry groups and economists have been working with Congress to plead the case that MID reform any time in the near future would only handicap the housing recovery. Congress-folk aren’t interested in stopping the stabilization of the real estate market. As such, the MID is nearly universally thought of as safe – even by those who disagree that it should be.

3. Myth: It’s just a matter of time before loan guidelines loosen up. The US Treasury Department recently recommended the elimination of industry giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I won’t get into the eye-glazing details of it here, but the long and the short is that (a) this is highly likely to happen, and (b) it will make mortgage loans much harder and costlier to get, for both buyers and homeowners. It’s possible that loans are as easy to get as they’re going to get. So don’t expect that if you hold out, zero-down mortgages will come back into vogue anytime soon. Fortunately, Fannie and Freddie aren't likely to disappear for another 5-7 years, so you have a little time to pull your down payment and credit together. If you want to get into the market, the time to get yourself ready is now!

4. Myth: If you don’t have equity, you can’t refi. Much ado is being made about how stuck so many people are in their bad loans, because they don’t have the equity to refinance their way out of them. If you’re severely upside down (meaning you own much, much more than your home is worth), stuck may be the situation. But there are actually a couple of ways homeowners can refi their underwater home loans. If your loan is held by Fannie or Freddie, they will actually refinance it up to 125% of its current value, assuming you otherwise qualify for the loan. That means, if your home is worth $100,000, you could refinance a loan up to $125,000, despite the fact that your home can’t secure the full amount of the loan.

If your loan is not owned by Fannie or Freddie, you might be a candidate for the FHA “Short Refi” program. While most mortgage workout plans are only available to people who are behind on their loans, the Short Refi program is only available to homeowners who are current on their mortgages and need to refinance up to 115 percent of their homes’ value. So, if you owe $250,000 on your home, you can refinance via an FHA Short Refi even if your home’s value is as low as $217,000. If you think you’re a good candidate for a short refi, contact your mortgage broker, stat – there are some in Congress who think that this program is so underutilized (only 245 applications have been submitted since it rolled out in September – no typo!) that its funding should be diverted to other needy programs.

5. Myth: If you’ve lost your job and can’t make your mortgage payment, you might as well mail your keys in. Until recently, this was essentially true – virtually every loan modification and refinancing opportunity required that your economic hardship be over before you could qualify. And documenting income has always been high on the requirements checklist. But there are some new funds available in the states with the hardest hit housing and job markets, which have been designated specifically for out of work homeowners

The US Treasury Department’s Hardest Hit Fund allocated $7.6 billion to the hardest hit states, which are now using some portion of these funds to offer up to $3,000 per month for up to 36 months in mortgage payment assistance to help unemployed homeowners avoid foreclosure. Contact the state agency listed below if you need this sort of help

www.savemyhomeaz.gov

From Trulia.com

5 Tax Tips, Tricks and Traps for Homeowners

2011-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Ask a roomful of homeowners what's so great about owning versus renting, and you'll hear them holler in unison: "the tax deductions!" And it's true – homeowners who itemize their taxes are able to deduct 100% of their mortgage interest and property taxes from their income tax returns.

That means that if you're in a 28% tax bracket, Uncle Sam effectively subsidizes about a third of your borrowing costs or more, making your home more affordable or allowing you to buy a larger home than you could have otherwise. Also, big chunks of your closing costs are tax deductible, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of any profit (or capital gains) that you realize when you sell your home are exempt from income taxes.

At tax time, it's critical to know what you're entitled to, so you can claim it. So, here are five essential need-to-knows about home-related income tax tips to help you get the most tax-reducing bang out of your home-owning buck – and to avoid hefty home ownership-related tax traps.

1. You Have to Itemize Your Return to Claim Your Deductions

During the recent debate on Capitol Hill about whether the mortgage interest deduction should be eliminated (it won't be, not anytime soon), it came out that nearly 40% of homeowners lose out on their major tax advantages every year when they fail to itemize their income taxes. If you own a home and otherwise have a fairly simple return, it might be tempting just to take the standard deduction – and if your mortgage, property taxes and income are low enough, the standard deduction might outweigh your homeowners' deductions. But you'll never know if you're losing out on the tax advantages of itemizing unless you try; before you grab a pen and start filling in that 1040-EZ grab those forms from your mortgage company and answer the questions on tax software like TurboTax, which will automatically do the math on whether itemizing or taking the standard deduction will result in the lowest tax bill – or the highest tax refund – for you.

2. Plan Ahead and Be Strategic When Taking a Home Office Deduction

According to the Small Business Administration, the average home office deduction is $3,686 – multiply that by your tax bracket – 15%, 20%, 30% or whatever it is, and that's what you'll save on your taxes by writing off your home office. Know, though, that the space you designate as your home office cannot be exempted from capital gains tax when you sell your home later. The $250,000 (single)/ $500,000 (married filing jointly) income tax exemption for capital gains is only good on your personal residence, after all – not including any space in your home you've claimed as your tax-advantaged office. If you foresee selling your home for much more than you bought it in the future, near or far, discuss this with your tax preparer to see if the few hundred bucks you save is worth the capital gains complication later.

3. Tax Relief for Loan Modifications, Short Sales and Foreclosures Is Only Around Through 2012

While the long-term housing outlook is beginning to look up, 2011 is projected to be the peak year for foreclosures during this market cycle. Distressed homeowners who are on the brink of a short sale, loan modification or foreclosure should be aware that normally, any mortgage balance that is wiped out by one of these outcomes is taxed as what the IRS calls Cancellation of Debt Income, or CODI.

Under the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Relief Act of 2007, the IRS is currently not charging income taxes on CODI incurred through a loan mod, short sale or foreclosure on most primary residences through 2012. But right now, banks are taking many months, or even years, to work out mortgages in all of these ways; the average foreclosure in New York state right now occurs only after 22 months of missed mortgage payments. If you foresee any of these outcomes in your future, don't put things off. Do what you can to get to closure on your distressed home and loan, ASAP, while you won't have income taxes to add as the insult on top of your significant housing injury.

4. Project the Income Tax Consequences of a Refinance or Property Tax Appeal

Homeowners everywhere are working on applying for a lower property tax bill on the basis of the last few years' decline in their home's value. Those who have equity have flocked en masse to refinance their 7% home loans into the 4% to 5% rates of the last few months. These strategies offer some of the heftiest household savings out there for the corresponding investment in time and money they take. But here's a caveat for savvy homeowners who slash these costs: remember that property taxes and mortgage interest, the very costs you're minimizing, are also the basis for the major tax benefits of being a homeowner. So plan ahead for your income tax deductions to go down along with your taxes and interest.

5. Don't Forget Those Closing Costs

If you bought or refinanced your home in 2010, you may be so focused on your mortgage interest and property tax deductions that you forget all about your closing costs. Any origination fees or discount points that were paid to your mortgage lender at closing are tax deductible on your 2010 return, get this – even if the seller paid your closing costs. If you can't figure out exactly what you paid, look for your HUD-1 settlement statement, that legal sized paper full of line item credits and debits that you should have received from your escrow provider or title attorney at, or just after, closing. Can't find it? Drop your real estate agent or mortgage broker an email; they can usually get a copy to you quickly.

Note: This post first appeared on WalletPop.com on 2.28.2011.

Johnsons head All Region Team

2011-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Tyrone and his daughter Ileana!

Arizona Daily Sun

March 2, 2011

Johnsons head All Region Team

The Flagstaff High School girls basketball program cleaned up when it comes to the 2010-11 Grand Canyon Region All Region basketball awards.

Head coach Tyrone Johnson was named the Coach of the Year after taking the Eagles to their fourth straight Class 4A Division II state semifinal game. The Eagles lost to Phoenix Thunderbird.

Senior guard Ileana Johnson was named the GCR Most Valuable Player in girls basketball, and headlined the First-Team All-Region Team.

Senior forward Sarah Mong and junior guard Amber Tso, both of the Page Sand Devils, joined Johnson on the All-Region First-Team. Michelle Blanton, a Flag High senior forward, and Jasmine Golding of Coconino were also First-Team selections.

Bill Harris, Sun Sports Editor

Adapt or Die

2011-03-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

ADAPT OR DIE

Courtesy of the Arizona Daily Sun

Feb 27, 2011

It is 20 minutes before dawn on a Tuesday morning and there is already a man barking at Valerie Caro.

The local Realtor calmly sifts through one of three stacks of papers piled up on her desk as the man offers positive, real-estate-centric tips with the subtlety of a drill instructor -- all via voicemail.

"You only have yourself to blame if you don't sell today," the man says before hanging up.

Oddly enough, Caro says the daily motivational messages from a Las Vegas-based real estate coach are one of the reasons she is having one of her best years on record as a Realtor.

Her small team sold a total of 83 homes in northern Arizona, a personal best for Caro.

She already has an ambitious goal of selling 17 more than that in 2011 -- an even 100 -- despite less-than-rosy forecasts for the national housing market.

With the overall housing sales flat, Caro will need to capture a big slice of the real estate pie to sell more houses.

REALISTIC PRICING

The centerpiece to that goal is on the corner of her desk -- a stack of expired listings that didn't sell with other Realtors.

She calls the owners, using a script to briefly introduce herself and gauge whether they still want to sell their house.

In this economy, it is often a difficult decision.

Many don't want to hear "the comps" -- what similar houses in the same neighborhood recently sold for -- after trying to sell their house for months or even years.

"I'm the doctor telling them they have cancer," she said.

The size of the price reductions vary, Caro says, because she ties the prices to what the market will bear. Some Realtors, she says, will list houses for whatever the seller wants.

She won't take the listing if the seller can't be realistic about the current value of their house.

"My business model is not to tell them something that's not true," Caro said.

It is a hard decision for many to list their houses for less than they think it is worth, but Caro reminds the seller there are other costs associated with not selling when they need to, ie, mortgages, utilities and lost opportunities to move, etc.

She said for every 10 phone messages she leaves, roughly three return her call.

Those relistings now account for roughly 60 percent of her business.

CONTINUAL SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Caro has been receiving the phone messages from a real estate coach named Mike Ferry for the last 2 1/2 years.

There have been other coaches in the 25 years she has been selling real estate in Flagstaff, but she chose to work with Ferry for his advice on how to sell more homes in less time.

Caro has always been open to improving herself and the services she offers her clients, she says, continually shifting with the ebb and flow of the local real estate market. It is why she spends $2,000 a month on real estate coaching with Ferry.

She spends several thousand more on an annual basis traveling to workshops Ferry hosts.

Ferry emphasizes pursuing expired listings and for-sale-by-owner properties using scripted cold calls in the current market.

PAYING THE HEATING BILLS

It's a stark change from five years ago, when some owners were getting multiple offers on the same day they listed their homes.

This is in addition to the usual costs: Staffing, rent and advertising.

There are different costs, too, like paying to keep bank-owned properties warm throughout the winter so that they can be shown to potential buyers.

This is another contrast with five years ago, when Caro spent part of her budget on raffles to attract crowds during the white hot real estate market when nearly everyone qualified for a house.

Today, Caro has as many as a half-a-dozen homes with utilities in her name at any given time.

She also employs "runners" to hang signs, turn on utilities and run errands.

"It is not all popsicles and ponies," she said.

The coaching has kept her motivated, helping her to make some of her first calls of the day before other Realtors get out of bed.

"People were excited to meet with me back then," she said. "It is a very hard conversation now because the home values are very different than in 2005."

LASER-LIKE FOCUS

Caro's four-person staff, including dad Joe Haughey, starts shuffling in shortly after 7 a.m. last Tuesday.

By then, she is ready to start making calls to her clients. Caro wants to be the first Realtor potential clients hear from in the morning.

She banters back and forth with a member of her staff, trying to discern which client to call and which cell number to use. It is 7:24 a.m. and she has received a cash offer for $210,000 on one of the houses she is selling.

An hour later, the sellers, a retiree and his girlfriend, are in Caro's conference room to negotiate the details.

It is in this room where she is in her element, poring over a thick document detailing the buyer's offer.

She knows every detail of the offer: Real estate rules, banking requirements and, more importantly, her clients.

Deep into the multi-page agreement, the client changes his mind -- the fridge, the washer and the dryer, are coming with him to Prescott.

"Some of the places don't have a fridge, Valerie," says the lifelong Flagstaff resident.

She disappears for only a few minutes, the whir and clicks of the printer the only sign of life as Caro amends the contract to reflect the changes.

The ink is barely dry and the client again wants another change: He wants to keep the curtains.

Caro again disappears.

Whether it is curtains or holding out for a better offer, Caro has a laser-like focus when the client is in the room or the phone.

She is deaf to distractions like phones ringing or new mail chirps on her Blackberry.

Or holidays, apparently.

The client picks up on the fact that the bid on the house came in on Monday, i.e. Presidents Day. He thanks her, but Caro is coy.

"I didn't know it was a holiday. Nobody told me," she teased.

ADAPTING TO MARKET FORCES

Less than an hour later, Caro meets with another man who remembers her from several years ago.

At the time he didn't want to sell his house, a decision he clearly regrets now that the home value declined dramatically.

The current economy has meant the man could no longer afford to keep his house and he turned to her to sell it.

He said he remembered Caro from a chance meeting they had two or three years ago, but it was an impression that stuck.

"You seem to care," he told her before signing a thick stack of documents.

The veteran Realtor has always placed a high premium on personal, one-on-one contact, but she concedes she shifts her market focus depending on the economy.

Five years ago, for example, a major portion of her business was representing a condo-conversion project in west Flagstaff, selling converted apartments for between $100,000 and $200,0000.

Today, she represents homeowners trying to sell their houses.

The relationship with the conversion project ended several years ago when the ownership of the 300-unit development changed. She played down the change, saying it was common in the industry.

"Partnerships change all the time," she said.

The condo conversion market in Flagstaff never saw the buying frenzy of other major metro areas at the height of the housing market. Some complexes in town still have units for sale, launching in 2006 or 2007.

Many have been sold to investors, who are now renting out converted apartments.

FRESH ROUND OF CALLS

At the end of the day, Caro has made a dent in the pile of expired listings, but a fresh round of comps will be added to the pile by the end of the week.

The pile is never empty, so Caro will get up early the next day and start a fresh round of calls.

Joe Ferguson, Sun Staff Reporter

2011-02-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

We LOVE hearing from our clients:

Dear Valerie:

I am writing to thank you for your outstanding service in listing and marketing my house,
and also to openly recommend your services to others. My experience with you and
Flagstaff Top Producers was both professional and pleasant from the start. We have all
heard that customer service is a thing of the past, but not in your company.
One of the deciding factors in my choosing you as a real estate agent was your positive
attitude and obvious willingness to put every effort into selling my house, even given the
staggering decline in the market.. You never bought into the doom and gloom
atmosphere. Other Realtors I met with concentrated on the impossibility of selling homes
other than at a foreclosure sale. Instead, you used a professional photographer to take
pictures of the house, researched the market, put the property on internet listings,
produced attractive handout material, made calls to potential clients, invited other Realtors to view the house and then continued to make ,calls and show the house. I know from your efforts that you were as diligent in marketing my house as you would have been in the most promising markets. My house had the best chance of selling in your hands.
I also believe that your aggressive marketing and frequent reports, which I forwarded to
Wachovia, were a factor in Wachovia's agreement to pursue a deed-in-lieu of
foreclosure, allowing me to avoid the negative impact of foreclosure on my credit rating.
Although deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure have been almost entirely replaced by short sales,
Wachovia knew that together we had done everything possible to preserve and market the property.
You didn't make a commission to reward you for your hard work, but you did earn my
respect.. Thank you!

Warm Regards,
Sherry Golden

Thanks so much for your feedback Sherry!

Create a Home Inventory for Insurance

2011-02-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Create a home inventory before disaster strikes to make filing an insurance claim a smoother process.Bottom of Form

Don't rely on your memory to keep track of your possessions. Create an inventory so you can know what's missing if you ever need to file a claim. Image: Jupiterimages/Getty Images

Experiencing a theft, flood, fire, or other casualty loss is devastating enough. Now imagine trying to list from memory for your insurance claim every single item that was damaged or destroyed. The task becomes less daunting if you create a home inventory in advance and keep it in a safe place.

Creating a home inventory can be done with pencil and paper alone, but a digital camera and camcorder make the job easier. Set aside enough time to review your insurance policies, dig up receipts, document your possessions, and figure out where you’ll store your records. One day should be sufficient.

A home inventory is essential

From appliances, plates, and glasses to collectibles, rugs, and furniture, the average home is packed with an array of items collected over the years. And while you may be able to list many of them in a pinch, chances are you’d miss some important possessions if you ever needed to reconstruct your home’s contents from memory, says Mark Goldwich, founder of GoldStar Adjusters, a Jacksonville, Fla., claims adjusting firm.

