USDA Rural Loan Update

USDA is officially going to have a monthly “mortgage insurance” similar to FHA that will be effective October 1st. This will increase payments on USDA loans.

There is still time to get in with no down payment & no mortgage insurance...call us today! 480-240-9724

Please see below and let us know if you have any questions.

Rural Housing Up-Front Guarantee Fee Reduced, Annual Fee to Be Implemented

Pursuant to Public Law 111-212, Section 102 (July 29, 2010), the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) may collect from the lender under the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) an annual fee not to exceed 0.5% of the outstanding principal balance of the loan for the life of the loan. The intent of the annual fee is to make the SFHGLP subsidy neutral, thus preventing the need for taxpayer support of the Program.


According to Rural Development (RD) Administrative Notice (AN) No. 4551 (1980-D), effective October 1, 2011, the SFHGLP will be subject to an annual fee of 0.30% of the outstanding principal balance while the up-front guarantee fee for purchase transactions will decrease from 3.5% to 2%. The up-front guarantee fee for refinance loan transactions will remain at 1%.

Mesa AZ Realty: A Great Investment

August Real Estate Market Snapshot

Today, August 18, 2011


There are 27,627 available residential properties on the market in Maricopa & Pinal Counties.

There are 22,438 single family homes; 10,586 are short sales; 3,336 lender owned (foreclosure) homes; which leaves 8516 “traditional” homes listed (not a short sale for foreclosure).

From August 1 to August 18 there have been 3,883 homes sold & there are 20,042 that are pending (waiting on short sale approval or waiting to close).

As you can see from the attached graph...home inventory (homes on the market) has been dropping every month since last November, 2010. This is beginning to force prices up & there are multiple offers for most listings.

Rates for today, 8/18/2011 (30 year fixed with 0 points) in the Phoenix area are 3.91% APR—4.92% APR

Rates are low , home prices are raising...Time to get off the fence!

Call or email TODAY & ask us to set you up with your own website. It will email you each time a new home comes on the market that meets your custom criteria. You can look at it 24/7!

E-mail: Info@AzExp.com

Office: 480-240-9724

Pool Safety

Too often, firefighters hear people say, “it was just a few seconds.” Unfortunately, just a few seconds is all it takes for a child to drown. Drowning is the leading cause of death in Arizona for children under the age of five.

Most of these children drown in their own backyard swimming pool, but others drown in buckets, bathtubs, toilets, dog water bowls, canals and ponds. Small children are top-heavy, and they don't have the upper body strength to lift themselves out of one of these dangerous situations. Even if the child survives the incident, they are often left with permanent brain damage.

Drowning and near drowning can be prevented, and you can help! Anyone involved with the supervision of children needs to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water. Below are some useful tips to prevent these needless tragedies.

• Know where your children are at all times

• Use an approved barrier to separate the pool from the house

• Never allow children to be alone near a pool or any water source

• Have life-saving devices near the pool, such as a pole/hook, or flotation device

• Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys, and ladders away from pool fences

• Post the 9-1-1 number on the phone

• Do not allow children to play around the pool and store all toys outside the pool area

• If you leave the pool area, take the children with you

• Always have a “designated child watcher”

• Learn to swim

• Never swim alone, or while under the influence of alcohol or medications

• Never swim when thunder or lightning is present

• Never dive into unfamiliar or shallow bodies of water.

Higley Groves Gilbert AZ Realty: A Wise Option

Thinking of Buying a New Home???

When you go to a builder’s subdivision to look at homes don’t be confused and think the sales person is on your side or looking out for your best interest. They are there for one reason only… To represent the builder and to sell you a home!!

 I represent you and your interests at NO COST to you. The price of the home is the same with or without my help.

 I will be working with you throughout the construction process… providing consulting on lot selection, home options, energy efficiency options, inspections at framing and final walk-through and overall construction quality. NO OTHER REALTOR OFFERS THIS SERVICE.

 The sales person is an employee of the builder working as THEIR agent to protect their interests. They do NOT represent you. EVER!

 The sales person rarely has an understanding of the construction details, or quality, of the home they are selling. They simply are good at telling you what the home and the options cost. They have NO IDEA whether or not the home they are selling is well built or “just thrown together like the other 200 homes in the subdivision.” ALL BUILDERS ARE NOT EQUAL.

 The sales person rarely has an understanding of energy efficiency or its benefits both while you live in the home and when you sell it.

 The quality of your home is no better than the superintendent. He rarely pays attention to the details that affect the present AND FUTURE value of your home.

 The sales person is concerned about the price of your home today. I am concerned about its cost today and its value in the future—When the equity goes into your pocket.

Call us today...we can help! 480-240-9724

Finley Farms Gilbert AZ Real Estate: A Fantastic Investment

Seasonal planting & maintenance calendar for August

• Selectively thin fruits on citrus to enable remaining fruits to ripen larger and sweeter.

• Remove fire hazards.

• Clean leaves and plant debris. Trim branches overhanging roof areas. Keep plants near the house trimmed and properly irrigated.

• If your tomatoes and peppers have made it this far-late this month, trim tomatoes back by one third of their height and peppers lightly to encourage a fall crop. Use Start-n-Grow fertilizer and water in well.

Mesa AZ Realty: A Great Investment