So as you’re out merrily spending for the holidays…are you already thinking about how you’ll pay the credit card bills when they arrive? Maybe you’re thinking you’ll use that juicy tax refund you’re expecting - but wouldn’t it be nice if you had that money now? Sure, many individuals who are expecting refund checks have discovered services that give them an advance on their money. And while these services will give you the cash right at the time of filing for your taxes, the fees involved can take a hefty chunk out of your refund. So what’s a tax (over) payer to do?

The IRS can actually help.

When you think about it, getting a refund check means that you let the IRS use your money throughout the year without paying you any interest. Wouldn’t you rather have the money during the year yourself? Here’s how you do it. The IRS allows you to increase the number of dependants on your W-4 withholding form, meaning that less will be withheld for taxes from each paycheck. In the past, if you claimed greater than nine dependants, an explanation and approval may have been required. But the IRS has lifted this restriction, allowing you to voluntarily increase your dependants claimed.

This lets you have more money in each paycheck instead of “loaning” the money to the IRS and having to wait for a refund.

But let’s not go overboard…you should only lessen the periodic tax withholding to match the expected refund. This way you are taking your refund as you go; instead of letting the IRS hold on to it. There is even a nifty calculator the IRS has provided for free, which lets you see how a change in withholding will affect your paycheck.

Here’s the link to the free withholding calculator: IRS Bean Counter

And managing your withholding can also be a great tool if you are currently renting, but are about to buy a home. The new housing expense may be greater than the rent payments, but the new home will give you some important tax deductions. By adjusting your withholding when you buy a home, you can get the benefit of the new home deductions spread into each paycheck…which can make that new home payment a lot more comfortable.

Before you make any changes, you want to be sure you are balancing the amounts carefully and correctly, so it is always a good idea to check with your tax professional. And if you need a referral, just give me a call!

Courtesy of One Source Mortgage & Investments

Scottsdale, Arizona (December 2006)

You may have seen the television commercials with Terri O, heard the radio advertisements or even received your new yellow pages for 2007 and got your refrigerator magnet with ToFixIt’s web site and phone numbers.

ToFixIt has been your one stop shop for companies you can trust. If you do not know someone in the business whose products or services you are seeking, they have done all of that time consuming homework for you! All of the ToFixIt companies have been prequalified and adhere to very stringent qualifications.

ToFixIt is launching their Realtor division in January of 2007 with the top real estate agents in the valley as their designated Realtors. Kelli Grant has been chosen as one of their highly specialized realtors serving clients in their home buying and selling needs for Scottsdale, Arizona.

Pick out your brand new mercedes in Germany with $10,000 cash to cover the taxes, get a second place prize of $25,000 cash or a third place prize of a $10,000 dream vacation of your choice!

The Merry Mercedes Raffle is an annual fundraising event sponsored by Keller Williams Realty’s Southwest Region to support local charities and non-profit organizations. As a result of the 2005 Merry Mercedes Raffle, Keller Williams agents and staff donated $75,000 to the local Veterans Medical Leadership Council.

This year’s beneficiary is the Grand Canyon State Games. The Grand Canyon State Games is a multi-sport Olympic Festival for Arizona amateur athletes of all ages and abilities.

Only 3,000 Merry Mercedes Raffle tickets will be available for this year’s event, making your odds of winning incredibly good! And of course, Merry Mercedes Raffle tickets make great holiday gifts!

The Fulton Homes Grand Canyon State Games presented by APS www.gcsg.org. The Grand Canyon State Games is a multi-sport Olympic Festival for Arizona amateur athletes of all ages and abilities. The Games is organized by the Arizona Sports Council and is affiliated with 37 other state games throughout the United States. It is sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee through the National Congress of State Games. The Games seeks to provide Arizonans with an avenue for personal development through sports. In 2006, over 28,000 Arizonans participated!

For raffle details, go to www.MerryMercedes.com. I have 100 tickets to sell. Please contact Kelli Grant of Keller Williams Realty TODAY for your ticket! You have 1 in 3000 chance to win one of these three prizes!

