Friday, February 27, 2009

A New Cameron Team Listing in Glendale!!! A MUST SEE!!!


NOT A SHORT SALE OR REO! HARD TO FIND OWNER WITH EQUITY,PRICED TO TODAY'S MARKET!!! Wonderful 4 bed 3 full bath family home, 4th bed used as den. Brisas floor plan. 12' tile in all the right places, built- in entertainment center, and surround sound. Kitchen has Maple cabinets and an island. Home has a Big covered patio with saltillo tile on extended patio. Nice landscape in the backyard along with a built in BBQ. Great location in a Cul De Sac with north/south exposure and a park at the end of the cul de sac. Great location!!!

Wonderful Home in Peoria Just Listed By The Cameron Team!

Beautiful 3 bed 2.5 bath in Peoria. Home is very clean, well maintained and in Great condition, ready to be claimed! Kitchen has stainless steele appliance and a breakfast bar. Wonderful master bedroom with bathroom having separate shower and tub. Backyard with beautiful plants with sandbox play area that the kids will love.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT RVISED

The good news keeps rolling in. January was the 2nd best for single family home closings ever; Pending home sales is over 10,300 here in the valley; Fannie Mae has changed from limiting investors to 4 total mortgages to now they can get up to 10 total mortgages; FHA loan limits were raised from around $250K to around $350K; and finally this tax CREDIT for $8,000!


Just my Opinion...Jeff Cameron

HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT REVISED:

$8,000 TAX CREDIT TO TAKE EFFECT WITH NEW BILL

After debate over the final dollar amount, the new economic stimulus bill awaiting President Obama's signature on Tuesday will contain an $8,000 tax credit. First-time buyers can claim the credit worth $8,000 or 10% of the home's value, whichever is less either on their 2008 or 2009 taxes.

This credit will be refundable, meaning tax filers see a refund of the full $8,000 even if their total tax bill - the amount of withholding they paid during the year plus anything extra they had to pay when they filed their returns - was less than that amount.

To qualify for the credit, potential home owners must have purchased January 1, 2009 or later and will have up until November 30, 2009 to close on their new home. Buyers may not have owned a home for the past three years to qualify as "first time" buyer. They must also live in the house for at least three years, or they will be obligated to pay back the credit.

Additionally, there are income restrictions: To qualify, buyers must make less than $75,000 for singles or $150,000 for couples. Although higher-income buyers may receive a partial credit.

In addition, applying for the credit will be easy as home buyer will be able to just claim it on their return. No other forms or papers have to be filed. Taxpayers who have already completed their returns can file amended returns for 2008 to claim the credit.

This new plan improves on the current $7,500 tax credit, which was passed in July and was more of an interest free loan than an actual credit. But it did not go as far as a proposed a $15,000 non-refundable credit for all homebuyers.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the $8,000 credit will bring an additional 300,000 new homebuyers into the market between now and its expiration on November 30, 2009 which should somewhat improve the housing market.

In addition, a carryover effect may occur because each first-time homebuyer sale will lead to two more trade-up transactions down the line. As it will allow more existing sellers to sell their homes to potential first time buyers. The true impact is yet to be determined, but the credit is a step in the right direction to help further stimulate the housing market.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

NEW HIGHER FHA LIMITS FOR MARICOPA COUNTY, $345,250

This is awesome news. FHA has raised the loan limit for Maricopa county to $346,250 from the previous level around $250K. That means buyers can purchase up to $355,000 and only put 3% down. These are signs of the market turning. Another one was 2 weeks ago when Fannie Mae increased the amount of loans an investor can have from 4 to 10. Money is becoming more available as risk is removed from the market. Last week we had the highest level of homes sales since 2005, nearly 4 years ago.

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

FHA Mortgage Limits List - FHA Forward

Message: MORTGAGE LIMITS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
Mortgage maximums as of Wednesday February 25, 2009
MSA Name MSA Code Division County Name County
Code State One-Family
PHOENIX-MESA-SCOTTSDALE, AZ (MSA) 38060 MARICOPA 013 AZ $346,250 01/01/2009

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

NEW Weekly Video Update From Jeff Cameron!

