Posts by : Barbara Baker

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National Open House Weekend Promises Opportunities For Sedona AZ Homes For Sale!

Fri, Jul 30th 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Well, pack the car and head up to Sedona this weekend for the National Open House!  What a great opportunity for buyer's to see the Sedona Homes for Sale throughout the area.  If you would like me to email you a map and the list of homes on tour just email me at barbara@barbarabaker.com and let me know which town and/or area you are interested in.  Remember, it's happening all through the Verde Valley so there will be other homes outside of Sedona available as well.

I will be at 65 Alta Vista in Sedona, AZ.  Directions: Hwy 179 to Jack's Canyon Road (the Village of Oak Creek), East on Jack;'s Canyon Road, North on Suncliffe. Go through Stop Sign (Pinon Drive and Suncliffe) and go to the ne...



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Return On Investment For Real Estate

Sat, Jul 17th 2010 12:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

I received this following from a wonderful friend of mine who is a local lender in the Sedona real estate market - Lindar Rogers (928) 301-0822 and I would like to share it with all of you.


I was talking to two agents today about how we have come to view our homes as an investment and not just as a home anymore and how that has led to so much discontent and upset over the real and perceived losses in home values. People are seriously  wondering if they should invest in real estate at all.  I thought it might be useful to bring a little historical perspective to the conversation.
 
Houses in this country have lost substantial value over the last  five years. And if you bought property in 20...



Sedona AZ Home For Sale Market May Be Starting To Improve

Tue, Jul 13th 2010 11:57 am by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Latest market reports show that the median sold price in Sedona is ONLY down by 10% from this time last year. That number is better news - for previously it had been down by 30 - 40%. Since 1/1 - 58% of those solds were motivated seller's keeping up with Foreclosed prices. 40% of those solds were a foreclosure or short sale property. Our active inventory has fallen - and I know from the market that the properties that "appear" to be bargains are being snapped up in record time.  The jury is still out in my opinion whether the  Sedona Homes for Sale  market is stabilizing. However it does appear that the Vacant Land in Sedona is gaining stronger legs after being paralyzed last year.  Curre...



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Shadow Inventory? How Big? What Inventories?

Fri, Jul 2nd 2010 5:15 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Here is a GREAT article about "The Shadow Inventory" of Foreclosures that many people are talking about.  Now I have taken this DIRECTLY from Realtor.com and I am sharing it cause I find it quite useful.  For all your buying or selling needs, text or call at 9283010669or email me barbara@barbarabaker.com.

By Robert Freedman, senior editor, REALTOR® Magazine

You often hear talk within real estate about the shadow inventory that looms over markets. These are the homes that are at risk of going into default or are already owned by the banks and that can come onto the market at any time. They pose a problem because a flood of these properties can put enormous downward pressure on prices as inv...



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House Extends Tax Credit, Hoping To Shore Up Market, Including Sedona AZ Homes For Sale

Wed, Jun 30th 2010 5:15 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Well, today the  House approved the tax credit extension to give home buyers until September 30th to close on eligible properties and still qualify for the home buyer tax credit.  The current deadline requires buyers to close by June 30 (tomorrow) in order to qualify.  The Senate must still approve the measure - however it will help shore up the staggering delayed housing crisis which continues to plaque this country. Foreclosures Represented 31% of ALL homes sold in the US. And those prices are 27% below the average sold price of non-foreclosures.  Hold onto your hats... for we are in for a WILD RIDE.  The feds have to do something.  I predict that in the Sedona AZ Homes for Sale market ...



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National Real Estate Vs. Sedona AZ Real Estate: Who Should I Listen To?

Fri, Jun 18th 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

So what is a seller and buyer to do?  Listen to CNN, MS NBC, Talk Radio, NAR, or your local Real Estate Agent?  Well, I would say, that a good real estate agent is worth their weight in gold - for Real Estate is local. Yes, it is affected by what happens in the National Arena.  But comparing what is happening in the center of New York with Toledo Ohio or the Sedona AZ Real Estate Market is like comparing apples to pineapples to bananas!  It simply can't be done.  Buyer's come into the Sedona Real Estate Market thinking they will be able to pick up a single family home for $30,000 - because they have seen it happen in Phoenix - that "banks are giving away properties".  Well, Sedona ain't P...



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How Delinquencies Impair Credit Scores Affecting The Sedona Real Estate Market

Sun, May 30th 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

I found this very interesting article on Realtor.com site and wanted to send it out to the Internet.  I found this very interesting considering the amount of folks going through the whole foreclosure and short sale process.  Everyone is always talking about how these defaults will effect a seller's credit score- however, no one has ever really pinpointed how... So here is the article from Realtor.com.  However the ORIGINAL Source is CNN - Les Christie.

Fair Isaac, which developed FICO scores, used a comparison between two people to explain how mortgage delinquencies affect credit scores.

