kwpr group • • •

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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New training program measures brain oxygenation and blood flow, enhancing Neurofeedback results

Scottsdale, Ariz. – The Center for Attention Deficit and Learning Disorders announces today that it has added Hemoencephalography (HEG) to its list of treatment options for patients with ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, mood disorders and other conditions. HEG utilizes infrared light to measure blood flow and oxygenation levels in the brain during a Neurofeedback session. 

 “The use of HEG in our Neurofeedback training sessions allows us to better target the areas of the brain that are not functioning at normal levels,” said Dr. Sanford J. Silverman, Ph.D., founder of the Center. “The goal of Neurofeedback is to exercise the brain in a specific way and create new connections between neurons that carry information to other areas of the brain. In patients with ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities and other disorders, we typically see less activity in certain areas of the brain. Our program trains the brain to re-activate these areas. It’s like taking your brain to the gym.”

 According to Dr. Silverman, adding HEG to the Center’s training program was part of his ongoing effort to offer the most comprehensive treatment plan available to train the brain in a variety of modalities.  The Center, which combines psychology, cutting-edge science and technology to treat a variety of disorders, is one of only five providers in Arizona that offers HEG.

 According to client surveys, 80 percent of the Center’s patients notice immediate improvement in their ability to focus and concentrate. “We have found that while our program works as a supplement to other therapies, in many cases it’s actually an alternative to medication for ADD/ADHD and other disorders,” said Dr. Silverman. “It allows our patients to realize more thorough and long-term results. In some cases, we find significant breakthroughs where other forms of treatment have not worked.”

 About the Center for Attention Deficit and Learning Disorders

Located in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Center for Attention Deficit and Learning Disorders combines psychology, science and technology into effective treatment for children and adults with ADD/ADHD and other clinical disorders. In conjunction with traditional psychotherapy, Dr. Silverman utilizes Neurofeedback, Quantitative EEG (Brain Mapping), Hemoencephalography (HEG), Interactive Metronome®, and SMART Brain Games (developed by NASA) to create a customized treatment program that targets the needs of each individual. For more information about the Center, please visit www.centerforadd-az.com or call (480) 314-4299.

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