Real Estate Information

Here is the local market update for the month of October 2007. According to the most recent released numbers, home sales across the desert  area  fell 16.8% in September compared to the same month last year. That's encouraging compared to many areas of the country where they have seen sales decline in much higher numbers. Also, the valley's median home price rose   6.4% to $377,920 in that same period.

"Even though this market favors buys due to sellers being very motivated and willing to negotiate on price and terms, if you are trying to time the bottom of the market before buying, you may miss it by waiting longer.                                                                                                                                       We are a unique area that is difficult to compare to other areas. Our numbers are showing signs of improvement and interest rates are still historic low It would seem that waiting may prove to be a big mistake - this is the time to buy."

Rob Zwemmer

The 200-day Moving Average has historically acted as a very strong "floor of support" or "ceiling of resistance" for Bonds, meaning that Bonds generally decidedly trade above or below this line. And the current tap-dance that Bonds are doing all over this level shows that there is a bit of uncertainty in the markets - and it will take a series of economic reports that are either very strong or very weak to propel Bonds to move away from the 200-day Moving Average.

And last week's news just didn't provide enough impetus for Bonds to make a decisive move one way or the other. Retail Sales were much better than expected yet Consumer Sentiment was lower than expected, while reads on Producer Price Inflation were a bit mixed. All in all, home loan rates stayed generally flat for most of the week.

Chart: Fannie Mae 6.0% Mortgage Bond (Friday Oct 12, 2007)

Just returned from a 3 day convention in Anaheim, California. We visit the 3 day annual convention of C.A.R.   Wow ! what an experience, we attended so many classes and got so much information and feedback regarding the current Real Estate Market and the future of it.

Here are some of the ahas of my 3-day stay in Anaheim,

• The Baby Boomer's are making a move with buying second homes or relocating.
• Blogging and Vlogging(Video) are the future tools of communication in Real Estate.
• Cell phones will be the main tools for receiving messages, video's, property flyer's etc.

We have learned to use new marketing tools, shared ideas with other Realtors and made new contacts and friends.

Looking forward to next year !

Rob Zwemmer

Just got this on my desk:

Dear Rob:

This letter is overdue but we want to thank-you for the excellent professional service you gave us during the purchase of our condo in PGA West.  You made buying property a fun experience.  Your motto, you told us, was to provide service above our expectations.   You were always patient when we didn’t see the “right” property for us and ultimately, you did find something that we like very much.

Rob, we feel you gave us accurate information re. the Real Estate market, listened to our wants and needs, and really paid attention to us as your clients.  In no way did we ever feel that we were just dollar signs to you—a characteristic we have found in some realtors.  We always felt that you really wanted us to be satisfied and happy and that you steered us in the right direction.  We love the location of our new condo and are happily having a little up-dating work done as I write this.

Not only did you successfully complete this sale but you have continued to help us.  We can’t thank-you enough for helping us unload a refrigerator and a couple of other heavy items from our rental truck when we brought some things we’d had in storage to our new condo.  Thank-you, also, for arranging a bid with some potential contractors for work we wanted done.  It is so nice to know that you are there for us and that we can call on you if we need help.

We hope our friendship will continue.  Besides being our realtor, you are a very interesting person.  We look forward to showing you the results when we finish having the work done.

Sincerely,

John and Dorothy Terrill

• How long each property stayed on the market
• How close the sale price was to the asking price
• Notes comparing each home to yours, i.e.; number of bedrooms and baths, approximate square footage, sizes of major rooms, amenities such as fireplaces and pools, age of the home, property taxes and more.

• Make sure all exterior doors have good locks-at least dead-bolt locks with a 1" throw.
• Always lock up when you go out, even if only for a few minutes.
• Secure sliding glass doors with bars or locks, or put a broom handle in the door track.
• Make sure your windows have good locks, especially those at ground level.
• Make sure all porches, entrances, and outside areas are well lit.
• Trim any bushes or trees that hide doors or windows.
• Maintain your yard and keep ladders and tools inside when you're not using them.
• Don't hide your keys under the doormat or in a flowerpot. That's the first place burglars look! It's much better to give an extra key to a trusted neighbor.
• Mark your valuable property like TVs, VCRs, computers, cameras and stereos with your driver's license number.
• Keep a record of your property in a safe place.
• Install an alarm system for summoning emergency help.
• If you park your car outside, never leave a garage door opener in the car.

• Ask a neighbor to collect your mail and newspapers, and offer to return the favor.
• Put an automatic timer on at least two lights and a radio. Consider photoelectric sensors to turn outside lights on and off automatically.