Living in The East Valley » admin

Great Canadian Picnic to be Held at South Mountain Park

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:40:05 +0000

Once again this year on February 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Great Canadian Picnic will be held. It will be at South Mountain Park in Phoenix, AZ. This is the 60th year for the picnic. This is a free event. There will be games such as hockey, curling, and a snowboot relay. There will be live music and activities for kids. You can bring your own food or purchase food at the event.

For more information visit – http://www.canadianpicnic.com

Housing Market Moving Forward

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:04:27 +0000

Mike Orr was quoted in the Arizona Republic as saying that he believes the housing market in the Phoenix area hit bottom in September of 2011. Mike Orr is the Director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice for Arizona Statue University.

We are seeing multiple offer situations for many properties priced below $150,000. The inventory of homes for sale is roughly half of what it was a year ago. We think this will start putting upward pressure on home prices. It will take time but a slow recovery would be much healthier than a fast one. Interest rates are also at historical lows which combined with the current low prices will make homes affordable for many people.

Here are some links to recent articles about the housing market.

Mortgage Rates Reach New Record Lows

Optimism Builds in Housing Market

Foreclosures Post Big Drop

Phoenix-area Housing Market Improving

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:34:52 +0000

Below is a link to a recent article in the Arizona Republic. We agree that the housing market has changed. There are about half as many homes for sale currently as there were a year ago. I don’t agree with Brett Barry’s statement that he thinks there are still a lot of foreclosures to come. I don’t think the banks have released any hard data on how many foreclosures they still have but I have heard several experts say that they think the number of foreclosures will continue to dwindle and that the banks are not holding on to a large shadow inventory.

Phoenix-area housing may be on the mend.

Some Good Signs for the Real Estate Market

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:36:03 +0000

The article below is about the National Housing Market. The good news is that this also holds true for the Great Phoenix area real estate market. The inventory of existing homes for sale is about half of what it was a year ago.

Some Good Signs for the Real Estate Market.

Retiree Havens Offering Good Buys

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:18:52 +0000

Many people are recognizing that now is a good time to buy a retirement home. Even thought the inventory of homes for sale in the Greater Phoenix area is about half of what it was a year ago, many condos and town homes are still available for less than $100,000. With the decrease in inventory and the many properties that are receiving multiple offers, many experts are saying that they think this is the bottom of the market. Interest rates are still at historical lows – so this is a great time to buy.

Here is a link to an article with more information about buying a retirement home.

Retiree Havens Offering Good Buys.

Holiday Lights 2011 – Where to See Them

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:08:43 +0000

If you enjoy looking at holiday lights and displays, then this map is for you. Courtesy of the Arizona Republic – Holiday Lights Map. The entire Phoenix area is included on the map. You can zoom in on your city or area to locate neighbors with a holiday lights display in your area.

Consider visiting downtown Glendale with its Glendale Glitters with special programs on Friday and Saturday evenings. It will be aglow with 1.5 million sparkling holiday lights, and Murphy Park will be filled with entertainment, arts and crafts, delicious food and horse-drawn carriage rides. Each weekend has a special theme with all kinds of fun for all ages. Glendale Glitters is aglow every evening from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. through January 14.

Another place to see lights is Zoolights at the Phoenix Zoo. This runs nightly through January 9, 2011 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Tickets cost $10.00 per person for Sunday through Thursday nights and $12.00 on Friday and Saturday. There is a discount for Zoo members. Kids age 2 and younger are free. Fry’s has discounted tickets for sale.

One of our favorites is Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. Stroll through the garden which is lit by lights and luminarias. Stop at the many different spots to listen to musical performances. There is place to get refreshments. I do recommend that you purchase tickets in advance as some nights sell out. You can purchase tickets on-line. This event is mostly attended by adults. However, if you have a child or teenager who enjoys sitting quietly and listening to music, they will enjoy it too.

Downtown Tempe is hosting the Fantasy of Lights in the Mill Avenue district. From November 27 to December 10, you can enter their Window Wonderland contest for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a beautiful lights display at the Arizona Temple in Mesa. This runs from 5:30pm to 10:00 pm daily and is free. There is usually a half-hour outdoor concert at 7:00 pm. The Temple is located at 525 E Main St in Mesa.

Freddie Mac Launches Winter REO Sale

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:48:17 +0000

Freddie Mac is offering an incentive for a limited time for owner occupant buyers of it’s foreclosure homes. They will pay up to 3% of the final sales price towards buyer’s closing costs . They will also provide a two year home warranty. Contract must meet all requirements including being accepted by January 31, 2012 and closing by March 15, 2012.

For more information:

Freddie Mac Launches Winter REO Sale.

Realty Times – 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Averages 3.99 Percent

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:14:11 +0000

Home affordability is at an all time high. With interest rates at historical lows, now is a great time to buy or to refinance.

Realty Times – 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Averages 3.99 Percent.

12 Most-Searched Housing Markets

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:33:46 +0000

Phoenix – Mesa, Arizona comes in at number 7 on Realtor.com’s most searched metro areas for September. For more information, click on the link below.

12 Most-Searched Housing Markets.

Maricopa County celebrating centennial with hiking challenge

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:25:26 +0000

There are some great county parks in the Phoenix area. Maricopa County is celebrating the Centennial with a 100 miles hiking challenge in their parks. Hike 100 miles by Jan. 30 in at least three of the parks to participate. Click on the link below to read an article from the Arizona Republic about the program.

Maricopa County celebrating centennial with hiking challenge.