Robyn and Louisa's Blog

How can I get a free copy of my credit report?

Q: How can I get a free copy of my credit report?

A: You can get one free credit report every twelve months from each of the nationwide credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--by

• visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or
• calling (877) 322-8228.

You will need to provide certain information to access your report, such as your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth.

You can order one, two, or all three reports at the same time, or you can request these reports at various times throughout the year. The option you choose will depend on the goal of your review. A
report generated by one of the three major credit bureaus may not contain all of the information pertaining to your credit history. Therefore, if you want a complete view of your credit record at a particular moment, you should examine your report from each bureau at the same time. However, if you wish to detect errors and monitor changes in your credit profile over time, you may wish to review a single credit report every four months.

Posted at 03:12PM Jan 05, 2011 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Site to See: Federal Reserve's 'Credit Reports and Credit Scores'

by Broderick Perkins

There's a new source of credit score and credit report information in town and it doesn't try to sell you related services or use content to generate ad revenues.

While the federal government would like to sell you on the idea that it's on your side -- and convincing you your government is working for you often does take a bit of a hard sell these days -- the Federal Reserve's new credit score and credit report web site is worth the taxpayer dollars that financed it.

"Consumer's Guide to Credit Reports and Credit Scores" is a compendium of advertisement-free credit report and credit score content that earns the Feds a high score.

Among independent sources of like information, perhaps only Consumer Reports and AARP offer similarly robust, independent information without a sales pitch.

Along with practical answers to questions about credit reports, credit scores, and the importance of protecting your credit history, the Fed's free online guide explains the contents of your credit report, tells you how and when a credit score is used, and discusses the role of credit bureaus in collecting and sharing your credit history.

You need this information because it can make or break you when it comes time to get a mortgage, personal loan, insurance, a job, or whenever some entity needs to determine if you are creditworthy.

If you are approved for financial services, your report and score also determine home much it's going to cost you to obtain credit and other financial services.

The Fed's web site reveals how you can improve your credit score (and lower credit costs) and it offers step-by-step instructions to help you correct an error on your credit report -- not an uncommon job for credit-active consumers.

What's more, the site couldn't have gone live at a better time.

Lenders are squeezing consumers for the best creditworthiness ever, just as the Feds are rolling out two related landmark regulatory overhauls for the greatest consumer protections ever and long overdue finance industry scrutiny.

Your credit standing is at stake.

One is the "Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010" (known as "Wall Street Reform"), which is heavy in mortgage lending rules.

Good credit scores are crucial to landing a mortgage, getting your mortgage refinance and getting a home equity line of credit or second mortgage.

The other regulatory newbie is the "Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009" and the site is embedded with related information: "New Credit Card Rules Effective Aug. 22, 2010" and "New Credit Card Rules Effective Feb. 22, 2011" to keep you apprised.

The new credit card rules heap on new and extensive disclosures credit card issuers must reveal to you and they limit the fees, interest rates and other charges credit card issuers can levy.

But it's still up to you to do the right credit thing and the site offers some pointers.

For example, to improve your credit score:

• Get copies of your credit report -- then make sure information is correct. The site tells you how.

• Pay your bills on time.

• Understand how your credit score is determined. The new site tells you.

• Learn the legal steps to take to improve your credit report. Again, the information is online.

• Beware of credit-repair scams. The web site keeps you up to date.

Also to get the most out of your credit card, the site advises:

• Again, pay on time. Don't be a deadbeat.

• Stay below your credit limit. How much below? Visit the site.

• Avoid unnecessary fees. You'll learn online which ones to avoid and how to avoid them.

• Pay more than the minimum payment. The more the better.

• Keep tabs and watch for changes in your credit card terms. Credit card companies continue to look for loopholes so they can take you to the cleaners -- for a fee.

The site is new and fresh with the latest government regulations dovetailing into your responsibilities, indicating it's not just up to the law to make sure creditors do the right thing.

You pay taxes for this kinda information. Pay attention.

Bookmark it.

"Site To See" is a DeadlineNews Group series of reviews of content-heavy websites deemed unique, consumer-friendly, informative and easy to use.

