Real Estate Information

Real Estate is about Jobs
written by Ron Phipps, President, National Association of REALTORS

Later this week, the Treasury Department will issue a report recommending changes to the structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is the latest development in a years-long debate over what the government’s role in housing should be.

As REALTORS®, we know better than anyone else just how vital housing is to families and to our nation.

Fact:  For every additional 1,000 home sales, about 500 jobs are added to the economy. Those are real jobs that give our families, friends and neighbors a chance to work.

Fact:  Every home purchase pumps $60,000 into the economy.

Fact:  Housing accounts for more than 15 percent of the national gross domestic product.

Fact:  Home owners pay 80 to 90 percent of ALL federal income taxes.

We need to change the dialog. Critics say housing is a drain on federal resources. We know better. Housing is the engine that drives our national economy. Eight of the last ten recessions have ended as a result of robust housing markets. The other two ended as a result of war spending. The choice is easy. America needs a healthy housing market to thrive. 

In the days ahead, NAR will be reaching out to Congress and the White House to emphasize the clear connection between housing, jobs and the economy. Rather than limit support for housing, and the availability of credit, NAR is calling on Congress and the White House to advance policies that will move the housing market back to a healthy 5.5 million sales, where it SHOULD be. 

We will be asking lawmakers to:

• Preserve the mortgage interest deduction at current levels.
• Move the credit pendulum to equilibrium, defined by a median credit score of 720.
• Maintain government backing in the mortgage market as part of GSE Reform.

These three steps would help bring the housing market back to a normal level, possibly generating an additional 1 million home sales and 500,000 jobs.   

As the voice for real estate, we hope that Congress and White House gets the message:  real estate is all about jobs.

I invite all of you to engage with us.  Go to Realtor.org/homeownership for the latest information and to see how you can join the movement. — Ron Phipps, 2011 NAR President

Need Phoenix market stats? Click on the links provided below to review an indept market review of the West valley, Southeast, Northeast and Short Sale residential resale market. If you or anyone you know is considering making a real estate purchase, now is the time. Please call our office today to get started right away!

January 2011
West Valley Residential Single Family
Southeast Valley Residential Single Family
Great Phoenix Distressed Property Report (Short Sales)
Phoenix Valley Residential Resale
Northeast Valley Residential Single Family

For a Free Market Snapshot customized for your home, Click Here

There are two large auctions coming up on Feb. 12th & 13th -- there will be hundred's of homes sold at rock bottom prices. Check out our inventory -- if you or someone you know is interested, please call me at 602-942-7000. Properties will be held open for previewing on Saturday Feb. 5th.

13160 W Sheridan St, Goodyear
1607 W Nancy Lane, Phoenix
24013 W Hildago Ave, Buckeye
5728 W Desert Cove Ave, Glendale
6808 S 8th Drive, Phoenix
7606 W Cinnabar Ave, Peoria
25789 W Nancy Lane, Buckeye
*Open House, Saturday Feb. 5th from 1pm - 3pm

3427 E Paradise Lane, Phoenix
2929 W Yorkshire, Unit #1089, Phoenix
310 S 4th Street, Unit #805, Phoenix
*Open House, Saturday Feb. 5th from 11am - 4pm

