Super Bowl Party 101
Everything You Need to Plan a Super Party
For many sports fans, the Super Bowl is the best excuse of the year to host a party. Even non-sports fans like to get in on this event. It's hard to resist the excitement and casual fun that surrounds this big day in sports. It's not a party to get stressed over, but by considering a few details in your party planning, you can add to the fun of the day. These resources will help you pull together a sensational Super Bowl party this year. Peoria & Glendale, AZ will be celebrating!
The Basics
Planning Your Super Bowl Party - For a successful Super Bowl Party, you need to get your priorities straight.
Party Supply Necessities - The right party supplies and serving pieces help to set the mood for your football loving friends.
A Fun Super Bowl Snack Table - Get creative and decorate your party snack table to look like a football field by following these easy instructions that anyone can do.
The Food
Casual, hearty food is the name of the game for this party.
Leave your gourmet experiments for another day. If your guests can eat in front of the television, all the better.
Super Bowl XLII Party Menu - The New York Giants vs. New England Patriots give us some great party food options that will send all of your guests home happy, regardless of the outcome of the game.
Chili Recipes - Chili is a great dish to serve at a Super Bowl Party. Since it can be served in large mugs, your guests can walk around and hold it while watching the game.
Buffalo Wing Recipes - Where I live, wings are an integral part of every Super Bowl. In fact, the "Wing Bowl" is as eagerly anticipated by some as the actual Super Bowl.
Layered Dips - What would a Super Bowl Party be without plenty of chips and dips for dunking and scooping.
Spinach Dip Recipes - I love spinach dips. The spinach creates the illusion that we're actually eating something healthy.
A Football Field Cake - Create an edible centerpiece that will score a touchdown with your guests, no matter which side they're cheering on.
Chocolate Football Treats - Both kids and adults will enjoy these sweet and crunchy football shape snacks.
Other Entertainment
You may want to have a room with a television and a few rented videos for the non-football fans at your party.
Halftime Games - Get your guests moving and thinking during halftime with a few simple, fun games you organize during the break.
From Donna Pilato
If you are considering Arizona as a second home or need a larger home to host your superbowl party, please call RE/MAX Desert Showcase at 623-979-8888 today.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Super Bowl Party 101
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Federal Reserve Aggressively Cuts Rate!
Fed hopes bold cut eases global fears
Bank's rate strategy has wide-ranging effects
The Federal Reserve handed Wall Street a Valium on Tuesday, in the form of one of the largest interest-rate cuts in recent memory.
Investors, consumers and companies have become increasingly white-knuckle anxious about a global recession.
That fueled a sell-off in foreign stock markets on Monday, which spilled over into the U.S. and prompted the surprise rate cut.
Here's what you need to know:
What does the Fed move mean?
The central bank cut two benchmark interest rates by 0.75 percentage point each.
Those moves will lower borrowing costs on various consumer and business loans, and are intended to stimulate the economy over the balance of the year.
"Hopefully, it will help out lenders, make homes more affordable and stabilize housing prices," said Brent McQuiston, a vice president at WealthTrust Arizona in Scottsdale.
Consumers will see the biggest impact on home-equity lines of credit, variable-rate credit cards and adjustable-rate mortgages that were set for a pending rate adjustment, said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com in North Palm Beach, Fla.
"The cumulative impact of the Fed's actions will provide meaningful relief," he said.
Consumers with good credit will have opportunities to refinance or take out new loans at lower rates.
"Fixed-rate mortgages are at their lowest levels since July 2005," said McBride, noting that the new average rate for a 30-year conforming loan is 5.6 percent.
Is there a downside to Fed rate cuts?
"The good news is loan rates will go down," said Deborah Bateman, an executive vice president at National Bank of Arizona in Phoenix, AZ. "The bad news is the interest paid on CDs and money-market accounts will go down, too."
Does the Fed's action mean a recession is inevitable?
Not necessarily. Recessions typically are defined by two-plus quarters of a contracting economy.
By that measure, the earliest recession announcement won't come before late spring, if at all. In fact, the Fed reiterated that it expects the economy to avoid recession.
