kwpr group • • •

For Immediate Release

No signing, stuffing, stamping or sending – AmazingMail does it all for you

Scottsdale, Ariz., Nov. 2, 2010 –AmazingMail, an online Inc. 5000 postcard marketing company, today announced that its image gallery of holiday card templates has doubled in quantity and more than 124,000 images have been added, due to a new partnership with a leading online stock photography provider. With this expansion, AmazingMail now offers one of the largest selections of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and other holiday card options available online.

Last minute custom cards – with or without family photos
Want to send a holiday card to relatives that is a little more lasting than a will-o-wisp e-card? AmazingMail is a last minute option that allows consumers to send a printed, laminated holiday photo card or postcard as late as Dec. 15th and still arrive in time for the Christmas holiday.

At www.amazingmail.com, consumers can upload their own photo or use one of over 124,000 stock images and photo borders for a completely custom result. Within 24 hours of placing the order, the card(s) are conveniently printed and mailed directly to the recipient at no extra charge. Because the extra steps of signing, stuffing, stamping, addressing and sending the holiday cards are avoided, days are shaved off of the process. However, mailing a minimum of five-to-seven days before the anticipated delivery date is recommended.

Budget-friendly solution costs less
Including postage, the cost of an AmazingMail card ranges from a budget-friendly $.49 to $.1.80 per postcard, and $.84 to $1.90 per folded card. No minimum order is required. Cards can also be scheduled to mail on specific dates, so an entire year of birthday cards can be designed and ordered at one time.

5 tips to make your photo card unique
Amazing Mail offers the following suggestions for memorable cards:
• Crop the photo to make it more interesting and improve close-up detail.
• Instead of a long letter about what your family did this year, consider telling the story in a collage of photos or a photo timeline, or even write the saga as a poem.
• Consider sending a holiday card AFTER the holidays. It becomes a thank you card and you can use your favorite photo from Christmas day.
• Always write something personal. Even if you are crunched for time, cards are much more meaningful if there is an authentic message that references something personal. Tools like AmazingMail.com make it simple to do an entire batch of cards quickly and inexpensively, even with a different message on each photo card.

For a limited time, AmazingMail is offering a 25% holiday discount of 25 free cards to new customers who purchase 100 cards online using promo code FREE25 (offer expires 12/31/10).

About AmazingMail
Founded in 1998, AmazingMail is a Scottsdale-based direct mail company specializing in online web-to-print postcards and folded cards. Solutions for small to enterprise-level businesses include seamless integration with CRM software; list procurement; prospect insight; full-service design; automated, behavior- or event-triggered campaign management; real-time reporting; integration with custom, individualized website landing pages (PURLs) linked to individual mail pieces; and more. Consumers also use the AmazingMail website for their personal postcard and greeting card requirements. For more information, visit www.amazingmail.com.

For Immediate Release

Scottsdale, Ariz., Oct. 15, 2010 – Arizona green building innovator Cullum Homes today announced the launch of new home sales for Village at Paradise Reserve – a unique luxury home community of new homes selling at $1.5-$2.5 million that incorporates some of the most cutting edge sustainability, energy conservation and environmental stewardship innovations seen in the nation.

These homes present a rare opportunity to own a new home in Arizona’s most sought-after Paradise Valley area that incorporates characteristics of what is becoming known as “the new normal” in homebuilding. These features include energy efficient construction techniques, substantially improved indoor air quality and natural habitat preservation techniques – wrapped up into a smaller, more manageable size with the newly popular “lock and leave” lifestyle.

In partnership with Paradiso Development, Cullum Homes Director of Architecture Eddie Strong and NAHB Certified Green Building Professionals Rod and Kim Cullum carefully incorporated green building practices into virtually every aspect of the homes in The Village at Paradise Reserve. From electric car plug-ins incorporated into every garage, to LED lighting three-times more energy efficient than CFL light bulbs and a heating/cooling system that is up to 40 percent more efficient, The Village at Paradise Reserve “thinks green” in every possible way.

Eco-chic Satisfaction Without The Inflated Price TagLocated in the exclusive Paradise Reserve community – recent winner of a 2010 Valley Forward Environmental Excellence Award – the Village at Paradise Reserve includes 32 single- and two-story homes ranging from 3,321 to 5,593 square feet. The homes are nestled against the Phoenix Mountain Preserve with gorgeous views of Camelback Mountain and the sparkling city lights of Downtown Phoenix.

