Sunset from Heritage District Gilbert, AZ 

Veiw of sunset from downtown Gilbert

The Water Tower is part of the Heritage District in downtown Gilbert

If you are looking for a great way to spend a day or an afternoon, consider scrolling through the Heritage District in downtown Gilbert. You’ll find plenty to do. Check out Old Town Antiques or the new art gallery, Gallery 225. Plan to see a live play at the Hale Theater. Don’t worry about getting hungry. Liberty Market, which has been around for many years, has a fresh look and serves great food. Or if you are really hungry try Joe’s Barbeque. There is a great water feature in the Water Tower Park and the canal trails are close if you feel like a bike ride or nice walk. You’ll find plenty to do and before you know it, the sun will start to fade into the horizon and maybe you’ll get to see a gorgous sunset like I did today.

Deanne Olivas

American Allstar Realty

480 452-5567

http://eastvalleyphoenixhomes.com

Re-blogged by 0 agents

Gilbert, AZ Power Ranch Townhouse 3 bedrooms 2 car garage

List price $149,900 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 2 car garage townhouse in Power Ranch. All appliances including washer and dryer and side by side refrigerator. Beautiful well maintained with many upgrades including granite counter tops, cermic tile, water softener. 2 car garage with inside entrance to single level living on 2nd floor. Perfect for part time residents or ASU East students. 1 mile from Williams Gateway Airport and close to Loop 202 connecting to Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Phoenix. Excellent condition as it was lived in for 1 year only by single owner who travels.

 

 

 

According to the town’s publication, Your Town, Gilbert was named the

Gilbert AZ safest Arizona city

safest municipality in Arizona and the 24th safest in the United States. The study analyzes rates and trends for total crime in cities with a population of 75,000 or larger populations.  Gilbert being a safe and family-friendly  community is no surprise to its citizens. In this year’s annual Heads of Household Survey the paper reported that 97% of residents expressed satisfaction with the town. “The most common reasons cited were the Town’s small-town atmosphere, family-friendly focus, clean and safe neighborhoods, friendly people, good retail options, good public schools and good parks and recreation programs.”

Gilbert has grown rapidly over the years to a population of 220,059 as of November 2009, but has not lost its sense of community and community involvement. For example, when the annual Gilbert Days Parade was in jeopardy because of the economy, the community led a successful drive to keep the tradition going.

Freestone Park in Gilbert, AZ

I have lived in Gilbert my entire adult life and wouldn’t live anywhere else. If you would like information about available new or resale homes in Gilbert, call or email me. I know you’ll like Gilbert as much as I do.

When purchasing a HUD home, there are misconceptions to replace with facts and advantages to consider. The following is information about the purchase of Arizona HUD homes.

First, exactly what is a HUD home?  When a home is purchased with a FHA (Federal Housing Administration which is a sub-agency of HUD) insured loan and the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender may file a claim against the FHA insurance fund and convey ownership  to HUD who then sells the home at market value to get back some of the loss from the foreclosure. 

One misconception I have heard is that HUD homes are always in poor condition. I find that just like bank owned or short sales, HUD homes can be very clean and well taken care of  or a disaster or anywhere in between. One of the advantages to a HUD home is that before HUD homes are listed, HUD orders an appraisal and property/pest  inspection of the home. Anyone can go to the HUD website http://www.mcbreo.com/and read the report to see the condition of the property before viewing it.

If the property inspection determined that the property needs repairs but less than $5,000 and the buyer is using an FHA insured loan, for the home to be eligible for the FHA loan an escrow repair is established to cover the costs of the repairs to the home.  The costs of the repairs are included in the loan amount and repaid by the borrower as part of the house payment.

It is advised that a potential buyer conduct their own home inspection by hiring a competent inspector. HUD homes are sold in “as-is “condition and HUD makes no warranties or quarantees about the condition of the home and will make no repairs. This is also the case in the purchase of a lender owned foreclosure property.

Another advantage for owner occupants (person that will live in the home as his or her primary residence within 30 days of the close of escrow) who are interested in purchasing a HUD home is that during the first 10 days a HUD property is listed to the general public, there is no competition from investors. Bids from Owner Occupant Purchasers only are accepted.  All bids placed by Owner Occupants that are submitted during those ten days are opened on the 11th day and are considered as though they were received simultaneously. If there is no winning bid during those ten days the bidding is opened to include investors.

