Showing posts with label Arizona Real Estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona Real Estate. Show all posts

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Jeff Is Getting Ready For Another Trip To ALASKA!!



Jeff is getting ready for another fishing trip to Alaska! Last time he went he caught a 110 pound Halibut that was about 5 feet tall! Hopefully he will get a bigger one this year!

Our market is Rocking in AZ. Check out my Real Estate update

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

RETURN OF AMERIDREAM

I just got the following email about AmeriDream and there persuit of Down Payment Assistance. This program was eliminated through political powers due to a desire to shift blame from those perpetrating fraud, to those who where defrauded. It is shocking to see how the the press and political groups can sway the public from the truth. Let's stop pointing fingers and fix the problem.
AmeriDream is good for America!

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

Here is the email:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 CONTACT: Henry Fawell
(410) 545-5830

AmeriDream: U.S. housing market needs downpayment assistance

GAITHERSBURG , MD – With home prices falling nearly 20% in the 1st quarter of 2009, Ann Ashburn, President of AmeriDream, today outlined four reasons why the U.S. economy and the next generation of homeowners would benefit from downpayment assistance funded in part by sellers (DPA). Congress is currently considering H.R. 600, bipartisan legislation that would make DPA an allowable gift source for creditworthy borrowers of Federal Housing Administration loans.

“AmeriDream continues to provide full support to H.R. 600, which will stabilize home values, protect taxpayers, encourage responsible homeownership, and create jobs,” said Ashburn. “These are four compelling reasons to make DPA an important part of our national economic recovery strategy. AmeriDream will continue with the critical outreach and education efforts necessary to make a responsible DPA program available to qualified homebuyers.”

Stabilize home values: DPA can help stop the downward spiral in home values across the country by encouraging qualified homebuyers with FHA loans to enter the housing market. An estimated 300,000 homebuyers are eliminated from the housing market every year without DPA programs in place.

Protect taxpayers: H.R. 600 allows private partnerships between sellers and non-profits to provide downpayment gifts to qualified homebuyers at no cost to the taxpayer. That makes H.R. 600 a fiscally responsible alternative to government-subsidized downpayment assistance programs being considered by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

Encourage responsible homeownership: H.R. 600 will enable 300,000 additional families and individuals – all qualified and approved for FHA loans – to become homeowners each year. The bill also requires that DPA recipients be offered homebuyer education courses to help them understand the financial responsibilities of homeownership. Lastly, H.R. 600 implements tougher credit requirements for DPA recipients, strict FHA underwriting guidelines, and stiff penalties for improper home appraisals.

Create jobs: DPA will create 235,000 jobs, generate over $4 billion annually in local and state revenues, and provide $2 billion annually in private capital for sustainable homeownership. DPA’s absence prompts fewer home sales, lower home values, more foreclosures, job losses, and lower revenues for cash-strapped local governments. H.R. 600 is a vital mechanism to stabilizing the U.S. housing market.

H.R. 600 is sponsored by Reps. Al Green, Maxine Waters, and Gary Miller. The program would use no tax dollars. A broad coalition of organizations H.R. 600, including the National Association of Homebuilders, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. Learn more about H.R. 600 at www.ameridream.org.

BACKGROUND: AmeriDream, a 501(c)(3) charity, was established in 1999 to provide housing-related programs to low and moderate income individuals and families. AmeriDream provides a wide range of programs, including homebuyer education, loss mitigation counseling, community development, and privately-funded down payment assistance. These programs are provided at no cost to the taxpayer. AmeriDream not only seeks to help families purchase homes, but also provide them with the education and other resources needed to be responsible homeowners.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Three More Homes Just Listed By The Cameron Team!

The Cameron Team has put 3 more homes on the market!!
Campina



Dew Drop


AND... 71st Drive!
These homes are a Steal of a Deal!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Jeff Cameron's Real Estate Update!!!!!