Published: December 30, 2010

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Posted at 02:55PM Jan 05, 2011 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Arizona's population: 6.4 mil

Arizona will gain a ninth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 elections, a result of being the second-fastest-growing state in the nation over the past decade, according to the first release of 2010 census data Tuesday. The final tally, however, may disappoint those who hoped Arizona's growth surge for much of the decade would yield an even larger share of federal funding and two additional seats, as in 2000. The housing bust, the Great Recession and efforts to drive out illegal immigrants combined to rein in the galloping pace of population growth in recent years, helping keep Arizona's count well below projections, experts said. Still, for those who like growth's economic pluses, the 2010 census was another milestone in the state's ascendancy. The tally, pegged to April 1, showed Arizona's population totaled 6.4 million, a 25 percent gain since 2000. Only Nevada grew faster. The U.S. Census Bureau had previously estimated Arizona's population at more than 6.6 million. As it turned out, Arizona fell 328,000 residents shy of gaining a second congressional seat. Arizona's voice in Washington will get stronger with the 2012 elections; its electoral votes in that year's presidential election will increase to 11 from 10. The nation's population was officially 308,745,538, according to the census. The 9.7 percent growth nationally since 2000, as well as Arizona's growth, was the slowest pace since the 1940 census. Growth slowed during the Great Depression. In 2012, Arizona's congressional delegation up for election will grow to nine from eight members, giving the state added clout in Washington and more weight in presidential politics. The relative population gains also mean Arizona will collect a greater share of federal grants, which now top more than $400 billion annually. Arizona's leaders welcomed the news Tuesday. With the 25 percent growth, "Arizona has positioned itself to be the place for corporations looking for a better operating environment to collaborate and grow," Gov. Jan Brewer's office said in a written statement. "Poised and ready to be the economic center of the West, the Arizona Commerce Authority's mission is to attract new companies and corporations that will allow Arizona to compete on the global stage." The census data released Tuesday don't detail city or county populations. That information will be released starting in February, as states turn to the contentious matter of redrawing state legislative and congressional districts based on the new data. Some experts think the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, which hasn't been selected, will create the new congressional district in a high-growth area of Maricopa or Pinal county.

Tailing off

Because the census counts all residents, not just citizens or legal immigrants, measures that cracked down on illegal immigration may have hurt Arizona's population figures. Many illegal immigrants left before the April census. Others who stayed may have been more unlikely than ever to participate out of fear of being deported or jailed. The Pew Hispanic Center and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security separately noted that Arizona's illegal-immigrant population declined by 100,000 from 2008 to 2009, although their estimated counts ranged from 375,000 to 460,000. The economic downturn, however, also likely had a similar impact on population growth. From 2001 to 2007, Arizona added an average 170,000 new residents annually, according to census estimates released each year during the decade. As it turned out, the state's growth for the whole decade was about 128,000 annually, according to the census. It's unclear whether the earlier estimates were flawed or the effects of the recession on growth were more profound than previously known. Other states hit hard by the housing collapse, such as California, Florida and Nevada, still managed to grow compared with their 2009 estimated populations. Clark Bensen, president of Polidata, a Virginia-based political-data-analysis firm, said Arizona was among the states with the highest discrepancies between projected growth and actual population. "Arizona was clearly much lower down than what we thought it was going to be," Bensen said. "Georgia was also much lower than we thought it was going to be, as was New York." Demographers will dig deeper for answers, but housing is a leading culprit. "If the housing market hadn't collapsed the way it did, you would have seen the migration into Arizona continue," said Andrew Smith, a political-science professor at the University of New Hampshire. Some suspect Arizona's growth may have been overstated all along, not properly recognizing many homes as a secondary residence or accounting for projects that got under way but were never completed.