We are getting a lot of calls from people asking about the real estate market. Since the news is unable to report good news, I will. This is the first of weekly market reports for the Metro Phoenix area. Please don't hesitate to send me questions or call.

Monday, February 23, 2009

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007

I have had many questions about mortgage forgiveness and debt relief. Below is an explanation of the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007. The law was extended through 2012 to help get us through this tough time.

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation
If you owe a debt to someone else and they cancel or forgive that debt, the canceled amount may be taxable.The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 generally allows taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, qualifies for the relief.This provision applies to debt forgiven in calendar years 2007 through 2012. Up to $2 million of forgiven debt is eligible for this exclusion ($1 million if married filing separately). The exclusion does not apply if the discharge is due to services performed for the lender or any other reason not directly related to a decline in the home’s value or the taxpayer’s financial condition.More information, including detailed examples can be found in Publication 4681, Canceled Debts, Foreclosures, Repossessions, and Abandonments. Also see IRS news release IR-2008-17.

A Great BANK OWNED Home Just Listed By The Cameron Team!!


4 Bdrm/3 bath Beauty FULL of Upgrades. Oversized lot with Pool, Sky Tubes in Master Bdrm, Master walkin closet, Hall Bath, and Laundry room. Low ''E'' Windows for energy efficiency, 18' Premium in all the right places, cedar oak cabinets, Granite countertops, and kitchen island. Bay Window in Master, 1 French Door, Wooden Blinds, Garden Tub, xtra phone and cable jacks, and Programmable thermostat. A MUST SEE!

Deficiency and Non-Deficiency loans in Arizona

Please contact your tax advisor and attorney to judge your specific situation!

A deficiency on a purchase money mortgage is not allowed on residential property if a single one-family or single two-family dwelling that is on 2.5 acres or less. See Section 33-814.

Friday, February 20, 2009

McDowell Mountain Ranch Property for SALE OR RENT Just Reduced In Price!


Location, Condition, Upgrades & Amenities ~ This House Has It All And Is Totally Turn Key! Over 1/4 Acre Cul-De-Sac Lot. Inside: Split Master, 3 Bdrm + Den w/ Blt-Ins. Gourmet Kitchen Offers Double Ovens, Granite Counters, Raised Panel Maple Cabinets, Blt-In Micro & R/O Water. Great Kitchen Overlooks Family Room Offering Blt In Ent. System, Gas Fireplace & Surround Sound. Resort Like Yard Offers Both A Grassy Play Area And Fenced Pebble Tech Play Pool & Spa. Yard Enhanced w/Built In BBQ, Automatic Awning & Waterfall. Plus Use The Pool All Year With Gas Or Solar Heater. Don't Forget The 3 Car Garage w/ Epoxy Floor & Cabinets. Plantation Shutters, 18' Stone Like Tile, Classy Closets and Soft Water System!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Info on The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan

Let's hope the new government bailout plan for real estate market actually helps, most of what the government has done has not helped. I think there are a few basic steps that would help:

1. Get short sales approved or rejected in 21 days or less. Right now we have gotten approval on 90% of our short sales, but it takes 90 days or more. Most of the time the buyer has already bought another home by the time the approval comes.
2. Use the Tarp money to buy "toxic" notes on the secondary market, at market value. Sort them, sell the good ones, do loan modifications on the bad ones, keep owners as tenants in others, sell pools of "to be foreclosed" for market value. GET THE TARP FUNDS BACK WITH A PROFIT!
3. Actually if 1 and 2 are done right, that is all it will take. Since demand on the "toxic" notes will free up the credit crunch, then money will be available for business again. Plus, this would cause interest rates to go down.
Approving the Short Sales would make inventory turn more quickly creating buy signs in statistics of the market. Lower interest rates, quick responses on short sales and a large amount of loan modifications or owner tenants would increase demand and lower supply at the same time. If that happens, we run out of houses and have to build again. If we start building again, then people will get hired to do the building, supply the goods and we would need to fill those new homes with new furniture, lights, plumbing fixtures etc...
Barack are you listening to me??? This is easier than everyone thinks! Just Do It!

