Living In Phoenix Arizona

OnTheAvenues SEO

2009-09-23T13:22:00.001-07:00

Great place for information related to SEO, search engine optimization as it relates to web sites, blogs, and using SEO techniques for social networking and more. Latest news, processes and answers to questions to help you perform better on the internet by knowing how to use the proper resources

in reference to: Facebook | OnTheAvenues (view on Google Sidewiki)

Best Forex Program Reviews. Top Forex Software Reviews.

2009-09-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

Unbiased Forex Software Reviews, Forex Program Reviews. Using the best Forex software will net you more in forex returns!

in reference to:

"Best Forex Program Reviews. Top Forex Software Reviews.Unbiased Forex Software Reviews, Forex Program Reviews. Using the best Forex software will net you more in forex returns!"
- Best Forex Program Reviews. Top Forex Software Reviews. (view on Google Sidewiki)

Trailer Life. RV Living

2009-09-23T10:15:00.003-07:00

For People On The Road! Resource Guide For Trailers, 5th Wheels, MotorCoach. Trailer Living honors those folks who enjoy the freedom of being able to pick up and go whenever they wish. From trailer humor, trailer park living tips to useful RV, 5th wheel, motorcoach info to trailer parks and National parks information, RV cooking and so much more. We make trailer living and RV-ing hip, cool and fun.

in reference to: Trailer Life. RV, 5th Wheel, Motorcoach Resources. (view on Google Sidewiki)

Trailer Life. RV Living

2009-09-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

in reference to: Trailer Life. RV, 5th Wheel, Motorcoach Resources. (view on Google Sidewiki)

Real Estate Info. Phoenix AZ

2009-09-23T09:34:00.001-07:00

Helpful group of realtor's from The Cutty Group providing insight into the real estate market, home loans, home buying, foreclosures,bank owned,short sales, home market news and all things real estate

in reference to: Facebook | The Cutty Group (view on Google Sidewiki)

Free Forex Income Engine 2.0 Videos

2009-06-08T09:02:00.001-07:00

Bill Poulos Free FIE 2.0 Videos. Collapsing Economy Creates Forex Wealth (video training) Forex Risk Shield Video. New Forex Income Engine 2.0

Last Fall, during a late-night Forex trading research session, one of the industry's most respected trading educators made a discovery around day trading Forex that he shared with a limited group of traders. Watch this free, amazing new way to successful trade Forex video by clicking here

Now, 6 months later... the same trading educator recently re-emerged from a marathon follow-up research session where he analyzed the killer results his initial group of traders got...and discovered 3 different ways to make them even BETTER.

From what I've seen, NO ONE is trading Forex like this (yet)...not to mention this completely turns traditional "day trading"on its ear...

He recorded a new training video this past weekend that "pulls back the covers" on this updated discovery & reveals how you can shield your portfolio from risk every single time you trade forex...especially if you're inexperienced & have little time.

Watch this free, amazing new way to successful trade Forex video by clicking here

During his research, he confirmed what I (and others) suspected for a long time:

* The collapsing global stock markets and economies are creating pressures that, in turn, are creating more profit potential than we've ever seen before in the Forex markets.

That may come as a big surprise, especially if you're new to trading... but he explains in his training video why this is happening, and how you can get in on it.

You'll also discover:

* How you can literally TRIPLE your profit potential when you use a little-known trick that has to do with the predominant trend...

* 2 "retracement tricks" most traders flat-out MISS, which, if you know how to spot them, can turn an otherwise losing trade into a profit powerhouse...

* The huge "edge" you get over other traders when you automatically identify the predominant trend at any point in time... and then "throw yourself in front of it"...

* The #1 key to trading Forex you MUST do EVERY SINGLE TIME before you place a trade before even thinking about profit. When you do this, you automatically "up the odds" that a profit will unfold...

* ...and a TON more.

If you're interested in Forex, or have been a little "spooked"
by what's been going on in the markets, then this may be the most important trading video you'll ever see this year.

Why? Because after you watch it, you'll be SCRAMBLING to start trading Forex this way...

It finally brings flexibility and customization to Forex day trading so that ANYONE can have an "edge", whether you only have 20 minutes to trade, or if you have all day. Your choice.

It's awesome (and surprisingly simple)...Watch this free, amazing new way to successful trade Forex video by clicking here

New Home Sales Rise 4.7%

2009-03-26T09:45:00.003-07:00

New-Home Sales Rise 4.7%

Source: Wall Street Journal

Sales of new homes rose in February for the first time in seven months, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday, another sign that the housing market is thawing.

The increase was fueled by higher activity in the South and West, where deals on foreclosures and other "distressed" properties, particularly in California, are helping to drive interest.

Sales of new and existing homes are picking up month over month, and prices may soon follow. But the crosscurrent is whether unemployment will continue to rise, says USC real-estate economist Delores Conway. Stacey Delo reports.

The data "have allayed some fears that the housing market would continue to freefall," said Omair Sharif, an economist with RBS Greenwich Capital, "but it's way too early to say if we've hit bottom."

Wednesday marked the third consecutive day of positive news in the housing market, a contrast to the drumbeat of bad news in recent months. On Tuesday, a government gauge of home prices posted its first gain in almost a year, while Monday brought news that sales of previously owned homes, the biggest share of the market, also increased last month.

Also Wednesday, the California Association of Realtors said existing-home sales in the state were up 83% in February from the previous year, as the median home price was down some 40%, helping to shrink inventories to about a six months' supply from 15 months last year.
Bette Zerba, a real-estate agent in Phoenix, said a high level of foreclosures is prompting similar activity in her area.

"I thought the market looked spectacular right now and wanted to take advantage of it," said one of Ms. Zerba's clients, Rosanna Fischer, 40 years old, a first-time home buyer. She offered $175,000 on a 2,000-square foot bank-owned home with a pool in Glendale, Ariz., last week.

Shares of retail companies rose on Wednesday after government data showed durable goods orders and home sales rose more than expected. Home Depot was a leading gainer.

Sales of new homes nationwide rose 4.7% last month to a 337,000 annual rate, though they still are down sharply compared with this time last year, and increased competition from cheaper existing homes could hamper their sales ability in the coming months. The median sales price for a new home was $200,900 last month, down from $251,000 in February 2008, but still high compared with the median sales price of an existing home last month of $165,400.

Falling prices and low mortgage rates are helping to stir buying activity, along with the government's $8,000 tax credit, part of the stimulus bill, for buyers who purchase a home before Dec. 1. The number of new homes for sale -- some 330,000 units -- is the lowest in almost seven years, a sign builders are beginning to work through bloated inventories after cutting back on new construction.

Separately, data Wednesday showed that orders for manufactured goods rose last month for the first time since July, another signal that the U.S. recession isn't deepening. The Commerce Department said orders for manufactured durable goods -- items such as autos, furniture and appliances designed to last three years or more -- rose a seasonally adjusted 3.4% last month to $165.6 billion, the first monthly gain since July.

Last month's rise in orders, however, only partially reverses January's revised 7.3% drop, which is sharply lower than first estimated, and orders are still down nearly a quarter from the previous year. A key gauge of business spending -- orders for capital goods excluding defense and aircraft -- also rose after posting a revised 11.3% plunge in January.

Meanwhile, inventory levels of durable goods declined last month, a sign that the jump in orders is helping to pare bloated inventories, paving the way for a future production increase. But households are likely to remain under pressure for some time: Economists still expect the unemployment rate, now 8.1%, to flirt with double digits later this year or next.
—Jim Carlton contributed to this article.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123798406285137541.html

Write to Kelly Evans at kelly.evans@wsj.com

Forex Profits Accelerator Income Engine Free VIdeos

2009-03-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Forex Profits Income Engine Free Access. Forex Training and Trading Videos
This is just a courtesy reminder to let you know that the free Forex Profit Accelerator members website preview subscription I gave you access to yesterday will expire next week, on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009.

There's still time to get access to over a dozen Forex training and trading videos by clicking here.

You will gain a deeper understanding about how the foreign exchange market works, what factors affect currency movements, which currencies are the most popular and most viable to trade, and how you can make a profit by ensuring you get a wide spread margin from the trades you make. There are very specific terminology, such as “bid price” and “ask price”, “pips” and “spread” that you will do well to learn about to make it easier for you to trade.

After you login into the free Forex Profit Accelerator, you might be a bit overwhelmed by all the info on that website. If that's the case, start with these 2 videos which are found in the "Pip Vault" section:

Trade video #14, which is a day-by-day 'diary' of a EUR/USD trade that just openened on March 5th and shows 385+ pips so far. Watch how easy it is to monitor this trade in just a few minutes a night. You can do this, too.

How to identify trending Forex pairs - this 14 minute, 3 second video reveals how to use a simple indicator to quickly help identify which Forex pairs are trending, which can give you a huge edge over other traders, and help shield you from risk when placing a trade.

Both of these videos, along with over a dozen more, can be found on the Forex Profit Accelerator members website preview in the "Pip Vault" section.

(Remember, the entire preview website expires next Tuesday, March 24th, when limited copies of Bill Poulos's Forex Profit Accelerator home study course are re-released... so, until then, make sure you get your hands on all the complimentary training material waiting for you inside.)

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

p.s. I'd also take a close look at the up-to-date daily "Pip Feeder" reports found on the site. Normally $197/mo, you get them all 'on the house'... at least through next Tuesday.

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

Free Forex Profit Accelerator Income Pip Feeder

2009-03-17T12:11:00.001-07:00

Forex Free Pip Feeder. Free Forex Profits Accelerator Income Engine

If you enjoyed the complimentary 'Forex 4-Pack' training I sent you last week, wait until you see this...

(Make sure you READ ALL OF THIS because what I'm about to share with you EXPIRES in 7 days.)

Here's the scoop...Next week, on Tuesday, March 24th, the Forex trading community will get turned on its ear...

Why do I say that? Because the home study course that shook up the Forex community last summer by showing them how to reap huge pip potential in just 20 minutes a night by becoming true, independent traders is coming back...but only for 7 more days.

Everything about it is first class... and easy to understand.

I'll have more information to send you about it on March 24th, but for now I've been granted special permission to give you private access to a Members Website Preview so you can get "up close & personal" with this trading course before the rest of the community gets a chance to.

You see, the author of the course is only releasing a few more copies from March 24th to March 31st... but here's the problem: He already has 40,000+ traders interested in it. So Bill Poulos just doesn't have enough inventory to go around.

(His first limited releases sold out in a matter of days.)

That's why he's letting me give you complimentary access to his Members Website Preview, but only until March 24th. He wants to weed out the "tire kickers" so that only the traders who are truly serious about discovering how to trade the Forex markets in less then 20 minutes a day can get a copy of the course.

Incidentally, March 24th is when the Members Website Preview closes down and re-opens only for students of his breakthrough course.

Get your free access to Forex Profit Accelerator and Videos by clicking here

Here are just a few of the goodies you'll get on the preview site, beginning TODAY:

Total access to Bill Poulos FREE PIP FEEDER service where you can get daily lists of the Forex pairs that have met his rigorous trade alert criteria. In fact, these are Forex pairs that have a high probability of entering into potentially profitable positions any day now. He'll eventually be charging $197/mo for this service, but it's complimentary on the Members Website Preview.

The "Forex Pip Vault", which contains actual Forex trade example"screen capture" videos, so you can see exactly how his students can trade in less then 20 minutes a night.

Complete access to his 'Forex 4-Pack' complimentary training kit. Those lucky traders who already got their hands on thislast week know how powerful it is.
Bonus Forex tutorials, including a very detailed lesson on the ins and outs of Forex trading using one of the most popular charting and trading software packages on the market.

Previews of the actual CD-ROMs that ship with the forex profit accelerator course so you can see exactly the type of material that's on them.

and a TON more...

Get your free access to Forex Profit Accelerator and Videos by clicking here

This may be the best Forex education you'll EVER receive...

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

p.s. Remember, this complimentary preview access WILL expire on Tuesday, March 24th, so I urge you to get in now while you can if you have any interest learning how to dramatically up your "forex pip potential" while saving hours a day at the same time.
Get your free access to Forex Profit Accelerator and Videos by clicking here

Forex Free Pip Feeder. Free Forex Profits Accelerator Income Engine

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

Click here for the Worden best stock trading software

Forex Investmenst For The Beating Recession

2009-03-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Forex Profit Accelerator. How well does your Forex broker "Score"

Part 3 of the 'Forex 4-Pack' was just activated last night just after midnight Eastern (New York) time and already thousands of traders have flocked to it.

It's called "The Forex Risk Shield".

(You may have even caught an early glimpse of it if you happened to be on the '4-Pack' page when it refreshed.)

Anyway, here's the direct access page for Free Forex Profits Acceletator

* If you knew when the market odds were almost certainly AGAINST you, how many Forex trades would you place?

Hopefully you said, "NONE!"

In this free Forex 20 minute video, you'll see 4 specific market conditions where the odds ARE against you. When you know what these are, this is a quick and effortless way to practically eradicate risk.

I hope you enjoy Part 3. This was a favorite of the traders who got a 'sneak peek' glimpse at the 'Forex 4-Pack' last week.

When you're done with Part 3, MAKE SURE you check out Part 2, and especially Part 1, the 100-page "Power Forex Profit Principles" report with a special section on the current state of the Forex market that you won't want to miss. See it here:

Finally, at 10am Eastern on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009, I'll be re-releasing my Forex Profit Accelerator home study course to another limited group of independent traders. This is the same course that reveals how you can maximize your pip potential in just 20 minutes a night.

Even if you're not ready to join my existing group of students on March 24th who are learning to become Master Forex Traders, I've prepared a special collection of FREE training materials I call the 'Forex 4-Pack'. I think you'll agree that the information revealed in this '4-Pack' is more valuable than many Forex courses you'd have to pay for.

After you check out the 'Forex 4-Pack', if you have any interest in grabbing a copy of the complete Forex Profit Accelerator home study course on March 24th, I urge you to join my 'Priority Pip Pullers' list immediately. Click here for free forex profit accelerator videos

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

Visit http://www.codeforlivinglife.com/ Create The Life You Want! Helping people with problems, decisions, money, releationships, loss of loved one, goal attainment, quit smoking and more. Self help, self interrogation for those who want to learn the code for living life. Life Coaching Help. We have all the codes for living life better, stronger, healthier, richer.

Forex Success with Forex Profits Run

2009-03-13T11:10:00.002-07:00

Forex Success with Forex Profits Run. Free Forex $ Pac Training Program from Bill Poulos

Yesterday, I sent you a private web page where you could get your hands on the brand new March 2009 update to the 'Forex 4-Pack' that is thrilling forex traders everywhere...- nearly 20,000 of them, to be exact

Why?

Because it totally contradicts what many of the 'hype merchants'
(and the MEDIA) have advocated as the 'holy grail' way to trade the Forex markets.

Instead of blindly following what's popular, the author of this 'Forex 4-Pack' created it based on WHAT WORKS NOW. He also made sure every insider or underground concept he reveals can be applied in 20 minutes or less each day.

That's a big deal. And it seems traders everywhere agree, because the author told me that 20,000 people snatched up the first part overnight!

Remember, this is NOT for sale, but for a short while, you can get the whole thing 'on the house'.

Grab your free entrance to Forex Profit Success Free 4 pac by signing in here:

Part 1 was released yesterday, and Part 2 was just released today.

It's not every day such a cohesive kit of Forex training materials is given away like this, so I really urge you to pick up a copy before it's gone.

Enjoy!

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here
http://www.forex-profit-guide.com

Free Forex Income Engine. Free Forex Profits Run 4 Pac

2009-03-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

Forex Income Engine. Forex Profits Run. Free Forex 4 Pac from Bill Poulos. Learn To Trade Forex from Seasoned Professional Bill Poulos

Since I announced the release of the March 2009 update to my "Forex 4-Pack" training materials yesterday afternoon, nearly 10,000 folks have already grabbed the first part, my 100-page "Power Forex Profit Principles" report...and I'm getting a lot of great feedback already.

But I'm also getting a lot of readers asking me, "This is a HUGE report - what parts are the most important?"

And the answer is - it really depends on where you're at with your Forex trading.

However, from past feedback, here are some of the more popular portions of this report:

* The Current State of the Forex Market (pg. 8)

* How Do I Find A Reliable Forex Broker? (pg. 16)

* What Are The Best Forex Pairs to Trade? (pg. 18)

* What Are The Attributes of a Good Forex Method? (pg. 26)

* What Are The Best Technical Indicators to Use? (pg. 27)

* What Simple Strategy Can I Use to Find Good Entry Points? (pg. 33)

* What Account Size Do I Need to Trade The Forex Markets? (pg. 40)

...there's a LOT more than that, but that should give you an idea of the kinds of info I put into the report.

If you haven't downloaded your copy yet, click here for the direct Free Forex 4 pac download page

Bill Poulos On Forex Scams: I found more misinformation, lies, and hype about Forex than I had seen in some time. And that’s when I decided to put all my energy into dispelling this junk so I could give my students and readers a source of factual, actual, solid, realistic Forex Profit Principles that they could use to potentially profit in the Forex markets again and again. -Bill Poulos

Enjoy!

Good Trading,
Bill Poulos

p.s. I'll be releasing Part 2 of the "Forex 4-Pack" tomorrow, Friday, which is my "Essential Forex Trading & Software Basics" video.

Free Forex Trading Profits Run

2009-03-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Free Trade Forex 4 Pac. Forex Trading Priniciples. Forex Trading Profits. PROTECT YOU and to HELP YOU FIND MORE PIPS, with more FREQUENCY.

Bill Poulos On Forex Scams: I found more misinformation, lies, and hype about Forex than I had seen in some time. And that’s when I decided to put all my energy into dispelling this junk so I could give my students and readers a source of factual, actual, solid, realistic Forex Profit Principles that they could use to potentially profit in the Forex markets again and again. -Bill Poulos

(Don't place another Forex trade until you READ ALL THIS) CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE FOREX 4 PAC COPY

Learn Techniques from a Successful Veteran Bill Poulos on How to Increase Profits Exponentially while Spending Less Time in Forex Trading from Home, Anywhere or Any Time you want.

The bar for Forex training is about to be raised again...because one of the top Forex mentors has just released the March, 2009 update to one of his most popular multimedia Forex training "kits" that challenges 90% of what most Forex traders hold to be true.

It might "ruffle your feathers", but if you have ANY interest in discovering how select groups of traders have been quietly riding the coat tails of the big banks to maximize their "pip potential" in the Forex markets...

YOUR 'FOREX 4-PACK'

If a 30+ year seasoned trader grilled you on your top Forex challenges and then delivered a custom-made, step-by-step, multimedia "blueprint" that addressed each and every one...do you think you'd be interested?

Well, that's pretty much what you're about to get your hands on.

Just last week, over 100,000 Forex traders were invited to take part in a landmark survey about their top challenges trading the Forex markets.

And the result?

* A four-part multimedia POWERHOUSE that ignores what's popular, and instead tells you the TRUTH about what's working NOW in the Forex markets...

It's called the 'Forex 4-Pack', and honestly, you shouldn't even consider placing another trade until you see what it reveals...

Forex in 20 MINUTES A DAY?

Find out how the author spends just 20 minutes a day with TOTAL confidence in the Forex markets, identifying more pip potential in that time than most traders dare to dream about...

You'll also learn:

** How to "shake out" the good Forex brokers from the unscrupulous ones. Many brokers won't be prepared when you ask them these 5 questions (part 1, page 16, & part 4).

** The "core essentials" of Forex trading that will let you "leapfrog" over other traders, giving you a "fast track"
that would otherwise take months, or years to achieve (part 2).

** The 4 "golden rules" your Forex trading method MUST follow if you want to have an edge over all other traders (part 1, page 58).

** The "insiders formula" on how to determine the best mix of technical indicators to use when trading Forex pairs (part 1, page 27).

** Step-by-step tactics for applying the "Optimal Profit Exit Strategy". This is a deadly accurate way of enjoying profit-taking as quickly as possible (part 1, page 37).

** The 4 market conditions that you should avoid at all costs and that practically eradicate risk (part 3).

** How to drastically reduce your "time in the trenches"
trading Forex by spending only 20 minutes a day. These 2 discoveries make it all possible (part 1, page 70).

** ...plus, there's a TON more you'll get to sink your teeth into when you get the '4-Pack'...

SORRY, IT'S NOT FOR SALE

When I snuck a look at the 'Forex 4-Pack', I was certain I'd be asked to cough up 150 bucks or more for it. After all, it's not one of those flimsy 10-page "ebooks" many so-called "gurus" try to pass of as "value" these days...

-Instead, it's a collection of lengthy reports, "screen capture" video tutorials, and more... there's even a "Broker Scorecard" that your broker might have a hard time with.
Bottom line - it's all designed to PROTECT YOU and to HELP YOU FIND MORE PIPS, with more FREQUENCY.

That's why I was surprised to find out that..it's not for sale (at least not right now).

You see, the author released an early version of just one of the pieces to this '4 Pack' last year and he was overwhelmed by the response he received from the trading community.

So that's why he decided to give it away. In his own words, "I want to de-mystify the Forex markets once and for all. So I sat down to produce this material as if I was under oath, being grilled by an attorney. That's how direct and forthcoming it is."

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE FOREX 4 PAC COPY

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. This course is not always available.

Quality is what this course is about. There are limited slots because, members in it will be personally helped by the Forex mentor himself with a full time staff. This will make sure everybody in it is to be successful.

And.. The People who only have the serious desire to be successful are rewarded.

If you are reading this, and is serious for your success, you have been given the priviledge to become one of the small group of future Rich Forex Traders.

Forex Profits 4 Pac Testimonials: What Do People Say:

"Course pays for itself in first two days of trading. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! My first two trades were: Long 2 EUR/USD, Instant Pips for a 45 pip profit on 10/9/07, Short 2 USD/CAD, Pip Maximizer 2 for a 46 pip profit on 10/4/07. Thanks for a great course. I was really unsure about how useful the information would be compared to its cost, but I'm a true believer now."
-David Vaughn, Sugar Land, TX*

"So far, about 55% net gain with just the Instant Pips method! Very satisfied. I like your time-saving and conservative approach very much. Course is very easy to understand and I love the colored quick reference cards."Ted Richardson, Tokyo, Japan*

"I'm very glad my father and I decided to buy FPA in September. On October 9th we did our first trade. Until now we made 12 trades only with 1/4 lot and the profit is amazing, more then $4,000! And that in 5 weeks. Now we are confident with the system we are ready to trade with more money. The system was easy to learn, after one week we could make our first trade. I appreciate the updates, and the extra tactics. We are going to use them too."Frans & Ingrid H., The Netherlands*

"Just wanted to let you know that I woke up this morning (12/5) to a profit of $2,228.00 on the gbp/usd pair, Instant Pips downtrend, a trade I entered only yesterday. Needless to say, this method works. I appreciate all the work you do and for letting all of us know what you're up to. You're that rare guy who truly cares about his students. This is an incredible method!"
Lee Meddin, Davis, CA*

"I was indeed impressed with the material contained in the course, particularly in the quality of the CD presentation modules. I have no doubts that this is the most sensible purchase I have made for my trading education these last 10 years. Great job!"Keith Dickson, Australia*

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

P.S. This is a TON of material. Take your time and read it all, but hurry and download it. Why? Because it's so large, it could be taken offline at any moment if the author's web server "bandwidth" gets eaten up with all the requests for the '4-Pack'. You can get it here:

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE FOREX 4 PAC COPY

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

Click here for the Worden best stock trading software

Forex Profits. Free Forex Profits 4 Pack from Bill Poulos

2009-03-11T13:39:00.001-07:00

Brand new 'Forex 4-Pack' just released (it's on me)
Don't place another Forex trade until you click here and READ ALL THIS

Find out how the author Bill Poulos spends just 20 minutes a day with TOTAL confidence in the Forex markets, identifying more pip potential in that time than most traders dare to dream about...Bill Poulos forex education and training

The bar for Forex training is about to be raised again...because one of the top Forex mentors has just released the March, 2009 update to one of his most popular multimedia training "kits" that challenges 90% of what most Forex traders hold to be true.

It might "ruffle your feathers", but if you have ANY interest in discovering how select groups of traders have been quietly riding the coat tails of the big banks to maximize their "pip potential" in the Forex markets.

YOUR FREE 'FOREX 4-PACK'

If Bill Poulos, 30+ year seasoned trader grilled you on your top Forex challenges and then delivered a custom-made, step-by-step, multimedia "blueprint" that addressed each and every one...do you think you'd be interested?

Well, that's pretty much what you're about to get your hands on.

Just last week, over 100,000 Forex traders were invited to take part in a landmark survey about their top challenges trading the Forex markets.And the result?

A four-part multimedia POWERHOUSE that ignores what's popular, and instead tells you the TRUTH about what's working NOW in the Forex markets...

It's called the 'Forex 4-Pack', and honestly, you shouldn't even consider placing another trade until you see what it reveals...

Forex Trading 20 MINUTES A DAY?

Find out how the author Bill Poulos spends just 20 minutes a day with TOTAL confidence in the Forex markets, identifying more pip potential in that time than most traders dare to dream about...

You'll also learn:

How to "shake out" the good Forex brokers from the unscrupulous ones. Many brokers won't be prepared when you ask them these 5 questions (part 1, page 16, & part 4).

The "core essentials" of Forex trading that will let you "leapfrog" over other traders, giving you a "fast track" that would otherwise take months, or years to achieve (part 2).

The 4 "golden rules" your Forex trading method MUST follow if you want to have an edge over all other traders (part 1, page 58).

The "insiders formula" on how to determine the best mix of technical indicators to use when trading Forex pairs (part 1, page 27).

Step-by-step tactics for applying the "Optimal Profit Exit Strategy". This is a deadly accurate way of enjoying profit-taking as quickly as possible (part 1, page 37).

The 4 market conditions that you should avoid at all costs and that practically eradicate risk (part 3).

How to drastically reduce your "time in the trenches" trading Forex by spending only 20 minutes a day. These 2 discoveries make it all possible (part 1, page 70).

...plus, there's a TON more you'll get to sink your teeth into when you get the '4-Pack'...

SORRY, IT'S Forex Profits 4 Pack NOT FOR SALE. BUT, get it FREE by clicking here

When I snuck a look at the 'Forex 4-Pack', I was certain I'd be asked to cough up 150 bucks or more for it. After all, it's not one of those flimsy 10-page "ebooks" many so-called "gurus" try to pass of as "value" these days...

Instead, it's a collection of lengthy reports, "screen capture" video tutorials, and more... there's even a "Broker Scorecard" that your broker might have a hard time with.
Bottom line - it's all designed to PROTECT YOU and to HELP YOU FIND MORE PIPS, with more FREQUENCY.

That's why I was surprised to find out that it's not for sale (at least not right now).

You see, the author Forex expert Bill Poulos released an early version of just one of the pieces to this '4 Pack' last year and he was overwhelmed by the response he received from the trading community.

So that's why he decided to give it away. In his own words, "I want to de-mystify the Forex markets once and for all. So I sat down to produce this material as if I was under oath, being grilled by an attorney. That's how direct and forthcoming it is."

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FOREX 4 PACK COPY

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

P.S. This is a TON of material. Take your time and read it all, but hurry and download it. Why? Because it's so large, it could be taken offline at any moment if the author's web server "bandwidth" gets eaten up with all the requests for the 'Forex 4-Pack'. You can get it by clicking here

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

http://www.forex-profit-gude.com

Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009

2009-02-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009
Builder, in conjunction with Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, debuts its metric for determining markets with the best and least potential.
By: Boyce Thompson

With most economists and builders expecting a national market decline this year, this may not seem like the best time to be selecting the "healthiest" markets in the country. Virtually every market was down last year. But a close look at the numbers reveals that some markets have way outperformed others during the last four years and are likely to continue to do so this year.

When the housing market stages its official recovery, the markets listed on the following pages are likely to lead the parade. It may take a year or more for the weakest markets--where burgeoning foreclosure sales are still pounding new home values, making building and selling new homes an exercise in futility-- to finally stage a turnaround. We’ll present that list next week.