Sources of growth

The formal count confirms what the state's residents have known for the past 60 years: Arizona, like most of the West, is growing much faster than the nation as a whole. Since 1950, only Nevada has grown faster. Over the past decade, both states led the nation again. Annual Census Bureau estimates have spotlighted the main reasons for Arizona's growth since 2000. Hispanics are the fastest-growing demographic group in the state, as well as in the country. In 2000, 25 percent of the state's residents were Hispanic, compared with 13 percent nationally. The most recent estimates released by the Census Bureau last week indicate 30 percent of Arizonans are Hispanic, while the U.S. average grew at a slower pace: 15 percent. The state had an estimated 1.9 million Hispanic residents by the end of the decade, about 586,000 more than in 2000. It's unclear whether the growth in Hispanics might benefit Democrats when the extra congressional district is created. Arizona also remained a magnet for residents of other states. Over the past 10 years, only Florida and Texas added more residents from other states than Arizona, according to estimates.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/12/22/20101222census-az1222.html#ixzz19WoQxmTK

Posted at 12:01PM Dec 29, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

5 Predictions for 2011

Freddie Mac analysts point to five features that they believe will likely characterize the 2011 housing and mortgage markets:

1. Low mortgage rates. With Fed observers expecting the central bank to keep the federal funds rate at its current target range of 0 percent to 0.25 percent for most (or all) of 2011, relatively low mortgage rates will be a feature of the 2011 mortgage market. Thirty-year fixed-rate loans are likely to remain below 5 percent throughout the year, and initial rates of 5/1 hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages will likely remain below 4 percent in 2011.

2. Prices have hit bottom. House prices are likely to begin a gradual, but sustained recovery in the second half of 2011. 

3. Housing will remain affordable. With affordability high, many first-time buyers will be attracted to the housing market in the New Year, likely translating into more home sales in 2011 than in 2010.

4. Refinances will dwindle. Many eligible borrowers have already refinanced and the federal Making Home Affordable refinance program is expiring on June 30. While fixed-rate loans are likely to remain low, they will move up gradually, making it even less likely that refinances will be attractive to most home owners.

5. Delinquency rates will decline. Based on the last several business cycles, the share of loans that are 90 or more days delinquent or in foreclosure proceedings — known as the "seriously delinquent rate" — generally crests within a year of the start of the recovery in payroll employment, and this economic recovery appears to fit within that pattern. Payrolls began to rise last January, and by the spring the seriously delinquent rate had begun to fall.

Source: Freddie Mac (12/09/2010)

http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2010121002

Posted at 11:49AM Dec 27, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

What In The World Is Robo-Signing?

What In The World Is Robo-Signing? The news has been on foreclosure overload with recent actions by government and lenders alike bearing down on the mortgage foreclosure freezes, investigations, suspensions and lately court cases all centered on a dubious practice called 'Robo-Signing.'  

 

WHAT IS ROBO-SIGNING?

Robo-signing, a term coined back in 1999 by consumer and investor advocate Nye Lavalle, to describe the automatic generation of documents. One document processor has represented that she "robo-signed" more than 2,000 a day (one every 13 seconds), making it impossible to verify any material fact in the document let alone the file.

FORECLOSURES Most recently, attention has been focused on the mortgage lending industry; specifically the larger lenders such as JP Morgan and Bank of America have suspended mortgage foreclosures in over 23 states. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have also suspended foreclosure processes until they can assess and regain control. Here the term robo-signing applies to the practice of mass processing and signing off foreclosure documents with little or no oversight resulting in hundreds, possibly thousands of homeowners losing their homes through incomplete or inaccurate documentation. It has quickly grown to a disaster of epic proportions. The process had gotten so egregious that in many cases the robo-signed documents and affidavits (some inaccurate) were not even notarized until weeks or months later. There are cases where mortgages have been processed that are not delinquent and mortgage loans that the lenders/servicers don't even own. A majority of lenders acknowledge the serious but believe most of the documents in the process will prove valid. So, the current scandal has caused a delay to the foreclosure process but it is not a reprieve. However, it is giving households some time to straighten out their financial commitments.

DEBT COLLECTION Now, firms that buy debts are coming under scrutiny as the flood of delinquent consumer and commercial debt make it through the collection process. Courts require that anyone submitting an affidavit to a court against a debtor must have proof of that claim - proper documentation of a debt's origins, history and amount. Without this information it is doubtful the documentation meets the legal standard of due diligence. Many of these debt-buying companies take the facts at face value, retaining little more than basic databases on the creditor and the debt.

In the current credit, debt and collection environment it is emphatic that the consumer be aware.