“Home inventories are a must no matter what the value of the home’s items are,” says Goldwich. “If you’re going to insure your property and pay for that insurance, you really should be able to document the ownership and the value of the items that you’re insuring. If you don’t have proof of the items you owned, it makes filing your claim much more difficult.”

Your job doesn’t end once you’ve compiled a home inventory, a detailed list of everything in your household. Be sure to compare estimated values to your policy’s coverage to ensure that you’ll be able to replace your belongings in case of damage or theft, says Goldwich, who is the author of “Uncovered: What Really Happens After the Storm, Flood, Earthquake or Fire.” In some cases, he says, you can purchase additional coverage if the value of your possessions exceeds the limits on your homeowners, flood, or other disaster policy.

Take photos and video of possessions

Jack Hungelmann, author of “Insurance for Dummies,” says a picture can be worth more than just a thousand words—it can add up to thousands in cash if you ever need to file an insurance claim. Hungelmann recommends using a digital camcorder or camera to take pictures of each room to document your belongings. “I recommend that people open up their cupboards and drawers. Be sure you have a record of all the things you own,” he says.

Goldwich says that creating such a home inventory might seem daunting, but digital video—you can pick up a decent camcorder for about $150—can make the task much easier.

Homeowners can literally walk from room to room and record narrative descriptions of items. You should note whether something is an antique, for example, or if it has other qualities that make it especially valuable such as the size of a television screen or the type of stones in a piece of jewelry. Get close-up shots of serial numbers on electronics, power tools, and the like.

Filling in a printed checklist with serial numbers, brands, quantities, and estimated values will prove indispensible if an insurance claim ever needs to be filed. The adjuster will likely ask for such a list, and you can use the video or photos as proof of ownership.

Keep your home inventory safe

Of course, such documentation is useless if it’s destroyed in a natural disaster, consumed by fire, or stolen along with your personal computer. Hungelmann says that using digital media allows you to store the files on online backup services like Carbonite.com or iBackup.com in case your home is destroyed.

If you’d like to save the $10 or more per month these services typically cost, you could also save the files on a USB drive that’s kept in a safe-deposit box, at a relative’s home, or in your emergency bag. The bag should include essentials your family needs in case you’re forced to flee on short notice.

It’s also a good idea to keep a file with receipts and any appraisals of valuable items you own. Store these documents off-site as well. Goldwich says that the more documentation you have to prove what you owned and what it was worth, the easier the claims process will be.

By: Gwen Moran (houselogic.com)

Cut Your Electric Bills Painlessly

2011-02-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

A few simple tricks can save you a bundle

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last six to 10 times longer.

When Mom told you to turn out the lights, she was thinking of saving energy dollars, not rolling blackouts and bankrupt utility companies. Rarely have Moms words of wisdom been as fitting as they are now and not just in California. Electricity rates are going up everywhere.

Besides switching off lights, there are several other painless methods to conserve energy and save money on your electric bills.

Plug ins

Look for those electronic devices, especially those with digital time and date displays that are infrequently used such as alarm clocks, TVs and VCRs in a guest room and unplug them.
Unplug devices used to recharge electronics/batteries when they're not being used.
Transformers consume energy. Consider unplugging devices like calculators that are not in use.

Appliances

Wait until you can fill up your dishwasher before running it. And if you have a heated-dry option, switch it off. Prop open the door a bit after the cycle to air dry your load.
If you have an electric cooktop, turn the burners off a few minutes before the allotted cooking time. The heating element will stay hot long enough to finish the cooking without using more electricity.

Refrigerators

Refrigerators use more power than any other appliance in the home and deserve special attention. Although rushing out to buy a new refrigerator may not be in your budget, it is important to know that new models are more efficient and use as little as half the electricity of older units.
Full refrigerators run more efficiently than ones that are only partially full. So buy more food and save some energy.
If you have two refrigerators, or an additional freezer, decide if the extra expense is really worth it. Cram as much as you can into your primary refrigerator or consider disposing of two older refrigerators and replacing them with one larger, newer and more efficient model.
Make sure the refrigerator door seals are tight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.
Place food and liquids in airtight containers. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Move the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils yearly unless you have a no-clean condenser model. Refrigerators will run for shorter periods with clean coils.
Maintain a consistent temperature in the refrigerator and freezer. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0F.

Lighting

Its obvious, but true: Turn off lights that are not being used. Consider installing timers or photo cells on some lights. And instead of constantly nagging the kids, try occupancy sensors that turn on and off automatically when someone enters or leaves a room.
Rather than brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops
Consider dimmer switches and three-way lamps. These provide low light levels when bright lights are not necessary.
Use linear fluorescent and energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in fixtures throughout your home to provide high-quality and high-efficiency lighting. Fluorescent lamps are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last six to ten times longer. Although fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they pay for themselves by saving energy over their lifetime.

Market Updates

2010-09-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

With the economy constantly changing it is difficult to gauge when the right time to buy is. While no one knows exactly when the “perfect” time is, you can count on these current economic and market updates to help you in your decision making progress:

· It is important to do your research, educated consumers make smarter decisions.

· The economy is soft and the confidence among the majority of consumers remains low.

· Housing affordability has hit a generation low

· Many markets, Flagstaff included, have returned their home values to historically justifiable levels.

Contact one our agents here at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate and let us assist you with your buying or selling process.

Sources from NAR Research

The Psychology of Real Estate

2010-08-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

From an article from SmartMoney.com on July 20th, 2010......

Earlier this year 27 students at Old Dominion University pressed their foreheads into a padded frame and peered ahead, much like patients at an eye doctor. They scrolled through pictures of 10 on-the-market homes on a computer screen as an ocular tracking program recorded their eye movements. In some of the homes, for some of the students, the living rooms were painted pink.

The question: Would a pink room - a problem you could fix for the price of a few can of paint - make the students less likely to purchase the homes? The answer, based on preliminary results, is yes.

The study is a part of a growing body of research that is putting real estate under the microscope. Scientists are finding that psychology - everything from how a buyer perceives his agent to how a seller prices her home - plays an unexpectedly large role. "When the market was going up, these questions were mildly interesting," says Michael Seiler,a professor of real estate at Old Dominion University and the coauthor of numerous studies in the field (including the one about the pink room). Today, with the market wobbly, "they're much more relevant," and the results of such research, he and other academics say, can offer useful insights to buyers and sellers alike.

Here's a roundup of some pertinent findings.

Choose Your Words Carefully

For a seller, advertising that you've recently painted your house seems like a no-brainer. But in a study that looked at nearly 60,000 residential real estate transactions in Texas, listings that mentioned new paint, new carpet and/or roof work sold, on average, for slightly less that those that did not.

Thomas A. Thomson, the study's coauthor and the director of the Real Estate Finance and Development Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio, says that buyers aren't going to be fooled by a problem house simply because it has a fresh coat of paint. But even if there is nothing wrong with the house, an advertisement that touts new features could set off alarm bells. If a seller says everything is new, a buyer might wonder why everything needed to be replaced - and whether there are other defects lurking.

Thomson recommends sellers take the simpler route: Let potential buyers be surprised by the quality of the home instead of disappointed by how average it is compared with its description.

The Downside of Upbeat

A big part of any decision to sell a house is where a homeowner thinks prices are heading. so how do owners feel after the brutal market of the past few years? A recent survey of 479 homeowners in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas found that people were about five times more likely to say their own homes would see their prices increase in the next 12 months than they were to say their neighbors' homes would do better.

Robert Shiller, a professor at Yale University, and Karl Case, a professor at Wellesley College, survey homeowners every year to gauge how confident they are that their homes will increase in value. Only once, when the housing market was at its worst in the recent crash, did the poll results slide into the negative. In general, the average respondent figured his home was bound to jump in value in the near future. "people don't change their opinions that quickly," says Shiller.

Whether sellers will regret those opinions later, only time will tell. If his expectations are out of whack with reality, an overoptimistic seller could wind up waiting for a higher price that will never arrive. But pessimists should tread just as carefully: An overly downbeat seller could wind up dumping a house at a price far below what it could fetch a year or two later.

Let the knowledgeable real estate professionals at Flagstaff Top Producer Real Estate assist you in all your real estate needs.

Homes Will Sell If Priced Right

2010-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Foreclosures Have Impact!

Sellers are discovering the cold reality of post-housing-bust prices. No matter what the seller thinks their house is worth, what matters is what buyers are willing to pay. That can be a lot less in areas where the supply of houses for sale is swollen by foreclosures and short sales, often priced 20% to 30% below the ones being sold by financially healthy owners. Nationally, such properties account for a third of all sales three years after a historic chill blew over an overheated housing market.

Nationally, 30% of the houses for sale were reduced in price in June, according to Zillow.com, an online real estate site. Plenty of sellers have trouble pricing their homes against the foreclosed houses that lenders are trying to unload.

Pricing their home is one of the hardest things for sellers to do. They have an emotional attachment to their house, and for sellers to understand how they should price, they should deeply understand their market and competition -- what's on the market now, not just what's sold. Those sellers who do that successfully don't have a problem.

People who price their homes to the market are selling them in a reasonable amount of time, but people who cling to 2004 or 2005 prices are not. If you take into account bank-owned property pressures, you will sell pretty quickly.

Not all offers go smoothly. Even when owners find willing buyers, getting their price isn't a sure thing. Lenders generally require appraisals before giving a mortgage, and appraisers often take into account what foreclosed properties in the area sell for when determining how much a home is worth. If a home is being sold at too high a price, the sale can fall apart. Smart sellers get appraisals done before they sell the home.

Nationally, the average property takes eight to nine weeks to sell, down from 10 to 11 weeks a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. When homes are priced well they can and will sell - even in an anemic real estate market.

Contact the knowledgeable professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate for all your home buying or selling needs.

Article courtesy of USA Today

FSBO Advantages and Disadvantages

2010-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Many homeowners think about selling their own home but relatively few attempt it. Why? Because it's an extremely time-consuming and exhausting process, especially when you're working a full-time job! Nonetheless, we don't discourage you from putting your home on the market and attempting to sell it yourself. But before you do, We encourage you to become extremely knowledgeable about the process and aware of the advantages and disadvantages of it.

The knowledgeable agents at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate can answer any questions you may have about listing your home. Let our professional team help you with all your real estate needs!

What do foreclosures mean for investors?

2010-07-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

While foreclosures tend to be a very rough time for the home owner and bank involved, this time can be a huge opportunity for investors. Buying real estate in the pre-foreclosure stage is an excellent opportunity to not only make some money for yourself, but help out troubled homeowners in the process. Pre-forclosure is the brief period before the house is auctioned off. As an investor you are asking, How does this work? What risk is involved? Call our real estate experts at Flagstaff Top Producers and we would be more then happy to discuss this with you. Let us assist you with your next investment purchase!

Source: Bernie Gallerani, Realtor

Tips for First Time Home Buyers

2010-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Be choosy, but realistic.
You may never find the perfect home.

Do your homework before looking at homes.
Determine exactly what features you want in a home and which are most important to you.

Get your finances in order.
Examine your credit report & be prepared for down payment or closing costs.

Get pre-approved for a mortgage.
Talk to a lender NOW - before engaging a REALTOR.

Know your move-in date.
When does your lease end?
Are you allowed to sublet?
How tight is the rental market in your area?

Think long-term.
Are you looking for a starter home, or something to stay in for a long time?
This could influence the type of home you decide to purchase, as well as the type of
mortgage terms that might best suit you.

Don't become "house poor".
Buying the biggest home you can afford may leave no money for maintenance, decor, or
renovations. Plus, it may make it hard for you to save money for other financial goals.

Don't take chances.
Obtain a professional home inspection and, if possible, a warranty from the seller to cover
any defect within the first year.

Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate is ready to assist you in all of your real estate needs. Our top agents are professional local real estate market experts, giving you the utmost confidence in purchasing your first home.

Summer Provides Good Opportunities for Sellers

2010-07-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

There are many types of buyers out there, and couple those types with historically low interest rates and excellent values, and I expect the summer to be very busy!

Call Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate today to get a specific market analysis for your property. I will explain specifically what I will do to get you the same results I got for my clients who sold last month. The experienced professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate will be happy to assist you in all your real estate needs.

Sustainability Tip of the Week

2010-07-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Why local is better, for produce.

Did you know that on average, produce in the United States is shipped 1,500 miles before being sold? And this does not include produce imported from other countries.

Most of the produce is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves.

You can reduce the fossil fuel used for transporting your produce and increase the freshness of your food by patronizing Flagstaff's local farmer's market.

In addition to being a fun way to spend a Sunday morning or Wednesday afternoon, you support independent growers and producers, as well as the local economy.

According to Local Harvest Inc., only 18 cents out of every dollar spend at a grocery store actually goes to the farmer who produced the crop.

Farmers markets allow for a greater percentage of that money to go directly to the farmer.

The Flagstaff Community Market is open Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon through Oct. 11, City Hall West Parking Lot, west of 211 West Aspen Ave.

The market will also be open on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 8 through Sept. 9, St. Pius Catholic Church parking lot, 2257 E. Cedar Ave. Visit www.flagstaffmarket.com for more information.

Source: Nicole A. Woodman, city of Flagstaff Sustainability Manager

Be Un-Emotional When buying a Home!

2010-07-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

*In Order to Get the Best Value.....

Want to break your heart and bank account at the same time?

Then buy a home based on the fact that you've fallen in love with it! Needless to say, you should never do this! In some cases, when you fall in love with the "pretty face" of a house, you fail to look underneath and find problems like bad wiring, leaky roofs, bad foundations, etc. This is an extremely expensive way to buy a home.

Let the professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate help you in all of your real estate needs. Our experienced agents can assist you in all the complexities of buying or selling your home. Give us a call today!

*Excerpt courtesy of Bernie Gallerani, Realtor

Flagstaff Home Prices Back On Rebound

2010-06-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

April's low median price of $270,000 is followed by $302,000 in May as fewer distressed houses hit the market.

By Joe Ferguson - Sun Staff Reporter - Arizona Daily Sun

Triple-digit temperatures in the Valley are always good for home sales here in greater Flagstaff.

But it was a decline in the number of distressed homes sold in May that helped increase the median price of single-family homes last month.

Home sale in Flagstaff were up slightly in May when compared to April, but the median price climbed by $30,000 to slightly more than $300,000, according to recently released sales figures from the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors.

The median price is still down from a year ago, when it stood at $320,000 - half sold for more, half for less.

Yet the size of the median-priced house is nearly the same - slightly under 2,000 square feet - meaning the price per square foot is down by $10 to $155.

Currently there are roughly 900 single family homes listed for sale in the greater Flagstaff area.

This represents a 17-month supply of homes. A healthy supply is considered by most real estate professionals to be three to six months.

Some local Realtors believe that because Flagstaff's summer months are the height of the real estate season, listings in the Northern Arizona Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service are somewhat higher than normal.

Flagstaff Home Sales*

May '08 Mary '09 April '10 May '10
#sales 75 57 51 55
Med Price $355K $320K $270K $302K
Med size** 1,850 1,944 1,869 1,944
Price sq ft $192 $165 $144 $155
*detached single-family **square feet

Source: Northern Arizona Association of Realtor Multiple Listing Service. Figures are not certified as accurate and may not represent all sales.

The knowledgeable professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate can help you with all of your real estate buying or selling needs. Give us a call today!

When It Comes To Home Value, It Pays To Conform!

2010-06-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

Being a "Conformist" Can Maximize Your Home Value

Have you ever gone into a neighborhood and noticed a few homes that stuck out like sore thumbs? One might be much fancier than the houses surrounding it while the other might be a "dump" in comparison to neighboring properties.

This scenario illustrates the real estate principle of "conformity." The main idea behind this principle is that a house is more likely to appreciate in value if age, size, condition and style are similar to, or conform to, other houses in the neighborhood.

How Does this Affect Buyers?

This principle of comparison also extends to buyers. By that I mean that if you make your property more inviting than others in your neighborhood, you end up limiting potential buyers. of course, the opposite is also true - if you don't take care of our property, you'll definitely have fewer buyers looking at it.

Conformity is closely related to two other principles - progression and regression. In plain English, regression means that high-valued properties often tend to suffer when located close to lower-valued homes. Progression, on the other hand, means that lower-valued homes will often see increased value when found amongst higher-valued properties.

This formal principle leads the informal maxim: "Buy the cheapest property on the block!" The higher value of the homes around it will, in turn, make it more valuable.

As A Buyer, How Can I Use the Principle of Conformity to My Advantage?

I've already mentioned one method - buy the least expensive house in the neighborhood! Once you do that, improve it, and you'll get most 'bang for your buck' on your improvements. Of course, take caution when looking at such properties (often called "due diligence"). Spend the money on a real estate appraiser so you get an objective evaluation.

Too Many Improvements is Bad News

Avoid any homes that need major fixes such as roofs, foundations, siding, plumbing, electrical work, etc. The last thing you need is a "money pit" into which you keep investing money and get little or nothing in return. Be sure to seek out sound properties, like homes needing only minor fixes such as painting, cleaning, landscaping, carpets, new appliances, etc.

