Friday, August 29, 2008

Price reduced on this beautiful Carefree Crossings Home in North Phoenix!


Beautifully kept home with a Pool on Premium Corner Lot the Backs to a Wash!! Great Location in Carefree Crossings, Quiet Street yet Close to the New Norterra Shopping Center! Many upgrades to include 17 x 17 Italian Porcelian Tile, Custom Granite Countertops, Maple Cabinets w/Crown Modeling and Pull-Out Shelves, Black Appliances, Water Softner, 2' Real Wood Blinds, Custom Carpet w/Upgraded Pad, Pre-wired for Home Theatre, Satelite, Cat5, Security plus a huge loft upstairs! This home is a must see! Bring your buyers and they will love it!
For more information and pictures, click on:
http://www.thecameronteam.com/Phoenix_Scottsdale_Arizona_McDowell_Mountain_Ranch_Dc_Ranch_listings/75A655EE-EE1B-F596-1FB7232B5E1E49C3.shtml

Priced to SELL - Scottsdale Single Level 4 Bedroom w/Pool & 3 Car Garage!


Original owner has kept this home in beautiful condition. Over sized back yard with large covered patio, self cleaning over sized Paddock play poll and grassy play area. Open floor plan with kitchen over looking family room. Family room offers built in cabinets and gas fireplace Neutral colors tile floors. 4th bed used as huge walk in closet-easy conversion back. Masters offers separate tub & shower plus large walk in closet and access to poll. 3 car garage w/epoxy floors, cabinets and service door. Beautiful home looking for a new family. Exterior repainted in 2007. Great location near Kierland, Promenade, Desert Ridge and 101 access.
For more information and pictures, click on:
http://www.thecameronteam.com/Phoenix_Scottsdale_Arizona_McDowell_Mountain_Ranch_Dc_Ranch_listings/B74E9D16-0579-EF57-641630245927D719.shtml

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Bliss Spa at the W is Booking Appointments!!!




Hurry up and call, I can't wait. I booked the Triple Oxygen Facial and the Hot Milk and Almond Pedicure. Don't forget to save room for a brownie. Anyone know who the winning bakery is?


Call (480)575-0164 or BlissSpa.com

Short Sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch ~ Sienna Canyon!


This Home is located in Sienna Canyon @ McDowell Mountain Ranch, known for large lots with a view. This home is located on a cul-de-sac street and backs to preserve, offering mountain & city light views. Enjoy the resort like backyard with fenced & heated pebbletech pool & spa, built in BBQ, grassy play area and huge covered patio. Inside find soaring vaulted ceilings and a gourmet kitchen with granite counters, cherry cabinets built in fridge, gas cook top, double ovens & huge island over looking family room with gas fireplace. Master plus den & 2 full baths down, upstairs find 3 more beds, bonus/play room, large loft, deck over looking valley. Your client will love this home, lot, yard & community. Also for lease ~ see MLS #3029879
For more information and pictures, click link below:
http://thecameronteam.com/Phoenix_Scottsdale_Arizona_McDowell_Mountain_Ranch_Dc_Ranch_listings/EC5FCE35-9471-517E-839BBD4DD99EC627.shtml

Bank Deal ~ Phoenix Foreclosure w/Diving Pool


Here is your chance to get a GREAT deal from the Bank! This REO is priced to sell at $110,000 & ready to go! 3 bedrooms 2 baths & a big backyard w/diving pool, large side yard for RV parking located on Georgia Ave in Phoenix. The back yard is split with a fence, one side has the pool & the other is a grassy play area for kids or pets. Bank will replace range, clean pool, repair broken window & clean carpets! RESPONSES in 48-72 hour!*Buyer agrees to review & sign all bank addendum's. All contracts/offers are subject to IndyMac Banks approval & any offers or counter offers by IndyMac Bank are not binding unless the entire agreement is ratified by all parties. Buyer must be approved by IndyMac lender by may use lender of choice. Any cash offers, must include proof of funds & buyer agrees to pay $75 doc fee at closing. No SPDS or CLUE!
For more information and pictures, click on:
http://www.thecameronteam.com/Phoenix_Scottsdale_Arizona_McDowell_Mountain_Ranch_Dc_Ranch_listings/FFA09A3C-EA40-2B9E-7F56C0479655E2D9.shtml