Kelli@ScottsdaleHomesForLife.com
602-799-5420

(November 14, 2006) — Kelli Grant of Keller Williams High Desert Realty has successfully completed the REALTOR e-PRO course to become one of a select few real estate professionals to earn the prestigious certification offered through the National Association of REALTORS.®

The REALTOR e-PRO certification course is an educational program unlike any other professional certification or designation course available, comprehensive and interactive. It is specifically designed to provide real estate professionals with the technology tools needed to assist consumers in the purchase or sale of a home.

With more than 70% of consumers beginning their real estate research on the Internet, e-PRO certified agents have the experience and expertise to meet the demands of today’s buyer and seller.

“The real estate industry has undergone a fundamental change over the past several years,” said Kelli Grant of Keller Williams High Desert Realty. “A majority of consumers are taking the time to conduct their own research prior to contacting an agent. In turn, real estate professionals must be knowledgeable of how technology can assist them in serving the needs of the buying and selling public.”

The exclusive REALTOR e-PRO certification course is presented entirely online and certifies real estate agents and brokers as Internet professionals. Because of its innovative design, students are able to complete the course at their own pace, when and where they want, via any Internet connection. The course is designed to help REALTORS stay at the leading edge of technology and identify, evaluate and implement new Internet business models.

Once completed, the e-PRO certified real estate professional joins the ranks of a special community of highly skilled and continuously trained professionals who provide high quality and innovative online-based real estate services. Consumers can identify the e-PRO through the exclusive e-PRO Internet Professional logo.

Both the content and the delivery platform were created by San Diego-based technology company InternetCrusade®. The course instructs participants in the professional use of e-mail, the development of an interactive Web site, and the use of online research tools. Graduates use the skills they’ve acquired to provide clients information on properties for sale, local communities, and the local real estate market.

For more information, e-mail Kelli Grant at Kelli@ScottsdaleHomesForLife.com or call 602-799-5420. www.ScottsdaleHomesForLife.com

There’s no doubt that the current market conditions are slower than most of us feel comfortable with. However, while comparing stats, it’s vital to take the stats of the last 5 years, not just from last year. Last year was out of the ordinary so it’s not accurate to only compare 2006 to 2005.

Although our inventory is higher than we’d like, at least the increase in inventory has slowed which is a sign of correction. The positive outcome is that there are people who weren’t able to purchase a home last year that are now able to, such as first time home buyers.

Below are some quotes and clips from last weeks Arizona Republic articles to summarize current market conditions and give some perspective. After reading through, remember the most important fact: there are still more people moving into the Valley than moving out!

“Like most parts of the Valley, Phoenix’s housing market is returning to normal. . . .Phoenix has several areas where buyers, particularly first-timers, can find more-affordable homes.” Catherine Reagor, The Arizona Republic, Oct. 25, 2006

* “The Valley’s housing market is going through a definite and obvious correction,” said O’Campo de Castillo. “Homes are selling, but they have to be priced right. No one is paying last year’s inflated prices.”

The Valley’s price dips are a result of supply and demand. . . .Housing analysts say when the Valley’s supply of homes for sale drops below 35,000, the market will have rebounded or close to it.

The number of listings has stopped climbing by 2,000 to 3,000 a month and was almost flat in September. That shows that the biggest dips for the Valley’s housing market could be over.

“The Valley’s housing market is returning to normal. After last year’s inflated home price run-ups, that means many areas will see prices drop,” said Jay Butler, director of the Arizona Real Estate Center at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic. “Some areas of the Valley will feel the correction more than others.”

Tim Sullivan of the San Diego-based real estate consulting firm Sullivan Group said that housing markets in California and Las Vegas will rebound quicker than Phoenix because there’s not a lot of land for new building. But the Valley has something most areas don’t: strong job and population growth. Analysts say the market could rebound by mid-2007.

* Catherine Reagor and Ryan Konig, The Arizona Republic, “Huge supply of houses keeps prices down: THE VALLEY’S VOLATILE HOUSING MARKET”, Oct. 22, 2006

At least my stand on a positive growth outlook for our market is continuously reinforced by facts, facts and more facts. Last week, the 2007 SRP Economic Forecast was held at the Phoenix Convention Center and valley leaders agreed that the economic momentum was strong. Among the topics discussed, the statistics on the number of jobs created since 2002 was something that they said Arizonans should be looking at instead of focusing on a short-lived housing slow down.