Fair Isaac derived these numbers from a theoretical calculation based on hypothetical borrowers – one w...



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Sedona Homes For Sale Yield Deals Even In The Luxury Marketplace

Sun, May 23rd 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

I am fortunate to be a member of the Sedona Luxury Real Estate Professionals Association.  And if you remember the goodwill that came from Macy’s Santa recommending Gimbels department store to a parent wanting to purchase a toy that Macy’s didn’t carry in the classic 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, then you will have a hint of the motives of the Sedona Luxury Real Estate Professionals. Macys and Gimbels were vigorous competitors, as could be the members of our organization - warmly referred to as SLREP, each from different real estate brokerages and with individual real estate practices. Often times it seems that when times get tough, in any profession, competitors get more territorial...



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Sedona Real Estate And Sedona Homes For Sale Rebounding

Sat, May 15th 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Well so far the stats for this spring are wonderful in all sectors.  In our single family homes the number of Solds were up by 86% from this time last year.  With 44% of those solds being either a foreclosure or a short sale. The median price point has dropped by 8% from this time last year to $390,000.  Prices are starting to stabilize a bit.  I am still skeptical as I don't think prices are going to rebound anytime soon - I think they will hover around the bottom or close to the bottom - since we haven't seen that huge drop in prices as reflected from 08-09- when the median sold price plunged from $528K to $424K. The stabilization of price is also showing in that the median price of hom...



Sedona AZ Homes Market Statistics

Sat, Mar 13th 2010 5:00 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Foreclosures represent 37% of ALL of Sedona’s Sold homes and “Short Sales” representing 10% of our SOLD market.  So in actuality, you could say almost ½ of our sold inventory is either a foreclosure or a short sale.
 
Foreclosure and Short Sale Home Listings only represent 14% of our active market.  That is what is selling and those homes are in turn bringing the rest of the market down.  For they have to be used as comparables – since they are the “Norm” and not the “Exception”.
 
Our Median Sold price in Sedona (taking into account the high and the low) is currently $390,000.
 
Our homes under contract have SOARED – and is currently at 82 (under contract). To give you a comparison – in the h...




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Anti-Deficiency Statutes In Arizona Impact Sedona Homes For Sale

Fri, Feb 19th 2010 4:47 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

This article was sent to me by Stewart Title of Sedona. I found it very informative for any seller in Sedona who is faced with either shorting or foreclosing on their home and the legal implications that may follow.  So I hope you find it helpful- Enjoy

Short sales and foreclosures are becoming common place in our market. We are consistently asked questions by owners and agents alike about the Arizona anti-deficiency statutes and the tax consequences of a foreclosure or a short sale and deed in lieu. This article answers the two most common questions we receive.

When do the Anti-Deficiency Statutes Apply?
For the anti-deficiency statutes to apply, three requirements must be met:

The propert...



What's A Seller To Do In Today's Market?

Sun, Jan 31st 2010 1:43 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

As far as our Sedona real estate market is concerned, I feel sorry for sellers. I do. It's hard being a seller today, trying to sell your home in Sedona with all the competition and with foreclosures representing only 7% of the active listings but 39% of the sold volume.  And it's worse through the Verde Valley.  If you include all of our little local towns... foreclosures represented a whooping 51% of our sold volume.  51%.  So I truly feel the seller's pain.  So, what's a seller to do in this market?  Price. That's it. Price.  It should be priced so well that it takes your breath away. It makes a seller gasp. That's the reaction you are trying to achieve with the buyer!  That GASP!   Th...



Remember Tax Incentives When Buying A Home In Sedona AZ

Sat, Jan 23rd 2010 4:45 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Sedona Homes continuing to be selling quite well since the prices have dropped. When buying, remember that you may qualify for a Tax Credit.  Up first is the popular $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. Originally scheduled to expire on November 30th, 2009, this valuable tax credit of up to 10% of the purchase price or up to $8,000 was extended into 2010 (purchase agreements must be signed by April 30, 2010, and closings must be final by June 30, 2010). The new program was also expanded to include a tax credit of up to $6,500 (or up to 10% of the purchase price) for qualified buyers of a second or "replacement" home under the same deadlines. To qualify, home purchasers must have ...



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Sedona Homes For Sale Will Be Helped By Stopping Foreclosures

Sun, Jan 10th 2010 4:45 pm by Barbara Baker Sedona Real Estate

Well, with all the foreclosures surrounding our country - I have been saying for months that the only way out of this thing is for the FEDS to step in and re-tool everyone's current mortgage - otherwise, why should ANYONE Hang onto a home that they had bought in 2001 or after.  To further my thoughts on this .... I have just read a great article on Realtor. Com and have am supplying it here.  

Principal Cuts May Prevent Foreclosures
At least 7 million borrowers will lose their homes this year and next unless there is a broad increase in property values or lenders become much more willing to cut the principal on mortgage loans, an analyst with Amherst Securities Group told the U.S. House Fi...



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