If you're a buyer interested in real estate investment, purchase a home in a neighborhood that's just beginning a revitalization cycle. That way you can be sure values will appreciate.

You can also look for 'under-improved' properties such as single family homes which can be converted to residential income or commercial use, especially is such properties lie in the "path of progress;" that is, areas experiencing positive growth.

As A Seller, How Can I Use the Principle of Conformity to My Advantage?

As a seller, simply make sure that you maintain our home and lot on par with surrounding properties. Of course, if you've already done that, then invest in low-cost improvements such as new paint inside and out, landscaping, a professional cleaning job, etc. You might also want to add new carpets and/or new appliances if they are lacking.

Do It Yourself!...if You're Good

All these actions will improve the value of the home in the eyes of potential buyers. If you're an experienced do-it-yourselfer, you should definitely tackle some improvement projects since they can cost less than half of what professional contractors charge.

However, notice that I emphasized "experienced!" An amateurish job on, say, cabinets or roofs can actually reduce the value of your home.
So, unless you're really, really good at it, leave major home remodeling projects to the professionals.

This article is attributed to Bernie Gallerani, Real Estate Agent - Hendersonville, TN

Let the real estate professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate assist you in all you buying and selling needs. Our knowledgeable agents are ready to help you buy or sell real estate in Flagstaff, Az.

Flagstaff Home Values Continue Slide

2010-05-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Home values in Arizona dropped more in the last year than any other state. New figures Tuesday from the Federal Housing Finance Agency show the price for an average Arizona home in the first quarter of this year is .13 percent less than the same time a year age.

What that means is that home values, on average, are now more than 20 percent below where they were at this time in 2005, while prices were going up but before the housing bubble burst.

And there is no real sign that the slide in values is slowing: The index dropped by 3.4 percent just between the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of this year.

In Flagstaff, the change in the last quarter was -3.48%, and the difference between the 1st quarter of 2009 and the 1st quarter of 2010 is -13.26%.

But those who have been hanging onto their houses longer term still have something to be happy about: The report shows that, even with the precipitous drop in prices, the average Arizona home is now worth almost double what it was at the beginning of 1991.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency figures are significant because the agency computes its index based on figures from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which have the larges database of conventional mortgages going back 34 years.

That allows the agency to track prices on the same home being sold and resold. By contrast, some other indexes are based solely on whatever happens to be sold during that period.

What these figures represent is that it is a great time to buy a home in Flagstaff! Mortgage rates are at a new low, and there is a diverse selection of homes to choose from.

Let the professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate assist you in buying or selling your home, and our knowledgable agents can help you maximize your homes' equity potential.

Thank you for the privilege!

by Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services.

Sustainability Tip of the Week

2010-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Living More Sustainably

1. Focus On Being Healthy

Getting and staying fit will save you money, increase your happiness, and give you additional energy to take on more resolutions.

--Make your own meals. Despite low-sodium and low-fat labels on processed foods, nothing beats homemade food when it comes to nutrition and value. Be sure these meals include some fruits and vegetables (from local sources when possible).

-- Walk or bike to where you need to go. Flagstaff is very walker and biker friendly, with sidewalks, bike lanes and the urban trail system linking up nearly the entire city.

2. Help Build Your Community

It can be hard to feel a sense of community in today's fast-paced world, but there are simple things you can do to help build your community.

--Participate, as a member or volunteer, in local organizations and events. You'll meet your neighbors and help to improve the community.

--Invest in local businesses. Shopping at local businesses helps to create and sustain jobs, preserves the unique community character, and increases funding for city services.

3. Reduce Your Waste

The average American generates 56 tons of garbage per year and Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottle every hour.

--Always try to reduce what you consume. When buying an item, look for good quality construction and minimal packaging.

--Reuse the three B's: bags (for grocery and retail stores), beverage containers (mugs and water bottles), and batteries.

--Recycle all plastic, metal, paper/cardboard, and glass. Plastic film, including shopping bags and packaging, is recyclable at major Flagstaff grocery stores.

4. Conserve Water

Water is one of Flagstaff's most precious resources. On an annualized basis, Flagstaff citizens use about 116 gallons of water per person per day.

--Install a modern, low-flow shower head. Look for models with a flow rate less that 2.5 gallons per minute and/or with a shut-off valve to use while you're lathering up.

--Install faucet aerators at kitchen and bathroom sinks. Aerators are inexpensive and simply screw onto your existing faucets to limit water flow to 2.2 gallons per minute or less.

5. Save Energy & Fuel

--As perhaps the most obvious resolution to be more sustainable, hopefully you are already taking steps to reduce your energy and fuel consumption. Here are a few pointers to help you save even more energy, and money!

--Eliminate energy phantoms. Most entertainment and office equipment uses energy even when it isn't turned on. Plug electronics into power strips and turn the strips off when the equipment isn't in use.

--Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 F. For each 10 F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3 percent to 5 percent in energy costs.

--Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving can reduce your fuel economy by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town, and is also dangerous.

Source -- Nicole A. Woodman, city of Flagstaff Sustainability Manager.

Get Ready to Enter the 2010 Flagstaff Garden Competition

2010-05-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Susan Lamb - local writer and naturalist - posted this in Home and Garden in the Arizona Daily Sun on 4/17/2010 --

Despite late-lingering snowbanks and being batted about by spring winds like birdies on a badminton court, Flagstaff gardeners are suddenly out in force.

Eternal optimists, they are already swarming local nurseries wearing sunhats and ferrying pots of native perennials, vegetable starts and new gardening gloves to the registers. Rakes have been fetched from garages, along with pruning shears and trowels.

Whether you are among these early enthusiasts -- or you need to wait a few weeks because of you particular location -- the Arizona Native Plant Society (ASNPS) invites you to enter its annual Flagstaff Garden Competition. The deadline for entering the contest is Aug. 4.

Judges will schedule a one-hour visit to each garden during the weekend of August 14 and 15. There will be an awards "Extravaganza" on August 25 and a public tour of all the gardens on Sunday, August 29.

Simply entering the Flagstaff Garden Competition can liberate the imagination and fire up a lot of energy. Then the reality of showing your garden to strangers sinks in, determination surfaces and creativity flows.

Long-neglected "issues" such as a pile of old plastic pots or the overdue need to prune a dogwood are suddenly resolved. What at first seems like a lark undertaken because a neighbor says you really should becomes a closer observation of the weather, a more attentive nurturing of plants and a greater clarity about what you know and don't yet know. If you remain unconvinced about entering, Dorothy Lamm's lovely exhibit on the Garden Competition -- on display at the main Flagstaff Public Library through April -- may convince you to take an active part in this delightful annual event.

This year, the Flagstaff Garden Competition's two categories are Native Plant Gardens and Edible Landscapes (vegetables, herbs and other edibles). Of course, the former should have a good majority of plants native to Northern Arizona. Native plant gardens should also be pollinator friendly, with lots of flowers appropriately placed in sun and shade and absolutely no use of pesticides.

Judges will also consider color and form, hardscaping and paths, and special features such as ponds and sculptures. Edible landscapes should produce food for many weeks and employ water conservation strategies such as runoff catchments and mulch. In fact, judges will look for water-wise techniques in all gardens as well as designs that are appropriate to their sites' exposure to sun, shade and wind.

The Flagstaff Garden Awards Extravaganza will take place in Rees Hall at the Federated Church on Wednesday, August 25. After a potluck and a slide show of all the gardens, winners will receive gift certificates from local nurseries, and there will be a raffle of one of the latest books on native plants as well as memberships in plant-related organizations.

The grand finale is a tour of all the gardens on August 29. Donations for the tour will be gratefully accepted. The tour is a feast for the eye but also the heart. Gardeners can see how others succeed in circumstances similar to their own, from the banana belt below Mount Elden to the frost-prone fields of Baderville. With such a variety of mini-climates in Flagstaff and its environs, we often get the best ideas about successful gardening from those who've succeeded in locations similar to our own.

But that Sunday is also a day of stories -- of a helpful neighbor, of a source of cuttings or flagstone, of chronic frost or a sudden onslaught of grasshoppers and the inspired strategies to cope with them. Some gardeners also speak joyfully of the healing and happiness they have found in their gardens.

This year, the Flagstaff garden competition is sponsored by the Arboretum at Flagstaff, the Arizona Native Plant Society,the Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed, and Warner's Nursery.

Again, the deadline for entries is Wednesday, August 4. To enter, e-mail Jessa Fisher at nightbloomingcactus@yahoo.com (preferred) or give her a call at (928) 814-2644.

The knowledgeable agents at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate are available to assist you in all your real estate needs. If you are thinking about buying or selling, the professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate welcome your call.

Easy Fixes for 4 Household Problems

2010-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Problems like squeaky stairs and oil stains on the garage floor can be quick turnoffs to buyers. But these common household troubles need not hold your listing back - particularly if they're relatively easy for a do-it-yourselfer to fix.

Lynda Lyday - carpenter, professional contractor, and a featured expert on the DIY cable network- provides dozens of simple fixes for common household problems in The Homeowner's Manual (Que Publishing, 2006).

While it's always best to bring in an expert to correct big problems, Lyday provides these tips for capable home owners who want to try their own hand at a solution.

Problem: Oil Stains On Garage Floor

Lyday's solution: "You can remove most of a stubborn stain with a bit of elbow grease and scrubbing. First, remove the surface oil by sprinkling some cat litter on it to soak it up. Then clear away the cat litter and focus on the stain. Make a paste of hot water and dry dish or laundry detergent. Use a stiff bristle scrub brush to scrub the area with the paste. Hose the area and let it dry. Another method is to use a product such as Spray 'n Wash on the stain for 10 minutes, along with a dry detergent. Your last option is to spray on some oven cleaner. Use this sparingly, wash it down thoroughly, and keep children and pets away from it."

Problem: Leaky Faucets

Lyday's solution: "Most faucet leaks can easily be fixed with a rubber washer, an 0-ring, or seals - depending on what type of faucet it is. By fixing the problem yourself, you can save a good bit of money since plumbers can be expensive and will charge you a standard fee even if it takes only 10 minutes to fix the problem."

Problem: Nail Pops

Lyday's solution: "Nail pops are a problem across the country. The term comes from the nails that hold the drywall to the studs actually popping out through the face of the drywall. This is from either a house settling or the wood studs drying out over time, squeezing the nail out of the wood and pushing it through the drywall. The fix for this isn't terribly hard, but it's tedious because there are up to 32 nails in a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of drywall. My suggestion is to pound the nail through the drywall to the stud. Then, just above it, place a drywall screw to hold the drywall to the stud, and finish it off with a few coats of spackle or joint compound. Finally, seal and paint it. Most home-improvement stores also sell nail pop kits that can make this job easier."

Problem: Squeaky Stairs

Lyday's solution: "The most common problems that occur in a staircase are the treads (horizontal surface of the steps) coming loose, which causes squeaking. Also common are the spindles or balusters coming loose. If you can get underneath the staircase, fixing the treads is easy. You will need to attach an L bracket from the underside of the tread to the stringer (the long piece of wood that connects the treads and runs diagonally up the wall). If you can't get underneath the staircase, you'll have to make the repair from above. Squeaky stair kits are available that allow you to make this fix even through carpet. Otherwise, you can secure the tread to the stringer with a trim screw."

Adapted from The Homeowner's Manual (Que Publishing, 2006)

Call the experienced Real Estate Professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate when you are ready to list your home. Our knowledgable agents will be happy to assist you in all your real estate needs!

Sustainability Tip of the Week: Making better soil, naturally

2010-04-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Nichole A. Woodman, City of Flagstaff Sustainability Manager writes:

Composting is nature's way of recycling organic material back into the soil. The billions of living organisms in healthy soil transform dead plants into vital nutrients for new plant growth.

Since healthy plants come from healthy soil, one of the best ways you can build healthy soil in your garden and lawn is by using compost.

You can easily make compost with landscape trimmings and food scraps in your own backyard. With a small investment in time, you can improve the health and appearance of your yard, save money on fertilizers and mulch, all while preserving natural resources and protecting the health of your family and pets.

Here are some great reasons to compost:

It's earth-friendly. Food scraps and yard wast make up 2-30 percent of the waste stream. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills, where they take up precious space.
It benefits your yard. Compost improves soil structure and texture, increases the soil's ability to hold both water and air, improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants.
It's easy. You can start with just leaves and yard clippings, then work your way toward composting your food scraps.
It saves money. Adding compost to your garden can reduce or eliminate the need to buy chemical fertilizers or compost. If you pay for the amount of trash hauled, composting can also cut down on your trash costs.

If you want to learn more about composting, the City of Flagstaff is hosting free backyard composting workshops on May 19 and May 20 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the New Start Garden, 320 N. Aztec Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

If you want to learn more about buying or selling your home, call the knowledgeable professionals at Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate. Valerie Caro's experienced team of agents are available to assist you in all your real estate needs.

Short Sale Guide

2010-04-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

What is a short sale?

A short sale is a work out program that allows the owner to sell the home for less than the total amount owed. Upon final approval, a short sale can help homeowners avoid further collection activity or foreclosure action.

Homeowner should call the mortgage companies short sale team. Financial information is reviewed and pre-forclosure sale counseling is completed.

The Realtor ensures that the complete short sale package is received by the mortgage company.

Documents Required To Begin An Application

From the Realtor

Fully executed listing agreement

From the Homeowner

Signed and dated financial worksheet listing all monthly expenses
Signed and dated hardship letter (why they are unable to pay the mortgage)
Letter authorizing the Realtor access to information on the account. It must be dated and include the last 4 digits of the borrower's Social Security Number, their signature, the full account number and the property address.

Additional information

Short sale approval is good for 30 days. If closing does not occur within 30 days, the entire short sale package may need to be resubmitted with updated information, or the approval process may need to start over.
Realtor or homeowner inquiries should be directed to the negotiator assigned to the file, whose information will be communicated during the introduction call.
Realtors are generally allowed 5% to 6% commission based on investor rules. If dual agency applies, maximum commission is 5%. Some investors operate on a reduced commission structure and the actual commission schedule can be confirmed during the introduction call.
This must be and "arms-length" transaction. The property may not be sold to anyone the seller has a close personal or business relationship with including family, friends or neighbors.
During the introduction call the following will be addressed: commissions, fees and costs, pricing of the property, timeline.
In order to reduce the 25 day response time the liquidation team strongly recommends that the homeowner and/or the Realtor notify the mortgage company as soon as the listing contract is signed. This will allow them to complete the property valuation and borrower financial evaluation prior to receiving an offer. This significantly reduces the short sale decision time on a submitted offer.
In some cases investors and/or PMI companies require the mortgagers to sign an unsecured note for some or all of the difference between the net proceeds from the sale and the total amount due. This is communicated as part of the response on a short sale offer.

Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate has the experience and knowledge needed to help you through your short sale process. Call one of our agents today!

Preparing Your Home to Sell

2010-04-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

When presenting your home to prospective buyers, first impressions are crucial. Buyers begin judging your home the moment they see it, and generally they prefer homes that are well-maintained, clean and clutter-free -- homes they can picture themselves living in. That is why home improvements -- particularly if they address the anticipated needs of buyers -- can boost your home's saleability and sale price.

Here are a few proven, cost-effective tips that will help your home look its best:

Exterior

Mow and rake the lawn, trim hedges, weed and edge gardens
Sweep sidewalks and driveway, pick up any litter
Repair gutters and eaves, touch up exterior paint
Plant extra flowers for color, or place potted plants beside the front door
Clean or paint front door, polish front door hardware, ensure doorbell works

Interior

Clean and tidy the entrance, clear stairs and halls, store all excess furniture
Brighten interiors with fresh, light-toned paint
Brighten rooms by installing high wattage light bulbs and turning them on
Shampoo carpets, clean and wax floors
Organize kitchen countertops -- removing appliances if necessary -- to make them look spacious
Clean kitchen countertops, cabinets, appliances, washer and dryer
Organize and clean out closets to make them look larger
Clean and freshen bathrooms, put out clean towels, minimize clutter
Clean mirrors and windows so they sparkle
Organize and clean garage and basement
Perform necessary minor repairs and touch-ups to walls, windows, fixtures, etc.

Tips For Showings

Be absent so buyers feel more comfortable making comments
Light the fireplace, open the drapes, play quiet background music
Keep pets outdoors

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate know what today's buyers are looking for and can provide more ideas that will maximize your home's appeal. Remember, a few easy and expensive improvements can produce big returns on your investment.

Sustainability Tip of the Week

2010-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

April is Water Awareness Month

Did you know that less than 3 percent of the Earth's water is fresh?

Of that, 60 percent is trapped in glaciers, 10 percent is found in surface waters, and 30 percent is found in groundwater. Of all the freshwater we take out of rivers, lakes and the ground only 8 percent is pumped to cities and homes for drinking, washing and watering; the rest is used for agriculture and industry.