The Word is OUT: Phoenix's housing bust goes boom

Yes, the word is out. Our market is showing signs of bottoming in its over sold state. Buyers are getting out bid on homes all over the valley. This is the time to get back in the market.
Are you interested in seeing homes before most agents even know they are available?? You can, just go to http://www.arizonabankdeals.com/

Please enjoy this story on how the Phoenix housing market is going from BUST to BOOM! And don't miss out this time around!
Phoenix's housing bust goes boom
By Nicholas Riccardi
May 18, 2009
Reporting from Phoenix -- After four years of renting because they were priced out of the real estate market, Jamia Jenkins and Scott Renshaw concluded the time had arrived for them to buy.
They saw that home prices had dropped so fast here -- faster than in any other big city in the nation -- that mortgage payments would be less than the $900 they paid in rent. The city is littered with foreclosed houses, so the couple figured they could easily snatch up something in the low $100,000s.
Three months later, they're still looking.

They have submitted 13 offers and been overbid each time.

"It's just pathetic," said Jenkins, 53. "Investors are going out there and outbidding everyone."

Phoenix's housing bust has turned into a quasi-boom, a sign that its market may have hit bottom and a sneak preview of what a national housing recovery could look like.
More homes are selling than at any time since 2006. Prices are slowly stabilizing. Buyers are once again finding themselves in frantic bidding wars -- only this time over foreclosed houses selling at deep discounts rather than ranch homes listing for vast sums.

Read the rest of the story: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-phoenix18-2009may18,0,7979477.story

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Bank-Owned Home Listed by the Cameron Team Just Reduced In Price!!


This 3 bed 2 bath home is clean and well maintained. Home has Living and Family Room. Kitchen is bright and open with gas stove, island, pantry, and breakfast area. Carpet in all the right places, wood blind, ceiling fans with lights. Private Backyard with covered patio, and cabinets in garage. Your buyer will LOVE this home.

PHOENIX RANKS 5TH FOR MIGRATION OF PEOPLE

This is why our real estate market is recovery more quickly, people are still moving here or buying second homes here. I can't tell you how many out of state buyers we have sold homes to or are working with to buy homes, there are a ton. I wanted to share this good news about the Phoenix Market.

5 cities where Americans are relocating
U.S. migration may be down overall, but these vibrant metro areas are still attracting newcomers.
By Forbes
Austin, Texas, is No. 2 on the list of cities where Americans are relocating. © Brandon Seidel/Shutterstock
Unemployment is on the rise, credit is tight and consumers aren't spending — which means they aren't picking up and moving much, either. Very few places in America saw significant population growth in 2008.
Despite the overall economic slowdown, some parts of the country keep on moving ahead, attracting more and more newcomers — even if it's at a slower pace than in more sound economic times. These places still offer a semblance of stability, as well as great weather, cultural life and, in many cases, affordability.

Top 5 cities where Americans are relocating
1. Raleigh, N.C.
2. Austin, Texas
3. Charlotte, N.C.
4. Phoenix
5. Dallas
Read the rest of the story: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=19873357&GT1=35000

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

WITH HOUSING TURN AROUND WILL COME RETAIL SALES AND JOBS

This is just the beginning. With all these homes selling that are in need of repair, Home Depot and lowe's are going to be increasing sales and profits. We are moving in the right direction.

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

Depot Profit Rises on Cost Cuts

By: Reuters 19 May 2009 07:50 AM ET
Text Size

Home Depot's quarterly profit beat Wall Street estimates on Tuesday as the world's largest home improvement chain reined in expenses.

Home Depot Store
Neubie
Home Depot Store

The results came the day after rival Lowe's reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings as it saw some strength in outdoor projects during the spring, even though consumers still kept away big-ticket home renovations.

Read the rest of the story: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30819686

Friday, May 15, 2009

THE CAMERON TEAM MAKES ABC 15 NEWS

In a real estate report on ABC 15 news, The Cameron Team listing on Palm Ridge in Sienna Canyon at McDowell Mountain Ranch was shown. This article was about the housing market hitting bottom. They state the 85255 area sales prices are up 11% YTD. I don't know that I agree with that, but we love the recognition! Thanks ABC 15 news.
Jeff Cameron
See our listing and sign at the link below.
http://www.abc15.com/mediacenter/local.aspx
Click on the story, "Do you know what your home is worth in Arizona?"