The healthiest markets have many things in common. Most of them are great places to live, either close to the ocean, mountains, or major universities. Most of them didn’t have a huge run-up in prices during the boom and aren’t experiencing rampant deflation during the bust.

To compile these lists, we analyzed the top 75 housing markets in the country. We ranked them based on population trends and job growth, perennial drivers of housing demand. We also examined what’s happened with home prices; many of the healthiest markets have managed to hold the line on home values. And finally, we considered the rate building permits, which may be the single best ongoing indicator of builder confidence in a market. We combined all these metrics to produce a score for each market. Here are the top 15, in reverse order.

15. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
2008 total building permits: 3,211

Though permit activity dropped sharply last year, Myrtle Beach remains one of the hottest markets in the country, especially when you analyze the number of permits pulled per resident. Only 263,287 people live in the Myrtle Beach metro area, which until recently had been growing its population by nearly 5 percent a year. That means builders pulled one permit for every 82 residents. A steady influx of people, many of them retirees, are drawn by close proximity to the ocean and 117 golf courses at last count. That has helped keep home prices steady; they fell only 10 percent last year to a very affordable $174,800. Most of the home building is split between Brunswick and New Hanover counties. Jobs are dependent on the tourist industry, though, and the metro area was rocked last year when a $400 million rock-and-roll themed amusement part, Hard Rock Park, opened and then filed for bankruptcy. Myrtle Beach added jobs last year, but as of December employment was decreasing at a 4.2 percent rate compared to a year earlier.

14. Wilmington, N.C.
2008 total building permits: 3,551

Wilmington has the second highest ratio of permits pulled per resident, behind only Myrtle Beach. The population here, 352,919 by Census estimates, has been growing at a 4 percent annual rate for the last five years, well above the national average. Primary residents are drawn by a four-season climate, close proximity to Atlantic beaches, and affordable housing. Median home prices, at $198,700, are just about the national average. The area gave back 1,000 jobs last year, after gaining 19,000 the previous three years. Wilmington has had a 60 percent decline in permit activity since 2005, around the national average, but its track record for population growth helps it make this list.

13. Charlotte, N.C.
2008 total building permits: 12,231

People and businesses must love Charlotte, because they are moving there at a high rate. The metro area of 1.74 million has grown its residents by 4 percent annually over the last five years, one of the highest rates in the country. They are drawn by relatively affordable housing for the east coast—median home prices are only $210,900, and they’ve only "corrected" downward by only 4.2 percent in the last year. A strong fourth quarter helped Charlotte record 12,231 permits last year, only a 44 percent decline since 2005. Charlotte’s strength relative to other markets led the investment banking firm UBS to predict last year that it would be one of the first markets to recover from the housing downturn. Charlotte is still a single-family market, with 62 percent of the residential activity in stand-alone homes. The job market in this banking hub contracted last year, after growing 3 to 5 percent annually the previous three years.

12. Denver, Col. 2008 total building permits: 8,800

Denver has been all over the home building news of late, with Beazer and Centex leaving town, then Village Homes of Colorado declaring bankruptcy. But the market hasn’t been hit as hard by the home building recession as other Western markets, in part because it didn’t experience rampant price appreciation during the boom. That’s partly because there’s lots of land available to develop in Denver. The median price of an existing home here was still an affordable $225,100 in the third quarter of last year, down only 11.4 percent in the last year (through 3Q 08). Denver enjoys one of the highest population growth rates in the country--2 percent annually for each of the last five years. Builders pulled 8,800 permits in Denver last year, down from 20,864 in 2005, a percentage decline that’s close to the national average. Denver is buoyed by a strong commercial real estate market.

11. Nashville, Tenn. 2008 total building permits: 8,142

Nashville, the 20th largest home building market, operated under the radar of the national housing boom. It didn’t ramp up wildly during the boom years, and it’s not contracting viciously during the bust. Median home prices remain an affordable $152,100, propped up by a growing job base. Eighty percent of the residential construction is single-family. Some of the market’s resilience stems from above-average population growth of about 2.3 percent a year. Back in the day, 2005, Nashville accounted for 16,654 permits; it now runs at about half that level. But that’s a better performance than most major markets.

10. Washington DC 2008 total building permits: 11,693

Washington D.C. showed signs last summer that it might be emerging from the downturn, then it turned south again. Even so, the area produces a ton of jobs—an estimated 35,000 in the last year—that fuel a vibrant housing market, the 11th largest in the country. Many of the jobs stem from contracts with the federal government. Washington D.C. remains a relatively unaffordable place to live, with a median home price of $332,700 in the third quarter of last year. But values have fallen only 24 percent in the last year in part because the population continues to grow—an average of 1 percent annually over the last five years. Home building patterns have changed dramatically in the nation’s capital with builders mothballing subdivisions well beyond the beltway and focusing on infill opportunities. The region remains one of the worst in the nation for commuters.

9. Fayetteville, Ark. 2008 total building permits: 2,989

Fayetteville has made some important lists in recent years. Located in the foothills of the Ozarks and within an easy drive of Wal-Mart’s corporate headquarters, it has recently been named one of the best places to live (by Kiplinger) and to do business (by Inc.). Employment, which had been strongly positive since 2005, dropped somewhat in the fourth quarter of last year. Recent layoffs at Wal-Mart’s corporate office sent tremors through the market. But several Fortune 500 companies that sell products to Wal-Mart have established offices here, and they have helped Fayetteville achieve one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter. The University of Arkansas is also located in Fayetteville, and it has helped attract start-up businesses. Residents are drawn by an affordable housing stock; median prices average only $139,400, below the national average, and they’ve lost only 2.4 percent of their value in the last year. Builders pulled only 2,989 residential permits last year, down from 7, 449 in 2005.

8. Indianapolis, Ind. 2008 total building permits: 7,004

Builders are still pulling permits at a relatively healthy rate in Indianapolis, despite a virtually flat job market. Unlike other major markets that have become multifamily-oriented, single family still accounts for two-thirds of home building activity. Ultra-affordable housing accounts for some of the activity—the median price of a home here is only $117,900, making it one of the most affordable markets in the country. As a result, home prices have declined only 4.5 percent in the last year. At the top of the market in 2005, builders in Indianapolis took down 15,619 permits, so activity is down 55 percent, slightly better than the national average. Unfortunately, the relative health of the market wasn’t enough to keep Davis Homes, one of the area’s largest private builders, from going out of business last year.

7. Seattle, Wash. 2008 total building permits: 13,021

Seattle, a city of 3.4 million people, last year weighed in as the eighth largest home building market. Residential construction activity here, as measured by permits, is off only 50 percent since 2005, much better than most markets. Seattle has steadily transitioned during the last 10 years from an affordable to an upscale housing market, with the median price of an existing home reaching above $350,000. Even so, existing home prices fell only 11 percent in the last year. One of the secrets to Seattle’s success is that it has added lots of jobs in recent years; and held on to them last year. Some builders there have even stepped up their land buying in anticipation of a market recovery. As the city has become more urban, the share of single family to multifamily permits has reversed; multifamily now accounts for 58 percent of activity.

6. Raleigh, N.C. 2008 total building permits: 11,386

Another state capital with multiple universities, Raleigh was still adding jobs at a 1.9 percent annual rate though the third quarter of last year. With a population of more than 1 million, it also has one of the highest rates of population growth of any top metro market in the country over the last five years: nearly 5 percent annually. Though the price of a median home here, $221,900, is above the national average, it is well below other cities in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The metro area has added roughly 68,000 jobs since 2005, and employment held steady last year. With a glut of national builders in the market, locals such as Dixon Kirby have experimented with different looks and styles to keep sales alive.

5. Dallas, Texas 2008 total building permits: 26,145

In a year when permits declined 35 percent nationally, Dallas only experienced a 9 percent fall-off. With a population of 4.2 million, Dallas was the third largest home building market last year, as measured in permits pulled. Employers in Dallas, a popular place for corporate relocation and expansion, added 42,000 jobs last year, a growth rate of 2 percent. Existing home prices have held steady, falling a paltry 2.3 percent in the last year, Interestingly, the face of residential construction has changed dramatically in Dallas in recent years; 58 percent of the activity last year was in multifamily, compared to a five-year average of 23 percent. The relative stability of the market, though, wasn’t enough to prevent Wall Homes from filing for bankruptcy earlier this year. On the other hand, former Meritage co-CEO John Landon recently started a new Dallas-based home building company.

4. San Antonio, Texas 2008 total building permits: 10,261

San Antonio is another Texas market that is still adding jobs, about 15,000 last year. A city of more than 2 million people now, its population is also growing, at a 2.8 percent annual clip through the third quarter of last year. Existing home prices are barely declining in San Antonio, down only 1.8 percent in the last year, leaving the median price of an existing single-family home at an affordable $154,400, 25 percent below the national average of $200,500, according to the National Association of Realtors. The upper end of the housing market was hurt recently when AT&T announced it would be moving its corporate headquarters to Dallas.

3. Fort Worth, Texas 2008 Total Building Permits: 10,388

Fort Worth, always operating in the shadow of higher profile Dallas, nevertheless can currently claim to have a slightly healthier housing market, based on its employment growth, relatively strong permit activity, and inexpensive housing. Now the 14th largest home building market in the country, Ft. Worth’s builders pulled 10,388 permits last year, roughly two-thirds of them single-family. That may be half as many as 2005, but many other major markets showed much sharper drop-offs. The relative strength of the Fort Worth market in recent years stems from its ties to the oil and gas industries, which has fueled above-average job growth. The metro area added 17,300 jobs last year.

2. Austin, Texas 2008 Total Building Permits: 14,250

Nine years ago, during the tech bust, some builders felt that Austin was too crowded and left. The bloom is back on Austin’s yellow rose now; it moved up the leader board to become the sixth largest home building market last year. Job creation explains the move. While other markets lost employment, Austin added 17,400 jobs last year, 2.31 percent growth rate. It helps that Austin is home to both a major university, The University of Texas, and the state capital. Existing homes cost a little bit more in Austin than other Texas markets, roughly $190,900, but that’s still below the national average. Also, Austin is one of the few metro areas in the country where median prices actually rose in 2008--1.4 percent through the first three quarters of the year. Amazingly, Austin now generates more home building activity than Chicago, which has six times more people.

1. Houston, Texas 2008 Total Building Permits: 42,697
They like to do things big in Houston. Now the metro area, home to nearly 5.8 million people, can lay claim to being the largest home building market in the country, with 42,697 building permits. The market is still benefiting from an influx of population and jobs and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Ike. Employment rose 2.2 percent last year, representing the addition of an incredible 57,000 jobs. Home building activity in Houston has only fallen 31 percent since 2005. Also, existing home prices actually rose in Houston last year, 2.8 percent, to $160,200, still a very affordable level. Roughly one third of the home building action is in Harris County, followed by Houston proper and Fort Bend County. One of Houston’s largest builders, Royce Homes, shut down last year, and Kimball Hill, one of the biggest builders in Texas, closed its doors this year after it failed to find a buyer.

Obama throws $75 billion lifeline to homeowners

2009-02-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Obama throws $75 billion lifeline to homeowners

President Barack Obama threw a $75 billion lifeline to millions of Americans on the brink of foreclosure Wednesday, declaring an urgent need for drastic action — not only to save their homes but to keep the housing crisis "from wreaking even greater havoc" on the broader national economy.

The lending plan, a full $25 billion bigger than the administration had been suggesting, aims to prevent as many as 9 million homeowners from being evicted and to stabilize housing markets that are at the center of the ever-worsening U.S. recession.

Government support pledged to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is being doubled as well, to $400 billion, as part of an effort to encourage them to refinance loans that are "under water" — those in which homes' market values have sunk below the amount the owners still owe.

"All of us are paying a price for this home mortgage crisis, and all of us will pay an even steeper price if we allow this crisis to continue to deepen," Obama said.

The new president, focusing closely on the economy, in his first month in office, rolled out the housing program one day after he was in Denver to sign his $787 billion emergency stimulus plan to revive the rest of the economy. And his administration is just now going over fresh requests for multiple billions in bailout cash from ailing automakers.

Wall Street has shown little confidence in the new steps, declining sharply on Tuesday before leveling off after Wednesday's announcement. The Dow Jones industrials rose 3 points for the day.

Success of the foreclosure rescue is far from certain.

The administration is loosening refinancing restrictions for many borrowers and providing incentives for lenders in hopes that the two sides will work together to modify loans. But no one is required to participate. The biggest players in the mortgage industry temporarily had halted foreclosures in advance of Obama's plan.

Complicating matters, investors in complex mortgage-linked securities, who make money based on interest payments, could still balk, especially those who hold second mortgages or home equity loans. Their approval would be needed to prevent many foreclosures.

"The obstacles have not gone away," said Bert Ely, a banking industry consultant in Alexandria, Va.

Another cautionary note came from John Courson, chief executive of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

"It seems to offer little help to borrowers whose loan exceeds their property value by more than 5 percent," he said, noting that that requirement would limit the plan's success in some of the hardest-hit areas in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona and parts of the East Coast.

Indeed, Obama himself said, "This plan will not save every home."

The goal is to lower many endangered homeowners' payments to no more than 31 percent of their income. But that depends on a high degree of cooperation by lenders who have been increasingly wary of new lending as the crisis has deepened.

Still, the Obama administration, after talking with mortgage investors, appears confident that it is providing the right mix of incentives and penalties to make sure mortgage companies take part. Obama said he backs legislation in Congress to allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of primary home loans — an idea ardently opposed by the lending industry.

"Taken together, the provisions of this plan will help us end this crisis and preserve, for millions of families, their stake in the American Dream," Obama said. Yet, he also added: "We must also acknowledge the limits of this plan."

He called on lenders, borrowers and the government "to step back and take responsibility" and said: "All of us must learn to live within our means again."

There's broad economic anxiety across the nation, an Associated Press-Gfk poll indicated.

Nearly three in four people say they know someone who has lost a job in the past six months as a result of the tough economic conditions, according to the poll, released Wednesday. And more than half say they worry about being able to pay their bills and about seeing their retirement investments decline. So far, Obama's job approval rating still is high, at 67 percent, and he is scoring strong marks for his handling of the economy.

The president unveiled his housing plan at a Phoenix-area high school in a state with one of the country's biggest foreclosure rates.

Nationally, Moody's Economy.com says that of the nearly 52 million U.S. homeowners with mortgages, about 13.8 million, or nearly 27 percent, owe more than their homes are worth after many months of declining prices.

How soon will the new plan show results?

"You'll start to see the effects quite quickly," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told reporters in Phoenix, noting that rules governing the changes will be published March 4.

In theory, homeowners facing foreclosure or borrowers owing more on their homes than their mortgages are worth would have more opportunities to refinance their loans so that they have lower monthly payments. Lenders would voluntarily participate in the government programs.

The $75 billion Homeowner Stability Initiative would provide incentives to mortgage lenders to cut monthly payments in an effort to persuade them to help up to 4 million borrowers on the verge of foreclosure. The goal: cut monthly mortgage payments to sustainable levels, using money from the $700 billion financial industry bailout passed by Congress last fall.

Another part would specifically help people with dwellings whose market value has sunk below the principal still owed on the mortgages. Such mortgages have traditionally been almost impossible to refinance. But the White House said its program will help 4 million to 5 million families do just that — if their mortgages are owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

To boost confidence, the Treasury Department said it would double its support to the two mortgage giants that the government essentially took over last fall.

It said it would absorb up to $200 billion in losses at each company by using money Congress set aside last year and will continue purchasing mortgage-backed securities from them. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are projected to need a combined government subsidy of about $66 billion, well short of the new promise of up to $400 billion.

Obama emphasized that his plan focuses on helping families who have "played by the rules" stay in their homes.

But, he said, it will do nothing to help "the unscrupulous or irresponsible." He cited so-called speculators who took out risky loans on multiple properties to make money by selling them during the housing boom, lenders who took advantage of naive buyers by glossing over the fine print, and people who willingly bought homes that were way beyond their means.

"This plan will not save every home," Obama said.

Associated Press Writers Alan Zibel, Mark S. Smith, Jennifer Loven and Martin Crutsinger in Washington contributed to this report.

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ETF Profit Driver

2009-02-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

ETF Profit Driver Portfolio Supercharge. Only a handful of fast-acting individuals will get to supercharge their portfolios as part of my LIMITED 48 HOUR RELEASE before this offer expires on Thursday, February 19th, at 11:59pm Eastern (New York Time)

A few days ago I let you in on the limited re-release of a ETF Profit Driver Blueprint step-by-step home study course that reveals how to supercharge your portfolio in less than 20 minutes a day using an 'under the radar' market...

Of course, I'm talking about Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs... and if you haven't already figured out the quickest and most effective way to add a step-by-step trading strategy using ETFs....you may be leaving a TON of profit potential on the table. See the latest ETF Profit Driver availability by clicking here

Because you're about to see what happens when you figure out how to supercharge your portfolio using an 'edge' that will let you move more quickly, make decisions faster, and frankly, flat outwit 90% of most traders on the plan

I'm going to show you the great way in this letter, but let's look at two ETF strategies to avoid at all costs unless you enjoy "slow or no" profit potential.

1.Buy, Hold, & Pray: You've probably heard of this approach before. You buy some ETFs based on random advice from someone television "guru" or one of the many advisory services out there. Then you hold your breath and hope for the best.

In case you haven't figured it out by now, this is the bad way to trade ETFs, because it completely lacks any kind of methodical approach.

2. Sector Rotation: This is where you pick the top ETFs based on various fundamental and relative strength criteria, then add them to your portfolio. A month later, you re-evaluate the fundamentals and swap out any ETFs you hold that don't meet the current month's criteria with those that do.

The goal here is to hopefully do better than the general market. So if the S&P goes up by 10%, for example, your ETFs might go up by 15%. Likewise, if the S&P goes down by 10%, hopefully your ETFs only go down by 5%.

This approach is way too conservative for me, breaks most of my "4 Golden Rules", and leaves a ton of profit potential on the table.

So get ready to discover the great way to trade ETFs. I just love it, and know you will, too.

A group of fast-acting traders have already figured that out in less than a week, as they snapped up their copies of this flagship trading course, the ETF Profit Driver.

Well, if you've checked the website lately, then you know that this limited 48 hour special release closes on Thursday, February 19th, at 11:59pm Eastern (New York time).

See the latest ETF Profit Driver availability by clicking here

ON THE VERGE OF AN ETF 'FEEDING FRENZY'

If you're not that familiar with ETFs, that's understandable. They've been 'under the radar' for over a decade... but savvy traders who spotted their potential early on have been quietly padding their portfolios with ETF positions for YEARS...

And now we're on the verge of an ETF 'feeding frenzy' as more traders 'clue in' to what's been going on right under their noses...

So that's why I was excited to see the introduction of the ETF Profit Driver, developed by 30+ year market veteran Bill Poulos.

And I really encourage you to take it for a test drive before it comes off the market on Tuesday...

Why? See the latest ETF Profit Driver availability by clicking here

Well, I was thinking about what specifically it is that I like the best about this course and what sets it above most of the other methods and courses I've seen. Here's what I came up with:

** COMPLETE -- This is by far the most complete ETF trading course I've ever seen. Period. There's material to get beginners going quickly, and it's structured in such a way that more experienced traders can jump right into the "meat"
of the methods.

Further, it's a multimedia powerhouse -- from the screen capture CD-ROM videos to the full color reference manual to the detailed "trading blueprints". It's designed to make sure you really understand all the concepts quickly and effectively.

CLEAR -- Bill's teaching style is among the best I've ever seen. He speaks in a clear, nurturing way that steps you through all the material. It's very apparent why so many traders keep coming back to Bill's courses.

CONSTANT -- I think of this as the "surprise" of the course. Bill constantly follows-up with his students after they get his course. He mentions this on his report, but I really believe this is the true value of his course. His students receive regular new bonus video lessons, and Bill is fanatical about offering concise, thoughtful answers to his students' questions.

So that's what stands out for me about the ETF Profit Driver. And frankly, I'll even go out on a limb and say that if you can't succeed in the ETF markets with Bill Poulos course, then you probably never will. That's how powerful his methods are.

FAIR WARNING

I cannot promise that copies of the ETF Profit Driver will be available when you visit the web page - the offer may already have expired...if that's the case, just put your name on the waiting list, and you'll be notified if any copies become available in the future.

However, if you get to the web page in time before it expires, you can claim your ETF Profit Driver copy by clicking here:

Good Luck, and Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

ETF Blueprint. Bill Poulos Free ETF Blueprint

2009-02-16T09:23:00.001-07:00

3 'underground' stock trading discoveries announced

This is what I know so far...

HINT: It's a 20 minute "portfolio supercharger" & it even works with your IRA. To get your ETF copy, just click here right now

The trading community is on the verge of an unprecedented 'explosion' of profit potential trading a group of funds that have largely remained ignored by 'mainstream' individuals...but for over a decade, select 'underground' traders have been quietly siphoning this potential directly from these 'under the radar' markets... essentially padding their portfolios, year after year.

So if you have ANY interest in discovering how to get in on what's being called a 'portfolio supercharger' while it's still somewhat 'quiet', you're in for a TREAT.

FOLLOW THE Bill Poulos ETF 'BLUEPRINT' To get your ETF copy, just click here right now

Bill Poulos, the trader behind this ETF consumer guide wrote it initially as a gift to his readers to thank them for helping him with a survey about the markets in question...(about 100,000 traders were asked to participate)

But what was intended as a 10 or 15 page 'thank you' note turned into a 57-page 'blueprint' that effectively shows you how to join this ETF 'underground community'.

While these markets have been around for over a decade, they're just now beginning to gain momentum, but they're far from 'popular'...

And not only are the top 20 questions about these ETF markets answered in clear detail... but you'll discover how you can use this information to breathe some much needed life into your portfolio, regardless of what you already trade.

LESS THAN 20 MINUTES

Find out how ETF Bill Poulos spends LESS THAN 20 minutes a day with TOTAL confidence in these markets, which leaves him the rest of the day to pursue other activities...

You'll also learn:

How you can get an unfair head start using these specialized trading strategies before the 'mainstream' catches on. Don't worry, it's entirely legal (page 54).

How to doubl.e your profit potential with half the effort by harnessing a special kind of fund designed to pad your portfolio when the market tanks (page 11).

How to finally let your IRA funnel profit potential out of bear runs. This little-known technique essentially lets your IRA flex its muscles for the first time ever as you trade it almost like a regular brokerage account (page 25).

How to drastically reduce your 'time in the trenches' trading these potent markets by spending less than 20 minutes a day. These 3 discoveries make it all possible (page 38).

How to use his 2-step 'fast filter' technique for quickly and efficiently finding the lowest risk & highest probability funds available. You effectively become your very own "selection service" (page 23).

plus, there's a TON more you'll get to sink your teeth into about these 'ignored markets' when you get the report.

SORRY - IT'S NOT FOR SALE

Even though he could probably sell thousands of copies of this report on the web, the author made a decision to give it away (for now, at least).

Why?

Frankly, he understands that there are a lot of hucksters out there who peddle worthless information, so he decided to make himself stand out from the crowd by giving away as much high- quality, actionable trading EDUCATION and CONTENT as possible.

That way, if you want to work with him more closely in the future, you already know what he's made of (and without coughing up a single penny to find out). I find that kind of attitude refreshing. Don't you?

HOW TO GET YOUR ETF COPY
To get your ETF copy, just click here right now

By the way, you also have the author's permission to give away copies of this report to anyone you think needs some 'first aid' for their portfolio.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

P.S. This is a HUGE report. Take your time and read it all, but hurry and download it. Why? Because it's so large, it could be taken offline at any moment if the author's web server 'bandwidth' gets eaten up with all the requests for the report. To get your ETF copy, just click here right now

To see all the exceptional Bill Poulos Forex and Stock Market training tools and programs that are proven to make you successful in the Forex and Stock market Click Here

Click here for the Worden best stock trading software

ETF Blueprint. Bill Poulos Free ETF Blueprint

2009-02-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Letters From Santa. Free Call From Santa.

2008-11-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Letters From Santa. Free Call From Santa. Santa Claus Commemorative Postmark

On Monday, December the 1st the 2008 Santa Claus commemorative postmark will officially be available and our first batch of letters from Santa will be some of the first envelopes baring this historic emblem! Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret Click Here NOW!

Many have already taken us up on our offer for a free phone call from Santa with every letter you send to make this Christmas just that much more magical. This offer is for a very limited time but it's still not too late...but don't wait any longer. Letters from Santa Claus... discover a family holiday best kept secret Click Here NOW!

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Selling Your Home In Today's Market

2008-11-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

'Realistic' approach is needed in weak market
by Ellen James Martin-Universal Press Syndicate

Those who sell real estate recall those heady days just a few years ago, when competition over the best homes on the market - known as "showcase properties" - was robust. Multiple bids were common, and eager buyers submitted contract offers stripped of all conditions, such as the right to a home inspection.

Indeed, some buyers were so anxious to beat rival bidders in the race to own an attractive home that they would snap it up without even visiting first, recalls Tom Early, a real-estate broker and former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org).

Nowadays, the tables are turned. In many neighborhoods, buyers have lots of leverage, and motivated sellers, including the corporate owners of homes taken back through foreclosure, are compelled to bargain with prospects. The sellers of showcase homes, known as "cream puffs," are no exception. "At a time when buyers are incredibly demanding, you must be absolutely realistic about the market," Early says.

Here are pointers for the sellers of homes with exceptional allure:

• Select a listing agent with a good eye.

"If your house is spectacular, you want visuals to show just how good it looks," says Dorcas Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org).

Visuals include photos for print advertising and video for online listings, including the "virtual tours" that have become a popular home-marketing tool in cyberspace.

As Helfant notes, more agents are taking classes in digital photography, and more are producing the sort of professional-quality visuals that home sellers need to compete, especially in neighborhoods with many homes for sale.

• Don't expect too much of a pricing premium.

Is the property you're selling decked out with several features that excite buyer interest, such as fine wood cabinets, granite countertops, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace in the master suite? Does it also have 10-foot ceilings throughout? If so, you may be tempted to ask a lot more than your neighbors are asking for similar-size properties that lack such fancy features.

But Helfant cautions against attaching too high a premium when pricing your showcase home, no matter how fancy or well-kept it is.

"Given today's competitive markets, where available properties abound, I wouldn't go more than 3 to 5 percent over other like homes in your community, even the ones that don't show nearly as well," she says.

• Consider a neighborhood open house for the public.

Real-estate experts often downplay the value of public open houses as a means of attracting the interest of serious purchasers. They say most open-house visitors are curious neighbors or "wishful buyers" who lack the means to go through with a purchase. On the other hand, well-qualified buyers are typically guided through homes by their agents.

But Helfant says there's a way to increase the impact of the public open house conducted for your showcase property: Encourage other sellers in the neighborhood to hold open houses on the same day, thereby increasing your potential draw.

"Ask your listing agent to contact the agents representing all the other sellers. The more the merrier when it comes to open houses. With more homes open, the greater the chance that serious prospects will come by, with or without their agents," Helfant says.

A neighborhood open house can be especially beneficial for the sellers of showcase homes because buyers can quickly compare all the places they see.

• Don't second-guess yourself on your plans to sell.

Many owners of showcase homes are ambivalent about letting go of their properties in a market where bargain shoppers have so much clout. Even after they've put their place up for sale, they wonder if they should pull the place off the market until they can get a better price.

Before retreating, Early urges you to take into account the personal and financial implications of postponing your sale.

"Maybe your neighborhood market could stage a huge rebound within one to two years. But you should also consider all the ways you might lose out by waiting," Early says.

"Postponing your hopes and dreams for a better housing situation means you could be missing that once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy your fantasy property at a major discount," he says.

FHA Loan Limits

2008-11-19T09:15:00.001-07:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have lower limits on the size of loans they can buy.

WASHINGTON - People looking to buy more expensive homes next year will have fewer options to find financing because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have lower limits on the size of loans they can buy.