Construction of the homes launched in August, with two models expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2011. The first “Mediterranean Nouveau” model will showcase the newest trends in Italian design, embodied by warmer colors and softer lines while bypassing the typically heavy, chunky look of traditional Tuscan interior design. The second model, called “Urban Transition,” incorporates the clean, tailored lines of contemporary styling but with increased use of texture instead of stark glass and harsh metals. The use of sustainable materials within the homes is still in the planning stage.

In addition to including the newest in luxury home trends, Cullum Homes President and Founder Rod Cullum is proud of the firm’s integration of green building practices and materials. Unlike many green homes, it was done without the upfront cost increases normally seen in highly efficient or sustainable homes.

“One of the best examples of smart green building in this community is the use of 20 SEER cooling/heating units on the home. Instead of the 13 SEER units that most home builders typically use, we installed 20 SEER units. The short-term cost of the more expensive units was balanced by needing fewer total units for each home, plus it delivered the long-term utility bill savings and reduced energy consumption we were seeking,” stated Cullum.

He continued, “We also treated each major room in the house as its own zone within the HVAC system. Each bedroom and primary living area has its own programmable thermostat, meaning the homeowner can heat or cool only those areas being used. When combined with the highly efficient HVAC units and the thermally sealed building envelope, the cost savings of the zoning delivers a savings of up to 40 percent over comparable homes. This saves the homeowner money while giving them a green home to be proud of, and is something very few builders are able to do.”

The homes also feature environmentally conscious construction materials wherever feasible, such as:
• low VOC paints and finishes
• underground tanks that capture, store and redistribute stormwater runoff
• low flow toilets and fixtures
• thermally protected windows composed of metal-clad wood to eliminate heat conduction
• insulation applied to the underside of the roof rather than the attic floor

The homes will be green certified by the National Association of Homebuilders.

Strong added, “Building green requires a different way of thinking. It isn’t about spending more money, it is about re-thinking how you use materials and how you approach a process. For example, it may save time to discard leftover wood as a home is framed, but it is a better process to carefully re-use these scraps in other areas. Discarding it may save time, but it creates unnecessary waste of materials. At Cullum Homes, every process and material has been carefully crafted to maximize efficiency and respect the environment.”

For the latest news and information about the project, please visit the Cullum Homes Facebook page or http://cullumhomes.com/.

About Cullum Homes

Founded in 1985, Cullum Homes is one of the oldest and most reputable luxury homebuilders in Arizona. The Scottsdale-based business specializes in custom and semi-custom homes in affluent areas of the Phoenix metropolitan area such as Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Silverleaf, Firerock and Desert Mountain. Cullum Homes was the proud recipient of a Custom Home magazine Pacesetter Award for innovation, and has been listed twice among the “Fastest-Growing Residential Construction Companies” ranking in BUILDER Magazine. Their projects have been profiled in both local and national publications.

Founders Rod and Kim Cullum are both Certified Green Professionals and alumni of ASU (Arizona State University). They live in Paradise Valley. Their two children, Brad and Lindsay, are currently students at ASU: Brad is a senior working on his bachelor’s degree in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and Lindsay is in her final year of graduate school for a Masters in Architecture.

For more information, visit http://cullumhomes.com/.

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For Immediate Release

100 percent uptime even during last year’s record-setting 90mph monsoon winds

Scottsdale, Ariz., Sept. 14, 2010 – Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and Airband Communications today announced that Airband (formerly known as Sparkplug Communications), has been selected as the Internet provider and exclusive business continuity solution for the 3rd Annual Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Thursday, Sept. 23, to Saturday, Sept. 25. The Las Vegas event will kick off a year-long celebration of Barrett-Jackson’s 40th Anniversary.

The Barrett-Jackson website logs more than 80 million page views and 3.5 million visitors annually, and the demand for bandwidth to manage the automotive catalog, online bidding and video streaming/archiving between the auction event location and their corporate server is significant. Airband is providing 30MB of guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth to Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas event via a stand-alone fixed-wireless tower transported to Mandalay Bay just for the auction.

Airband’s service provides the extra bandwidth that is critical during the event, and serves as second diverse network as part of the auction’s robust business continuity plan established by Barrett-Jackson to ensure a successful event. In the event of a cut cable, weather outage or catastrophic network failure of any kind, connectivity will be instantly re-routed to the wireless Airband network within seconds, providing a failover solution to ensure uptime.