INVENTORY OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES DOWN 33% YEAR TO DATE

How about that for a head liner. It is the truth. On January 1, 2009, there were 43,000 Single Family Homes on the market in the MLS here in the Metro Phoenix area through ARMLS. Today that number is 28,851. That is a 33% drop in inventory over the past 4.5 months! The real estate market here is the valley is turning positive.
I listed a home just north of Grayhawk in Scottsdale on Tuesday. We have 4 offers and will be selling the home for over list price. It was listed based on the last comps. Yes, it is a bank owned Foreclosure home, but what difference does it make? It is selling for more than the last sale, that is called appreciation.
To get bank owned homes emailed to you before most Realtors even know they exist, go to www.ArizonaBankDeals.com

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Comments on Arizona Republic's Article, "Bankers fault themselves in meltdown"

The pen is mightier than the sword! After reading the article, Bankers fault themselves in meltdown" I had to send in my 2 cents. I believe the article and research behind it shows how the banking industry is still in denial and does not understand what they did to us! My letter to the republic writer, Russ Wiles is below.

Russ,
Thank you for your article, "Bankers fault themselves in Meltdown." I am glad to see more attention to this subject. However, I believe the bankers are still in denial about what happened and thus making things worse.
I am a valley Realtor and have been since 1995. I was in the trenches and my experiences over the past few years guide me to these beliefs.
This meltdown has can be blamed on many groups, including us Realtors, however, I believe the largest issues lie with the lending industry. I don't believe it was the pressure for home ownership that caused the meltdown, but the pressure for bank fraud. I don't believe interest only loans are the problem, nor do I believe 100% financing is the issue. When we look at 2 example buyers in 2007, both buying $300,000 home. If one was interest only, then 2 years later they owe about $292,000. At the same time another buyer puts 10% down and 2 years later owes, $263,000. In each case when the homeowner finds their home is now worth $140,000, they begin to question why they are working so hard to make these payments. They also begin to question why the value was so high and believe they have been scammed. Simple issues of life come along and push them over the edge to short sale, loan modification or foreclosure.
BUT WHY DID PRICES CLIMB SO HIGH? What I saw and what I believe is the following:
Loan officers started pushing "Sub Prime Loans" they make more money on them.
"Quasi Investors" stared buying 5 to 10 homes thinking they could flip them and strike it rich.
Demand for Sub Prime Loans increased because of Wall Street FRAUD.
Values went up to a point where most could not qualify without a "liar" loan, and most purchased liar loans not because they knew they were, but because the unlicensed loan officer sold them that loan. They make more money and can sell a larger loan amount in this case for this buyer.
Appraisers used comps from totally unrelated neighborhoods to get values higher.
People were making tons of money so the "rush for real estate" exacerbated things.
With this value run lasting about 4 years, even the biggest skeptical gave in to what was happening.
The only way to stop it was for lenders to stop lending. They did and that fed to the crash. Right now we are in a huge recovery. It has started in the lower end price ranges, but is quickly moving to higher value homes. Supply of Single Family Homes is 29,603 there are 16,033 pending home and 25,407 have closed escrow so far this year. It is easy to see the numbers are looking better. The inventory level is below 4 months when looking at the past months closings and right at 5 months when looking at closed YTD. We are in recovery. But, due to stricter mortgage and appraisal rules today, values continue to decline. WHICH IS HURTING THE BANKS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, except the tax payer.

