New home sales in the US jumped 18.6 percent last month following a 3.7 percent increase in April, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The gains followed declines in February and March that were blamed in part on harsh winter weather.

Instead of renting an apartment or buying a home, a large number of Americans in their 20s and early 30s are living with family or tripling up with roommates. That's because younger Americans are having an especially tough time since the recession.

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/18/323328258/housing-market-sluggish-due-to-millions-of-missing-households

Homes sales in the US were up 4.9% in May '14 over last May. However, sales in the Valley were flat in April '14 over last April and not really expected to go up much in this summer. We'll see what our numbers were in May soon.

Metro Phoenix home-sales prices were flat in April, one of the region's prime sales months. And the forecast isn't upbeat for price increases during the rest of 2014. The median sales price of a Valley house was $205,000 in April, according to the latest report from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. That compares with $204,900 in March and $205,000 in December. - From AZCentral.com

Phoenix-area home prices rose fast from September 2011 to last summer, before slowing down and then even dropping a little bit earlier this year. This April, for the second month in a row, the median single-family-home price was just under $205,000. That’s up 13 percent – from $181,399 last April to $204,900 this April. Realtors will note the average price per square foot was up 12 percent. The median townhouse/condo price went up 4 percent. - from AZBigMedia.com

Did you hear? USAToday newspaper rated Roosevelt Row Arts District one of the 10 best Arts Districts in the US. Congratulations to Rooosevelt Row.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/experience/america/best-of-lists/2014/05/07/10-best-city-art-districts-around-the-usa/8807535/

Under other circumstances these numbers wouldn't sound as good but after the Great Recession, these numbers sound great. From AZCentral.com - Only 20.6 percent or 186,539 Valley homeowners are underwater now, according to a new report from real estate research firm CoreLogic. During the crash's low point for home prices in 2011, nearly 50 percent of Phoenix-area homeowners owed more on their mortgage then their home was worth.

It's really nice when you've helped someone find a great home and they appreciate it enough to write a review.

http://www.zillow.com/profile/Chris-F-Campbell/Reviews/?review=816623

There are currently many condos for sale in Optima Camelview. This is a great community with beautiful landscaping on every floor and for every balcony. Located on the north side of Scottsdale Fashion Square you can walk to a lot of shopping and restaurants.

http://www.aznativeproperties.com/lofts_condos_highrises/scottsdale/optima_camelview/ 

Buying a home soon? You'll need to get the right Realtor and lender to work with you to achieve your goal and make the whole process go smoother. I work hard with your lender, the seller's agent and the title company so you don't have to stress about the details.

Interest rates drop to the lowest levels since October 2013. Currently you can get 4.2% interest on a 30 year fixed mortgage. With property values leveling off, now is a good time to buy.

VA home mortgages are up 18% in March 2014 over the previous March. Vets are taking advantage of the low interest rates and VA mortgages which can be gotten for no down payment.

In the first three months, home prices rose 10.3% on an annual basis, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller report. In March, an index of 20 large housing markets gained 12.4% year-over-year. Values are still going up but I expect the increase to slow throughout this year.