Archive for the ‘Things to Do’ Category
Daylight Savings Time – Falling back this weekend everywhere except for here!
Don’t forget that there’s a time change happening this weekend everywhere…Well, almost everywhere except for here. Arizona is one of only a couple states who do not participate in Daylight Savings Time – our clocks always stay the same!
So, remember that all your friends in different states are about to “Fall Back” an hour – and they’re going to be on different times come Sunday morning.
Daylight savings time ends at 2:00 am on November 1, 2009 and the clocks in our neighboring states will be set back 1 hour.
What’s a Trillion Dollars
You may have seen this one floating around the internet… I just thought it was interesting, so I’m sharing it with you.
| What’s A Couple Extra Trillion?
These days, the government often tosses around “billions” and “trillions” as they talk about various programs. Here’s a great way to visualize what these amounts actually mean. Let’s begin with what $1 million looks like. Believe it or not, this little pile is $1 million (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.
While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet.
And $1 BILLION. now we’re really getting somewhere.
Next we’ll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we’ve been hearing about so much. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it’s a million million. It’s a thousand billion. It’s a one followed by 12 zeros.
(And notice those pallets are double stacked.YOU are the little person in the red shirt standing at the lower left corner) So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase “trillion dollars”. that’s what they’re talking about. |
A cool little piece of Trivia about Lake Havasu
Question: What dam is the deepest dam in the world?
Answer: The Parker Dam which forms the reservoir behind it called “Lake Havasu”
Isn’t that amazing? Although it’s not the “highest” dam in the world, it is the deepest dam in the world. More than 70 percent of this dam sits underground below the riverbed. This sister dam to the Hoover dam upstream built in the 1930’s creates one of the most beautiful recreational lakes. Not just for recreation, the dam was also constructed to provide hydroelectric power. The Lake Havasu reservoir provides water to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct – feeding the greater Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson communities.
For more information about recreational activities on Lake Havasu, visit our website www.Havasu-Real-Estate.com or give us a call at 928-854-5511.
This little piggy family loves Havasu
Mike Konen of The Concierge Service Team at Selman & Associates Real Estate snapped these photos today from his truck outside the entry to the neighborhood “Sailing Hawks” today. Check them out – it’s okay to say “awwwwww, how cute”…
What’s a Short Sale? What’s a Pre-Foreclosure? What’s a Foreclosure?
There’s a lot of confusion out there about the difference between a Short Sale, a Pre-Foreclosure and a Foreclosure property.
Many real estate agents aren’t capable of answering your questions about the difference between the status of these properties. We are Certified Distressed Property Experts, and we’ve taken dozens of hours of training which has taught us to help both homeowners and home buyers in today’s real estate market.
Here’s a short explanation of the difference:
SHORT SALE…
A Short Sale property is a home where the the homeowner owes more on the home than the amount that the home is currently worth. For example – a homeowner may have a mortgage on a home for $150,000 dollars and the current Fair Market Value of the home may only be $130,000. With all the costs of selling a home (title insurance policy, escrow fees, septic transfer, brokerage fee, processing fees, notary costs, recording fees etc) this means that the homeowner may be left in the situation where they assume they can’t get out of the house because they can’t sell it for enough money to satisfy this. A Short Sale is a situation where the lender who the homeowner’s loan is through accepts less money than they are owed. We are experts in this type of transaction, so whether you are a distressed homeowner or a buyer who has heard “nightmare stories” about how long these transactions can take – please contact us. We can successfully close these types of transactions in a timely period!
PRE-FORECLOSURE
A property becomes a Pre-Foreclosure property the day that the homeowner misses a mortgage payment. A Pre-Foreclosure property ISN’T ALWAYS a Short Sale. The homeowner of a Pre-Foreclosure property is distressed and is unable to make their payments. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have equity in their home. They might just be having a hard time due to a job loss, an accident, a divorce – any number of reasons. This property could be a Short Sale though. There are many homes which are Pre-Foreclosures and the homeowners just don’t know what to do.
FORECLOSURE
A property becomes a foreclosure after the homeowner has given a redemption period in which they can become current with their missed payments. If the homeowner is unable to get back up to date, the lender who their loan is through will instruct the Trustee to sell the property at auction. Upon Auction, the property is now a Foreclosure. Sometimes, the bank will be the winning bidder in the auction – this makes the property a Bank Owned “REO” or Real Estate Owned property.
There is a lot to know about the different terms that have now become a part of every day vocabulary in the real estate market. We find that most people aren’t really aware of the details behind the terminology. We hope that this helps you, but it’s hard to condense the dozens of hours of training we’ve received into this short blog post. Please contact us at 928-854-5511 if you have any questions. As Certified Distressed Property Experts we are among the most qualified real estate professionals in Lake Havasu City to help you navigate through today’s market.