Still, there have been worrisome signals lately.
Along with the housing slump and bank write-offs, the job market has weakened and manufacturing output has slipped. Even if the economy isn't in a recession, the pace of growth is so slow that it feels like one to many people.
Will the rate cuts make banks more willing to lend money? That's hard to say.
"Large money-center banks have virtually frozen their balance sheets, reluctant to lend even to good credit (customers)," said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo.
Even after the Fed's move, the availability of credit will vary from bank to bank. Institutions with high exposure to subprime mortgages or developer loans might not be in a position to offer many new loans, Bateman said, but others will be seeking to extend credit.
Are we now in a bear market? Not yet, although the U.S. market is getting close.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index, for example, is down about 11 percent in January alone, and 16 percent since the slide began in October. Bear markets are usually defined as drops of 20 percent or more.
But the recent downtrend doesn't necessarily mean things will get much worse from here, even if the economy limps along for a while. Bear markets typically end with a bang, not a whimper. The heavy selling of recent weeks could be a sign that the bottom is closer than the top.
What should investors do? There's no set answer, but investors would be wise to think twice before bailing out now.
Periods of sharp swings also are good times to assess your comfort level with your stock holdings and overall portfolio.
"If you have a financial plan that's right for your risk tolerance, stick to it and don't panic," McQuiston said. "Trying to call the bottom is a dangerous game."
Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, Jan. 23, 2008
If you are interested in taking advantage of the fantastic rate cut, call RE/MAX Desert Showcase today for all of your real estate needs! 623-979-8888
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Arizona Architecture-Turret Crazy?
Our Turret Craze in Sunny Arizona
Turrets cast a fairy-tale spell on many in the Valley
Once upon a time in the Valley, there lived a deeply frustrated population.
The people loved to play dress-up with their houses, primping their communities with names such as Villagio and Tartesso, hiding their cares in turreted abodes that cast a powerful spell: You are anywhere but here.
Yes, turrets. As in castles, Rapunzel, the TomKat Italian wedding - the whole lot. In Litchfield Park and other valley areas, our houses now are wearing crowns. This is escapism as architecture, the fairy god-builder as therapist, and clearly, our inner children spent way too much time at Disneyland.
It seems there's something bewitching about coming home from the wild, workaday West and cocooning in your carefully antiqued, leather-upholstered plot of European bliss.
If you draw the shutters just so, you can't see the gravel-laden front yard, you can't see the neighbors' house that looks just like yours. You can gaze at the faux topiaries resting on your mantel, admire the family crest a muralist painted in the entry and revel in your mirage.
"The kids say, 'It's a castle! It's a castle!' " says Melissa Krainski, whose yellow McMansion sits on a man-made hill near a man-made lake in a gated Gilbert community. It has eight turrets. (Who's the fairest of them all?)
"It feels like Arizona out there," says Krainski, 29, gazing out of her breakfast-nook turret onto the water-ski lake in the backyard, "but in here it's like our own little village."
Architecture is a way that we tell the world our stories, a blueprint of a moment in the American psyche: We build nameplates, we erect adjectives, we slip in notes to posterity saying we were here. But the story we're telling now goes something like this: We were here, but don't tell anyone, OK? Because we worked very hard to persuade ourselves we lived in a different place entirely.
Ye olde ranch house
Castles, of course, are everything Arizona is not: old and fussy, posh and pedigreed. They're an architectural oxymoron in a landscape of saguaro and sparkling-new stucco, and a weird rub with a culture that considers tucking in a Tommy Bahama as dressing for dinner.
And yet there are turrets for the neighbors and the nobles alike: 1,300 turreted square feet for $159,950 in Surprise, or a Scottsdale turret for $1.1 million with a fountain in the backyard.
We have half-turrets and octagonal turrets and turrets that are 26 feet high; turret entries, turret kitchens and even turret bathrooms, with columns around the tub. Ikea is selling a round bed.
We tear down bits of our Arcadia ranch houses in Phoenix, AZ, add a turret or two, and admire the resulting 1950s-meets-1550s creation.
Of course, there are turret condos - the copper-topped Chateaux on Central located in the Central Corridor. (We say condo, they say "urban mansion.")
