Wishing You and Yours a Very Happy Thanksgiving

 
As you are surrounded by friends and family today and as you think about those who may be separated by distance or circumstance, may you find peace and joy in the beauty and blessings of your life.

From my family to yours, best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving.
 

Fondest regards,

Pook 

As has become my personal tradition each year, I share the words of Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby)...

O, heavenly Father: We thank thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank thee for health and remember the sick. We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless. We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others.

Posted by Pook at 4:38 PM

Buying a Home? Consider COST not just Price

Courtesy of  The KCM Blog

November 18, 2013  

We have often talked about the difference between COST and PRICE. As a seller, you will be most concerned about ‘short term price’ – where home values are headed over the next six months. As a buyer, you must be concerned not about price but instead about the ‘long term cost’ of the home. Let us explain.
Last month, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the National Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac all projected that mortgage interest rates will increase by about one full percentage over the next twelve months. We also know that many experts are calling for home prices to also increase over the next year.

What Does This Mean to a Buyer?

Here is a simple demonstration of what impact an interest rate increase would have on the mortgage payment of a home selling for approximately $250,000 even if home prices don’t increase:

Veterans Day 2013

Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.  The main hostilities of WWI were properly finished at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, with Germany signing the Armistice.

 

Heartfelt thanks go out to the men and women who have served in our armed forces, protecting our nation, and preserving the freedoms we cherish. 

Happy 238th Birthday to the United State Marine Corps

As in years past, it is my honor to share the annual birthday tribute to the United States Marine Corps presented by Bob Parsons, Executive Chairman and Founder of Go Daddy.  Please click HERE to view this 238th birthday presentation.   

In addition to the annual birthday tribute, GoDaddy is partnering with the Semper Fi Fund and  America's Fund to raise money to help critically ill and injured members of all of the United States Armed Forces and their families.  The Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation and GoDaddy.com will match up to $1 million in donations.

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and the America's Fund provide financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families during times of hospitalization and recovery, as well as assistance for those with ongoing medical needs.  

You have the power to make a difference.  Click HERE to help GoDaddy help those heroes who've given so much for our freedom. 

With love and thanks to my husband and his beloved Marine Corps brothers for their dedication and service, and with heartfelt thanks to all who have served or are currently serving.  Semper Fi!

Is This a Buyer's or Seller's Market?

Here in the metro Phoenix area we are very fortunate to have Michael Orr, founder of The Cromford Report™ and director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, providing us with the most up-to-date information on current market conditions, including the Cromford Market Index™, which is a value that provides a short term forecast for the balance of the market. It is derived from the trends in pending, active and sold listings compared with historical data over the previous four years.  The Cromford Market Index™ can be applied to the whole market or to any subset, provided that subset is large enough to be meaningful.  It compensates for seasonal factors and measures supply and demand based on long term historical trends.  Values below 100 indicate a buyer's market, while values above 100 indicate a seller's market. A value of 100 indicates a balanced market. 


Cromford Observation on November 7 - "We are seeing demand continue to fall but at a decelerating rate now we are well into November. It is possible that October was the worst month for buyer sentiment decline in a long time and things look like they may be starting to moderate now. Here are the latest Cromford Market Index™  values for the single family home markets in various cities, and in parentheses a comparison with the previous month (October 7)":

• Sun Lakes - 166.6 (237.6)
• Sun City West - 153.1 (188.9)
• Arizona City - 145.2 (166.7)
• Glendale 107.6 (129.9)
• Sun City - 116.5 (158.4)
• El Mirage - 109.6 (116.5)
• Cave Creek - 109.3 (124.0)
• Paradise Valley - 108.1 (137.4)
• Chandler 106.3 (115.2)
• Apache Junction - 104.9 (124.3)
• Scottsdale 104.2 (131.1)
• Avondale - 104.0 (132.4)
• Phoenix - 100.4 (120.9)
• Mesa - 98.8 (121.0)
• Goodyear - 96.9 (126.7)
• Peoria - 95.8 (121.1)
• Gilbert - 95.1 (110.8)
• Anthem - 91.6 (99.9)
• Litchfield Park - 88.6 (114.2)
• Laveen - 87.3 (113.3)
• Surprise - 85.7 (110.1)
• Tolleson - 86.1 (91.4)
• Fountain Hills - 81.7 (119.0)
• Gold Canyon - 79.9 (95.2)
• Buckeye - 78.3 (93.1)
• Tempe - 74.9 (94.7)
• Casa Grande - 67.9 (84.8)
• Queen Creek - 66.2 (87.5) - includes San Tan Valley unincorporated area
• Maricopa - 53.9 (67.5)

Home Prices Post Strongest Annual Gain in Nearly 8 Years

Source:  Inman News
Date:  11/6/13

Check out the link below to read this informative article...

Home prices rose at fastest annual clip in nearly 8 years in Q3 | Inman News

Home Prices Are Up Again in Metro Phoenix

Source:  ArizonaCentral.com
Date:  11/5/13
Arizona Republic Article By:   Catherine Reagor 
Link to Article:  Home Prices are up again in metro Phoenix

Home prices climbed in metro Phoenix during September, and so did the number of houses on the market. The combination worked to curb sales.

The median sales price reached $199,000 last month, up from $192,000 in August, according to Tuesday’s report from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Price gains are expected to slow in the rest of 2013. Traditionally, fewer home sales are made in the last months of the year.

“The main change (in the housing market) is a steep fall in demand, which we can see in the 12 percent drop in single-family-home sales just between August and September,” said Mike Orr, director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at the W.P. Carey School.

“Going forward, we anticipate a much slower rate of price appreciation than the furious pace we have witnessed over the last two years.”

Orr said the government shutdown is at least partly to blame for September’s slower sales. Last month, 7,143 homes sold Valley-wide.

The region’s shortage of homes for sale appears to be over for now. Rising prices are enticing more homeowners to try to sell. The supply of houses for sale in metro Phoenix climbed 32percent during the past year.

Investor interest continues to wane. About 23percent of all sales were investor-driven in September, nearly half as many as in the same month a year ago.

“If the current trend continues, supply will exceed demand by the end of the year,” Orr said.

“We now expect a balanced market to prevail during November. This is great news for buyers since they will experience less competition and be in a strong position to negotiate.”