As things start heating up in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix is called that for a reason, you know!) and we are nearing the end of the school year thoughts start turning toward summer vacations. I know, the “planners” out there already have their whole summer detailed but I am not one of those people. I thought you might enjoy visiting a couple of my favorite vacation deal websites.
Travel Zoo is my favorite. If you register for their weekly Top 20 you’ll get an email each Wed. with the top deals of the week. (this week my interest was peaked with the 6 nights in Ireland including air, resort and a rental car all for $499 -more from Phoenix direct).
Vacations to Go is another favorite. It’s a clearinghouse for cruises (I LOVE to cruise!) and has a fun 90-day Ticker that will give you the deals for cruises in the next 90 days. There’s a 7-day Alaskan cruise leaving on the 30th of May round-trip out of Seattle. The ocean view is $499 for the first 2 and $99 for an additional 2 in the room. That makes it $1200 for my family of four!
Side Step is another fun place to spend some time. I haven’t used it very much but it looks like it has some good deals, too!
Whether you’re off gallivanting all over the world or you’re going to do a great “stacation” this year I hope you have a wonderful time!
Now, send me some more referrals so I can keep looking at my wish list. ;~)
I thought I’d leave you with another great MLS photo for today.
Seriously, do agents not look at the pictures that they post in the MLS…or does someone think this is acceptable?
Happy weekend!
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post about homeowners facing foreclosure I received the following Public Information Notice today from The City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Association of REALTORS:
Foreclosure Prevention Forum Set with Representatives from Chase and other lenders
Fannie Mae and the city of Phoenix are partnering to provide homeowners an opportunity to meet with lenders to discuss foreclosure prevention options noon to 8 p.m., Friday, May 15, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 16.
“This is a unique opportunity for homeowners to meet face-to-face with mortgage lenders,” said Jerome Miller, director, Neighborhood Services Department. “It’s a great example of Neighborhood Services commitment to providing residents the tools to preserve their homes and neighborhoods.
Participating lenders are Chase, Citibank, EMC and Washington Mutual. Representatives from each will meet one-on-one with customers facing the possibility of foreclosure to discuss various prevention options, including President Barack Obama’s “Making Home Affordable” program.
The sessions are available by appointment only. To register, call 1-866-785-8178.
I got a phone call yesterday from the brother of a good friend. He was asking about rental properties and I was confused. I asked why he was looking at rentals…what happened to his house? You guessed it. It was foreclosed on the day before. This was my reaction:
I wanted to just scream, NOOOOOOO!
One of the most frustrating parts of my job right now is homeowners who are in distress and don’t know their options. It’s not their fault for the most part. Sure, there are those who get stuck in denial and just freeze but so often homeowner just don’t know where to go for help. Who can they trust? Are they going to get scammed out of more money? Will the lender harass them to no end?
In my experience the many of the lenders are being fairly helpful. I’m actually being sent out by the banks in some instances to try to make contact with homeowners. You know what my biggest hurdle is? They won’t talk to me. I knocked on a door yesterday and someone called out, “Who’s there?” I answered and she wouldn’t make any additional contact with me. I stood there for several minutes and had to just leave. Leave without being able to tell her that the bank wants to offer her a loan modification. They can’t help if no one will talk to them.
PLEASE HEAR MY PLEA:
If you know of someone, ANYONE who is behind in their mortgage payments or having a hard time making their payments please encourage them to seek assistance. It’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. There are several alternatives to foreclosure and all most importantly there are options.
I am passionate about helping people stay in their homes.
There is help…
There is hope…
