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NEWS OF INTEREST (Directly from The Phoenix Business Journal & RealTrends and other sources):

The Newest Threat to Home Prices

The rancorous debate about how to address our escalating national debt has dominated the conversation in Washington lately. What isn't getting much attention inside the Beltway -- but should -- is a looming event that could have major consequences not only for your home's value but also for the overall economic recovery. Barring last-minute action by Congress, upscale housing is about to take another punch to the solar plexus -- just as it's struggling to stabilize. At issue are the limits for so-called conforming mortgage loans that can be bought or guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration. These mortgages have the implied backing of the U.S. government, which lowers their interest rates and down payment requirements. Back in 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, Congress temporarily hiked the conforming loan limit from $417,000 to $729,750 in affluent areas to boost the flailing housing market. Read More: http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/19/real_estate/mortgage_threat_home_prices.fortune/index.htm?iid=SF_M_Lead

Threat of Downturn Derails Housing Recovery: Fannie Mae

The threat of another economic downturn is stalling a housing recovery, Fannie Mae said in a report recently. The economy remains in a fragile state and is highly susceptible to additional shocks that could further erode economic growth, according to a study provided by the government-sponsored enterprise's Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis group. Read More: http://www.housingwire.com/2011/09/19/threat-of-downturn-derails-housing-recovery-fannie-mae

August Existing-Home Sales Rise Despite Headwinds, Up Strongly from a Year Ago

Existing-home sales increased in August, even with ongoing tight credit and appraisal problems, along with regional disruptions created by Hurricane Irene, according to the National Association of Realtors?. Monthly gains were seen in all regions. Total existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 7.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million in August from an upwardly revised 4.67 million in July, and are 18.6 percent higher than the 4.24 million unit level in August 2010. Read More: http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2011/09/ehs_aug

Agents, Will You Be a Winner or Loser?

This summer, Steve Murray, president of Real Trends Inc., and Ian Morris, CEO of Market Leader, released a book focused specifically on what the real estate industry will look like over the next five years. The book, Game Plan, takes into account a significant amount of research as well as interviews with many of you about your current business and vision for what's ahead. Murray and Morris then offer 10 trends that they expect to see come to fruition over the next five years, with a specific "game plan" to help real estate agents, brokers, and franchises succeed. Read the Full Article: http://retechnology.com/agent/articles/agents-will-you-be-a-winner-or-loser

Housing Starts Drop Underscores Economic Woes

New construction of homes fell more than expected in August, dragging on economic growth and keeping pressure on President Barack Obama to do more to help the sputtering economy. Housing starts dropped 5 percent, the most since April, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 571,000 units, the Commerce Department said recently. Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/20/us-usa-economy-idUSTRE78C33C20110920

Fed Bond-Buying Decision Keeps Mortgage Rates at Record Lows

The Federal Reserve's plan to reinvest principal payments on some bonds into mortgage-backed securities is already contributing to the nation's record low mortgage interest rates, Bankrate said recently. Bankrate said the Federal Open Market Committee seems to be taking direct aim at mortgage rates by shifting $400 billion from short-term holdings into long-term government bonds. The program, which begins Oct. 3 and runs through June, will involve longer-term Treasury securities with remaining maturities of six years to 30 years, and will be financed through the sale of shorter-term Treasuries with maturities of three years or less. Read More: http://www.housingwire.com/2011/09/22/fed-bond-buying-decision-keeps-mortgage-rates-at-record-lows

Xerox: Most Lenders Prepared For e-Mortgages

Roughly 63% of lenders surveyed by Xerox implemented new software in 2011 to handle paperless mortgages, up from 49% in 2010. Nearly 37% said their companies currently have e-mortgage projects in production, testing for one, or will soon move aggressively to adopt the technology. Of those surveyed 78% believe half of all mortgages will be processed electronically in the next three to seven years. Read More: http://www.housingwire.com/2011/09/21/xerox-most-lenders-prepared-for-e-mortgage