Key Economic Reports Released This Week

RELEASE DATE	ECONOMIC INDICATORS	RELEASED BY	CONSENSUS	Wt.	INFLUENCE ON INTEREST RATES
Tue 10/07 1:00 pm et	3-Year Note Auction	Dept. of the Treasury	$32.0B offering	**	If strong demand  If weak demand
Tue 10/07 3:00 pm et	Consumer Credit for October '10	Federal Reserve Board	-$2.5B	*	If above consensus   If below consensus
Wed 12/08 7:00 am et	MBA Mtg Apps Survey  for week ending 12/03	Mortgage Bankers Association of America	N/A	*	Undetermined
Wed 12/08 1:00 pm et	10-Year Note Auction	Dept. of the Treasury	$21.0B offering	**	If strong demand  If weak demand
Thu 12/09 8:30 am et	Jobless Claims for week ending 12/04	Bur. of Labor Statistics Department of Labor	430k	*	If above consensus  If below consensus
Thu 12/09 10:00 am et	Wholesale Trade for October '10	Bureau of the Census Dept. of Commerce	0.6%	**	Undetermined
Thu 12/09 1:00 pm et	30-Year Bond Auction	Dept. of the Treasury	$13.0B offering	**	If strong demand  If weak demand
Fri 12/10 8:30 am et	International Trade for October '10	Bureau of the Census Dept. of Commerce	-$44.5B	**	If above consensus  If below consensus
Fri 12/10 8:30 am et	Import & Export Prices for November '10	Bur. of Labor Statistics Department of Labor	ImPrice 0.8%	*	If above consensus   If below consensus
Fri 12/10 10:00 am et	Consumer Credit for December '10	Federal Reserve Board	72.0%	*	If above consensus   If below consensus
Fri 12/10 2:00 pm et	Treasury Budget for November ' 10	Dept. of the Treasury	-$130.0B	*	Undetermined

* Low Importance

** Moderate Importance

*** Important

**** Very Important

Posted at 11:22AM Dec 27, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Phoenix area foreclosures hit 32-month low

Foreclosures across metro Phoenix plummeted to a 32-month low in November, but the decline probably is only temporary.

Big banks, including one of Arizona's largest lenders, put foreclosure proceedings on hold in recent months amid nationwide questions about how they handled the documents used to take back homes.

That move put the brakes on the region's ongoing wave of foreclosures. But while the pause was a welcome reprieve for many struggling homeowners, real-estate analysts expect lenders to ramp up their foreclosure activity in the next few months. Lenders usually foreclose through an auction process known as a trustee sale in Arizona. Notices of trustee sales, so-called pre-foreclosures, dropped to 5,607 last month from 6,728 a month earlier, according to real-estate data company Information Market. That's the lowest level of Phoenix-area foreclosures initiated in a month since March 2008, 33 months ago. Actual foreclosures plummeted to 2,509, also the lowest since March 2008. Most of the decline in last month's foreclosure activity is because of a two-month moratorium by Bank of America. Before the moratorium, the lender had been foreclosing on 50 homes a day in the region. BofA pushed back the trustee sales of more than 8,000 Phoenix-area homes to January or later during its moratorium, said Tom Ruff, analyst with Information Market. That moratorium expired this week. "BofA has two months of foreclosures to catch up on," Ruff said. "That almost guarantees near-record foreclosures in the coming months." During the past few days, BofA started foreclosing on Valley homes again. Most people losing homes to foreclosure don't have to worry about having to move over the holidays. BofA, as well as mortgage giants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase, have said they won't enforce foreclosure evictions from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3. Several national lenders announced moratoriums on foreclosures a few months ago, but Bank of America was the only one to include Arizona. GMAC started the foreclosure-moratorium movement in late September when it decided to stop seizing foreclosure homes in some states so it could double-check its paperwork. JPMorgan Chase and PNC Financial followed with similar actions in those states. The freezes followed accusations of "robo-signing" cases that involved mortgage-servicer employees signing hundreds of foreclosure documents a day without reviewing them or verifying that the paperwork was correct. A small number of foreclosures have been canceled or retracted due to the moratoriums. Housing analysts have been concerned the delay in foreclosures by BofA will result in an oversupply of inexpensive foreclosure homes for sale in metro Phoenix during the first few months of 2011. An oversupply could further drive down home prices, analysts believe.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2010/12/10/20101210phoenix-foreclosures-hit-32-month-low.html#ixzz19KxN0Vfn