“Barrett-Jackson must use the best-of-class technology provided by Airband to make our auctions the ultimate experience for car collectors and enthusiasts,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman and CEO, Barrett-Jackson. “Access to a 100 percent reliable network is critical and Airband offers carrier-quality high-bandwidth service. Their fixed wireless network gives us the diverse second network path that guarantees zero downtime, regardless of circumstances that might otherwise interrupt the wired network. The network they establish for our short-term need is every bit as solid and reliable as a high-dollar, permanent corporate installation.”

During the auction in Scottsdale earlier this year, a state of emergency was declared by Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer and auction attendees experienced record-setting 90mph monsoon winds and tornado warnings; however, the Sparkplug fixed wireless network experienced zero downtime. Operating as Sparkplug Communications, Airband has provided high-speed broadband internet access and business continuity planning to previous Barrett-Jackson auctions in Scottsdale and Las Vegas.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction CompanyThe Barrett-Jackson Auction Company was established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas, and Orange County, Cali. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.

About AirbandAirband Communications, Inc., is the largest fixed-wireless broadband provider for businesses in the U.S. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-speed data, Voice over IP, security and other managed solutions – delivered over one of the industry’s most scalable last-mile networks. Airband bypasses the local phone company to provide faster provisioning intervals, immediate scalability and complete redundancy for its customers. Thousands of businesses nationwide already count on Airband for their broadband service. For more information, please visit www.airband.com.

For Immediate Release

Olympian Labs New TRANQUIL TUMMY™ Morning Sickness Remedy Available on Amazon.com

Phoenix, Ariz., April 21, 2010 – Olympian Labs, a global dietary supplement and fortified foods company based in Scottsdale, Ariz., today announced that their new morning sickness remedy, Tranquil Tummy™ is now available on Amazon.com. This new treatment for morning sickness and nausea combines the anti-nausea benefits of saltine crackers with those of ginger in a single convenient product.

Recommended by physicians, midwives and others since the 19th Century, saltine crackers are a time-tested remedy for the nausea experienced by pregnant women. Ginger has also been used to treat stomach upset and nausea for thousands of years. Those suffering from nausea often have difficulty swallowing ginger in a pill form, and liquids such as ginger ale are often filled with artificial ingredients and sweeteners. Tranquil Tummy™ combines the needed dose of ginger in a simple, easy-to-take form that is gentle on the stomach.

This product is available in a box of 12 single serving pouches, each containing bite-sized crackers infused with 250mg of all natural ginger. It is free of sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Tranquil Tummy™ is just one of four new products being introduced this month by Olympian Labs in its new reproductive specialty line. It also includes:

• Aspiring Mother Premium Multivitamin, a pre-conception vitamin supplement containing Guaifenesin to reduce the thickness of cervical mucus, in order to prevent thick cervical mucus from interfering with the passage of sperm. It also contains 5 mg of folic acid. According to WebMD1, taking a larger dose of folic acid at least a month before becoming pregnant can significantly reduce the risk of brain or spinal cord birth defects.

• Expecting Mother Premium Multivitamin, a prenatal vitamin containing 5mg of folic acid for maximum benefit. In a recent clinical study2, it was shown that 5 mg of folic acid reduced the risk of neural tube defects (NTD’s) by 85 percent, compared to only a 20 percent reduction in NTD’s achieved with the typical 400 microgram dose found in many prenatal vitamins.

• Brand New Mother Premium Multivitamin, a high quality multivitamin which also contains herbs traditionally used to promote lactation for breastfeeding mothers.

In addition to being stocked at Amazon (NasdaqGS: AMZN), Tranquil Tummy is also available at EverythingHerbs.com and iHerb.com. The product is expected to be available in drug, retail and discount stores nationally in the near future.

About Olympian Labs Based in Arizona, Olympian Labs is a global dietary supplement and fortified foods company that manufactures and markets more than 270 vitamin, mineral, herbal and dietary supplements to over 7,000 health food retailers. Olympian Labs is well known in the natural health and vitamin science industry for its distinctive specialty formulations, and is a Besins Healthcare company.

1 WebMD.com, Health and Pregnancy, Pregnancy and Prenatal Vitamins, http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/prenatal-vitamins

2 Department of Environmental and Preventative Medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Charterhouse Square, London, UK (Prof. N J Wald, Prof. NM R Law, Prof. J K Morris): Department of Cardiology, St. Mary’s Hospital, Milton Rd., Portsmouth UK (D S Wald). As published in The Lancet, Vo. 358 December 15, 2001, Page 2089.