5 Ways to Optimize Your Facebook Page

Are you maximizing the marketing power of your Facebook page? Want to know how? Keep reading... There are several lesser-realized features on and around your Facebook page that can be optimized to best reflect your brand. Read More: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-optimize-your-facebook-page/

Home Values Up for the First Time in Five Years

It has been five years since home values have increased nationally, according to the Zillow Home Value Index based on median home values, which rose 0.1 percent from June to July and while this slight increase is cause for celebration, home values are still down 28.3 percent from housing's peak in June 2006 and Zillow says values have dropped to July 2003 levels. Home prices are reportedly five percent below July 2010. In July, one out of every 1,000 homes were lost to foreclosure which is a slight decrease from the peak of foreclosure filings in October 2010 which Zillow reports that 1.14 out of every 1,000 homes were lost to foreclosure. Foreclosures have not slowed because of improving delinquencies, rather because of banks in various stages of litigation due to the robo-signature scandal (where foreclosures notices were sent without human review) which has frozen and slowed much of the foreclosure process. Additionally, after MERS' authority was questioned by judges as to whether or not they ever legally had the right to transfer title, the company has officially bowed out of facilitating foreclosures which has the potential to radically change foreclosure processing. Read More: http://agentgenius.com/real-estate-mortgage-economy/home-values-inch-upward-but-still-down-28-percent-from-peak/

Cash Buyers and Investors Take Fright

Home price depreciation over the past few years has made housing more undervalued relative to incomes than ever before, yet home sales have continued to decline. Even more striking is that the dampened activity can be largely attributed to a weakening in demand from cash buyers and investors, triggered by the more uncertain investment climate, according to the researchers at Capital Economics. Read More: http://www.dsnews.com/articles/cash-buyers-and-investors-take-fright-capital-economics-2011-09-15

FHFA considers changes to HARP

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering changes to the Home Affordable Refinancing Program, but Acting Director Edward DeMarco said any moves would be made to help borrowers already eligible. The White House is reportedly working on a major plan to allow some of the 11 million borrowers who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth to refinance. Analysts and economists have said in research notes and before Congress that the most likely route would be a revamp of HARP. Read More: http://www.housingwire.com/2011/09/19/fhfa-considers-changes-to-harp

September is REALTOR Safety Month: Check Out this Mobile App Safety App for REALTORS?!

There is no denying that a Real Estate Professional's job can sometimes be unpredictable. Whether you are at an open house, in an unfamiliar location or working late at night, you never know when that 'uh- oh' feeling will creep up on you. Moby is designed to ensure that those unpredictable moments are always safe moments! Moby is a personal safety app designed to keep you safe on the job. Using location-based technology, Moby is able to ensure you are in safe hands no matter where your next listing takes you. Read More: http://www.mymoby.com/product/moby-for-real-estate-professionals/

Diversity career fair to be held in Phoenix

The 11th annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair is set for Oct. 12 at the Lexington Hotel, 1100 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. “Getting America Back to Work in 2011” is the theme. Major employers will have hundreds of jobs and career positions available. Among the companies participating are Verizon Wireless, Hertz Rental Car, Banner Health, US Navy, Triwest Healthcare Alliance, Sysco Arizona Inc, Enterprise Rental Car, Trumper Communications, University of Phoenix, Health Services Advisory Group, US Customs and Border Protection, Bonneville Media, and Clear Channel Radio. The event is free to the public. Business attire is required, and resumes are encouraged.

Arizona's poverty rate reaches 17 percent

More than 1 million Arizonans live in poverty. That translates into 17 percent of the state’s population, according to new income numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Economic Policy Institute. Arizona’s poverty rate of 17 percent ranks 13th among U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Mississippi had the highest poverty rate at 22.4 percent. New Mexico was second 20.4 percent, followed by a number of southern states as well as Texas which has a 17.9 percent poverty rate. That’s something that might come up with Texas Gov. Rick Perry running for president. The rough economy is a key issue in the 2012 election, which isn’t helping President Barack Obama’s reelection chances. New Hampshire had the lowest poverty rate in the U.S. at 8.3 percent, followed by Maryland and Alaska (both at 9.9 percent).