We Have Become Certified Distressed Property Experts
Certified Distressed Property Expert
This real estate market has caused many sellers unbearable stress and heartache. With today’s real estate market being a turbulent place, We have taken the initiative to become Certified Distressed Property Experts. With everything that is going on in our market and the economy there are a lot of people who are in financial trouble and they may be having trouble with their homes.
In addition to operating the most helpful real estate website for buyers in Lake Havasu City at http://HavasuHomesNow.com, we have become experts in Distressed Property sales so that homeowners finally have someone to turn to when they don’t know what to do.
Many real estate agents aren’t trained to help people who are upside down in their property and faced with financial hardship. A lot of people are told incorrectly that there is nothing that anyone can do for them and to just “accept that the bank is going to take” their house.
We know this isn’t true! We know there are ways to avoid foreclosure and we’re trained to help identify different strategies that might work for almost every situation.
If you or someone you know are facing foreclosure in Lake Havasu City, please don’t give up! We can help you save your credit, relieve the uncertainty and most of all, we can help your family.
Call us for a CONFIDENTIAL consultation and let’s get started on the path to recovery.
928-854-5511
Spring Forward began March 8
Daylight Saving Time (DST) began on Sunday, March 8, 2009. The way we refer to time zones also changes. For example, Eastern Standard Time (EST) becomes Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
But remember, some areas of the United States don’t use DST, such as Arizona, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
More Sun… Daylight Saving Time Runs Longer
In case you hadn’t noticed over the last two years, DST now begins earlier and runs longer. The extra time that we enjoy is actually the result of the Energy Policy Act, which President Bush signed into law in 2005 and went into effect in 2007. The Act changed the start date of DST to the second Sunday in March — three weeks earlier. It also moved the end date out one week to the first Sunday in November.
Benefits of Daylight Saving Time
Despite some concerns, Americans overwhelmingly like Daylight Saving Time. There is simply more sunlight in the evenings to enjoy the outdoors and get things done. Plus, additional hours of daylight can help save energy on a national scale — as much as 100,000 barrels of oil per day according to some estimates.
And brighter is safer. Studies have shown that the DST shift reduces traffic accidents. Additionally, a study by the US Law Enforcement Administration also determined that crime is consistently lower during DST, with violent crimes down as much as 10% to 13%. For many crimes, like mugging, darkness is a factor — so more light in the evening hours reduces these types of crimes.
Cons of Daylight Saving Time
Not everyone benefits from DST. For example, many farmers say that DST has a negative impact on their livestock’s natural schedules. The airline industry also reports that it costs millions of dollars to adjust time schedules — and even then, airlines report numerous problems with international flight connections during the transition time since DST isn’t followed uniformly worldwide.
Finally, since many electronic devices and computer programs are set to adjust to DST based on the old dates, they may not change automatically on March 8. So, you’ll want to double-check all of your devices and confirm that the time is correct.
President’s Day Weekend Brings Favorite Event
It’s almost here! This is one of my favorite things about Lake Havasu City. This week the Western Pyrotechnics Annual Winter Blast display happens! Starting Wednesday night, the group displays their fireworks every night until Sunday – with the major attraction being the Public Display held at SARA Park starting at 8:00 pm Friday and Saturday.
Many of the homes on the south end of town have a view of the fireworks right from their own yard, but if you would like to view from within the park, there is a parking fee of $5 per car.
Join us all in one of the best fireworks shows I’ve ever seen!
24th annual Winterfest expected to draw thousands
It’s time for this year’s annual Winterfest celebration. Each year on uptown Main Street (the area of McCulloch Boulevard between Smoketree Avenue and Acoma Boulevard) a large number of vendors set up booths in a two day long celebration.
This year over 260 vendors will display artwork, jewelry, home decor and ceramic wares, and more. The event draws a large crowd each year, and there are kid’s events too to make it a fun time for everyone.
Winterfest will run from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday.
Free Admission, Parking available off Mesquite Avenue behind McCulloch Blvd Businesses and in lots west of Smoketree AVe. Havasu ARea Transit will offer free rides into the Uptown Main Street district on Saturday.
For More information contact the Chamber of Commerce at 928-855-4115
Second Half Economic Recovery boosted by Rebounding Home Sales
I recieved a positive message in the Economic Focus email Katie Murphy from Hi-Tech mortgage sent to me today.
Positive notes point to a stronger economy ahead for us. Data from Realty Trac had Forbes concluding that in United States town under $100,000 population, buyers are searching for deals and the housing industry is bouncing back.
This is especially true in Lake Havasu City where sales have been rising for the past six months and buyers are again purchasing and taking advantage of the incredible values available.
Another good note brings the news that Consumer Credit fell by a record $8.0 Billion in November 2008, compared to the market expectation of $0.5 Billion increase. This is the second consecutive decline in credit and the third in the past 4 months, showing that Americans are moving toward liquidity and a brighter economic future.