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron
Below is information about the new housing bailout

The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, includes both a modification program for at-risk borrowers and refinance initiative for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments.
The program is categorized into 3 parts and is a combination of refinancing those borrowers who are current but not able to refinance because of falling home prices, more aggressive modification program policies for those who need assistance and can’t afford their current loans but want to stay in their homes, and added assistance to keep long term interest rates low through building confidence in the GSE’s (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac).
Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan
1. Refinancing for Responsible Homeowners Suffering From Falling Home Prices
2. A Comprehensive $75 Billion Homeowner Stability Initiative which includes…
· A Loan Modification Plan To Reach 3 to 4 Million Homeowners
o Shared Effort with Lenders to Reduce Interest Payments
o Incentives to Servicers and Borrowers
· Clear and Consistent Guidelines for Loan Modifications
· Required Participation By Financial Stability Plan Participants
· Modifications of Home Mortgages During Bankruptcy
· Strengthen Hope for Homeowners and Other FHA Loan Programs
· Support Local Communities and Help Displaced Renters
3. Support Low Mortgage Rates by Strengthening Confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

WE DO THIS TOGETHER!

We had our picture done with our Cardinals jerseys and borrowed their theme!







Wednesday, February 18, 2009

North Scottsdale LUXURY Home Just Listed By The Cameron Team!


Ones loss can be anothers gain, this Fantastic Tuscan home sits on 1.3 acres of land and is wonderfully appointed to view the McDowell Mountains to the East. All the luxuries are here: tumbled travertine floors, Dramatic glass and iron entry, vaulted ceilings with wood beams, Custom Cabinetry, and interior courtyard bringing natural light throughout the home. Brilliant design to this custom home. Playroom is set for surround, pool table and room for a large bar. Huge veranda connects the main house to the guest house and Pool/workout room. Appliances and some finishes are needed to complete your dream home.

New Bank Owned Listing of a WONDERFUL Patio Home Brought to you by The Cameron Team


2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Patio Home in Wonderful Community! Home is Bright and open with an easily maintained yard. Fantastically priced Bank Owned property with easy access to the I-10. Located in the Heart of Ahwatukee and close to Everthing! Home is bright and open with an easily maintained yard.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

NFL PROBOWL


The Super Bowel was great but did not have the ending I felt we deserved! The Cardinals had a huge presence at the Pro bowl In Honolulu. Larry Fitzgerald was fantastic and won the MVP; Kurt Warner's time was short but successful, wide receiver Anquan Boldin, Strong Safety Adrian Wilson, and Special Teamer Sean Morey also represented the Cardinals at the Pro Bowl this year. Let's hope they are all Cardinals next season!
Click here and Check out the rest of the article!

Monday, February 16, 2009

FANNIE MAE RELAXES INVESTOR REQUIREMENTS, INVESTORS CAN NOW GET UPTO 10 MORTGAGES

The signs are a changing. Instead of making it harder to get a loan, we are seeing just the opposite begin. One of the first steps happened last week. Previously, Fannie Mae had changed the rules for investors. They would not give a loan to anyone with 4 or more existing loans. That does not make sense, what is smart is to give loans to truly qualified individuals. That was the change last week. Now, an investor can have up to 10 loans with Fannie Mae! This is AWESOME! WE NEED the Investors back in the market. The previous rules forced most investors to pay cash, because they already had 4 or more loans.
Maybe this is why today's reading on Pending home sales here in the valley is 9,342. I have not seen Pending home sales here in metro Phoenix over 8,300 since 2005. Last week we sold over 1,400 homes. Again this level of home sales has not been seen for over 3 years!
Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron
Below is the press release from Fannie Mae:
In Announcement 09-02 Fannie Mae stated, “(We) are committed to providing financing opportunities for high-credit quality, bona fide investors. Experienced investors play a key role in the housing recovery and Fannie Mae’s continued support for investor borrowers is consistent with its mission to provide stability, liquidity, and affordability to the nation’s housing system. Fannie Mae is modifying out current policy to allow investor and second home borrowers to own five to ten financed properties if they meet certain eligibility and underwriting and delivery requirements.”

