Mona,

There are still many great deals in Phoenix and its suburbs. The ideal property for you will depend on your personal preferences, including price range, desired amenities and location preferences. You will be better serve by working with a buyer's agent (at no cost to you) who will guide you through the process and provide you will the information you need.

You can start by contacting any of us, or if you prefer to start searching by yourself you can log into my website and from there you will be able to browse the MLS directly for free - there you will find the most accurate and reliable information available.

Carlos J. Ramirez, PC, ABR, CNE
Associate Broker/Realtor, HomeSmart -
Accredited Buyer Representative - ABR
http://www.SmartAZRealty.com

Mona, I can tell you that financing for Canadians is nil.. However, you have 2 choices that I am aware of. There are some Canadian banks willing to finance in the US and the second is contacting Washington Federal Savings directly. I believe they are still financing but at the direct branch level. Hope this helps.

Mona,

What a perfect time to be looking at the Phoenix Market. I have worked with a number of Canadian buyers myself in the past and as stated below there are a number of challenges with financing so I would also suggest to get that in order before finding your dream home and having it slip away.

Additionally, I would suggest interviewing a few agents here in Phoenix and ask some very specific questions of those agents. If you would like to contact me I would be happy help you with that list.

Make sure that things such as past appreciation/depreciation in an area are considered and remember that price and value are two very different things. Although I don't believe you need to be in the 200k-300k range, you certainly want to stay away from the "feeding frenzy" bottom. Lots of bad deals happen on that end.

Being in a different country does present it own unique challenges and be sure that you have an agent in place here that has a team of individuals that can help with all aspects of purchasing a home including financing, insurance, accounting, ect.. You don't want to be on your own for investigating and finding each professional you need.

I would love to have the opportunity to speak with you live. Please feel free to call me at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Barbara Broyles
Home Lover's Property Management
602 792-5350

Hi Mona -

Good advice mentioned below...

I would also add to get your financing in order before you make an effort looking. Loans for foreign nationals are not easy to come by as the majority of lenders don't do them. You'll likely need to put at least 30% down.

You may also want to investigate the advantages of a currency exchange. They can save you a great deal of money over traditional currency exchanges like banks.

I wouldn't limit my search to only foreclosures. There are also some great deals to be had with traditional sales and you may avoid the feeding frenzy by going that way as well as the frustrations that many find with both foreclosures and short sales.

Hi Mona,

The number of foreclosures you may be interested in will be determined by the amount of your budget.

If you are thinking around 100k get ready for a lot of frustration and competing offers. That price range of homes is on such a feeding frenzy for prime areas right now that getting your offer accepted will mean likely offering more than the actual appraised amount and crossing your fingers. Believe me I know from experience.

The better chance of procuring a home will be looking at a higher price line, say 200-300k or working with a short sale seller.

In reality, our market is leaning more towards short sale listings because the banks are now establishing their own short sale departments which avoids the foreclosure process most of the time. Bank of America is starting to assign their own Realtors to represent the short sale listings now. Short sales are usually better maintained as well because the seller is still occupying the home.

So, what I would recommend first is to establish a price range low to high, then speak to a realtor, then talk about what areas may fit, then have them set you up an a search bringing you live feeds of homes available in that range.

The amenities will follow and you need to start looking first a little before determining what will or won't be included on your wish list.

Hope this helps you.

Sincerely,

Stew Keene - Home Smart Realty
Master of Real Estate Society (and a list of other credentials too long to list)
Scottsdale and North Phoenix Area Specialist
(480) 220-7491

Great news Mona, your allergies should feel better in our warm sun.

I have helped a number of Canadians buy in Arizona. Please go to http://www.scottsdaledealfinder.com and click on the "Canadian? Click here!" button to see a special offer just for Canadian buyers.

You have a lot to choose from if you want a foreclosure in a nice area. With the answers to these questions, you should be ready to find just the home you are looking for:

1. What do you want to be near?
2. What activities do you enjoy?
3. What is your ideal budget?
4. How many bedrooms do you want?
5. Will you want your own pool or a community pool?

If I can help you set up an automatic e-mail notice of foreclosure listings, please feel free to get in touch.

Melanie Johnston
Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Mona,
There'a an excellent selection of foreclosure homes in Phoenix. You can find them here - a free search with no log-in required.
http://www.cr-az.com/page5.html

Scott
AZ's REBATE Realtor

HI Mona,

Continue the process by enlisting the services of an exclusive Buyer's Agent. This will prevent any conflict of interest from an agent possibly trying to sell you one of their listings.

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PAUL WELDEN
HomeSmart
602-503-4010
Exclusive Buyer's Agent Realtor