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The Spa at Carefree Resort and Villas announced that local spa industry veteran Donna Barr is the newly appointed spa director. Now under Barr’s watch, the tranquil resort spa nestled in the foothills of Carefree is offering a host of new and unique services to help locals and resort guests and skin treatments using cutting-edge technology.

Barr brings more than forty years of experience and training in the spa industry. As current owner of Latitude 33 Salon & Day Spa and a seasoned massage therapist, she has introduced Carefree and Cave Creek residents and guests to a wide array of ancient therapies, as well as advanced techniques, from around the world. She also consistently brings wellness education and world-class expertise in medical aesthetics to the local community.

“It’s important to me that each client, resort guests and locals alike, receives a ‘WOW’ experience,” says Barr. “Professional, thoughtful treatment is just as important as relaxation in a spa experience. This is why we hire only the most highly-trained technicians, use pharmaceutical grade products, and don’t cut corners on time or quality of treatments.”

Some of the unique new offerings at The Spa include customized cocoon body wraps, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, and progressive technologies such as LED Photo-Rejuvenation, oxygen treatments, and the Accent Laser for body sculpting. The Spa’s skilled estheticians, therapists, and nail technicians are experts in their fields, all with at least ten years of experience and a commitment to achieving great results.
Locals and visitors can attend “Spa Happy Hour” every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and enjoy 20 to 35 percent discounts on nail services, facials, and body treatments. Valentine’s Day specials include:
• Chocolate Raspberry Body Scrub, 60 min., $135
• Chocolate Cherry Facial, 60 min., $135
• Champagne and Chocolate, Manicure- $30, Pedicure- $50, Mani-Pedi Package- $75
• Couples Massage, 60 min., $250.00
• “Stoned, Thai’d & Wacked” Massage Package, 2hr. 15 min, $250
To make a reservation at The Spa, call 480-488-5300‎ or book online at www.thespa-carefreeresort.com. For a full suite of hair services, visit Latitude 33 Salon & Day Spa in Carefree at www.latitude33dayspa.com or call 480-575-8333
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Virtual work-life balance
By Brittney Walker
© 2010, Raising Arizona Kids
Kelly Wood of Cave Creek started her company, KWPR Group, to make more time for her son, Hudson (4). Now she affords other moms on her team the same luxury.

How did KWPR Group come to be?
My son was the impetus for going out on my own. I was working for one of the largest communications companies in town and then I realized I know what I’m doing. I could do this myself. I love being able to call the shots and the freedom and flexibility that being the boss gives you. I took on freelance clients for a while until I gained traction and then I started hiring people. We are still growing despite the economy last year. I feel really blessed.
You have a mom-concentrated team. What’s the draw for moms to be part of your business?
I wanted to create a situation for other young moms and young women where they can take ownership of their own time. I work 20 to 40 hours per week but I get to figure out when those hours are and that allows me to be present with my family. I don’t have to request vacation.
We work in a totally virtual environment so I can get up, do a load of laundry, make breakfast and then go back to the computer and finish working.
Critical to that is that we are a group of real go-getters. Everyone I hire is really motivated, driven and super talented at what they do. I don’t want to micro-manage. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from clients, so apparently it’s working.
Sounds like the perfect set-up for moms.
We’re having a good time; I’m not going to lie. And we’re always looking for new people. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the women in my group. We get together once a month to talk about work but we also talk as moms, share stories about our kids and figure out when we’re going to take the kids to the water park or the pool or the mall. We are just as much friends as we are colleagues.
I think the lines are really blurred today — more than they have ever been as far as boundaries of work and life go. It’s an integrated life. It works for us. By the way, I am open to men or dads working with us but I haven’t had one step up to plate yet.

How does the virtual format of your company affect your clients?
I’ve never had a client complain about our virtual format. A lot of people tried to discourage me from going this route. They said “Clients are going to want to come to your office,” but we haven’t had one problem with that and we’ve worked with big brands on national campaigns as well as the local PR that we really love.
Most of our clients are based here and they like that we come to them. We do a lot of conference calls and utilize technology not just to promote but to connect with clients. There are some huge advantages to our clients. They’re not paying for office space on Camelback or Scottsdale Road. Perceptions have really in changed in our industry. There has been a migration away from the big agencies. Clients are on to it.