If you want to get all academic and idealistic about it, and someone always does, architects say this turreting is gallows-ville.
"They're absolutely abominable," says Victor Sidy, dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West.
"Invasions," says Will Bruder, the Phoenix architect. "We have the authenticity of an original horizon and landscape," he says, and we muck it up trying to drag in bits of Tuscany or old English lore, houses "where your friends from back East come and say, 'Gee, we've got this in Ohio.' "
Long live the queen
Deeper down, playing dress-up with our houses represents an amalgam of American angst. Our cultural inferiority complex with Europe runs deep: We have no royalty, so we like to play at creating our own. TomKat! Madonna! Eva Longoria! All anointed Americans, all wed in European castles.
Called the bestselling bottle of Italian wine in America, the Cavit Collection has a castle on the label, and its slogan is "elevating life." We drink up the illusion of being somewhere older, more ethereal, less manufactured American, less now.
In California's Napa Valley, wine-oriented tourists are gaga for the newest attraction - a 120,000-square-foot winery named Castello di Amorosa, or "Castle of Love" - complete with drawbridges, bricks imported from Europe, a torture chamber and turrets galore.
You can even buy a real European castle, if you want to, for around $5 million at poshjourneys.com, which is based in Reno. The hot property is a castle time share in Germany: a piece of 1710 to pass 'round.
"Historically, dating literally from George Washington, the status-laden home in America is something that evokes the English aristocracy," says Winifred Gallagher, author of House Thinking and The Power of Place.
"Washington very consciously styled Mount Vernon into his idea of a British estate. He wanted to establish that he and, by association, this country were very up-and-coming."
Mount Vernon: token turret on top.
Turrets are a kooky byproduct of globalization-meets-destination, a modern world where location is becoming a minor technicality. We have Venice in Las Vegas, and that gondola concept now has come to Macao, a special administrative region of China. Steamy Dubai boasts an indoor ski park, with 22,500 square meters of real snow all year. Even in Paris, they set up a beach along the Seine come summer. Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Who can tell?
It's also total Disney brain: We believe in magic, in creating castles and characters and lands that don't exist, and we love our illusions. Our lexicon of lovely things is steeped in fairy tales: the Kennedys and Camelot, Cinderella stories, prom kings and rodeo queens, Miss America and her crown. And we pass it on - a souvenir for the kids from the Art Institute of Chicago's gift shop: Mon Premier Chateau, or "My First Castle."
In Phoenix, there is a 17-year-old girl named Elyse Smethers, who gets to pose for prom pictures beside her family's turret. Long dress. Prince Charming. Stretch-Hummer as carriage. The luckiest girl in north-central.
The hideaway home
There's also a deeper rationale, more melancholy, less pink.
"We are not in love with our time," says Bruder, the architect. "Everybody wants nostalgia . . . a way to get us away from our feelings about things like 9/11 and Virginia Tech and all these unpleasantries that our high-speed life wraps us in."
Coming to Goodyear, AZ complete with turreted foyers: Camelot Homes' Serenity Series, peace from the $500,000s.
"Everybody is completely in a little autonomous bubble . . . these big citadels where we try to do everything at home," author Gallagher says. The home theater, the home gym, working from home, even the second home as vacation destination. We're hungry for home, home, home.
"The world is a much more dangerous place to us," she adds.
Images from the Iraq war continue to assault us. And there are shootings at malls, in churches, in college classrooms.
"It's just a world that no one would have thought possible," Gallagher says.
We don't know our neighbors, "we don't have that kind of social support, that feeling of safety internationally or even locally," she says, "so what we do, instead, is build these fortresses."
Fort Ben
"Have you ever heard of a gun turret?" wonders Ben Rogers, 32, master of his family's Chandler turret for about a year now.
"We're really into - I don't want to sound weird - emergency preparedness," Rogers explains. A gun turret is a shooting platform, high and round, a holdover from the authentic turret ages, for a sniper.
Rogers and his father-in-law were shopping for recreational weaponry one afternoon and got to thinking about what would happen if some mythic day, the world crumbled and they needed to defend their food storage from the starving populace.
