Super low subscription rate for the AZ Republic +$5 Gift Card!

AVAILABLE TODAY ONLY!!

We have teamed up with an amazing Rep. with the Arizona Republic to offer friends of Spectrum Group AZ an incredible rate on a "green" subscription. Arizona Realtors this is a WONDERFUL client gift!!

Right now--today only you can sign up to get the Wednesday and Sunday papers only, (aka the coupons and ads papers) for only $1/week ($4/month).

That's HALF of the price of running out and getting just the Sunday paper alone and its delivered right to your door!



But WAIT there's more ;-) Place your order for this spectacular deal and you will also be given a $5 grocery gift card!!



Payment options are month-to-month EZ pay, or one time payment of $26 for half a year, or $52 one time payment for full year.

So what are you waiting for? Get in contact with Amy today via azrep.amy@gmail.com

Jessie(right) with her dear friend and the amazing Arizona Republic Rep Amy (left)

Weed Control...In the Summer???

The following post was contributed by "guest blogger" Ryan Gielow. Ryan has been in the pest & weed control business for many years, and would always provide a great solution for any of your pest, termite or weed control issues. Many thanks to Ryan for providing this insightful article. He can be reached at 602-550-1932 or via email at rgielow@azext.com

---------------------

WEED CONTROL IN THE SUMMER?

Ryan G. “Dr Weeds”
Arizona Exterminating
rgielow@azext.com

A question I have had to answer many time these past 25 years in the pest, termite and weed control industry is, “Why would I need to spray my weeds in the summer time?” There are many answers to this simple question but first I always like to ask my own question.

What do you want people to think when they drive by your house or pull up for a pool party? Frankly if your front yard has weeds they are going to make a judgment about you and your home. This snap decision can happen unfortunately, even with your best of friends.

With the extremely wet winter we had this year there is a very good chance you still have weeds in your yard. Or worse yet, you might have given up the fight because you have noticed that each time you cut the weeds or pull them out of the ground they come back and seem to bring friends along with them. This is a very natural occurrence. When your father told you to “pull them out by the roots” he did have a very good reason. Just below the surface most plants have a nodule that contains meristematic tissue. This tissue is where the plant literally grows from, so when you cut the top of the plant off it biologically “knows” to grow another top. In other words, you are trying to fight the laws of the universe… good luck with that.

There is a great solution to the ever irritating problem of hacking down weeds every weekend. After all don’t we have so many much more fun things to do during our weekends? One call to a professional herbicide applicator and your weed problems could be a distant memory! Notice, I said professional herbicide applicator. For some reason, the state of Arizona lowered the requirements for the application of herbicides.

Any Tom, Dick, or Harry with a truck can buy a post emergent herbicide and as long as they are spraying less than 3 gallons at a time they can spray your yard. Well, it is up to you but I certainly wouldn’t want some of these guys spraying something that can destroy my good plants without knowing everything there is to know about the plants and chemicals they are applying. Always use a licensed professional. Someone who has taken the weed control certification class from the State of Arizona Office of Pest Management and works for a company with a weed control qualifying party license.

Anyone from Arizona Exterminating that comes to your house to spray for weeds has the necessary licenses to not only apply more than 3 gallons of product at a time but we can also apply per-emergent herbicides as well. Pre-emergent herbicides are the key to effective long term weed control. When one of my guys comes to your property to spray a pre-emergent you WILL NOT SEE NEW WEEDS. If you remain on the schedule you will get to a point that you never have weeds in your yard again!

Wouldn’t you love to stop worrying about pulling weeds in the heat again? Can you imagine not wondering what your neighbors think of the weeds in your yard? How great would it be getting your weekends back from the weeds in your yard? Well all of this is possible. I have been making this dream come true for my clients for over 25 years. Give me a call or simply click this email link rgielow@azext.com and you will know what it is like to get your free time back!

Monthly A/C Maintenance

It's the 1st of the month--did you change your air conditioning filter?

Consider this your friendly reminder ;-)

Regular maintenance is a must to keep those beasts chugging out icy air in the middle of the "Hundred Teens" of July. Change the filters regularly. Dirty filters restrict air flow, reducing efficiency and worse case, can cause the evaporator to ice up. The sweltering days of summer are upon us here in AZ, you don't want to be stuck running your heat in order to unfreeze your a/c. Disposable fiberglass filters should replaced. Electrostatic or electronic filters need to be washed regularly.

Our monthly blog plug goes to the incredible team at Ocean Air- if you find yourself in need of a/c services Mikes the man you should be calling. You can visit their site at www.myoceanair.com or call them at 480-358-9435

Joni & Friends Arizona- Fishing with Friends 2010

We are so excited and blessed to be able to be an integral part of this amazing event and happy to share it with YOU! 2010 marks the 4th Annual Joni and Friends of Arizona-Fishing with Friends day at the Tempe Town Lake. This event is a Christ centered, faith based, love filled outreach to individuals with disabilities and their loved ones. Experiencing the incredibly beautiful Arizona outdoors is often difficult for people with disabilities and this unique outreach truly molds itself to special needs. Activities, entertainment and food are all FREE from 10am-2pm on Saturday, February 6th. Pre-register your attendance and skip the longer lines the day of by visiting www.fishingwithfriendsaz.com today. If you have a church or ministry that would like to be involved we would love to talk with you.

See you at the Lake!

Rates on 30 Year Fixed Mortgages Set Record Low

This is another great reason to start looking for a home, whether it is your first or potentially a chance to move "up" from your current residence. Please contact us to discuss the opportunities that await you.


Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The average interest rate for a 30-year mortgagedropped to a record low of 4.71 percent this week, pushed down by an aggressive government campaign to reduce borrowing costs.

The rate, published Thursday by Freddie Mac, is the lowest since the mortgage finance company began tracking the data in 1971. The previous record of 4.78 percent was set during the week ending April 30 and matched last week.

The Federal Reserve is pumping $1.25 trillion into mortgage-backed securities to try to bring down mortgage rates, but that money is set to run out next spring. The goal of the program is to make home buying more affordable and prop up the housing market. Despite the government support, qualifying for a loanis still tough. Lenders have tightened their standards dramatically, so the best rates are available to those with solid credit and a 20 percent down payment.

Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders across the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day, often tracking long-term Treasury bonds.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low of 4.27 percent, from 4.29 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 4.19 percent, up from 4.18 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 4.25 percent from 4.35 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount.

The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac's survey averaged 0.7 points for 30-year loans. The fee averaged 0.6 points for 15-year, five-year and one-year loans.

Buyers and homeowners who want to refinance are picking up their phones. Mortgage applications rose 2 percent last week from a week earlier, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday, driven by a more than 4 percent increase in purchase applications and a nearly 2 percent increase in applications to refinance existing loans.

Congress has extended and expanded the homebuyer tax credit.

President Obama is expected to sign the Expanded Extention of the Homebuyer Tax Credit by November 6th, 2009. Here are a few key components of this program and how it will help you or someone you know that is thinking of purchasing a home in the next 5 months.

1st time buyers: if you have not had an interest in a principal residence for 3 years prior to purchase, you may qualify for an up to $8000 ($4000 married filing seperatly)tax credit.

Current homeowner: if you have lived in the home you are selling for 5 of the last 8 years consecutively, you may qualify for an up to $6500 ($3250 married filing separate)tax credit if you purchase a new property


How long do we have to find a home to buy and qualify???
So long as a written binding contract to purchase is in effect on April 30, 2010, the purchaser will have until July 1, 2010 to close.

There are some limitations such as income limits and you can not be purchasing a home that is greater then $800k, but we can help you navigate these questions so give us a call 480-393-0434 or shoot us an email today (spectrumgroupaz@gmail.com)

While April 30th is more then 5 months away making it seem like plenty of time to house hunt, we urge you to contact us today to begin your search. With this extension including an expansion, even more buyers will be out there vieing for the same properties you are. Buyers that benefited from the current home buyer credit that did not include the expansion found the home buying process to take anywhere from 5-8 months. With that in mind, let's start shopping today!

Avoid These 10 Common Mistakes When Buying Property

Avoid These 10 Common Mistakes When Buying Property

Oct. 16th, 2009
in Real Estate
by ElizabethMcLachlan

Most of the mistakes made when purchasing a home often results in problems that are hard to rectify. To ensure that you don’t have to life with the consequences of your own bad judgment, look out for these common mistakes made when purchasing property:

Mistake #1: Grabbing the First Loan You are Offered

Shop around until you’ve found the best deal and talk to professionals, friends and/or real estate agent for referrals. Make sure you get all your quotes on the same day at around the same time, as interest rates might differ from day to day.

Mistake #2: Getting the Location Wrong

Location is everything and you don’t want to go wrong here. Once again, consider all your needs such as the area’s proximity to your place of work, public transport, schools etc. and make sure you pick the area for the right reasons. Also look at future development in the area to ensure that you investment is secure.

Mistake #3: Not Using the Services of a Real Estate Agent

To refuse the services of an experienced agent is a mistake that a lot of buyers make. They forget that an agent is used to handling transactions, negotiating and has knowledge of property prices in the area. Good agents have the ability to keep things in perspective and help you to be rational when things get too stressful.

Mistake #4: Getting the Price Wrong

Your agent will assist you in getting the price right by, among other things, comparing the house prices in the area. Again, this shows the importance of using an agent.

Mistake #5: Buying Beyond Your Limits

You will always find buyers purchasing a property, which leaves them without any disposable income, as they are unable to deal with the monthly down payment as well as other costs like insurance, property tax etc. Avoid this common mistake by carefully calculating how much home you can afford. Choose a maximum price and stick to it.

Mistake #6: Being Overhasty

There are a lot of emotions involved in purchasing a home, which can lead to buyers jumping into a deal prematurely. Be prepared to spend a lot of time house hunting to avoid disappointment.

Mistake #7: Passing on the Inspection

As a buyer you might feel that you are qualified enough to sniff out any problems. Unfortunately this can cost you dearly. Be smart and get a qualified property inspector to check the property before you buy it.

Mistake #8: Over Spending Before Closing

Taking on debt before closing the deal might mean that you no longer qualify for the mortgage. Rather wait till after the closing before you start buying new furniture and other essentials for the new home.

Mistake #9: Not Reading the Contract

Property contracts can be confusing and hard to grasp, but it is essential that you know what you are committing yourself to. Make sure you understand all terms and conditions and ask for advice if you are unsure of anything. Never just sign on the dotted line.

Mistake #10: Not Budgeting for Closing Costs

Remember to budget for closing cost (attorney fees, recording fees, survey fees, brokerage commission etc.) and remember that you will always have hidden cost, whether it is interest rate hikes or personal financial requirements.

Buying a property has its fair share of ups and downs but can be a pleasant experience if you look out for the common mistakes made.