The changes, effective Jan. 1, will lower the limit in high-priced real estate markets to $625,500 down from $729,950. Consumers who need to take out home loans above that amount typically pay higher interest rates, and that can price some would-be buyers out of the market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie and Freddie, kept the limit for lower-cost metro areas at $417,000. Some counties, including parts of Virginia, Utah and Maryland, have limits that range between $625,000 and $417,000.

Lawmakers temporarily raised the loan limits for Fannie and Freddie in a housing bill passed over the summer.

There are fears, however, that the reduced limits will hurt the housing market next year. Fannie and Freddie have become the dominant source of mortgage funding since last year's collapse of the subprime lending market.

The National Association of Realtors is pressing lawmakers to keep the limit at $729,950 to help the U.S. housing market recover from its worst slump in decades.

Stock Market Financial Crisis Wrapup - Commentary

2008-09-30T08:34:00.001-07:00

Stock Market Financial Crisis Wrapup - Commentary

At the risk of offering too many communications, I want to keep you informed during these very turbulent weeks. Last Thursday night, Washington Mutual failed. Despite this being, by far, the largest U.S. bank failure, JPMorgan Chase took over their operations, assets and deposits immediately and with surprising smoothness. Depositors and customers should be fine. However, Washington Mutual equity holders were wiped out, and debt holders will likely get little return of their investment. Today, the FDIC announced that Citigroup was immediately taking over the commercial and investment banking operations of Wachovia in a complex transaction. The FDIC, our federal bank deposit insurer, did not lose money in the Washington Mutual transaction, and may not lose money in the Wachovia transaction. I think the FDIC has been doing a great job of handling these momentous events smoothly. Those little placards on bank counters really do have a great federal agency behind them!

On Sunday, Congressional leaders announced that they had finally reached agreement on a rescue package for the financial firms experiencing difficulty. While many details of what is now called the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act” (EESA) remain to be resolved, this 109 page agreement likely means that a gradual return to normal functioning of credit markets is possible. While the $700 billion sum that would be authorized is substantial, it is important to note that this is not an expenditure. The EESA funds will be used to purchase or insure sub prime mortgage debt and other low quality debt that, along with high leverage, has led to the failures and shotgun mergers we have seen to date. We taxpayers may or may not lose money with this program. The outcome will depend on the price we pay up front, the future course of the economy and home prices, and many other factors. This government program in combination with other actions already taken is intended to allow these troubled financial institutions to delever their balance sheets without the serious threat of bankruptcy over their heads.

The first vote on this Act in the House today failed, but House leadership on both sides have said that the Act will be “reconsidered” on Wednesday or Thursday. Between now and then, I expect that there will be some modifications to the bill and some arm twisting and that the Act will then be passed by the House. The Senate vote is scheduled to follow. With only one third of Senators up for election this year and noses easier to count, I think the Senate will vote in the affirmative, and so I expect passage of this Act.

It is safe to say that the market was very disappointed in the House vote, with the Dow, for example, falling about 578 points after the failed vote, adding to the 200 point loss earlier in the day. If there is no additional negative news tomorrow or Wednesday, the markets may remain at about these levels and allow Congress some breathing room to debate, amend and approve this legislation. Possible negative news to send the markets down further may come from Europe and the UK, or from indications that the EESA legislation will not be passed this week. There is some positive news; the Fed has announced it will pump in an additional $630 billion into the global financial system.

Now I certainly understand the concern and anger many of you have expressed over this program. If the Treasury pays too much for the assets it buys, the effort would become a Wall Street bailout and leave taxpayers stuck with the bill. However, I do see a bipartisan consensus that such a misuse of the funds is not going to be tolerated. On the other hand, the prices paid must be high enough to reduce failure risk by strengthening the current weak link in our system, high enough to rescue the institutions in crisis.

Are these further actions necessary? I can argue both sides. On the “yes” side, I would say that while these deeply troubled financial institutions are few, they provide a huge amount of lending, securities issuance, trading, clearing, custody, and other functions. They are analogous to the oil for your car’s engine – not a big part, but absolutely essential for the engine’s operation. This analogy is why folks keep talking about credit markets “seizing up”. We are running our economic engine while it is low on oil. Now we could just park the car, let these Wall Street firms succeed or fail on their own and then build new firms to provide the oil. But that course is risky and we are not sure what would happen. I doubt that it would lead to the Great Depression II, but it might turn what looks to be a developing modest recession into a bigger one. So to prevent a deeper recession, the rescue is probably a good idea.

On the “no” side, I would say that we may be able to whistle past the graveyard and avoid serious consequences. Maybe the many other good banks will continue to pick up the slack on lending and acquire the needed pieces of failed banks, as JPMorgan has done, and we can all move on. And the program does have problems of its own. The rescue could turn into a bailout, costing us taxpayers money and rewarding bad behavior and bad decision making at a few large financial institutions. It could turn into a “let’s bail out everybody” program, rewarding folks for their bad decisions on home purchases and all sorts of other people—spec. homebuilders, home “flipping” speculators and the like at the expense of the vast majority of homeowners who pay their mortgages on time. In my experience, real estate bailouts are always unavoidably inequitable and ugly. And the rescue could expand to other lenders and borrowers; lobbyists are swarming Washington.

Weighing both sides, I have to say that while my heart says no but my head says yes to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I am glad there has been a vigorous debate over the program and that the legislation now incorporates a number of important safeguards. They will likely be needed as this program unfolds over the weeks and months ahead. We are not out of the woods. Other banks could fail, but let me hasten to add that I think the vast majority of banks are sound, with solid balance sheets and good business models and prospects.

These truly are troubled times. Absolutely stunning mistakes and very bad business and investment decisions have been made by some Wall Street firms. The damage has been large. I am not happy, and I am sure that you are not happy to now be a part of this rescue package. Nevertheless, I do take comfort from the fact that, while some financial firms have levered up on very risky investments, most non-financial companies have not. Non-financial U.S. corporations have, in aggregate, de-levered enormously over the last 12 years, stripping $2 trillion of net liabilities off their balance sheets. U.S. non-financial corporations are now, for the first time in history, net lenders, not borrowers. And, unlike financial corporations, non-financial corporations have also reduced their net equity—by about $2 trillion dollars over the last four years. The combination represents, in my opinion, a huge deleveraging that surpasses the direction Wall Street took. So, while we deal with this problem of overly levered, bad investments at a few, but important Wall Street firms, we need to maintain a sense of proportion. The vast majority of American workers and companies have, in my opinion, conducted themselves well. And I believe that these companies and their stock and bond prices are, generally speaking, fairly or under valued. I do think that the rescue program will work to quell this financial market crisis and we can return over time to evaluating the substantial fundamental economic value in the market. In the midst of this financial crisis I think it is important to maintain perspective. Panicky moves away from well balanced investment portfolios at times like this most often in my experience lead to locking in losses and missing the ensuing recovery.

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The information set forth was obtained from sources which we believe reliable but we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation by us of the purchase or sale of any securities.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult me prior to investing. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

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MAYONNAISE JAR AND 2 BEERS

2008-09-24T13:46:00.002-07:00

MAYONNAISE JAR AND 2 BEERS

A good PHILOSOPHY in metaphor!!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

Google Android Phone Review

2008-09-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Google Android Phone's Big Premiere

In the most anticipated mobile-phone launch since the release of Apple's iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 was unveiled Sept. 23.

Like the iPhone, unveiled in June 2007, the G1 is the brainchild of one of tech's most innovative companies; it's the first phone boasting the Android software created by a Google (GOOG)-led consortium. Like Apple's music-playing handset, the G1 features a full Web browser and connects to the Internet with Wi-Fi technology. G1 similarly boasts a large touchscreen and lets users download games and tools from an online bazaar akin to the Apple App Store.

That's about where the similarities end. The G1 is to follow a different path from the Apple (AAPL) iPhone in some crucial ways, notably volume growth. G1 is expected to do well, though it may not replicate the iPhone's early successes.

Fewer T-Mobile Subscribers
Analysts predict that manufacturer HTC will sell 200,000 to 400,000 units this year, once the device becomes available on Oct. 22 in select markets. The device will sell for $179 with a two-year contract. At the high end of that estimate, the first Android device would gain almost 4% of the U.S. smartphone market in the fourth quarter, expected by wireless researcher Strategy Analytics to total 10.5 million. Tina Teng, an analyst at research firm iSuppli, believes Android-based devices will sell 2 million to 3 million units globally in 2009.

Still, the original iPhone sold 1 million units in its first 1½ months on the market—and that was during what is usually a slow sales season, compared with end-of-year holidays. Apple expects to sell 10 million units of the next-generation device, the iPhone 3G, this year.

Sales expectations are lower for Android partly because G1 will be carried by T-Mobile USA, which has 30 million subscribers, compared with Apple's iPhone partner, AT&T (T), which has more than 70 million.

Another strike against Android is that T-Mobile's high-speed wireless network isn't as extensive as AT&T's. "Consumers still choose the carrier first," says Ross Rubin, an analyst at consumer electronics research firm NPD Group. "For early adopters, they'd need to contend with T-Mobile's embryonic 3G network for at least a few months," Rubin says. What's more, G1 buyers will likely have to buy an additional calling plan to use G1's built-in Wi-Fi more extensively; iPhone users can freely use their device's Wi-Fi capability. T-Mobile will offer a limited data plan for $25 a month and unlimited Web access and messaging for $35 a month.

Some analysts who have seen versions of G1 also say it's not quite as stylish as the comparable Apple device. "It does not feel as luxurious as the iPhone," says Moe Tanabian, senior principal at IBB Consulting who has seen a late prototype of the device. The device is a cross between the iPhone and a Sidekick, an earlier T-Mobile phone that also boasts Web access and was a favorite of hip cell-phone users. Andy Rubin, who heads Google's Android effort, helped develop the Sidekick.

Wide-Open App Marketplace
Google and other Android supporters surely will try to prove the pessimists wrong. Google, for one, is expected to launch an extensive marketing campaign for the device. "Google is the defining Web 2.0 company for online search," Ambrosio says. T-Mobile is also throwing its marketing muscle behind the G1—though its budget is typically nowhere near as big as that of larger rivals. "It will be the biggest marketing campaign we ever launched for a mobile device," Cole Brodman, T-Mobile's chief information and innovation officer, said at the unveiling, attended by Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

G1 sales will also benefit from the flexibility of the Android Marketplace online app store. Unlike Apple's iTunes App Store (BusinessWeek.com, 9/5/08), Google's marketplace won't vet developers. Google will let anyone post applications to its store, where features will be rated in a YouTube-like manner. The openness of the Android software also can make it easier for developers to create associated tools more quickly.

The Android-based handset also boasts a slide-out full Qwerty keyboard, which the iPhone lacks. The device, which will feature a capable music player, that allows for easy music downloads from Amazon (AMZN), is also expected to come in three colors: black, white, and brown. And as expected it offers plenty of tight integration with a wide range of Google services, including search, mapping, and address book tools. "If T-Mobile launches a bugs-free, easy-to-use phone, then its brand equity will increase," says Tanabian, who has consulted for T-Mobile.

The Android Army Is Coming
Apple's iPhone isn't expected to be the main competitor for G1. The Android-based phone may erode sales of the Sidekick, phones that run Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows Mobile software, and smartphones made by Motorola (MOT) and Research In Motion (RIMM), maker of the BlackBerry. RIM "might lose some share by virtue of being the market leader" in the U.S., Rubin says. T-Mobile's parent, Deutsche Telekom (DT), will introduce the phone in the U.K. on Oct. 22 and elsewhere in Europe in the first quarter of 2009.

G1 stands to become a more formidable competitor as it's picked up by other manufacturers as well. Motorola, LG and Samsung are expected to launch Android models worldwide in 2009. And their Android-based phones may look vastly different from each other and the G1. Europeans may get a slider with a 12-key keyboard that they favor. Japan may get a phone with built-in mobile TV. There could be special phones for doctors or for lawyers.

Big cell-phone carriers also will help determine the success of coming Android phones. "Android has the potential to be much bigger than Apple because they can have many more manufacturers making its products," says Chris Ambrosio, an analyst with consultancy Strategy Analytics.

Kharif is a senior writer for BusinessWeek.com in Portland, Ore.

Recession Proof Trading Attack Plans Free Video By Bill Poulos

2008-09-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Staying Rich with the PROVEN Trading Advice of Bill Poulos. Stock, Forex Doom & Gloom Trading Secrets Free Video

"You're About To Discover The 5 'Recession Proof' Trading 'Attack Plans' That You Can Use To Enhance ANY Trading Method At ANY Time In ANY Market..."

Hopefully you had a chance to read my brand new "Market Mastery Profit Plans" report that I released on Tuesday. Close to 15,000 traders have already gotten their hands on it...

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But I wanted to let you know that since Tuesday, I also released
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Your Internet Access Is Going To Get Suspended - SPAM

2008-09-15T12:55:00.001-07:00

Your internet access is going to get suspended - SPAM
Sophos has been intercepting many spam emails containing a malicious attachment overnight.

The emails all claim that “your internet access is going to get suspended”, as the receipient has committed “illegal activities” such as pirating software, movies or music.

This is the email:
Your internet access is going to get suspended

The Internet Service Provider Consorcium was made to protect the rights of software authors, artists.

We conduct regular wiretapping on our networks, to monitor criminal acts.

We are aware of your illegal activities on the internet wich were originating from

You can check the report of your activities in the past 6 month that we have attached. We strongly advise you to stop your activities regarding the illegal downloading of copyrighted material of your internet access will be suspended.

Sincerely
ICS Monitoring Team

The emails, which say they come from the “ICS Monitoring Team”, claim that a report of the user’s activities in the past six months is attached in a file called user-EA49943X-activities.zip.

However, if you open the contents of the user-EA49943X-activities.zip file you risk being infected by a malicious Trojan horse designed to communicate with remote hackers. Criminals can then break into your computer and use it for their own money-making purposes.

Sophos is identifying the malicious files seen being used in the campaign so far as Troj/Meredrop-A and Troj/Agent-HQK. Users of other anti-virus products would be wise to check their vendor to see if an update is available.

With so many people suffering from internet addiction (also known as ‘discomgoogolation’), it’s not hard to imagine how many people would react to receiving an email like this.

Not only would many people be prone to clicking before thinking at the accusation that they have been engaged in illegal activities, but also a disturbing proportion would be alarmed about the prospect of not being able to surf the internet.

Remember, THIS IS SPAM. Never open an attachment unless you know the sender

Earn Money Fast. Top Forex Affiliate Pays Big Bucks

2008-08-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

Top Forex Affiliate Pays Big Bucks. Earn Money Fast

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Bill Poulos ETF Profit Blueprint. Forex Trading Secrets

2008-08-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bill Poulos ETF Profit Blueprint. Forex Trading Secrets. Grow Your Forex Portfolio in 20 Minutes.

This is what I know so far...

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The trader behind this consumer guide wrote it initially as a gift to his readers to thank them for helping him with a survey about the markets in question... (about 100,000 traders were asked to participate)

But what was intended as a 10 or 15 page 'thank you' note turned into a 57-page 'blueprint' that effectively shows you how to join this 'underground community'.

While these markets have been around for over a decade, they're just now beginning to gain momentum, but they're far from 'popular'...

And not only are the top 20 questions about these markets answered in clear detail... but you'll discover how you can use this information to breathe some much needed life into your portfolio, regardless of what you already trade.

LESS THAN 20 MINUTES

Find out how the author spends LESS THAN 20 minutes a day with TOTAL confidence in these markets, which leaves him the rest of the day to pursue other activities...

You'll also learn:

** How you can get an unfair head start using these specialized trading strategies before the 'mainstream'
catches on. Don't worry, it's entirely legal (page 54).

** How to doubl.e your profit potential with half the effort by harnessing a special kind of fund designed to pad your portfolio when the market tanks (page 11).

** How to finally let your IRA funnel profit potential out of bear runs. This little-known technique essentially lets your IRA flex its muscles for the first time ever as you trade it almost like a regular brokerage account (page 25).

** How to drastically reduce your 'time in the trenches'
trading these potent markets by spending less than 20 minutes a day. These 3 discoveries make it all possible (page 38).

** How to use his 2-step 'fast filter' technique for quickly and efficiently finding the lowest risk & highest probability funds available. You effectively become your very own "selection service" (page 23).

** ...plus, there's a TON more you'll get to sink your teeth into about these 'ignored markets' when you get the report.

SORRY - IT'S NOT FOR SALE

Even though he could probably sell thousands of copies of this report on the web, the author made a decision to give it away (for now, at least).

Why?

Frankly, Bill Poulos understands that there are a lot of hucksters out there who peddle worthless information, so he decided to make himself stand out from the crowd by giving away as much high- quality, actionable trading EDUCATION and CONTENT as possible.

That way, if you want to work with him more closely in the future, you already know what he's made of (and without coughing up a single penny to find out).

I find that kind of attitude refreshing. Don't you?

HOW TO GET YOUR COPY

To get your copy, just visit this web page right now by clicking here

By the way, you also have the author's permission to give away copies of this report to anyone you think needs some 'first aid' for their portfolio.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

P.S. This is a HUGE report. Take your time and read it all, but hurry and download it. Why? Because it's so large, it could be taken offline at any moment if the author's web server 'bandwidth' gets eaten up with all the requests for the report. You can get it here:

To get your copy, just visit this web page right now by clicking here

Forex Profit Accelerator Pip Trading Bonus

2008-07-24T07:41:00.002-07:00

Forex Profit Accelerator Trading Bonus
Click here for Bill Poulos Forex Profit Accelerator Bonus

Those of you who have been following the teachings of Bill Poulos know how much I LOVE TRADING! Even though Bill has a solid set of methods and techniques he uses for his own trading, he's constantly tinkering around in the “trading lab”. Besides spending time with his family, it’s whathe likes to do in his spare time. Some people like to play golf. Bill rather be trading.

Now, because of my position in the trading education community, I am approached quite frequently by other traders, systems developers, companies, you name it. Many of them send me evaluation copies of their programs and methods to get my professional feedback and opinion. Some of the material I receive is quite good, but honestly, most of it is incomplete. The reason I tell you this is to impress upon you the amount of trading material I have in my personal library – I have a TON, and I believe I’ve seen just about every type of program on the market.

In reviewing all this material and in examining all the questions I’ve been receiving from my readers and students about Forex, I made two key discoveries that were astonishing to me.

"After reading your free e-book, I practice trading at the end of the day, just according your instructions, using the two MA and ADX. Amazingly, the 8 trades were winners. I trade only the GPD/USD, and EUR/USD, because I think these are the most volatile, and I don’t need to spend all my time in front of my PC. It's great, thank you.."Jorge A Hinojosa*

Click here for BIll Poulos Forex Profit Accelerator Bonus

First, there seems to be a flaw in the perception of how money can be made in the Forex markets. And the flaw is this: it seems that 95% of all Forex traders only think they can make money day trading these markets. It actually may be higher, maybe 99%. This perception is very dangerous, in my opinion, because not all traders are psychologically equipped to handle day trading, so they get in over their heads and get eaten alive until their trading accounts are emptied within a few minutes or hours. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s not a pretty sight.

I’ve already told you my opinion on day trading – it’s just not for me. If you prefer that style of trading, then more power to you (I can even recommend some great day trading Forex courses). But the vast majority of my readers have told me time and time again that day trading is not for them, either. And that’s great news…

Why? Click here for BIll Poulos Forex Profit Accelerator Bonus

Because the other discovery I made was how to treat the 24/7 Forex market as an end-of-day market. This removes all the stress and strain associated with trading on a 24 hour basis. It’s often been said that if you can’t make money trading on an end-of-day basis, you’ll never make money day trading. I tend to agree.

When you treat the Forex markets as end-of-day markets, I’ve found they can offer far more profit potential than the minor swings many day traders kill themselves to capture. And when you learn the right way to trade Forex as an end-of-day market, you can quickly jump from one big swing to another as they’re driven by the Forex market giants – the big banks and other financial institutions, including governments...

...but while these behemoths react slowly to market changes due to their sheer size, as soon as you learn to spot a big swing, you can get on and “ride their coat tails”. And by the time they’ve turned to look over their shoulder, you’ll have already gone on to the next big swing.

For example, suppose several major financial institutions think that the Japanese Yen is undervalued versus the dollar and that the Japanese government will soon act to stop artificially suppressing the value of the Yen. Collectively they might begin slowly building what will become very large positions in the market by selling short the USD/JPY pair. I am talking about hundreds of thousands of standard lots.

Whether the Japanese government acts or not, the market might drop as expected, in part, due to the ever increasing short positions of these financial institutions. If they are right, we small traders can apply trading methods that will spot these moves and jump on board at a moment’s notice. We can protect our positions with initial stops and ride the wave to good profits if the market follows through on the downside. And we can jump out just as quickly as we jumped in. The big institutions simply can’t move that fast without damaging their positions.

"Course pays for itself in first two days of trading. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! My first two trades were: Long 2 EUR/USD, Instant Pips for a 45 pip profit on 10/9/07, Short 2 USD/CAD, Pip Maximizer 2 for a 46 pip profit on 10/4/07. Thanks for a great course. I was really unsure about how useful the information would be compared to its cost, but I'm a true believer now."
David Vaughn, Sugar Land, TX*

"So far, about 55% net gain with just the Instant Pips method! Very satisfied. I like your time-saving and conservative approach very much. Course is very easy to understand and I love the colored quick reference cards."
Ted Richardson, Tokyo, Japan*

"I'm very glad my father and I decided to buy FPA in September. On October 9th we did our first trade. Until now we made 12 trades only with 1/4 lot and the profit is amazing, more then $4,000! And that in 5 weeks. Now we are confident with the system we are ready to trade with more money. The system was easy to learn, after one week we could make our first trade. I appreciate the updates, and the extra tactics. We are going to use them too."
Frans & Ingrid H., The Netherlands*

"Just wanted to let you know that I woke up this morning (12/5) to a profit of $2,228.00 on the gbp/usd pair, Instant Pips downtrend, a trade I entered only yesterday. Needless to say, this method works. I appreciate all the work you do and for letting all of us know what you're up to. You're that rare guy who truly cares about his students. This is an incredible method!"
Lee Meddin, Davis, CA*

"I must say how much I am impressed with your level of integrity. You have done everything that you said you would do. Especially the tight number of teaching materials that were sold. You set down a deadline, and you kept the deadline. If it were not for duplicated orders that paved the way for 44 or so unsold packages, I would not have been able to obtain the CDs. You credibility was further enhanced when I listened to the interview that I downloaded from the web today. By the way, I must say that the quality of the CDs is really very good - the presentation itself and the content."
Syling Lee, Murrieta, CA*

"Admittedly I had my doubts about the course, but since I started using the program I found that I can consistently make profits. I have one goal and that is to make a minimum of 2% of my portfolio a week. I have been able to do just that and a lot more with this program. I love the four step program (set-up, entry, stop loss, exit). These four steps help me stay focused and keep my emotions out of the trade. This is my third time starting over in the Forex market. I have come to realize that the two previous times I did not have a complete trading method. With your program, I have the confidence that I finally have a complete trading method, the knowledge to use that method, and the knowledge to recognize other complete trading methods."
Eric Norman, Nottingham, MD*

"In my demo account I started trading using the FPA on Oct 12th. In that time I have closed a total of 24 trades with a net profit of 1,140 pips and I currently have three open positions with profits of 409 pips on the Euro, 534 pips on the Swiss Franc and 350 pips on the Yen. Not too shabby! I'm impressed."
Doug MacQuarrie, Maple Falls, WA*

"I have been paper trading since I received it, and have made about a $12,000 profit. It is a very easy to understand and complete method. Much better than I have had from other systems. Thank you very much for this system, I will be using it from now on."
Yvonne Flowers, Mohave Valley, AZ*

"I have implemented 3 of the methods on Metatrader and have made over $7,000 on 5 winning trades - no losers yet... it could have been a lot more if I had taken all the trades triggered. It has been very useful to have your Pip Feeder to verify my signals. Thank you for the high quality of the presentation and explanations. It does a lot for confidence levels to know one is using a quality product that has been thoroughly researched as well as the knowledge that you are continuing to support us."
Peter Alport, South Africa*

The bottom line here is that we are prepared to ride the trend on the coat tails of the mega traders, but with a level of agility they don’t have. And by doing this, we minimize risk and maximize profit while they’re still trying to “unwind” their positions.

This is a BIG DEAL! If those last few paragraphs didn’t make sense, please go back and read them again. What this means is that I found a way to show you exactly, step-by-step, how to identify when a Forex pair is likely to make a move UP or DOWN. And no matter which way it goes, I created specific trading rules that let you take advantage of those moves and ride them for a huge potential profit. And here’s the kicker – I don’t just show you how to do this one way…

…I developed four complete methods, all based on my time-tested principles, that allow anyone to identify as many profitable trading opportunities as possible.

And that’s why I decided to name my course the Forex Profit Accelerator – because I show you how to truly accelerate your Forex profits with my four methods. And you can use them individually or together - synergistically - to maximize your profit-taking.

So the bottom line is this – no matter what happens in the Forex markets, with the Forex Profit Accelerator, you will always know exactly what to do every time you place a trade. No exceptions. No matter the outcome. It’s that simple.

Click here for BIll Poulos Forex Profit Accelerator Bonus

If you decide on ordering the Forex Profit Accelerator:

For a limited time only, I can get started for only $5.33 a day. I can choose 3 easy monthly payments of $682 each (or, I can choose to pay everything upfront in one easy payment and save $99 instantly).

This price may increase in the future and I am only guaranteed this charter price if I place my order today.

I am a serious trader and will put forth my best effort to learn and study the Forex Profit Accelerator.

The Forex Profit Accelerator is copyrighted intellectual capital and I am prohibited by law from copying, distributing or sharing this information with others.

I have 90 days to review the Forex Profit Accelerator from my purchase date and I may return it for any reason within those 90 days for a complete refund of my purchase price (not including shipping & handling) as long as I contact you to obtain a return merchandise authorization number first and then return the course in like-new, unmarked condition.

If I select the 3-payment option, I agree to make all three payments in full and to keep my billing information current.

If my order is being shipped outside the United States, I am responsible for any customs or duty fees.

Get Started with Forex Profit Accelerator Today at only $5.33 per day cost. Click here NOW

Click here for BIll Poulos Forex Profit Accelerator Bonus

Mortgage Loan Requirements

2008-07-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Ever-Changing Mortgage Loan Requirements

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Are you ready to buy a house in this crazy market? Better bring a boatload of money to the closing.

In a brutal real estate market where all the players want to hedge against the tremendous risks, down payment requirements and up-front fees have soared, shutting many potential home buyers out of the market.

"I have as many people calling me for financing as ever," said George Hanzimanolis, a Pennsylvania mortgage broker, "but I'm putting less than half of them into loans."

That's happening all over the country, and may slow the housing market's recovery. Indeed, in a Realtor.com survey released today, potential home buyers said high down payments were the second biggest obstacle, after high home prices, to buying a home.

These days, home buyers almost always have to make a substantial down payment, at least 5%, according to Rich Wordman, president of the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers. The days of no-down loans are over.

In deeply declining markets, lenders are reluctant to issue loans unless borrowers put at least 10% down, he said.

JP Morgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), for instance, now asks for a minimum of 10% down in most markets, according to a spokesman, and for 20% in hard-hit areas. In Reno, Nevada, which has been devastated by the housing crisis, the bank requires 25%.

Even bigger jumbos

For expensive homes, the down payments are disproportionately more. Lenders issuing jumbo loans, which are too pricey to be sold to Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) or Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) in the secondary market, are asking for at least 20% down, according to Ed Craine, a San Francisco mortgage broker. In the most expensive markets, where jumbo loans are over $729,000, that means a minimum down payment of $148,500.

Higher interest rates on jumbo loans are also making them more expensive than they normally would be - with interest rates a full point to a point and a half higher than non-jumbo loans, said Mike Tacconi, a mortgage advisor with lender CMG Mortgage Services based in San Ramone, Calif.

And buyers purchasing homes for investment purposes are getting clobbered. Lenders are telling them to come up with at least 25% of the purchase price, according to Tacconi - and sometimes as much as 35%, depending on the kind of loan.