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

TAKE ACTION FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TODAY

Here is a link to send a letter to your representatives about down payment assistance. Click the link below and put together an email in your own words. Act now before the special interest groups win this fight.

http://takeaction.supporthomeownership.com/ahaa/issues/alert/?alertid=11521436&PROCESS=Take+Action

My letter is below:

Thank you for using Association for Homeowners Across America (AHAA) Mail SystemMessage sent to the following recipients:
Governor Napolitano
Representative Mitchell
Senator Kyl
Senator McCain
Representative Kavanagh
Representative Reagan
Senator Allen

August 26, 2008
[recipient address was inserted here]Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
You must understand there were very few FHA loans from 2004 to 2006 due to high home values and low FHA loan limits. They did not fuel this boom bust event, GREED did! Today, 82% of home sales in metro Phoenix are FHA loans and 50% of those are down payment assistance, DPA. The first time home buyer was locked out of the market due to the boom. They are now saving the market as they buy homes at pre-boom pricing. What will happen when 41% (82% X 50%) of the home buyers are removed from our weak market????? This is the best time to let these kind of buyers into the market. Home values are below the cost to build a home, not counting the land. They will have equity as the market strengthens. REINSTATE DPA program for the good of ALL the AMERICAN citizens!
Sincerely,
Jeff Cameron
480-502-7699

DPA, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, SHOULD NOT GO AWAY

The DPA was eliminated effective October 1, 2008, in the comprehensive housing bill (H.R. 3221) due to political negotiations. It seems every time the government steps in to help during a crisis, political pressure creates a law that does more damage than good. They had to do something about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but at the cost of down payment assistance program; was that wise?
I have copied part of a document that gives statistics on the DPA program. The truth is currently in Phoenix, 82% of homes sold are now FHA. Let me just tell you FHA disappeared during the boom run up of 2004 to 2006 due to low loan limits and high real estate prices, so they weren't the culprit of this BUST. Back to the facts, of those FHA loans 50% are DPA loans. What will happen when you remove 41% (82% X 50% = 41%) of the buyers from our market? It can't be pretty, that is our government helping out again.
Many in congress pointed to DPA as the reason for this bust. NO, the reason for the bust was GREED by people with money running up property values, bank fraud, unlicensed loan officers and the rest of the industry going along. Yes, I mean us Realtors too.
DPA does have a higher failure rate than regular FHA loans. But when 94% of the borrowers pay on time, is that a bad program. It creates home ownership and pride in the community. Home ownership is the only way for many people to build wealth and a nest egg for retirement. This again shows how the narrow minded LAWYERS we hire, through our votes, as representatives twist the truth for their own agenda. It is always about ME, ME, ME(or should I say, my special interest, my special interest...). That is why I switched to Independent. I see votes as GREED and MEED, not what is best for our country. That is why no one is doing anything about: Energy problem, Trade imbalance, Budget deficit, Medicare, Social Security and Education. Because we are still 15 to 20 years away from those becoming the next BUST for our country! Is the only answer hyper inflation to make these financial issues go away? Our political representatives seem to think so, because that is the only answer right now.

Don't get me going, Just my opinion.