What is your schedule like?
I work Monday through Thursday basically from 4am to 4pm. Fridays my son is with me. I do a little office work in morning and then we do errands, go to the water park, whatever. I really want to spend time with my son and the two-day weekend goes by in two seconds so this allows us to have a little extra time together.
It’s such an advantage for us as moms and as individuals to get to have ownership of our schedules. I can go hit my yoga class at 4:30 Monday and no one’s looking at me. I’m an early bird so I get plenty of office time. Everyone on my team gets to call their own shots.

Yoga? Really? As a mom and a business owner do you really make time to get to yoga class?
It’s funny that you should call me out on that because honestly there are times those things get put on the back burner, so this year at New Year’s I had a heart to heart with myself. I said, all right Kel, if you’re going to keep talking about balance, you really need to make some time for you. I have a gym by my house and they have a yoga class at 4:30 Mondays and I go! That’s an office day for me so I get started early and then I go do it. I’ve been really sore lately using muscles haven’t used in a long time. I also meet another mom who has a similar type of business at Pinnacle Peak and go hiking in the morning. We buzz up and down mountain in an hour and talk shop, talk mom and get all philosophical. It’s awesome!

To learn more or to contact Kelly, visit kwprgroup.com.
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If you know of a Valley mompreneur we should feature, write to brittney@raisingarizonakids.com.

11-Year-Old Community & Environmental Activist Embodies the True Essence of KidStar’s Mission

PHOENIX (Feb. 3, 2010) -  Eleven-year-old Mario Ridgley Jr., has been selected as the first-ever kid president for KidStar Radio Network, a non-profit organization that operates a national network of web radio stations completely operated by kids and overseen by broadcast professionals.  Mario Jr. is a sixth grade honor student at Imagine Charter School in Palm Coast, Fla. and will hold the position of president for one year. 

Mario Jr. will shadow retired radio pro and KidStar founder and chairman, Perry Damone, to learn the fundamentals of radio operations and will act as point man for Kidstar media appearances and inquiries.  At the end his term, KidStar will donate $5,000 into his college scholarship fund.

“Mario was selected because of his strong commitment to community outreach and his activism in the areas of environmental sustainability and education,” says Damone.  “Mario Jr. may only be 11 years old, but he is wise beyond his years and is driven to make a positive impact on the world around him.”

In an effort to raise environmental awareness and set an example for his peers, Mario Jr. recently teamed up with World Green Consultant, Inc. and Waste Pro of Florida to start his school’s first recycling program.

Although currently there is no KidStar radio station at Mario Jr.’s school, he is taking great strides to provide his school with this valuable communications platform. “My hope and dream is to start my own, Imagine School KIDSTAR Radio Station Environmental Show,” says Mario, “I would like to discuss the importance of recycling, using green products and, most of all, let people know they’re choices make a difference.” 

KidStar management and an affiliated fundraising group are working diligently with Mario and Imagine School in Palm Coast to bring the Kidstar Radio program into the school as soon as possible.  To make a donation that will help Mario Jr.’s school secure their radio station equipment, please contact KidStar Radio Network at 480-837-1676 or visit www.kidstar.org and click “Donate” at the bottom of the homepage.

MORE ABOUT KIDSTAR
Founded by Perry Damone in 1994, KidStar Radio Network is a Children’s educational charity that teaches kids from 10 to 18 years of age to be quality radio broadcasters.  Kidstar’s network includes web radio stations that are completely branded and operated by the kids themselves.  Each station is overseen by a KidStar liaison with professional radio broadcast experience.

The program educates youth through radio, a medium that is fun and familiar, helping to develop discipline and valuable communications skills. KidStar is made available to thousands of kids around the country and their voices can be heard around the globe- anywhere there is Internet access. The organization’s goal is to develop and establish 5,000 radio stations in various schools, clubs and youth organizations in the U.S. and beyond.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Spartan Boot Camps will hold a fitness boot camp on Saturday, February 6 as a member of Team Fox to raise funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). The hour long event will take place at 9:00 a.m. at Arcadia Park on 56 Street and Indian School Road.

Spartan Boot Camps aims to raise $350 or more to enable the Foundation to continue aggressively funding research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Spartan Boot Camps is a member of Team Fox, the Foundation’s project for supporting grassroots community fundraisers working to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s research.

