Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals for the New Year.

Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
*Who:      Who is involved?
*What:     What do I want to accomplish?
*Where:    Identify a location.
*When:     Establish a time frame.
*Which:    Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why:      Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
EXAMPLE:  A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

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Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.
When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……
How much? How many?
How will I know when it is accomplished?

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Attainable – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

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Realistic- To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.
A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

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Timely – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
T can also stand for Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing.
When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.
Please also see Goal Setting -Powerful Written Goals In 7 Easy Steps!

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Joseph D'Ambrosio
Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138
Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR 
West USA Realty
Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com
 

 If you have questions regarding Loans, Financial Information, buying or Selling your Home or Real Estate. Please give me a call  My group of network Professionals are looking forward to helping you with your needs. 

 

Thank you

Joseph D’Ambrosio

Joseph D'Ambrosio

Real Estate Consultant / Realtor

West USA Realty
623-204-2138

 

 

 

Is the housing market making a major shift?

STOP! Would you like to know what is happening in your neighborhood? Would you like to know the value of your home? Do you need help deciding whether to sell or not or would you like to know if now is the right time to buy? I would be very happy to get you that information. Just hit Reply and let me know. "Opening The Door To Opportunity and Your Future Home..." Thank you Joseph D'Ambrosio Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138 Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR  West USA Realty Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com Is the housing market making a major shift? The real estate market has been one of the strongest pillars of the economy following the greatest financial downturn since the Great Depression. To learn more, click HERE. Rising mortgage rates could dissuade new home buyers   A sharp rise in mortgage rates over the last few weeks means it may be too late for some homeowners to benefit from a refinance. To learn more, click HERE.

Metro Phoenix housing: Homebuyer revival transforms market In a good sign of the times, real-estate agents are predicting a proliferation of for-sale signs on front lawns. To learn more, click HERE. Best Places to Live America's best small towns America's top 50 small towns are not only thriving economically, they've also got all you could want in a place to raise a family: To learn more, click HERE.   Tempe's Dorsey Place apartments sold for nearly $15 million Dorsey Place — an 84-unit apartment project near Arizona State University in Tempe that was initially built as condos... To learn more, click HERE. Health Care Reform Kickoff: What You Need to Know  Here’s a refresher on what you need to know: What is qualifying health coverage? Employer-provided insurance; government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP; COBRA; privately purchased insurance; or coverage you purchase on a state or federal marketplace. To learn more, click HERE. Phoenix Event Calendar - November What Is There To Do in Greater Phoenix in November? Plenty! Hardly a day goes by without something to do in Phoenix during the month of November. To learn more, click HERE. Cities with the biggest pay hikes While the average worker in the U.S. saw their wages rise 1.7% over the past year, workers in these 10 cities saw a more generous bump during the third quarter, according to PayScale. To learn more, click HERE.

How to Get Kids to Save Energy Want your kids to pitch in and help save energy? Green parenting bloggers weigh in on getting kids to flip the switch and stop wasting energy. To learn more, click HERE.   Think Social Media Is a Waste of Time? Don't Give Up So Soon Out goes the blog post or tweet. Immediately, the fingers start drumming on the table. The eyes shift anxiously to the clock or watch. To learn more, click HERE. 14 Household Cleaning Tips That Will Blow Your Mind With the holidays on the way, you may be doing some cleaning to prepare for guests in your home. You may also be looking for some tricks to clean up those stains ... To learn more, click HERE. 6 surprising uses for your old smartphone Unless you've been living under a rock, you know Apple has released two new iPhones. With much less fanfare, new Android and Windows Phone smartphones enter the market regularly. Find out more, click HERE.

October 2013 Market Report

October 2013 Market Report
Report overview This report includes MLS data for the past 36 months in Maricopa County only as provided by the FlexMLS system.  Please note that searches fluctuate daily when running these reports; these figures were obtained on 10/2/2013.

A reminder that you need to meet with a real estate professional to see how statistics impact the area where you are considering selling or buying – blended statistics will not be as accurate as a more detailed report that your real estate professional can provide to help you with your decision making.

(click any graph for larger image)

Closed Sales Report Analysis:

Sellers:

The month of September showed a significant decrease of 10% in the number of closed sales. The statistics show that we had 5,608 residential homes sell in September in Maricopa County compared to 6,260 in the month of August. This is the fourth month in a row that we have seen this number decrease.  Although this follows the trend for this same month in the past 2 years, sellers should pay attention as it means fewer of them are having success selling their homes.