Phoenix No. 2 in the nation for new car purchases

Phoenix had the second highest year-over-year growth of new car sales in the nation through July, according to car registration data by automotive website Edmunds.com. From January through July, new car registrations in Phoenix increased by 23 percent from 2010 to 2011. During that time period, there were 63,455 registrations in 2010 and 78,119 in 2011. Atlanta held the top spot in new car sales growth at 24 percent. After Phoenix at No. 2 came Sacramento, Calif., Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Ala. to round out the top five. Each saw growth of 22 percent. Detroit was ranked last in the U.S. with a growth rate of 2 percent. Edmunds.com reported a nationwide growth rate of 14 percent. According to Lacey Plache, chief economist at Edmunds.com, new car sales were high at the beginning of 2011, but slowed after the Japanese earthquake and recent economic declines. “Some consumers who deferred purchases earlier this summer are responding to improving vehicle supply and more competitive prices,” Plache said. “But declining economic conditions are keeping other consumers away from dealer lots and will continue to do so at least through the end of the year.”

Luxury apartments in Goodyear sell for $33 million

PrivatePortfolio Group of Seattle purchased the Aldea at Estrella Falls luxury apartment community in Goodyear for $32.8 million. The 328-unit complex is located at 2400 N. Bullard Ave. It was built in 2008 and was 93 percent occupied at the time of the sale. The seller was a partnership between Globe Corp. of Scottsdale and Trammel Crow Residential of Austin. That partnership was represented by Tyler Anderson, Sean Cunningham and Asher Gunter of CB Richard Ellis in Phoenix.

Toys "R" Us to hire 440 in Phoenix

Toys 'R' Us Inc. announced plans to hire more than 40,000 employees nationwide at its stores and distribution centers to handle the holiday rush. In the Phoenix area, the toy giant plans to hire about 440 employees. Hiring beings this week and continues through November. While these are seasonal positions, there are opportunities to obtain full-time positions with the company. A total of 10 percent of last year’s holiday workforce is currently employees at Toys “R” Us. “At Toys 'R' Us, one of the ways we differentiate ourselves is by employing a toy-trained workforce who can provide gift-givers sound toy-buying recommendations, and our seasonal staff is an important extension of our team,” Dan Caspersen, executive vice president of human resources for Toys “R” Us, said in a news release. “We are proud to create tens of thousands of jobs across the country this Christmas, while providing the potential for hardworking individuals to find a permanent position with us.” The majority of employees will be hired to staff Toys “R” Us stores, with additional opportunities at the company’s distribution centers. Wayne, N.J.-headquartered Toys “R” Us operates 873 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and merchandise is sold in more than 520 international stores.

Moody's downgrades Bank of America, Wells Fargo

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the credit ratings of two banks with major Arizona operations in Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo, the agency said Wednesday. The moves, which also included a downgrade of and Citigroup Inc., are prompted by a belief that the U.S. government is less likely to bail out the nation’s largest banks in the event of a future economic crisis, Moody’s said. Wells Fargo is the largest bank in Arizona with more than 14,000 employees and more than $15.5 billion in deposits in Maricopa County. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is the third largest in the region, with 11,000 employees in the region and $13.7 billion in deposits. Moody’s says the downgrade is not related to a major change at BofA but is in response to the government’s policies surrounding institutions deemed too big to fail. In a statement, posted online at the Wall Street Journal, BofA disagrees with the downgrade but said it has taken steps to pre-fund all of its debt needs for the rest of the year.