For Matthew Baehr, Founder of Spartan Boot Camps, choosing to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation was simple. A member of his immediate family is currently living with Parkinson’s. He stated, “I was crushed when I found out someone I loved dearly was suffering with Parkinson’s disease. I chose to run a fitness boot camp as part of Team Fox because my passion for helping people and my knowledge of fitness is the most valuable thing I can give to the community to generate donations to further the cause of Parkinson’s research.” Baehr is a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Over five million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease – a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder whose symptoms typically progress from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Current treatments mask symptoms but do not alter or slow disease progression.

In the United States, 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. The annual economic cost of Parkinson’s in the U.S. is estimated to exceed $25 billion.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to ensuring the development of better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda.

About Spartan Boot Camps
Based out of Phoenix, Ariz., Spartan Boot Camps offers a unique, cutting-edge approach to fitness. The workouts are designed based on the results of multiple peer-reviewed studies on HIIT training and the extensive benefits of anaerobic training. Outdoor, group sessions are 60 minutes long and lead by a nationally Certified Personal Trainer. Classes appeal to all levels and injuries or disabilities can be easily compensated for. For more information on Spartan Boot Camps, please visit www.spartanbootcamps.com or call (480) 330-0805.

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For Immediate Release

Fidelity National Title and Cromford Report Releases Trends & Predictions
Discussed At Recent Sold-Out Industry Event

Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 26, 2010 – Fidelity National Title, one of Arizona’s largest title insurance and escrow service companies, in partnership with Cromford Report, a subscription-based online statistical resource on the Metropolitan Phoenix residential resale market, today confirmed that the top of the Arizona real estate market was in June of 2006, with the bottom hitting in April of 2009. Maximum inventory of homes on the market was in late April of 2008.

According to Michael Orr, Analyst and Author of The Cromford Report, this month’s pending sales in ARMLS (the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service) are at a record level for January, signifying an increase in demand – a critical indication of recovery for Arizona’s real estate market and a positive sign of market activity. Market recovery is likely to be shallow and slow. Steady price stability is important to prove Arizona is past the bottom and inspire market confidence in a recovery.

A keynote speaker for the recent sold-out Fidelity 2010 Real Estate Crystal Ball event, Orr stated “”…like a supertanker, once the real estate market gathers momentum, it is very slow to turn around. 2010 won’t see a dramatic shift, but we can expect to see a shallow upward trend across the market. The number of homes under contract is more than double what it was last January, and sale price increases are likely to follow.”

He continued on to state that while the buying frenzy has cooled at the bottom of the market, activity is warming for homes in the $250,000 – $400,000 range.
While many markets are showing an upward trend, it is important to note that some areas and neighborhoods are flat or continue to decline. There may be another dip in sale prices as short sales continue to dominate the market, but the recent trend of sales price increases are a positive indication.

“The last three months of 2009 saw a 60% increase in short sale closings,” stated Fidelity Senior Vice President Steve de Laveaga.”In 2010, you will see a number of lenders move to aggressive short sale programs and cash for keys for sellers.”

December and January data for 2010 shows a 25 percent drop in REOs compared to last year, short sales increased by 16 percent, and normal sales increased by nine percent.

Short sales are expected to dominate the market this year, with REOs declining in importance as banks/lenders are discovering that they lose less money on short sale transactions. According to de Laveaga, trustee sales by bank-owned properties result in an average of $38,000 lost per transaction compared to a short sale.

Fidelity partner Mark Parris of RE/MAX Renaissance Realty, who was a panelist at the January 2010 Fidelity Real Estate Crystal Ball event, said, “banks are now implementing a better short sale process, so we are seeing more agents dealing directly with sellers before the banks get involved. This is a good step in the right direction for everyone.”

This information is released in partnership with Cromford Report, a daily subscription-based online report tracking residential real estate trends of the Metropolitan Phoenix area.

About Fidelity National Title Insurance Company of Maricopa County
Fidelity National Title of Maricopa County was established in 1981 and has maintained a steady physical and financial base in Arizona for almost thirty years, remaining rock solid through decades of market swings. It is protected under the umbrella of Fidelity National Title Group, which holds over $2.8 billion in reserves.

