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Sun City, AZ Real Estate News

By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
Winter storms blast the Midwest! Cold front extends from Florida to Canada! Metrodome collapses from weight of snow! 80 degrees forecasted for Sun City AZ! This is an open invitation to all who are affected by the weather to come to SUNNY Arizona and buy your retirement home in Sun City. Why suffer through another winter? Arizona has over 300 days of sun, golf all year, during winter you can visit the snow in places like Flagstaff and never have to shovel it.
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By Michael Beckham, Licensed in Arizona & California
(AmeriFirst Financial BUYorREFI Team)
1. These loans are now cheaper to take out Thanks to new federal rules, reverse mortgages don't have to sting as much at the outset. Previously these loans -- which let owners 62 or older borrow against their home and don't have to be paid back until the owner moves or dies -- always carried high upfront fees. A new option, called a HECM Saver, cuts the initial insurance premium -- one of the biggest costs -- from 2% to 0.01% of your home's value. On a $400,000 home, that means paying $40 instead of $8,000. Another welcome change: more thorough mandatory counseling for potential borrowers, which is designed to make sure you really need a reverse mortgage, understand it, and can afford to stay in your home even after taking out the loan. 2. Competition is heading up Banks are also cutti...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
Open House Saturday, 11/20/2010 10AM until 2PM. This condo for sale is perfect for the Sun City seasonal or permanent resident. It is just across the street from the Bell Recreation Center, and convenient to all of Sun City's amenities. Offered for sale at only $75,000 for a 2 bedroom 2 bath, 1379 square foot home, this is value priced to sell soon. See the tour, click 10009 W Hutton
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By Nikolai Riasnianski, Sun City, Sun City West, Arizona Realtor
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage)
      The only Gated Community in Sun City Arizona! Moreover this is the only gated community in Sun City, Sun City West and sun City Grand with this kind of high level of security. The name of this place is The Heritage Sun City condos centrally located on 99th Avenue.  This is a 100-unit multi-dwelling community. The Heritage is an independent living gated community that is truly "Arizona's Best  Lifestyle for those over 55". As you enter The Heritage community you'll see the quality; you'll appreciate the luxury; you'll recognize the warm feeling and comfort provided; you'll delight in on the-site recreational facilities. As you stroll through the award-winning landscaped grounds, ask the residents about The Heritage Lifestyle. They'll convince you that for full time or seasonal resi...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
8 TIPS FOR SELLING A HOME IN SUN CITY ARIZONA Tip 1 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: It has been said before, and will be said again, SELECT YOUR AGENT! This agent should SPECIALIZE in selling homes in the Sun City Arizona market. Why? All real estate is local and a local agent can help you reach the buyers who are looking for homes in YOUR neighborhood. Tip 2 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Discuss your home selling goals with your agent, and listen carefully to the agent's recommendations. The agent should help you arrive at a listing price, provide a logical marketing plan, show you the competition (homes for sale similar to yours in your neighborhood) and many more points. Tip 3 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Price your home realistically, Your best chance of...
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By Michael Beckham, Licensed in Arizona & California
(AmeriFirst Financial BUYorREFI Team)
Total Single Family Homes for Sale: 230 Total Golf Course Homes for Sale: 40 Total Condominiums for Sale:  11 Total Lender Owned Homes for Sale: 3 Total Short Sale Homes for Sale: 4 Homes Under Contract October 18-24, 2010, 2010: 9 New Listings October 18-24, 2010, 2010: 17 Total Homes Closed/Sold October 18-24, 2010:  3  Sun City Grand Community Features: * 4 Golf Courses* Community pools* Community tennis* Bocce Ball* Pickleball* Day Spa* Pet Park* 2 Fitness Centers* Aerobic Studios* Softball Field* Numerous Clubs and Activities* Tennis Sun City Grand, a Del Webb Active Adult Golf Community consists of 9,550 single family homes and 252 condominiums. Sun City Grand is a 45+ age restricted community. 15% of Sun City Grand homes may be occupied by the owners age 45-54. 85% of the homes ...
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By Michael Beckham, Licensed in Arizona & California
(AmeriFirst Financial BUYorREFI Team)
Money Magazine is urging people a few years from retirement who plan to move when they quit work to consider buying now while home prices and mortgage rates are low.Buyers who intend to use the place as a second home will pay the same rate as they would pay for a primary residence. If they intend to rent the property out until they retire and they need the rental income to qualify for the mortgage, lenders will consider that an investment property and charge a half to a full percentage point more.Still, the idea remains are "pretty compelling," says Justin Krane, a certified financial planner in Los Angeles.Source: Money Magazine, Sarah Max (11/02/2010)   If your looking for a place to retire, Sun City AZ is the place. Great weather year round and a community that is specifically design...