"Rents are high where I am," said Pennsylvania mortgage broker Hanzimanolis, "so people are having trouble saving enough for down payments."

Those high down payments are are being driven in part by the privatemortgage insurance companies, according to Jay Brinkman, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association, which have themselves hiked their down payment requirements. These firms insure loans when borrowers put less than 20% down, making lenders whole when homeowners default.

In the past, these companies, such as MGIC Investment Corp (MTG). and PMI Group (PMI), often guaranteed mortgages when borrowers put no money down. Today they require 5%, 10% in steeply declining markets, according to Jeff Lubar, spokesman for the trade association Mortgage Insurance Companies of America.

In addition, private mortgage insurers are also charging higher insurance rates. Historically, PMI cost about 0.5% of a home's purchase price. Now, a borrower putting 5% down can pay about 0.75% for the first year.

Higher rates

And although interest rates are relatively low, industry experts say that they're higher than they should be, thanks to concerns about the solvency of Freddie and Fannie, which buy about half of all outstanding mortgages in the U.S.

The average 30-year, fixed-rate loan carried a 6.37% interest rate last week, according to Freddie Mac, up nearly a point from the year's low of 5.48% set last January and up from under 6% in late May. At the same time, yields on 10-year treasuries, which mortgage rates usually track, have trended down.

From June 12 to July 10, 10-year treasurys fell from 4.20% to 3.81%, while mortgage rates actually increased, inching up from 6.32% to 6.37%. Borrowers are probably paying at least a half point more than they ordinarily would, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of loan information.

That's because the questions surrounding the future of Fannie and Freddie have made the investors who buy their loans - hedge funds, pension funds, and banks - wary. They're demanding higher interest rates to take on the added risk they perceive.

Freddie and Fannie have also imposing higher up-front fees for riskier borrowers, based on credit scores.

As of June 1, buyers with scores of less than 620 with less than a 30% downpayment must pay a fee of 2.75% of mortgage principal, up from 2%. Between a 620 and 640 credit score, borrowers pay 2.5% (up from 1.75%); 640 to 660, 1.75% (1.25%); 660 to 680, 1.25% (0.75%); and 680 to 720, 0.5% (0).

"The fees are costing consumers a considerable amount of money," said Mark Savitt, a mortgage broker there and current president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.

All these added expenses are slowing an already moribund real estate market. That means it's going to take even longer to get rid of the tremendous inventory of unsold homes, according to the MBA's Brinkman, especially in areas that were overbuilt during the boom.

Cities hard hit by the housing bust, like North Las Vegas, Stockton, Calif. and Tucson, Ariz, may have to suffer through many more months of stagnant prices and increased foreclosures before they return to better times.

And these higher costs are going to stick around long after housing recovers, according to Brinkman. From now on, they'll just be the price of doing business.

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Senate Passes Foreclosure Rescue

2008-07-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Senate Passes Foreclosure Rescue

WASHINGTON - A mortgage rescue to help hundreds of thousands of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure and get more affordable, safer loans passed the Senate overwhelmingly Friday, but it faces a bumpy road amid continuing turmoil in the housing market.

The 63-5 vote reflected a keen interest by Democrats and Republicans to send election-year help to distressed homeowners with economic issues topping voters' concerns.

The plan lets homeowners buckling under mortgage payments they can't afford keep their homes and get more affordable mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration. Banks that agreed to take substantial losses on those distressed loans could avoid costly foreclosures and be assured of recovering at least some money.
The new program would let the FHA insure as much as $300 billion in new mortgages, helping an estimated 400,000 homeowners.

It still faces challenges, however, with the House planning to rewrite key details and the White House threatening a veto without major changes.

"It's not the final stop, but it is a major stop in getting this bill done," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Banking Committee. "For those who said this Congress cannot come together in a bipartisan fashion to do something responsible about housing, this bill does that."

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the Financial Services Committee chairman and an architect of the bill, says the few but significant revisions House leaders are seeking could be made in as little as one week.

Dodd said he was expecting minor "tweaks" that could be dealt with quickly.

But key players are bracing for intense negotiations to resolve the differences. They hope to smooth over disputes with the White House at the same time, with an eye toward producing a bill President Bush could sign later this month.

The White House Friday renewed its warning that Bush would veto the Senate-passed bill without revisions, citing $3.9 billion in the measure for buying and rehabilitating foreclosed properties it said would help lenders, not homeowners.

The measure includes a long-sought modernization of the FHA and would create a new regulator and tighter controls on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage giants. It also would provide $14.5 billion in housing tax breaks, including a credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers.

Democrats are divided over important elements of the plan, including limits on loans the FHA may insure and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may buy. The Senate measure sets them at $625,000, while House leaders - including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. - want the cap as high as $730,000.

House leaders also oppose the immediate effective date of the Senate plan, preferring to phase in the new regulations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over six months.

"We'd have a hard time agreeing to that," Dodd told reporters Friday. He called a Capitol Hill news conference to dispel fears about the financial health of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as their stocks plummeted on reports that the government was considering taking over one or both of them.

Another key point of dispute is the funding in the Senate measure for buying and fixing foreclosed properties. The House's band of conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats oppose the money, arguing that it would swell the deficit unless paired with cuts or tax increases to cover the cost.

But many Democrats, particularly members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are fighting to keep the funding, which they say will help prevent the communities hardest hit by the housing crisis from sliding into blight.

"There are people who tell me to ignore" that threat, Frank said in a statement Friday. "But there is too much that is important in this bill, and it has already been too long delayed by procedural problems in the Senate, for us to risk the further delay involved in a veto."

He said he was working to find a way to shift the funds to a must-pass spending bill that would be approved before lawmakers scatter for the year in September.

Dana Perino, Bush's spokeswoman, said the money should be stripped out of the measure "so that they can get a housing bill to the president that he could sign right away."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the presumptive presidential nominee, said Bush should drop his opposition to the housing plan and other Democratic efforts to ease economic pain.

"I call on the administration to support this bill along with a second emergency stimulus package to jumpstart the economy and build on this important start to advance more rigorous measures to protect homeowners from foreclosure," he said. Obama was on the campaign trail Friday and did not vote on the measure, which had been expected to pass by a wide margin. He was one of 32 senators not voting.

With the administration scrambling to tamp down on investor fears about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Perino called the new regulations in the measure for the two mortgage giants its "most important feature."

Lawmakers and the Bush administration agree on the central concept behind the housing package: allowing the government to backstop new mortgages for struggling homeowners.

To make it more palatable to Republicans, the Senate measure would take responsibility for any losses away from taxpayers and instead cover them by diverting a newly created affordable housing fund drawn from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac profits.

Free Forex Pip Feeder Access. Bill Poulos Forex Free Preview

2008-07-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Forex Free Pip Feeder Access.
Forex Profit Accelerator Members Website Preview

Everything about it is first class... and easy to understand.
I'll have more information to send you about it on July 22nd, but for now I've been granted special permission to give you private access to a Members Website Preview so you can get "up close & personal" with this trading course before the rest of the community gets a chance to.

You see, the author of the course is only releasing 555 more copies from July 22nd to July 29th... but here's the problem: He already has 40,000+ traders interested in it. So he just doesn't have enough inventory to go around.

(His first two limited releases sold out in a matter of days.)

That's why he's letting me give you complimentary access to his Members Website Preview, but only until July 22nd. He wants to weed out the "tire kickers" so that only the traders who are truly serious about discovering how to trade the Forex markets in less then 20 minutes a day can get a copy of the course.

A Letter from From Bill Poulos

TOTAL INVESTMENT TODAY: $0.00
Dear Trader,

On Tuesday, July 22nd, I'll be re-releasing my sold-out Forex Profit Accelerator home study course that shows you how to become an independent trader and totally eliminate all the stress and strain typically associated with day trading Forex by spending only 20 minutes a night placing your trades.

I released this course to small groups of lucky traders last Fall and many of them think this is the highest quality course ever to hit the Forex market, both in terms of production value and effectiveness of the trading methods it reveals.

Things are getting pretty crazy over here at my office! My son, Greg, and I have been working day and night getting things ready for you. Over the past few weeks, we've been logging some long hours at the office as we worked on our brand new 'Forex 4-Pack' free training kit. Sign up here to get a FREE copy, and a lot more...

Get A Front Row Seat Today And Watch The Potential Profits Unfold On The Forex Profit Accelerator Members Website Preview

Here's the deal... I'm only releasing 555 more copies of my course on July 22nd, but I have thousands of traders on my "Priority Pip Pullers" list that want the course. So, there WILL be many disappointed traders. Those are the facts.

But I also know that my course isn't for everyone, so to help weed out the "tire kickers", I'm offering 100% FREE access to my Forex Profit Accelerator members website preview so you can get a feel for what it's like to be a Forex Profit Accelerator student before you get your hands on your own copy.

By doing this, I hope more copies of my course are available to those who truly want to get started with it right away.

I know based on my experience teaching students how to trade since 2001 that once you get your hands on the Forex Profit Accelerator, you may never need another Forex trading course again. After all, if something works again and again, why stop trading with it? So get your "first taste" of the Forex Profit Accelerator right now as a "Priority Pip Puller"...

When you sign up as a "Priority Pip Puller", you'll immediately get the following:

FREE complete access to my Forex Profit Accelerator Members Website Preview. This will give you a taste of what's to come when you become a Forex Profit Accelerator student.

FREE complete preview access to my Forex Profit Accelerator PIP FEEDER service until July 22nd. The PIP FEEDER delivers a list of daily Forex pairs that meet the Forex Profit Accelerator trade alert criteria and have a high probability of entering into potentially profitable positions in the coming days. You get access to these lists IMMEDIATELY as part of the preview.

FREE complete access to my newest Forex Profit Accelerator Trade Videos. I've been recording "chart capture" videos to show you the potential profits YOU could be making right now as a Forex Profit Accelerator student.

FREE access to the Forex Profit Accelerator Priority Enrollment Link. This is the link that will go "live" one full hour before the general public gets a crack at grabbing a copy of the course on July 22nd.

One hour may not seem like much, but when the market demand far exceeds the inventory on hand, that one hour could mean the difference between you getting a copy or having to wait 4 weeks, 4 months, or more.

In fact, one of the first things you should do after you sign into the Forex Profit Accelerator Website Preview is to print out the Priority Enrollment Link and keep it next to your computer, so you know exactly where to go on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008, at 9am Eastern (New York) time.

FREE access to my brand new 'Forex 4-Pack' training materials (if you aren't among the already 40,000+ traders who have downloaded a copy in the past week).

On July 22nd, I'm going to shut down the Members Website Preview and continue on over at the permanent Members Website for the students. This means you don't have much time to join the "Priority Pip Pullers" list and get behind-the-scenes access to the Members Website Preview.

So go ahead, and click here to the "Sign Me Up!" page. It's 100% FREE, and you will be sent a private email with your special username and password that will let you access the Forex Profit Accelerator Members Website Preview immediately.

Please note: Make sure you type in a valid email address, because the private website link, username, and password for the Members Website Preview will be sent immediately to the email that you type in below.

p.s. Remember, this complimentary preview access WILL expire on Tuesday, July 22nd, so I urge you to get in now while you can if you have any interest learning how to dramatically up your "pip potential" while saving hours a day at the same time.

Thanks
Bonnie - best-forex-programs.com

Celebrity foreclosures show extent of housing woes

2008-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Celebrity foreclosures show extent of housing woes

LOS ANGELES - Tabloid magazines like to reassure us that celebrities are just like us - they go grocery shopping, take their dogs for a stroll around the neighborhood, even pump their own gas.

These days, that can also hold true when it comes to the plummeting real estate market. Several celebrities have dealt with foreclosure issues on their luxurious estates and many more have had to drop their asking prices, putting some high-profile faces on a growing problem: the real-estate meltdown is now hitting every socio-economic class.

The case of Ed McMahon has shown that you can make millions over a lengthy show business career and still find yourself in foreclosure. Johnny Carson's former "Tonight Show" sidekick owes more than $644,000 in mortgage payments on his Mediterranean estate in Beverly Hills, a house he and his wife have been trying to sell for the past two years. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home - in the same exclusive, gated community where Britney Spears lives - is now on the market for $6.5 million, down from an original price of $7.6 million.
The 85-year-old television personality, who has been unable to work since breaking his neck in a fall 18 months ago, described his economic problems as "a perfect storm."

"If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens. And it can happen. You know, a couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that. And, you know, things happen," McMahon said on "Larry King Live" recently. "You want everything to be perfect, but that combination of the economy, I have a little injury, I have a situation. And it all came together."

McMahon certainly is not the only celebrity to find himself in such financial trouble. Former NBA player Vin Baker saw his home in Durham, Conn., go up for auction last weekend. The seven-bed, six-and-a-half-bath mansion, on about 11 acres with a basketball court and a bowling alley, had been on the market for $2,950,000. Earlier this year, former baseball star and "Juiced" author Jose Canseco stopped making payments on his $2.5 million home in the upscale Encino section of LA's San Fernando Valley.

Rick Sharga, vice president of marketing for RealtyTrac, which monitors foreclosures, says that people of any income level can get in trouble by buying overvalued homes at the peak of the market that they ultimately can't afford.

"Ed McMahon's a sympathetic character in this scenario in that he got into a house that possibly he could have afforded if he had been able to keep working, then he had an injury that upset his financial apple cart pretty badly," Sharga said. "What you don't know is, in a normal real estate market, if the same lender would have taken a look at an 82-year-old man at the tail end of his career and written him a $4.6 million mortgage he had to keeping working to be able to afford."

It's not all doom and gloom, of course. Avril Lavigne listed her nearly 6,900-square-foot Mulholland Estates mansion for $5.8 million and, after just 36 days on the market, recently accepted a cash offer of $5.2 million.

But as celebrity real estate columns like "Hot Property" in the Los Angeles Times and "Gimme Shelter" in the New York Post show, other stars can't command the same prices for their homes that they might have been able to a few years ago.

The price of Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance's house has dropped more than $2 million in the past year. The French Colonial in a gated section of Los Angeles' old-money Hancock Park neighborhood has five bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, a gym, a hair salon and a two-story guest house. An agent listed it last year for $5,999,000, then a month later took it off the market for seven months. Then June Ahn of Coldwell Banker got the house and listed it for $4,999,000; she reduced it soon afterward to $4.6 million, and now has reduced it again to $3.9 million.

"It was overpriced," Ahn said. "The price difference from $5,999,000 to $3.9 (million), obviously we'll have a bigger number of buyers that can afford to get into it and even take a look at it."

It helps that the husband and wife, who bought the house 17 years ago for about $1.8 million, own it outright. "They're very flexible, they just go with the flow of the market," Ahn said. "Unfortunately, this happens. Last year was better than this year. Now they realize they didn't reduce in time. They were hoping to get the best (price) last year but it didn't happen so they learned the lesson."

Then again, property values can be a matter of perspective, says Ed Kaminsky, a Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based real estate agent who helps professional athletes relocate.

"You've got the new guys with the big contracts that are excited about the $8 million check they just got and they want to spend some, and I'd say rightfully so. Sometimes it's not a smart investment and sometimes it is," he said. "But if you make $8 million a year and you blow $5 million on a house and you sell it for $3 million a few years later, is it really wrong?

"What I try to do is identify what is it that they want, and let them know that it is possible that they could buy a home for a lot of money and sell it for less than they paid for it, and are you OK with it?" he added. "If I handed you $25 million right now, would you think differently about the $2 million house that's down the street? You may not really care that it's 50 grand overpriced cause you like the swing set in the backyard for your kids."

The primary element driving where a celebrity chooses to live is privacy, said Jordan Cohen of Re/Max, who has represented more than 50 stars and athletes in real estate transactions, including Shaquille O'Neal and Marilyn Manson. He's now selling actress Joely Fisher's house - a four-bed, seven-bath, mid-century craftsman at the end of a secluded drive with a pool and a screening room - for $3,295,000, about $1 million less than the asking price when another agent first listed it last summer.

He believes a star's property can bring in more money than a regular house.

"I know it adds value," said Cohen, sitting on a limestone countertop in the kitchen of the suburban Encino home. "A good analogy would be, shoe companies pay athletes millions of dollars to wear a specific shoe so you'll have young America buy that shoe because a celebrity endorses it. It's the same thing with a house."

"Why does anyone read Hot Tracks in People magazine or any other publication?" he continued. "I've never understood that, because they're just, like, people - just like you and me. From the celebrities I've gotten to know, they're just normal people. . .. I don't know why America is fascinated by that, but they are."

But Mark David, who follows celebrity real estate on his cheeky blog "The Real Estalker," doesn't think prospective buyers are willing to pay top dollar for houses simply because someone famous has lived in them.

"It's not common. Property values are property values," said David, a 38-year-old graphic designer who writes under the pseudonym "Your Mama." "You've really got to be somebody for it to add cachet. Maybe if it's a major A-list celebrity who's going to go down in Hollywood history, like Jack Nicholson. But does anybody really care about most of these people's houses? Would you pay more for Danny Bonaduce's house? And I'm not trying to bag on him. I can't imagine that people would do it - then again, there's a lid for every pot."

Bonaduce's house, by the way, is still on the market. It was listed last July for $4.5 million - now it's down only slightly to $4.2 million. The ornate Spanish-style mansion, with four bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms and a theater on just over 7,000 square feet, sits in the hills of LA's Los Feliz section.

So why not drop the price further and finally sell the property?

"He can afford to wait it out for 20 years," said Alfonso Milanese of Show4you Realty, who co-listed the home with another agent when Bonaduce and his wife, Gretchen, filed for divorce. "It's such a minuscule mortgage on there. He's one of the few the people who are not in dire straits in selling their house."

As for McMahon's home, "we've actually gotten a bunch of offers," his real estate agent, Alex Davis of Hilton & Hyland, said recently. "I think we're going to sell it very soon and that it's going to be onward and upward for the McMahons."

Down-Payment Aid Debated. AZ Home Buyers Down Payment Help

2008-07-10T09:28:00.002-07:00

Down-payment aid debated
Home buyers turning to non-profits for cash

Arizonans treading in the housing market's choppy waters have found an unusual lifeline - a group of non-profit organizations that siphon down payments from home sellers to buyers.

Use of the decade-old practice known as down-payment assistance has dramatically increased since the demise of subprime lending because it offers another opportunity for buyers without substantial savings to obtain mortgage loans.

Advocates of down-payment assistance contend it has kept Arizona's failing real-estate market on life support by opening doors for responsible borrowers who simply lack the cash for a down payment.
Critics of the practice say it allows home sellers to kick back a percentage of bank-loaned money to buyers, which would be illegal if not done through a non-profit intermediary.

Housing statistics also indicate that charity-assisted loans default at higher rates compared with loans where the down payment comes from the buyer.

The Federal Housing Administration, which insures all loans involving down-payment assistance, has argued that such loans carry a higher default rate and could ultimately bankrupt the FHA.

A housing-reform bill up for vote in the U.S. Senate this week calls for eliminating the practice, while a competing resolution in the House would allow it to continue with some restrictions.

Phoenix loan originator Dean Wegner said nearly half of the home loans being issued involve seller contributions to special non-profit organizations that gift the money - usually 3 to 6 percent of the home's sale price - to buyers after charging a transaction fee of $400 to $600. Unlike other charitable contributions, the seller's donations are not tax-deductible.

"It's a loophole in the FHA guidelines that says the down payment can come from a 501(c)(3) charity," Wegner said.

Now that subprime loans and their creative financing schemes are gone from the market, lenders have returned in droves to FHA loans and the primary reason is down-payment assistance, he said.

"This is what everyone is talking about now," Wegner said, adding that sellers are generally willing to put up the money because it greatly increases their chances of finding a buyer.

The two leading providers of down-payment assistance are AmeriDream, based in Gaithersburg, Md., and Sacramento-based Nehemiah Corp.

Nehemiah was involved in 676 Arizona home-sales transactions in 2007 and is on pace to quintuple that amount this year, passing down payments from buyer to seller on 1,692 sales as of early July.

AmeriDream President Ann Ashburn said the two non-profits provide a vital service to low-income, minority and first-time home buyers while giving the economy a needed boost.

Ashburn opposes eliminating down-payment assistance programs that benefit "good, qualified people."

"The real tragedy will be that 100,000 to 200,000 home buyers annually will be locked out of homeownership," she said.

AmeriDream data indicates that roughly a million U.S. residents have used down-payment assistance in the past 10 years, including nearly 43,000 Arizonans.

Nationwide, $130 billion in loans have been generated by the practice, the non-profit says, with about $5.5 billion in Arizona.

Since its advent, down-payment assistance has faced several attempts by the federal government to ban its practice, but so far the courts have protected it.

In recent months, FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery has launched a full-scale verbal attack on down-payment assistance, calling it a "shell game" that threatens to bankrupt his administration.

"We had to book an additional $4.6 billion in unanticipated long-term losses, mostly due to the increased number of certain types of seller-funded loans in the FHA portfolio," Montgomery said in June.

"Unless we take action to mitigate these losses, FHA will soon either have to shut down or rely on appropriations to operate."

Montgomery also said the federally insured value of those loans is often inflated, because many sellers simply tack on the amount of their charitable contribution to the home's sale price.

About 30 percent of all FHA loans now involve down-payment assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FHA's parent agency.

HUD data indicates that charity-assisted loans were more than twice as likely to go into default or foreclosure in recent years than loans with the down payment coming from buyers' pockets.

However, Wegner said all FHA loans have credit-score and income requirements, which make them far less risky than subprime loans.

"These people are still getting scrutinized heavily," he said.

One such buyer is Lawrence Smith, who recently purchased a vacant Phoenix home from an out-of-state investor. Although he had never heard of down-payment assistance, his real-estate agent recommended he look into it.

"I had gone through a divorce, so most of my assets were gone," Smith said.

He got an FHA loan with down-payment assistance through AmeriDream. Smith said the entire process was transparent and spared him the six to 12 months it would have taken to save up a down payment.

"I think if you have people that have decent credit and decent incomes, but for whatever reason can't come up with the down payment, it makes a difference," he said.

Source:AZ Republic. J. Craig Anderson - Arizona Republic

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Million Dollar Homes Sales In Phoenix Metro Area

2008-07-10T08:51:00.002-07:00

Phoenix AZ Area Million Dollar Home Sales

Scottsdale home sells for $5.7M

A Scottsdale land developer, a founder and CEO of an information technology group and two local Realtors, are among the buyers and sellers in this week's done deals.

$5,791,500.

Richard and Kimberly Cabral bought a new 10,645 square-foot home with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms plus two powder rooms, bonus room, kids retreat, game room, library with fireplace, office theatre, gourmet kitchen with two islands, six-car garage, plus detached casita has two bedrooms and living room with fireplace. This Calvis Wyant luxury home on four and a half acres is northeast of the Pinnacle Peak Country Club in Scottsdale.

$4,995,000.

Stuart and Mary Rhea purchased a new 8,400 square-foot home with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The master suite has an exercise room with bar and two flat screens. There is a library and office with fireplace and private patios; formal living room, dining room with wine room and butlers pantry; huge gourmet kitchen opening to oversized family room, three en-suite bedrooms, media room, game room; and a separate guest house out by a party gazebo and diving pool, A/C garages and Crestron Smart house. This luxury home at Mummy Mountain is on the southwest side of the Camelback Golf Club in Paradise Valley. Stuart Rhea is the founder and CEO of Tolt Service Group, a nationwide provider of outsourced technology field services. He has spent over 30 years in the information technology field.

$3,170,000.

Kent Bowerbank and Leslie Bowerbank, as Trustees of the Bowerbank Trust, paid cash for a 6,991 square-foot home with 650 square-foot pool originally built in 1999. Kent Bowerbank is a Realtor with Embassy Properties in Phoenix.

$3,125,000.

Michael L. White, as Trustee of the Statice Revocable Trust, purchased new home west of the Camelback Golf Club in the Morton Mesa Subdivision of Paradise Valley.

$3,100,000.

Robert D. MacMillan and Mary Hazel MacMillan, as Trustees of the Robert D. MacMillan Family Trust, paid cash for a 4,565 square-foot home with 704 square-foot pool originally built in 1977 on over two acres on the west side of the Camelback Golf Club in Paradise Valley.

Source: AZ Republic

Feds Protecting Homeowners From Scam Lenders

2008-07-09T14:33:00.002-07:00

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve will issue new rules next week aimed at protecting future homebuyers from dubious lending practices, its most sweeping response to a housing crisis that has propelled foreclosures to record highs.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke of the much-awaited rules in a broader speech Tuesday about the challenges confronting policymakers in trying to stabilize a shaky U.S. financial system. To that end, Bernanke said the Fed may give squeezed Wall Street firms more time to tap the central bank's emergency loan program.

To prevent a repeat of the current mortgage mess, Bernanke said the Fed will adopt rules cracking down on a range of shady lending practices that has burned many of the nation's riskiest "subprime" borrowers - those with spotty credit or low incomes - who were hardest hit by the housing and credit debacles.

The plan, which will be voted on at a Fed board meeting on Monday, would apply to new loans made by thousands of lenders of all types, including banks and brokers.

Under the proposal unveiled last December, the rules would restrict lenders from penalizing risky borrowers who pay loans off early, require lenders to make sure these borrowers set aside money to pay for taxes and insurance and bar lenders from making loans without proof of a borrower's income. It also would prohibit lenders from engaging in a pattern or practice of lending without considering a borrower's ability to repay a home loan from sources other than the home's value.

"These new rules ... will address some of the problems that have surfaced in recent years in mortgage lending, especially high-cost mortgage lending," Bernanke said.

Consumer groups have complained that the proposed rules aren't strong enough, while mortgage lenders worry that they are too tough and could crimp customers' choices.

In an extraordinary action aimed at averting a financial catastrophe, the Fed in March agreed to let investment houses go to the Fed - on a temporary basis - for a quick, overnight source of cash. Those loan privileges, which are supposed to last through mid-September, are similar to those permanently afforded to commercial banks for years.

"We are currently monitoring developments in financial markets closely and considering several options, including extending the duration of our facilities for primary dealers beyond year-end should the current unusual and exigent circumstances continue to prevail in dealer funding markets," Bernanke said in prepared remarks to a mortgage-lending forum in Arlington, Va.

The Fed's decision to act - temporarily at least - as a lender of last resort for Wall Street firms was made after a run on Bear Stearns pushed the investment bank to the brink of bankruptcy and raised fears that others might be in jeopardy. It was the broadest use of the Fed's lending powers since the 1930s.

Bear Stearns was eventually taken over by JPMorgan Chase & Co., with the Fed providing $28.82 billion in financial backing.

Those controversial decisions have drawn criticism from Democrats in Congress and elsewhere that the Fed is bailing out Wall Street and putting billions of taxpayer dollars at risk.

Bernanke, in appearances on Capitol Hill has said he doesn't believe taxpayers will suffer any losses.

In his speech Tuesday, the Fed chief defended those actions anew. If the Fed didn't intervene, he said, problems in financial markets would have snowballed, imperiling the country.

"Allowing Bear Stearns to fail so abruptly at a time when the financial markets were already under considerable stress would likely have had extremely adverse implications for the financial system and for the broader economy," Bernanke said to the mortgage forum, organized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The Fed's consideration of giving Wall Street firms more time to tap the Fed's emergency loan program is part of an ongoing effort by the central bank to bring back stability to fragile financial markets and help to bolster shaky confidence on the part of investors.

Policymakers - in the White House, in Congress and other federal agencies - will need to work together to come up with ways to make the U.S. financial system more resilient and stable and to prevent a repeat of the types of problems that brought about the end of Bear Stearns, an 85-year-old institution, Bernanke said.

Although those efforts are already under way and will be the focus of a House Financial Services Committee hearing Thursday, it will fall to the next president and next Congress to settle them. Both Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are scheduled to testify at Thursday's hearing.

The Bush administration has proposed revamping the nation's financial regulatory structure. That plan would make the Fed an ubercop in charge of financial market stability. But the Fed would lose daily supervision of big banks. Bernanke said the Fed must maintain this power if it is to be an effective overseer of financial stability.