Panelists included Robert N. Shelton, University of Arizona President, Stephen Happel, professor of economics at Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business, and Kent Ennis, an economist and the director of research at the Arizona Department of Commerce. The men said that 2007 would be a “moderate growth year.” Growth continues, but at a slower pace.

I also see companies like Capital Group, one of the world’s largest investment management firms out of Los Angeles, expanding its Phoenix operations with a new IT facility in Scottsdale. They plan on filling as many as 550 new positions in three years. The Phoenix metro area continues to see growth in other areas such as health care, life science, defense and construction sectors.

The economic indicators are still in our favor. . . .and don’t forget a major draw that is bringing people from places like Chicago, New York and Minnesota right now: the weather! I’m hearing more about how it’s too cold in the mid-west, and how we’re getting some would-be Florida relocations because we don’t have hurricanes. If Mother Nature stays good to us, I’d say that’s a huge plus for a good, strong real estate market. A large number of baby boomers are getting vacation homes and second homes. Florida is a competitor to Phoenix-Scottsdale in that area, but with all of the hurricane action in the past couple years, I’m not only seeing primary residence relocations that may have chosen Florida, I’m seeing activity for those second homes and condos as well.

Keep the faith! No fair-weather Phoenicians allowed. To read more on how Phoenix ranks third in Top Ten Job Market study, Click Here….

I said it before and I’m saying it again! Studies keep confirming that we live in an extraordinary city that is attracting companies and entrepreneurs. According to a new study, two of the top three hottest labor markets are here in the Southwest.

1. Cape Coral- Fort Myers, FL
2. Las Vegas, NV
** 3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
5. Orlando, FL
6. Riverside-San Bernadino, CA
7. Lakeland, FL
8. Boise, ID
9. Washinton D.C.
10. Miami-Ft Lauderdale, FL

If raw numbers were the only indicator, Phoenix would be the nation’s new employment leader. The metro area has added 271,900 jobs since 2001, the biggest gain in raw numbers for any metropolitan area. Phoenix’s five-year growth rate of 17.1 percent ranks sixth among America’s 100 largest markets. Phoenix has enjoyed consistent strong growth since 2002.

Summary
Jobs as of mid-2006: 1, 861, 200
Unemployment rate as of mid-2006: 3.9 percent
Employment trend since mid-2001: Added 271,900 jobs
Five-year growth rate: 17.1 percent
Employment trend since mid-2005: Added 94,300 jobs
One-year growth rate: 5.3 percent

So, once again, I challenge the doubters. The employment factor is a strong economic indicator that foreshadows a healthy real estate market.

Source: The Business Journal of Phoenix - September 29, 2006 by G. Scott Thomas, The Business Journal

Twin-tower condominium project will be a pair of 36-story buildings at the northeast corner of Central and Columbus avenues. The $250 million dollar project is expected to start mid 2007 with completion of the first tower by the end of 2008.

Prices range from $300,000 to $2 Million, 600 to 2,700 square feet with styles ranging from studios and lofts to three-bedroom penthouses. The towers include 500 units and 15,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level.

The project was originally called Sky Phoenix, but later changed to Cielo, which means “sky” in Spanish because it turned out to be different from the Las Vegas project called Sky Las Vegas. Aaron Yashouafar, chief executive of Milbank Real Estate Services, and David Pourbaba, chief executive of 4D Development, say they chose Phoenix for their alternative-living venture because “it’s a prime-time to come and do urban living right,” Yashouafar said. They also said that a big attraction to Phoenix is the upcoming light rail.

Top floor residences will have walk-around balconies angled to provide maximum views, developers said. Focus groups in the Central Corridor and in Chicago influenced the project, convincing them to provide a dog run, outdoor movie screen and a roof-top garden with a bar, hot tubs and fire pits.

Stay informed at www.cielophoenix.com

Read More at www.phoenix.bizjournals.com

Source: The Business Journal of Phoenix - September 22, 2006 by Christia Gibbons, The Business Journal

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 New Phoenix Convention Center, Downtown