Arizona Real Estate News Access
All the real estate and mortgage news you need to know in Arizona
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05/02/09
Fountain Hills resort closes to public
Filed under: General, Business, Real Estate
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 3:27 pm

CopperWynd Resort, the Fountain Hills hotel with striking views of Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains, is closing its doors indefinitely as a result of the economy.

Starting Monday, the upper level of the resort’s main building and all 32 European-inspired guest rooms will close until further notice. The resort’s upscale restaurant, Alchemy, also will cease operations.  more…

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Regulators ready ’stress test’ results
Filed under: General, Business
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 3:23 pm

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve will release “stress test” results for the nation’s biggest banks on Thursday, according to a government official.

Deliberations between banks and regulators about the tests’ results pushed back the release date, which initially was expected to be earlier in the week.  more…


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Thornburg Mortgage files Chapter 11 protection
Filed under: General, Mortgages
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 3:10 pm

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Thornburg Mortgage Incorporated yesterday filed a petition for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection in a Maryland court.

The Santa Fe-based jumbo mortgage lender had been hit hard since mid-2007 by the mortgage and credit market crisis.

The company announced its plans a month ago to file for bankruptcy protection, liquidate assets and to go out of business.

The company laid off 130 employees in April. Before the economic downturn, it had employed up to 180 people.

Thornburg says it will sell a key subsidiary called ADFITECH, which provides quality-control services.

Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Among the unsecured creditors was one New Mexico company. The Rodey Law Firm, which has offices in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, is owned $2.3 million.

Associated Press – 05.02.09



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$3.3 million awarded to woman sickened by mold
Filed under: General
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 3:04 pm

A Maricopa County Superior Court jury has awarded $3.3 million to a Scottsdale woman who was sickened and permanently disabled by a mold infestation in her apartment building.  more…


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Phoenix aims to expand Sonoran Preserve
Filed under: General, Real Estate
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:54 pm

Phoenix will return to the Growing Smarter State Trust Land Acquisition Program for assistance in adding another parcel to the new Sonoran Preserve in far-north Phoenixmore…


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Fewer homes built for Boomers
Filed under: General, Real Estate
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:49 pm

Home construction for Americans 55 and older is expected to drop by nearly half in 2009 compared with the previous year, a sign that the market for home building geared to senior citizens is contracting despite the wave of Baby Boomers approaching retirement.

The National Association of Home Builders reported this week that about 126,000 homes will be built this year for buyers 55 and older, down from about 249,000 last year.  more…


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New appraisal rule stirs opposition
Filed under: General, Real Estate, Mortgages
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:43 pm

New regulations designed to reduce home-appraisal fraud could result in lower-quality appraisals and make it more difficult for consumers to shop around for the best mortgage rates, loan officers and appraisers say.  more…


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Barneys remains on track for fall debut in Valley
Filed under: General, Business
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:39 pm

Barneys New York is on track to open its first Arizona store, despite financial problems that have impacted the venerable store along with other high-end retailers.

The company hasn’t set a specific opening date, but remains committed to a fall debut of its 80,000-square-foot store at Scottsdale Fashion Squaremore…


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Ariz. executives voice hope that turnaround is nearing
Filed under: General, Business
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:33 pm

It’s hard to imagine a business facing more scrutiny than banking. But as bankers work through loan defaults and quarterly losses, some see signs of improvement.

Three bankers - Patrick Patrick of Towne Bank of Arizona in Mesa, John Fahrendorf of Desert Hills Bank in Phoenix and Blake Rolley of First State Bank in Flagstaff - recently shared their views on banks and the economy.  more…


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Phoenix-Dubai agreement aims to promote business
Filed under: General, Business
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:26 pm

After a two-year courtship, Phoenix and the Persian Gulf port of Dubai made their relationship official Wednesday in a ceremony packed with smiles and handshakes, gift exchanges and goodwill.

 

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and Dubai Director General Hussain Nasser Lootah signed a partnership agreement aimed at promoting trade and foreign investment between the two cities.  more…


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Citi may need $10 billion more - report
Filed under: General, Business
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:19 pm

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Citigroup Inc. may need to generate up to $10 billion in new capital to meet the requirements of the U.S. government’s stress tests, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Friday

Like other financial institutions, the bank is in talks with the Federal Reserve about whether it needs more capital.  more…


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Second-mortgage holders to benefit from new plan
Filed under: General, Mortgages
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:06 pm

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration expanded its efforts to prevent Americans from losing their homes, unveiling a program Tuesday that’s designed to give financial incentives for companies to modify the terms of troubled second mortgages.  more…


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Agriculture Dept. backed mortgage loans soar
Filed under: General, Mortgages
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 2:02 pm

The same government agency known for certifying the quality of hamburger and steak is becoming a prime force in the Arizona housing market.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has guaranteed mortgage loans for many years, much like the Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs, but this year the value of Arizona loans guaranteed by the USDA is on pace to quadruple compared with 2008.   more…


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State’s high court to consider accepting CityNorth case
Filed under: General, Real Estate
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 1:47 pm

The Arizona Supreme Court will consider the CityNorth incentive agreement case on June 1. The court will not actually hear the case that day. Instead, it will decide whether to accept the case for review.   more…


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Lender: Opus West owes more than $160M
Filed under: General, Real Estate
Posted by: Lillian Wong @ 1:41 pm

One of the Phoenix area’s largest commercial developers is showing signs of financial stress that local experts say is a symptom of widespread economic problems facing the industry this year.

 

A group of lenders led by Bank of America has filed a complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court claiming that Opus West Corp., based in Phoenix, owes the banks more than $160 million in unpaid construction loans, interest and legal fees.  more…


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