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By Michael Beckham, Licensed in Arizona & California
(AmeriFirst Financial BUYorREFI Team)
Enjoy your retirement with all the amenities of a resort ... senior living at its best. If you are a golfer, try one of our four golf courses. Perhaps you would prefer to play tennis at one of our many tennis courts. Sun City Grand has many activities including golf, tennis, table tennis, ping pong, pickleball, art, billiards, bocce ball, bridge, canasta, ceramics, writing, memoirs, genealogy, family history, cribbage, chess, scrabble, dancing, dominoes, acting, stage, euchre, fishing, gardening, putting, hiking, language study, lawn bowling, mah jongg, music, photography, pinochle, poker, stitching, travel, woodcraft, wood working, horseshoes, softball and many more. If you don't find anything that you like, you can start a group of your own.  Below is a home currently listed for sale...
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By Sun City Grand Homes Surprise AZ Real Estate Leolinda Bowers Designated Broker Leolinda Realty, Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona
(Leolinda Realty)
Del Webb Golf Course Home in Sun City Arizona Phase 2 Leolinda Bowers Associate Broker at Ken Meade Realty has listed another fine golf course property in the age restricted community of Sun City Arizona. Enjoy this adorable Sun City "Shiny Penny", with prime double fairway views of River View Golf Course.  Property features north/south orientation, updated kitchen appliances, gorgeous checker-board pattern flooring, Berber carpet and 2 car garage. It is a super clean golf course home with warm decorator wall colors. The all purpose room is ideal to use as den or Arizona living. Take a break on the screened patio checking out the golfers and their swings.  You are sure to enjoy the wonderful relaxing lifestyle of Sun City in this exceptional golf course home with verdant views. Sun City...
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By Sun City Grand Homes Surprise AZ Real Estate Leolinda Bowers Designated Broker Leolinda Realty, Sun City Grand in Surprise Arizona
(Leolinda Realty)
Sun City Arizona a Del Webb dollhouse in Phase 2 Leolinda Bowers Associate Broker at Ken Meade Realty has listed another fine Sun City Arizona home. Enjoy the wonderful relaxing retirement lifestyle of Sun City AZ in this exceptionally clean 2 bedroom 2 bath dollhouse. Property boasts areas for relaxation, hobby room, and the desired outdoor living. The large hobby room is ideal for quilting, stained glass or ceramics. Home has the desired north/south orientation, bidet in master bath, 2 Murphy beds in guest bedroom, updated kitchen appliances, Berber carpet, ceiling fans, fireplace, enclosed glassed patio, indoor laundry, garage cabinets and it has an excellent location. The fenced yard is ideal for pets. You will love Sun City, the community, the 7 swimming pools (including a salt wat...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
That's right folks, the first Minnesota License Plate of the season. Why would I care? It is one of the first signs that summer is over and the fall season will soon arrive. Often this plate is the first sign that our winter residents will be here again. Why wouldn't they? We have over 300 days a year of sunshine, an abundance of things to do and see in this beautiful state. The population of Sun City AZ comes from all over, but a large percentage comes from Minnesota. Come here for your retirement home and be among many neighbors from your home state.  
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
This is an exerpt from an actual letter sent to a cash buyer prospect today. This buyer, like many, has concerns about the housing market. First, how is the market? Hard to say, yet seems like a little more buyer activity. Prices are low but seem to be stabilizing. What to do? As far as the future goes, I can only quote one economist and the most successful investor the U.S. has ever known. The economist, John Kenneth Galbraith said, " economic forecasting exists to give astrology a good name" In other words, who knows. The investor is Warren Buffet. When asked about timing the market his recommendation was to find an investment with good fundamental value, and hold it. Even though the housing prices have dropped, almost all of the value lost was from the inflated run-up of 2004-2005. I...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
Yesterday I posted that the Greater Phoenix Az area was rated number 1 in the nation for affordable retirement housing. You can read that post here. I decided to do a little research and find out how many homes were on the market that could be bought for a house payment of $600 per month or less. I used the same criteria U.S. News & World Report did, which is the standard 20% down 80% loan. In other words, a conventional home loan. There are 840 homes in Sun City AZ that are for sale. Of these there are 538 offered  at $153,000 or less. With a 20% down payment, principal and interest would be $600 or less at today’s quoted rate of 4.125% on conventional loans. Folks, if this isn’t value for a retirement home, I don’t know what value would be. If you would like more information on Sun Ci...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
U.S. News & World Report said in an article on September 24, 2010 that the Phoenix area was the number 1 place to buy a retirement home. You can read the article here. The writer was investigating locations in the United States where you can buy a home for less than $600 a month. The writer also takes into consideration such amenities as golf courses, (over 200 in the metro, 9 in Sun City alone.), sports, hiking, and cultural events. The Valley of the Sun ranks high in all of these. If you wish to consider retiring, the Phoenix area is great, the Sun City Neighborhood is even better since the communities were designed specifically for active retirement. For more information about the Phoenix area and the Sun Cities, please call me or email me.