Nearly 20 nationally recognized entertainment celebrities will descend upon Phoenix to compete in the 10th Annual Jack in the Box Celebrity Shootout, presented by Robert and Carole Machiz. This star-studded charity basketball game tips-off at US Airways Center on Saturday, January 29 at 2 p.m. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Recording artist and actor Chris Brown as well as former Major League Baseball star Jermaine Dye as well as:
Anthony Anderson Actor (“Law and Order” (TV Series), “The Departed”, “Barbershop”)
Billy Blanks Actor (“Showdown”, “The Last Boy Scout”)
Chris Brown Recording Artists/Actor (“Takers”, “Stomp the Yard”)
Columbus Short Actor (“Stomp the Yard”, “Stomp the Yard 2”, “Death at a Funeral”)
Common Recording Artists/Actor (“Terminator Salvation”, “Wanted”)
DJ Clue Mixtape DJ/Producer (Produced Music for Mariah Carey & Jay-Z)
Frankie Muniz Actor/Race Car Driver (“Malcolm in the Middle” (TV Series))
Kerry Rhodes Athlete (Safety, Arizona Cardinals)
Kiowa Gordon Actor (The Twilight Saga: “New Moon” and “Eclipse”)
Mann Recording Artist
Michael B. Jordan Actor (“Friday Night Lights” (TV Series))
Pooch Hall Actor (“Stomp the Yard 2”, “The Game” (TV Series))
Romeo Recording Artist/Actor (“Uncle P”, “Honey”)
Terrence J TV Host/Actor (Host for BET’s “106 & Park Top 10 Live”)
Francia Raisa (coach) Actress (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (TV series), “Bring It On: All or Nothing”)

Tickets start at $9.00 and can be purchased online at Suns.com/CelebShootout, through Ticketmaster, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or at the US Airways Center box office.

Funds raised from the Shootout will benefit Phoenix Suns Charities and Suns Nite Hoops. Phoenix Suns Charities is the cornerstone of the team’s foundation, making grants to non-profit organizations that serve the youth in areas of education, health and human services, the arts, sports and recreation, and rehabilitation.

Suns Nite Hoops is a non-profit program offering life skills, educational advancement, and job readiness to at-risk young men and their families by providing them positive alternatives to drugs, gangs, and violence.

US property sales increase and prices stable, RE/MAX report shows

Friday, 21 January 2011

After five consecutive months of declines, residential property sales in the United States rose 13.2% in December from the prior month, according to the RE/MAX National Housing Report.

But compared to the year earlier, December property sales fell 5%, although, RE/MAX said that is the lowest year on year drop in five months.

Two of the most badly depressed real estate markets, Arizona and Florida, saw sales increase. In Phoenix, Arizona, sales jumped 12.8% in December from the same month in 2009. And Florida, sales rose 7.4% in Tampa and in 9.9% in Miami.

RE/MAX chief executive Margaret Kelly said December’s figures put the housing market in strong position for growth as the home shopping season nears. ‘It’s nice to see that sales were much higher than in November, with a year on year difference better than we’ve seen in months,’ she said.

‘It is encouraging that prices appear to be remaining stable. These positive trends should build as we enter the traditionally strong home buying months in the spring and summer,’ she added.

The report also shows that prices indeed remained stable in the last month of 2010, dropping only 2.2% from 2009 and 0.9% from November. The median sales price was $192,941 in December.

Some 28 of the 54 major metropolitan areas tracked by RE/MAX experienced year on year home prices appreciation, including Cleveland up 12%, Indianapolis up 9.6%, Pittsburgh up 8.6%, Dallas-Fort Worth up 8.4% and New Orleans up 6.8%. Prices decreased in 23 metro areas and remained flat in three.

Properties sold in December were on the market for an average of 96 days, which is higher than the average of 93 days for sales closed in November and 92 days in December 2009, according to the report.

RE/MAX also reported a month on month dip in housing inventory, down 8.8%. The amount of inventory is down 2.9% from December 2009. However, the months it would take to move that inventory off the market increased to 10.2 months. According to RE/MAX, a balanced market of buyers and sellers is at a six month supply of housing inventory.

Wags for Wishes Benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Approximately 800 dogs are expected to help grant the wish of sick kids this weekend at the 4th annual Wags for Wishes event in Chandler. The proceeds from the festival will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "This event is about dogs raising money for kids," Director Wendy Hultsman said. "Its not a ball or a gala, its a philanthropic event that our clients (sick children) can participate in."

About $60,000 has been raised during the past 3 Wagsfor Wishes events. This year the event has been moved to Rawhide in Chandler where they hope to raise $30,000 with the larger space. Wish-granting costs an average of $7,000 per child and the money raised at Wags for Wishes is only used for grants.

