
Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you they have seen their share of trashed out foreclosure properties. Here’s a sample video of one in the Agritopia subdivision. Yes, it is illegal to wreck a home, but that doesn’t stop a lot of people from doing it.On Monday, I saw a new (for m...
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One of the great things about spending at least a little time each week at Gangplank is that when I am there I am surrounded by people who are not in the mortgage business.And since I play a loan officer mortgage originator on Twitter, to many of the geeks at Gangplank I am that guy they can boun...
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Just wanted to take a moment to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas.Here are a few of my favorite Christmas songs. All quite different, all by very talented musicians. I hope you enjoy them. Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on Linkedin Share this on Frie...
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Looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve 2009? Want to ring in 2010 with a bang (so to speak)? Here’s a list of all sorts of things to do for New Year’s Eve across the Phoenix Valley.The Epic Parties:Fiesta Bowl Block Party 2009 / 2010 Dec 31 5:00pm – 12:30am Tempe Beach Park and Mil...
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Two days ago, my lovely bride and I were looking for a new place to eat on “date night”. So we scoured Yelp and Restaurant.com (more on that gem later) looking specifically for a good steak house.I wasn’t expecting to find a world class steak house in Queen Creek, Arizona.But find it we did.I am...
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Love my friends on the east coast. Y’all stay warm and be safe! Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on Linkedin Share this on FriendFeed Email this to a friend? Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Add this to Google Bookmar...
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I’m a big fan of statistics and charts. 20+ years in the semiconductor manufacturing industry will do that to a guy. Heck, I even took a second semester of statistics in college as an elective, because I liked it.That doesn’t stop me though from just “getting a feeling” about something. Ove...
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What, you are not on Twitter yet?If you aren’t on Twitter, you are missing out on millions of conversations being had right now – and you might be surprised to find out how much you can learn just by listening to the conversations that you are interested in.Say you were in the process...
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You have to love it when you find a perfect combination of personality, smarts and experience.We’re thrilled to announce that Kristin LaVanway has joined Thompson’s Realty. Kristin, a former rocket scientist (no, I’m not kidding), brings 5 years of real estate sales experience and the exact clie...
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Sometimes I don’t understand Congress and the government. Ok, often I don’t understand them…Case in point:The flurry of activity in the hollowed halls of the U.S. Capitol building over the last couple of months to get the first-time homebuyer’s tax credit extended (and expanded beyond first-time ...
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More than any time that I can remember since I have been in the mortgage business, people are paying close attention to their credit scores.People ask me questions like “what happens to my credit score if I <fill in the blank>?” on a regular basis and because of the nature of...
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The Heritage District, aka Downtown Gilbert, Arizona. An eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and services. “Big Granite Ball” water feature at Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza. It “floats” and can be turned by hand! Gilbert’s landmark structure – The Water Tower. Built in 1927.Interior of Gallery 225,...
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Normally I wouldn’t expect a pizza joint to make me sit back and say, “Hmmmm, this is a great idea to connect with customers and improve business.” It is, after all, just a pizza joint, albeit one with a damn good pizza.But the other day I received a thank you card. A hand-written thank you card ...
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I can’t help myself…If you are reading this blog post on PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com and not in a feed reader, and assuming you’ve been here before, and you remember what it looked like, then you’re well aware that we’ve changed the look and feel of the blog.If you’ve been around very long, you also...
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Your one-stop spot for information on Phoenix homes and the Phoenix real estate market. Updated every Tuesday.Phoenix Area Market SnapshotsAll Areas and Types of Sales: “Traditional Sales” only (Not lender owned or short sales): REO (Lender / Bank Owned) Properties only: Phoenix Metro Short Sale ...
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Your one-stop spot once-removed for information on Scottsdale homes and the Scottsdale real estate market. Updated frequently.Tucson Real Estate Market StatisticsTucson Average and Median Sales Price – Single Family Homes: Tucson Inventory and Sales Price: This charts are generated by the am...
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Your one-stop spot for information on Scottsdale homes and the Scottsdale real estate market. Updated weekly.Scottsdale Real Estate Market SnapshotsScottsdale Single Family Detached Homes: Scottsdale Active Listings (3 yr trends): Scottsdale Monthly Median Sales Price (3 yr trends): I can pu...
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What are you doing reading a real estate blog on Thanksgiving?Go watch some football, eat some turkey, loosen those pants, nap and spend time with your family and/or friends. Ponder all you have to be thankful for.I’m thankful for my family and friends and those that have placed their trust in u...
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Not surprising, but sobering numbers…The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of people underwater on their mortgages (those who owe more than the property is currently worth), has increased to 23% nationally.Arizona is second only to Nevada with 47.9% of all home owners with a mortgage h...
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Recently I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely and ridiculously talented Tara Hunt at the National Association of Realtors Conference & Expo. It was very cool to meet her and hang out a little, talking about real estate VRM (Vendor Relationship Management).“Holy shit, it’s Tara Hunt!” were...
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At this moment in time, it’s 79 degrees and sunny.Perfect golf weather.In the middle of November.This is why we live here. Gilbert, Arizona is home to several golf courses and today I swung by three. All are public course and all are in excellent condition.Kokopelli Golf Course 1800 W Guadalupe R...
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I have been seeing on the news quite a bit lately how the economic recovery is underway (I read something about Green Shoots months ago now, so logic dictates we are on our way to recovery, right?) but I am still being asked the question of “So what exactly is keeping me current on my mortg...
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Here I am, sitting in a San Diego hotel room at 4:00 in the m0rning, weeping like a baby…Just a few hours ago, the Highland High School Marching Band won first place in the Arizona State Marching Band Championship!My daughter Lauren is a member of that band.I just don’t have the vocabulary or th...
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Real estate bar camps are an held in an “unconference” format where some of the best and brightest come to share, laugh and learn.On November 12, prior to the National Association of Realtors annual Conference and Expo in San Diego, approximately real estate professionals from across the country ...
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For my Dad, Chaplain (COL) Jim Thompson, USA, Ret. and all who have ever served. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. – Author unknown In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. – José Nar...
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Spend much time on real estate blogs, internet message boards and the like and it won’t take long to hear Realtor Bashers making wild claims about over-paid real estate agents.And while it’s true that one can make very good money in real estate sales, the simple fact is the vast majority of real...
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Going to Inman Connect NYC 2010? Want to save $100?Just enter the promo code PhoenixREGuy at registration checkout, and you’ll get an additional $100 off. (If you are an Inman Premium member, be sure to log in first, and you get an additional $100 off.)Why should a real estate professional atten...
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I’ve been running this poll on Twitter for the last couple of days and would love to get more responses. No registration is required, and no one will see your answer.Of course it’s not a scientific poll by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s interesting data none the less…It’s easyR...
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As we announced here back in October, Thompson’s Realty has expanded to serve the Tucson metro area. Everything is in place and the “doors” are open! “Doors” in the metaphorical sense of course as we’re virtually based and have no “brick & mortar” office space. We don’t need a shiny and expen...
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The extension of the existing $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers is now all but a done deal.Moments ago, the House of Representatives passed HR 3548 – The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 with a vote of 403 -12.“Whoa, hold on there Jay. You said the tax credit extension w...
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