Remember that Open Enrollment for Catalina Foothills – District 16 Schools has begun.  This year you can get an application on-line at www.cfsd16.org or call  520-209-7500.  Their website has many questions answered regarding open enrollment policy.  Many families on the fringes of the District 16 – Catalina Foothills school boundaries take advantage of open enrollment since Catalina Foothills – District 16 schools usually have higher test scores and smaller classes. They offer Spanish daily and have an extensive art and music program that usually is less extensive than the larger TUSD school district that surrounds it.  Additionally, Catalina Foothills School District  has voted affirmatively on the  override; this year TUSD voters declined to fund the override. However, so far bus service is not offered to children travelling outside the school district.

Effective January 1, 2009 current FHA loan limits which have been $316,250 have been reduced to $271,050 and the required down payment has been increased from 3% to 3.5%.  Therefore, if you qualify, you can purchase a home for up to $279,400 with as little as 3.5% down on January 1, 2009, but you can buy a more expensive home with less downpayment now.  If you purchase a home soon, you could buy up to $325,000 with only 3% downpayment.  FHA financing is one of the most lenient mortgage qualifiers , with the only program that might be even more lenient being VA financing. Some primary qualifiers for an FHA loan are: One can not own another home with FHA financing at the present time (usually), and the home must be your primary residence.  Even folks with high incomes can qualify.  Give me a call at 520-615-2598 to start your home search.  

Pima County (Tucson and surrounding area) voted 52.4% for Obama and 46.4% for McCain.  Gambrielle Giffords kept her junior House of Representatives’ seat although the Republican, Tim Bee, fought hard.

I am very hopeful for my country and believe these election results will give many who before felt excluded, hope.  There will be many more minority kids saying, “When I grow up I want to be President.”  Whether you are Democrat or Republican you should celebrate this historic moment! What a proud day for America! John McCain is congratulated for giving an inspiring departing speech. He certainly will continue to do a great job for Arizona while representing us in the Senate. 

The Arizona Daily Star had an article today stating that resorts have great deals that usually stop on November 1st when prime season begins.  It mentions such great deals as Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort at rates starting as low as $119 a night; this setting is gorgeous and it backs to the high Pusch Ridge of the Santa Catalinas; it is less than 20 minutes from the epicenter of the Foothills restaurants, shopping, etc.   Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort has rates as low as $149. per night and this is is one of the nicest Foothills’ settings– right in the heart of hiking trails, Sabino Canyon, shopping, spas and restaurants.  It also mentions great rates at Westwood Look Resort that had a recent, huge renovation and offers a glorious setting amongst the Sonoran Desert with views of City Lights and the Santa Catalinas and Westin LaPaloma which is many peoples’ favorite because of its prime location, its spectacular setting and its fantastic service.  Come to Tucson!!!!!!!!!It is heaven on Earth!!!!!!! 

This Sunday’s edition of the Tucson local newspaper that I subscribe to– the Arizona Daily Star— supports Barack Obama for President.  “Obama brings deep intellectual curiosity, equanimity and discipline”.

I support Barack Obama, too. He has the best prescription to bring the world and our country together. We need an inspiring leader who is the antithesis of George W Bush.

LaPaloma Urgent Care and Physician offices is now open and it shares the entryway with Long Realty Foothills office (where I work).  It is located at the corner of Hacienda Del Sol and Sunrise Drive.  This large facility is open between 9 – 9 daily and the urgent care hotline phone # is 469-8295.  The complex is huge – 18,000 square feet and it  has a lab, x-ray facilities, digital mamography capability and  four doctors’ offices. The building also has a community room to offer health education classes.  With more and more snowbirds coming back to Tucson Foothills every day this is a greatly needed facility.

As hard as it is to believe with the seesaw stock market in play, luxury homes sales in the Tucson Foothills have been picking up. September was a sleepy month and many predicted that sales would be off for October, but that is not the case.  It seems more likely that the  luxury Tucson Foothills homes inventory will continue to drop. Those who have been waiting for the market to stabilize after it has bottomed may find the time has arrived. Give me a call at 615-2598 if you would like to explore Tucson Foothills real estate opportunities.

I will be holding open 4348 N Ocotillo Canyon Drive, priced at 435K, on next Sunday, Nov 2nd from 1-4 PM.  This beautiful 2,236 square foot  Pepper- Viner home has one-story; was built in 2001 and has many upgrades including a screened porch backing to a gorgeous view of the Catalina Mountains and the pristine Sonoran Desert, bamboo floors, Corian counters and more!  There will be directions posted at the gate on how to proceed through the gate, or you can call me at 615-2598 for directions. I hope to see you there!

Warren Buffet says it is a good time to buy quality stocks. Well, it is also a good time to buy a quality house. No one can ever say for sure where the bottom is, but it sure looks that way as far as Foothills housing is concerned. And do not believe that mortgage money is hard to get; it is available with prime lenders like Wells Fargo that Long Mortgage utilizes when clients ask for a mortgage referral.  Wells Fargo’s  portfolio was never risky, hence it is in a good position to lend money. If you need a mortgage referral, give me a call at 520-615-2598.

With conventional loans now requiring a minimun of 10% downpayment, more people are considering FHA loans that only require 3% down.  The maximum loan in Pima County has gone up to $316,250 and, therefore, one could purchase a home for up to approximately $326,000 with less than $10,000 downpayment. There are some restrictions, but there is no maximum income cutoff; the loan has to be for a primary residence and almost always one can only have one home at a time with this financing.  One of the attractive offerings of FHA financing is a plan for 2-1 buydowns for young buyers who do not plan on being in the home for very long and who may also plan for an income increase.  Today’s rate example would be: the buyer would pay 5% year one, 6% year two and 7% years 3 -30.  FHA also has 1 year, 3 year and 5 year ARM programs; however, with today’s fixed rate at a low rate of 6.5%, most buyers opt for a fixed rate program.  Many Pima County Condo Complexes are approved for FHA financing (single families, townhouses and manufactured homes also qualify), but check with your lender to make sure the condo complex you are considering is FHA approved. ( FHA wants to assure at least 51% of the condo complex are not rentals.) I am not a lender, and although I study this information to begin the conversation with my clients about financing options, it is best to consult a lender for a more in-depth analysis. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 520-615-2598 should you need a referral to an excellent lender.