Please be aware, that many lenders have not yet made the announcement as to when they will begin to purchase these loans. This coupled with the possibility of additional tax credits to all home buyers in the Senate version of the Stimulus bill, however could mean big news to the real estate market.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility Requirements: If Borrower owns Five to Ten Financed Properties

If the Property is a Second Home or Investment Property 1-Unit
Purchase Max LTV/CLTV 75/75% Minimum Credit Score 720
Limited Cash-Out Refinance Max LTV/CLTV 70/70% Minimum Credit Score 720
Investment Property 2-4 Unit
Purchase and Limited Cash-Out Refinance Max LTV/CLTV 70/70% Minimum Credit Score 720

Underwriting and Delivery Requirements
● The borrower cannot have any history of bankruptcy or foreclosure within the past seven years.
● The borrower cannot have any delinquencies (30-day or greater) within the past 12 months on any mortgage loans.
● Rental income on the subject investment property must be fully documented according to the Fannie Mae Guidelines: Rental Income.
Rental income from other properties owned by the borrower must be supported by two years’ federal income tax returns. Any streamlined documentation requirements must be disregarded and full documentation MUST be obtained.
● The borrower must complete and sign Form 4506 Request for Copy of Tax Return or 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return granting the lender permission to request copies of federal income tax returns directly from the IRS. The lender must obtain the IRS copies of the returns or the transcript and validate the accuracy of the tax returns provided by the borrower prior to the loan closing.
● The borrower must have reserves for the subject property and for other properties currently owned by the borrower (i.e., other financed second home and investment properties) in accordance with the guidelines discussed below
● DU Refi Plus loans are exempt from the new requirements.

New Reserve Requirements
Fannie Mae is implementing new reserve requirements that apply to all second home transactions and to investor and second home borrowers that own or have an interest in multiple financed properties. The amount of required reserves varies depending on whether the subject property is a second home or investment property, and on the number of other financed properties the borrower currently owns.

The reserve requirements are as follows:
When the borrower will own one to four financed properties (including the subject property) the reserve requirements are as follows:
● 2 months of reserves on the subject property if it is a second home
● 6 months of reserves on the subject property if it is an investment property, and 2 months of reserves on each other financed second home or investment property.
When the borrower will own five to ten financed properties (including the subject property) the reserve requirements are as follows:
● 2 months of reserves on the subject property if it is a second home
● 6 months of reserves on the subject property if it is an investment property, and 6 months of reserves on each other financed second home or investment property.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Home in the HEART of everything just REDUCED in Price. Get this Cameron Team listed home now!


***Great new price 2/11/09***Fantastic patio home in the heart of everything...just minutes from the 51 and downtown, PV mall, Desert Ridge and Kierland! Perfect location in the middle of the community, out the back gate and the community pool feels like a private pool. Split floor plan 2 bedroom and 2 bath. Recently replaced the appliances and all new A/C system 2/08 $3,600. In 2001 both baths were remodeled and the master is handicap accessible. New dual pane doors and windows in 2005, over $8K invested. Cute patio with tile floor, fun for these beautiful days! Ceiling fans in both beds and great room.

Wonderful Home with HUGE MAN SIZED GARAGE just reduced in price!! Get it before it goes!


Wow, what a beautiful home on 1+ acre lot in New River with mountain views in every direction! Fantastic Great room floor plan! This home is full of upgrades from chiseled edge granite countertops, huge breakfast bar, 20' faux travertine, custom knotty alder cabinets and 8' interior doors, plantation shutters throughout, stainless appliances, ceiling fans in every room, 10' ceilings, jacuzzi tub and large walk in closet in the master plus top notch construction quality with extra insulation t/o. Including 14 & 16 seer A/C, Low E windows, roof has 90 lb rolled underlay and the entire home is over engineered. But WAIT, Looking for RV garage, Shop, Home office, or even Guest house? The owner built a fantastic 58 x 40 Super Garage. It has a 14 ft insulated door and was built with Full Sheer.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Wonderful Piece of Porperty in Scottsdale Reduced in Price!! Get It before Its gone!


