How to spot hidden problems in older homes
Water is the number one cause of damage in all homes, especially older ones. Look for missing or damaged roof shingles, rotted or loose trim boards, and disconnected or plugged-up gutters and downspouts. Problems with gutters and downspouts are the biggest cause of water damage – they must be cleaned and checked regularly. Check the grade at the perimeter of the house – settling near the foundation may indicate water in the basement. Any home over 40 years old is a likely candidate for having an outdated electrical system. Check the electrical panel for the amperage rating – modern homes require at least 100 amps and many require much more. Older homes may have “fuse boxes” rated for 60 amps or less.
Read article – Yahoo!

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
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*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

http://www.businessinsider.com/sears-customer-snake-dishwasher-2012-9

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

Ladies, & gentlemen who love ladies, Oct is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Have a mammogram, do your self exam often, send a check to the Cancer Society in your area, attend a fund raiser, & say a prayer for a cure. (then you can think about ordering Justine’s Auction by Patrizia Murray from Amazon for insight into life & love after breast cancer). Let’s think pink & save all the tatas we can!

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

Low-ball Offers a Thing of the Past?
According to a NAR survey this March of 4,500 agents and brokers, no REALTORS complained about low-ball offers. The main problem nowadays: The sudden drop in inventory of for-sale homes has led to fewer homes available to sell. For home buyers who still think they have a chance of hitting it lucky with a low-ball offer, they’re finding in many markets that their offers are more often being rejected or countered closer to the original asking price.
Read article – Realtor Magazine

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.marymaxie.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties 602-738-6597
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS

1. Replace your kitchen hardware, including drawer and door pulls, hinges, faucets. New ones don’t cost much, and make your kitchen look like new.
2. You can add LED lighting under your upper cabinets quite easily, even if you aren’t a DYI expert.
3. Re-organize all drawers and cupboards to neaten everything up. Make sure all are clean and get rid of any clutter.
4. If it’s in the bidget, think about new counter tops. Granite is great, but costly. Granite tiles are cheaper, and look just as good. If neither are in the budget, there are laminates that mimic the look of granite, & are acceptable to most buyers.

Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.marymaxie.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties 602-738-6597
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS

Investors with Cash Driving Up Home Prices
Home sales are up across the valley. But many families looking for affordable places to live are getting squeezed out as more and more investors move in. Investors are taking advantage of foreclosed homes and short sales, paying cash. It’s good news for people who are stuck in underwater homes — prices appear to rising fast. “We went straight through normal and back from a fear-dominated market to a greed-dominated market with nothing in between,” said Mike Orr, a professor at ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business. Orr says 40% of home sales are cash deals today, compared to about 10% in normal times.
Read article – MyFoxPhoenix.com

Short Sales Get Shorter: New Deadlines to go into Effect
As part of a settlement with state attorneys general, the five largest mortgage servicers are adopting new requirements for short sales, which is expected to speed-up the process. This article covers some of the new requirements, including:
*Servicers must provide borrowers with a decision within 30 days after receiving a short sale package request.
*Servicers will be required to notify a borrower, also within 30 days, if any necessary documents are missing to process the short sale request.
*Servicers must notify a borrower immediately if a deficiency payment is needed to approve the short sale.
Read article – Realtor Magazine

Valley housing values, sales improve in Feb., foreclosures down
The Valley’s housing market improved by almost every measure in February, with an increase in values, an uptick in homes sold and a drop in the number of foreclosures. The ARMLS reports that 7,249 homes sold in February – up 1.3% from a year ago. “Sales above 7,000 units are seen as robust for the Valley’s market,” the report said. Median sale prices also rose, to $122,000 – up from $108,300 in May of 2011. The total number of homes on the market dipped 5.2 percent from the previous month, to 23,736. Inventory is down 41.6% since February 2011.
Read article – East Valley Tribune

Seniors, Young Adults Will Influence Housing
Aging Baby Boomers and their “Echo Boomer” children will significantly impact trends in the nation’s housing market over the next 20 years. Over the next two decades, the aging baby boomer generation will swell the nation’s senior population by 30 million. That demographic shift will likely help increase the supply of housing, since people over age 65 typically release much more housing than they absorb. “Housing, jobs, and the economy are inextricably connected,” says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “A strong recovery with favorable housing market conditions would encourage substantial growth in Echo Boomer households, which would help absorb the current vacant inventory and stabilize conditions for residential construction.”
Read article – Realtor Magazine
Phoenix home sales increase as prices move higher
Average sales prices have been rising slowly in the Phoenix metro area from a low of $151,400 in August 2011 to $166,000 in February. Median sales prices also have climbed from a low of $108,300 in May 2011 to $122,000 in February. List prices also are increasing. Pending foreclosures have dropped. There was a high of pending foreclosures in November 2009 with 50,568. That compares with 17,833 pending foreclosures in February. Distressed sales as a percentage of all sales are declining. February’s 3,723 distressed sales represent 51.4% of total sales. That compares with the highest level in September 2010 when distressed sales accounted for 74.1% of total sales.
Read article – Phoenix Business Journal

