Homes Prices Rise Most in 6 YearsA measure of U.S. home prices jumped 5 percent in September compared with a year ago, the largest year-over-year increase since July 2006. The gain reported by CoreLogic offered more evidence of a sustainable housing recovery.

The real estate data provider also said Tuesday that prices declined 0.3 percent in September from August, the first drop after six straight increases. The monthly figures are not seasonally adjusted. CoreLogic says the monthly decline reflects the end of the summer home-buying season and not a softening in the housing recovery.

Steady price increases should give the housing market more momentum when home sales pick up in the spring. Rising prices encourage more homeowners to sell their homes and entice would-be buyers to purchase homes before prices rise further.

Other measures have also shown healthy gains in home prices over the past year. The Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller 20-city index rose 2 percent in August compared with a year ago, a faster pace than the previous month.

The price gains in the past year reported by CoreLogic were widespread. Prices have risen in all but seven states. And they declined in only 18 out of 100 large cities that are tracked by the index.

Some of the biggest increases were in states that suffered the worst from the housing bust. Home prices in Arizona jumped 18.7 percent in the past year, the most of any state. Home prices in Idaho rose 13.1 percent, the second largest. Nevada's home values rose 11 percent.

Home prices jumped 22.1 percent in Phoenix, the metro area with the biggest gain. Prices in Houston rose 6.6 percent, the second-highest increase.

The states with the biggest drops were Rhode Island (3.5 percent) and Illinois (2.3 percent).

CoreLogic's price index is based on repeat sales of the same homes and tracks their price changes over time.

Several reports last month showed that the housing market is improving, though from depressed levels.

Home builders started construction on new homes and apartments at the fastest pace in more than four years in September. They also requested the most building permits in four years, a sign that many are confident that home sales gains will continue.

New home sales jumped last month to the highest annual pace in the past two and a half years. Sales of previously occupied homes dipped in September but have risen steadily in the past year.

Sales of both new and previously occupied homes are still below levels that are consistent with a healthy housing market. That's partly because the supply of available homes for sale remains low. And many prospective home buyers are struggling to qualify for a mortgage or scrape together the bigger down payments that many banks are requiring. By Christopher S. Rugaber, Associated Press

Phoenix leads the nation in home value gains! Do you want to know the value of your home? Contact me today to receive a no-obligation market value report of your home and the neighborhood!

November 2012

Bryan K. McCoyREALTOR®

P: 480-358-8575F: 480-302-5834E: Bryan.McCoy@Century21.com

www.BryanKMcCoy.comwww.SmartAZProperties.com

 Century 21 Platinum Real Estate 2141 E. Pecos Rd. Chandler, AZ 85225

BryaN K. McCoy Real Estate

Did You Know?Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.

Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining.

A wild turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees. This is the main reason they continue to elude some hunters.

Single FamilyHomes Only

October 2012Closings

Sept. 2012Closings

Short Sales 1,478 1,422

Lender Owned 571 528

Regular/Other 3,940 3,577

Total Sales 5,989 5,527

Financing Types

October 2012Closings

Sept. 2012Closings

Cash 2,414 2,218

Conventional 2,082 1,940

FHA/VA 1,412 1,280

Seller Carry 23 24

Other Types 58 65

Statistics gathered from ARMLS deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Figures gathered on 11-1-12 and re�ect the entire month of October.

Real Estate Market Update for November 2012

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is Expiring The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 is set to expire at the end of the year. Remember, if you owe on a mortgage and they cancel or forgive the debt, the cancelled amount may be taxable. This means if you’re thinking about short selling

your property, now is the time. Please contact me and I’ll go over your options with you.

Century 21 Platinum Real Estate | 2141 E. Pecos Rd., Chandler, AZ 85225 | 480-497-2121

How to Become the Morning Person You’ve Always Dreamed of BeingRise and…where’d the sunshine go? This year, daylight savings time ends on Nov. 4 and once again we’ll fall back to the darker days of winter. If you’re a morning person, the adjustment is probably something you’re used to tackling. If not, the morning sluggishness just got a whole lot tougher. It doesn’t have to! Here are five tips that’ll get you out of bed and onto the day faster than you can say “Rise and Shine!”

Get on a regular sleeping schedule.  This may be a tough adjustment for people used to staying up all night, but with a little conscious effort even the night owls will start singing the early morning praises. To get to bed earlier, try going to bed 30 minutes to one hour earlier than your usual nightly routine.

Stop hitting snooze.  For all you folks who like a good challenge, here’s one that’ll get you moving. Commit to only hitting your snooze button once. Too big of a switch? Over the course of a month, commit to counting down the number of times you hit snooze. In week one, you hit it four times, in week two, three times, and so on until you are no longer hitting the snooze button.

Boost melatonin production.  Melatonin, a chemical produced by the body, kicks in when it is dark and is reported to help regulate sleep cycles. While the chemical is also found in over-the-counter vitamins, you can also boost your melatonin by turning off the TV and computer one hour prior to bedtime. 

Avoid alcohol before bed.  Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.

Stay away from big meals at night.  Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.