Buyers:

For buyers, this means that though the inventory is increasing, it is still limited.  Fewer buyers found success in closing on a home when compared to the prior few months.  As prices and interest rates continue to rise, buyers need to take action now to make sure they don’t get priced out of buying their home.

Pending Sales Analysis:
 

Sellers:

The month of September saw a 16% decrease in the number of homes that moved to pending status – a total of 4,259 homes. Although September usually sees a drop in this number, it is very important for sellers to monitor this statistic. It means significantly fewer buyers and sellers were able to come to agreement on the terms of a contract on a home.

Buyers:

Educated and savvy buyers understand that a competitive market gives them fewer options for home choices, negotiating on price AND looking for concessions from a seller.  Although this may vary from area to area AND from price range to price range, buyers need to make sure they are fully informed regarding the individual market in which they have an interest.  This will give them the best chance of being competitive in the search for a home.  With the recent increase in interest rates, it will be important to monitor its impact on future sales.

 

Average Sales Price Analysis:
 

Sellers:

Last month saw the average sales price decrease slightly by $200 from $244,408 to $244,208. This does NOT follow the trend of the month of September in the prior two years when we have normally seen an increase in the average sales price.  Although this is the 5th highest average in the 36-month reporting period, we are definitely seeing a level off of prices in the market. Sellers need to remain diligent about pricing homes according to the current market and to understand how this increase impacts individual homes.  Sellers are encouraged to spend time with their real estate professional to determine what is happening in their local market.

Buyers:

This statistic is an indicator that buyers still continue to pay more for homes than they have in the past 36 months. Educated and savvy buyers understand that a competitive market gives them fewer options for home choices, negotiating on price AND looking for concessions from a seller.  Although this may vary from area to area AND from price range to price range, buyers need to make sure they are fully informed regarding the individual market in which they have an interest.  This will give them the best chance of being competitive in the search for a home.

 

Distressed Sales Analysis:
 

A bank owned/foreclosure home is one that the seller no longer owns – it has been taken over by the lender(s) who had a note on the home. Short sales are homes where the seller is negotiating with the bank to “forgive” a portion of the debt in order to avoid foreclosure.

The market saw a slight adjustment favoring what we call traditional or non-distressed sales.  Bank-owned sales decreased slightly from 8.4% to 7.3% of closed sales, and short sales decreased from 10.5% to 8.9%.  The result was an increase in the number of traditional sales from 81.1% to 83.8%.  Sellers and buyers need to monitor this trend to see how the market continues to respond to the current inventory.

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Would you like to know what is happening in your neighborhood?
Would you like to know the value of your home?
Do you need help deciding whether to sell or not or would you like to know if now is the right time to buy?

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Just hit Reply and let me know.

"Opening The Door To Opportunity and Your Future Home..."

Thank you
Joseph D'Ambrosio
Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138
Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR 
West USA Realty
Email: joseph_dambrosio@westusa.com
Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com

The Government Shutdown And Its Effect On Existing Home Sales

The Government Shutdown And Its Effect On Existing Home Sales

October 22, 2013 By Greg Gale Leave a Comment

Existing home sales for September fell by 1.90 percent from August’s revised reading of 5.39 million sales to 5.29 million sales. Economists had expected 5.30 million sales for September, so a slow-down in existing home sales had been anticipated.
The National Association of REALTORS cited higher home prices and mortgage rates as factors contributing to fewer sales of previously owned homes.
Home Prices Easily Outpaced Income Growth
According to Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, home prices ”easily outpaced income growth.” Consequently, affordability has fallen to a five-year low. Mr. Yun also indicated that a government shutdown was expected to affect home sales in October.
NAR also cited a ”notable increase” in federal flood insurance premiums as a deterrent to homebuyers in flood zones. The premium increase was set for October 1.
There is some good news. The NAR reported that existing home sales had increased from 4.78 million in September 2012. As compared to the reading for September 2013, this was an annual increase of 10.70 percent in existing home sales.
This increase represented the 27^th consecutive month for increasing sales of existing homes on a year-over-year basis.
Higher National Median Home Price
According to the NAR report, the national median home price increased by 11.70 percent to $199,200 as compared to one year ago. This was
the 10^th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year increases in existing home prices.
NAR estimated that it would take five months to sell the 2.21 million previously owned homes currently available, which indicates that available existing homes remain in short supply.
Sales of distressed properties rose to 14.00 percent share of existing home sales, up from August’s share of 12.00 percent. August’s level was the lowest share of distressed properties sold since NAR began tracking monthly sales of distressed properties in October 2008. Sales of distressed properties during September included 9.00 percent foreclosed properties and 5.00 percent short sales.
Distressed properties typically sell for less than market value; fewer distressed properties included in existing homes for sale would contribute to higher prices. September’s percentage of distressed sales is down by 10 percent year-over-year.