Mortgage rates remain at record lows

Mortgage rates this week remained at record lows, unchanged from last week, and are likely to fall further next week. Freddie Mac’s weekly rate report says a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.09 percent in the week ending Sept. 22. A 15-year fix fell to 3.29 percent, from 3.30 percent last week. A one-year adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 2.82 percent, up from 2.81 percent. “A sluggish economy and investor concern over the European debt market left mortgage rates largely unchanged this week,” said Freddie Mac (OTC BB: FMCC) Chief Economist Frank Nothaft. Despite record low mortgage rates, Phoenix continues to be plagued with falling home prices. The Federal Reserve’s Wednesday announcement to swap $400 billion in short-term U.S. Treasuries in its portfolio for an equal amount of longer-term debt is aimed at pushing long-term interest rates lower. The yield on a 30-year U.S. bond fell to a record low Thursday, at 2.88 percent. Housing reports this week were mixed. Sales of existing homes jumped 7.7 percent in August, according to the National Association of Realtors. The National Home Builders Association reported housing starts in August fell 5 percent from July.

Health coverage cost increases to be lower, plans changing

Health benefit costs are likely to have their smallest increase next year since 1997, but it will come with employers making changes to many plans, according a new survey. Consulting firm Mercersaid Wednesday the average growth in health benefit costs will rise 5.4 percent in 2012, the smallest increase since 1997. The increase in growth most likely reflects the cost-cutting changes — raising deductible or moving employees into lower health-care plans — employers are making to their current health benefit programs, Mercer reported. Employers reported an average increase of 7.1 percent, compared with about 9 percent over the last five years when asked how much costs would rise if they made changes to their existing plans. Less use of health services may be a reason employers don’t anticipate a spike in coverage costs. Some analysts believe the tough economy, combined with generally higher deductible and other forms of cost-sharing, is affecting use rates. Susan Connolly, a partner in Mercer’s Boston office, said she believes the slowing utilization may also be a sign that programs targeted at improving employee health are having a positive impact. “Earlier risk identification and health education, along with improvements in drug therapies and medical technology, are keeping people with health risks and chronic conditions away from the emergency room,” said Connolly. Despite the slowing costs in health care coverage, the increase employers will feel if they change health coverage plans remains high. To shift the costs, 36 percent of employers surveyed said they plan to raise premium contributions for dependent coverage. Some 33 percent of respondents said they will raise deductible or co-payments in 2012, the survey results found. Over the past five years, employers increasingly raised deductible or co-payments to offset higher health coverage costs, Mercer data shows. The global data firm said one way employers can give employees a stake in their health care spending without creating a disincentive to use health services when needed is by using consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs). These are high-deductible plans with an employee-controlled spending account. Many of these plans give employees an incentive to take cost into consideration by allowing them to save, on a tax-advantaged basis, account dollars they don’t spend in a given year for future needs. “We’re expecting to see a spike in 2012 in both the number of employers offering CDHPs and in the number of employees enrolling in them,” said Beth Umland, Mercer’s director of research for health and benefits. “Employers see them as a way to provide more value to employees while at the same time managing cost.” Mercer’s results are based on the survey responses submitted by about 1,600 employers through Sept. 8. Mercer expects about 2,800 employers to participate in this year’s survey.

Phoenix tops nation in one-year home price declines

Single-family home prices in the Phoenix area fell 11.6 percent in August from a year ago -- the biggest decline in value among major U.S. cities. The new data from National Association of Realtors shows the median sales price for single-family homes in the Phoenix area was 121,700 in August. That's down from 137,700 a year earlier. Despite the price declines, sales of single family homes were up nearly 24 percent. National single-family home sales rose 8.5 percent to 4.47 million in August from 4.12 million in July, and are 20.2 percent above August 2010. The median existing single-family home price was $168,400 in August -- 5.4 percent below a year ago. “Investors were more active in absorbing foreclosed properties,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “In additional to bargain hunting, some investors are in the market to hedge against higher inflation.” According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.27 percent in August, down from 4.55 percent in July; the rate was 4.43 percent in August 2010. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed rate fell to a record low 4.09 percent.