April is Water Awareness Month in Arizona.

This year's theme, "Plants Don't Waste Water, People Do," reminds us all about the importance of using water efficiently outdoors.

Spring is the perfect time to begin planning for ways to reduce your outdoor watering needs, such as setting up a rainwater harvesting system, or incorporating low- or no-water landscaping.

As part of Flagstaff Earth Day 2010 celebrations, Brad Lancaster, rainwater and greywater harvesting specialist, will be coming to Flagstaff to speak about this precious resource.

The free lecture will be held at the High Country Conference Center Friday at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.flagstaff.az.gov/earthday

Flagstaff Women In Business 2010

2010-04-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine March 2010 Issue highlighted profiles of our regions' women in business. The magazine offered these businesswomen a chance to voice themselves and share their stories and love of what they do and passion for serving our Flagstaff community. Valerie Caro, Designated Broker for Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate was one of the businesswomen highlighted.

...Interview Two!

Let Valerie Caro be one of the two (or more) real estate professionals you interview for the important job of buying or selling your home. Give her 15 minutes to show you how to get outstanding RESULTS in the Flagstaff Real Estate market.

Her team also assists Flagstaff homeowners struggling with their mortgage payment. In one week, the office saved three homeowners from foreclosure action.

It's not too late, Call today!

For over 25 years it has been an honor and privilege to help families succeed with home ownership.

Nothing Says Home Like Your Front Door

2010-03-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

If ever there was a place for a personal color statement, it's your front door - the threshold between the outside world and your intimate life at home. If you shy away from bold statements with your siding, don't be afraid to add some flair to your front door. Look at fresh, unexpected, personality colors like Raspberry Red, Honey Yellow and Forest Green to suit your personal style and greet your guests. If your taste is more traditional, update time-worn colors like red, black and white, opting instead for rust or copper,charcoal or navy, lemon or lime...have some fun, show your true colors!

Flagstaff Top Producers Real Estate

The Greates Places To Live the West

2010-03-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

What is a home? A state of mind? A front-porch view? A couple of acres to call your own?

According to the April/May 2010 issue of American Cowboy, Flagstaff, Arizona has what you are looking for. American Cowboy wrote that whether you are retiring, relocating, or looking for room to grow, Flagstaff has the Old West charm, open rangeland, and outdoor activities that come together like nowhere else.

American Cowboy also states that Flagstaff's historic downtown tells the story and legacy of pioneer ranchers, railroad builders, and lumberman. Surrounded by natural wonders, scenic history, and Old West and Native American treasures, the city is also a short drive from the Grand Canyon, Sedona's Red Rocks, and the San Francisco Peaks.

Population 58,514
Average Home Price $350,000
Average Land Price $90,000

Early Warning Signs of Foreclosure

2010-03-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Credit card debt out of control (Maxed out cards). Paying the minimum amount due.
Paying for necessities with credit cards (groceries, utilities, etc).
Cannot meet monthly financial obligations (choosing which bills to pay).
Borrowing from friends and family.
Loss of employment, or reduction in hours or wages.
Major illness which can cause loss of work and an increase in health expenses.
Divorce, separation or other traumatic family or personal situations.
Death of a spouse or significant other.
Cannot pay the new Adjusted Payment on the ARM mortgage loan.
Major unbudgeted maintenance expense.
Excessive debt is the number-one cause of financial collapse and foreclosure.

Avoiding Foreclosure Checklist Homeowners' Options

Bring your loan current and maintain regular payments in a timely manner.
Work out a repayment plan.
Refinance your home with better rates and terms.
Modify your current loan with your Lender.
Rent your home and make the mortgage payments to your Lender.
Sell your home and pay off the loan amount due.
Borrow money from a relative or friend to bring your payments current.
Get protection under the Service Members Civil Relief Act (SMCRA).
Enter into a Deed In Lieu of Foreclosure or "friendly foreclosure."
File for Bankruptcy protection to stall the foreclosure process.
Sell your home in a "short sale" if the Lender will accept a discounted payoff for the outstanding mortgage due.

2009 Best Cities for Jobs: Our Top 10

2009-06-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

2009 BEST CITIES
No. 9 Flagstaff, Arizona
By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, July 2009
OLD WEST, NEW JOBS

Population: 126,087
Income Growth: 9.8%
Cost of Living Index: 116
Median Household Income: $48,171
Percentage of Workforce in Creative Class: 29%

Unlike the trains that regularly come through town, singing out reminders of Flagstaff's heritage, this city is far from predictable. You can feel its Old West charm through and through, but Flagstaff is infused with new energy -- both from its residents and college students at Northern Arizona University. The university adds jobs to the city's economy, plus arts and entertainment to its cultural scene.

The government is big business in Flagstaff, which is the Coconino County seat. The second-biggest industry is tourism, a result of the city's proximity to the Grand Canyon and Indian ruins at Wupatki and Walnut Canyon.

Because the city is nestled at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, the last thing you'd expect to find is a manufacturing sector. But Nestlé Purina and SCA Tissue have facilities here, and Southwest Windpower calls Flagstaff home.

URL address: http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/07/2009-best-city-flagstaff.html

It's Time to Buy!!

2009-02-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's Time To Buy!

The 2009 First Time Homebuyers Credit has created an opportunity you may never see again. Use this program to make the most of your first home purchase, and start enjoying the benefits of owning a home now ...

$8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit Program:

First time homebuyers may be eligible for up to $8,000 in tax credit when they purchase a home. The credit is based on 10% of the home's value up to a maximum credit of $8,000.
Buyers that have not owned a primary residence for three years are considered a first time homebuyer.
The home must be purchased between January 1 and December 1 of 2009. Those purchasing before or after these dates are not eligible.
To qualify, adjusted Gross Income of $75,000 for an individual and $150,000 for a married couple are the markers for a full refund. If you make more, a reduced refund may apply.
Buyers must live in the home for at least 3 years, or they will be obligated to pay back the credit.

"A Weight Off Their Shoulders"

2008-07-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

By GAIL COLLINS
Special to the Daily Sun
Sunday, July 13, 2008

Common Goal Realty took their name to heart with team-building for health. They revolutionized the office refrigerator with lean meats, sugar snap peas, fruit and protein drinks.

Their energy levels soared and carried over to their personal lives. Lenders don't bring sausage biscuits to meetings anymore because the staff recoils.

"The Pawlickis teach 'clean' eating," said Joe Haughey. "We eat five meals a day. It speeds up our metabolism, and we don't get hungry."

Valerie Caro, co-founder with father Joe, confirmed this. "I've eaten more than ever before in my life and lost weight."

Sarah Pawlicki of Build Your Own Body Gym works with local employers to get a handle on good health to reap radical results. She evaluates businesses to establish needs particular to their workplace.

Does a job require small, repetitive movements? Or are injuries from heavy lifting a concern? Could your team of desk jockeys be at risk due to poor ergonomics? And is absenteeism on the rise?

Other consultants assess companies, but simply hand employers a report and walk away. Pawlicki, a certified Sports Nutrition Counselor and Life Style Fitness Coach, implements the fix. She organizes classes in diet and tobacco cessation, for example, or designs and teaches a workout program to address specific problems.

"Americans should be the healthiest people in the world when you look at how much money is spent, but not enough attention is given to preventative care," said Pawlicki.

She utilizes mind, body and soul and explained, "We're not solely focused on your weight or lifting weights in our gym. The attention is on emotional and physical well-being."

HEALTH COSTS SOAR
Recent talk has centered on rising food and fuel prices, but health insurance premiums have ratcheted up 10 times faster. And while these health costs hiked 30 percent from 2001-2005, salaries grew only 3 percent. The average policy for family coverage now totals $12,106. This makes it tough for employers to offer health care benefits and maintain a healthy bottom line, too.

In a 2007 survey, Kaiser and the Health Research and Education Trust noted a growing awareness in preventative care for controlling these escalating costs.

But how do care and costs affect one another? The obesity epidemic, for example, if left unchecked, seeds a host of other diseases like hypertension, heart disease and Type II Diabetes. These compromise work performance while conversely upping the price tag to treat this medical tornado.

At Armstrong McCall, a beauty supplier, heavy lifting is the issue. Pawlicki designed eating and workout plans that resulted in weight loss and muscle gain to prevent strain injuries. Their workers and workplace got leaner with her passionate support.

Stress is a huge factor in many settings. When employees are under pressure, they might cope with destructive behaviors like smoking, drinking and drugs.

"People run on such high levels of stress that the cortisol never drops, and their bodies run on overtime. All the time!" Pawlicki said. "We teach them how to recognize stress -- mental and physical -- and bring those levels down."

NUTRITION IS KEY
Nutrition is the key to health. Every client is counseled on diet regardless of size or condition to promote immune health and well-balanced eating.

"People know they need to eat right, but they have no clue to how to make it work in their lives," said Pawlicki. "We show them."

Since their assessment, Ciao Bella Salon owners Risha Campbell and Desirea Gutierrez coordinate meals for work. "I'll bring the chicken and she'll bring the salad and rice," said Campbell. "We prepare good food ahead of time, so we don't grab things that are bad for us."

74% of the population doesn't engage in regular physical activity, so coaches create both individualized programs and group activities to get people moving. Clients perform their routines at Build Your Own Body gym or other fitness centers or at home. "It's essential to find something that you enjoy and stay active," Pawlicki said.

Documented in over 120 studies, promoting health for employee well-being increases productivity and lowers costs for a positive return. The results for Common Goal Realty: fewer sick days, high efficiency, focus and discipline for the long haul.

"The investment is small for the large personal return," confirmed Realtor Stephani Allen. "And we're modeling good behavior for our family."

The agency fosters friendly competition aided by watchdog accountability. Their Inspiration Board -- a goal-setting technique -- is plastered with articles, mottos, and of course, dreams like a trip to Mexico to show off their new bodies.

URL Web Address:
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/07/13/news/business/20080713_busin_177339.txt

Great Hiking Trails in Flagstaff, AZ

2008-07-18T10:19:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Elden Lookout Trail
For a challenging hike with a fantastic rewarding view of Flagstaff, you can take the 6 mile round trip hike up to the top of Mount Elden via the Elden Lookout Trail. This hike is fairly difficult and will take about 4 to 5 hours.To get here, take Route 66 east out of Flagstaff toward the mall. Continue past the mall where Route 66 becomes Highway 89. Just past the mall and the McDonalds and Safeway that are on the right, you will see signs to the trailhead on the lefft. Park here and set off on the hike. Make sure you look at the map of the hike posted at the trailhead before you head up, because there are a few trails in this area that cross each other and you don't want to get lost. The trail starts as the Fatman's Loop, an easier and very pleasant loop in this area for those not eager to reach the top of the mountain. Halfway around the loop, the Elden Lookout Trail splits from the Fatman's Loop, and starts to zig-zag up the mountain. The trail is steep but the switchbacks make it managable. Be prepared for hot and exposed weather at the top. A fire burned much of the top of Mount Elden in the late 70's, and the remnants of old dead trees are still very visible. Plan for a few minutes at the top to hang out, enjoy the view from 9295 feet, and maybe have a quick snack. Make sure you avoid the top when there are large, dark grey clouds nearby. Being the on the highest point around with large metal towers around you is not a good idea when lightning strikes. Be Safe and Enjoy!

Thanks to Cosmic Ray for the directions and description.

Weatherford Trail - San Francisco Peaks
This hike travels up the side of the San Francisco Peaks and can be as hard or easy as you want to make it. To get to the very top of the peaks (12,633 feet, the highest point in AZ) is about 20 miles and will take all day (10+ hours) but it's an up-and-back hike, so you can turn around at any point, once you'vec had enough. It is a steep but rewarding climb, as the views get more and more spectacular as you climb up the side of these mountains.To get here, take Highway 180 north out of Flagstaff. Turn right on Schultz Pass Road, and continue 5 miles up this road to the trailhead and parking lot, which are at Schultz tank. Park on the right and head off on the hike just across the road. The trail quickly begins to climb, and in a mile and a half you'll reach the Aspen Spring. You can choose to make this hike a short one by turing around here, or continue hiking on the trail to the right. After this point, the trail really starts to climb the mountains. Remember to be safe and reasonable about deciding when to turn around. It's easy to convince yourself to just go a little farther, but every step up the mountain is another step down and you do NOT want to get caught up here after the sun has gone down. So be safe and enjoy this terrific hike!Thanks to Cosmic Ray for the description and directions.

Veit Springs Loop
This is an easy hike on the side of the San Francisco Peaks. It's a two mile round trip and will take about an hour. It will take you past old cabins, springs, and pictographs left by the ancient people who lived here.To get here, take Highway 180 north out of Flagstaff toward the Grand Canyon. Turn right on Snow Bowl Road, and continue up for four and a half miles until you see the trailhead on the right as the road curves to the left. Just park here in front of the trail head and start hiking. You will head into the forest and soon come across a wide trail that goes both ways. Turn right, and then just follow the trail. When it splits, take a left on the small foot trail, then left again at the next split. This will bring you to the cabins, and you can continue past them to the springs and pictographs. On your way back, you can go the other way at the splits to see a nice view on the return trip.Props to Cosmic Ray for this route and description

Real Estate Outlook: Worst is Over by Kenneth R. Harney

2008-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Don't break out the champagne glasses quite yet, but there are more economic signs this week that the worst is over for the three year real estate correction cycle.

One of the country's most prestigious groups of market forecasters, the National Association of Business Economists, says housing and consumer credit conditions will stabilize and begin improving as the year moves on. Equally important, said Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, chief economist at Ford Motor and president of the association: The entire U.S. economy will "slowly return to health" this year.

The housing market offered some immediate hints of that recovery with new home starts up by 8.2 percent last month and building permits up by 5 percent. Even in hard-hit southern California, home sales in April were up 22 percent compared to March, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

The mortgage sector continued to cooperate: Rates fell again for the third straight week. Thirty year fixed rate conventional mortgages averaged 5.8 percent, down from 5.8 percent the week before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. Fifteen year rates also dropped, averaging 5.5 percent.

Any time we're quoting mortgage rates in the fives, that's GOT to be positive news for home buyers with reasonably good credit.

Why the continuing decline in rates? One reason is that inflation is not a major worry for capital markets investors at the moment -- even if gas and food prices are over the top for most of us. The latest Consumer Price Index report -- that's the federal government's measure of inflation -- came in at just zero point two percent (0.2%) for April, which is very low. Year over year, inflation is still only around 2.3 percent.

Despite these positive signs, the fact is that consumers are still worried about the overall direction of the U.S. economy. The University of Michigan's bellwether Consumer Sentiment Index registered a 3.1 percent decline last month, continuing a steady downward trend.
That's not helpful for home sales for sure -- and that negative mindset will certainly keep some buyers on the sidelines in the months ahead.

Which is a shame if you look at conditions in most markets objectively. Most of the current numbers add up to an excellent buying opportunity.

Prices are more affordable they've been in several years. There's a bumper crop of houses to choose from. And mortgage money is cheap and getting cheaper.

Maybe the message is just taking a little time to get out there.

Borrowed by our friends at http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080522_realestateoutlook.htm

The best strategies for right now

2008-05-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

By Gerri Willis
WHETHER YOU’RE A BUYER OR SELLER, you need a competitive edge to get ahead in real estate today. Here are some solid strategies to help you get the most out of the market.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY
Be an attractive risk. Your credit score determines the interest rate a bank will give you on a mortgage. The difference between decent and terrific credit can ass tens of thousands dollars over the life of the loan. To improve your rating, pay down your credit card bills. Lenders want to see that your debt doesn’t exceed 30% of your available credit. But don’t close an account once you’ve paid it off- doing so will actually hurt your score.

Buy only what you can afford. Most banks now require a down payment of 20%, but if you’re an attractive borrower, 10% may suffice. Still, the less you put down, the more you’ll pay in fees and interest. Spend no more than a third of your total pre-tax income on housing costs: mortgage, maintenance and property tax. Figure maintenance to be about 1% of the value of your house each year.

Chose your loan carefully. Many homeowners are in trouble because they took out adjustable mortgages with low interest rates that later spiked. A 30 year, fixed-rate mortgage is your best bet- adjustable mortgages don’t offer the rate breaks they did during the boom. Use the internet to do your research. You’ll find articles, statistics and general resources that will help you determine which banks offer the best rates in your area and around the country.

Lowball’em. Bidding wars over a house are uncommon in today’s climate. Sellers anticipate having to drop their asking price. Bid low and see if the seller will come down.

IF YOU WANT TO SELL
Think twice before you sell. This is a bad time to expect big returns. If you don’t have to sell now, don’t. Make inexpensive improvements and wait until market factors are more in your favor.

Find the best broker. A year ago, you could have asked agents to cut their commissions because houses sold themselves. Now you’re better off paying the full 6% to ensure you’ll get the best service. Local agents are the best. They know the selling points of your community-and your house- and can be present to show it to buyers at a moment’s notice. If they worked in the business before the boom, they’ll do more than just weigh the best offers.

