At this moment in time, it’s 79 degrees and sunny.
Perfect golf weather.
In the middle of November.
This is why we live here.
Gilbert, Arizona is home to several golf courses and today I swung by three. All are public course and all are in excellent condition.
Kokopelli Golf Course
1800 W Guadalupe Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85233-2926
United States
P: (480) 926-3589
F: (480) 926-1666
www.kokopelligc.com
6,716 yards
Par 72
Course rating 72.2
Slope rating 132
Designed by Bill Phillips
Opened in 1993
Western Skies Golf Course
1245 E Warner Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85296-3109
United States
P: (480) 545-8542
F: (480) 545-0291
www.westernskiesgolf.com
6,744 yards
Par 72
Course rating 70.3
Slope rating 123
Designed by Brad Whitcombe
Opened in 1992
Greenfield Lakes Golf Course
2484 E Warner Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85296-9500
United States
P: (480) 503-0500
F: (480) 503-0400
www.greenfieldlakesgolfcourse.com
4,107 yards
Par 62
Course rating 59.8
Slope rating 91
Designed by Ray Pacioni
Opened in 1997
Course information from GolfLink.com.
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I have been seeing on the news quite a bit lately how the economic recovery is underway (I read something about Green Shoots months ago now, so logic dictates we are on our way to recovery, right?) but I am still being asked the question of “So what exactly is keeping me current on my mortgage?” more than just a few times a week from people living in many different states, not just here in Arizona.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_j0nes/354386695/
Consider a local business leader here in Arizona who posed this question earlier this week as he thought about this problem. Derek is a local community leader, small business owner and has an abnormally large dose of common sense loaded into his neocortex:
The above person might qualify for the Obama 125% refinance plan, but at best that might only make their payment $1300/mo. Not to mention that the banks are not just making the refinances happen. They refuse to live up to their side of the bailout. If instead a plan was in place to force lenders to readjust principle balances (not interest rates) to a point where the home owner was not completely underwater then perhaps the home owner might full well consider staying in their home. At this point, I think someone in the above situation has NO SENSIBLE reason to stay in the home. They have far more to gain crushing their credit and walking away.
Regardless of your loan amount, if you are having trouble making your mortgage payments and contact your lender about what your options are, these are generally the options you have in front of you:
- Continue paying as agreed
- Apply for a loan modification
- Start the process of doing a short sale
- Negotiate for a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
- Foreclosure
If your loan balance is below 417,000, the Making Home Affordable plan has pretty well outlined what can and cannot be done. You can read through it (or hire help if needed) and know what to reasonably expect as an outcome. But keep in mind, each situation will be different – and each outcome will be different.
And if your loan balance is above $417,000 – this means that there is not currently a standard set of guidelines as to what to expect – which means anything can happen.
Regardless of what your loan amount is – or what your overall personal financial situation is…
I haven’t seen a plan that can help you if you find yourself in a situation where your house is worth 50% of what you bought it for and you now owe 150% or more of what it is worth.
But I will keep you posted if I hear of anything.
About the Author: Justin McHood is a mortgage broker with VanDyk Mortgage Corporation. You can find him at Arizona Mortgage Team, on the Zillow’s Mortgages Unzipped Blog, and at most East Valley Friday Nights gatherings. He’s the one in the blue shirt.
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Here I am, sitting in a San Diego hotel room at 4:00 in the m0rning, weeping like a baby…
Just a few hours ago, the Highland High School Marching Band won first place in the Arizona State Marching Band Championship!
My daughter Lauren is a member of that band.
I just don’t have the vocabulary or the writing skills to express how proud of her I am, and how sad I am that I wasn’t there to witness it.
She and her band mates worked so hard for this championship.
Two hours from now, give or take a few minutes, will mark the one year anniversary of the tragic and senseless death of my daughter’s band mate, Kelly Tracy.
Those that have read here for a year on Phoenix Real Estate Guy may remember that around 6:00am on November 15, 2008, Kelly Tracy – just 16 years of age – was killed by a drunk driver when she was minutes away from joining her band to march in the Gilbert Days parade.
That day was, without doubt, the most emotional day of my life.
My wife Francy and I were volunteer “band parents” the day Kelly was killed and words can not come remotely close to describing what we felt that morning, as we stood in the band room surrounded by 150 kids when they were informed their friend had been killed.
As painful as that day was for us, and trust me it was agonizing, it pales in comparison to what the kids went through and was nothing remotely close to the pain the Tracy family has endured.
And yet, here we are – just one short year later, almost to the day Kelly died – and the band wins an Arizona state championship. On the same field where they marched last year on the day of Kelly’s funeral.
I am not an overly spiritual person, but it’s hard to imagine that Kelly wasn’t looking down from heaven last night, urging her friends on.
And they won. They are state champions!
I know for a fact that Kelly’s friends have not forgotten her. They overcame the sadness from the loss of their friend, and amongst very strong competition, they won a championship. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kelly was doing back-flips in Heaven when the results were announced that her band were the state champions.
Lauren, I am so proud of you and your friends. I know how hard you all worked for this, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you when you won. Of course nothing will ever remove the pain of losing Kelly, but I assure you that she marched with you last night, and she is thrilled beyond belief. Congratulations sweetie!
For more on Kelly and the legacy she leaves behind, read this article from yesterday’s East Valley Tribune – and bring a box of Kleenex..
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