Wow, I think I got off track. Lastly, I just want to say, when I look at what the bankers say:
1. "top answer... lax loan-underwriting standards" I say, BS, it was FRAUDULENT use of those standards by un-licensed loan officers.
2. "next most common response...political focus on encouraging home ownership" NO one told you to go to the masses and sell them fraudulent loans to increase home ownership. There were plenty of other options that would not have run up the market.
3. Then, "lax oversight of the mortgage industry." Finally, this should be number 1 through 7! Bingo!
The "unreliable and dishonest borrowers" that I mostly experienced then and now with the short sales, were investors! As I called them, "Quasi Investors" which is a term I use for someone that is not in the financial position to be an investor.
So many blame the public, I mean the borrower, for not reading loan documents. How many people do you think read their: health insurance plan, life insurance policy, auto insurance policy, prospectus for every company they invest in, research on their 401K and all related documents. I would believe the number of Americans who read ALL these documents would be in the less than 1% range. How can you blame a borrower. They get 2 weeks worth of solid reading and have to do it in 1 hour!!!! Oh and the mortgage company is usually getting those documents to title late, so they are rushed to get in and sign to close on time.
Anyway, I hope we can stop blaming issues that did not cause this problem. Focus on the ones that did and realize, when the market is hot is when you should make it more difficult to get approved. When the market is hot is when appraisers should be more stringent. Right now we need 100% financing, we need to take into consideration the difference between a trashed REO or Short Sale compared to a nice home when appraisals are done.

That's it, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Thank You and Make It A GREAT Day,

Jeff Cameron
Keller Williams Integrity First
480-502-7699
Jeff@AzREOConnection.com
www.TheCameronTeam.com
www.ArizonaBankDeals.com

Friday, May 8, 2009

Another Bank Owned Home Closed Thanks To The Cameron Team!

The Cameron Team is on a role and closed another Bank-Owned home today!! We were the listing agents to this great metro phoenix property. The buyers and the bank couldn't be happier with the ease of this close!


Villa Maria~ Wonderful all block 2 bed 2 bath home in a very nice and well maintained neighborhood located in North Phoenix, close to I-17 and 101. Home has a 2 car garage, large family room, great kitchen, spacious backyard, and carpet in all the right places. No HOA and all ready for a new family.

JOB LOSS SLOWS ACROSS AMERICA

The job loss slowed in April as the market begins its recovery. Jobs are always a lagging indicator. I believe we will be in recovery by the 4th quarter of this year. As the sales of homes continue to improve, this will add jobs. More lenders, more title reps and more Realtors. As these new home owners move in to these REO, foreclosure, homes; they will need to fix them up. They will buy paint, carpet, appliances, plants and furniture; or better yet hire contractors to do much of the work. This will continue to add to the job market and bail us out of this mess.
Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron
Article from CNBC.com below
Layoffs Slow To 539,000 in April; Jobless Rate Rises
Microsoft CorpBy: AP and CNBC 08 May 2009 09:37 AM The pace of layoffs slowed in April when employers cut 539,000 jobs, the fewest in six months.
But the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent, the highest since late 1983, as many businesses remain wary of hiring given all the economic uncertainties.
The Labor Department tally released Friday wasn't nearly as deep as the 620,000 job cuts that economists were expecting, and was helped by a burst of government hiring.
The rise in the unemployment rate from 8.5 percent in March matched economists' forecasts.
See the rest of the story
http://www.cnbc.com/id/30638052

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Cameron Team Closes 4 Homes In The Last Week!

The Cameron Team has succesfully closed 4 homes in the metro phoenix area in the last week! Three of the four homes were bank owned! Cheerywood was sold by Jeff and Galvin was sold by Tony! We were the listing agents on San Miguel and Citrus Canyon!

GOOOOOOOOOOOO CAMERON TEAM!

Cherrywood~METICULOUS Chandler home that is Move-IN ready with 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, den/office with built ins, formal living & dining room, eat in kitchen and family room. Open floor plan, Split master bedroom with bay window overlooking the backyard, large master bath and custom closet. Lovely, private backyard landscaping with HEATED pool, large covered patio and red brick walkway. 3 car garage with insulated attic. Electrical upgrades with designated circuits to the office, game room, home theater and garage. Soft water & R/O system. Liquid stucco on exterior with 25 year warranty.

Citrus Canyon~ Very private, corner lot with lots of potential. Awesome 1,638 sq.ft.floorplan with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths plus front seperate formal living/dining and family room. Very open and spacious floorplan! This home and the community offer so much for such a little purchase price!

