Tombstone Arizona
This past weekend saw nothing happen in mls for Aviano, the Villages and Fireside both from a resale and a lease perspective. We took the kids to Tombstone and Kartchner Caverns and had a blast. Did you know Tombstone is the second largest tourist attraction in Arizona behind the Grand Canyon? Not bad for a town in the middle of nowhere that simply had a large crime problem 130 years ago. Give the Chamber of Commerce there an A+ for marketing and working it hard as they have folks in period dress walking the streets, talking with tourists and very
knowledgeable about the official versions of what happened to so and so on this or that corner. Kartchner Caverns is well worth the trip as the inside is entirely wheelchair capable so no crouching or wacky body bending necessary to get around as is the case in other cavern/cave tours. Southern Arizona has some very beautiful scenery as well.
Some neighbors sent me this article about walking away from upside down mortgages.
(click here for article). Some thoughts on this New York Times article:
"After three years of plunging real estate values, after the bailouts of the bankers and the revival of their million-dollar bonuses, after the Obama administration’s loan modification plan raised the expectations of many but
satisfied only a few, a large group of distressed homeowners is wondering the same thing."
I don't read the NYT because I like capitalism and that comment about the bonuses serves only to fuel resentment and anger - demonizing bankers. Folks this country needs bankers and it is nobodys business except the shareholders who in a company gets bonuses. Remember, the banks didn't ask for government money - they were told they had to take it. Just as they were told they had to lend to folks they knew could not afford it in the interest of fairness. They don't have this problem in Canada because they did not lower lending standards.
"Mr. Koellmann applied last fall to Bank of America for a modification, noting that his income had slipped. But the lender came back a few weeks ago with a plan that added more restrictive terms while keeping the payments
about the same."
This is what I have heard from many folks Kathy and I know who have looked into "modification".
If you don't have the money to pay, hand wringing over the moral and ethical issues is a waste of time. If you do have the ability to pay and you don't want to just because your under water, then work it out yourself but don't look to the government to solve your problem. Show me an example of something they do really well.
Tags: aviano, desert ridge, phoenix, real estate, villages, toll brothers, fireside, Arizona