Mobile Devices Become More Important in Home Searches
Smartphones and tablets are being increasingly important tools for home buyers. A recent survey shows that 68% of mobile users contacted a real estate professional to schedule a showing based on their mobile search. What’s more, 98% of those who reported using mobile devices considered the tools valuable in their home search, and 46% said they were “essential.” See the full article to learn more about how they are using their mobile devices in their home search.
Read article – Realtor Magazine

When it comes to deciding which wood floor would suit your needs in the best way, consider the room’s use, what subfloor or existing floor that is there now, budget and your preferable design.

Solid hardwood floor. might outlast your house since it can go through several refinishing cycles. Installation needs underlayment, but it could be installed on existing subfloor. Hardwood provides an excellent design solution as it comes in many kinds of wood: oak, maple and ash.

Engineered floor. provides all the benefits of hardwood, it can be refinished as well but is easier to install and does not require underlayment subfloor and can be installed on any surface. Engineered hardwood flooring is made of wood, but it’s not solid. Instead it is a laminated product like plywood, with a thin but tough veneer of real wood on top laminated to three to five layers of less expensive wood (or fiberboard) and bonded under pressure with strong glues.

Laminate. is completely synthetic with a tough melamine wear coat over a paper or fiberboard core. The beauty of laminate flooring is that it can be made to look like any material; stone, ceramic tile, wood, and more – at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. The effect is achieved in the second layer, which contains a photographic representation of the real flooring material. It is easy to install and water resistant.

Bamboo plank floor. is an environmentally friendly material. Not only is bamboo a fast-growing and renewable crop, the companies that make bamboo flooring use binders with low emissions. Bamboo flooring is made by shredding stalks of the raw material, then pressing them together with a resin that holds the shreds in their finished shape.
Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.marymaxie.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties 602-738-6597
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS

By Nick Timiraos PHOENIX—As home prices continue to drop in most cities, a nascent real-estate rebound here holds lessons for the rest of the country.

This sprawling desert metropolis was one of the hardest hit housing markets during the bust. Phoenix home prices declined 55% from 2006 through the end of 2011, and Arizona’s foreclosure rate jumped to No. 3 in the nation in 2009. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners are underwater, meaning they owe more than their homes are worth.

Now real-estate economists across the country are studying an early but surprisingly broad Phoenix turnaround. The sharp drop in home prices has brought new buyers into the market. Unlike other markets where housing recoveries have been snuffed out by big overhangs of homes for sale and foreclosed properties, inventories are lean here.

“Phoenix has hit a bottom,” says Thomas Lawler, an independent housing economist who was one of the first to warn six years ago that prices in overbuilt metros were poised to fall.

The nation’s hard-hit housing markets face a tough act: engineering a housing recovery without traditional trade-up buyers, many of whom are either unwilling or unable to sell because of huge price declines.

Phoenix has found a viable formula. Low prices are igniting demand from first-time buyers and investors who are converting the homes to rentals. The local economy is on the upswing with several big employers like Amazon.com Inc. and Intel Corp. hiring again, which is further increasing demand for housing. And the region is benefiting from a surge of buyers from Canada who are using their favorable exchange rate to scoop up bargains in the desert.

Local mom-and-pop investors are also playing key roles in soaking up supply. “I’m running my Realtor ragged looking at properties,” said Robert Gerundo, who last month stood inside a two-bedroom condominium, scribbling his signature on an offer to buy the unit for $50,200, slightly above the listing price set by the bank, which recently foreclosed on the unit.

Mr. Gerundo has bought 13 properties in Phoenix in the past two years and rents them out for as little as $950 a month. The 49-year-old, who drives around in a Jaguar with a Rutgers sticker on it, says he is making so much money as a landlord that he quit his job last year in New Jersey as a banker.

Nationally, housing demand still remains weak and bank-owned sales are expected to rise this year, putting more pressure on prices. Many economists say they expect home prices nationally could fall by another 3% or so this year before hitting a bottom next year. Most expect that prices will rise little for several years.

U.S. home prices fell another 2% in the fourth quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index tracking 20 cities. But prices rose by 2% in Phoenix, the biggest increase of any metro area in the country. Over the past year, prices in Phoenix are down by 1.2%, the smallest drop since its prices started falling in 2006.

Other markets are showing signs of life, too, as the spring buying season gets under way. Recent job gains for Detroit’s auto sector have helped rev up sales in recent months. Home prices in Washington, D.C., have fared better than in much of the country thanks to better employment prospects from government-related hiring.