San Miguel~ Not your everyday REO, this beautiful central corridor remodel is turn key! 18'' tile floors throughout except the bedrooms. Granite slab in kitchen and baths! Kitchen fully remodeled with Hickory cabinets, Stainless appliances and granite slab. Family room added with fireplace. Large yard with room for pool! New hardware and doors! no dishwasher at home. FANTASTIC LOCATION

Galvin~NOT a short sale...corporate owned...much better!! Great property on almost an acre! Private pool, Separate casita with garage and decorative paint! Home needs minor cosmetic TLC. Come get it! Property to be sold as is. No disclosures, as seller has never lived in home.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Our new web site is a hit!!

Our new web site is a hit. We just got it up and running in late January of this year. We are driving more buyers than ever to our listings. Here are some stats for the month of April:
General Traffic

• 272 new visitor(s)

• 1186 search(es)

• 24617 propert(ies) viewed

Contacts and Leads

• 121 new subscriber(s)

The Best and Brightest

• The most popular active Featured Property on your site was: - 6511 W ADAMS STREET, Phoenix, AZ 85043-- Show me other Featured Listings that were popular

Your Site Activity

• You had 504 visitor(s) to your Site

• 327 of these visitor(s) are currently registered as Leads or Subscribers
Averages and Trends

• Your average site visitor conducted 10 search(es) and viewed 58 listing(s)

• Activity on your site is DOWN compared to last month

• You are in the top 4.0% of our most active Web sites

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

PENDING HOME SALES RISE ACROSS NATION, SOAR IN ARIZONA

I just returned from a convention in LA with famed real estate motivated and trainer, Tom Ferry. Top agents from across the country were present to learn and share what's happening in their markets. The tone was up beat, all agents were reporting tremendous activity in their markets. Some are seeing bidding wars where 20 offers bid a home 20% over asking price the first few days on the market.
Nationally, the news rocking Wall Street yesterday was that Pending Home Sales Index had risen 3.2%, greater than expected and is 1.1% higher than this time last year. I am not sure what the rest of the country is experiencing, but the reports from agents were good. Here in the Phoenix metro area, I have been tracking the market in a spread sheet since 2005. I track only single family homes, don't like the tricky maneuvers of condo conversions and the like to mess with my numbers. Last year at this time. we had 7,292 single family home pending in our market place. This year, we have 15,563. That increase is well over 100%, actually around 113%. FOLKS THE MARKET IS RECOVERING. I can't believe how slow the press and Wall Street are to actual numbers.
The article below is from WWW.CNBC.COM
Pending sales of existing U.S. homes rose in March for a second straight month, a private survey showed on Monday, supporting views the housing market was close to hitting a bottom.
Meanwhile, US construction spending rose a slim 0.3 percent in March in the first increase since September, according to government data that beat analysts' forecasts of a 1.5 percent drop.
AP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in March, rose 3.2 percent to 84.6. February's pending home sales index was slightly revised down to 82.0 from 82.1.
Compared to the same period a year ago, pending home sales rose 1.1 percent.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast pending home sales to be flat in March.

Read the rest of the storey: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30559126

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

Saturday, May 2, 2009

SHOCKING BANK RESPONSE

Well we got word back from one of the banks we are working to approve a Short Sale in McDowell Mountain Ranch in Scottsdale and the answer was a big FAT NO! I was shocked! In this real estate market every sold Short Sale means one less Foreclosure. With the condition of this home is also means $20,000 pumped into our economy. Plus this buyer is paying cash. That pays off a loan with cash and puts more money into the system.

Some of you may wonder why I am so shocked the bank is rejecting our Short Sale, the why is because almost all other Short Sales we have dealt with have eventually been approved. As a matter of fact, this Short Sale was approved with a different buyer. But as we see happen so many times, by the time the short sale was approved, the buyer bought another home. The buyer told us all the way up to the week before approval they were still waiting, in reality they had already bought another home.
The disturbing part of this is WHY?????? Why was the Short Sale rejected by the bank, when property values are dropping in the Scottsdale real estate market? You are going to be shocked by the answer. One would think, maybe not a good enough deal. No, for the condition the renter left the home in, it was a market value sale. The reason was, the bank said and I quote, "this is not enough pain for the seller." You see our first loss mitigator was gone and a new one was assigned to represent the bank. The new one is pathetic. This bank is owned by, or at least funded by, the US government right now.