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Joseph D'Ambrosio
Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138
Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR 
West USA Realty
Email: joseph_dambrosio@westusa.com
Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com

Foreclosure starts plummet to six-year low

If you have any questions regarding this report or Loans, Financial Information, buying or Selling your Home or Real Estate. Please give me a call  My group of network Professionals are looking forward to helping you with your needs.    Thank you Joseph D’Ambrosio Joseph D'Ambrosio Real Estate Consultant / Realtor West USA Realty 623-204-2138 Foreclosure starts plummet to six-year low Foreclosure starts recorded during the 12-month period ending in July fell to an activity level not seen since 2007, Lender Processing Services said in its latest Mortgage Monitor report. Read more, click HERE! Arizona: Low prices + sunshine Affordable housing, balmy winters, love of nature, modern restaurants, diverse culture and over 300 sunny days a year are just a few reasons Arizona has Canadians flocking in droves to the high desert. To learn more, click HERE

5 Clever Closet Conversions Want more living space without adding on? One of your closets may be just the extra square footage you’re looking for. Read more, click HERE. Does a Pool Add Value to a Home? Learn how a pool affects the value of your home, and get advice on construction and maintenance costs. Learn more, click HERE. Household Tips   You've always trusted Morton in your favorite recipes, but it can help you far beyond the dinner table. Explore below to see how salt can make your wine glasses glisten, your air aromatic, and even more. To learn more, click HERE. Halloween In an article from Oct. 30, 1892, "Customs From Halloween; An Observance That has Come From Pagan Times," The New York Times described "All Hallow Even or Halloween" as "undoubtedly a relic of pagan times." To learn more, click HERE. Great places for clean air Feel free to breathe deep: In these 20 towns, the air quality is rated highly, and pollution levels are below the U.S. average. Read more, click HERE. 3 ways you're using Facebook wrong   If you're like most people, you visit Facebook a few times a day. You catch up on the latest gossip, "Like" cute baby or pet pictures, and maybe post something yourself. Find out more, click HERE.

Phoenix housing market continues to blossom Last week, two separate reports published by Arizona State University CoreLogicInc. showed the local housing market was returning to normal this summer, but issues such as negative equity still are lingering. To learn more, click HERE. Top 5 Myths About Home Buying Today The fact is, buying a home today is absolutely, totally different from buying one in 2003. And right there is why so many myths swirl around a process that, in many ways, is utterly novel from what it has been. What was true isn't anymore. To learn more, click HERE. STOP!  Would you like to know what is happening in your neighborhood? Would you like to know the value of your home? Do you need help deciding whether to sell or not or would you like to know if now is the right time to buy?     Mortgage rates dip as Fed holds stimulus steady By Les Christie Mortgage interest rates fell after the Federal Reserve said last week that it won't pare back its stimulus program. To learn more, click HERE. Metro Phoenix sees big decrease in vacant houses In just three years, Phoenix has gone from having too many inexpensive, vacant houses to not having enough, according to The Arizona Republic. To learn more, click HERE.       I would be very happy to get you that information.Just Reply and let me know. "Opening The Door To Opportunity and Your Future Home..." Thank you Joseph D'Ambrosio Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138 Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR  West USA Realty Email: joseph_dambrosio@westusa.com Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com

Nominee Janet Yellen to head the Fed

This is a News Article from CNN MONEY written by Annalyn Kurtz and CNN' Senior White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, contributed to this report.  (If you have any questions regarding this report  please go to CNNMONEY) or If you have questions regarding Loans, Financial Information, buying or Selling your Home or Real Estate. Please give me a call  My group of network Professionals are looking forward to helping you with your needs. 