Big price drops, like those in Phoenix, are another key. In Detroit, prices are down by 46% over the past six years and have fallen to levels last seen in 1994. Sales have picked up in Miami, where prices are down by 51% over the past five years.

But low prices alone haven’t been enough to so stabilize other epicenters of the housing bust where job growth still lags. In Las Vegas, where prices have tumbled 62% since 2006, including 8.9% over the past year, the local economy is heavily dependent on tourism and gambling, both industries that haven’t recovered. “A lot of markets in the country have hit a bottom, but I just don’t see them coming back the way Phoenix has,” says John Burns, a homebuilding consultant in Irvine, Calif.

The improving housing market in Phoenix isn’t much comfort to anybody who bought a home there a few years ago. More than 52% of mortgage borrowers owe more than their homes are worth, according to CoreLogic, a real-estate data company. And not everyone in Phoenix is convinced that the improvements will last, especially if the economy falters or oil prices soar.

Phoenix saw a small run-up in prices three years ago when federal tax credits spurred a buying frenzy, but prices dropped again once the credits expired. Others worry that banks have delayed foreclosures and will begin to saturate the market with more properties in the coming year. “It feels like a temporary bottom,” says Brett Barry, a real-estate agent who lists properties for Fannie Mae.

Such concerns haven’t discouraged buyers like Lloyd Sheiner from taking advantage of low prices to build an inventory of 143 homes, which he rents out to families that haven’t been able to hold on to their homes.

“The panic is over,” says Mr. Sheiner, an apartment and commercial real-estate investor who lives in Montreal and began buying 18 months ago after he concluded prices were too low.

His average renter, he says, is a family of four with parents who have jobs. “They’ve been sitting around their kitchen table with a $350,000 mortgage on a house worth $140,000,” he says. “And they’re saying to themselves, ‘Geez, what are we going to do? Do we spend the next 20 years of our life paying this down or do we start over?’ ”

His company, Living Well Homes, has built its own property-management infrastructure that allows tenants to submit work orders online and automatically deducts rent from their checking account. “We don’t go running around the valley banging on the door collecting rent,” he says.

Out-of-state buyers accounted for one-quarter of all purchases last month. One in every 25 sales went to a buyer that listed a Canadian address when registering the sale, according to the Cromford Report, a local real-estate publication. Many are flush with cash from a real-estate boom of their own in Canada and an exchange rate that has given Canadians unusual buying power.

Dean Selvey, a real-estate agent and investor who has built his business around marketing to Canadian snowbirds, last month set up a big booth at a two-day trade show in nearby Mesa called “Canadian Snowbird Extravaganza Celebration” that drew 5,000 attendees. “It’s chase the Canadians—that’s our market,” he says.

A few days later, Jon Mirmelli, a local real-estate agent who has bought nearly a dozen foreclosures as rentals, knocked on the door of a homeowner whose home was slated for a bank foreclosure auction. After introducing himself and informing the occupant about the imminent foreclosure sale, he popped the question: “If you’re not able to keep your house, would you be interested in renting it?”

From the porch, Mr. Mirmelli’s business partner sized up the condition of the three-bedroom house, which the current owner bought for $150,000 in a short sale two years ago. At courthouse auctions, homes are sold as is, meaning the buyers may have to evict the former owner.

Nearly 29% of homes sold last month went to buyers who indicated they planned to rent out the properties, according to the Cromford Report. That figure has been on the rise over the past two years. In mid-2010, the share stood near 15%.

Competition from investors is frustrating for aspiring first-time buyers like Adam Brenner. “This does not feel like a buyer’s market at all,” says Mr. Brenner, a pharmacist who estimates that he has looked at 60 houses since last fall. “You hear and read about how there are so many homes for sale, but once you start looking, it’s a pretty big shock.”

Many real-estate agents have reported more bidding wars in recent weeks, and some buyers are agreeing to escalation clauses, a bubble-era provision where they agree to pay a certain price above the highest offer.

Arizona makes it easier for banks to take back properties through foreclosure without going to court. The state saw the largest decline in the share of loans that were seriously delinquent or in foreclosure during 2011, according to Lender Processing Services. So-called judicial states such as Florida, where banks must process foreclosures by going through court, have seen growing backlogs, which some fear could eventually drag down Florida markets again in the future.

Now prices are firming up because fewer homes are selling out of foreclosure. Foreclosed properties accounted for 36% of all home resales in January, down from 55% one year ago and a peak of 66% in March 2009, according to DataQuick, a real-estate data firm. Those declines have fallen, in part, because banks are also becoming more efficient at approving short sales, where it allows a sale for less than the mortgage debt owed.

