Countrywide Financial, one of the largest mortgage originators reported that They made 45 Billion dollars in mortage loans in June. This is a 4% increase over June of 2006. The company accomplished this in spite of vastly reduced activity in the sub-prime and adjustable rate mortgages.

The company still finds the housing market soft, but a 4% increase in same month production is nothing to sneeze at.

In addition to the higher volume of loans, the company is also hiring new people, adding 830 new jobs since May. This in a time many lenders have cut their work force.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/
Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!

In today’s Arizona Republic, Cathrine Reagor reports a few things of interest to home buyers and home sellers.

1. New home building continues to slow.
2. Condo sales are bucking the trend. Sales of existing condos are up about 8%.

Regarding number 1, good news for sellers of existing homes, they do not have to compete with builder inventories to sell their homes. This fortells a very clear signal to buyers that this is the time to buy a resale home in a convenient neighborhood with established schools, roads and shops. Wait too long and you will either have to pay higher prices or move to new subdivisions miles from work and amenities.

Rising condo sales predict the long awaited market turnaround. It will be slow, but is definitely coming now.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/
Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!

As if triple digit heat isn’t enough, in Arizona, July is the start of the monsoon season.

The monsoon season is a change in weather caused by a seasonal change in the wind direction. Here that means the wind direction no longer typically comes from the west, but now from the south.

These monsoon winds bring very humid air from the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean causing sometimes phenomenal thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Often dust storms (the red cloud) accompanies the monsoon storms.

It is important to prepare your home for these storms to prevent unnecessary damage to your home or property. Here are a few tips.

• Seal roof joints.
• Seal around windows with caulking.
• Check weatherstripping around doors and windows.
• Trim palm trees (flying fronds can damage property and hurt people and pets).
• Check other trees for loose branches.
• Stake younger trees to keep them from blowing over in the wind.
• Secure patio furniture, especially umbrellas and tables, they can fly a long way.
• Have emergency supplies and a battery powered radio in case of power failure.

Please remember, this list is not exhaustive, there are many other things you can do to keep yourself safe during our summer storm period.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/
Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!

Today’s Arizona Republic quoted Associated Press, saying, "Prices are expected to bounce back next year…". This is good news to the current owners and sellers of homes in Sun City, Sun City West and Surprise Arizona. The days to sell have also started to drop.

Existing home sales prices are expected to gain 1.8% in 2008.

In addition, the Mortgage Bankers Association, in its June survey, announced that total new home loan applications increased 1.1% last week. This is a leading indicator of home buyer activity. To me it says that potential home buyers are confident we are at or very near the bottom of the price adjustment the resale housing market has experienced over the last two years. This price adjustment was necessary after the super-heated appreciation in 2004-2005.

To summarize, it is my opinion the bottom is now. The time to buy is now. There don’t seem to be any economic reasons to delay your new home purchase if you were waiting for prices to go down.

To view the original Republic article, http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0711biz-homeprices11-ON.html
To view the original MBA report, click here:

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/
Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!
See my other blog at: http://activerain.com/blogs/jlittle

My Promise to Home Buyers

•1  Help with the qualification process

•2    Recommend 3 local lenders

•3    Identify suitable properties

•4    Set appointments and show qualifying properties

•5    Prepare buyers estimated closing costs on selected property

•6    If a new home is selected, help review the Public Report and developers contracts

•7    If a resale home is selected, prepare purchase contract per buyers instructions

•8    Present offer, explain and negotiate counter offers, addendums etc.

•9  Disclose and advise on neighborhood environmental issues, i.e. busy streets, airports, fumes, dumps, flood plain, etc.

•10  Get disclosures and CC&R’s from sellers and others.          

•11  Help arrange recommended inspections and walkthrough

•12  Assist throughout escrow

•13  Negotiate desired seller repairs

•14  Assist in finding local vendors   

•15  Follow through on loan process and status

•16  Counsel and advise on all relevant matters

•17  Close escrow, assist at closing if necessary

•18  Provide keys, garage door openers, etc.

•19  Communicate throughout the process

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/
Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!
See my other blog at: http://activerain.com/blogs/jlittle

Get a Realtor.
A Realtor can help you with local knowledge of traffic patterns, flooding of streets, future construction plans, location of dumps, railroads, future freeways and a multitude of other things that will impact your enjoyment and the future value of your home.
Your Realtor will represent you, and you alone in the transaction. Oh, did you think the nice sales agent on the property was Your agent? Think again. The developers sales force represents the developer. No one is better at writing contracts to protect themselves at the buyers expense than the developer.
Your Realtor will also interpret the documents for you, helping you to understand before you make the decision to buy the impact of the community rules and the subdivision report. Not everyone is willing or capable to read 100-200 pages of legalese to protect themselves.
Your Realtor can  help you with arranging financing if the builder doesn’t have a preferred lender. Your agent can also help you with the "fine print" if the builder does have a preferred lender. A major valley builder has recently gotten people to buy homes with mortgages requiring prepayment penalties up to 3% of the purchase for as long as 9 years. Many people don’t have the equity to be able to sell the home without paying to get out. 