Posted at 11:14AM Dec 27, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Foreclosure Freeze Coming for the Holidays

Foreclosure Freeze Coming for the Holidays

By Les Christie, staff writerDecember 3, 2010: 3:34 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Several of the big mortgage players are playing Santa Claus again this year, saying they will not evict borrowers in default during the two weeks surrounding Christmas. Freddie Mac (FMCC) and Fannie Mae (FNMA), the two government-controlled mortgage giants, are freezing all foreclosure evictions on mortgage loans they own or back from Dec. 20 through Jan.   Evictions mark the end of the foreclosure process. After the home is sold at foreclosure auction -- or banks take possession of the home -- owners must leave the property or face eviction notices. "If the property is occupied, our foreclosure attorneys will suspend the eviction to provide a greater measure of certainty to families during the holidays," said Anthony Renzi, executive vice president of single family portfolio management at Freddie Mac

Posted at 03:33PM Dec 09, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Economists: AZ on the brink of boucing back

Economists: AZ on the brink of boucing back

Posted: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 12:57 pm |Updated: 9:35 pm, Fri Dec 3, 2010. Tessa Muggeridge, for the Tribune   Arizona’s economy is on the cusp of a slow recovery after three years of decline, an Arizona State University economist said Wednesday.   Economist Lee McPheters told more than 1,000 attendees at the W.P. Carey School of Business/JPMorgan Chase 47th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon that 2011 will be the best year Arizona has seen since before the recession. A full recovery will come in about three years. “After three really weak years of economic performance, I think it’s pretty clear we’re on the threshold of recovery,” he told reporters before the luncheon. “Arizona is much stronger than it was a year ago.”   Recent data indicates that Arizona has become the No. 1 fastest-growing market for private sector jobs while it was among the weakest this time last year. Nationwide, it’s ranked 12th for job creation. The Phoenix metropolitan area shows the second highest job growth of large cities in the nation, trailing Washington, D.C.   Though it won’t be a vigorous recovery, the state has turned the corner as consumers slowly begin to regain confidence to spend, McPheters said. Nationally, slow improvement is also the case.   Philadelphia economist Joel L. Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors and recipient of several recent awards for economic-forecasting accuracy, said the nation’s cycle of weak job growth coupled with high unemployment has led to low job security, which directly affects consumer spending.   “I think this cycle is slowly beginning to break,” Naroff said, predicting that the negative cycle will turn positive by summertime.   Americans expected a swift, “V-shaped” recovery, he said, but that was never possible because of the housing market and financial sector collapses that led to the recession. Instead it might be a slow, mostly jobless recovery - but that is normal.   Arizona’s unemployment The state is expected to add about 48,000 jobs in 2011, but that still won’t bring the state to the pre-recession levels of 2007, McPheters said.   While the nation has seen 6 percent total job loss, Arizona saw 11 percent and the Phoenix metro area saw 12 percent, numbers that are difficult to recover from quickly.   In the coming months, Arizona’s unemployment rate will likely remain high, hovering around 9 percent through the end of 2011, he said.   Lagging housing market The real estate market has shown almost no progress in the past year, said Elliott D. Pollack, CEO of Scottsdale economic and real estate consulting firm Elliott D. Pollack and Co. A full recovery isn’t predicted until 2014 or 2015.   In the Valley, one in five homes is a rental because families don’t have the money or the confidence to buy, he said. Tough mortgage standards mean more people are renting than ever before.   Though a recovery is eventually on the horizon, Pollack said he doesn’t yet believe prices have bottomed out. “The good news is that time will bail us out,” he said.   Road to recovery James Glassman, managing director and senior economist for JPMorgan Chase & Co., told attendees that 2010’s growing corporate profits are a reason to have limited optimism. Built-up demand from consumers who have been avoiding big purchases could lead to strong demand next year as businesses begin to rebound, he said.   “It’s not natural to stay in a deep hole,” Glassman said, but he predicted it might take a decade for the nation to get back to full employment. Hints that Congress could extend tax cuts that were expected to expire this year could also boost recovery.   Brewer’s plans The forecast comes a day after Gov. Jan Brewer revealed several economic development proposals to attract new businesses to the state and create jobs.   The plans include income tax cuts for businesses and other tax incentives. The proposal would create a $25 million state fund to provide grants to businesses thinking about Arizona for expansion, relax state regulations and semi-privatize the Commerce Department.   The package requires legislative approval.   Source: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/business/article_218b40e0-fd85-11df-bc8d-001cc4c002e0.html

Posted at 03:18PM Dec 09, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Where is this "Shadow" Inventory Everyone has been talking about?