Isn't this suppose to be about dollars and sense?

Is this about revenge?????

Truly, the seller does not care about their credit. Their credit is already trashed and at their ages there is no desire buy homes. The seller wanted to do the right thing and try to get the home sold now and not run the market lower with another foreclosure. The seller is retired and has lost a fortune. We have been working on this since the beginning of DECEMBER.

WHO IS REALLY TO BLAME FOR THIS MESS????? This is not a hard question.

1. The Public. They refinanced out all their equity. They bought homes they could not afford. "Impostor" investors bought 10 homes with no ability to repay. They got 100% financing. They did stated income or "liar loans." They thought things would never go down. They did most of this because their loan officer told them to or that it was OK.

2. Wall Street. They bundled poor quality loans with A quality loans and claimed they were all A quality. This drove the demand for low quality loans and made them easier and with lower interest rates. Folks, this was FRAUD. Most of these guys made their fortune and have moved on.

3. The Mortgage Companies. First of all, let's get this straight, the banks new what they were doing and what would happen! Sales managers hired sales persons and told them it was OK to put everyone in a 100% loan using stated income. They make much more money on these types of loans. They sold people with $50,000 a year income or even no income 10 houses. They were the financial advisers to the public and "put them into these loans." The reality is most borrowers didn't even know what they signed.

Many have ripped on the public for buying these liar loans, stated income loans, sub prime loans, interest only loans, adjustable rate loans and what ever else is out there. Do average Americans read the one inch prospectus for each mutual fund their retirement is invested in? Do average Americans read their life, auto, health and/or disability insurance documents?
I believe the answer is NO, most Americans don't read any of that. They rely on the financial professional, as did borrowers in getting these loans.

Let's get back to my borrowers on the short sale. They are investors, and believe me we are doing plenty of short sales for investors. They put 20% down on this purchase, $200,000. There is no recourse by the bank if a foreclosure occurs. Yes, they own 10 other homes, but most are upside down. They are actually paying to keep them a float and not go into foreclosure. They sold this home because the tenant trashed the house and they did not have the $10,000 to invest into it to get it rehabbed for rental.

What makes them be treated differently than the guy that bought 10 homes with NO, I mean ZERO, money down. Then when the market changed, this example investor kept all the rent and finally at last sells them in short sales. Only to claim bankruptcy after this is all over. I will tell you the difference, this guys(example investor) greed is what caused the issue. This type of person was a big part of why we are in this mess today. Hey, most of these guys made $500k on the first round. Lived big, spent it all and then lost in the second round.

Why would a bank penalize the smarter investor? The one that actually put money into the investment. The one that is trying to do the "right thing." And penalizing in a way that will not hurt them, it will only hurt the bank. The bank will loose $20 to $50K through this action. The bank should be more concerned with THE US TAX PAYERS MONEY THEY ARE WAISTING AND LESS WITH INCREASING THE LEVEL OF HURT FOR THESE PEOPLE!

Just my opinion...Jeff Cameron

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Another Wonderful Home in McDowell Mountain Ranch Just Listed By The Cameron Team!



A truly wonderful 3064 SQ FT Estate with all the right touches in McDowell Mountain Ranch. Diablo Travertine and wood style flooring throughout first level with carpet in the family room. Drywall niches in family room are perfect for big screen tv and art objects. Plantation shutters in downstairs rooms. Kitchen has ample cabinetry, black appliances and Sierra Series black corian counters. Upstairs has cherry finished wood floors with a balcony revealing fabulous view of the golf course, city lights, and mountains. Home has a den/loft that is perfect for a playroom or an office. The back yard is an entertainers dream with PebbleTech play pool, cozy built-in Kiva fireplace, and outdoor kitchen with built-in BBQ. Also, garage has built-in Cabinets.