Mike Orr, founder of the Cromford Report, says concerns that banks will begin to dump more foreclosures on the market are overblown, at least in Phoenix. “People think there’s a glut of homes the banks are hiding somewhere, and that may be the case in other markets, but not here,” he says.

Still, a market recovery on paper means little to hundreds of thousands of underwater homeowners. Consider the case of Gil Monti. In just two days, he received five offers for this home—four above his asking price.

But that offers little comfort: He has been forced to sell the home, which he built 34 years ago and where he raised all three of his children, in a short sale for $275,000.

Mr. Monti was one of many people who refinanced his home repeatedly during the boom, pulling out cash along the way to fund home improvements and his kids’ college educations. He paid $100,000 in construction and land costs in 1978, and the home was valued at nearly $600,000 in 2006. He sold the property last month in a short sale because his “interest only” $473,000 mortgage reset last year, requiring full interest and principal payments.

He realized the depth of his troubles last year when a neighbor sold a home for just $199,000, a third of what Mr. Monti’s home was worth at the peak.

Mr. Monti isn’t alone. “The recovery that gives people like Gil the freedom to sell their property is not going to happen, possibly ever, for a lot of people here,” says Greg Markov, his real-estate agent.

Mr. Markov also represents Mr. Gerundo, the investor who bought 13 properties as rentals. “That recovery is already here” for Mr. Gerundo, Mr. Markov says. “His investment is not going down in value.”

Write to Nick Timiraos at nick.timiraos@wsj.com

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

1. There are more and more listings coming on the market, but buyers are being shut out, unless they have cash in hand, & are ready to bid way higher than list price.
2. I’m getting lots of email flyers from realtors who are advertising that their listings are “pre-MLS” There is such great compeitition to buy almost anything on the market, that houses are being sold before they go on MLS, & are coming onto MLS as already under contract. One realtor tour last week touted that 6 out of 10 houses on tour were pre-MLS.
3. Since buyers don’t always have the luxury of thinking over their purchase before they make an offer, they may have the highest bid, but after thinking about it, they let it go, & it comes “Back On Market” in MLS. Investors who are bidding sight unseen, often figure out after they win the bid that they can’t rehab, and sell, and make a profit, so they let it go back on the market.
4. If the house was bid up above list price, which many are, and the buyer in first position backs out, then it comes back on the market at the bid that was highest over list price, so we see “Back On Market” at a higher price than a couple of weeks ago.
5. I am seeing more higher priced houses on the market these days. The over $300,000 houses stay on the market a bit longer, but ultimately they also go for more than listed prices.
6. Even in December 2011, you could still find houses for under $100,000 in the main areas of the valley. Now you are not seeing anything under $100,000 unless you are a long ways out.
7. There are not nearly as many bank owned/foreclosures coming onto the market as there were even a few months ago. Short sales are more common as banks try & mitigate their losses by allowing short sales instead of forcing foreclosure, even if the seller hasn’t paid mortgage payments for months.
8. Buyers expecting to get a bargain, are surprised to find escalating prices and bidding wars. Buyers who need mortgage approval & appraisals are getting shut out by investors.
9. Investors now make up around 50% of the buyers, & Foreign nationals, such as Canadians make up another 24%. There’s not much left for the ordinary person who just wants to buy one house.

If yu want up to date information on home buying in Arizona, Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com

If you or anyone you know wants to talk about pricing, short sales or anything else that’s going on in this crazy real estate market, please call me.

Arizona Short Sale Points To Ponder

Have you ever thought about a short sale on your home? Are you underwater but still managing to make your payments every month? Or maybe you have no idea what to do do next, & have had to stop making mortgage payments?

I’d be happy to sit down and explain a few things to you, and help you make the life-changing decision you will eventually have to face if you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the above questions.

I can give you information on the newest plans for folks such as you from banks, government and real estate buyers and investors. The only thing that remains constant is change, and as your real estate professional, I spend many hours each week in contact with bankers, investors, and short sale lawyers, accountants and other advisors to keep up to the minute on what’s happening in the marketplace. It changes almost daily, wo what you thought last week, or read in last week’s media may not be valid this week or next week.

Let’s talk about the following:
1. Avoiding foreclosure & the future problems that foreclosure can cause
2. Find out about forgiveness of deficiency
3. In many cases, dings to your credit score can be avoided or minimized
4. Yes, you can begin to rebuild your real estate assets immediately
5. After a short sale, there are non-traditional financing options available
6. Cash for keys from the bank
7. Sooner is better than later to deal with underwater housing
8. Short sales usually bring a higher value than a foreclosure
9. Laws continue to change, very quickly and very often, so stay up to date

Want to know more about the Phoenix Scottsdale home scene? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home at mary.maxie@pruaz.com
*Disclosure issues affecting Phoenix Home buying
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Prudential Arizona Properties
Frequent updates at my blog www.marymaxie.com