"It's all kind of a joke," Rogers says, "but that was the conversation about it. We worked out all the details and everything about putting one (gun turret) into our (home's) turret," currently home to plant-filled niches, complete with spotlights, a chandelier and a stone-floor medallion that Rogers' wife adores. "
Castle 101
Before the Disneyland castle and Dora the Explorer's Magic Castle Furniture Gift Set, before the Tony Parker-Eva Longoria nuptials, castles were used to keep out the naughties.
"Castle" derives from the Latin castellum, or "fortress." The first officially anointed castles showed up in the ninth century, and there was a good reason for using those rounded walls. The Middle-Age weapon of choice was a battering ram, and rounded walls better dispersed the destructive force of the ram. When gunpowder trumped the log in the Middle Ages, castles ceased to be motivated by defense and henceforth became monuments to their masters: pretty places to live and lord over the neighborhood.
"Even going back to the pyramids, there is this sense that human life was something that was finite, and that by surrounding ourselves with something that had the illusion of permanence, you could get around that fate," says Sidy, the school of architecture dean. "I think . . . those who are building (turrets) are trying to compensate for something, or perhaps they're fearing something. It may be Arizona that they're fearing."
In her Phoenix, AZ home, Susan Eller is trying to compensate for the fact that she is not in Italy right this very minute. The universe owes her a turreted kitchen, at least.
"Everyone has rectangles," says Eller, 47. "I don't know anyone who has a kitchen that's a radius. We thought it felt very warm."
The Ellers' entire home is a psalm to other places: the David sculpture here, a map of Israel there and turrets everywhere.
"It's an oasis in the middle of the desert," she says. "It takes you away from the desert. This is a huge escape from reality."
'Kinda flashy'
As homes have become more important, they've become more expensive. Travertine floors are tired and granite countertops are overdone, so we're scrambling for ways to justify our homes' price tags. For a half-million dollars these days, it feels as if you should get a turret or at least a triple-head shower; something to say that this is a fancy, pretty house, and the people who live here have evolved beyond the stainless-steel fridge.
The turret craze, says Alex Holmquist, senior architectural manager for Maracay Homes in the Phoenix area and the man behind many a Valley turret, has been huge, a "response to the same-old, same-old entries and the same-old houses" we've been living in for ages. We're tired of fake lofts and red-tile-roofed neighborhoods named after oceans. Add a turret, he says, and "it's round, it's kinda flashy. You see it and it has a lot of pop to it."
People walk in to the models at Maracay, to a round entry where a Tuscan foyer once felt so revolutionary 15 minutes ago, and fall in love. A round room where there was square; England, where Italy stood before.
Sometimes, Holmquist says, the people refer to their turrets as rocket ships. Interplanetary escapism; revolutionary, indeed.
In the attic
Let's play Rapunzel. If you climb three stories up into the oldest turret in the Valley, inside the Rosson House-turned-museum, built in 1895, you'll find yourself in an attic.
"It was the tallest structure in Phoenix," says Rosson tour guide Beulah Matthews, "so you could see everybody's business and have something to talk about at tea."
Now in the attic, you'll find everybody's business from 1895, 1995, last Christmas and moments in between. There's a newfangled fake holiday tree and a vintage sled, constructed before the plastic age. They drag them out every year for the annual Rosson House Christmas fest, during which we pretend we live in the Victorian era and, apparently, in a place where there is actual snow for sledding.
Peeking out the turret's windows, hoping for a view into this business of being American, being Arizonan and wishing you were somewhere else, you can see bits of Camelback Mountain, with houses marching up the side, conquering the desert and the landscape that was there before.
In the distance, a row of imported and transplanted palm trees frames views of downtown Phoenix, AZ where eight cranes tangle with buildings old and new and always getting taller.
Outside, on the turret's ledge, a green-eyed pigeon rests on a nest wedged in where it's not supposed to be, where the gable meets the pigeon spikes, two eggs tucked beneath her. Home, it seems, looks just the way we want it to.
Jaimee Rose, The Arizona Republic Jan. 12, 2008, jaimee.rose@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8923.