Make sure the price is right. A good agent will know what numbers get the best response from consumers. Studies show that buyers react to break points, or psychological limits. For example, a buyer with a budget of $250,000 may be willing to pay $249,000 but not $251,000. If your home is valued at $310,000, consider listing it at $300,000 or even $299,000 to maximize its sales potential.

Know which way the wind it blowing. Pricing in a free falling market is dicey. Brad Inman, publisher of a real estate trade publication, recently helped his parents sell their condo in Las Vegas. Pricing it at a market value of $185,000 to $195,000, he says, would have been a disaster. “We had to anticipate how much prices would fall in the time it would take to closes [30 to 60 days].” So they listed the condo at $179,000 and accepted an offer of $175,000 while owners cut prices by 10,000 to 20,000. “You want to avoid time on the market to stay ahead of the falling knife,” says Inman.

7 must-do's for the first-time homebuyer

2008-05-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

By Claes Bell • Bankrate.com

Are you a first-time homebuyer eager to get into the market? Here are steps to take to help you decide whether you're ready to take the plunge.

1. Check the selling prices of comparable homes in your area. Web sites like Zillow and Homegain can give you a general idea of what you should expect to pay. You can also do a quick search of actual MLS listings in your area on a number of Web sites, including the National Association of Realtors.

2. Use Bankrate's mortgage calculator to get an idea of what your monthly mortgage payments would be if you bought today.

3. Find out what your total monthly housing cost would be, including taxes and homeowners insurance. In some areas, what you'll pay for your taxes and insurance escrow can almost double your mortgage payment. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average yearly premium can range from $477 a year in Utah to $1,372 a year for unlucky Texans.
To get an idea of what you'll pay in insurance, pick a property in the area where you want to live and make a call to a local insurance agent for an estimate. You won't be obligated to get the insurance, but you'll have a good idea of what you'll pay if you do buy. For an idea of what you'll pay in taxes, Zillow publishes property-tax information for homes all over the country. Just remember that exemptions and the intricacies of local tax law (like Florida's Save Our Homes value cap) can create differences between what a homeowner is currently paying and what you can expect to pay as a new homeowner.

4. Find out how much you'll likely pay in closing costs. The upfront cost of settling on your home shouldn't be overlooked. Closing costs include origination fees charged by the lender, title and settlement fees, taxes and prepaid items like homeowners insurance or homeowners' association fees. You can see what closing costs average in your state by looking at Bankrate.com's annual closing cost survey.

5. Look at your budget and determine how a house fits into it. Fannie Mae recommends that buyers spend no more than 28 percent of their income on housing costs. Go much past 30 percent and you risk becoming house poor.

6. Talk to a reputable Realtor in your area about the real estate climate. Do they believe prices will continue falling or do they think your area has hit bottom or will rise soon?

7. Remember to look at the big picture. While a buying a house is a great way to build wealth, maintaining your investment can be labor-intensive and expensive. When unexpected costs for new appliances, roof repairs and plumbing problems crop up, there's no landlord to turn to, and these costs and can quickly drain your bank account.

So consider whether you're ready for the expense and effort of homeownership before pulling the trigger.

Is the time right for first-time homebuyers?

2008-05-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

By Claes Bell • Bankrate.com

During the run-up in real estate prices over the last decade, many millennials were either in college or in entry-level jobs, watching helplessly as they were priced out of the market while aging boomers gleefully cashed in their newfound equity and used excess money for real estate speculation, driving prices even higher.

But now, as the real estate bubble deflates, is this a good time for frustrated millennials to finally buy a home? The answer, unfortunately, may be no.

"But why not?" prospective homebuyers may ask, probably with gritted teeth. Well, you may have heard the words "credit crunch" circulating around the water cooler lately, and for good reason. In the aftermath of the subprime mortgage mess, mortgage brokers and banks have sworn to tighten lending standards. Gone are the days when a 5 percent -- or less -- down payment was commonplace and banks glossed over problems in employment history, credit history or proof of income. Now, new homebuyers are likely to need at least 10 percent down and can expect lenders to scrutinize every aspect of their financial pictures.

"First-time homebuyers would be better off renting and accumulating a larger down payment rather than jumping into a soft housing market," says Dr. Anthony B. Sanders, professor of finance and real estate at Arizona State University.

What this means for first-time homebuyers is a steeper price of admission in the form of a higher down payment, and likely some difficulty getting financing at all for those with sketchy credit or high debt-to-income ratios, which includes the many millennials who come out of college with stratospheric credit card bills and tattered credit histories.

You can buy, but should you?But even if you can afford to buy a home under these conditions -- and with many distressed homeowners and builders desperate to sell, chances are you can -- the real question is, should you?

Again, the answers here will probably be frustrating for homebuying hopefuls. While falling prices may seem like a blessing for young homebuyers, they also create an element of risk. According to the National Association of Realtors, or NAR, the median existing-home price fell 3.3 percent nationally in 2007, and as much as 10 percent to 12 percent in troubled markets like Florida and California. A probable wave of foreclosures resulting from rate resets on adjustable-rate mortgages signed in 2005 and 2006 threatens to drop prices even further in 2008.

Don't get upside down in first homeWith no one quite sure when real estate prices will stop sliding, young homebuyers who can put down only between 5 percent and 10 percent of the price of their homes may see what little equity they have eroded by their homes' falling values. This can leave them "upside down," or owing more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.

"Certainly, there is a chance that the housing market has hit the bottom, but this is not a bet that first-time buyers should be taking," Sanders says.

Realty Viewpoint: New Home Sales Blue, Say Reports

2008-04-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

by Blanche Evans
If gas prices are any indicator of what's going to happen to housing, then home builders should listen to what new car buyers are planning to do.

The latest Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research study says that high gas prices are affecting new-car shoppers to the point that they're changing their spending habits. Nearly half said that they would buy a new fuel-efficient vehicle if gas prices increase much further.

Since October, new-car buyers are eating out less often (53 percent), joining more carpools (15 percent), shopping less for non-essentials (65 percent), and media entertainment (48 percent.)
But interestingly, only 10 percent say they are delaying the purchase of the biggest ticket item -- a new home.

That should be good news for home builders, which has just reported continuing slow sales. The Census Bureau says that March sales were down 8.5 percent from February and 36 percent below the same period in 2007. That's 62 percent below the peak month for sales set in July 2007.

Good news for homebuyers -- inventories rose to an 11-month supply, the most in 27 years, mostly due to competition from foreclosures and existing home sellers pricing their homes more attractively. But prices for new homes are getting more attractive too, having fallen 13.3 percent year-over-year to $227,600. That's the biggest discount in 38 years.

This followed equally sour news from the National Association of Realtors that home sales in March dipped two percent, down over 19 percent from March 2007. Inventories rose one percent and are now at a nearly 10-month supply.

Both the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors blamed the credit crisis for discouraging home buyers.

But this too shall pass.

Since the Kelly Blue Book study, oil prices hit $120 a barrel, rice is being rationed at Costco, and food prices are out of control, but Wall Street pundits who anticipate the markets are starting to call for a bottom in housing and in stocks. On Marketwatch yesterday, no less than three articles featured headlines or quotes suggesting that the panic over the credit crunch is over. Housing isn't as nimble as stocks, so it could take a few months.

barrowed by our friends at http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080425_realtyviewpoint.htm

Realty Viewpoint: A Perfect Storm For Homebuyers

2008-04-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

"For those home buyers who see no light at the end of the tunnel, here's a high beam to brighten your way. The economy is so bad, you'll soon be able to pick homes up for a song.

We're in a perfect storm of bad economic news. When that happens, people panic, and sell their assets believing this is their last chance to get out. But others, who know that you make money when you buy, are scanning the chaos for bargains.

Here's a snapshot of what's happening:

-Jobless claims are up to 2004 levels.
-Oil prices have hit all-time highs of $115 per barrel.
-Energy prices for March rose 1.9%, says the Labor Department.
-New home construction is down to 1991 levels.

Inflation for 2007 was really four percent, well above the comfort level of the Federal Reserve, causing consumers to pull back on their spending for nonessentials.

The Beige Book, a report from the 12 Federal Reserve regional banks, says conditions are weakening across the U.S. and housing shows little to no sign of improvement.

Pressuring all housing are escalating foreclosure filings, up five percent in March from February and 57 percent above 2006, according to RealtyTrac.

The good news for the economy is slight, but it's there. The Conference Board predicts future economic activity to rise as it did 0.1 percent in March.

A faint turnaround in housing is also in the air. Housing costs rose four-tenths of a percent, and rents rose two-tenths of a percent.

The Federal Reserve could act to temper interest rates, by cutting short term rates again when the committee meets on April 29 and 30.

What that means is that home buyers could be seeing their best interest rates in the next week, if signs of inflation don't get worse.

Interest rates are currently below six percent. Rising home inventories, and lower prices once again give buyers the trifecta.

Remember to lock in a low rate, you have to apply. Get your approval from the bank and then lock when you think the time is right. For those home buyers who see no light at the end of the tunnel ."

To sum it all up.... ITS A BUYER'S MARKET- SO GET OUT THERE AND BUY!!!

by Blanche Evans from http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20080418_realtyviewpoint.htm

A GOOD DEED

2008-04-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I’ve just done a good deed! I signed up to support Good Deed Foundation, committing to help fight poverty and provide solutions to global warming. I am asking you to sign up, too. It’s easy! Just visit https://webmail.nau.edu/redirect?http://www.gooddeedfoundation.org. Good Deed already has support from non-profit organizations representing more than 80 million Americans! Go to https://webmail.nau.edu/redirect?http://www.gooddeedfoundation.org to do a good deed now!

Senate takes up $15 billion housing fix

2008-04-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Lawmakers begin consideration of compromise measure aimed at averting foreclosures and helping those hurt in housing crisis.

By Jeanne Sahadi, From- CNNMoney.com Last Updated: April 3, 2008: 10:03

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Senate began debate Thursday on a $15 billion bipartisan housing relief package that could get a final vote by next week.

The legislation was crafted Wednesday by Democratic and Republican lawmakers facing election-year pressure to fast-track a response to the foreclosure crisis.

The package has gotten praise from the mortgage industry, but housing advocates say it only offers homeowners modest help and is too generous to homebuilders.

The proposed measures include funding to help borrowers refinance unaffordable loans and help boost activity in neighborhoods with properties in foreclosure. Also in the bill is a tax break for homebuilders, as well as a new tax credit and deduction for homeowners and home buyers. The package also contains measures to make loans that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration - which helps borrowers with weak credit or little or no cash for a downpayment - more accessible.

The Senate package reflects concessions from both sides of the aisle. But it will be subject to amendments, which the Senate started voting on Thursday night. In addition, the House - led by Financial Services Committee Barney Frank, D-Mass. - will have its say next week.

"It's not the end of the road, but it's a very strong beginning," said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., in a press briefing Wednesday evening.

The Democrats allowed two provisions they've been pushing for to be excluded from the package: a measure that would let bankruptcy judges reduce residential mortgage debts, and a measure that would let the Federal Housing Administration insure up to $400 billion in troubled loans if lenders agree to write them down to affordable levels for borrowers.

The bankruptcy measure was introduced as an amendment Thursday evening but was voted down. That doesn't mean, however, that the House can't reintroduce it.

Senate Democrats also yielded ground on a provision to change the down payment requirements for FHA loans. Democrats have been pushing to reduce them, but the bipartisan agreement actually increases them by half a percentage point. That may not fly in the House, when it considers the package.

In exchange, Senate Republicans agreed first to not block a housing stimulus package. They also gave the nod to a $4 billion provision that would let states and local governments buy and refurbish foreclosed properties, a measure the White House had characterized as a bailout for lenders and speculators. And they agreed to include a number of other provisions that had been included in Democrats' earlier housing relief proposals.

Homebuilders get big boost
Forty percent of the cost of the bill will fund a business tax break expected to help homebuilders. One construction workers' union characterized the provision as a "taxpayer funded giveaway to big corporate homebuilders, many of which helped cause the mess by pushing subprime loans through their mortgage subsidiaries."

But supporters of that measure say it will help keep all homebuilders - large and small - out of bankruptcy and will preserve thousands of jobs.

The Mortgage Bankers Association gave the total package high marks. "A more modern and effective FHA, mortgage revenue bonds for state housing finance agencies, additional money for counseling - these are all things that will be of great help to struggling homeowners," said MBA Chairman Kieran Quinn in a statement.

Housing advocates like some elements of the package but don't think it goes far enough, particularly because it excludes the bankruptcy provision, which they estimate could keep up to 600,000 homeowners out of foreclosure.

Ellen Schloemer, research director for the Center on Responsible Lending, said the point of the provision isn't to encourage homeowners to file for bankruptcy. Rather, she said, "it would give loan servicers air cover to modify loans. And it [gives them] incentives to do it."

Currently loan modifications are done on a voluntary basis. And servicers, who fear being sued by investors who own the loans, are only allowed to modify mortgages when they can justify why doing so would be a better solution than anything else.

Republicans object to the bankruptcy provision, contending it would raise mortgage costs for everyone, since lenders would price in more risk if they knew a third party could alter the loans' terms. Some studies have shown, however, that cost increases would be minimal.
In proposing the bankruptcy provision as an amendment, Democrats may modify it further to win some Republican support. One approach: judges would only be allowed to change the interest rate on the loan, but not the principal.

What's in the bipartisan bill?
Modernize the FHA: Measures in the bill would overhaul the Federal Housing Administration's loan insurance program, which helps homebuyers with weak credit or little cash get an affordable mortgage.

The changes proposed in the bipartisan bill would raise the FHA loan limits from 95% of an area's median home price to 110%. But in high-cost areas, the FHA loan limit may not exceed $550,000.

Under the bipartisan economic stimulus package passed in February, the cap for FHA loans in high-cost areas was temporarily raised to $729,950. The Senate package also calls for FHA loan down payment requirements be raised to 3.5% from 3%.

Help for troubled borrowers trying to refinance: The bill lets states offer $10 billion in tax-free municipal bonds, the proceeds of which would be used to subsidize mortgage refinancing for subprime borrowers trying to get out of unaffordable loans.

Under current law, state and local housing agencies are allowed to issue tax-free bonds only to help subsidize mortgages for first-time homebuyers, or those purchasing property in distressed areas.

Tax credits for buying troubled properties: The bill creates a tax credit of $7,000 for homebuyers who buy foreclosed homes or homes where the current owner is in default.

New property tax deduction: For the 28.3 million homeowners who take the standard deduction on their federal tax return, the bill would allow them to take a second standard deduction for the property tax they pay. The new standard property tax deduction will be $500 for single filers and $1,000 for couples filing jointly. Currently only homeowners who itemize their deductions can deduct their property taxes.

Bigger tax break for homebuilders and other businesses: The bill would expand the so-called net operating loss carryback. The provision would extend to four years from two the time company may apply its 2008 and 2009 losses to past tax bills.

Money to aid areas hit by foreclosures: The bill would allow $4 billion in grants to state and local governments to buy and rehabilitate foreclosed home.

More money for consumer counseling: The bill calls for an additional $100 million for housing counselors working with homeowners at risk of foreclosure.

Greater transparency for borrowers: The bill might call for greater disclosure in the mortgage application process, so consumers could more easily understand the terms of their loans and won't be surprised by big payment increases

Assistance Programs for First Time Homebuyers

2008-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

by Alden Smith

Although many people can afford a mortgage payment and associated costs to owning their own home, the thought of coming up with a substantial down payment often stops them from taking the plunge. Charity organizations and federal institutions are available to these buyers to assist with this problem. We will discuss what can be done to assist the home buyer in need of financial assistance in this article.

What Are Assistance Programs?
Down payment assistance programs, both non- profit and federally run, help interested home buyers with procuring down payment on a home. The seller of the home assists the buyer by contributing a portion of sale proceeds to the home buyer at the time of closing. Because federal and state laws dictate that the seller cannot give the funds directly to the buyer, the assistance programs provide a work around so that the sale stays within federal guidelines. The gift amount is determined by the type of loan that is being applied for.

How Does This Work?
This is what happens - the seller enrolls the home in a down payment assistance program. They will contribute the amount the buyer needs for closing. A fee applies here. When buyer and seller go to the closing table, the assistance program that the seller has enrolled in then wires the needed funds to the selling agent. By law, the seller can have no part in the transfer of any funds.

What Agencies Can Help?
The best source of funding comes through the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). The FHA is a branch of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which was created in 1965. The prime responsibility of the FHA is to administer government home loan programs. Because the loan is insured by the FHA, the lender is protected in case of default.

The FHA also looks at debt to income ratios differently. The standard in the lending industry is a debt to income ratio of 28/36%, but the FHA has a standard of 29/41%. This offers the buyer with less than perfect credit an advantage.