Amazon brings Kindle lending program to 11,000 U.S. libraries

Amazon.com announced today that Kindle and Kindle app customers can now borrow Kindle books from more than 11,000 local libraries in the United States, including many in Arizona. "This is a welcome day for Kindle users in libraries everywhere and especially our Kindle users here at The Seattle Public Library," Marcellus Turner, city librarian for The Seattle Public Library, said in a statement. "We're thrilled that Amazon is offering such a new approach to library e-books that enhances the reader experience." Amazon’s library lending program will allow Kindle users to check out books without going to the library. With a Kindle, readers can search for books on their local library websites. Once a book is selected, customers can choose to “Send to Kindle” and will be redirected to Amazon.com to login to their Amazon.com account and the book will be delivered to the device. In April, Amazon partnered with e-book distributor OverDrive to a launch a program to let library patrons check out books on their Kindles.

Saint-Gobain to open solar mirror facility in Goodyear

Saint-Gobain Corp.plans to open a solar mirror manufacturing facility in Goodyear later this year with the prospect of creating 50 jobs. The plant will be the Courbevoie, France-based company’s first mirror operations facility in the U.S. It will be operated by the company’s North American unit, based in Valley Forge, Pa. The facility is designed to manufacture mirrors for concentrated solar power systems from tower to troughs. Saint-Gobain is the second large mirror maker to locate a facility in the West Valley. Rioglass Solar is building a facility in Surprise. Company officials said the proximity to other solar firms, as well as the state’s renewable energy tax credit for manufacturers, were determining factors in selecting Goodyear.

“Goodyear offers great local access to the solar concentrator market in the southwest region of the U.S. It is close to our customers,” said Alain Garnier, director of Saint-Gobain North America. “Goodyear also offers a good infrastructure, easy access to highways, and an educated workforce. Overall, Goodyear is a great place to do business.” Saint-Gobain has deals to provide mirrors to projects in the Southwest, but does not release information on its customers. The Goodyear facility is designed to develop mirrors capable of producing 300 megawatts of power annually. The company did not put an exact price on the upgrades to the existing building, but Garnier said it was a multi-million dollar investment. The facility is planned to be operational by the end of the year, officials said. For Goodyear, the facility represents the second large solar project to start up operations. The city is home to Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd.’s first U.S. manufacturing plant. The Chinese firm manufacturers photovoltaic solar panels. “Goodyear is honored to have Saint-Gobain build its first North American solar facility in our city. We’re pleased the state solar incentive program that Goodyear worked so hard on has brought us such a prominent solar partner,” said Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord in a statement. The jobs coming to the region will primarily be for manufacturing, with some engineering, logistics and business support positions, Garnier said. In addition to any state tax credits the facility may take in, Saint-Gobain was identified in 2010 to receive $8.1 million in tax credits for opening a solar glass facility. It also has an office in Scottsdale. Saint-Gobain was one of a handful of companies in early 2010 that received the federal tax funds. Among the others that have set up shop in the Valley were Rioglass and Suntech. “Saint-Gobain Solar is a welcome addition to Greater Phoenix’s growing solar supply chain and further enhances our reputation as the nation’s hot spot for solar and renewable energy,” said Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council , in a statement. “Investments from major international corporations like Saint-Gobain exemplify how the Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Program is creating quality jobs and building a sustainable economic platform for the region’s future.”

