Flagstaff, AZ

I've been a bit behind in my blogging because I've been preoccupied with a health issue (not mine, but my spouse's). All is well -- we took advantage of some of the great healthcare facilities in Flagstaff last week to improve her knee, which hasn't been right since a soccer game in the early '60s. Read about our adventure at the Flagstaff Spine and Joint Surgery Center here.

I did have time to take a wry look at the New York brokers' attempts to revive their market. Some things are the same in Flagstaff as in the Big Apple. Read Getting Inventive to Seduce Home Buyers? for my take on open houses.

I also took time for a quick study of September real estate market results, and reported the Flagstaff number is Quick Read on September Flagstaff Real Estate. Read my reaction to the National Association of Realtors^® press release on pending home sales results for August here: Pending Home Sales for September Show Uptick.

I also noticed a NAR conference this week entitled Employer-Assisted Housing: Bring Workers Home. I recommend that Active Rainers take a look at the downloadable session materials at the NAR website (that last link is to an "Overview" of the conference, from there you can get to the session materials). I turned it into a blog post about Flagstaff housing, and there is more to come. You might find it useful locally also. National conference addresses issues relevant to Flagstaff housing needs.

Happy blogging! If you need to buy or sell Flagtstaff real estate, Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties will be at your service.

There were several real estate news releases this week. None grabbed the headlines. Perhaps that is because real estate was overshadowed by Wall Street this week. Perhaps it was because there was little new in the real estate reports.

Still, a 10.7% drop in resale home prices from August 2007 to August 2008, and a 17-year low in new home sales volume would have grabbed some headlines on even an active news day, if they were news. But this has started to be so repetitive, month-to-month, that the normal news outlets don't seem to follow it.

Here is are my posts from Flagstaff about the three real estate reports of the week:

Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Releases July (yes, July) Numbers

National Association of Realtors Releases August Numbers

New Home Sales and Construction Statistics

Oh, and some more not-news: My commentary on last Sunday's headliner in the local Flagstaff paper.

To keep up-to-date on national and local real estate issues, follow the blog written in Flagstaff:

Flagstaff Real Estate and Community News

To buy or sell Flagstaff homes, contact Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties!

Don't underestimate the power of a single vote! Remember, our current governor was elected in 2002 by a margin of barely 400 votes.

Friends don't let friends not register!

If you have moved since you last voted, you need to register again! And ask for a vote by mail ballot.

Registration deadline is next Tuesday!

Here are some articles you may be interested in if you live in Flagstaff, AZ (or want to). Also, take note that his is the famous "Open Studios" weekend, when you can get a map and drive around our beautiful mountain country to visit the studios of local artists.

Flagstaff Civic Events on Saturday -- locals may want to put these on their calendars

Financial Crisis Hard to Comprehend -- Where did it begin? Not with real estate

Featured Flagstaff Home Listing! -- a rare log cabin in the pines offering

Have a great Flagstaff weekend!

To buy or sell Flagstaff real estate, contact Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties.

In my last post, The Big Bailout -- Where Did It Come From?, I talked about the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac takeover by the U.S. Treasury. Boy, that seems like a long-time ago. This has been a long week marked by Lehman's bankruptcy, Bank of America's bailout of Merrill Lynch (a long-term coup for Bank of America, no doubt), and AIG's crisis -- which is a huge worldwide problem (not that Fannie and Freddie weren't). Meanwhile, homebuyers are really sitting on the sidelines, frozen in panic, perhaps.

Don't freeze. Think rationally. What steps can you take to secure your future? If you have an ARM, or any home loan at a 6.5% or better interest rate, consider refinancing NOW: If You Have An Adjustable Rate Home Loan, It Is Time To Refinance Into A Fixed Loan.

Become an informed voter. The choice we make in November will determine the course of government action on the economy. I'm thinking of this election as Herbert Hoover vs. FDR. How about you?

Check out: Financial Crisis Hard to Comprehend. Where did it begin? Not with real estate. The real estate industry was just part of a big messy circle.

For specific advice regarding Flagstaff real estate as it affects your financial situation, contact Team Heitland at RE/MAX Peak Properties.