Super Bowl FAQs
Super Bowl FAQs
How do I get tickets for Super Bowl XLII?
The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee has a limited number of ticket packages available for purchase. These packages range from $5,000 to $150,000 and include VIP access to some of the biggest events during Super Bowl week.
How can I receive a monthly enewsletter update from the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee? Sign up at this link… http://www.azsuperbowl.com/email_updates.aspx.
If you use a spam blocker, please add enewsletter@azsuperbowl.com as an acceptable email address. Please contact your internet provider if you have further questions as each provider’s specifications/functionality is different.
How do I rent my home for Super Bowl XLII
Due to the number of hotel rooms in the Greater Phoenix market, (55,000), there are more than enough rooms to accommodate visitors. The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee does not play a role in assisting home owners to rent their properties, or visitors in finding homes for rent.
What is the average economic impact of a Super Bowl to the local economy?
The average economic impact of the Super Bowl on a host city is $300-400 million.
How many visitors will come to Arizona for Super Bowl XLII?
During Super Bowl XLII, University of Phoenix Stadium is projected to seat 73,000 people. Past host cities and the NFL estimate that an additional 50,000 non-game ticket holders visit Super Bowl cities each year to be a part of the festivities.
Who is the typical Super Bowl attendee and what is the typical length of stay?
The average Super Bowl attendee spends four nights in a hotel. Of the attendees, 85% are from another state, 70-90% arrive by plane and the average fan spends $1,500 - $2,000 during his/her stay. Of these visitors:
60% classify their occupation as managerial or professional.
53% earn at least $75,000 per year.
38% earn more than $100,000 per year.
65% are key decision-makers in their company.
60% of the above key decision-makers work at companies who host meetings outside of their corporate headquarters.
70% of these decision-makers would consider holding a meeting in the host city after visiting because of their positive Super Bowl experience.
20% would consider expanding their present operations in the host city area.
29% would consider establishing business operations in the host city area.
How can I volunteer for Super Bowl XLII?
The Arizona Super Bowl XLII Host Committee will be recruiting and training approximately 10,000 volunteers from the community to serve in various Super Bowl related capacities including hospitality, transportation, special events and more. The volunteer program known as Spike's Super Crew presented by Pulte Homes is currently recruiting volunteers.
Can I volunteer to work inside the stadium during Super Bowl XLII?
The NFL will not place any volunteers inside University of Phoenix Stadium, in Glendale, AZ on Super Bowl Sunday.
How many media professionals attend a Super Bowl?
More than 3,000 working media will attend Super Bowl XLII with at least 400 of those attendees being international journalists.
When are the teams available for media interviews?
During the week prior to the game, the NFL will host Media/Photo Day with the two participating teams. The NFL issues credentials for media access.
How many hotel rooms were required to host Super Bowl XLII?
The NFL required Arizona to secure 19,000 hotel rooms to host Super Bowl XLII as a part of the bid agreement. More than 35,000 additional rooms will be available in the Greater Phoenix area for Super Bowl visitors.
How does the Host Committee keep hotels from overcharging Super Bowl visitors?
Each hotel participating in the NFL block for Super Bowl XLII has signed an anti-gouging agreement. This agreement prohibits hotels from charging more than their highest published rate (rack rate) for Super Bowl XLII visitors.
How do I become a vendor for Super Bowl XLII?
Please check our website under the Business Directory link for more information on how to become a vendor for Super Bowl XLII. The Small and Emerging Business Program will offer local vendors the opportunity to attend workshops, obtain certification and may qualify to become a vendor during Super Bowl XLII.
What kinds of events are held during a Super Bowl?
Dozens of events are staged each year during Super Bowl week as well as in the months leading up to it.
NFL Events (NFL Experience, Taste of the NFL, Game day Hospitality)
Arizona Super Bowl XLII Host Committee Events (locally developed events, funded and managed by the Host Committee)
Who is responsible for the Pre-game and Halftime show?
The Pre-Game and Halftime show are developed by the NFL.
Where are the locations of future Super Bowls?