Arizona slips to fourth in U.S. for solar power installations

Arizona grew its solar power installations in the second quarter, but still managed to slip to fourth place in terms of overall installations, according to new report. The U.S. Solar Market Insight for the second quarter, produced by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research, listed Arizona has having installed 26 megawatts of photovoltaic solar installation in the quarter. That put Arizona behind California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which leapfrogged Arizona in the quarter. Arizona was second in new residential installations during the quarter with 7.7 megawatts installed, behind only California, and its total was boosted by utility-scale projects coming online, officials said. Arizona is on pace to potentially double its solar output this year, matching a national trend that sees continued growth in the industry, said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “With the economy in a continuing downturn, the solar industry continues to grow,” he said. For the second quarter, the industry grew 69 percent from a year earlier in terms of megawatts installed, reaching 314 megawatts. That total was up 17 percent over the first quarter. Another report released Monday by the Solar Foundation found that found the industry added a little more than 6,000 jobs nationwide in the past 12 months. Shayle Kann, managing director of solar for GTM Research, said the market is continuing to grow, but there are challenges on the horizon. Next year a U.S. Treasury Department program that gives tax credits back as a one-time grant is set to expire. At the same time, the utility-scale sector appears to be ramping up as more systems are slated to come online at the end of the year, Kann said. “There are still enormous hopes and high expectations for what is happening in the utility sector,” he said.

Arizona jobless rate more than doubles in past five years

Arizona's economy and job market have been rocked over the past five years, and the jobless rate has reflected the effects of the Great Recession. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by On Numbers shows that Arizona's jobless rate has climbed from 4 percent in August of 2006 to 9.3 percent in August of this year. The increase of 5.3 percentage points is more than most states, but not among states with the largest gains in the jobless rate. Nevada has suffered the worst. Its unemployment rate skyrocketed from 4.7 percent four years ago to 13.4 percent last month, an increase of 8.7 percentage points. The runners-up on this unhappy list are California (up 6.6 points in four years), Florida (up 6.5 points) and Alabama (up 6.4 points). Arizona saw its most dramatic jump in the jobless rate from 2007 (3.7 percent) to 2009 (10.2 percent). Click here for jobless rate data on all 50 states.

Shutterfly to hire 600 seasonal workers in Phoenix

Shutterfly plans to hire 600 season workers at its Phoenix facility to accommodate orders during the holiday season. Redwood City, Calif.-based Shutterfly (Nasdaq: SFLY) opened a Phoenix office last year with plans to hire up to 400 permanent workers. Shutterfly provides books and other products based on user-generated pictures. Customers upload photos to the site and create unique products that are shipped directly to them. The company is partnering with Corestaff, a San Francisco-based job placement service, to hold three job fairs. The first is scheduled at Shutterfly’s offices, 4410 E. Cotton Center Blvd., from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday. A second is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and he third is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

2,500 expected at Peoria job fair, free booths available

The City of Peoria will host a job fair at the Peoria Sports Complex Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 2,500 employers and job seekers are expected to attend this regional event, which will include employers from across the Valley. Job seekers will have the opportunity for a skills assessment and to participate in mini workshops by Maricopa Workforce Connections, a “Dress for Success on a Dime” presentation by Goodwill and resume writing tips by Glendale Community College. In addition, the Small Business Development Center, the Small Business Association, Greater Phoenix SCORE and the Arizona Commerce Authority will be on hand to discuss how to take the first steps in opening a small business. Peoria Sports Complex is at 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, which is on 83rd Avenue between Bell and Thunderbird roads. Valley businesses that have job openings will be able to secure a free both at this regional job fair. For more information on how to secure a booth, call event manager Landis Elliott at 623-308-0722.

Holiday hiring could reach pre-recession levels

U.S. companies will hire more holiday workers this year, with seasonal employment approaching pre-recession levels, according to job posting site Snagajob. But a separate look at holiday hiring from Challenger, Gray & Christmas paints a darker picture. Richmond, Va.-based Snagajob's fourth annual survey of hourly hiring managers says 51 percent plan to add seasonal employees over the holidays, up from 50 percent last year, and 42 percent in 2008. The percentage of hiring managers expecting to add holiday workers matches survey results in 2007, Snagajob says. "What's encouraging is that we have the same percentage of hourly hiring managers expecting to make seasonal hires as before the recession, and we are trending toward hiring the same number of workers as 2007 levels, about three-quarters of the way there," said Snagajob CEO Shawn Boyer. The average number of seasonal workers to be hired, according to the survey, is 4.1, up from 3.9 in 2010 and 3.1 in 2009. It was 5.6 per company in 2007. The survey also finds some optimism about holiday sales with 25 percent saying sales will increase over last year.

