Q&A: Do I need to hire a home inspector for a new home?
Q : Anthony, If I am buying a new home, do I still need a home inspector? A: In one word: absolutely. Just because the home is new, doesn’t mean there won’t be defects that need to be corrected. It is not unusual for a general contractor not to know what his subcontractors have done. Home inspectors often find defects in the crawl space under the home or in the attic, such as broken trusses, crimped duct work or lack of insulation. There can also be foundation problems or incorrect wiring which can cause huge problems in the future. A good time to have a home inspector come is for a “pre-drywall” inspection so the insulation can be inspected before the drywall is installed. A few people will also hire the inspector to come back and examine their house...
Mesa mortgage broker guilty of bank fraud in cash-back scheme
T he crackdown on mortgage fraud in Arizona has resulted in another conviction in the Valley. Jeffrey Todd Crandell, 33, of Mesa has pled guilty to six counts of Bank Fraud According the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Arizona, Crandell was the leader of a sophisticated cash-back mortgage fraud scheme. In 2005, he obtained the rights to properties in Queen Creek, then hid his interest in those properties by putting them in his brother-in-law’s name. Then Crandell recruited friends to buy the properties for inflated prices—often hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the cost of the land. Crandell brokered the … read the rest of this post
Federal Reserve President in Phoenix to talk about the economy
O n Tuesday, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Janet Yellen will be in Phoenix to talk about the key issues Arizona is facing for an economic recovery. She’s the keynote at Lambda Alpha International’s Phoenix real estate conference on Tuesday Nov. 10th. The event starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix. Lambda Alpha is the honorary society for land economics. Go to Visit www.lai-phx.org for more information. … read the rest of this post
Slow recovery for Arizona economy and real estate, says Federal Reserve president
& ldquo;Thing are beginning to look up in Arizona as they are for the nation. Still the Phoenix housing market is nowhere near a return to health.” The pronouncement came from Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Janet Yellen on Tuesday to a group of the Valley’s leading real estate and banking executives. “As the housing market collapsed and the nation fell into financial crisis and recession, your desert metropolis was set back on its heels,” she said to the Phoenix chapter of the land economics group Lambda Alpha International. “Just as you (Phoenix) grew faster than the nation as a whole … read the rest of this post
Ways to decrease your homeowner’s insurance
I f you are a homeowner, you also have homeowner’s insurance to protect your home and valuables. Insurance premiums can vary according to location, and often times can be costly. But there are some simple things you can do to lower your rates and save money: 1. Install a home security system Home alarm companies recognize that home security systems reduce theft and home invasions. By installing a home alarm system with a monitoring service you can lower your homeowner’s insurance premiums by up to 20%. Check with companies such as ADT, Broadview Security or APX Alarm who all offer premium reductions. 2. Install additional smoke alarms New homes come with smoke alarms, but by installing additional smoke alarms in older homes, you can reduce your...