 

Thank you

Joseph D’Ambrosio

Joseph D'Ambrosio

Real Estate Consultant / Realtor

West USA Realty
623-204-2138

Nominee Janet Yellen to head the Fed

 

President Obama will nominate Janet Yellen to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, a senior White House official said Tuesday.The announcement will be made on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., the official said.
If Yellen is confirmed by the Senate, she will be the first woman to head the central bank in its 100-year history.
Yellen got the nod based on a robust résumé, including more than a decade in various Federal Reserve roles. She currently serves as Fed vice chair and has pushed for the central bank to stimulate the economy to address high U.S. unemployment. Her views are considered to be closely aligned with current Chairman Ben Bernanke, and for that reason, the leadership transition is expected to be smooth once his term ends in January.
Prior to her current role, Yellen served as president of the San Francisco Fed, and transcripts show that during that time, she foresaw the housing crisis better than many of her colleagues.
In the late 1990s, Yellen served as chair of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors. She has also taught economics at the University of California, Berkeley and the London School of Economics. She has her bachelor's degree from Brown University and her Ph.D. in Economics from Yale.
Related: Federal Reserve says no taper
The chair of the Federal Reserve is arguably one of the most powerful jobs in the world, and this nomination comes at a critical moment. The central bank is considering reducing its current bond-buying program, and further down the road, the new Fed chair will also have to grapple with the complicated task of unwinding five years of monetary stimulus.
Since late 2008, the Fed has accumulated more than $3 trillion in Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, in its bid to support the U.S. economy. Yellen already knows the ins and outs of those policies, given she was on the team that implemented them.
The confirmation process could take months, but Yellen already has key Senate Democrats on her side. In the summer, when it seemed likely that President Obama was ready to nominate former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers to the job, Democrats wrote a letter urging the president to choose Yellen instead.
In that letter, they praised her "impeccable resume," focus on unemployment and her "solid record as a bank regulator."
Summers pulled his name from consideration, writing that he "reluctantly concluded" the confirmation process would be "acrimonious and not serve the interests of the Federal Reserve, the Administration, or ultimately, the interests of the nation's ongoing economic recovery."
"She's an excellent choice and I believe she'll be confirmed by a wide margin," said New York Senator Charles Schumer on Tuesday night.
"I commend President Obama on his selection of Dr. Yellen to be the first woman to serve as Federal Reserve Chairman," said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson. "She has a depth of experience that is second to none, and I have no doubt she will be an excellent Federal Reserve Chairman."
Female economists: Pick Janet, but leave gender out of it!
Economists -- and female economists in particular -- were largely supportive of Yellen over Summers. Many emphasized that her accomplishments alone made her the best candidate for the job, not her gender.
"At the highest levels of central banking, there are very few women," Yellen said earlier this year. "But I am pleased that the representation of women is increasing a lot at other levels... I really think this is something that's going to increase over time, and it's time for that to happen."
CNN' Senior White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, contributed to this report.

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Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138
Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR 
West USA Realty
Email: joseph_dambrosio@westusa.com
Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com

Country Club Living Your Pace, Your Style, Your Way...

New Arizona Home Buying Video...

Anthem Country Club Living Your Pace, Your Style, Your Way...

 

This is a New Arizona Home Buying Video - Country Club Living Your Pace, Your Style, Your Way if you have any questions regarding this Video or Loans, Financial Information, buying or Selling your Home or Real Estate. Please give me a call  My group of network Professionals are looking forward to helping you with your needs. 

 

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Joseph D’Ambrosio

Joseph D'Ambrosio

Real Estate Consultant / Realtor

West USA Realty

 

 

 

 

STOP!

 Would you like to know what is happening in your neighborhood?

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Do you need help deciding whether to sell or would you like to know if now is the right time to buy?

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Just Reply and let me know.

"Opening The Door To Opportunity and Your Future Home..."

Thank you
Joseph D'Ambrosio
Joseph D'Ambrosio Cell: 623-204-2138
Real Estate Consultant / REALTOR 
West USA Realty
Email: joseph_dambrosio@westusa.com
Email: ArizonaHomeBuying@gmail.com