Jeff Cameron



IMPACT OF THE CHARITABLE DPA PROGRAM ON FHA
The Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMIF) WILL NOT Require an Appropriation – The MMIF is the fund that supports FHA’s home mortgage program. A 2007 Congressionally mandated independent actuarial review of the fund shows that from 2007 to 2014 the MMIF will realize over $1 billion per year and be at three times the statutorily required 2% capital ratio even with a significant number of charitable DPA gift assisted loans. H.R.6694 will further enhance the fund by requiring higher FICO scores and increased premiums based on homebuyer qualification.
FHA Loans Using Charitable DPA Gifts Enjoy 94% Success Rate; Comparable To Other FHA Loans – 94% of charitable DPA-assisted homebuyers pay their mortgage without undue difficulty, according to a 2005 study by the General Accounting Office. Specifically, FHA homeowners using gifts from seller-based and other DPA assistance with 3-year old loans have a 6% and 5% default rate respectively while FHA owners using no DPA assistance have a 3-4% default rate. H.R.6694 will further enhance the success rate requiring higher FICO scores for homebuyers who need DPA assistance.
Loans Using Charitable DPA Gifts are 50% of FHA’s Current Annual Volume
– The advent of the private sector’s subprime, zero downpayment mortgage market caused FHA’s overall mortgage market share (in dollar volume) to decline from 7.87% in 2001 to just 1.99% in 2007 (HUD Actuarial Review). Even though the number of DPA gift-assisted loans stayed about the same, the drastic decline in the overall number of FHA’s non-DPA loans means that DPA gift-assisted loans (from any source) now account for almost 50% of FHA’s total loan volume. Seller-assisted DPA’s portion of FHA’s current loan volume is 30%. The private sector sub-prime, zero downpayment market also siphoned off the less risky pool of FHA borrowers – leaving FHA with a larger than usual proportion of higher risk loans -- contributing to an increase in all of FHA’s claim rates. H.R.6694 will continue advancing FHA’s mission to serve low-to moderate-income homebuyers by reauthorizing and reforming DPA.
HOW THE CHARITABLE DPA PROGRAM WORKS WITH FHA DPA Program Is Specifically Designed to Meet FHA Borrower Needs – Charitable DPA programs aid borrowers who meet all the rigorous underwriting requirements with verified documentation to qualify for a FHA-insured loan but have insufficient capital to meet the three percent downpayment requirement for an FHA loan. Charitable DPAs bridge the gap by providing this downpayment as a gift to the buyer, helping those who otherwise could not become homeowners. The DPA
program was developed and designed to work with FHA’s specific mortgage requirements to expand homeownership opportunities to those who can qualify and sustain homeownership while also serving the population of homebuyers that is FHA’s mission to serve - minority, low-income, and working families with limited access to capital of whom 80% are first-time homebuyers.
read more on Ameridream: http://www.ameridream.org/Documents/Congress/Support-HR6694-TalkingPoints-8-21-2008.pdf

Monday, August 25, 2008

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS REPORTS HOME SALES UP 3.1%

Nationally home sales may be up 3.1%, but here in metro Phoenix home sales jumped 4.9% over June. However, the real news is the year over year jump in sales. Home sales are up over 39% this July when compared to July of 2007 in the metro Phoenix area. That my friends is what you expect to see when a market is rebounding. One thing I have learned over the years is that the market is so huge, it does not turn over night.
When we look at 2005, the market started turning towards a buyer's market in August of 2005 in the metro Phoenix area, yet prices continued to climb to a peak nearly a year later in August of 2006. This market turns slowly. It will be interesting to see when we hit a bottom in our market. Many parts of the valley are at a bottom. We listed a home last week in Anthem, my partner, Buffi, said great what good is that. Well it was the most active listing over the weekend and it yielded a contract!!!!!

Existing-Home Sales Up 3.1 Percent
AP
WASHINGTON (Aug. 25) - A trade group for real estate agents says sales of existing homes rose 3.1 percent in July as buyers snapped up deeply discounted properties in parts of the country hit hardest by the housing bust.

The National Association of Realtors reported sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5 million units. Sales had been expected to rise by only 1.6 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thomson/IFR.
Still, home sales were 13.2 percent lower than a year ago.
The median price for a home sold in July dropped to $212,000, down by 7.1 percent from a year ago.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Well, it WAS their home first...



So, I was rushing in and out of the house all day, and I was in my,"it's another beautiful Arizona day mode"- which means I was running around in the heat. I came home from picking Keeley up from school with a sore throat(thanks to Ms. Jeananne for excellent diagnosis!) and I noticed a string(?) on my freshly vacuumed carpet. I did a double take, because after having a couple scorpions over the years you do that, I noticed the string was MOVING!!! I called my trusty girlfriend Melinda, because her husband knows everything reptile, but they weren't home. I called Jeff at work and he rushed over-1/2 an hour later-and he picked it up out of the mess I put on top of it and took it outside.

Brownie points for anyone who can tell me what kind of snake it is!

METRO PHOENIX HOME SALES AUGUST 2008

Inventory levels of single family homes,SFH, in metro Phoenix and Scottsdale continue to stay level. After jumping up the first couple of months this year, inventory declined through the peak selling season of April to June. Since June the inventory levels have remained fairly constant.

