Q: What type of business services or products do you provide?

Since the beginning of 2013 there have been some announced changes for buyers looking to obtain an FHA loan. FHA is an insurer of mortgage loans and is popular because of the low down payment option. I had the opportunity to ask Dawna Lepler of The Lending Company a few questions many of my real estate clients have asked over the past few months.

The company looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Ahwatukee Foothills has located a new site for a possible dispensary at 48th Street and Warner Road.

The value of home sales in Western states rose over the last year even as the number of transactions slipped, according to an official with the National Association of Realtors.

The real estate market is improving dramatically according to real estate professionals, and those looking to get involved in the market can learn all about their options at the Arizona Homebuyers Expo this Saturday, April 13.

Used to be, a foreclosure was something people seldom spoke about. Today, times have changed. Right now is the ideal time to buy a new home with record lows in mortgage rates and an increase in available, affordable homes. But if you’ve got a foreclosure or short sale on the books, you might be asking — how long before we can buy again?

Did you know this is the 18th year for the Festival of Lights Wine and Beer Tasting, Silent Auction and Golf Tournament on June 1 at the Foothills Golf Club?

Clear Title Agency of Arizona has added Colleen Frost as senior escrow officer. She will be based out of the company’s Chandler branch officer. Clear Title celebrated its five-year anniversary last year and has experienced 200-percent compounded annual growth.

When speaking about business success it doesn’t come from one individual.

Frank Hanson, a Tempe resident who works at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 301 W. Warner Road, is celebrating 40 years in real estate in Ahwatukee and Tempe.

Selling season is upon us — does your home have its best foot forward? Or, do you still need to be convinced that now is finally the time to place your home on the market?

After 24 years of marriage, Joe and Jane often finish each other’s sentences. So imagine how surprised they were when some differing goals emerged during a recent retirement income planning discussion with their financial advisor. As their advisor led the couple through an exercise designed to help them set retirement priorities, they discovered that Joe was eying a particular pocket of savings to enable his early retirement. Jane, on the other hand, viewed that same account as a fund for their children’s college education.

The number of distressed homes listed for sale in Ahwatukee was 52 percent lower on Feb. 1 when compared to the year earlier, based on data from the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service.

2375 E. Camelback Road, Suite 300, Phoenix

When I start talking about real estate in 2012 all I can say sometimes is, “WOW!” Do you realize that in 2012 the “Phoenix median home prices jumped 36 percent from $116,000 to $158,000 in one year, November to November” (housingwire.com)?

Barry Kramer, operating principal and designated broker of Keller Williams Realty Sonoran Living with offices in Ahwatukee, was recently sited by REAL Trends, Inc. as one of only 17 firms in America to achieve growth in all key areas of brokerage operational performance. REAL Trends is a trends and research firm in the residential brokerage industry in North America and annually publishes rankings of the leading brokerage firms and sales professionals.

Over the past five years the words “real estate” have led to many discussions and debates. The waves of emotion that came from the run up and bubble caused too much drama in people’s lives. Homes were meant for long-term investments and the five years around it caused some people to make decisions, good and bad. People thought they had a safe nest egg in the home they have poured thousands of dollars into, yet that property is now worth what it was 12 to 15 years earlier. Luckily, the market is starting to move past this.

For anyone who has ever felt cheated or anxious walking out of a car dealership, the local non-profit Automobile Buyer Services (ABS) is for you.

A new real estate company in Ahwatukee Foothills believes keeping the focus on successful agents is what will ultimately create a successful company.

While summer vacations and national holidays typically provide a break for everyone who would be considered a member of the working public, there is one big break ahead that’s a priority on most everyone’s calendar — retirement. Personal circumstances make planning for retirement different for each individual, but there are several considerations that apply if you break it down by the amount of time you have left until you retire.

At this time of year, when the fervor of holiday shopping reaches a frenzy, local stores that benefit local nonprofits and our neighbors in need seem to be an especially logical choice. While it has been a tough year for many businesses, they still rally to raise money for those that need our help. It takes the whole “shop local” theme a step further to support a good cause. I know things are tough today for a lot of folks, and even $5 to $10 to any of our nonprofits does go a long way.

Thanks to a range of factors — including medical advances, healthier eating habits and better fitness — Americans are living longer lives. Life expectancy in the U.S. recently hit a record 78.7 years, and the number of Americans living past age 90 has nearly tripled during the last 30 years. But while living well into our 90s is a dream for many of us, the possibility of outliving our savings serves as an eye-opener.

Stan Way, a Latter-day Saint from Jasper, Ala., had just finished dinner out with some Mormon missionaries when he noticed a car slowing as it approached.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce has announced nominees for the 2012 Palo Verde Business Woman of the Year and the 10 women are well known in the community for not only their business but their service.

With weather cooling down in the Valley it’s the perfect time for free concerts in the park.