 

[Read More]

Posted at 10:10AM Sep 28, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Cave Creek Named Arizona's top affordable suburb

 Source:  AZCentral.com

With its Wild West legacy and open parks, Cave Creek has earned the title of Arizona's "best affordable suburb" in a 2010 report by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

 

Cave Creek unseated Fountain Hills, which won the award last year. The magazine focused on communities where families "live well for less and enjoy good schools, low crime and reasonable commutes." Affordability and quality of living were taken into account. Cave Creek was mentioned for its cowboy cookouts, rodeos, horseback riding and 2,922-acre Cave Creek Regional Park. "I think Cave Creek combines a Thoreau type of living and nature setting along with conveniences of a modern world," Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia said. Francia said Cave Creek has a "very reasonable" commute and affordable living cost.

 

The median home price in 2009 was $325,000, according to an analysis by The Arizona Republic using data from Information Market.

 

Phoenix and Scottsdale median home prices last year were $90,000 and $399,000, respectively.

 

BusinessWeek defines suburbs as being within 25 miles of the most populated city in each state and have populations of 5,000 to 60,000, median family incomes of $51,000 to $120,000 and lower-than-average crime rates.

 

Other factors included low pollution, green space, well-educated residents, high family income and cost of expenditures, with affordability most heavily weighed. Places were penalized for poor weather, few children, lack of racial diversity and higher divorce rates.

 

Factors were measured using information from New York-based real-estate data company Onboard Informatics, according to BusinessWeek.

 

Cave Creek, with a population of 5,000 people, was the smallest community on the list. Francia said its Western heritage "is a moniker of Cave Creek and has been ever since its founding in 1870."

 

Communities can be awarded more than once, BusinessWeek spokeswoman Patti Straus said. Fountain Hills was awarded last year for its natural beauty, proximity to the McDowell Mountains and outdoor activities.

 

 

Posted at 10:00AM Mar 27, 2010 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

2009 Phoenix Business Journal's Top Real Estate Agents, Teams, & Brokers

2009 Phoenix Business Journal's Top Real Estate Agents, Teams, & Brokers

We are proud to announce that we've made the 2009 Phoenix Business Journal's "Book of Lists". They have ranked the 25 top residential Real Estate teams in the the valley and we're on it! Our team of just 2 agents have outperformed much larger teams to rank us #24 in all of the Residential Real Estate teams in the valley. Thank you for all of your referrals and continued trust in us.  We also wanted to share the news that RE/MAX Excalibur ranked #8 in the top Real Estate companies in all of Maricopa county. For a copy of the lists, visit http://www.excaliburresourcecenter.com/documents/2009_Book_of_Lists.pdf    View RE/MAX's Market share compared to other Real Estate Companies in the Valley:   Click Here For Scottsdale            Click Here For Phoenix

Posted at 03:25PM Jul 30, 2009 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

FHA Streamline Refinance

If you bought a home in the last 3 years with an FHA or VA loan, you are currently eligible to take advantage of an FHA streamline refinance!  FHA rates are in the low 5's and there is a small chance that they may dip into the 4's in coming weeks!   

Posted at 11:27AM Feb 10, 2009 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]

Invitation to Investorloft.com

I have recently been introduced to a resource for real estate investors, and REI oriented real estate professionals.

At InvestorLoft.com you will find a growing database of residential real estate investment opportunities, 1031 exchange replacement properties, and real estate investments for self-directed IRA investments.

InvestorLoft.com provides some progressive search technology and easy to use analytics to help you sort through the opportunities in the database and find the listings that meet your individual objectives.

Its worth checking out!
Use my code ROBNMEAZ on the signup page, or click this link:
http://www.investorloft.com/signup.php?R=ROBNMEAZ

Regards,
Robyn

Posted at 06:00AM Nov 12, 2008 by Louisa Ward & Robyn Viktor in Real Estate  |  Comments[0]