The Fed, which regulates banks, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which oversees investment firms, announced an information-sharing agreement on Monday aimed at better detecting potential risks to the financial system.

Over the longer term, though, Congress may need to adopt legislation to bolster supervision of investment banks and other large securities dealers, Bernanke said.

Bernanke recommended that Congress give a regulator the authority to set standards for capital, liquidity holdings and risk management practices for the holding companies of the major investment banks. Currently, the SEC's oversight of these holding companies is based on a voluntary agreement between the SEC and those firms.

Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley Resort Update

2008-07-09T14:30:00.001-07:00

Ritz-Carlton remains committed to PV
PARADISE VALLEY - The proposed Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley Resort will not go to another community.

The project planned northwest of Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road received a setback last week when a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled that a referendum challenging the project could be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.

But Jerry Ayoub, president and chief executive officer of Scottsdale-based Five Star Development, this week sought to clarify a statement released by the company after the ruling about what might happen next.

"Other communities have solicited us to move the project; that is a fact. However, we have worked for three years to establish trust with Paradise Valley officials and residents," Ayoub said in a prepared statement.

"Collectively, we have created a project that we can all be proud of for decades to come. Our commitment to the community has not wavered and we believe that the Ritz-Carlton is a perfect fit for Paradise Valley," Ayoub added.

The Paradise Valley Town Council unanimously approved the project on April 10. But a citizens group called Preserve Our Paradise, which opposes the density of some of the project's homes, collected enough petition signatures to force a referendum.

Five Starr challenged the referendum in court, but was turned down by Judge Peter Swann. Five Starr has not decided whether to appeal.

Tonight, the Town Council will consider setting a Nov. 4 election date for the referendum. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Paradise Valley Town Hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive.

The project calls for a 225-room resort hotel and 161 residences ranging from 1-acre home sites to patio homes on 105 acres.

Ayoub said the project's team maintains that the overwhelming majority of Paradise Valley residents are behind the project. He said Five Star has, and will continue, to have immense support from town residents and officials.

"It's unfortunate that such a small group of people can cause this significant of a delay after we've worked tirelessly with neighbors and officials to get this project right and get it unanimously approved. However, we are confident in Paradise Valley's acceptance of the Ritz-Carlton," Ayoub said.

The council also will vote to give the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau an additional $25,000 in annual funding. That would bring the total to $625,000 to promote the town's resorts and $75,000 in special funding to support the Fiesta Bowl.

At its 4 p.m. work-study session, the council will discuss the mayoral selection process. In Paradise Valley, the council elects the mayor, not voters. Vernon Parker, who was chosen mayor June 12, would support voters doing so. He requested the council discussion.

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Sotelo Condos Tempe AZ.

2008-07-09T14:12:00.002-07:00

Sotelo Condos Tempe AZ.

Urban Living. Desert Design. Sotelo is the ideal property for your active urban Tempe buyer. It’s just a mile from ASU, across the lake from the Mill Avenue district, and directly adjacent to Papago Park, one of the Valley’s prime outdoor recreation areas. Stylish, contemporary, and affordable, Sotelo offers urban living in a desert retreat, starting at $285,000. Architectural Design

Sotelo was designed by Todd & Associates, a Phoenix-based architecture firm with a history of designing award-winning residential projects throughout the Southwest. The project will feature 170 urban flats designed in seven different floor plans.

The flats range from 794 to 1,953 square feet, with 134 two-bedroom units and 36 one-bedroom units. The building will be designed with a modern architectural aesthetic that emphasizes the connection to the outdoors, open and flexible living spaces, access to natural light, and community gathering spaces. The building design gives many units a direct view of Papago Park.
Amenities

Sotelo features a detached, state-of-the-art clubhouse geared for large gatherings, celebrations and parties. Designed by Inter Plan Design Group, a Scottsdale-based interior design firm, the clubhouse is equipped with a flat-screen television wall, full kitchen, outdoor fireplace, and WiFi access. Residents will have access to a resort-inspired pool and spa and a fitness center.

Features

Individual units will have modern kitchens with granite countertops and wood cabinetry. Other features include nine-foot ceiling heights, walk-in closets in master bedrooms, gas fireplaces, balconies or patios, and underground parking with elevator access. Residents will have accessto a resort-inspired pool and spa and a fitness center.

Your beautiful backyard, also known as Papago Park, has over 1,200 acres of pristine desert-scape to explore. With baseball and softball fields, the Desert Botanical Garden, world-class golf, and the fabulous Phoenix Zoo, you'd never know there was a thriving downtown district just a few minutes away.

Satisfy the urbanite inside:

Your playground for dining, nightlife, arts and entertainment is just over a mile away. Downtown Tempe offers the lively Mill Avenue District with an eclectic assortment of bars, live music, theater, galleries and more, plus ASU athletic events are just a jump shot away for Sun Devil fans.

Bordering the expansive desert landscape and clear blue sky, Sotelo's urban-inspired architecture creates bold, clean lines that draw the eye. Inside, modern living spaces offer functional open floor plans bathed in the desert's natural light.

9" Ceiling, gas fireplace, and private patio or balcony
Ceramic tile entry, kitchen, and bath
Upgraded Carpeting in living, dining and bedrooms
Granite kitchen countertops
Full appliance package including full size washer and dryer
Wood cabinets in the kitchen and baths
Bathroom feature granite countertops and tub/shower surrounds
Spacious walk in closets in master bedrooms
Pre-wired for optional security system
Reserved underground parking with elevator access

While you're taking a rest from communing with nature, Sotelo invites you to commune with your friends and neighbors. Enjoy a refreshing dip in the beautifully landscaped pool, gather around the communal fire pit under a canopy of desert stars, or entertain guests at Sotelo's gorgeous Clubhouse, complete with full kitchen, and flat-screen TV wall.

Heated pool with spa and ramada
State-of-the-art fitness center
Wi-Fi access throughout Clubhouse
Gated community with limited access

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2008-07-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

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Downtown Phoenix High-Profile Projects in Limbo

2008-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Downtown Phoenix High-Profile Projects in Limbo
Collapsed lender imperils downtown developments

A celebrity chef was planning the menus, brides were negotiating room rates and 250 staffers were on the payroll.

But four months before Hotel Monroe was scheduled to open, its lender went bankrupt.

Now it could be at least a year before the 150-room luxury hotel is complete, says developer Grace Communities.

It's unclear what the future holds for the hotel and an entertainment district, two high-profile downtown Phoenix projects tangled in Mortgages Ltd.'s web of legal and financial woes. The credit crunch could mean a difficult road for both projects, an expert says.

But backers of both projects are optimistic.

Downtown boosters are watching both ventures closely because they would add much-needed elements to the city: an infusion of hotel rooms and a corridor of shops, nightspots, and restaurants near Phoenix's sports arenas.

The troubles at Mortgages Ltd. won't put the brakes on downtown Phoenix's resurgence, but impact on those two projects may be painful, observers say.

"This one hurt, bad," said Jonathan Vento, a principal at Grace Communities. The developer was renovating a 12-story 1931office building at 15 E. Monroe Street to house Hotel Monroe Construction work essentially stopped last week.

On Thursday, Grace officials were courting a prospective lender, but it's hard to say what will happen next, Vento said. It would take about $50 million to finish the hotel project, he added.

"A boutique hotel is not a construction project by itself. It is an operating business," Vento said. "It lives and breathes."

Grace is also wrapping up construction on 44 Monroe, a 34-story condo tower a block away from the Hotel Monroe. The tower, however doesn't have a Mortgages Ltd. loan, said Joyce Wright, an attorney for Grace Communities.

No easy choices

There may be few easy options for the two downtown developments or for the estimated 70 loans in Mortgages Ltd.'s $925 million loan portfolio.

The economic slump has all but shut off the credit tap for many commercial projects, said Anthony Sanders a professor at Arizona State University's W.P . Carey School of Business.

"A lot of lenders are taking a timeout right now," said Sanders, who teaches real-estate finance.

Nationally, loan defaults are up, sales of finished projects are down, senior loan officers at banks have ratcheted up their lending requirements, and land - which is collateral for the construction loans - is worth less, Sanders said.

"I would love to see downtown Phoenix blossom," the professor said. "Right now, it's not a sure thing that downtown Phoenix will be like downtown Manhattan. These are really, really dicey loans at the moment."

In response, the institutions making loans may have doubled or tripled the interest that they charge compared to rates at the beginning of this year, Sanders said.

Jackson Street

The Jackson Street entertainment district would line a stretch of that street near Chase Field with nightspots, restaurants and residences, developer say.

Mortgages Ltd. provided a "seven-figures plus" loan that helped the project's backers to buy two city blocks of property south of the Summit at Copper Square condo tower, said developer Dale Jensen. He declined to give the exact figure.

Now Jensen is looking for a new lender to take over the debt.

Of the two projects, the proposed Jackson Street entertainment district may have a relatively easier road, said Larry Lazarus, a veteran Valley development attorney working on the Jackson Street project.

Developments that have "end users" are easier to finance than housing, which involves more speculation, the lawyer said.

Lazarus is also an example of how the Mortgages Ltd. debacle has permeated the region's development circle. He invested in the firm, as did his parents, friends and some former clients, the lawyer says.

"It's hard to be in the industry here and not know every side of this deal," Lazarus said.

Loan crisis

Mortgages Ltd. was a key player in Arizona's building world.

It bankrolled land acquisition, development and construction for commercial real estate.

Mortgages Ltd. came under scrutiny shortly after CEO Scott Coles' son found him lying unconscious in bed on June 2. Police suspect it was suicide.

Two borrowers, including Grace Communities, have sued Mortgages Ltd., claiming that the lender defaulted on loan obligations.

Some of Mortgages Ltd.'s investors, who helped fund the loans, have filed suit to gain access to the lender's books.

Grace Communities' attorney says Mortgages Ltd. provided only a third of the $75.6 million loan. Mortgages Ltd. has argued that Grace and other borrowers have filed lawsuits because they are in default and they need to buy time.

Vento insists Grace hasn't defaulted on any loan payments.

The bankruptcy case heads back the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona on Tuesday.
Source: The Arizona Republic

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Home Seller Adds Offer of Marriage. A New Wife With Your Home

2008-06-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

Home Seller Adds Offer of Marriage
Associated Press
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - She has tried nightclubs and online dating sites, but now a 42-year-old single mother is looking for love where everyone else's heart is breaking: the real- estate market.

After a year of trying to sell her four-bedroom home and eight years of singledom, Deven Trabosh is offering her Florida home and a shot at marrying her on the Internet.

"Marry a Princess Lost in America," Trabosh wrote in the ads she posted on eBay and Craigslist last week. She describes a life of romance and travel and a home that features vaulted ceilings, upgraded tile and a soaking tub in a gated community with a pool and tennis courts.

"I'm struggling . . . I don't want to lose my house, and I want to find somebody," said Trabosh, who changed her name in the ad to Traboscia to keep people from finding her in the phone book. "So I came up with this dream plan because I've always dreamt about being a fairy-tale princess."

She listed the home for $340,000 on a sell-it-yourself Web site, but upped the price on eBay, adding a $500,000 shipping fee to include her companionship.

Trabosh says eBay removed her ad. eBay does not allow the sale of human beings, body parts or relationships, spokeswoman Catherine England said Friday.

Trabosh hasn't received any serious offers but says she's had nearly 500 responses, mostly positive.

She's gotten criticism, too. Her 21-year-old daughter, Haley, says she just wants her mom to find love, but her 14-year-old daughter says her mother is embarrassing her.

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American Idol Auditions in Glendale AZ July 25 at Jobing Arena

2008-06-30T08:44:00.002-07:00

American Idol Auditions in Glendale AZ July 25 at Jobing Arena

A little more than a year after the Valley's Jordin Sparks took home the 2007 American Idol crown, the talent show will return to Sparks' hometown of Glendale when it holds auditions July 25 at Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave.

It will be the show's first time hosting auditions in Arizona.

Show producers report that they've seen great talent emerge from the Valley - including Valley native Brooke White, who cracked the show's top five this year - prompting their decision to hold auditions here.

Men and women 16 to 28 years old as of July 15 who can legally work in the U.S. are eligible to try out. Some restrictions apply. Auditions start July 17 in San Francisco and will continue on to six other cities. Auditioners typically must show up a day in advance to get a required wristband.
'American Idol' Audition Do's and Don'ts:

Ditch The Costumes, Dude-Sung Celine CoversUnless you're just looking for screen time, leave the face paint, original songs and sack of nail clippings at home.

C'mon people! After six seasons, we get that the first few weeks of "American Idol" auditions are supposed to be a parade of freaks mixed in with a few potential gems just to keep it interesting. We know it's too late for this season's group of musical circus geeks, but if the first two audition episodes are any indication, some of you are in dire need of a refresher course on the do's and don'ts of "Idol" tryouts before we even start thinking about season eight.

Do: Tell the producers a great backstory that might land you one of those "down on the farm" segments where we see you frolicking with your son/daughter/pets/tractor. The sadder, the better.

Don't: Have your backstory be tied to a bag of nail clippings, your "Star Wars" fetish, a stalker routine, an ability to make funny noises or a "wacky" original song about abstinence. Speaking of chastity, though never-been-kissed virgin Bruce Dickson and his lock-and-key necklace told a tale so bizarrely endearing the striking Writers Guild of America should investigate whether he had some help with it, we recommend a little less sharing next time.

Do: Try to stand out in front of the judges by wearing something interesting, (slightly) provocative, flattering or, failing that, bland enough that it doesn't distract them from your singing.

Don't: Shop at the costume shop, paint your face, wear a Cowell-esque top that exposes enough of your chest that Simon and Randy lose their focus, attach anything resembling tin foil to your body or have your shirt signed by your "supporters." And, for the love of God, if you can't see your feet, don't wear a Princess Leia costume, even if you are manscaped. Nobody needs to see that.

Do: Pick a song that fits your voice and doesn't make it seem like you're trying out for "Best Celebrity Impersonators." (Hey, if the strike goes on long enough, it might show up on your TiVo queue!)

Don't: And we can't stress this enough, don't sing a song by a woman if you're a dude. We don't care how great you think Celine or Kelly are, the minute you start that tune you will automatically lose Simon and come off looking like a gender-confused contestant on a Logo reality show, whether you're gay, straight or floating somewhere in the guyliner-assisted middle. There are plenty of great songs sung by men for male contestants to choose from — just ask William Hung. OK, maybe not.

Do: Stand out and be humble. Believe it or not, you can do this by just being yourself — especially, it seems, if you are a cute, bubbly blonde with a growly voice or a cute, bubbly black girl with just the right amount of sass.

Don't: Talk back to the judges and come off like someone who might be lurking behind a garbage can waiting for Simon to get into his limo later that night. Yes, you'll get screen time, but nobody will take you seriously for the rest of your life (especially if your heart is set on "actressing"), and you will undoubtedly be dragged out a few more times over the season in clip shows that will portray you as the lunatic that you are.

Do: Wow the judges with your awesome range and strong vocals.

Don't: Tell them people have said you sound like Whitney/Mariah/Celine/Kelly, because 10 times out of 10, they're wrong and you're wrong and Simon's just gonna rip you a new one. And one more thing: Even if your cute-as-a-button model husband says you sound like a superstar, don't make him say it again in front of the judges if it's clearly not true because, once again, Simon's going to make the drive home more awkward than a Paula Abdul QVC appearance.

Do: Be comfortable in your own skin, even if it means snapping your fingers, bopping your head or making a hand gesture or two. The easier it is for you to move around and look the three judges in the eyes, the easier it will be to do it in front of an audience that's larger than the populations of Chile and Cambodia combined.

Don't: Breakdance, practice shadowboxing, flap your wings, stare at the floor, wriggle like you're giving birth to a 15-pound bag of sand, or, as we learned last season, pretend to be a large, caged cat.

Do: Prepare more than one song, preferably in a different genre. Occasionally, the judges want to hear an extra ditty before they dole out a Golden Ticket. If you only rehearsed "Another One Bites the Dust" and Paula asks for some Sinatra, don't be shocked when you end up another one gone, another one gone ...

Don't: Sing an unrequested second song. If the Idol Trinity agrees that you stink, bursting into a new tune isn't going to change any minds. You're just prolonging the pain. Plus, "Idol" producers love having fun in the editing room, so even if you didn't cut off Simon's critique with a second song-and-dance routine, that's exactly how it will be portrayed by the time it hits airwaves, and you'll ultimately look insolent, desperate and/or unstable.

And, if you're going to ignore all these suggestions and just be your freak-flag-flying self — which, after all, is what really makes us all tune in this early anyway — take a page from the book of 44-year-old Renaldo "You Are My Brother" Lapuz. The strange little man in the silver-and-white cape chewed up 11 minutes with his space-case anthem of brotherhood, which slowly evolved from typical Hung-esque time killer to a strangely great piece of TV that allowed the judges to let their hair down and indulge in some of the same goofball antics they are used to rolling their eyes at.

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Hotel Monroe On Hold. Phoenix Downtown Projects Affected

2008-06-26T08:29:00.001-07:00

Lender's downfall puts Phoenix downtown in limbo

The financial storm brewing around Mortgages Ltd. has touched two key downtown Phoenix projects, a blow to ongoing efforts to reinvigorate the city's heart.

There is no more loan money to fund construction and renovation work for Hotel Monroe, a high-profile luxury project, the developer said Tuesday.

And a proposed Jackson Street entertainment district is looking for new lenders for a land deal.
And it was unclear if other downtown projects could be next.

It's unknown what developments are among the estimated 70 loans in the embattled Phoenix company's $925 million loan portfolio.

The downtown projects are significant because Phoenix and state officials have invested years of planning and millions of taxpayer dollars to resuscitate what had once been a sleepy business district.

On Tuesday, city officials downplayed the impact, noting that Phoenix has many successful downtown projects under way. That includes the expanding Arizona State University downtown Phoenix campus, the $600 million convention-center expansion and the nearly complete 1,000-room Sheraton hotel project, said Phoenix's downtown-development director John Chan.

"One segment of the market is slowing down, but there are a lot of positive things going on in downtown Phoenix," said Chan,adding that the Mortgages Ltd. meltdown is a symptom of the national credit crisis.

Yet, the Mortgages Ltd. fallout left two projects scrambling for new lenders.

• On Tuesday, the developer behind a $100 million boutique-hotel project announced that renovations at the historic 1930s office building are winding down. The renovated hotel was expected to open Oct 1.

Its developer, Grace Communities, has been paying contracting expenses out of its reserves because Mortgages Ltd. has stopped funding its loan, which was for $75.6 million, said Jonathon Vento, a partner with Grace.

He declined to estimate how long the project would be delayed, noting that the company is in the process of renegotiating contracts with vendors.

Mortgages Ltd. has said it believes lawsuits filed by Grace and other borrowers are efforts by borrowers that are in default to buy time.

Vento insists Grace has not defaulted on any loan payments to Mortgages Ltd. and that the lender's claims are attempts to distract attention from its financial situation.

• Mortgages Ltd. has also loaned an undisclosed "seven figures-plus" sum to Dale Jensen, one of the developers behind a planned Jackson Street entertainment district near Chase Field, Jensen said.

Jensen is looking for another lender to take over the loan, which helped finance a land deal connected to the entertainment district.

"That's all I am doing night and day, arranging alternate financing," Jensen said, adding that the loan helped to buy two city blocks directly south of the Summit at Copper Square condo tower.

Jackson Street has also faced delays, but they are unrelated to the Mortgages Ltd. problem, Jensen says.

Mortgages Ltd., the state's largest private lender, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday. On Tuesday, Judge Randolph Haines granted Mortgages Ltd.'s motion to convert the case to voluntary Chapter 11, but tabled a request from Grace to appoint an independent trustee to take over the lender's operations.

Mortgages Ltd. has made several changes to its business, prompted by the apparent suicide of Chairman and CEO Scott Coles on June 2.

The company financed commercial real-estate projects for developers using money it raised through accredited investors to fund the loans.

Since Coles' death, the company said it is no longer making loans or accepting new money from investors.

Effects from the case have rippled to projects across the Valley. In addition to Phoenix projects, the lender's borrowers include developers in Tempe and Scottsdale.
Source: AZ Republic

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Is Your Phoenix New Home Really Green or Is It Efficient

2008-06-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

Is Your Phoenix New Home Really Green or Is It Efficient

Different shades of green

Over the past six months, large-scale home builders have incorporated claims of environmental friendliness into their marketing efforts like never before.

Some of those claims are even backed by real improvements in design, construction and materials.

Still, home designers and builders who were green before green was gold say the mass-market version of their philosophy often misses the point. Philip Beere bristles when asked about mainstream home builders' recent appropriation of the word green.

Beere recently remodeled a 1960s home in central Phoenix to obtain the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification, which is about as green as it gets.

"I think it's great that the big builders are getting on board to make a better home," said Beere, a green-leaning Scottsdale entrepreneur who formed Green Street Development in 2007 with proceeds from his successful cleaning business, Ecofresh Planet.

"However, it should be advertised for what it is, which is an efficient home, not a green home."

Sure, custom-home builders may be painting with a deeper shade of green, Shea Homes executives say, but their company has a much broader brush.

San Diego-based Shea Homes, one of the country's largest home builders, launched an initiative in January to reduce the overall carbon footprint - the carbon-based pollution caused by human activities - of each new home inside its Trilogy communities by 20 to 30 percent.

The homes also feature better ventilation, conserve more water and require less lumber to build, said Hal Looney, area president of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities.

Though they do not meet all the Green Building Council's certification requirements, the overall reduction in environmental impact will be significant, he said.

"We're building a couple of thousand homes, so the impact will be a lot greater than four or five custom homes," Looney said.

Shea Homes estimates that over the next 10 years, the implementation of its Shea Green Certified Home program will save the equivalent of more than 8.5 million gallons of gasoline and have the same carbon-reducing effect as planting 1.9 million trees.

"It will be a better place for everybody," Looney said.

Arizona State University architect Daniel Glenn said he supports the efforts of mass-market home builders to reduce consumption of energy and natural resources, but being green is not that easy.

"It's really problematic to think about building green when you're talking about these large-scale bedroom communities," he said, "because large-scale bedroom communities are inherently not green."

Glenn, associate director of ASU's Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family, said production home builders have developed a tendency to "green-wash" practices that actually contribute to the pollution problem.

The biggest problem has to do with where they are building homes: places like Trilogy at Vistancia, more than 30 miles from downtown Phoenix, in Peoria.

"The further out you go, the less green it is by definition," Glenn said, which is why the Green Building Council strongly encourages in-fill development and urban redevelopment.

"You can have the greenest home in the world, but if your commute is 20 to 30 miles, you're not living a green lifestyle."

But what if the homeowner drives a Toyota Prius, which gets up to 50 miles per gallon? Shea is including a new Prius with every Trilogy home, Looney said.

Again, Glenn applauded Shea for attempting to reduce the environmental impact of its remote location.

Still, he said commuting 30 miles each way in a Prius doesn't leave much time for community-building, another pillar of the green philosophy.

"Is people spending three hours a day in a car socially beneficial?" he said.

Valley real-estate analyst RL Brown said large home builders have avoided revolutionizing the industry to reduce the carbon footprint of their communities, because their customers have been far more concerned about price than environmental impact.

Beere plans to put his custom green-home project on the market next week at a list price of $882,680, enough money to buy two midrange Shea Green Certified homes.

But consumer attitudes about the value of conservation are changing, Brown said, due in part to rising energy costs and concerns about global climate change.

"I think we're going to see, finally, the coming of the green, with serious efforts and not just lip service," he said.

Looney said large builders such as Shea have the ability to make green homes affordable to the middle class by ordering enviro-friendly products in bulk and teaching contractors new techniques that conserve resources.

Glenn said frugal home buyers should consider paying a bit more for a home that will reduce their energy consumption, because no one knows what will happen to energy prices in the future.
"You can't get a 30-year, fixed-rate energy bill," he said.

Source: J. Craig Anderson - The Arizona Republic

Peoria AZ Foreclosures

2008-06-25T08:36:00.005-07:00

Peoria AZ Foreclosures

Peoria bolsters fight against foreclosures

Peoria has stepped up its efforts to identify vacant foreclosed homes before they become blight on a neighborhood.

The city's utility staff and trash haulers are now taking note if they suspect an abandoned home, such as trash cans not placed at the curb. Police are then made aware of the vacant homes and keep an extra set of eyes on them.

"The county is plagued by foreclosures due to the financial crisis," City Manager Terry Ellis said. "It's a problem in our neighborhoods."
Staff last week gave the City Council an update on a newly formed foreclosure task force, charged with coming up with solutions to reduce the impact of abandoned homes in neighborhoods. Representatives from a number of city departments, including city attorney, police and community development, serve on the committee.

One in 33 homes on average are in foreclosure nationwide, said Glen Van Nimwegen, Peoria's director of community development. In Arizona, one in 18 homes are in some state of foreclosure and as of May, Peoria showed 1,397 homes in the process of being taken back by lenders, Van Nimwegen said.

Arizona and Florida showed the highest foreclosure numbers in the country - the two states were the fastest-growing, which prompted home values to peak and encouraged bad loans, he said.

Peoria currently employs a number of tactics to deal with foreclosed homes that are neglected and overgrown with weeds, becoming neighborhood eyesores.

The city can issue citations to homeowners and with the city manager's approval do immediate abatement at homes with imminent hazards, such as green pools and broken windows, said Van Nimwegen.

The city also uses volunteer groups to clean up an abandoned property after securing permission from the lender to access the site, Van Nimwegen said. He said lending institutions are starting to become more responsive to the problem.

Councilwoman Vicki Hunt at the end of last week's council meeting issued a plea to civic groups for such volunteers.

"We will get the permission for you if your group steps forward," she said.

The city also can go onto a property, do the necessary cleanup and then slap a lien on the home to recoup the costs, but only through the abatement process, Van Nimwegen said. That process requires a notice and appeals by the property owner, he added.

Councilman Ron Aames asked why, if a homeowner can't be located for permission to access the property, can't the city declare the site an immediate danger and abate it because overgrown weeds can become a fire hazard.

"My biggest concern is the front yard," Aames said. "You have just one of those homes and it brings down the entire neighborhood."

City Attorney Steve Kemp said the city has to show significant conditions with a property to take that route.

"Property owners have the right to control access to their property," Kemp said.

Also, he said, placing a lien on a property has limited success.

Oftentimes, the value of the loan far exceeds the value of the property and sometimes there are two and even three loans taken out on a property, meaning the city rarely collects the lien.

When a homeowner is in foreclosure, other bills are not paid and bankruptcy is pursued, discharging the homeowner's debt, including the lien, Kemp said.

"The city fronts all the abatement costs," he said. "The city doesn't recover a significant amount from the abatement of a property."

Kemp said it cost the city anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $30,000 in one extreme case for abatement.

Van Nimwegen suggested the city work within its current ordinances and advised expanding the Neighborhood Pride program and creating a central point of contact for other departments to report vacant homes.
Source: Cecilia Chan - The Arizona Republic

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Arizona 4th Of July Events. Phoenix July 4th Events.

2008-06-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

Phoenix July 4th Events. Arizona 4th Of July Events

Celebrate America: 6 p.m. June 29. Celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic concert featuring classic American rock music, and traditional patriotic songs. North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Free. 602-707-5757. npbc.org.

Fourth of July Swing Dance Convention: 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 2-6. Twelve swing-dancing workshops and 15 competitions. Featuring $16,000 in prize money and time for social dancing. Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, 2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix. $219 weekend hotel and pass; $110 weekend pass; $109 hotel; $15 Gary Jobst Workshop; $10 all other workshops; free social dancing. 800-598-2538. www.usaswingnet.com/phoenix/index.htm.

Light up the Sky: 7-10 p.m. July 3. The event will have rides, games, arts, crafts and fireworks. Maryvale Baseball Park, 3600 N. 51st Ave., Phoenix. Free. 602-262-6575. Map it

Rev, White and Boom: 6-9:30 p.m. July 3. Tour the raceway, enjoy entertainment and watch fireworks. Food, beverages and activities will be available. Phoenix International Raceway, 7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale. Free admission. 623-333-2400. www.avondale.org/events.