The weekend event is part competition, part festival. The admission is $5.00 and goes towards the cause. Visitors are welcome to bring their 4 legged friends to try activities like racing in Lure For A Cure, splash jumping off a dock, or try a musical freestyle frisbee routine. The American Kennel Club will be there too, to test your pups Canine Good Citizens skills to see if they have what it takes to be a therapy dog.

Friday-Sunday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse
5700 W North Loop Rd, Chandler, AZ
azwags4wishes.com

Investment Strategies
Saturday, January 22nd from 9:00 am to 10:00 am MST

Register NOW for my FREE one-hour Investment Webinar this Saturday starting at 9:00am. Did you know that according to a 2009 National Association of Realtors study of investors, nearly 1/2 of all investors had an annual income of less than $75,000? You owe it to yourself to spend an hour of your time to learn what money making opportunities are available to you right now!

My presentation has been designed to inform you of your options regarding residential real estate investments. I will cover how to:
1.) How real estate compares to other assets for growth potential
2.) What the benefits of real estate investing are
3.) The truth behind the most common myths of real estate investing
4.) How you can optimize your investing power through real estate

To register for this important FREE Webinar, Click HERE. Fill in the required fields and click the Register Now button. I look forward to it! Nate

This time of year seems to be the season for the common cold to reek havoc on our daily lives! Although there are no known cures for the cold or flu, there are ways we can prevent or avoid getting sick. Here are 11 Natural tips you can implement during cold and flu season...

1.) Wash your hands - Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. If a sick person sneezes into their hand and then touches the telephone, the door knob or keyboard, the germs are left behind -- which can live for hours and in some cases weeks! So wash your hands as often as you can. If no sink is available, rub your hands together very hard for a minute or two. That will help break up the cold germs. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on your hands.

2.) Don't cover your sneezes and coughs with your hands - Because germs and viruses cling to your bare hands, muffling coughs and sneezes with your hands actually causes the germs to be spread to others. When you feel a sneeze or cough coming, use a tissue, then throw it away immediately. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow or arm.

3.) Don't touch your face - Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching their faces is the major way children catch colds, and a key way they pass colds on to their parents.

4.) Drink plenty of fluids - Water flushes out your system, washing away the poisons as it re-hydrates you. A typical, healthy adult needs eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day (or 64 fluid ounces total). How can you tell if you're getting enough liquid? If the color of your urine runs close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.

5.) Take a sauna - Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.

6.) Do aerobic exercise regularly - Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood, which makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.

7.) Eat foods containing Phytochemicals - "Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. So, although you may be diligent about taking your daily vitamins, a healthy dose of dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits are an important part of staying healthy all year long.

8.) Eat yogurt - Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25%. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.

9.) Don't smoke - Statistics show that heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones. Even being around smoke profoundly zaps the immune system. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia. These are the delicate hairs that line the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs, and with their wavy movements, sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.

10.) Limit alcohol consumption - Heavy alcohol use suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways. Heavier drinkers are more prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications. Alcohol also dehydrates the body -- it actually causes more fluid loss from your system than it puts in.

11.) Relax - If you can teach yourself to relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There's evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins increase in the bloodstream. Interleukins are the leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses. Train yourself to picture an image you find pleasant or calming. You can start with a little as 2 or 3 minutes a day and work yourself up to 10 minutes and eventually to 30 minutes per day. Relaxation is a learnable skill, but it is not doing nothing. People who try to relax, but are in fact bored, show no changes in blood chemicals. So think of "relaxation" as a healthy way of keeping your immune system in good shape!

Real Estate verses the Stock Market?

This graph depicts the difference in return on investment between the S&P 500 and real estate from 2000-2010. With the benefit of cash flow, a $100,000 investment in real estate would have doubled from 2000-2010.

Join me on Saturday, January 22nd at 9:00am for a FREE Investment Webinar. You owe it to yourself to invest ONE hour of your time to learn how you can unlock the door to a world of real estate wealth. To register for this FREE Webinar, please email me at Nate@NatesHomes.com -- don't delay, register today!