Another misconception is that HUD provides loans to persons who would not under other circumstances qualify for a loan. HUD does not provide financing for its properties. Before a person can place a bid on a HUD home they must be pre-approved for a real estate loan or have proof of  sufficent cash to purchase.

A great advantage for those who do not have the downpayment required for a typical loan is that a buyer can purchase a HUD home for as little as $100 down. It is important to discuss the costs with an experienced lender and the price to bid with a HUD approved agent. Before a bid can be submitted, the buyer must have on deposit with the real estate broker an earnest deposit check. If the purchase price is $50,000 or less the required check amount is $500. If the purchase price is more than $50,000 the check amount is $1,000. Any unused portion will be reimbursed to the buyer at close of escrow.

The advantage of the sealed bid process is it eliminates many of the hassles associated with the typical  lender owned or preforeclosure transaction where bidding wars and long waits are common. If during the first ten days of owner occupant bidding, no offer is accepted, bids are reviewed daily and the bidder with the winning bid is notified the following day. If more than one acceptable bid is placed, the bid with the highest net amount to HUD wins the sale.

If you have hesitated about considering purchasing a HUD home, realize that these properties open up another opportunity for purchasing a home at an afforadable price. With the assistance of an experienced HUD approved agent and  a lender who understands the process, replace the misconceptions with facts and consider the advantages of purchasing a HUD home.

The process for buying a HUD home is different from a normal home purchase. Access to view HUD homes and place bids is restricted to a HUD approved real estate agent. For a partial list of AZ HUD homes http://www.eastvalleyphoenixhomes.com/hudhomes.html).

To get a list of all HUD homes that meet your criteria or to discuss if a HUD home purchase would be in your best interest, call Deanne Olivas, an approved HUD agent, at American Allstar Realty 480 452-5567.

DATE: 11/16/2009

MISSING PERSON Maybe you have seen him
MISSING PERSON: Alex James Maro, white male,
21 years old, 5’ 09” tall, 150 pounds, with blue eyes, and very short,
reddish-blonde hair. Alex wears gold wire-rimmed glasses.

CLOTHING: Brown sweatshirt, khaki pants, gray
hiking boots, and a tan raincoat, carrying a black and dark blue
backpack with red paint spattered on it.

DATE MISSING: 11/15/09 at approximately 2:45 P. M.

NARRATIVE: On 11/15/09 at approximately 2:45
P. M. Alex Maro was last seen at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix,
Arizona. He flew in from Chicago and did not meet the person who was
going to pick him up. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Anyone having information regarding this case is asked to contact the
Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit at (602) 534-2121 or
phoenix.tips.ppd@phoenix.gov.

Oak Creek Canyon

Sedona Barn House

Sedona Oak Creek

If you have ever driven 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff you know that feeling of wanting to stop and stay awhile. Well, we finally did! We were lucky enough to get 4 nights at the Forest Houses Resort on 89A, 10 miles from Sedona, 17 from Flagstaff and right down in the canyon with Oak Creek and giant Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir between us and the highway. It isn’t easy to get reservations there because first priority goes to the people who stayed there the year before and they hardly ever decide not to come back. But with some flexibility and diligence you can get an opportunity to wind down and really enjoy the tranquility and beauty of Oak Creek and the canyon.

There are 16 1-5 bedroom houses (most are separated by pine trees and the mountain terrain although a couple are duplexes). All are unique in design and built over a period of about 40 years by the same man using materials native to the area (rocks, boulders and log beams). All are absolutely gorgeous with a flagstone patio, balcony overlooking Oak Creek, more private surroundings deeper in the forest, or a huge stone fireplace. I could not pick a favorite-loving them all for different reasons. 

Although it is a quick drive to Sedona or Flagstaff, there seems to be a quietness that draws you to perfer  a nature walk along the creek or sitting on your patio birdwatching (we shared the grass just beyond our patio with a family of robins).  

Beware- there is no TV or phone reception. Being a realtor my withdrawals  lasted longer than most, maybe. But after awhile I didn’t hear any more phantom rings and let myself relax knowing there were people back at the office taking care of business.

Next time you want to really relax check out http://www.foresthousesresort.com/

Build a new home in Ahwatukee. There are 8 sights left for building a semi-custom home in the center of Ahwatukee. With views of South Mountain this lake community of only 15 homes is a rare opportunity to have a luxurious new home that is quality construction, energy efficent and low maintenance in Ahwatukee. Why buy a resale home when you can design your own and have a new home warranty?

Call Deanne Olivas American Allstar Realty 480 452 5567 for more details.