West Valley

Magnificent Mondays: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 30. Age 3 and older work on a Fourth of July project. Foothills Branch Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave., Glendale. Free. 623-930-3830. glendaleaz.com/library.

Independence Day: 6:30 p.m. July 3. Live music, food and activities. Fireworks set for 9:15 p.m. Bring a blanket. Estrella Lakeside Amphitheatre, 10300 S. Estrella Parkway, Goodyear. Free. 623-386-1000. http://www.ci.goodyear.az.us/.

Valley-wide

Fourth of July Jewelry Making: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 1. Use red, white and blue beads to make patriotic necklaces. Guadalupe Branch Library, 9241 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.

American Eagle Craft: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 2. Make crafts with toilet tissue. Guadalupe Branch Library, 9241 S. Avenida del Yaqui, Guadalupe. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.

Red, White and Blue Family Parade: 7:15 p.m. July 2. The parade features floats, scooters, bikes, kids and dogs. Paul Mason Sportsplex, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande. Free. 520-421-8677. www.cir.org/seasonal-fourth.html.

Annual Fireworks Celebration: 8:45 p.m. July 3. Watch the fireworks show overlooking the lake. Lake Pleasant Regional Park, 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road, Morristown. $5 per vehicle park entry fee; $2 per watercraft. 928-501-1710 or 602-372-7460. www.maricopa.gov/parks/EventsDetailPublishers.aspx?date=7/3/2008&eventID=6422.

Fourth of July Festivities: 6 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. Friday, July 3-4. Watch a youth talent show, followed by a street dance with the band Train Wreck Thursday. Friday activities include the Pets and People Parade at 7:30 a.m. and entertainment all day long. Fireworks start at dusk at the Paiz/Stone Complex. Veterans Memorial Park, 3105 E. Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. Free. 520-266-2304. http://www.visitsierravista.com/.

Third of July Fireworks: 6 p.m. July 3. Live entertainment, outside barbecue, drink specials, and prizes. Reservations required, recommended time: 6-9 p.m. For all ages. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Harold's Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. Free. 480-488-1906. http://www.haroldscorral.com/.

Fourth of July Barbecue: Thursday through Saturday, July 3-5. Barbecue meal to celebrate Independence Day. Reservations required. Call for times. JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson. $35; $15 children 10 and under. 520-792-3500. http://www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com/.

July 4-6

Phoenix

Freedom Wireless Fabulous Phoenix Fourth: 6-9:35 p.m. July 4. Kids rides, food court, scheduled events and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Free. 602-534-3378. phoenix.gov.

Fourth of July: Friday and Saturday, July 4-5. Featuring poolside activities for kids, spa and golf for adults, and an evening poolside movie of Ratatouille on July 4 and National Treasure: Book of Secrets on July 5. JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix. $169 per night; for guests only. 480-293-5000. desertridgeresort.com.

Scottsdale

Grand Ol' Fashioned Picnic: 5-7:30 p.m. July 4. Celebrate with old-fashioned games, patriotic arts and crafts, and watermelon, chili and pie-eating contests. Bring your homemade chili to be judged. Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale. Free. 480-312-2771. www.scottsdaleaz.gov/events.asp.

July Fourth Celebration: 5-8 p.m. July 4. Tug-of-war, live music and crafts, watermelon eating contest and more. No fireworks. Eldorado Park, 2311 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale. Free. 480-312-2771.

Independance Day Bounce: 9-11 a.m. July 4. Flags, balloons and bouncing to celebrate the Fourth of July. BounceU, 8970 E. Bahia Drive, Suite 104, Scottsdale. $6.95 for first child; $5.95 for each sibling. 480-502-0210. http://www.bounceu.com/.

Freedom Parade: 8:30 a.m. July 4. Decorate your strollers, bicycles, skateboards, horses, pets, golf carts or wagons and participate in the parade, or go to watch. Mescal Park, 11015 N. 68th St., Scottsdale. Free. 480-991-7955 or 602-570-0303. www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Parks/neighborhood/mescal.asp.

East ValleyCBS5 July Fourth Tempe Town Lake Festival: 4-11 p.m. July 4. Seven hours of live music, inflatable village for all ages, and fireworks. Tempe Town Lake, Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue, Tempe. $6; age 12 and younger are free. 480-350-8625. http://www.tempe4th.com/.

Hot Dog Theme Day: 1-3 p.m. July 4. Get a free hot dog to celebrate Independence Day. Kiwanis Park Wave Pool, 6111 S. All-America Way, Tempe. $6; $3 for age 2-12. 480-350-5740. www.tempe.gov/kiwanis.

Mesa's Fourth of July Celebration: 6 p.m. July 4. Entertainment and kiddie rides ending with fireworks at 9 p.m. Also offers food and drink for purchase. No bags, backpacks, coolers, fanny-packs or alcoholic beverages. Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. $5 for parking and admission; $1 for admission if not parking on campus. 480-461-7000. http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/.

Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular: 4 p.m. July 4. In addition to fireworks at 9:30 p.m., the event features live music, a kids carnival and a bike parade. Activities include a 35-foot waterslide, 24-foot rock-climbing wall, a dunk tank and water games. Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler. Free. 480-782-2735. http://www.chandleraz.gov/.

Fourth of July Celebration: 5:30 p.m. July 4. Features live music, a cowboy costume contest, a barbecue, decorated buggy rides, face painting and balloon sculpturing. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. $3-$65. 480-753-7676. www.rawhide.com.

Fourth of July Celebration and Anniversary Party: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 4. Families enjoy carnival games, prizes every 15 minutes, live music by the Weezul Brothers from 6-10 p.m. and hotdogs and hamburgers grilled outdoors. Benefits The Choir Boys of Arizona. Red, White & Brew, 4850 S. Gilbert Road, Chandler. Free. 480-305-6993. www.rwbaz.com. http://www.azchoirboys.org/.

Miss Chinese Environmental Contest: 4 p.m. July 4. Chinese community celebrates the fourth of July and a Miss Chinese Environmental contest with dinner. Contest begins at 5:30 p.m. Phoenix Preparatory Academy, 735 E. Fillmore St., Phoenix. $6 includes dinner. 602-321-1898.

West Valley

Fourth of July Celebration: 7 p.m. July 4. Celebration includes swimming, water slides, food, music, a patriotic program, a F-16 flyover by a Luke Fighter Squadron and fireworks. Free swimming at GCC pool begins at 1 p.m.; doors open for night events at 6 p.m.; fireworks at 8:40 p.m. Glendale Community College Community Pool, Glendale Community College 6000 W. Olive Ave., Glendale. Free. 623-930-2299. www.glendaleaz.com/events.

All-American Festival: 5-10 p.m. July 4. Kids zone, concessions, two stages of live music, fireworks and water activities. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. No alcohol or glass containers are permitted. Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria. $5 for ages 13 and older. 623-773-7198. http://www.peoriaaz.com/specialevents/.

Road Racers 3: 6:30 a.m. July 4. 5K run and walk. Registration required. Rio Vista Community Park, 8866 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria. $12. 602-954-8341. http://www.arizonaroadracers.com/.

Surprise's Fourth of July Celebration: 6-8:30 p.m. July 4. Enjoy live music, water zone and food. Surprise Recreation Campus, 15850 N. Bullard Ave., Surprise. $5 for children; $10 for adults. 623-266-4500. http://www.surpriseaz.com/.

Fourth of July Celebration: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. July 4. Splash Bash, food, music, F-16 flyover and fireworks. Litchfield Park, 214 W. Wigwam Blvd., Litchfield Park. Small fee for the Splash Bash. 623-935-5033. az-litchfieldpark.civicplus.com/index.asp?NID=106.

Star Spangled Arts and Crafts Booth: 6:30-8 p.m. July 4. Ages 2-12 celebrate the holiday making bug-themed arts and crafts. Goodyear Branch Library, Goodyear City Hall 190 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. Free. 602-652-3000. http://www.mcldaz.org/.

Star-Spangled Fourth: 6:30-10 p.m. July 4. Live music from Billy's Gone and Shallow Water. Food, beer garden, kids zone, and water rides. Fireworks at 9:35 p.m. Goodyear Community Park, 3151 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear. $10 all you can ride kids' wristbands. Event is free. 623-882-7534. http://www.goodyearaz.gov/.

Valley-wide

Fourth of July Buffet: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Brunch features champagne mimosas, eggs Benedict, a waffle station, posole bar and chilequilles. Signature Grill, JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson. $22; $11 for children. 520-792-3500.

Freedompalooza: 6 p.m. July 4. Event includes two stages with 10 bands, and a barbecue. Club Congress, Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St., Tucson. $5. 520-622-8848. www.hotelcongress.com/club.

Sidewalk Egg-Fry Competition: noon July 4. Fry two eggs on a piece of aluminum foil on the sidewalk. Various prizes given. The event begins with the Ghostrider Gunfighters and takes place on Route 66. Oatman Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 423, Oatman. Free. www.oatmangoldroad.com/events.htm.

Old-Fashioned Fourth: 10 a.m.-noon July 4. Children enjoy games such as cake-walks, sack races, hula hoops, and rubber-duck ring toss. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, 1 Burruel St., Tubac. Free. 520-398-2704. http://www.tubacaz.com/.

Fourth of July: 4 p.m. July 4. Bring a blanket or chair for a fireworks display. Food and beverage available. Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Otero Road, Tubac. $65 for VIP ticket, which includes special meal, seating and parking; $5 for parking. 520-398-3522 or 520-398-2704. http://www.tubacaz.com/

July Fourth Celebration: 9 a.m.-9:15 p.m. July 4. Parade starts at Fifth Street to Gila to Seventh Street, which is followed by a water fight at Lions Park. Entertainment and music continues all day with fireworks at 8:45 p.m. Benson, Benson. Free. 520-586-4293. http://www.bensonvisitorcenter.com/.

Fourth of July: 9 a.m. July 4. Coaster races down Tombstone Canyon begins the event. Between heats, the Bisbee Iron- Man Mile footrace starts at the Iron Man statue. A parade at 11 a.m. is in the Warren section. The contest of the traditional mining activities of mucking begins at 2 p.m. and hard-rock drilling at 4 p.m. at Brewery Gulch. Fireworks are at dark at Vista Park in Warren. Bisbee, Bisbee. Free. 520-432-6016. http://www.discoverbisbee.com/.

Fourth of July Softball Tournament: 9 a.m. July 4. Enjoy food and street entertainment after the tournament. Watch fireworks at dusk. Medigovich Field, Mountain View Road north of Arizona 80, Tombstone. Free. 520-457-3994.

Fire Over the Water: 4 p.m. July 4. Information, exhibits, kids activities, souvenirs, and raffle. Rubber duck race begins at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Lyman Lake State Park, 11 miles south of St. Johns on U.S. 191, St. Johns. Free. 928-337-4441. http://www.pr.state.az.us/.

July Fourth Celebration: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. July 4. Clarkdale celebrates its Fourth of July with a parade at 10 a.m., a barbecue at the Verde Valley Railroad station at 11 a.m., and music by a Dixieland band at 12:30 p.m. Clarkdale, $7 for barbecue. 800-320-0718.

Firecracker Express: 1-5 p.m. July 4. Enjoy a patriotic train ride through the Verde Canyon. Verde Canyon Railroad, 300 N. Broadway Road, Clarkdale. $34.95-$79.95. 800-320-0718. http://www.verdecanyonrr.com/.

Rockets Over the River: 9 p.m. July 4. Fireworks over the Colorado River. Best viewing is along the river, south of the Laughlin Bridge. Bullhead City, Free. 702-298-2214. www.bullheadchamber.com/calendar.htm.

Fourth of July Family Day: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 4. Activities and games during open swim for all ages. Palm Island Family Aquatics Park, Carr-McNatt Park 1115 N. Brown Ave., Casa Grande. $1; 50 cents for age 17 and younger. 520-421-8650.

Fourth of July Family Day: 5 p.m. July 4. Old-fashioned celebration with food, games and live entertainment. Fireworks at 8 p.m. Paul Mason Sportsplex, 2525 N. Pinal Ave., Casa Grande. Free. 520-421-8677. www.cir.org/seasonal-fourth.html.

Prescott Rodeo Days Fine Arts and Crafts Show: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Showcases more than 150 artists. On the lawn outside of the courthouse. Courthouse Square, Montezuma and Gurley streets, Prescott. Free. 928-443-5200. http://www.prescottdowntown.com/.

July Fourth at the Fort: 2 p.m. July 4. Event features kids zone, food-eating contests, limbo, and entertainment. Event for all ages, however contest participants must be age 21 and older. Fireworks at 9:45 p.m. Fort McDowell Casino, 10424 N. Fort McDowell Road, Fort McDowell Reservation. Free. 800-THE-FORT or 480-837-1424. http://www.fortmcdowellcasino.com/.

Red, White and Boom: 5-10 p.m. July 4. Fun booths, vendors, food, beer garden, music and fireworks. Old Home Manor Fields, 2100 Old Home Manor Drive, Chino Valley. Free. 928-636-9780. http://www.cv4th.com/.

Freedom Fest: 10 a.m. July 4. Start the day in the pool for open swim and water games before forming teams for the Mud Volleyball tournament. Also participate in the horseshoe tournament, and country-singing contest. A parade will begin at 6:45 p.m. Fireworks start at 8:30 p.m. Heritage Park, 600 N. Main St., Florence. $30 per volleyball team; $10 per horseshoe team; other events free. 520-868-7589. http://www.town.florence.az.us/.

Star-Spangled Spectacular: 6-11 p.m. July 4. Inflatable games, face painting, food, arts and crafts booth, and watermelon-eating contests. Fireworks start at 9 p.m. Ora Mae Harn Park, 13250 N. Lon Adams Road, Marana. Free. 520-382-1950. http://www.marana.com/.

Patagonia's Fourth of July: 11 a.m. July 4. Begin the day with a parade and hanging of Grand Marshall at the Town Gazebo. Also enjoy music, food and vendors in the park. Fireworks start at 8 p.m. at Patagonia High School. Omitted, Free. 888-794-0060. http://www.patagoniaaz.com/.

Independence Day Celebration: 6 p.m. July 4. Includes hot dogs, watermelon, a waterslide and music. Fireworks start with an F-16 flyover at 7:30 p.m. Tolleson Veterans Park, 8601 W. Van Buren Ave., Tolleson. Free. 623-936-7111. http://www.tollesonaz.org/.

Clint Black: 7:30 p.m. July 4. The country singer performs with Amy Scruggs. Held at the Stargazer Pavilion. Doors open at 6 p.m. Cliff Castle Casino, 555 W. Middle Verde Road, Yavapai-Apache Reservation. $35. 928-567-7999. http://www.cliffcastlecasino.net/.

Fourth of July: noon July 4. Dive for soda, candy and money in the pool. Activities include arts and crafts, bouncers, games and a DJ. Food available. Fireworks begin between 9-9:30 p.m. Kenilworth Sports Complex, 671 E. Coolidge Ave., Coolidge. Free. 520-723-4551. http://www.coolidgeaz.com/.

Fourth of July Weekend Side Trip: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 4-6. Experience a barbecue with dishes from various nations, including Korea, Spain and Thailand. Served from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. San Dominique Winery, Interstate 17 and Arizona 169, Camp Verde. $6.75; $4.75 for children. 602-549-9787.

Old-Fashioned Fourth: noon-9 p.m. July 4. Food, dunk tank, bouncy house, rock climbing wall and live bands. Fireworks start at dark over Green Valley Lake. Green Valley Park, 600 N. Green Valley Parkway, Payson. Food ranges in price from $1-$5. 928-474-5242, ext. 7. http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/.

July Fourth Block Party: 4 p.m. July 4. Art and antique walk, classic car displays, magician at Deming History Park, food, watermelon eating and seed-spitting contest and carnival games at Presbyterian Church and live bands. Main Street, between Meadow and South Mclane, Payson. Free. http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/.

Celebrate Freedom: 10 a.m.-midnight July 5. Family activities during the day followed by musical performances and fireworks in the evening. Marks the kick-off of the two-month Miller Lite/Harley Davidson anniversary giveaway. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson. $16.95; $10.95 for age 4-11. 520-883-0100. http://www.oldtucson.com/.

All-American Independence Day Festival: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. July 5. Activities include a go-cart rally, an obstacle course, a duck race, a silent auction, a barbecue, face painting and contests. Benefits Firewise East Verde Park. East Verde Park, Arizona 87 and East Verde Turnoff, Payson. Free admission; prices vary for events. 928-474-3883.

Home Prices Fall At Record Rate. Phoenix Real Estate News

2008-06-24T12:18:00.001-07:00

Home Prices Fall At Record Rate

Associated Press: U.S. home prices tumbled in April at the fastest rate since a widely followed index was begun in 2000 with all 20 metropolitan areas surveyed posting annual declines for the first time.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 cities fell by 15.3 percent in April versus a year ago, according to Tuesday's report. Prices nationwide are at levels not seen since August 2004.

The narrower 10-city index declined 16.3 percent in April, its biggest decline in its more than two-decade history.

Meanwhile, a report from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight said U.S. home prices fell 4.6 percent in April from the same month last year, when the index peaked. That marked the biggest decline ever in the agency's monthly index which dates back to January 1991.

The government index is calculated using mortgage loans of $417,000 or less.

While the government report has shown nationwide price declines, the Case-Shiller index has shown far greater drops because it focuses on larger cities where prices rose further during the boom years, and includes riskier loans.

No surveyed city stayed above water, according to the Case-Shiller index. The last holdout, Charlotte, N.C., finally succumbed to the national housing downturn, with prices there slipping 0.1 percent from a year ago.

Las Vegas and Miami both continue to post the largest declines, falling 26.8 percent and 26.7 percent, respectively.

However, the annual declines in Denver, Dallas and Cleveland were less severe than in the previous month, but Maureen Maitland, a S&P vice president, is reluctant to peg that as an indication of stabilization.

“We wouldn't call a trend on one-month data,” she said.

The report also showed prices in eight metro areas increased in April from March, but the gains could be seasonal blips as the home-buying spring season starts up rather than a sign of a turnaround, Maitland said.

The housing slump, along with higher food and fuel prices and disruptions in the credit markets, has taken its toll on consumer sentiment.

An industry group Tuesday said U.S. consumer confidence fell unexpectedly sharply in June to the fifth-lowest level ever. The Conference Board's reading of consumers' expectations also hit an all-time low.

Forex Profit Accelerator. Make Money With Forex Profit Accelerator

2008-06-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

The Truth About Forex Profit Accelerator From Bill Poulos

"Discover how to spend as little time as possible actively trading while at the same time maximizing your profit potential..."

Special announcement from Bill: Thanks to everyone who already ordered their copy of the Forex Profit Accelerator during its limited 7-day release. As mentioned prior to the release, the Forex Profit Accelerator is not currently for sale but will be released again July 8, 2008. However, as I am satisfied that my charter group of Forex Profit Accelerator students are well on their way to mastering the course, I will reopen the order page and accept new students. This will be in July 8...I promise!! If you would like to be notified when new copies are available, please enter your name and email when you click this link and I'll add you to my 'Forex Profit Accelerator Notification List'so you'll have the first crack at getting a copy of the Forex Profit Accelerator once it becomes available again to the public on July 8, 2008

Forex trading is quickily becoming one of the investing world's hottest, most rewarding opportunities and it's chosen as "ideal business" by lot of traders. Many of them have indeed achieved their dreams and reach a level of financial independence and freedom. Some of the people even claim forex trading as "The World's Most Powerful Home-based Business".

BUT it is not easy!

95% of all retail traders lose to the institutions.

Yes, Forex trading is one of the most lucrative businesses in the world. But for whom? That's right -- the banks and large institutions.

Individual traders need to have the unique methods to level the playing field and profit 10-100 Pips or more every single trading day!

So if you have ANY interest in discovering how to ride the "coat tails" of the big banks to maximize your "pip potential" in the Forex markets, you're in for a TREAT today...

Introducing Forex Profit Accelerator...

The Forex Profit Accelerator (FPA) course is developed by Bill Poulos, a 30 years trading veteran and dozens of trading systems designer. His previous trading courses have always been designed to take advantage of high probability moves, reinforced with a strong money management formula.

Bill will teach you how to totally eliminate all the stress and strain typically associated with day trading Forex by spending only 20 minutes a night placing your trades. If you enjoy spending hours gazing at charts, then this may not be right for you. The goal in designing FPA was to maximize your "pip potential" while giving you back your time to spend AWAY from the charts.

The idea is to treat the Forex markets as end-of-day markets, he's found they can offer far more profit potential than the minor swings many day traders kill themselves to capture. And when you learn the right way to trade Forex as an end-of-day market, you can quickly jump from one big swing to another as they’re driven by the Forex market giants - the big banks and other financial institutions, including governments.

While these behemoths react slowly to market changes due to their sheer size, as soon as you learn to spot a big swing, you can get on and "ride their coat tails". And by the time they’ve turned to look over their shoulder, you’ll have already gone on to the next big swing.

Bill developed four complete methods in identifying when a Forex pair is likely to make a move UP or DOWN. And no matter which way it goes, he created specific trading rules that let you take advantage of those moves and ride them for a huge potential profit.

Method #1 - Instant Pip
The aim is to go after quick hit moves with the trend that are usually 1 to 2 days in duration. The aim of each trade is to take an average of 40 pips up to 100 pips out of the market with strict risk controls.

Method #2 - Pip Maximizer 1
The aim is to go after 1 to 3 week swings in the market with the trend. The goal of each trade is to take an average of 300 to 500 pips out of the market with strict risk controls.

Method #3 - Pip Maximizer 2
The aim is to go after 1 to 3 week swings in the market with the trend. The goal of each trade is to take an average of 300 to 500 pips out of the market with strict risk controls. This is the same objective as with Pip Maximizer 1 Method, but using an entirely different entry strategy that complements the Pip Maximizer 1 Method entry strategy. Used together, these two methods increase the probability of getting on board major market moves dramatically.

Method #4 - Pip Reversal
This counter-trend trading method takes advantage of market divergence. We are going after the initial leg of a countertrend move which may be the beginning of a trend reversal. The aim of each trade is to take an average of 100 to 300 pips out of the market with strict risk controls.

Here are what you'll be getting with Forex Profit Accelerator package:

Part 1 - The Course

7 CD-ROM video tutorials that you can watch on your computer to learn all four Forex Profit Accelerator methods step-by-step.

The 160-page Forex Profit Accelerator manual, printed in full color for easy reference.

Four "trading blueprints" that summarize all the Forex Profit Accelerator methods in one easy location.

The Quick Start Guide that explains how to use everything that arrives in the big, 5-pound box that will be rushed to your doorstep.

Part 2 - Student Support & Constant Follow-Up

1 year of unlimited student email support. In order to make sure your questions are answered properly and quickly, Bill has hired a full time operations staff to help him make sure his students are successful.

Lifetime access to the Forex Profit Accelerator Members Website where you can get the latest trade examples, bonuses, and Pip Feeder stocks.

The Head Start Guide & Videos that let you get a "jump start" on learning the Forex Profit Accelerator the instant you place your order.

FPA is a HUGE course. But rest assured you can study it very quickly. Bill avoid all the usual boring theory and jargon and speak to you in plain English, very deliberately, in a step-by-step manner so you can quickly and easily grasp the concepts he reveals in the course.

Bill also invested close to $100,000 of his own money researching and producing the course using the latest presentation technologies. So not only is the content excellent, but I think you’ll find it’s one of the most professionally-produced educational courses you will ever see.

Everything about it is first class... and easy to understand.

Without questions, Forex Profit Accelerator is by far the most extensive Forex trading course we have ever seen.

But don't take my word for it. Click here to sign up for the new July 8 2008 new release notice. Bill Poulos will limit the number of programs, so sign up now to receive the release update on July 8 2008.

Foreclosure 'Rescue' Firm To Pay $1.2 Million To Arizona Victims

2008-06-10T15:39:00.001-07:00

Foreclosure 'Rescue' Firm To Pay $1.2 Million To Arizona Victims

A company offering a foreclosure rescue service in Arizona violated the state's Consumer Fraud Act, an Arizona judge ruled, ordering Virtual Realty Funding Company (VRF) and its owner Kenneth D. Perkins to pay $1.2 million in restitution and civil penalties.

In 2005, the Arizona Attorney General's Office filed a consumer protection lawsuit against VRF after receiving multiple consumer complaints. The company advertised that it could help homeowners who were behind in their mortgage payments avoid losing their homes.

In fact, state said the transactions offered by VRF were structured so that homeowners would transfer title to VRF or sell the home to a business associate of the company.

"This case represents the worst in our community," Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said. "This company took advantage of homeowners desperate to save their homes from foreclosure and deceived them into turning over their homes."

"The Department of Financial Institutions applauds this court's order," said DFI Superintendent Felecia Rotellini said. "The message is clear: Obey the law or you will be held responsible."

According to court documents, although neither VRF nor Perkins were licensed by the Department of Financial Institutions as mortgage brokers or bankers, VRF lent money to more than 60 homeowners facing foreclosure or in need of money.

It designed the loans, which it called reverse sales, to evade laws protecting mortgage borrowers by structuring them as an outright sale of the property by the borrower, who then rented back the home with an option to repurchase it.

The reverse sale agreements required homeowners to rent back their homes from VRF for a monthly amount equal to the monthly mortgage payment plus an additional charge. In the case of one homeowner, the monthly mortgage payment was $613 and the additional charge was $157, making a monthly rental payment of $770.

In return for "helping" the homeowners keep their homes, VRF agreed to transfer title back to the homeowner through a warranty deed if the homeowner met specific conditions.

Those conditions included the payment of all rent on time (and prior to a specified date, payment to VRF for bringing the mortgage current), unspecified escrow fees and a "funding fee," which was at times as high as $9,000. If homeowners were late on a rental payment or unable to repay the loan and funding fee within two years, they could lose their homes and any equity in them.

Phoenix Fun Events. Phoenix Entertainment

2008-06-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you've lived long enough to know everything there is to know about the Phoenix area. Watch them feed giraffes at the Phoenix Zoo? Root for the good guys during the shootouts at Rawhide? Wait for more than two hours for dinner at Pizzeria Bianco? Yes, you've been there, done all that.

But even if you've lived here all your life, we've found a few gems you've likely yet to uncover. At a certain upscale steakhouse, for example, you can belly up to the bar at happy hour and enjoy a free filet-mignon sandwich. Or freshen up in a bathroom named one of America's oddest by the Travel Channel, where lights dance along the walls. And when was the last time you took the reins of a mechanical bull?

Use this list to enrich yourself as a Phoenician, or employ it as a travel guide for when your brother-in-law from Wisconsin "drops by" for the 10th year in a row.

1, 245-part harmony

Hear the pure sound of the Phoenix Boys Choir, billed as the largest such group in the nation, with 245 members. The group has sung for presidents, won a Grammy Award and won prizes at international festivals and recorded with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Doc Severinsen and R. Carlos Nakai. The choir performs throughout the year in the Valley at concerts, festivals and churches. Check its Web site, boyschoir.org, or call 602-264-5328 for details on performances.

2, Musical digs

The Valley is home to dozens of concert venues, from the grand (US Airways Center) to the extremely intimate (Brickhouse Theater). The Dodge Theatre is a nice balance, offering enough room to draw top acts (Chicago and the Doobie Brothers perform there Tuesday), but is small enough to feel close to the performers. For a schedule and tickets, visit dodgetheatre.com.

3. Outdoors country

Dance the two-step under the stars to live country music at Greasewood Flat, the no-frills outdoor restaurant and saloon in north Scottsdale. Originally a stagecoach stop, this establishment has been a Valley fixture for more than three decades. 27375 N. Alma School Parkway, 480-585-9430.

4. Shades of blues

Take in a gritty set of blues music at the Rhythm Room, the Valley's best blues club. For 17 years, the cozy venue has served up local and national blues, rockabilly and roots music nightly. The atmosphere is casual, the patrons are friendly and the cover charge is affordable. 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com.