When looking at July 2008 sales for SFH, I have recorded 5,353 homes sales from ARMLS, Arizona Multiple Listing Service. This compares to July 2007 sales of 3,839 SFH for the Metro Phoenix area and we see a huge jump from last year. I believe home sales hit there bottom here in Phoenix from July of 2007 through March of 2008. That doesn't mean prices or average values have bottomed out, price declines lag sales activity. But what that does mean is that demand is back in the market and right now we are working towards a bottom and another shift in the market. The biggest thing I have learned is that this market is so big, it takes a while to shift. With the level of REO, standing for real estate owned or foreclosure homes, properties coming to the market that is another factor that will stand in the way of the shift. Demand is back, we need the REO's to peak and begin to fall. We did see fewer foreclosures last month than the previous month, but one month does not make a trend.

WHAT'S UP WITH JEFF CAMERON, NO RECENT BLOGS

Where have I been? Sorry about the lack of blog activity this month. I have been very busy, including a conference in California last week.
The buyers are coming out of the woodwork right now. With prices in metro Phoenix are for residential real estate approaching the pre run up values of 2003, buyers are re-entering the market. They are keeping us busy. With so many choices, buyers are a lot more work today. Plus, with so many foreclosures to deal with, it consumes a lot of time. For example, we have a buyer looking the Chandler, Gilbert, and North Queen Creek area. For 3 weeks, we found listings, met to preview, picked the best one and wrote an offer. We wrote 12 offers before one was accepted. We were out bid every time up to that point.
This activity tells me the area has hit a bottom. As prices fall to a certain point in every sub market, buyers come out and buy. There is a price for every home where there are buyers.
This actually happened with a couple of buyers. It was driving me crazy. But they have found homes and it is time to move on.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

STRONG DOLLAR AND WEAK OIL MEANS STRONG STOCK MARKET

Let's see what happens this week. But with the dollar on the rise, oil should continue to drop. As oil drops further speculators will get out, fueling a further decline. If we can get gas back to $3 per gallon that would be equal to a $75 to $100 boost to each consumer. This would help get our economy back on track. All that means a stronger stock market. Let's see!!!!

Just my opinion,

Jeff Cameron

PENDING HOME SALES JUMP

Pending home sales in June rise, hello it is August. I could have told you that, or I did back in June.

Pending Home Sales Show Surprising 5.3% Gain

U.S. home sales contracts signed in June unexpectedly rose, boosting an index of pending sales to the highest level since October, though it was well below the year-ago level, a real estate trade group said on Thursday.
The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in June, was up 5.3 percent to 89.0 from a downwardly revised 84.5 in May.
It was the highest reading for the index since October, when it was at 89.8.
Read the whole article here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/26072378

Monday, August 4, 2008

INDYMAC FEDERAL BANK, FSB NOT AFFECTED BY BANKRUPTCY FILING OF INDYMAC BANKCORP

-- No Relationship Exists Between the Companies --

On Friday, August 1, 2008, IndyMac Bancorp, the former holding company of IndyMac Bank filed for bankruptcy protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 U.S.C). This action has no effect on the operations of IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB, which came into existence on July 11, 2008, when IndyMac Bank was removed from its holding company, IndyMac Bancorp, and IndyMac Federal Bank was placed into conservatorship by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Other than a similarity of name, IndyMac Federal Bank has no relationship, nor does it share any employees, with IndyMac Bancorp.

Of IndyMac Bancorp’s bankruptcy filing, IndyMac Federal Bank CEO John Bovenzi said, “The announcement by the former holding company of IndyMac Bank has no impact on IndyMac Federal Bank or its customers. Our customers will continue to receive the same value and personal service they have come to expect from IndyMac, which, due to its FDIC backing is one of the safest banks in America and a great place for our customers to keep their funds.”

IndyMac Federal Bank remains under the FDIC’s conservatorship and, as such, is backed by the FDIC’s approximately $53 billion deposit insurance fund, which is further backstopped by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. IndyMac Federal Bank is one of the safest banks in America and its customers should know that today’s news has no effect on them, their deposits or their relationship with IndyMac Federal Bank. The FDIC’s stated goal is to return the bank to the private ownership of safe and sound financial institutions within the next three months.

Indymac Press Release

Staci McCarville
480-538-1402