Fidelity is one of Arizona’s largest providers of title insurance and escrow services, with 13 offices Valley-wide and a staff with almost 100 years of combined experience servicing a portfolio of more than 6,000 mortgage accounts. Additionally, it is one of Arizona’s leading resources for real estate agent continued training. Fidelity recently launched Fidelity Big Mouth – a blog aimed at helping real estate agents and lenders digest the Arizona real estate market.

Fidelity National Title Group
Founded in 1848, Fidelity National Title is the world’s largest title insurance company, issuing insurance policies and escrow services throughout the US, Canada, Mexico and 50 countries. It is one of the nation’s largest providers of title insurance and escrow services, and is ranked at #264 on the Fortune 500, an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations. The respected title insurance underwriters that comprise Fidelity National Title Group issue approximately HALF of the residential and commercial title insurance policies in the United States. It is one of the foremost experts in the area of HUD, short sale, REO and foreclosed properties.

Fidelity National Title Group is a subsidiary of holding company Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF), a leading provider of title insurance, specialty insurance, claims management services and information services. For more information, visit www.fnf.com.

About The Cromford Report
The Cromford Report is owned and produced by Cromford Associates LLC, an Arizona limited liability company managed by Michael Orr and based in Mesa, Ariz.

Orr holds a masters degree in mathematics from the University of Oxford and spent 31 years in the computer industry, working for companies like IBM and Fujitsu. He relocated from England to California in 1992. In his most recent positions he was President of Tarantella and CEO of Mobilearia, both Silicon Valley technology start-ups now acquired by larger companies.

He first started investing in real estate in 1976 and left the computer industry in 2002, moving to Arizona to focus on real estate investment. He obtained a real estate license in 2005 and has been working on real estate market analysis since 2006. The results are published each day in The Cromford Report – an online resource for professionals focused on the Greater Phoenix residential resale market. He has been working closely with ARMLS and the Information Market LLC since July 2008.

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In his opening address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said that “Jazz speaks for life… it takes the hardest realities of life and puts them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down. And now, Jazz is exported to the world.  This is triumphant music.”

 How Do You Test The Worthiness Of A Vision?   

Not in times of comfort and abundance; when things are good.  The test of a vision comes in the tough times.  In many ways, this is a time of trial for Sedona Jazz on the Rocks as we tackle the thorny issues of an economic crisis.  Yet, we are confident that we will pull through. 

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks plays an unique role in fostering Jazz as a cultural art form.  A look at the impact of our mission, “to preserve jazz for future generations through education and performance programs,” encourages us to forge ahead and inspires us to evolve and grow.  

Since its inception, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks has placed its primary focus on creating, developing and financing innovative educational programs for Arizona’s talented young musicians. On average, our music training programs provide quality jazz education to thousands of young students each year.

We need only recall the kids we have supported throughout our 28 years, their hopes and dreams about how their lives are supposed to work.  They come to us with varying levels of talent, ability and enthusiasm, and what they accomplish as a result of our programs compels us to remain steadfast in our commitment.

Did you know that Jazz is America’s indigenous art form? 

We strive to broaden public awareness of the artistic, historical and cultural contributions that Jazz has made to the American music landscape. It is a cherished part of our heritage that must be sustained, as it is relished.

Did you know that Jazz on the Rocks earned the Governor’s Tourism Award?

Our Festival started modestly in 1981, but in the years since we have brought many world-renowned jazz artists to Sedona, and have earned national and international recognition through our annual jazz festival.  

We are driven to continue this tradition of excellence in Jazz education and performance.  We are energized by the growing number of young people who are interested in and excited about Jazz, even as funding for music programs in our nation’s schools continues to diminish.

We’re digging in deep to ensure that we can provide supplemental programs and activities to keep Jazz alive for these students. We have been aggressive about cutting costs every where we can, and we’re working hard to raise more money from donors.  We are committed to finding a way to support our scholarship winners and our Youth Band. 

I’ve been reminded that at present “it’s tough for everybody”.  Of course that’s true, but it’s a lot tougher for some than others.  We must not forget that there are families whose incomes are so minimal that they are barely able to provide the basics for their children. Our worst-case scenario is that when deserving students look to us for help, we would have to turn them away for lack of resources to meet their needs.

I hope you will agree that ours is a vision worthy of triumph.  If you are in a position to help or are interested in knowing more about our programs, please call us at (928) 282-1985, or visit our website at http://www.sedonajazz.com/subjects/support/make-a-donation.htm.

By: Bettye Wilson
President, Sedona Jazz on the Rocks

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