Check the reputation of the builder.
In the state of Arizona, you can check with the Better Business Bureau and the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Many builders will have complaints, that goes with the territory when you are creating such a complex product, so look for the fewest complaints for the size of the builder. Also look to see the complaints have been resolved. If possible, ask past customers about their experiences.

Always get a home inspection.
The reputable builders have their own quality control employees. These people will appreciate a fresh set of eyes looking at the home. Also, being human, they may have a little bias toward their employer. An independant home inspector works for you, the buyer, and no one else.

Problems after the sale?
First work with the builder. If the complaint is valid all reputable builders will attempt to solve the problem.
Second contact both the Better Business Bureau and the Registrar of Contractors. If you cannot resolve the problem, and it is found to be poor workmanship by the contractor, the state of Arizona has a recovery fund paid for by contractor licensing fees. This fund can reimburse a buyer up to $30,000, but only if you start the process in less than two years after completion.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor
http://jclittle.com/

Lake Powell, to some an engineering marvel, to others a playground, and to some a mistake, is like no other place on earth. Soaring Navajo Sandstone cliffs, towering buttes, seemingly endless canyons, beaches and hiking trails – like playing in the Grand Canyon by boat. Houseboaters, fishermen, and visitors from all over the globe come to the lake to get away! http://www.lakepowellvacations.com

Petrified Forest is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science. The park is located in northeast Arizona and features one of the world’s largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. Also included in the park’s 93,533 acres are the multi-hued badlands of the Chinle Formation known as the Painted Desert, historic structures, archeological sites and displays of 225 million-year-old fossils. http://www.nps.gov/pefo/

Sedona Arizona is one of Northern Arizona’s most sought after communities. With it’s charming lifestyle, pleasant weather, and recreational opportunities, Sedona is definitely worth the trip whether you are nature lover, seeking fine dining, or a new age experience. http://www.sedona.net/

Montezuma’s Castle, One of my favorite places! – Nestled into a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley, stands one of the best preserved and most easily accessible cliff ruins in North America. http://www.desertusa.com/mzm/index.html

Arizona Snowbowl is only 70 miles south of the Grand Canyon, a short two-hour drive from Phoenix. The San Francisco Peaks reach an altitude of 12,633 feet. Visit Arizona Snowbowl and take a breath of fresh mountain air. http://www.arizonasnowbowl.com/

The White Mountains The resort community of Pinetop-Lakeside, surrounded by the largest stand of Ponderosa pines in the world, is a fabulous year round retreat. The pristine lakes and streams, http://www.whitemtns.com/Community/Pinetop_Lakeside/
The Kaibab is one of six National Forests in Arizona operating under the care of the United States Forest Service. If you are a citizen of the United States, you are one of its proud owners. If you are from foreign lands, you are an honored guest. In either case, we hope your visit with us will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/

Grand Canyon – Located entirely in northern Arizona, the park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers to visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. http://www.nps.gov/grca/

Jerome, Arizona – A friendly glow greets the Central Arizona town. Visualize the warm morning sun rising over the cool mountains of the Mogollon Rim, "Plateau Country.” http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/oct/stories/jerome.html

Arizona Guide Historic & Scenic – http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/

This information is provided to you by your Realtor for life:

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor

Ken Meade Realty
17001 N Del Webb Blvd
Sun City AZ 85373
800-877-1776
623-977-1776

By the way…if you know someone who is interested in buying or selling
real estate, please call me with their name and phone number. Thank you!

Sun City Arizona’s Premier Adult Community 

In 1960, Del Webb started a revolution in retirement housing for active adults. When Del Webb opened with 5 model homes, a shopping center, motel, golf course and a recreation center. Originally conceived of as a retirement community for winter visitors, it has become a commmunity of 45,000 people, over 60% permanent residents. If only Del could see it now.

Sun City has 11 golf courses, 3 of which are country clubs. For those who don’t golf, Sun City has 7 recreation centers offering sports includin swimming and tennis and pickleball to name a few. Each recreation center has a pool, as well as facilitied for every imaginable hobby, kept current to reflect today’s interests and desires. One example is the personal computer clubs. It was 24 years after Sun City was started that the first personal computer was commonly available. At this time there are over 140 activity clubs. Rec fees are currently $380 per couple for a year (4/1/07) Golf fees range from $13 per round in the summer, (Yes we do golf in the summer) to $1186 unlimited as of Oct. 2006.

We are a proud neighbor and supporter of Luke Air Force Base, about 6 miles west. Luke provides services to our many veterans and military retirees.

All of the services you could desire are in Sun City and the immediate area. Malls, shops, hotels, restaurants, medical and hospitals are all convenient.

Homes and condominiums for sale in Sun City range from a studio condo listed for $69,500 to a 5 bedroom custom at $725,000

For more information on Sun City, please fell free to contact me

Jim Little, Your Sun City Realtor