The FHA also works with people on however many loans they wish to pursue. This is not just a one shot deal for consumers. A real disadvantage of an FHA loan is that there are limitations on the size of loan they will administer. This is not a disadvantage to people who are pursuing an FHA loan. People that require this type of assistance are not looking to buy a home costing $250,000.00. FHA guidelines are readily available by doing a search on the internet.
What Are Charitable Down Payment Assistance Programs?

There are other organizations that administer down payment assistance programs that are not run by the federal government. The most popular today are AmeriDream, Inc, The Nehemiah Program, and Partners in Charity. Whenever dealing with any charity organization that handles assistance programs, insure that they are members of the Home Gift Providers Association (HGPA). This watchdog organization has a list of ethics and best practice guidelines for down payment assistance programs.

If you are dealing with these charitable organizations, always ask questions as to their involvement in the community. Do they partnership with local businesses and organizations? Will they provide you with a current financial stability report? Ask them if they allow borrowers to use their contribution for paying off such things as bad debt or to settle judgments against the borrower. This is frowned upon by the HGPA. Try to find out if the organization gives kickbacks to local realtors or mortgage lenders. If you find that they do, then know that these institutions are less than trustworthy, and you probably shouldn't deal with them.

Be aware that HUD doesn't approve gift programs, but leaves it up to the mortgage lender to insure that the organization you are dealing with follows HUD guidelines as listed in HUD Handbook 4155.1 REV-4, CHG-1 Paragraph 2-10(C).

Other Issues
Be aware that the seller may inflate the selling price of the home you are interested in to recoup their fees that may be required to enroll their home with an organization. Check the prices of homes comparable to the home you wish to buy in the locale to see if there is a significant difference in the price of the home.

Although many people are discouraged by the requirements for buying a home, there are organizations that are available to help them through the process. Doing your own due diligence will go a long way to help you determine not only whether you are capable of paying a mortgage, but what costs and fees are necessary. Take advantage of the resources listed here to help you in buying your home.

Common Goal Realty- Where being great just isn’t good enough!

2008-03-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Common Goal Realty is kicking it into even higher gear as the year progresses and they take their resolutions seriously! As the year started the team at Common Goal pledged to increase their business and provide an even higher level of service to their clients. As they worked hard to get more listings, create more showings, write more contracts and sell more properties they also started to work hard to get into shape. The team realized that in order to take care of their clients to the best of their abilities they had to learn to take care of themselves too. With that they decided that they were going to grow as a company, as well as individuals. After getting their production on a roll at the office they took their health into their own hands and started to work on their bodies. Dan, Sarah and Faith Pawlicki of Build Your own Body in Flagstaff have been leading the team on a full body-mind health transformation. It started off as a way to keep each other accountable just like they do in the office everyday and it soon grew to an intense competition- The Biggest Loser- “Common Goal Realty Style”. With an aspiration to constantly improve themselves in their professional lives Common Goal Realty is really stepping it into gear and making healthy living another common goal! The team members who started with the program 8 weeks ago have lost a total of 53 pounds and those that just started 2 weeks ago have already lost 13 pounds collectively. As a member of the office put it, “The only thing that’s going down around here is our weight!” As the Common Goal members continue to provide the very best real state service in Flagstaff, they are now tackling their health and so far they have been very successful! Congratulations Common Goal! Keep up the hard work.

Is It Time For A Mortgage Product Recall?

2008-03-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

During the past few years we have been talking about toxic mortgages -- and the need to avoid them. Without fail, each time the subject has arisen lenders would write to say we were wrong, that option ARMs and interest-only loans were simply "affordability products" with no financial sting. As to prepayment penalties and stated-income loan applications, they were -- we were repeatedly told -- minor concerns and not much of an issue.

We were needlessly worried, said lenders, because strong credit scores assured that borrowers could easily handle financing costs "if" monthly payments rose. But toxic loans were engineered to guarantee higher costs once start periods ended. There was no "if."

The credit score argument never made sense because good credit was being required before borrowers faced higher monthly costs. It's easy for some households to be well-qualified with a $1,200 monthly payment -- but underwater when that same bill rises to $1,800.

The other argument made by lenders has been that they were social do-gooders, moral folks offering cheap loans so more families could own housing.

Now we know that the do-gooder argument doesn't hold water. Figures from the latest Census Bureau survey show that homeownership in the last quarter of 2007 was down to the lowest level seen since 2002. You remember 2002 -- that was before toxic loans were widely marketed.

The reason millions of people are facing foreclosure today is very simple: A lot of money was made originating, selling and packaging loans with terms that were unfair and unconscionable from day one. Like tainted food, defective cars or toys covered with lead, such flawed financial products should be recalled at no cost to the consumer. After all, isn't that the moral thing to do?

borrowed from our Friends at realtytimes.com

Mortgage application fees may rise on appraisal reform

2008-03-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's going to cost some borrowers even more to get a mortgage beginning in 2009.
In a recent agreement with New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) pledged that they will only buy mortgages from lenders that use independent appraisers. Since these two companies account for more than 70% of all mortgage loans, virtually all lenders will comply with the guidelines.
Inflated home appraisals were a big part of what helped fuel the current housing bubble. For years, appraisers were pressured by mortgage originators, real estate agents, home sellers and borrowers to over-value the homes they appraised.
"Cuomo looked at the pressure appraisers were under; they were never allowed to act independently during the housing boom," said Jonathan Miller, president of New York appraisal firm, Miller Samuels. "Good appraisers had to find new careers or work that wasn't dependent on the lending industry."
The rising tide of inflated appraisals lifted all boats, boosting fees for agents and brokers alike, and ensuring the transaction would be completed, regardless of the cost, netting the seller a handsome profit and the buyer a dream home. After all, a bidding war might push a home's price up, but a lender won't agree to issue a mortgage based on a sale price that isn't supported by a home's appraised value.
And so, all parties involved often pressured appraisers to go high - called "hitting the number." Appraisers who didn't go along often found it difficult to get more work.
Cuomo's plan should help curtail the bullying that often pumped prices up.
But while eliminating mortgage fraud will be good for the real estate market in the long haul, this reform will come at a cost to consumers.
Right now, mortgage brokers need just one appraisal for each deal. The broker can then include it with applications to as many lenders as they'd like.
But beginning in 2009, brokers won't be permitted to do that. A different appraisal will have to be ordered by each lender that a borrower applies to. That cost is then passed along to the applicant.
"The borrower would be responsible for an appraisal fee (often $300 to $400) for each loan submitted," said Roy DeLoach, executive vice-president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.
Mortgage brokers could avoid multiple appraisal fees by applying to just one lender at a time; if the first lender approves the loan, then the borrower won't need to pay for any more appraisals.
But submitting applications one at a time can take a lot of time, and some consumers could lose the lower interest rates they had locked in for 30 days.
So while previously the appraisal process might cost buyers about $400, it could end up costing anyone who needs to shop around for a deal - perhaps half of all buyers - as much as $1,000-$2,000.
Mortgage brokers also fear the Cuomo pact will drive borrowers to deal directly with lenders, putting some brokers out of business. They say that will eventually drive up borrowing costs by shrinking competition.
But, even if the Cuomo agreement does come with a cost, says Jonathan Miller, "false appraisals cost home owners far more than any transactional-cost increases would."
And over-appraising has become routine, according to Miller. "People who were morally flexible would play ball," he said. "Before the housing boom, I estimate that 80% of the appraisers were competent and ethical. Now, the reverse is true." Many appraisers regularly add a cushion to every job.
"These appraisers are form-fillers," said Miller. "They're called 10-percenters because their evaluations tend to be 10% above actual values so the applications are accepted."
And as all the over-appraised homes became part of the record, that pushed up pricing trends further, since appraisers use comparable homes as the basis for new appraisals.
Thomas Inserra, an appraiser and CEO of Zaio, which is creating a national database of home evaluations, and who has testified about appraisal abuse before Congress, has what he considers the most comprehensive and elegant solution of all.
He thinks appraisals should be handled like credit reports, with all home values stored in a giant database that can't be altered by any of the parties in a transaction. This, he said, would ensure accuracy and transparency.
House values would only change only as market conditions dictated or with physical alterations of properties. And, it would be fast.
"By storing compliant appraisals in a database like a credit bureau stores credit scores, Zaio is now delivering appraisals to lenders in seconds rather than the normal five to seven days," said Inserra.

Borrowed from our friends at CNNmoney.com

Foreclosures hit all-time high

2008-03-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Over 900,000 borrowers are losing their homes, up 71% from a year ago, and a record number of home owners are behind on payments.

More home owners than ever are losing the battle to make their monthly mortgage payments.
Over 900,000 households are in the foreclosure process, up 71% from a year ago, according to a survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association. That figure represents 2.04% of all mortgages, the highest rate in the report's quarterly, 36-year history.

Another 381,000 households, or 0.83% of borrowers, saw the foreclosure process started during the quarter, which was also a record.

Additionally, the number of mortgage borrowers who were over 30 days late on a payment in the last three months of 2007 is at its highest rate since 1985.

"Boy, that was ugly," said Jared Bernstein, an Economic Policy Institute economist of the data.
"It's another reminder that anyone who thought we had hit bottom was wrong. This was a huge bubble, and when a bubble of this magnitude breaks, it creates a huge mess," he said." It could take a lot longer for the correction to work through the system."

Housing rescue: What you need to know
One reason it may take so long is that there seems to be no end in sight for falling home prices.
"Declining prices are clearly the driving factor behind foreclosures, but the reasons and magnitude of the declines differ from state to state," said Doug Duncan, MBA's Chief Economist said in a prepared statement.

The foreclosure rates for prime and subprime adjustable rate mortgages both more than doubled compared with a year ago, from 0.41% for prime ARMs to 1.06% and from 2.70% for subprime ARMs to 5.29%.

But it was subprime ARMs that contributed most heavily to the nation's soaring foreclosure rates. Many of these loans come with low introductory rates that reset higher, often to unaffordable levels, in two or three years. Although they represent only 7% of all outstanding mortgage loans, they accounted for 42% of foreclosure starts during the quarter.
Delinquencies stood at 5.82% of outstanding mortgages, up from 5.59% during the three months ended September 30, 2007, according to the MBA. In the last quarter of 2006, the rate was 4.95%.Home price plunge accelerates

"In states like Ohio and Michigan, declines in the demand for homes due to job losses and out-migration have left those looking to sell their homes with fewer potential buyers, particularly with the much tighter credit restrictions borrowers now face," said Duncan.

"In states like California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona, overbuilding of new homes created a surplus that will take some time to work through."

California and Florida are the states hardest hit by foreclosures. They accounted for 30% of all foreclosure starts in the United States last quarter, despite representing only 21% of the mortgage market.

Florida's foreclosure start rate more than tripled during the last three months of the year compared with a year ago, and they more than doubled in California.

Both states still have a sizable over-supply of inventory, according to Duncan, due to over-building during the speculative boom that lasted through mid-2006. That will continue to depress home prices and add to mortgage delinquencies in those states.

"We expect to see home price declines to last there through the end of 2008," he said, "after the rest of the country is in recovery."

As prices plummet -- already some California and Florida areas have seen price drops of 25% or more, according to Duncan -- defaults will soar.

And falling prices and growing foreclosures create a vicious cycle; the more prices fall the less likely it is that borrowers can use home equity to refinance into more affordable loans, which leads to more defaults. And as foreclosures rise housing inventory increases, further depressing prices.

At the same time, these trends have lead to a contraction the construction industry, hurting overall U.S. economic activity and increasing the chances that the economy will fall into recession.

Selling home 'as is' in today's market?

2008-02-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

Know that buyers are less willing to take on fix-up work
By Dian Hymer

A listing that is advertised as an "as is" sale can be a put-off to buyers. They might assume that something is wrong with the property that will cost a lot to repair. If they have little free time or money, they might decide before even taking a look that this isn't the house for them.

An "as is" sale can mean a number of different things. So, before you dismiss a listing as unsuitable, find out what "as is" means. It could mean that the property is part of the estate of someone who died. In some states, such properties are sold in their "as is" condition and without warranty in order to protect the heirs who might know nothing about the property.

Let's say you inherited your aunt's farm in Lassen County, Calif. You were there once when you were a kid, but haven't seen it since. You are not in a position to make any disclosures about the property. In this case, "as is" means the seller knows little if anything about the property. The property could be in wonderful condition or not depending on how well it was maintained over the years. "As is" doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem.

When a bank forecloses on a property, the sale is usually an "as is" sale. As with an estate sale, the bank might know nothing about the condition of the property. It's up to the buyers to satisfy themselves before buying. Homeowners who let their homes go into foreclosure because they can't afford to make the mortgage payments also might not have enough money to keep the home well maintained.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Don't skimp on inspections if you're going to buy a foreclosure property. You may need to inspect the property -- with the owner's permission -- before you make an offer. But, it is money well spent even if the deal doesn't go through if it keeps you from buying a property that needs more work than you can afford to pay for.

"As is" can have a much more benign connotation. For example, in California, most sales are made "as is" subject to the buyers' right to inspect the property. In this case, "as is" tells you nothing about the property except that the sellers won't warrant the condition. Buyers are encouraged to have the property inspected by professionals. And, they are usually able to withdraw from a purchase contract without penalty if they don't approve the inspections.
However, for a buyer to be protected in this situation, an inspection contingency that gives the buyers the right to withdraw without losing their deposit money needs to be included in the purchase contract.

Be aware that offers made on foreclosures or probate properties that require court confirmation often need to be contingency-free. There could be severe legal consequences if you back out of such a contract. Consult with a knowledgeable real estate attorney before considering backing out of a contingency-free contract.

Several years ago, when the market favored sellers and was highly competitive, some buyers made offers without any contingencies. Often in these cases, sellers had presale inspection reports available for buyers to review before they made an offer. The market was so frenzied that buyers often bought "as is" with respect to work that needed to be done. Many of these buyers stretched to buy and didn't have the resources to have the work done. With the change in the market, today's buyers probably won't be willing to take on the work "as is" without a price concession.

THE CLOSING: Sellers will be in a better position to sell in today's market if they have the work done before they put their homes on the market.

Borrowed by our friends at top producer

Supply of new homes for sale hits 27-year high

2008-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

Median price down 15.1% in January

The for-sale inventory of new single-family homes bloated to its highest level in 27 years in January, as sales of new single-family homes slipped to the lowest adjusted annual rate in about 13 years, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today.

The supply of new, single-family for-sale homes reached 9.9 months in January, which means it would take nearly 10 months to sell all of those homes at the January sales pace. It was the largest supply since October 1981, when there was an estimated 10.3 months' supply of single-family new homes for sale

Single-family new-home sales in January dipped to a seasonally adjusted annual sales rate of 588,000, which is 33.9 percent below the January 2007 rate and 2.8 percent below the December 2007 rate. This rate is a projection of a monthly sales total over a 12-month period, adjusted to account for seasonal fluctuations in sales activity. The January rate was the lowest since it fell to 559,000 in February 1995, and it has fallen about 57.7 from its peak of 1.39 million in July 2005.

The median price of new single-family homes was $216,000 in January, the lowest level since it reached $211,600 in September 2004. The January median price was 15.1 percent below the median price in January 2007, and it was down 4.3 percent from December 2007.

New homes spent a median 6.7 months on the sales market in January -- the highest level since May 1992, when homes spent a median 7.1 months on market.

Regionally, the adjusted annual sales rate for new single-family homes dropped about 56 percent in the Midwest, 34.8 percent in the South, 16.5 percent in the West and 16.1 percent in the Northeast in January 2008 compared to January 2007.

On Monday, the National Association of Realtors trade group reported that the median price of single-family resale homes slid 5.1 percent in January compared to the same month last year, and the median price for all resale homes -- including single-family homes, condos and co-ops -- fell 4.6 percent during that period.

The Census Bureau and HUD agencies noted in the report that statistics are estimated from sample surveys and are subject to sampling variability and nonsampling error including bias and variance from response, nonreporting and undercoverage. Changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show irregular movement, the agencies also reported, and it can take five months to establish a trend for new houses sold. On average, the preliminary seasonally adjusted estimate of total sales is revised about 4 percent.
Article borrowed from our friends at Topproducer.com

Raising conforming loan limit not a simple task

2008-02-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Fannie, Freddie may have to tiptoe into 'jumbo light' market
By Matt Carter Inman News

While Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration will soon be allowed to dive into what until now has been the jumbo loan market, it remains to be seen how many borrowers will benefit.

Congress and the Bush administration have agreed to raise the $417,000 conforming loan limit until the end of the year, under a provision of the $150 billion economic stimulus package approved by Congress last week (see Inman News story).

But the devil, as they say, will be in the details. The new formula for determining the conforming loan limit will allow Fannie, Freddie and FHA to guarantee loans of up to 125 percent of the median home price of an area.

