document.write("<h1>Real Estate and Growth - CatherineReagor's Blog - azcentral.com</h1><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/97309' target='new'>The six new Arizona real estate laws you should know</a></h1><h2>8/31/2010 11:29:48 AM</h2><p>Here's a recap from the Arizona Association of Realtors of the six new state laws that could have the biggest impact on the real estate industry and homeowners. The laws went into effect on July 31st.<br /> HB2345: Homeowner associations are prohibited from banning the display of temporary open house signs, except in common areas. HOAs are also prohibited from regulating a seller's &ldquo;for sale&rdquo; sign if it meets industry standards. <br /> HB2371: Swimming pools and spas are now part of home inspections.<br /> HB2450: Municipalities aren't allowed to refuse service or require payment for unpaid water and wastewater services from anyone besides the person ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/97309\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/96558' target='new'>A Phoenix minister and mortgage broker convicted in foreclosure scam</a></h1><h2>8/27/2010 11:14:31 AM</h2><p>A minister and former Phoenix mortgage broker has been convicted of 10 charges related to foreclosure-aid scheme.<br /> Edward L. Carpenter, 52, was found guilty this week by a Maricopa County Superior Court jury of 10 felony fraud charges related to his mortgage&nbsp; &quot;rescue&quot; business. <br /> According to court documents, Carpenter contacted homeowners and falsely said he ran a &quot;mortgage elimination&quot; business that could legally remove borrowers names from their mortgages, giving them ownership of the properties free and clear. He charged up-front fees of $1,000 or more. <br /> Carpenters' filings were designed to cloud the title, confuse title companies and cause mortgage companies ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/96558\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/95877' target='new'>Drop in pending loan modifications for metro Phoenix homeowners</a></h1><h2>8/25/2010 10:52:22 AM</h2><p>Lenders have permanently modified the mortgages of 18,409 metropolitan Phoenix homeowners through the federal government's program to help people avoid foreclosure. That's the tally so far for the Making Home Affordable Program launched in the spring of 2009.<br /> Permanent loan modifications in metro Phoenix have climbed by 2,000 to 3,000 for each of the past few months. Foreclosures in the region have climbed by at least 4,000 a month so far this year.<br /> &nbsp;What changed in July was the number of trial mortgage modifications fell significantly. At the end of July, there were 9,735 trial loan modifications underway in the region, down ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/95877\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/95177' target='new'>Phoenix foreclosure help for pets</a></h1><h2>8/23/2010 6:00:48 PM</h2><p>To save the&nbsp;growing number of pets adandoned in foreclosure homes, a group of metro Phoenix real estate agents has formed the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation.&nbsp;The&nbsp;nonprofit's goal is&nbsp;to rescue pets left behind after their owners&nbsp;lose homes to&nbsp;foreclosure or eviction.<br /> &ldquo;We know that in order for us to help the vast numbers of pets in need, we also need to help pet owners by providing a variety of immediate, convenient and available services,&rdquo; said Jodi Polanski, founder of Lost Our Home, which operates a pet food bank for people who can no longer afford to feed their animals.<br /> The nonprofit also has a ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/95177\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/94733' target='new'>Pair convicted in Phoenix mortgage fraud scam</a></h1><h2>8/19/2010 1:55:03 PM</h2><p>A Phoenix couple has been convicted for their part in a cash-back,<br /> mortgage fraud scam that resulted in $6.6 million in losses and the<br /> foreclosure of 25 Valley homes.<br /> Samuel T. Dobos, 30, and Georgiana Dobos, 28 were each recently<br /> sentenced to 27 months in prison for their roles in the scheme, which<br /> involved straw buyers. The couple has also been ordered to pay<br /> $220,000 in restitution.<br /> Mortgage fraud during the boom worked to inflate home prices and then<br /> drive up foreclosures during the downturn. Arizona is now among the<br /> top five states nationally for mortgage fraud.<br /> Arizona regulators and prosecutors formed a state mortgage fraud task<br /> force in 2007.<br /> &nbsp;&ldquo;The Dobos&rsquo; ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/94733\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/94235' target='new'>Arizona misses out on latest round of federal foreclosure aid</a></h1><h2>8/17/2010 3:59:36 PM</h2><p>Arizona's unemployment rate is preventing the state's struggling<br /> homeowners from receiving help from the federal government's latest<br /> foreclosure-prevention program.<br /> Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department named the states that will<br /> divvy up $2 billion in additional funding to specifically help<br /> homeowners facing foreclosure due to unemployment. Arizona wasn't on<br /> the list, a disappointment to many of the state's homeowners and<br /> housing advocates.<br /> Arizona is already receiving $125.1 million from the federal<br /> government's Hardest Hit Housing Markets fund, which is the same<br /> federal program administering this latest round of aid. Arizona is<br /> one five states &ndash; California, Florida, Nevada and Michigan - sharing<br /> $1.5 billion through a program for areas with the biggest ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/94235\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/92529' target='new'>Forecast for Phoenix-area home building in 2010</a></h1><h2>8/10/2010 4:02:28 PM</h2><p>The federal homebuyer tax credit helped new home sales in metropolitan Phoenix, but it was only a temporary boost.<br /> Real estate analysts RL Brown and Greg Burger have updated their forecast for home building in the region during 2010. Despite the increases in new home sales during the months before the tax credit's June 30th deadline, the publishers of the Phoenix Housing Market Letter aren't changing their earlier forecast for home building in the area. The pair still expects 8,500 single-family permits for new homes in metro Phoenix this year.<br /> That level of new home permits will make it the slowest year ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/92529\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/92377' target='new'>Another live azcentral chat on housing</a></h1><h2>8/9/2010 10:57:37 AM</h2><p>Questions on foreclosures in Arizona? Concerned about where home values are heading in metro Phoenix. Trying to work with your lender on a loan modification...<br /> Today-Tuesday at 11 a.m., check out:&nbsp;http://bit.ly/cJQ1HT<br /> &nbsp; ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/92377\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/91887' target='new'>Pre-foreclosure filings climb in metro Phoenix. Will foreclosures follow? </a></h1><h2>8/3/2010 4:50:51 PM</h2><p>More Phoenix-area homeowners are falling behind on their mortgages or &ldquo;walking away&rdquo; from them. The number of pre-foreclosures in the region jumped 33 percent in July.<br /> Last month, there were 7,804 notice of trustee sales, or pre-foreclosure filings, according to real estate research firm Information Market. That compares to 5,833 in June. July's figure signals the biggest month jump for new foreclosure filings in more than a year.<br /> The recent increase in pre-foreclosures could be due partially to homeowners, who are illegal residents, walking away from their houses and mortgage payments due to concerns over Arizona's immigration law.<br /> Actual foreclosures or trustee sale ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/91887\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div><div class='RSS_Entry'><h1><a href='http://s.azcentral.com/home/Blog/CatherineReagor/91839' target='new'>Another homeowner survival event: have you received help?</a></h1><h2>8/3/2010 9:57:18 AM</h2><p>Housing advocates are holding another free workshop to help Arizona homeowners facing foreclosures. Dozens of events have been held like this during the past two years, but unfortunately foreclosures continue to climb.<br /> Some foreclosure help events have been more effective than others. Have you received help or avoided foreclosure after attending one of these events?<br /> This Saturday, homeowners can sit down with a counselor certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at the Glendale Civic Center.&nbsp;Homeowners are advised to bring copies of their loan documents.<br /> The Better Business Bureau and the Arizona Mortgage Advisory Council are two of the workshop's ...<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/CatherineReagor/91839\">read the rest of this post</a></p></div>");