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
Canadians have long been a factor in the Arizona economy, with many coming to visit during their long cold winters. We also see some buying homes either as second homes or investment opportunities. I was talking to a Canadian from Vancouver B.C. the other day. We were talking about homes for sale in Sun City AZ. His comments "homes are 1/10th the price in Vancouver". The Canadian dollar is near parity now, making Arizona real estate very attractive to Canadian buyers again. Today's (9/24/2010) Arizona Republic had an article about this phenomenon, you can read it Here. Canadians have even surpassed California buyers as the largest group of out-of-state buyers in Arizona. If you are a Canadian hoping to buy a home in the Sun City AZ Neighbohood, please call or email me, I would love to ...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
The news yesterday announced that the recession is over! Believe it or not, there are some compelling reasons to buy a new home now. In an article on September 16, 2010 the Wall Street Journal gave ten good reasons to buy a home now. You can read the original here. In spite of all of the publicity about the greater Phoenix market being foreclosure driven, the Sun City Neighborhood has very few foreclosures. You won't have to worry the homes you will look at are stripped or occupied by squatters. It also means that your purchase will probably not be impacted by a bunch of foreclosures around it. As of today, September 21, 2010, there are only 38 foreclosed homes for sale in the Sun City Neighborhood. This is out of 832 listings. Prices in Sun City range from $18,500 to $649,000. We have ...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
On September 14th, I wrote a post about answering the phone as a Real Estate Agent in Sun City. You can read it here. Today, September 19th, two more posts on the same subject were featured. You can read them here, and here. Obviously, the sage continues and will be an issue for a good long time. I can almost understand the agents who are foreclosure specialists. They often have large listing inventories and are required to check the condition, organize and pay for the needed repairs and maintenance, and manage a huge flow of paper. I do wish these agents would get assistance thought. For all of the rest of the agents out their who don't answer the phone, please change your ways or get out of the business.
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By Cathy Wilder GRI,SFR, SRS, RSPS, e-Pro,, Adult Community specialist
(Award Realty)
This Sunday 9/19/2010 Joe Hopkins and the 52ND Street Jazz Band will be at the Sun Bowl in Sun City Arizona. they play Chicago Style Jazz and Dixieland favorites. All shows at Sun Bowl in Sun City AZ. are free to Sun City Recreation Center cardholders and their guests. those who come should bring their own lawn chair. If we have bad weather the show will be relocated to Sundial Auditorium located at Boswell and 103rd Av.
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
For the many who get their news from the newspaper and tv, headlines often look scary. Doom, Gloom and the sky is falling. I know the times are tough, but it isn't the Great Depression yet, and probably won't become one either. Keep in mind that the mass media sells disaster easier than good news. They always have and always will. Here is a link to the Keeping Current Matters blog discussing the reason the NAR Pending Sales figures will decrease. See it here. It isn't a bad analysis  of the situation we face today. My own experience is I have had 2 sales in the last month CASH! No Virginia, these weren't investors, just normal folks looking for a home. They recognized the market conditions are optimal for a buyer. Prices are low, interest rates paid on their savings are low, so why not ...
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By Jim Little, Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
(Ken Meade Realty)
Why is it important for me to tell you about this?   I got a phone call yesterday from a prospective buyer. We talked about his needs, I set him up to search the MLS on ListingBook, answered his questions about homes in Sun City AZ. He then said " I called 6 agents over the weekend, none answered and none have returned my call". REALLY? If you are looking for an agent to help you buy or sell a home in Arizona's Sun Cities, call me, I'll answer! I have survived in this business since 1998, I'm still here, and one reason is that I ANSWER MY PHONE!  
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