While housing markets where the median home price exceeds $216,840 will benefit from higher limits for FHA loan guarantee programs, one analysis suggests Fannie and Freddie will be able to tiptoe into the jumbo loan business in only 19 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

The first step to be taken to implement the changes will be determining median home prices. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has been given 30 days to publish median-home-price data once President Bush signs the stimulus package into law.

But where will HUD get the data? And with prices falling rapidly in many markets, will the data be updated monthly, quarterly or annually?

HUD spokesman Lemar Wooley said FHA will use a combination of existing government data sets and available commercial information to determine the median sales price. He said FHA loan limits are based on the county a property is located in, except when the county is part of a larger MSA, in which case the county with the highest loan limit determines the limit for the entire MSA.

Not only does HUD have to come up with median-home-price numbers for every housing market in America, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have to come up with credit guidelines for a class of loans that, until now, has mostly been off-limits. The government-chartered mortgage financiers will have to decide what their standards will be for the loans they will purchase, or securitize and guarantee.

As they venture into the jumbo loan market, Fannie and Freddie will have to decide if they need to be more cautious about the minimum down payments they will accept, borrower's credit histories, and the fees they charge for taking on more risk. The task will be complicated by the fact that the maximum loan size will vary from market to market, instead of the uniform $417,000 limit in place today in 48 states other than Alaska and Hawaii.

In high-cost markets, the $417,000 conforming loan limit for loans eligible for purchase or guarantee by Fannie and Freddie will be raised to 125 percent of the median home price, with an upper cap of $729,750. That formula means that the $417,000 conforming loan limit will remain in place in markets where the median home price is $333,600 or less.

While there's no time limit for Fannie and Freddie to publish guidelines for the new class of loans, the companies have promised to work with regulators to expedite the process. James Lockhart, director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, told members of the Senate Banking Committee Thursday that the process could take months.

The temporary increase in the conforming loan limit is likely to have a bigger impact on FHA loan guarantee programs, because the current limits for FHA are lower. In high-cost markets, the current ceiling for FHA loan programs is $372,790, and $200,160 in other markets.

The new ceiling for FHA loan programs in normal markets will be $271,050 -- meaning that even borrowers in housing markets where the median home price is below $216,840 may be eligible for FHA-backed purchase or refinance loans up to that amount. In areas where the median home price is above $216,840, the limit for FHA loan programs will be 125 percent of the median home price, all the way up to $729,750.

Fannie and Freddie will be allowed to buy and securitize jumbo loans originated any time between July 1, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2008. That means jumbo lenders may be able to sell some of the loans they've made in the last seven months to Fannie and Freddie, freeing them up to make more loans.

One reason Congress and the Bush administration agreed to raise the conforming limit, at least for now, is that Wall Street investors will no longer buy most mortgage-backed securities that don't carry the backing of Fannie, Freddie or FHA. That means borrowers are paying about 1 percent more for jumbo loans that exceed the $417,000 conforming loan limit.

But there's no guarantee investors will accept the jumbo loans backed by Fannie and Freddie -- which are private, publicly traded companies that face potentially billions of losses in the current mortgage morass -- as safe investments. They may also need some time to familiarize themselves with how FHA is handling the larger loans, said Jaret Seiberg, an analyst with Stanford Group Co. who follows the secondary mortgage market.

"Investors understand the risk characteristics of conforming mortgages that are securitized by Fannie and Freddie, and they understand FHA-backed loans securitized through Ginnie Mae," Seiberg said. "But they don't have experience with jumbo loans coming out of those channels. In a market with so much uncertainty, it's a real question whether investors are going to have an appetite for a new product."

If Wall Street investors don't snatch up the larger loans backed by Fannie, Freddie and FHA after they are securitized, that would limit the benefits to the secondary mortgage market and do less to ease the credit crunch than backers of the move have hoped.

As Fannie's and Freddie's losses mount and they bump up against minimum capital requirements, their capacity to purchase and guarantee loans is not unlimited. And as Lockhart noted, it takes three times as much capital to guarantee one $600,000 loan as it does one $200,000 loan.

While Seiberg is confident that HUD can implement higher loan limits for FHA programs, he said Fannie and Freddie have technological and capital issues to overcome before they become "meaningful players" in the "jumbo light" market.

As to which housing markets might benefit from higher conforming loan limits, Seiberg said Stanford Group used median-home-price data from the National Association of Realtors to analyze where Fannie and Freddie might be able to purchase or guarantee loans above the current $417,000 limit.

Stanford Group identified 19 markets -- more than a third of them in California -- where Fannie and Freddie could enter the jumbo light market.
Estimated conforming loan limit increases
Metropolitan area
Median price Q3 '07
Estimated new limit
Anaheim-Santa Ana, Calif.
$700,700
$729,750
L.A.-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.
$588,400
$729,750
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.
$589,300
$729,750
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.
$825,400
$729,750
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
$852,500
$729,750
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.
$377,000
$471,250
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, Calif.
$335,700
$419,625
Barnstable Town, Mass.
$400,600
$500,750
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.
$414,700
$518,375
Boulder, Colo.
$367,500
$459,375
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.
$491,100
$613,875
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Fla.
$346,800
$433,500
New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, N.Y./N.J.
$476,100
$595,125
New York-Wayne-White Plains, N.Y.
$550,900
$688,625
Edison, N.J.
$391,800
$489,750
Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.
$470,000
$587,500
Newark-Union, N.J./Penn.
$459,700
$574,625
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.
$394,700
$493,375
Wash. D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va./Md./W.V.
$438,000
$547,500
Source: National Association of Realtors, Stanford Group

*barrowed from our friends at Topproducer

How to tell if a listing is overpriced

2008-02-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

New technology creates data that are tough to refute

By Bernice Ross
Inman News

Persuading sellers to be realistic is a consistent challenge for any real estate agent, especially in a slowing or a declining market. Recent technological innovations make this much easier than ever before.

In previous columns, I have discussed how to use rate-of-absorption numbers to help sellers be more realistic about the probability of selling their home. For example, if there are eight months of inventory on the market, the probability that a seller will sell in any given month is 12.5 percent. The probability that the seller will not sell is 87.5 percent. Consequently, sellers who want to place their properties under contract must position their property in the marketplace where they will be in the best 12.5 percent in terms of value, which is a combination of condition and price. If not, their listing will sit on the market until it expires or until they lower their price sufficiently to motivate a buyer to purchase it.

One of the tried and true strategies from the past was created by the late Lee Coats who wrote much of the training for Coldwell Banker. Lee invented the "pricing line." If you haven't worked with this approach, it's extremely effective. The system is fairly simple. Imagine a page with three different charts that resemble rulers marked in 1/4-inch segments. The top chart has the "recently sold" properties. Record each property that has sold on this pricing line. On the second chart, record the properties that are currently for sale. Finally, on the third chart you record the properties that did not sell. The sellers can quickly see the range of the most recent sales, what the current competition is, as well as how much higher priced the expired listings were as compared to those listings that sold. When you show the seller the listings that are currently available, the closing question is, "Where do you want to be in line?" When properties have comparable amenities, it's easy to demonstrate that the lower-priced listings usually sell more quickly.

A company called ScatterGramPricing.com has now automated the pricing-line process. Agents simply enter the sales data and the computer generates the charts. The company also offers a true scattergram (a graph that allows you to plot the relationship between two different variables as a straight line.) While there are a number of statistical programs that do this, this particular program is designed specifically for the real estate industry. Agents enter the data and the computer does the rest. The most relevant chart to plot is the relationship between square footage and price. This is another way to help sellers be more realistic about pricing because you can visually demonstrate where their property falls as compared to the competition. Typically, the lower the price per square foot that a property is, the more quickly it will sell.

A third approach in helping sellers to be more realistic works best after you have taken the listing. This approach involves tracking how many visitors or hits that you are receiving from various Web sites where your listing appears. Until recently these data were expensive and hard to obtain. Now Point2Agent provides this as part of its suite of Web site products at no charge. Agents fill out a brief form and the Point2 software generates a template Web site. Once agents create the site, they can upload their listings. From there, they have the option of syndicating their listings to more than 30 different sites, including GoogleBase, Yahoo Classifieds, Trulia, craigslist and a host of others. The great news is that this system then tracks the number of visitors that each listing receives from each of the sites where the listing is syndicated.

When sellers are being unrealistic about their price, it's extremely powerful to print out the charts that show exactly how much traffic has come from each site. It's common for a listing to be viewed hundreds if not thousands of times from exposure on so many sites.

Whether or not you elect to use Point2, placing your listing on craigslist.com may be the most important marketing step that you can take to reach today's Web consumer. Anecdotal reports from numerous blogs indicate that consumers are finding and purchasing homes that are posted on craigslist. The traffic reports from Point2 (their tool tracks how many hits their Web sites receive from craigslist.com) and from RealEstateShows.com confirm these anecdotal reports. The traffic from craigslist dwarfs the amount of traffic coming from other sites.

If you want to realistically price your listings, the rate of absorption, pricing line and scattergrams are excellent visual aids. If you're are in need of a price reduction, posting your listing on Point2 and then monitoring the traffic provides you with a strong piece of data that the seller will have a hard time refuting. When a listing has been viewed more than 1,000 times on the Web and there have been no offers, it's a pretty safe bet that the price needs to be reduced.

Bernice Ross, national speaker and CEO of Realestatecoach.com, is the author of "Waging War on Real Estate's Discounters" and "Who's the Best Person to Sell My House?" Both are available online. She can be reached at bernice@realestatecoach.com or visit her blog at www.LuxuryClues.com.

** this article was borrowed from our friends at top producer

Buyers: Price reduction not always a red flag

2008-01-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

Repricing often caused by unrealistic expectations, not defects

By Dian Hymer Inman News

Several years ago, a home listed for sale developed a stigma if it didn't sell within a month or two. Today, many sellers have homes listed that have been on the market for six months or longer. In fact, it's so commonplace for it to take a significant time to sell a house that it is no longer a disgrace if a listing doesn't sell right away.

It's an irony of the current market that with all the homes offered for sale, many serious buyers can't find a home to buy. There are often certain types of homes, in certain areas, that just aren't on the market. These are usually prime properties in excellent condition that have broad-based appeal. When these listings come on the market, they are usually snapped up quickly, despite the otherwise slow housing market.

Many buyers are sitting on the fence at this point, watching the market and waiting for a better time to buy. It's impossible to time the housing market, so you won't know precisely when the market will next correct until that correction has already occurred. A market correction can be verified only through hindsight.

Although most buyers feel more comfortable buying in a hot market -- even though it may mean paying more -- there are some buyers who see a slow market as a good buying opportunity. If you are one of these buyers and you're having difficulty finding a home to buy, consider the following options.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Get to know the inventory of homes available in your target area. Some of these listings will never work for you, either because they aren't large enough or because they have defects you might not be able to live with, like a lot of stairs to the front door. You can drop these listings from your radar.

Find an agent who specializes locally and who will keep you well informed on local market conditions. Ask your agent to sign you up for a listing alert program that will send you information directly from the multiple listing service when new listings come on the market or when the status of a listing changes.

Of particular interest are listings that are back on the market, and ones that have had a price reduction. If a house that's back on the market is one you were interested in, find out why the deal fell apart. In the past, it was commonly assumed that if a transaction failed it was due to inspection-related issues, not financing. Today, we're seeing more transactions fall apart because the buyers were unable to secure financing. A seller who just lost a deal because the buyer couldn't perform could be receptive to a reasonable offer from a better-qualified buyer.

Don't assume there's something wrong with the house if it's back on the market, or if it has been unsold and on the market for a long time. In a changing market, it's often difficult to select a list price that will bring about a speedy sale. Keep an open mind about listings that have had price reductions. These could have been mispriced to begin with. If the sellers are motivated, they will reduce the price until it is in line with the market.

Some unsold listings haven't moved because they need too much work. In today's market, the most salable listings are those that are in move-in condition. Properties that need work should be priced to account for the work that will need to be done.

THE CLOSING: Fixer homes may be more difficult to sell in the current market. But, at the right price, a buyer with vision will step up to the plate.

Positive news for Realtors in '08

2007-12-31T10:42:00.000-08:00

NAR economist underlines real estate's silver lining

By Bernice Ross
Inman News

In all the years I've been writing this column, I have never received such an outpouring of response as I did from the two November articles on how media coverage of negative housing news is hurting our industry.

In spite of gloom and doom of recent news reports on the state of the nation's housing, there is plenty of good news, the most recent of which comes from the National Association of Realtors.

Laurence Yun, the chief economist for NAR, had plenty of positive news for Realtors at last month's conference. Yun attributed much of today's subprime mortgage problem to greed. Wall Street wanted the 10-12 percent return that subprime mortgages yielded as opposed to the smaller returns from more traditional mortgage products. His take on the Wall Street types: "They gambled. They lost."

Yun's outlook for 2008 sees a shift from greedy speculators to serious homeowners. 2008 will be a year of opportunity where there will be serious, healthy business. Furthermore, Yun predicted that the market returns to normal by 2009.

According to Yun, one of the biggest mistakes that reporters make is talking about national trends. Nationally, 2007 was the fifth best year ever on record. Home prices declined about 1.5 percent after a 50 percent run up in prices.

The challenge is that national numbers are pretty much irrelevant. Yun argues that talking about national averages is about as effective as having a national weather forecast. Like the weather, all real estate markets are local. In fact, you may have a buyer's market and a seller's market operating within a single market area based exclusively upon price point. Here are the other key pieces of positive news from Yun's economic report:

1. New housing starts: Even though these are dropping, there was too much building in recent years. The market is simply adjusting to normal supply-and-demand pressures. The inventory is "being controlled which makes stabilization occur more quickly."

2. Foreclosures: According to Yun, the 41 percent increase in foreclosures has resulted primarily from investor-heavy real estate purchases in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada. The majority of these individuals are flippers whose investments did not payoff. More importantly, the number of foreclosures in Utah, New Mexico, North Carolina and South Carolina is actually declining.

3. Under-priced markets and superstar cities: Although the coastal markets are still overpriced, Middle America is under priced. Nevertheless, Yun cites a new trend termed, "superstar" cities. These cities will command premium prices, regardless of what the market does. There is so much wealth concentrated in these areas, that measurements are simply not predictive. In addition to London, Paris, Tokyo and New York, Yun also identified San Francisco, Miami and Seattle as potential new superstar cities.

4. The recovery has started: Other than the three states hit heavily by job losses in the automotive industry (Indiana, Michigan and Ohio), the states that first experienced a downturn in the Northeast, are now in recovery. Specifically, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island were the first to feel the slump and are now well into a recovery. Furthermore, there appears to be a pent-up demand for first-time buyer properties due to a large number of Gen Ys (born 1977 to 1994) that are now buying their first homes. Falling interest rates will motivate many of these buyers to step into the market now.

5. New jobs and corporate profits are still strong: Corporate profits are still strong with companies as diverse as Microsoft and Jack Daniels reporting close to record profits. Furthermore, the economy has generated 4 million net new jobs and wages are rising.

6. A weak dollar may harbinger more foreign investment in U.S. real estate
Although the decline of the U.S. dollar will end up costing us more when we go overseas or purchase imports, it has resulted in more manufacturing jobs returning to the U.S. It also may mean more foreign investment in U.S. properties as well. Just a few years ago, the Canadian dollar was only worth 70 cents in U.S. currency. Today, the Canadian dollar has been hovering at about $1.05 to $1.10 U.S. What this means is that we can expect more Canadians and Europeans to be purchasing U.S. property, because our prices are approximately 50 percent cheaper than they were just three years ago.

7. Real estate: Still the best shelter: For those agents who represent reluctant first-time buyers, Yun points to some interesting research from the Federal Reserve. Between 1995 and 2004, the average renter accumulated $4,000 in wealth. In contrast, the average homeowner accumulated $184,400. Furthermore, the typical homeowner holds their property for six years. Within this period of time, NAR's research shows that approximately 97 percent of the homeowners will have a positive equity position after that period of time.

Bottom line: 2008 represents the best window that buyers will have to find excellent deals with excellent financing. Get the word out there. If they wait, prices and interest rates will be higher and the reluctant buyer may be forced out of the market.

This article was borrowed from our friends at Top Producer!

Home loan apps post gains

2007-12-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

Survey: Borrowers jump at chance to refi below 6%

Inman News

Mortgage application volume rose last week even as interest rates climbed, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday.

The group's market composite index, a measure of total home loan application volume, gained 2.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the end of November, pushed higher by strong refinancing activity.

MBA reported an increase of 4.3 percent in the index that tracks applications for refinancings and a 1.7 percent gain in the purchase-loan index. As a result, the refi share of applications last week rose to 57.6 percent from 56 percent the previous week.

The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity, however, dropped to 9.4 percent from 11.6 percent the week before.

Borrowing costs rose considerably last week as the average contract interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages jumped to 6.07 percent from 5.82 percent one week earlier, and the average 15-year fixed climbed to 5.72 percent from 5.38 percent. The average rate on one-year ARMs moved from 6.28 percent to 6.31 percent.