Super Bowl XLII - February 3, 2008
Glendale, Arizona
Super Bowl XLIII - February 1, 2009
Tampa, Florida
Super Bowl XLIV - 2010
South Florida
Game Day InfoSite: University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, Arizona
Date: February 3, 2008
Kick-off: 4:18 p.m. (6:18 p.m. EST)
Television: FOX
Radio: Westwood One (RE/MAX is major advertiser)
Stable Existing-Home Sales Expected in Early 2008, then Gradual Rise
Stable Existing-Home Sales Expected in Early 2008, then Gradual Rise
WASHINGTON, January 08, 2008 - Over the next few months, existing-home sales are expected to hold fairly steady as indicated by pending sales activity, then rise later in the year and continue to improve in 2009, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there is a pull and tug exerting itself on the market. “On the one hand, we have a pent-up demand from the four million jobs added to our economy over the past two years of sales decline,” he said. “On the other, consumers continue to wait for additional signs of market stabilization. There are more people with financial capacity now than in 2005, but many are trying to market-time their purchase. As a result, the exact timing and the strength of a home sales recovery is a bit uncertain. A meaningful recovery in existing-home sales could occur as early as this spring, or it may be further delayed toward late 2008.”
The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in November, fell 2.6 percent to a reading of 87.6 from a strong upward revision of 89.9 in October, but remains above the August and September readings and indicates a broad stabilization. The index was 19.2 percent below the November 2006 level of 108.4. “Although there could be some minor slippage in the first quarter, existing-home sales should hold in a narrow range before trending up,” Yun said.
The PHSI in the South rose 2.3 percent in November to 100.7 but is 19.8 percent below a year ago. In the West, the index slipped 2.1 percent to 86.6 but is 18.5 percent lower than November 2006. The index in the Midwest fell 4.1 percent in November to 82.1 and is 18.6 percent below a year ago. In the Northeast, the index dropped 13.0 percent in November to 70.1 from a spike in October, and is 19.1 percent below November 2006.
Existing-home sales for 2007 will probably total 5.66 million, the fifth highest on record, then edge up to 5.70 million this year and 5.91 million in 2009, compared with 6.48 million in 2006. Existing-home prices for 2007 are likely to be down 1.9 percent to a median of $217,600, hold even this year and then rise 3.1 percent in 2009 to $224,400.
“Rising home prices in the affordable midsection of the country are likely to offset declines in some of the previously hot markets,” Yun said.
There are wide variations in housing market conditions around the country, with nearly two-thirds of the metropolitan areas showing price gains. Healthy increases in metro prices are occurring in places such as Pittsburgh; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; San Jose, Calif.; and Bismarck, N.D.
“Our consumer survey shows buyers today are in it for the long-haul, planning to stay in their home for a median of 10 years. This is a wise approach to housing because the data shows the longer you own, the better your investment,” Yun said.
New-home sales are projected at 773,000 for 2007, and declining to 669,000 this year before rising to 730,000 in 2009, but well below the 1.05 million 2006. With an appropriate slowdown in production, housing starts, including multifamily units, are forecast at 1.36 million for 2007 and 1.09 million this year before edging up to 1.10 million in 2009; starts totaled 1.80 million in 2006. The median new-home price should drop 2.1 percent to $241,400 for 2007, and then rise 0.4 percent to $242,200 this year and gain another 5.9 percent in 2009.
“Some policy changes, such as raising the loan limit on conventional mortgages, would provide a significant boost to home sales, increase liquidity, strengthen home prices and lessen foreclosures, but it is unclear as to if and when the measure will be implemented,” Yun said. NAR strongly supports raising the Government-Sponsored Enterprise loan limit to at least $625,000 from the current $417,000 so that more consumers will have access to lower interest rates on safe conforming mortgages. “NAR estimates that raising the GSE loan limit will result in interest rates savings for an additional 330,000 homeowners,” he said.
NAR also encourages the Fed to make a single lump-sum cut in the Fed funds rate to 3.5 percent at the January Federal Open Market Committee meeting, rather than a series of modest cuts throughout the year. “Consumers are also looking to market-time interest rates, and the expectations of further rate cuts are pushing some home buyers to delay. Monetary policy will be much more effective with a one-time large cut, rather than a series of small cuts,” Yun added.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is expected to rise slowly to the 6.3 percent range by the end of this year, but an additional cut in the Fed funds rate would lower short-term interest rates.