5. Old-time saloon tunes

Sing along with country musicians and other patrons at the Rusty Spur Saloon in Old Town Scottsdale. This tiny venue bills itself as the oldest saloon in "the West's most Western town," and it's one of the friendliest. On an average night, you'll find a mix of tourists and locals, all intent on sipping something cold and singing the likes of Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Jones and George Strait. 7245 E. Main St., Scottsdale, 480-425-7787, rustyspursaloon.com.

6. Big sounds, little sites

Sometimes people complain that there's nothing to do in Phoenix. These are people who would say the same thing if they lived in Manhattan, or haven't heard about Modified Arts and the Clubhouse Music Venue, two teeny venues where you can check out cool bands on their way to being hot. They're the kind of places you can see VH1's You Oughta Know artists. They've hosted such bands as the Arcade Fire, Girl Talk, Ingrid Michaelson, Cary Brothers, Blitzen Trapper and other bands you probably already like on satellite radio but never knew their names. Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, 480-968-3238, clubhousemusicvenue.com; Modified Arts, 407 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix, 602-462-5516, modified.org.

7. Standout stand-up

We're not LA, thank goodness, but we draw the kind of solid comic performers you might see on Sunset Strip, thanks to the Tempe Improv. The club brings nationally known acts (Jerry Seinfeld appeared here when he returned to stand-up after his sitcom ended) and serves dinner to boot. If you've watched stand-up comedy on TV and wondered what's the attraction, take in a live show. That's where the magic happens. Dive into the scene June 27-28 when Cedric the Entertainer performs at the Improv, 930 E. University Drive. Tickets are $45. 480-921-9877, tempeimprov.com.

8. Private karaoke

Indulge your inner Beastie Boy, Billy Joel or Beyoncé in one of four private rooms at the new Geisha A Go Go, a stylish destination for Japanese food and exotic froufrou cocktails. The rentable rooms ($50 to $100 per hour) feature 44-inch flat-screen TVs, their own waitresses, cushy couches and thickly insulated walls. You can bring in your own karaoke disc, or pick from huge books featuring Top 40, standards, rock, hip-hop and everything else. All the signature cocktails feature authentic Japanese sodas, juices or liquors. 7150 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale, 480-699-0055.

Must do

9. New Chez Nous

Sample one of Phoenix's best martinis (or a non-alcoholic drink) and hit the dance floor to sweet, old-school soul music at the newly relocated Chez Nous. The venerable lounge, with its notoriously dim lighting, was at another site for more than four decades. Original owner and interior designer Maureen Womack helped current owner Amina Uben decorate the new space, re-creating the gold-flocked wallpaper, picking out swanky new carpet and insisting that the red booths and sconces from the original be refurbished. 915 N.W. Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-266-7372, cheznouscentral.com.

10. Cactus cocktail

Like Tovrea Castle and Camelback Mountain, some things speak specifically of life in the Valley. But much easier than touring the area, you can just sip a martini at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix, kind of a gastronomic sightseeing trip. Pink like sunset over the the White Tank Mountains, the Native Arizonan martini ($10) combines Arizona High Spirits prickly-pear vodka and a touch of agave nectar in a chilled glass. The vodka is distilled in Flagstaff. 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix, 480-624-1000, kierlandresort.com.

11. Life after Mr. Lucky's

Cadillac Ranch, Saddle Ranch Chop House and Hammerhead Jacks all let you risk your life, or at least your back, on their mechanical bulls. OK, the last place has a modified bull that looks like a hammerhead, but you get the idea. The new Western hot spots are quickly building reputations as places to go to get rowdy. Hammerhead Jacks, 6900 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, 480-595-7100, hammerheadjacks.com; Cadillac Ranch, at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, 480-894-1111, cadillacranchtempe.com; Saddle Ranch Chop House, 4321 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-429-2263, srrestaurants.com.

12. Surprise-ing jazz

You might not know that Surprise is one of the hottest jazz spots in the Valley. Owned by bass player Yorman Williams, who has shared the stage with every high-profile jazz musician you've heard of, Yorman's Bistro offers fab music with unjazzlike promptness at 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Williams performs with many talented guests, including George Benson, who occasionally drops by. Try the catfish, freshly breaded cornmeal strips or mussels Mississippi. 17191 N. Litchfield Road, Surprise, 623-214-2090.

Instant Profits Trading FREE Video Examples

2008-05-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Instant Profits Trading FREE Examples

Some people called his stance 'controversial'; others said he was 'right on'...

Click here for more trading examples and a video sneak peek at Instant Profits...

So, on Thursday, May 8th, 34 yr. trading veteran Bill Poulos tackled the controversy with some sobering FACTS in a live web- seminar with a global audience of nit-picky traders watching.

He also shared his key trading secrets, the BIG mistake most traders make, and spent 40 minutes in live Q&A!

Afterward, so many traders asked to see it again, Bill made it available in a replay for a short time. I don't know how long the replay will be available, but you can check here:

Click here for more trading examples and a video sneak peek at Instant Profits...

If the replay is still available, you'll discover:

** Bill's #1 Tactic that too many traders ignore (and can often result in portfolio WIPEOUT)...

** The 4 simple steps successful traders know that you don't...

** The simple formula that an 8th grader could solve to determine the profitability of any trading method...

I think he said the replay would be available for a few days after the event. You should be able to access it here:

Click here for more trading examples and a video sneak peek at Instant Profits...

Stop wondering why other traders enjoy success -- discover what edge THEY have that you don't, and 'fix' your trading before you make another trade.

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

West Valley Home Resales Rise As Prices Are Slashed

2008-05-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

West Valley Home Resales Rise As Prices Are Slashed

Home sellers in the West Valley have slashed their asking prices up to 30 percent since February, and the price cuts are spurring sales in Surprise, El Mirage and Goodyear, according to a report from Arizona State University.

Though home resale activity has dropped in Glendale, Peoria and Avondale, it is only because fewer homes are for sale in those communities, since they have more established economies and infrastructures and less housing turnover, said Jay Butler, director of realty studies at ASU's Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness.

The ASU report measured the Valley's home resale activity from February to March. The school is expected to release April sales figures later this month.

In the West Valley, resale figures show that home values in the newest West Valley communities are still correcting, where as values in the more established municipalities closer to metro Phoenix have become more stable, Butler said.

"You really got two sets of communities: Glendale and Peoria are older, more mature communities. And then, there are the new ones under development like Surprise, El Mirage to some degree, and Goodyear . . . those are the ones that really got hit hard (by the housing slowdown)," he said.

The steep price drops in those newer communities have revived buyer interest, however.

Butler said that investors are once again purchasing homes in those areas, as are new snowbirds.

When looking to buy or sell your West Valley area home, call the experts Trisha Brooks GRI Re/Max 602-618-3053. Search the complete Arizona MLS for free at http://www.liveinphoenixtoday.com/

The Housing Crisis is Over -- Wall Street Journal

2008-05-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Housing Crisis is Over -- Wall Street Journal

The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now.

How can this be? For starters, a bottom does not mean that prices are about to return to the heady days of 2005. That probably won't happen for another 15 years. It just means that the trend is no longer getting worse, which is the critical factor.

Most people forget that the current housing bust is nearly three years old. Home sales peaked in July 2005.

New home sales are down a staggering 63% from peak levels of 1.4 million. Housing starts have fallen more than 50%, and, adjusted for population growth, are back to the trough levels of 1982.

Furthermore, residential construction is close to 15-year lows at 3.8% of GDP; by the fourth quarter of this year, it will probably hit the lowest level ever. So what's going to stop the housing decline? Very simply, the same thing that caused the bust: affordability.

The boom made housing unaffordable for many American families, especially first-time home buyers. During the 1990s and early 2000s, it took 19% of average monthly income to service a conforming mortgage on the average home purchased. By 2005 and 2006, it was absorbing 25% of monthly income. For first time buyers, it went from 29% of income to 37%. That just proved to be too much.

Prices got so high that people who intended to actually live in the houses they purchased (as opposed to speculators) stopped buying. This caused the bubble to burst.

Since then, house prices have fallen 10%-15%, while incomes have kept growing (albeit more slowly recently) and mortgage rates have come down 70 basis points from their highs. As a result, it now takes 19% of monthly income for the average home buyer, and 31% of monthly income for the first-time home buyer, to purchase a house. In other words, homes on average are back to being as affordable as during the best of times in the 1990s. Numerous households that had been priced out of the market can now afford to get in.

The next question is: Even if home sales pick up, how can home prices stop falling with so many houses vacant and unsold? The flip but true answer: because they always do.

In the past five major housing market corrections (and there were some big ones, such as in the early 1980s when home sales also fell by 50%-60% and prices fell 12%-15% in real terms), every time home sales bottomed, the pace of house-price declines halved within one or two months.

The explanation is that by the time home sales stop declining, inventories of unsold homes have usually already started falling in absolute terms and begin to peak out in "months of supply" terms. That's the case right now: New home inventories peaked at 598,000 homes in July 2006, and stand at 482,000 homes as of the end of March. This inventory is equivalent to 11 months of supply, a 25-year high -- but it is similar to 1974, 1982 and 1991 levels, which saw a subsequent slowing in home-price declines within the next six months.

Inventories are declining because construction activity has been falling for such a long time that home completions are now just about undershooting new home sales. In a few months, completions of new homes for sale could be undershooting new home sales by 50,000-100,000 annually.

Inventories will drop even faster to 400,000 -- or seven months of supply -- by the end of 2008.

This shift in inventories will have a significant impact on prices, although house prices won't stop falling entirely until inventories reach five months of supply sometime in 2009. A five-month supply has historically signaled tightness in the housing market.

Many pundits claim that house prices need to fall another 30% to bring them back in line with where they've been historically. This is usually based on an analysis of house prices adjusted for inflation: Real house prices are 30% above their 40-year, inflation-adjusted average, so they must fall 30%. This simplistic analysis is appealing on the surface, but is flawed for a variety of reasons.

Most importantly, it neglects the fact that a great majority of Americans buy their houses with mortgages.

And if one buys a house with a mortgage, the most important factor in deciding what to pay for the house is how much of one's income is required to be able to make the mortgage payments on the house. Today the rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is 5.7%. Back in 1981, the rate hit 18.5%. Comparing today's house prices to the 1970s or 1980s, when mortgage rates were stratospheric, is misguided and misleading.

This is all good news for the broader economy. The housing bust has been subtracting a full percentage point from GDP for almost two years now, which is very large for a sector that represents less than 5% of economic activity.

When the rate of house-price declines halves, there will be a wholesale shift in markets' perceptions. All of a sudden, the expected value of the collateral (i.e. houses) for much of the lending that went on for the past decade will change. Right now, when valuing the collateral, market participants including banks are extrapolating the current pace of house price declines for another two to three years; this has a significant impact on the amount of delinquencies, foreclosures and credit losses that lenders are expected to face.

More home sales and smaller price declines means fewer homeowners will be underwater on their mortgages. They will thus have less incentive to walk away and opt for foreclosure.

A milder house-price decline scenario could lead to increases in the market value of a lot of the securitized mortgages that have been responsible for $300 billion of write-downs in the past year.

Even if write-backs do not occur, stabilizing collateral values will have a huge impact on the markets' perception of risk related to housing, the financial system, and the economy.

We are of course experiencing a serious housing bust, with serious economic consequences that are still unfolding. The odds are that the reverberations will lead to sub-trend growth for a couple of years.

Nonetheless, housing led us into this credit crisis and this recession. It is likely to lead us out. And that process is underway, right now.

Source: Wall Street Journal, By Cyril Moulle-Berteaux

May 6, 2008 Mr. Moulle-Berteaux is managing partner of Traxis Partners LP, a hedge fund firm based in New York.

Instant Profits Run Bill Poulos Live Free Web Seminar

2008-05-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

Instant Profits Run Bill Poulos Live Free Web Seminar - Limited Space Avaliable For May 9, 2008

34 year trading 'vet' spills the beans on Thursday...Worried about a portfolio 'wipeout'? Watch this...Emergency trading web-seminar (#1 tip revealed)...

I seriously hope we're not too late but we just got wind of this...

Someone convinced 30 yr. trading veteran Bill Poulos to spill the beans to a small group of traders in a LIVE web seminar, for NOTHING!

If you don't know Bill, he's one of the most well-respected names in trading education circles for teaching methods he himself uses and for his dedication to making his students better traders.

And since the release of his recent consumer trading guide, The Profit Button, Bill's been getting hammered with tons of questions about the somewhat controversial findings in the guide...

* So, he decided to go LIVE on Thursday, May 9th at 9pm Eastern (New York Time) on a special one-time web-seminar where he'll address all the controversy and also reveal the #1 trading secret to his simple but highly effective trading method (which is NOT in the report)... Click here to reserve your space!!!

Limited Registrations Available...
"In Just 60 Minutes, You Could Gain A Lifetime Of 'Time-Tested' Trading Knowledge, Straight From The Mouth Of A 30+ Year Veteran... If You Register Quickly Enough..."

...this secret is the ONE thing too many traders IGNORE, and it can often result in a complete portfolio wipeout! You won't want to miss this, so, reserve your spot now: Click here to reserve your space!!! (That will give you the private password to the web-seminar.)

If you can get in, you'll also discover:

** The 4 simple steps successful traders know that you don't...

** How to maximize your profit potential in any market...

** How to evaluate any trading method to see if it has a "Winnin.g Edge" (and why you should abandon it immediately if it doesn't)...

** How a simple formula that an 8th grader could solve can determine the profitability of any trading method...

** ...and, you can also take part in a rare, live Q&A with Bill...

This exclusive, live event is Thursday, May 8th at 9PM Eastern Time.

...BUT...

There is extremely limited "seating" for this event because the virtual seminar room can only hold so many traders. Honestly, registration may already be locked out (depending on when you get this message), but give it a try here:

Click here to reserve your FREE Instant Profits Run Webinar space!!!

If you've been wondering why some traders have success in the markets, while others continue to flounder again and again, this could be one of your best chances to get your trading "fixed"
once and for all.

About The Presenter Bill Poulos

Bill Poulos has been trading the markets since 1974. He's a retired automotive executive who holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, and a Master's degree in Business Administration, with a major in Finance.

In his over 30 years of trading experience, Bill has developed dozens of trading systems and methods. In 2001, he formed Profits Run, Inc. to impart his trading experience and wisdom to others so they could shortcut their learning curve and ultimately potentially skyrocket their earnings in the markets.

Bill now has thousands of students all around the world, from all walks of life, and at all experience levels. He prides himself on providing honest and realistic trading education, and is known for the continuous and ongoing support and follow-up he offers his students.

His partner in Profits Run is his son, Greg, who is responsible for marketing and all technical support. In addition, Bill also has a full-time operations staff to ensure his trading education is delivered and supported in a high-quality and timely manner.

Good Trading,

Pace of Decline In Home Prices Sets a Record. Great Time For Phoenix Home Buyers

2008-03-28T14:44:00.002-07:00

Pace of Decline In Home Prices Sets a Record

By JAMES R. HAGERTY and KELLY EVANS
Wall Street Journal

A closely watched gauge of U.S. home prices shows they are falling sharply across most of the nation, as a deepening slump in the housing market threatens to damp consumer spending.

Home prices in 10 major metropolitan areas in October were down 6.7% from a year earlier, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price indexes, released yesterday by credit-rating firm Standard & Poor’s. That exceeded the previous record year-to-year decline of 6.3% in April 1991, when the economy was emerging from a recession.

New statistics from the Census Bureau, meanwhile, indicate a slowdown in the number of Americans moving to states that led the housing boom, including Nevada, Florida and Arizona.

The silver lining behind the latest home-price data is that they signal the market is making what most economists see as a necessary adjustment, dragging home prices back into closer alignment with Americans’ ability to pay. The market is working its way “back to reality,” says David Seiders, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders. He thinks house prices will bottom out by early 2009.

Some other economists say that might not happen before 2010. “The housing shock is only about halfway over, and housing prices will continue to fall well into 2009,” says Lehman Brothers economist Michelle Meyer.

During the housing boom in the first half of this decade, fast-rising home prices made it easy for homeowners to take out home-equity loans or refinance their primary mortgages to extract some cash. That helped sustain consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity.

Economists now worry that falling home prices will prompt consumers to pull back on spending enough to slow growth or even tip the economy into recession. “Eventually what’s happening in the housing market is going to catch up with us,” says Patrick Newport, an economist at research-firm Global Insight Inc.

Fears of a sharp drop in consumption were assuaged somewhat last week when the government reported that consumer spending in November grew at the fastest pace in 3½ years. And though holiday sales fell short of retailers’ expectations, consumers, spurred by discounts, spent heavily in the final days before Christmas. Economists say that even if overall spending slows in December, the strength seen in October and November would be enough to keep the economy afloat in the near term.

“The most important determinant of [spending] is always income,” says Harm Bandholz, an economist at UniCredit in New York. He said that Americans’ disposable income has risen a “solid” 2.5% over last year. He and others say that as long as the job market holds up and incomes keep growing, Americans will continue to spend.

The S&P/Case-Shiller index showed that some of the fastest declines in home prices are in metropolitan areas that were among the hottest during the housing boom. Prices were down 12.4% from a year earlier in Miami, 11.1% in San Diego, 10.7% in Las Vegas and 10.6% in Phoenix.

Home prices are still up from a year ago in some cities, such as Seattle and Charlotte, N.C. And people who bought their homes several years ago still are sitting on sizable gains in most of the country.

The boom more than doubled prices in many populous areas near the coasts. The run-up was fueled in part by unusually low interest rates, which slashed the cost of monthly mortgage payments. In addition, in the wake of the technology-stock bubble, many Americans viewed real estate as a safer investment than stocks, and so poured increasing sums into second homes and rental properties. Home sales began to slow in mid-2005. Prices leveled off and then started declining in 2006. Over the past year, mortgage defaults have soared, leading to rapid growth in foreclosures.

Bette Zerba, a Realtor with Re/Max in Phoenix, says local residents trying to sell their homes can’t compete with foreclosed homes selling for $50,000 to $100,000 less than theirs. “The sellers now are having to reduce their prices by 20% to 30% to compete,” she says.

As the market adjusts, single-family housing starts have fallen 55% from their January 2006 peak to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 829,000. In recent months, lenders and investors have begun owning up to billions of dollars of losses on mortgages and related securities, clearing the decks for an eventual revival in lending.

But the recovery of the housing market is likely to be a gradual process. That’s partly because the boom left prices so far out of whack with incomes. As measured by the S&P/Case-Shiller national index, home prices jumped 74% in the six years through 2006. During the same period, U.S. median household income rose 15%. (Neither figure is adjusted for inflation.) That made housing unaffordable for many Americans.

For a few years, lax lending standards — some loans required no down payments and offered low introductory interest rates — meant borrowers could buy more expensive houses than they could really afford. But lenders have been burned by a surge in defaults that started in 2006, and such mortgages generally are no longer available. That means house prices will have to fall to a level potential buyers can afford.

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, a research firm in West Chester, Pa., predicts that on average U.S. house prices will decline about 12% by the second quarter of 2009 from their peak in the second quarter of 2006. He expects household income to rise by about the same amount over that period.

Signs of this adjustment are apparent in the latest quarterly analysis of house prices by National City Corp., a Cleveland banking concern, and Global Insight. Economists at the two firms look at home prices in relation to household income and other factors, including population density (an indication of how much land is available) and past differences in prices caused by factors like climate and schools. In the third quarter, they found, prices in 38 of the nation’s 330 metro areas were more than 33% above a level that could be explained by fundamental drivers of housing costs. That was down from 48 metro areas in this “overvalued” category in the second quarter.

“Parts of the housing market are scratching bottom right now,” says Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City. Sales of new and existing homes are down about 32% from their mid-2005 peak, he says, and probably won’t fall much further before leveling off or starting to recover slowly.

Prices of new homes are likely to start recovering in the first half of 2008 because builders are aggressively chopping prices to clear inventories, says Edward Leamer, an economics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Recent price cuts by builders may have reduced demand in the short term because they encourage potential buyers to expect further discounts.

But prices of previously occupied homes are likely to continue falling slowly for several years, Prof. Leamer says. That’s because people trying to sell their homes often don’t have an urgent need to move, and try to hold out for a price they consider fair.

On average, prices of previously occupied homes, as measured by the S&P/Case-Shiller indexes, are likely to drop another 7% in 2008 before flattening out in 2009, says Thomas Lawler, a housing economist in Vienna, Va.

Inventories of unsold homes remain very high and may increase in the new year as lenders dump more foreclosed houses on the market. The number of detached single-family homes listed for sale in October was enough to last 10½ months at the current sales rate, according to the National Association of Realtors. That was more than double the level of two years ago and the highest since 1985.

Along with inventories, the nation’s home ownership rate will have to adjust to today’s realities as many Americans who stretched too far to buy homes in recent years go back to renting. The home ownership rate in the third quarter stood at 68.2% of households, down from a peak of 69.2% in 2004. Even a small drop in that rate has a big effect on housing demand. Economists at Goldman Sachs have warned that falling home ownership rates may force a further 40% drop in housing starts next year, to an annual rate as low as 500,000 units, before construction starts to recover.

The mortgage market also needs to adjust further. Most of the funding for home loans comes from investors who buy securities backed by bundles of mortgages. Since August, many of those investors have shunned the market amid fears of rising defaults. As a result, lenders generally are focusing on loans that can be sold to government-sponsored investors Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or insured by the Federal Housing Administration. So-called jumbo loans — those above $417,000, too big to be sold to Fannie or Freddie — have grown much more expensive, deterring buyers in high-cost areas.

The current scarcity of funds available for mortgage lending creates a chicken-and-egg situation, says Prof. Leamer. Investors who provide funding for home loans don’t want to commit more money until they believe the housing market is getting better. But it’s hard for the housing market to rebound as long as mortgage credit is tight. Lower prices eventually will break this impasse, by luring buyers back into the market and reassuring investors that the market is finding a bottom, he says.

Liquid Phoenix Urban-living Style a Contender

2008-03-27T09:44:00.003-07:00

Liquid urban-living style a contender

Waterfront property in the Valley used to be a punch line - the thing we were all going to get when The Big One struck and California fell into the sea.

But with the advent of the urban-living trend, real-estate buyers with the desire and the cash can make the punch line a reality and live the luxe life on the water.

On the banks of the canal

The star of the waterfront living trend, the Scottsdale waterfront project, barely has any waterfront to speak of - but customers still can't resist. Situated on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads, this two-building condominium complex will overlook the canal that runs past the intersection. Part of the construction plans includes beautifying the canal banks for Scottsdale waterfront residents and the general public.

"We consider the canal bank an amenity - a great amenity that's never been used," says Geoffrey Edmunds, president of Geoffrey Edmunds and Associates, a joint-venture partner in the project with Opus West. "The entire canal bank will be landscaped, and it will provide open space and walking areas for the residents and people who live in the city of Scottsdale."

When complete (sometime in 2007), the Scottsdale waterfront will comprise 198 condominiums ranging in price from approximately $500,000 to $3.5 million. Square footage starts around 1,200 square feet for condos on the lower floors, while the 13th floor penthouses occupy almost 5,000 square feet each. More than 90 percent of the properties sold in the first eight months they were on the market.

One couple already waiting to move into their Scottsdale waterfront condo is Harvey and Fran Friedman of Phoenix. The Friedmans moved here from Cleveland more than 25 years ago and have owned homes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Three years ago, they moved into Esplanade Place, the granddaddy of Valley urban-living projects, located at Camelback Road and 24th Street in Phoenix. Esplanade Place is also an Edmunds project, and through the grapevine, the couple heard about the new development long befroe construction started.

"We got involved with (the Scottsdale waterfront) when it was still in the early stages," explains Harvey Friedman. "There had been a lot of discussion about it for years and years, and it piqued our interest.
"
More than the waterfront aspect, the Friedmans were attracted to the location of the project, which is right near Scottsdale Fashion Square and the Fifth Avenue and Old Town areas.

"The location is excellent," Harvey Friedman says. "You've got all you need to do, and a lot of it's within walking distance, which is what we really enjoy." The Friedmans expect to move in around April 2007.

Lakeside living

Buyers who want a little more water in their waterfront are snapping up space in urban-living projects on Tempe Town Lake in north Tempe. The perimeter of the manmade body of water is filling up fast with condos, the first of which was Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside, created by SunCor Development Co.

Buyers will soon start moving into Edgewater's 40 units, which sell for $390,000 to $2.15 million and range in size from approximately 1,100 to 3,100 square feet. SunCor broke ground last month on Bridgeview, the second of the four planned Hayden Ferry Lakeside condo towers. Bridge-view has a large percentage of its 104 units still available. Prices start in the low $400,000 range and run up to around $5.5 million; square footage ranges from 1,100 to 5,000 square feet.

On the other side of the lake and closer to Rural Road is Northshore Condominiums, a WestStone Communities urban-living project that broke ground in December 2005.

The 134 units are 95 percent sold out, which doesn't surprise Marilyn Pfaff, WestStone marketing director. She says that the lakefront location was a factor in "100 percent" of sales.

"So many people are attracted by what's going on around the lake," she says. "They don't want to be one of those people who drive by in five years and wish they would have bought. They got in now, and they're smart."

Northshore, when complete, will be built in a U-shape around a central courtyard with pools and fountains. The "U" will face the lake, allowing for the maximum number of lakefront views. Other units will overlook Arizona State University's Karsten Golf Course across Rural Road. All but two units are equipped with outdoor fireplaces on the balconies, "so you can sit out on your balcony with a glass of wine and look out over the lake," Pfaff says.

Other upcoming Tempe Town Lake urban-living projects include the Regatta Pointe Condominiums on Rio Salado Parkway, one section of which will offer lake views, and the Mondrian @ Tempe Town Lake apartments.

WestStone is also planning another condo tower next to Northshore, a high-rise with 190 units and a sky lounge, which should break ground in the fourth quarter of 2006.

"It's all about the location," Pfaff says of the lakefront building boom. "It's all about trying to be close to whatever lake we have in the desert. So much is happening around that lake, and I know that all of the great property seems to be spoken for. There's big plans for it all."

Buyers and sellers

Water or no water, the people buying into lakefront urban living are generally the same customers purchasing in similar landlocked projects.

"One is the investor, two is the empty-nester and three is a bachelor or a young executive," says Evan Katz, a member of the Katz Group of Realty Executives.

Edmunds says, "The most important single ingredient is the change in lifestyle for people." The bulk of future Scottsdale waterfront residents are "people between the ages of 50 and 70 who are looking for a new lifestyle that allows them to lock and leave, and not have to maintain a large single-family home on a large lot. So we get a lot of buyers from North Scottsdale and Paradise Valley who are moving out of their single-family home and moving into the urban lifestyle."

That description fits the Friedmans perfectly. "We bought a condo in Califronia a few years ago, and we decided we liked that kind of living," Fran Friedman says. "It was easy because we travel a lot; we just lock the door and go."

In other urban-living communities such as Northshore, the main buyer is the young professional, a fact that may partially be attributed to the lower price points.

The young professionals "really love Tempe and the lake and the lifestyle," Pfaff says. "It's a great mix - you've got what's going on in Tempe, and you're close to Scottsdale."

The best news for waterfront property owners may come when it's time to sell, Katz says.

"I think the waterfront environment - that feeling of being on the water - is a very unique thing here in the Valley. I think in the long term the waterfront properties, the ones facing the water, will probably resell better than others. You can compare it to a golf-course lot; anything that is unique always will deliver a premium, especially on resale."

That may be, but the Friedmans aren't looking to sell their waterfront property any time soon.

"We're a good year, 14 months away from moving in, and the excitement and anticipation starts to grow as it gets closer and closer," Harvey Friedman says. And after moving day finally arrives, "We're going to be there for a while."

for her part, Fran is looking forward to decorating the new place.