Points, or loan-processing fees expressed as a percent of the total loan amount, averaged 1.17 on the 30-year loans, 1.01 on the 15-year, and 0.97 on one-year ARMs -- compared with 1.07, 1.12 and 0.99, respectively, in the previous week. These points include the origination fee and are based on loan-to-value ratios of 80 percent.

The Mortgage Bankers Association survey covers approximately 50 percent of all U.S. retail residential mortgage originations, and has been conducted weekly since 1990. Respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts.

- borrowed by our friends at topproducer.com

Another certificate for Joe!!!

2007-12-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Our very own Agent Mr. Joseph Haughey got a certificate of achievement in leadership excellence from the National League of Cities' Leadership Training Institute. They were recognizing the dedication and commitment of Joe Haughey as an esteemed council member. This past year he successfully completed the Bronze Certificate-Leadership Fellow in the certificate of Achievement in Leadership Program. Way to go Joe for going above and beyond to serve our community. We are so proud to say you are apart of our team here at Common Goal Realty.
CONGRATS!!!

Holiday Budget Trimming

2007-12-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Saving money is no easy feat this time of year. But it IS possible. These tips can help you save some green(in more ways than one, since some are also environmentally friendly!).

Alternative Wrap

Get creative to minimize or eliminate pricey wrapping paper without losing he festive touch:
Adorn a gift with only a ribbon or bow
Wrap with the sunday funnies
Make your own wrapping paper using scrap material, glitter, foil -whatever strickes your fancy.
Let part of the gift act as wrapping - a scarf instead of ribbon, a holiday dishtowel instead of wrapping paper, or an attractive basket, tin ot toe in place of a gift box.

Give from the heart
Presents don't have to be costly to be values. giving of yourself is one of the best gifts of all. Consider offering a night of free babysitting to the friend who needs a grown-up night on the town. Give your beloved set of homemade coupons for massages by you. Give your youngster a personal gift certificate for one hour of your full attention and uninterrupted playtime. Of make gifts that play to your own special skills, whether thats baking, making crafts or taking photos.

Fuel up for less
Save gas this season without losing a shopping beat. Just buy online or via mail order. If you need to do shopping in person, plan your route to consolidate trips and minimize destinations. You'll travel fewer miles, use less gas and even same time - another short commodity this time of year!

Thanks for the tips countrywide!

Find YOUR Real Estate Coach

2007-10-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Coaching is at an all time high demand lately. With Real Estate fluctuating so much, Real Estate Professionals know that it takes more than just business cards and a license to make a lasting impression in Real Estate. Coaches can help you grow your Real Estate Business by being the new perspective you might be looking for. They can help you with your business plan, lead generation, and much more if you find the right one with the right experience.

In finding a GREAT Real Estate coach to grow your Real Estate Business, here are some questions that I recommend considering before signing anything:

Experience
It's impossible to be an overarching coach. In the same way that with Real Estate, you have to find a niche and some sort of specialty to brand yourself and make your Real Estate Business as attractive as possible to consumers, coaches can't possibly have the ability to coach people in all sorts of businesses, professions and backgrounds. How can a coach who has experience in spirituality and healthy living properly coach you with your Real Estate business plan, sales tactics, and lead generation? He/she can't. If you want a coach to grow your Real Estate Business, find a coach who has experience being a Real Estate Agent, or who specializes in coaching Real Estate Professionals.

Certification
Coaches seem to be all over the place, and most of them don't have any certification. Surprised? A lot of times, since there are nearly no colleges that offer degrees in coaching, people will just take on the title "Life Coach" because they want to give people advice. Find a coach who has been certified by a coaching federation or school because certifications do exist for coaches. They need to know the tools to make you reach your goals, and if they have no training, education, or materials to grow your Real Estate business, you'll find yourself at point A again after spending hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Comfort
Just because a coach worked for a friend or business associate doesn't mean the same coach will work for you. If a coach that you're interested in isn't offering a free sample session, be wary of what they might be trying to get you contracted for. Your relationship with your coach is just as important as your relationship with an assistant. It has to be comfortable and open for either of you to get anything out if it. Make sure that you sample your coach before signing on with him/her.

Present
Is your coach lost in yesterday? As a Real Estate Agent in today's changing market, you have to be educated and up-to-date with technology, current trends, and everything changing in Real Estate today. If your coach isn't current, then you might find your Real Estate sales going down the drain. In order to grow your Real Estate business, marketing, advertising and branding are of the utmost importance. These are all contingent upon what's attractive to home buyers today and are always changing. Make sure your coach is keeping up with the Joneses so you don't get lost in old business.

Multiplicity
Using multiple methods of coaching is also important for your Real Estate coach. Your coach can't just coach you on your business goals, just as he/she can't just coach you on your sales. You have to have a well-rounded coach who touches on every aspect of your business and everything that might affect it.

Sincerely,

Cheri Alguire

The Top Ten Reasons It's a Great Time To Buy Real Estate -by Paul Pastore

2007-10-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Selection, selection, selection. There are about 57,000 resale homes on the market in Maricopa county(Phoenix). Regardless of the price range a buyer desires, there are plenty of houses from which to choose. Just a few years ago the resale inventory dropped below 5,000 units. A buyer was forced to make compromises if they were going to locate the home of their dreams. There is a great selection of attached homes, condos, and townhouses. You can find large lots, small lots, and a lot that will accommodate your boat or RV. There are lots of options in this market.
No Bidding Wars. In 2005 we had one client that made an offer on ten homes. They lost the first nine to the 'feeding frenzy' that existed. Other buyers bid the properties up substantially from the original listing price. There were escalation clauses where buyers authorized their agents to outbid other offers by thousands of dollars. There is no competitive bidding in this buyer's market.
You can make an offer. A few years ago when you made an offer, the only question was how high above the list price could the buyer reach in hopes of being the best offer on the table. Today the sell price list vs. price ration is about 96%. A seller will not be insulted if you 'make them an offer they can't refuse'.
Patience is tolerated. In the hot seller's market that existed everything was rushed. Find a house before other buyers did. Hurry up and make the offer. Today a buyer can take their time. Look at several homes and think about your decision for a few hours.
Due diligence is welcomed. In this market a buyer is encouraged to obtain a home inspection, termite inspection, and appraisal. In 2005 many buyers waived these contingencies in order gain an advantage with multiple offers.
There are plenty of specs. In the not too distant past buyer had to 'play games' if they wanted a new home. There were lotteries and waiting lists in order to obtain new construction. Some buyers slept in their cars in order to get to the head of the lines. R.L. Brown estimates that builders have thousands of specs ready for immediate occupancy.
Repair requests are welcomed. After a buyer completes a home inspection, they are allowed to submit a repair request to the seller. In the past a seller might insist the home was sold 'as is'. Many times, there were back-up buyers waiting for a primary buyer to upset the seller whose home was increasing in value almost daily.
Few, if any investors. It is estimated that one third of all sales in 2005 were to investors. These non-owner occupied buyer caused the market to inflate and affordability to decline. Mortgage fraud became commonplace. It's a great time to buy without having to compete with hundreds of prospective landlords.
Location, location, location. Today's buyers can find homes closer to work. In the past buyers flocked to Maricopa and Queen Creek in order to find affordable homes. In this market, reasonably priced homes are within biking or walking distance to schools, rapid transit lines, and relatives.
Real Financing is available. The 'wink, wink' zero down, no doc, adjustable, sub-prime loans are gone. Fixed rates are back. FHA financing, first time homeowner bond programs, special loans for teachers, and police officers are back in business. It's a great time to buy real estate!

Second Home Information

2007-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

New market information from our friends at Northern Arizona College of Business administration (Bureau of Business & Economic Research)

FLAGSTAFF-SECOND HOMEOWNER PROFILE
Twenty percent of flagstaff homeowners are second-homeowners, maintaining a primary residence elsewhere and keeping a second home in Flagstaff. This constitutes a population of approximately 12,265 (bases on average family size of 3) living in Flagstaff part time who are considerably wealthier than year round, permanent flagstaff residents. This segment of flagstaff and its demographic characteristics is not captured by the U.S. census or any other data provider.

Seventy-four percent of second-homeowners reside in Arizona. The majority (51%) live in phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley. Twenty six percent live in other states- most live in California (24%) followed by Nevada (8%), Colorado (7%) and Texas (6%).

MEDIAN HOME PRICE
The majority of Flagstaff second–homeowners are from the Metro Phoenix area, where the average 2006 median home price is $574,546 which is: 45.5% higher than Flagstaff 2006 median home price, 135.5% higher than Arizona 2006 median home price and 159.3% higher than U.S. median home price.

Market Update! A Pro's Oppionion

2007-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

We here at Common Goal Realty wanted to make sure we were keeping our clients up to date with the going-ons of the current market. We believe that an understanding of what is going on will increase our success and ultimately your success in this market. Here is an explanation from our friend Mark whose opinion and insight we respect and trust.

Hello everyone.I'm sending out this impromptu market update because many,many of you have been asking a lot of the same very good questions about our lending market recently and I wanted to shed some light on the situation for all of you. So here we go:So what happened to Jumbo loans? Well, with the exception of basically one portfolio lender ( which I am online with) Jumbo rates went virtually overnight from the 6.5ish range up to the 8% range. Now why did this happen? Because bad Alt-A loans ruined the party for everyone.

Remember the crazy 100% stated income, no ratio and no doc loans that were so easy to get with low credit on a purchase or refi a while back? Well, as we all have witnessed, when the market stopped appreciating like crazy many of these guys stopped making their payments. "But Mark! What does that have to do with my terrific 20% down full doc Jumbo borrower?!" Well unfortunately for good, God fearing, full doc Jumbo loans. they have been pooled together with these Alt-A loans for a long time. Maybe you've heard the term "non conforming"? So these Jumbo and Alt-A (Non Conforming) loans get put into a hundred million dollar pool of loans and sold on Wall Street,and Wall Street then securities them and sells them back to the public in the form of mortgage backed securities. Now when Alt-A started defaulting on their loans it ruined whole pools of these and consequently ruined the pricing for Jumbo too. Full doc Jumbo was in the wrong place at the wrong time.Now the good news is full doc Jumbo will find another way to get done.

When is the question, and as near as anyone can figure we are probably looking at between 30-60 days before the secondary market comes back around on their price. So Jumbo is still here, but most of it is ugly. My recommendation is to try to keep your single family loan amounts not more than 417K and supplement the rest with second mortgages.So what's with all the banks closing? Well, that's a good question. Let's see, in the last 2 weeks we have seen American Home Mortgage, Aegis, ABC,National City Home Equity and First Magnus either close their doors outright or just stop accepting new loans. Just yesterday Countrywide (yes THE Countrywide) announced it was in some serious trouble and Merrill Lynch had said today that there is a real possibility they could go bankrupt. Folks,these were good banks. So what happened? With the exception of National City the common denominator in all of these banks was they engaged in a very high amount of Alt-A loan making. Yep, the same Alt-A that has tanked our Jumbo loans. When these institutions sell their loans to Wall Street they sign a kind of performance guarantee. If the portfolio hits a certain default rate Wall Street come back knocking either for the deficiency or sometimes the whole pool. So when the banks don't have the money to cover these bad loans?....well we've been seeing it for months and months now.First the poorly run banks shut down and now some "well run" banks are shutting down.

So what does it all mean? All this means is we are returning to the "good ole days" of lending. Conforming loans 417K and under remain strong but get your buyers used to MI again because 100% 80/20 financing has virtually gone the way of the dodo. Look for FHA to come back strong, the 100% community lending products are still strong. If you've got a stated income borrower be prepared for them to bring 5% to the table. I'm sure you've seen it recently like I have: Sally doesn't buy 100% stated income by herself anymore, Sally and Stevie buy 100% full doc together. Consumers react to the market conditions and we all move on with life. I know the changes can be frustrating at times when you are losing deals in escrow.

All I can offer is this: I or my staff will be more than happy to review any file you have had fall out of escrow to try to get you closed quickly. There are still miracles that can be made. It's all in who you know. There is a terrific quote I heard about a year ago from whom I can't remember: "A great mortgage broker is a luxury in a good market and a necessity in a bad one." All of you need to have a great broker or two at your side during this period in lending. By the end of this transition period only the strong, smart and small will survive.

I would be happy to speak with any of you about anything discussed in this e-mail. I hope you have found this information helpful and feel free to let me know if you have. Thank you for your business and keep the faith.

Mark Morrell
Sr. Loan Consultant Phoenix Lending Group
2525 E. Arizona Biltmore Circle St. B128Phoenix, AZ 85016
P. (602)-374-7690 F. (602)-374-7695 C. (602)-391-9993

Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament

2007-08-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

To benefit The Emily Marie Benson Scholarship we will be putting on the Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament again this year! It will be held on September 15, 2007 at Pine Canyon. If you are interested in golfing please e-mail Valerie at Valerie@flagstaffhouses.com to receive a registration card. Come out, show your support, and get your golf on!!!

Joe gets his Broker's License!!!!

2007-08-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our new associate broker, Joe Haughey on obtaining his Brokers license this month after 7 months of hard work! Now not only can he help you with all of your Real Estate buying needs but he’s a licensed broker as well! (That’s a lot of knowledge to pull from) Good job Joe! Congrats!

What You Get for the Money

2007-03-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

HGTV's "What You Get for the Money" real estate show featuring homes in Flagstaff will air Sunday, April 1, 2007 at 11:30 p.m. and Monday, April 2 at 3:30 a.m. Pacific time.

Compare what kind of house you can get for $500,000 in six markets across the country. First, a family of seven decorate their Flagstaff, Ariz., home with a funky flair. Next, a sports fanatic in Mississippi has the ultimate home for entertaining, and then a Des Moines, Iowa, couple downsize with class after their adult children move out. Last up is a quick a look at homes in Anchorage, San Diego and Greenville, S.C.

Common Goal Realty makes national connection

Internet users know a Google search can turn up a lot of things quickly—the lyrics to “Margaritaville,” for example, or the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. But in the case of Home & Garden Television (HGTV), Google turned up a Flagstaff connection that took a producer from the New York Times to Common Goal Realty.

The result of that search brought film crews from the weekly cable TV show “What You Get for the Money” to Flagstaff this week to interview homeowners about what they love about where they live.

“It really is a small world,” said Joe Haughey, a Realtor and member of the City Council, who was quoted in a New York Times newspaper story about Flagstaff’s vacation home market earlier this month.

As it happens, Chandra Wicke, a casting producer, was looking for contacts at Arizona realty companies who could lead her to properties to profile for the show. After reading the story in the Times, Wicke looked up Haughey’s company and spoke with his counterpart at the father/daughter business—Valerie Caro.

Caro, a real estate broker with 20 years of experience in Flagstaff, thought of several candidates right away when Wicke outlined her needs for the show.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of clients,” Caro said. “Our marketing materials have a real personal touch, and tend to draw people we have a lot in common with. When that happens, clients become friends.”

“What You Get for the Money” needed homes that were architecturally interesting—houses with flair, property with panache. The interiors could be in any design—from modern to traditional, Southwest to artsy eclectic--but needed to be stylish, even magazine-ready. The show also needed homeowners who were outgoing, comfortable both with being on camera and with talking about the value of their home to a national audience.

One of those homeowners is Amanda Roxas-Powers, a married mother of five who gives her job title as “domestic systems engineer,” but will take “diva” without batting an eyelash. She was raised in Flagstaff and says she wouldn’t trade her home—not just her house, but her neighborhood, her city, her community—for anything.

“We go off to Disneyland,” she muses. “We spend thousands of dollars on vacations, just to come home and realize the best gift of all is waiting right inside our own front door.”

Roxas-Powers’ will be one of several local homes to be featured for the show. Crews will be filming at her home in the Cherry Hill neighborhood on Mon, Nov. 6.

Caro and Haughey are old hands at national publicity. They also worked with the producers of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” last year during its Flagstaff episode, in which the cast built a home for the family of Tuba City soldier Lori Piestewa, who was killed in Iraq.

HGTV is distributed to more than 87 million households and is one of the fastest-growing networks in cable history. A typical show includes examples of homes in several price ranges from a variety of different cities.

The Arizona episode of “What You Get for the Money” featuring Flagstaff homes will be aired at least three times in the next 10 months across the country, said Stephani Kitts, Common Goal’s marketing director.

“It’s fabulous that HGTV is coming to Flagstaff to further put us on the map,” she added. “This is a great opportunity to show the nation what they can get for the money!”

Welcome to the Flagstaff Area Real Estate Update

2007-01-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

Watch this space for the new real estate information blog for the Flagstaff Area including Kachina Village, Lake Mary, Mounainaire, Munds Park, Parks, Winona, and East Flagstaff from Valerie Caro and Joe Haughey. Look to us for timely news, market updates, hot new listings and more!