Beautiful level lot in the heart of Scottsdale. Priced to sell below what I paid for it in January. Change of plans forces this great buy. Over an Acre and in Scottsdale with Mountain views, you will love this lot. Some engineering work done. Call for details. Seller is a licensed Realtor.***************SHORT SALE************* GREAT OPPORTUNITY! Different kind of Short Sale, we are carrying a note for the shortage. Should be quicker

JANUARY SFH CLOSINGS PAST 9 YEARS PHOENIX METRO


(You can click to graph to make it larger)
Wow, I was shocked to see this! Home closings in January are the 2nd highest every! Are you looking for a sign to buy NOW! Remember a bottom can only be seen in the rear view mirror!

Search all foreclosure listings even before most Brokers:
http://www.arizonabankdeals.com/

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

Friday, February 6, 2009

SUPER BOWL PICS

I survived the Super Bowl!
We had a blast, it was too bad my team lost. They showed up and contended with the best of the best. It really came down to one play. That is the play the Steelers made to win and the play the Cardinals failed on. They really had a chance and this year the difference between the winner and the looser was the slimmest of margins.
My heart reaches out to John and Lori Antol, they treated me to this sports expedition. THANKS SO MUCH JOHN AND LORI! This I will remember forever! Let's hope we do it again and win!
I met Ricardo at the Pre-game party. He came from Monterey, Mexico.

The food was fantastic, this is one of 4 different food stations. Then was 3 of each. Never a line.




Before the game walking in. We were ready to "Shock the World."



John, Jay and Shane, walking into the game.
Jeff, Lori and Mindy out to Dinner on Saturday before the game.





John, Lori and Mindy. Out to dinner Saturday night before the Super Bowl.








Jeff, John and Blair. Out to dinner that same night.








Saturday afternoon. We went to the stadium to check out different seat selections.










The workers are painting the lettering on the field Saturday before the game. See each seat has the Super Bowl seat cushion.










NFL experience Friday before the game.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

What a STEAL!!! This 2 Million Dollar home listed for WAY less!!


Beautiful private retreat located inEl Chorro Estates in the heart of Paradise Valley. Privately gated w/circular drive this home sits on 1.45 acres of land! With 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, bonus room & huge formal living room, this home is very spacious. You will find all the expected finishing touches: granite slab, 18'' travertine floors, coffered ceilings, custom cabinetry and built-in fridge w/wood panels. Huge family room with open kitchen, wet bar & built-in entertainment center, of course, there is surround sound & speakers throughout the home. Gourmet kitchen offers gas cooking, vegetable sink, big island and breakfast bar! Outside there is room to roam. Beautiful pebble tech pool & spa are heated for year round use. Lush tropical landscape, in the shadow of Camelback Mountain.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

4300 VALLEY HOME CLOSINGS IN JANUARY

I know the press is all about gloom and doom, I have some good news for you. December was a blow out December creating 4,300 single family home sales in January. What does this mean? We need to compare it to previous years to see the significance. Well in January of 2001, we closed escrow on 2,992 single family homes. In January of 2002, we closed escrow on 3,260 single family homes. In January of 2003, we closed escrow on 3,837 single family homes. In January of 2004, we closed escrow on 4,116 single family homes. Then, in January of 2005, we closed escrow on 5,343 single family homes. 2005 was the blow out year for the holiday season. By January 2006, we declined to 4,185 and then 2007 was 3,509. The worst year in the past nine years was last year, in January 2008 we only closed 2,351 single family homes. Now after reviewing the facts, 4,300 sales looks pretty AWESOME!

just my opinion...Jeff Cameron