"That's the best part," she says.
Source: Jewish News

Search ALL Waterfront, lakeside Phoenix Metro AZ Properties for Sale FREE through the Complete AZ MLS - Click Here

Phoenix Area Horse Property. Phoenix Horse Proety Realtor

2008-03-27T09:40:00.002-07:00

Phoenix Area Horse Property. Phoenix Horse Proety Realtor

When you are looking for Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate there is no better place to start than with a Horse Property Realtor. Horse Property Realtors are experts in the field of Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate and have multiple listings to suit every buyer need. Specializing in horse farms and horse properties, brokers are knowledgeable about all the many factors that must be taken into consideration when purchasing real estate to be used for horse raising and grazing.

There is a variety of horses that are raised in Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek Phoenix Metro Arizona. As most people know, Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona is the state known for its Arabian horses. Some of the finest and most successful horses in the world are maintained on Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate. There are not only Arabian , but also saddle breeds, exotic horse breeds, jumpers, and standard breeds foaled on horse real estate. But Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate is used for much more than just grazing horses. It is the land on which horses are groomed, trained and stabled. Purity of breed lines are maintained and new lineage developed in the pursuit of developing the perfect horse.

Of course, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate is also great for the horse recreational riders. Real estate can be purchased in various amounts of acreage designed to satisfy every horse farmer or horse owner’s needs. There are enormous and complex operational farms for sale and mom-and-pop Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate designed for riding and stabling the family horses only.

Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate advantages can include the following:

Level pasture
Close to horse parks
Area for home building or existing home on land
Easy interstate access for horse transport to shows
Stables or Paddocks with tack rooms and wash bay Fencing
Automatic water troughs
Training track or ring

In many cases, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse farm real estate is sold as a complete package including the land, house, outbuildings, horse stock, and even the horse tack. In other cases, the real estate is simply land suitable for horses and the buyer will have to develop the farm operation.

You can find lots of professional assistance online to guide you through buying Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, West Phoenix, Carefree, Cave Creek, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate. Not only will you find many listings sorted by selling price and location, Heather can answer any questions and provide information based on your real estate needs. If you want to expand current operations, location will be key for efficiency. Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate can be found in all Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona areas.

Living on a horse farm is a dream for some people and a passionate business for others. Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate is some of the most prime land in the United States. With wide open pastures and plenty of grazing grass, Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horses have a reputation for being beautiful and healthy. Trisha is a Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate agent that can turn your dream into reality, or add passion to your existing horse farm through land expansion. Despite world recognition as champion horse breeders, Scottsdale, Phoenix Metro Arizona horse real estate remains affordable.

Now is the time to check the Phoenix MLS listings and find the horse real estate you need to implement your plans. Don’t wait - prices will only go up – not down. Features Full and FREE access to ALL Phoenix MLS Metro Area Listings of all homes available in: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Carefree, Sun City, Peoria, Glendale, Westgate, Surprise, Buckeye, Avondale, Tempe, Chandler, and Mesa, Arizona.

Pace of Decline In Home Prices Sets a Record

2008-03-27T09:37:00.001-07:00

Pace of Decline In Home Prices Sets a Record

A closely watched gauge of U.S. home prices shows they are falling sharply across most of the nation, as a deepening slump in the housing market threatens to damp consumer spending.

Home prices in 10 major metropolitan areas in October were down 6.7% from a year earlier, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price indexes, released yesterday by credit-rating firm Standard & Poor’s. That exceeded the previous record year-to-year decline of 6.3% in April 1991, when the economy was emerging from a recession.

New statistics from the Census Bureau, meanwhile, indicate a slowdown in the number of Americans moving to states that led the housing boom, including Nevada, Florida and Arizona.

The silver lining behind the latest home-price data is that they signal the market is making what most economists see as a necessary adjustment, dragging home prices back into closer alignment with Americans’ ability to pay. The market is working its way “back to reality,” says David Seiders, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders. He thinks house prices will bottom out by early 2009.

Some other economists say that might not happen before 2010. “The housing shock is only about halfway over, and housing prices will continue to fall well into 2009,” says Lehman Brothers economist Michelle Meyer.

During the housing boom in the first half of this decade, fast-rising home prices made it easy for homeowners to take out home-equity loans or refinance their primary mortgages to extract some cash. That helped sustain consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity.

Economists now worry that falling home prices will prompt consumers to pull back on spending enough to slow growth or even tip the economy into recession. “Eventually what’s happening in the housing market is going to catch up with us,” says Patrick Newport, an economist at research-firm Global Insight Inc.

Fears of a sharp drop in consumption were assuaged somewhat last week when the government reported that consumer spending in November grew at the fastest pace in 3½ years. And though holiday sales fell short of retailers’ expectations, consumers, spurred by discounts, spent heavily in the final days before Christmas. Economists say that even if overall spending slows in December, the strength seen in October and November would be enough to keep the economy afloat in the near term.

“The most important determinant of [spending] is always income,” says Harm Bandholz, an economist at UniCredit in New York. He said that Americans’ disposable income has risen a “solid” 2.5% over last year. He and others say that as long as the job market holds up and incomes keep growing, Americans will continue to spend.

The S&P/Case-Shiller index showed that some of the fastest declines in home prices are in metropolitan areas that were among the hottest during the housing boom. Prices were down 12.4% from a year earlier in Miami, 11.1% in San Diego, 10.7% in Las Vegas and 10.6% in Phoenix.

Home prices are still up from a year ago in some cities, such as Seattle and Charlotte, N.C. And people who bought their homes several years ago still are sitting on sizable gains in most of the country.

The boom more than doubled prices in many populous areas near the coasts. The run-up was fueled in part by unusually low interest rates, which slashed the cost of monthly mortgage payments. In addition, in the wake of the technology-stock bubble, many Americans viewed real estate as a safer investment than stocks, and so poured increasing sums into second homes and rental properties. Home sales began to slow in mid-2005. Prices leveled off and then started declining in 2006. Over the past year, mortgage defaults have soared, leading to rapid growth in foreclosures.

Bette Zerba, a Realtor with Re/Max in Phoenix, says local residents trying to sell their homes can’t compete with foreclosed homes selling for $50,000 to $100,000 less than theirs. “The sellers now are having to reduce their prices by 20% to 30% to compete,” she says.

As the market adjusts, single-family housing starts have fallen 55% from their January 2006 peak to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 829,000. In recent months, lenders and investors have begun owning up to billions of dollars of losses on mortgages and related securities, clearing the decks for an eventual revival in lending.

But the recovery of the housing market is likely to be a gradual process. That’s partly because the boom left prices so far out of whack with incomes. As measured by the S&P/Case-Shiller national index, home prices jumped 74% in the six years through 2006. During the same period, U.S. median household income rose 15%. (Neither figure is adjusted for inflation.) That made housing unaffordable for many Americans.

For a few years, lax lending standards — some loans required no down payments and offered low introductory interest rates — meant borrowers could buy more expensive houses than they could really afford. But lenders have been burned by a surge in defaults that started in 2006, and such mortgages generally are no longer available. That means house prices will have to fall to a level potential buyers can afford.

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economy.com, a research firm in West Chester, Pa., predicts that on average U.S. house prices will decline about 12% by the second quarter of 2009 from their peak in the second quarter of 2006. He expects household income to rise by about the same amount over that period.

Signs of this adjustment are apparent in the latest quarterly analysis of house prices by National City Corp., a Cleveland banking concern, and Global Insight. Economists at the two firms look at home prices in relation to household income and other factors, including population density (an indication of how much land is available) and past differences in prices caused by factors like climate and schools. In the third quarter, they found, prices in 38 of the nation’s 330 metro areas were more than 33% above a level that could be explained by fundamental drivers of housing costs. That was down from 48 metro areas in this “overvalued” category in the second quarter.

“Parts of the housing market are scratching bottom right now,” says Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City. Sales of new and existing homes are down about 32% from their mid-2005 peak, he says, and probably won’t fall much further before leveling off or starting to recover slowly.

Prices of new homes are likely to start recovering in the first half of 2008 because builders are aggressively chopping prices to clear inventories, says Edward Leamer, an economics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Recent price cuts by builders may have reduced demand in the short term because they encourage potential buyers to expect further discounts.

But prices of previously occupied homes are likely to continue falling slowly for several years, Prof. Leamer says. That’s because people trying to sell their homes often don’t have an urgent need to move, and try to hold out for a price they consider fair.

On average, prices of previously occupied homes, as measured by the S&P/Case-Shiller indexes, are likely to drop another 7% in 2008 before flattening out in 2009, says Thomas Lawler, a housing economist in Vienna, Va.

Inventories of unsold homes remain very high and may increase in the new year as lenders dump more foreclosed houses on the market. The number of detached single-family homes listed for sale in October was enough to last 10½ months at the current sales rate, according to the National Association of Realtors. That was more than double the level of two years ago and the highest since 1985.

Along with inventories, the nation’s home ownership rate will have to adjust to today’s realities as many Americans who stretched too far to buy homes in recent years go back to renting. The home ownership rate in the third quarter stood at 68.2% of households, down from a peak of 69.2% in 2004. Even a small drop in that rate has a big effect on housing demand. Economists at Goldman Sachs have warned that falling home ownership rates may force a further 40% drop in housing starts next year, to an annual rate as low as 500,000 units, before construction starts to recover.

The mortgage market also needs to adjust further. Most of the funding for home loans comes from investors who buy securities backed by bundles of mortgages. Since August, many of those investors have shunned the market amid fears of rising defaults. As a result, lenders generally are focusing on loans that can be sold to government-sponsored investors Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or insured by the Federal Housing Administration. So-called jumbo loans — those above $417,000, too big to be sold to Fannie or Freddie — have grown much more expensive, deterring buyers in high-cost areas.

The current scarcity of funds available for mortgage lending creates a chicken-and-egg situation, says Prof. Leamer. Investors who provide funding for home loans don’t want to commit more money until they believe the housing market is getting better. But it’s hard for the housing market to rebound as long as mortgage credit is tight. Lower prices eventually will break this impasse, by luring buyers back into the market and reassuring investors that the market is finding a bottom, he says.
By JAMES R. HAGERTY and KELLY EVANS December 27, 2007; Wall Street Journal

City Boasts 3 New Pride Points

2008-03-27T09:33:00.002-07:00

City boasts 3 new pride points.Jewish center, library, ASU West all honored as sites to brag about!

Phoenix is getting three new Points of Pride - two more than usual in a city contest held only once every four years.

The Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, Arizona State University West and the Burton Barr Central Library were close enough in votes that members of the Phoenix Pride Commission decided Wednesday all three should receive the honor.

The sites were among 10 finalists in the contest that ended March 20. The three sites will be added to the current list of 30 Point of Pride sites. The designation is given to a landmark or attraction unique to and located within Phoenix that evokes a sense of pride among area residents. The registry began in 1992.

A total of 12,476 votes were cast. The Cutler-Plotkin center received the most votes, with 20 percent. ASU West was second, with 17 percent, and the Burton Barr library had 15 percent. The other finalists were: North Mountain Visitor Center (9 percent), Chase Field (8 percent), Royal Palms Resort and Spa (8 percent), George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center (7 percent), Cesar Chavez Park (7 percent), Pioneer Living History Museum (7 percent), and Murphy Bridle Path (6 percent).

“This is very rewarding,” said Steve Des Georges, director of public relations and marketing for the ASU West campus, located at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road. “We’ve always known that this is a special place.”

Des Georges said the campus created a four-color postcard to shore up votes. The card already had the campus checked off. ASU West staff members carried them the past few weeks, asking people to consider giving them a vote.

The contest allows anyone to cast a vote, not just Phoenix residents.

Past winners, like the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in far-north Phoenix, sought votes worldwide. Its supporters helped boost votes in the 2004 contest to more than 20,000.

Ballot boxes were placed around the Burton Barr library, 1221 N. Central Ave., to help would-be voters. Signs also went up at area branch libraries. And e-mail blitzes ensued, said library spokeswoman Victoria Welch.

Phoenix City Librarian Toni Garveyis thankful for the support. “We are delighted that the community recognizes the value and beauty of Burton Barr Central Library.”

Having the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center come in with the most votes is quite an honor, said Larry Bell, executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, which is renovating the site as a museum and gallery at First and Culver streets.

“Given the quality of the pool of finalists, it’s exciting,” he said.

“It shows people value history. They say that the city of Phoenix has no history because it’s young, but that’s not true. It’s all around us.”

Source: Connie Cone Sexton The Arizona Republic Mar. 27, 2008 12:00 AM

Contact Trisha Brooks, GRI RE/MAX for all your real estate needs. Search the complete Phoenix metro MLS homes listings at http://www.liveinphoenixtoday.com/

Bill Poulos ETF Trades . Bill Poulos High Probability ETF Trades Are Now Setting Up

2008-03-24T14:08:00.001-07:00

Bill Poulos ETF Trades . Bill Poulos High Probability ETF Trades Are Now Setting Up

Next week, on Tuesday, April 1st, the ETF trading community will get turned on its ear. Why do I say that? Because I was privileged to hold in my hands a preview copy of what will probably be considered the "final word" on ETF trading ever released to the public...

Everything about it is first class... and easy to understand. But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and check it out now by visiting the web page by clicking here NOW

Here's the scoop... I'm only releasing 450 copies of my ETF Profit Driver course from April 1st to April 8th, but I have thousands of traders already interested in this course. That means that there will be some disappointed traders who won't be able to get a copy of the new course.

So what I want to do is help weed out the tire kickers right now by giving everybody 100% free access to a "sneak peek" version of my ETF Profit Driver members website. This website is jam-packed with all my latest insiders ETF trade videos, reports, interviews, CD-ROM previews, and more.

My hope in doing this is that the traders who truly want a copy of the course will be able to get one come April 1st.

Based on my experience teaching traders just like you since 2001, I want the ETF Profit Driver to the "final word" on how to maximize your profit potential with ETFs, and I firmly believe that this will be the last ETF course you'll ever need, and one that you can pass on to your family and children.

I'll have more information to send you about it on April 1st, but for now I've been granted special permission to give you private access to a Members Website Preview so you can get "up close & personal" with this trading course before the rest of the community gets a chance to.

You see, the author of the course is only releasing 450 copies from April 1st to April 8th... but here's the problem: He already has 20,000+ traders interested in it. So he just doesn't have enough inventory to go around.

----------------------
ARE YOU A TIRE KICKER?
----------------------

That's why he's letting me give you complimentary access to his Members Website Preview, but only until April 1st. He wants to weed out the "tire kickers" so that only the traders who are truly serious about discovering how to trade the ETF markets in less then 20 minutes a day can get a copy of the course.

(Incidentally, April 1st is when the Members Website Preview closes down and re-opens only for students of his new course.)

Here are just a few of the goodies you'll get on the preview site, beginning TODAY:

** Total access to his PROFIT FEEDER service where you can get daily lists of the ETFs that have met his rigorous trade alert criteria. In fact, these are ETFs that have a high probability of entering into potentially profitable positions any day now. He'll eventually be charging $197/mo for this service, but it's complimentary on the Members Website Preview.

** The "Profit Vault", which contains actual ETF trade example "scren capture" videos, so you can see exactly how his students can trade these funds in less then 20 minutes a night.

** Bonus insider ETF interviews, where you'll hear the developer 'spill the beans' on some of his techniques as he's grilled by 2 seasoned traders.

** Previews of the actual CD-ROMs that ship with the course so you can see exactly the type of material that's on them.

** and a TON more...

But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and check it out now by visiting the web page by clicking here NOW

Good Trading,
Bonnie Burns

p.s. Remember, this complimentary preview access WILL expire on Tuesday, April 1st, so I urge you to get in now while you can if you have any interest learning how to dramatically up your "profit potential" while saving hours a day at the same time.

But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and check it out now by visiting the web page by clicking here NOW

Urban-Retirement On The Horizon

2008-03-21T19:22:00.002-07:00

Valley urban-retirement communities on the rise
Avenir Group is planning 3 projects in city centers

The latest breed of retirement community departs from the master-planned, golf-course and recreation-center variety made popular across Arizona and California by the entrepreneur Del Webb.

Seeking to lure a surge of affluent baby boomers accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life, urban-retirement high-rises began sprouting near cultural and retail cores in metro areas like Chicago and Seattle. The units, which often mirror luxury hotels, typically cost around $3,000 a month and include meal plans, shuttle buses and cleaning services.

A company out of Canada is bringing a variation of the concept to the Valley and is hoping to sell retirees on the ultra-hip lifestyle. advertisement

So far, projects are planned in Scottsdale, Surprise and Chandler.

British Columbia-based Avenir Group, which has built five urban-retirement projects in metro Vancouver, is building the Arté at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Via Linda in Scottsdale; the Diamond at Parkview Place and Paradise Lane in Surprise; and potentially the Palms at Pecos Road and Pennington Drive in Chandler, a project that is still pending city-staff review.

At about four stories high, Avenir's Valley projects are not the same sleek high-rise towers that their market competitors, such as Medford, Ore.-based Pacific Retirement Services, offer. That company built a 12-story retirement high-rise called Mirabella in downtown Seattle and will soon break ground on a 30-story project in Portland.

However, Avenir's suburban-urban hybrids do promise a similar lifestyle because they place retirees in the center, rather than outside of, their city's biggest attractions, said Jason Gurash, an operations manager for Avenir Group.

In Surprise for example, the Diamond will rise in the city's future downtown, walking distance from its spring-training stadium and a soon-to-be 17-acre strip of main-street-style shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

In Chandler, the Palms would be a three-mile shuttle ride to the city's popular art walk and downtown boutiques and restaurants.

But Avenir's more traditional competitors wonder if retirees would open their wallets for a semi-metropolitan unit when they could potentially buy a larger home in some of the resort-style communities slightly farther out.

Competition

Del Webb, the company behind about 100 country-club-style retirement communities nationwide, went "urban" in Arizona when it built Fireside at Desert Ridge next to the Desert Ridge Marketplace open-air mall in Phoenix. However that community, unlike Avenir's developments, went on sale to all ages, not just retirees.

"We do a lot of surveying of what (baby boomers) are looking for, it is actually more desirable to be . . . on the outside of town rather than the inside of town," said Jacque Petroulakis, a spokeswoman for Pulte Homes and Del Webb communities. "People come to Arizona, they select Arizona for the outdoor activities. Those are not amenities that are easily combined into one community in a high-rise environment . . . People that come here want to get outside of the hustle and bustle of the core, and it could be because they've been there, done that," she said.

Petroulakis added that she believes retirees' money can also stretch farther on the fringes. In Del Webb's Sun City Festival in Buckeye, homes start in the mid-$100,000s.

At Avenir's future Diamond in Surprise, which is about a 15-minute drive from Sun City Festival, rents would range from $2,500 to $3,000. Suites are also planned for residents that might need extra space for a personal assistant.

Personal style

When it comes to choosing between a rural or urban-retirement option, Gurash said a decision depends on a retiree's personal style. But for those on the fence, he said convenience might push someone who is undecided over the edge.

"We try to create five-star hotels and we believe that location is key," he said.

Retiree Sue Archibald lives in an urban Avenir community in White Rock, Canada. The suburb of Vancouver is also a seaside vacation destination with unique boardwalk-style shops and restaurants, Archibald said.

If you ask Petroulakis, retirees such as Archibald prove that housing options for those just entering retirement will only increase.

Erin Zlomek
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 21, 2008 12:00 AM

Frozen In Grand Central Station NYC Video

2008-03-21T10:43:00.005-07:00

Frozen In Grand Central Station NYC Video

This is really cool and interesting. 207 people suddenly freeze in Grand Central Station New York City. It is a wild experiment for sure. The reactions from those who witness this are great to watch and hear.

Phoenix Median Homes Booming. Find Phoenix Homes At Great Prices

2008-03-19T10:16:00.005-07:00

Median prices of Valley homes are all over the map

The housing market's troubles are showing up in many neighborhood home prices, but not all.

Home sales are pretty much down across the board, but prices were flat or even up in one-fourth of Valley ZIP codes last year, according to The Arizona Republic's Valley Home Values Survey.

Most of the areas that posted increases in values were closer in and more centrally located, while affordable, new-home communities farther out continued to see the biggest declines in prices.

• The north-central Phoenix neighborhood ZIP code 85021, peppered with historic homes, posted a 16 percent increase in its median price during 2007.

• Condominium prices in the west Phoenix ZIP code 85037, which is at the junction of the Loop 101 and Interstate 10, climbed 21 percent. This area is also south of Glendale's sports stadium hub and the new Westgate shopping center.

• The central Ahwatukee ZIP code 85042 saw home prices climb 9 percent.

• None of the ZIP codes in Tempe, surrounded by other communities, fell by double digits. The median condo price in ZIP code 85281 climbed almost 11 percent.

Home builders continued to drop prices in fringe neighborhoods, which worked to pull down those communities' overall median price.

• The north-Phoenix ZIP code 85050 saw a 22 percent drop in its median price because the area's new-home prices plummeted 47 percent. Builders were cutting prices but also constructing smaller homes.

• In Pinal County, the Queen Creek ZIP code 85242 posted metro Phoenix's second-biggest overall drop: 20.2 percent. The area's median new-home price fell by almost 22 percent.

• Home values in the Buckeye ZIP code 85296 were down 18 percent overall, while the area's median new-home price dropped 15 percent.

Neighborhoods farther out with higher-end housing developments are an exception to the fringe trend.

• The median home price in the Mesa ZIP code 85207 climbed 17.7 percent, to $365,000.

• The median price in north Scottsdale's 85262 ZIP code, home to high-end golf developments, increased almost 7 percent, to $1.1 million.

Some areas are correcting from zealous prices increases.

• Glendale's 85305 ZIP code posted a 23 percent drop in its median home price. But the area, home to the Arizona Cardinals' University of Phoenix Stadium, the Coyotes' Jobbing.com Arena and Westgate, saw resale prices climb 27 percent jump in 2006 and a huge 71 percent increase in 2005.

• In Phoenix's Camelback Corridor/Biltmore area ZIP code 85016, condo prices fell 29 percent.

"The bottom of the housing market may occur in 2008 or 2009, but a full recovery will probably take three to five years," said Elliott Pollack, an Arizona economist and real-estate investor. "This slowdown ends when housing prices stabilize."

Catherine Reagor and Ryan Konig The Arizona Republic Mar. 15, 2008 06:16 PM

If you are ready to buy a home in the Phoenix Metro Area. Visit www.LiveInPhoenixToday.com and search the MLS for free or give Trisha Brooks RE/MAX Desert Showcase REALTOR at 602-618-3053

Phoenix Downtown 2008 Projects

2008-03-06T15:36:00.001-07:00

Phoenix Downtown 2008 Projects

Downtown Phoenix
The downtown area of Phoenix has been undergoing a major facelift since the building of the US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) and Chase Field. Coffeehouses, restaurants, nightclubs and shopping in the Arizona Center continue to draw people downtown for the hopping nightlife. Many new restaurants have blossomed, including A League Of Our Own. Incorporating the themes of Phoenix's early history with culture and local events, Copper Square is a full square-mile hotspot for activities and action. Downtown attractions include a walk in the park at Patriots Square or delve into the new Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Museum of History or the Phoenix Art Museum.

Here's a rundown of the 2008 Central Phoenix projects:

Light rail
Completion date: December.
Significance: The 20-mile light rail line is expected to be a crucial resource for downtown commuters and tourists. It links key downtown Phoenix spots - sports venues, hotels, restaurants, employers and ASU's downtown campus - to Mesa and Tempe.
Cost: $1.4 billion.

W HOTEL TO BE CENTERPIECE OF RETAIL-ENTERTAINMENT-HOSPITALITY-RESIDENTIAL PROJECT

Scottsdale – The developer of the W Scottsdale hotel is planning a retail, residential, entertainment and hospitality district in old town Scottsdale that is expected to cost $500+ million when completed. The 1.1 million-square-foot mixed-use project will be built on a 10+ acre site located just east of Scottsdale Road and south of Camelback Road. A company formed by TriYar Capital in Phoenix (Steven Yari, Shawn Yari, Bob Agahi, principals), also the developer of the W Scottsdale, assembled the property for the proposed project over the past two years. The 224-room W Scottsdale, scheduled to open next spring, will be the centerpiece of the upscale development.

Walter Cronkite School, Taylor Place dorms
Completion date: August.
Significance: The ASU downtown campus opened in 2006, but these two projects will expand it. ASU's new journalism school building is expected to bring 1,000 additional undergraduates to the campus and the first Taylor Place tower can house 750 students. The second tower, which opens in 2009, can house 550 students. By 2015, 15,000 students will take classes that are taught by downtown faculty.
Cost: Journalism building $71 million; dorms $150 million.
Completion date: December.

Phoenix Convention Center expansion
Significance: The North Building - w hich is three times the size of the West Building that opened in 2006 - will welcome its first visitors in January 2009. The project will help elevate Phoenix's status among rival convention destinations, the city says. The expansion gives the convention center 900,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space and is expected to bring $500 million in annually direct spending by convention visitors.
Cost: $600 million. (West Building, North Building and South Building upgrades)
Completion date: June.

44 Monroe
Significance: This June, Scottsdale developer Grace Communities expects to finish the first dozen floors of its 34-story high-rise - the tallest residential building in the state. By August, the rest of the building interior will be completed. The 196-unit condo tower will bring more full-time residents to downtown, a key component of long-term plans to bring vitality and foot traffic to the neighborhood.
Cost: $160 million.
Completion date: October.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Significance: The 31-story Sheraton project will be the largest hotel in the state and will have 1,000 rooms. The hotel will help fill the need for more rooms in downtown Phoenix and will help satisfy increased hotel demand that's expected when the expanded convention center welcomes its first visitors in January.
Cost: $350 million.

Arizona Webcams

2008-03-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

Phoenix AZ Webcams. Arizona Webcams

PhoenixVis.net brings you live pictures and corresponding air quality conditions from scenic urban and rural vistas in the Phoenix, Arizona region.

The links below provides an overview of all Phoenix Visibility Web Cameras. In addition, near real-time air quality data provide visibility and meteorological information to the public.
Digital images from Web-based cameras are updated every 15 minutes. Images will appear black during the nighttime hours for obvious reasons. If the image is missing, please be patient and try again later.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN
South Mountain is a rugged mountain south of metropolitan Phoenix. The view is from North Mountain looking toward the Phoenix downtown skyline and the South Mountains in the distance.

ESTRELLA MOUNTAINS
The Sierra Estrellas form a jagged skyline southwest of metropolitan Phoenix. The camera view looks south from Avondale.

WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS
The White Tank Mountains lie to the west of metropolitan Phoenix. The camera view looks west from Avondale.

CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN
The distinctive profile of this inner city mountain gives it its name. It is bordered by the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. The view is from the Capital Mall area of downtown Phoenix looking northeast toward Camelback Mountain.

SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS
The Superstition Mountains are part of the designated Superstition Wilderness Area. The view is looking east from downtown Mesa with the community of Apache Junction between the camera and the mountain vista.

Here are some other metro Phoenix Area Web Cams

Phoenix Traffic Web Cams
Traffic webcams from Phoenix and the Arizona Department of Transportation

Phoenix Web Cam
live from ABC 15 Studios, looking North toward Camelback Mountain. Updated image every 10 minutes. More details

Chase Field Webcam
Live view of Phoenix from Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks More details

US Airways Center
Live view of US Airways Center, a unique indoor/outdoor venue.

Desert Botanical Garden
If you like to watch plants in their natural environment just watch this live webcam from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

KTVK-TV
From the roof of the KTVK-TV you may observe the weather and the sky from Phoenix.

Arizona Science Center
Live sky and weather views over the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix

Phoenix Children's Hospital
Watch the surroundings from the Phoenix Children's Hospital with the high mountains in the background.

Arizona State Web Cams

Sedona Live Views Web Cam
Sedona's world famous webcams overlooking all of Sedona from 500 feet above the town on Airport Mesa.

Snowflake Arizona Web Cam
Various webcams out the window of the Sundance Land and Development office on Snowflake's historic Main St. Watch this growing town in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona. Updates every 5 minutes.

Grand Canyon AZ Web Cam

Live view from Grand Canyon's Yavapai Point looking West
also see this Grand Canyon Web Cam