Growth in the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is seen at 2.1 percent in 2007, below the 2.9 percent growth rate in 2006; GDP growth will probably be 2.0 percent this year.
After averaging 4.6 percent for both 2006 and 2007, the unemployment rate is estimated to rise to 5.3 percent in the second half of 2008. Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is projected at 2.9 percent for 2007 and 3.1 percent this year; it was 3.2 percent in 2006. Inflation-adjusted disposable personal income is forecast to grow 3.1 percent for 2007, the same as in 2006, and then grow 1.6 percent this year.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
# # #
*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.
The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity from 2001 through 2004 parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months. There is a closer relationship between annual index changes (from the same month a year earlier) and year-ago changes in sales performance than with month-to-month comparisons.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales.
Existing-home sales for December will be released January 24; the next Forecast / Pending Home Sales Index will be released February 7.
For more information, contact: National Association of Realtors, Walter Molony, 202/383-1177, wmolony@realtors.org
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Peoria Activates Red-Light Cameras
Peoria Activates Red-light Cameras
PEORIA, AZ - The Police Department kicked off two programs last week to help deter red-light running.
The city activated red-light cameras at two intersections, 83rd Avenue and Union Hills Drive, and 91st Avenue and Bell Road. Cameras also will be activated at 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird Road and 91st and Olive avenues, after construction on both roadways is completed, said Mike Tellef, police spokesman.
Drivers will have a trial period of approximately 30 days once the lights are activated, in which warnings will be mailed to offenders. After the 30-day period, $214 citations will be issued, Tellef said.
In the second program, funded by a $20,000 grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, motorcycle officers will target major intersections that don't have red-light cameras, Tellef said. That program ends Sept. 30.
Cecilia Chan, The Arizona Republic, Jan. 9, 2008
We are located 83rd Ave, just north of Thunderbird and one of these webcams! Drive carefully & please visit our beautiful office & work with one of our RE/MAX Desert Showcase Outstanding Agents! 623-979-8888
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
9920 Defines What A Community Should Be in the West Valley
9920 Defines What A Community Should Be in the West Valley
Some of the features of the community hop into a game of sand volleyball, check your e-mail with poolside wireless connections, barbeque outdoors by the pool, business center in the clubhouse, tailgate before heading over to Cardinals stadium in Glendale, AZ. Restaurants, nightclubs, bars, concerts are just minutes away. Get back to nature & Thunderbird Mountain Park is right there. Dinner and a movie at Westgate Center, Large garages for storage, Live outdoors and watch sunsets & sunrises on your oversized patio. Live near the Stadium with easy access to the 101. Pick up your dry cleaning on site. Work out at the state of the art Fitness and Wellness Center or go to the dog park. Take your pooch to the dog park. Enjoy true desert living with urban style lofts.
All units are wired for high-speed internet access, cable and satellite.
Gated access entry to the 9920 property for added security
Lofty 10-foot ceilings
Huge, oversized garages for additional storage
Elevators for your convenience
Built-in computer desks
Expansive garden patios and terraces that can double as outdoor living rooms
Full Whirlpool appliance packages.
Tiled entry ways
Large windows with coverings to protect from the sun
Artistic design with small nooks
Spa sized bathrooms with extra storage
Take a night time dip in the lighted pool and spa, heated for year round enjoyment
Enjoy parks, picnic areas, barbecues and ramadas for outdoor fun
Meet some friendly competition at the beach volleyball court
Take Sparky for a stroll and socialize at the dog park
Hang out with neighbors or entertain friends at the Clubhouse
Check your e-mail or finish up some last-minute work with Wireless internet connections, multiple docking stations
Computer workstations, a photocopier, and a fax machine in the full service business center
Work your body at the state of the art Fitness Center
Browse upscale shops, stock your fridge at the neighborhood grocer or meet a friend for coffee at the corner coffee shop, all part of the planned on-site retail experience.