Phoenix new home sales up 26 percent in August

New-home sales improved in August, according to the Phoenix Housing Market Letter produced by RL Brown Reports. There were 632 new closings in August, compared with 500 in August 2010. The numbers were down for the year to date, however: There were 4,186 new home closings from January through August, compared with 5,657 for the first eight months of 2010. The same trends held true for building permits. They were up from 504 in August 2010 to 692 in August 2011, but for the year to date they were down from 5,170 to 4,612. RL Brown also tracks resales, including homes not listed on the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. Resales were up for both the month and the year to date. There were 8,605 resales in August and 67,804 for the year to date, compared with 6,623 last August and 61,730 for the first eight months of 2010. The median price for new-home sales in August was $210,244, compared with the median resale home price of $109,000. As for the most active builders, Pulteclosed escrow on 65 homes, including its Del Webb and Centex divisions. That was followed by D.R. Horton, with 62 closings, and Blandford Homes, with 47. Other builders with strong sales included Shea Homes, Meritage Homes, Fulton Homes, Taylor Morrison, Lennar Home, K Hovnanian, Beazer Homesand Richmond American.

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Pre-Qualify for this 4 Bedroom Home Near Sunrise High School Peoria Arizona property with Ricky Khamis Mortgage Broker with Amerifirst Financial Scottsdale FHA Mortgage Expert at www.ApprovingAZ.com or text 602-758-7425.

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	12418 82ND Peoria, az 85381 4 Bedroom Home For sale Oasis Jr High School
Home   Photo Gallery   Virtual Tour   Property Map   Payment Info   Request Showing   Contact Me   Keith Ritter & The Ritter Team Realtor Office: 602-908-5020 Mobile: 602-908-5020 Website: Visit Website	Price : $179,900 Bedrooms : 4 Bathrooms : 3 Square Foot : 2,543 Lot Size : 8,050 County : Maricopa Property Type : Detached Year Built : 2003 MLS Number : 4605470 click for more information and pictures Property Description This fantastic home boasts new carpet and paint throughout. The kitchen is upgraded with granite counters and cherry cabinets with a breakfast bar. The split master floorplan has 4 large bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with the master bath featuring a seperate garden tub and shower and two sinks. Beautiful tile throughout and wet bar with custom entertainment center make this home a great find. Features List Oasis Elementary Twin Palms Peoria Unified Dist Oasis Jr High School 85381 homes Centennial High Peoria Homes 85381 house for sale PeoriaAZRealEstate Peoria houses 85381 home for sale 4 bedroom home Twin Palms sub Reo Property bank owned Real Estate 85383 Real Estate Arizona REO Properties 3 car garage 4 bedroom in 85381 Arizona real estate
Equal Housing Opportunity.	Keller Williams Realty Professional Partners : 7025 W. Bell Rd. Ste 10 - Glendale AZ 85308 : 602-908-5020

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This 3 Bedroom Home For Sale Near Vistancia Elementary school features 3 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms with 2067 Square Feet and the lot size is 7245. The front of this 3 Bedroom Home For Sale Near Vistancia Elementary school features desert Landscaping and features a 2 car garage. In the backyard of this 3 Bedroom Home For Sale Near Vistancia Elementary school features desert Landscaping Backyard . 31103 N 132nd is located in Vistancia Subdivision which is in the Peoria Unified School District, the High School is Liberty High School and the Elementary School is Vistancia Elementary School. To view this 3 Bedroom Home For Sale Near Vistancia Elementary school home please click the "Find Out More" link or send me a text message to 602-885-2018. To schedule a private showing, or to get more information I am available right now via text message.

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Pre-Qualify for this 3 Bedroom Home For Sale Near Vistancia Elementary school property with Ricky Khamis Mortgage Broker with Amerifirst Financial Scottsdale FHA Mortgage Expert at www.ApprovingAZ.com or text 602-758-7425.

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