The Thompson Group

Jamie Thompson and The Thompson Group are Phoenix AZ realtors experienced and dedicated in helping you sell or buy your home.  Specializing in Phoenix Real Estate including Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and other surrounding cities.

** Visit our new Thompson Group blog at www.ThompsonGroupAZ.com to read the latest real estate and community information **

Find Phoenix Homes for Sale

Search the entire Phoenix Metro Area MLS using our free, easy, and convenient search tool!  Whether you are looking for Arizona foreclosures, short sales, luxury homes, investment properties, golf course homes, or multi million dollar estates, let us help you make your home search easier with our custom MLS map search, which lets you choose beyond city and price, saving you valuable time.  Create your own custom MLS map search by choosing the home features that are important to you, such as:

• home size                             •lot size   
• number of days listed          •year built   
• % in price drop                     •school/districts  
• property type - townhouse, condo, detached  
• special features - community pool, community spa, cul-de-sac, gated community, golf ammenities, HOA, horses allowed, mountain view, patio, private pool, vaulted ceilings, etc
• short sales or pre-foreclosures  
• foreclosures or bank owned

Ready to get started?  Click here to set up your free, no obligation custom home search.

Sell or List Homes

Are you in financial distress and facing foreclosure?  Do you need a realtor experienced with Arizona short sales? Whatever your questions are, we can help.  Contact us today.

The Thompson Group has an extensive marketing plan and experienced negotating skills that will help you get the most money for your Phoenix Arizona home.  Request your free, no obligation Home Market Valuation and consultation.  We value your privacy.  All information will be kept confidential. 

Recent Real Estate News Articles posted on our webpage.

Important Questions to Ask Before Starting the Short Sale of Your Home

...In today’s market, with home prices substantially lower than during the housing “boom”, you may find yourself in the position of having to sell your home, yet owing more to your lender than you can get for the house on the open market. One way of solving this problem – and avoiding foreclosure – is to sell your home in a “short sale”. With a short sale, you sell your home for whatever the current market will bear, and your lender agrees to accept the proceeds of that sale and release the lien on the home....[Click on the link for the rest of the article]

Urban Legends:  Finding the Perfect Home

...Does the “perfect home” exist? I guess if you have an unlimited budget, then probably so. For the rest of us – those who aren’t rock stars or professional athletes -- the perfect home for us may exist, but finding it requires a little preparation. Here are some steps to take to get you there...[Click on the link for the rest of the article]

Mortgage Options 

...Adjustable-rate and fixed-rate mortgages are two of the most common financing options. In the last five years, loans from the Federal Housing Administration boomed in popularity, accounting for 28 percent of home loan volume in 2009. Choosing the best mortgage option requires the borrower’s foresight....[Click on the link for the rest of the article]

Recipe for a Success in Real Estate

Over the last several years the real estate market disintegrated and realtor after realtor left the real estate business.  With the challenging economic environment for real estate sales,  a reduction in realtors is inevitable.  However, many realtors remaining in the real estate business and many new real estate agents entering the business are thriving in the same challenging economic market.  So, the obvious question comes to mind, “What are realtors doing different to be successful?”...[Click the link to continue reading]

Benefits of a Short Sale Versus a Foreclosure 

As unfortunate as it is to miss the first mortgage payment and to realize that the ability to meet and fulfill the commitment to make future mortgage payments is not realistic, there are still benefits to being responsible as you exit a terrible situation.  For a seller, navigating the short sale promises many benefits over just locking the doors and turning the home over to the bank.  Here are a few… [click on the link for the rest of the article]

Urban Legends - "It's a Buyer's Market" 

Lately every real estate conversation centers around one simple fact, “It is a Buyer’s Market.”   Ask any buyer and you will hear about that smoking good deal made during the purchase of their home.  Ask a seller, and you will hear how their home is selling for $1000’s less than in previous year.  Ask a realtor, and you will hear about how homes are being given away for pennies on the dollar...[Click on the link for the rest of the article]

The Short Sale!  Our Hero or Villain? 

The list of grievances for the Short Sale are numerous:  Tons and tons of bank bureaucracy to work through, super long escrows that last 3-6 times the normal escrow, waiting for a bank negotiator for days on end, real estate listing agents who may not know how to operate in the banking world and, last but not least, the bank could just say no. [Click on the link for the rest of the article]

Low-balling--Should You Write a Low Priced Offer?

In real estate the term "low-ball" is often associated with writing an offer that is significantly below the seller’s list price.  In Arizona an offer is consider a low-ball offer when the offer price is 10% under the list price.   So, is low-balling a good idea?  Situations vary. [Click the link for the rest of the article]

Clarification on FHA exemption for flipping homes-  FHA is extending the exemption of their very, very strict 90 day flipping rule for homes utilizing the NSP so that the buyers can be eligible for FHA mortgage financing for foreclosed or abandoned homes that are acquired by a nonprofit or previously approved for profit, state and local agencies but it does not extend to any other property flips.

SHOULD YOU USE YOUR $8,000 TAX CREDIT AS YOUR DOWN PAYMENT?-  So there has been a lot of rumors regarding the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit and that it can be used as a down payment for a new home with an FHA loan.  At first, I thought it was just another “mortgage scam”.

New Arizona Foreclosure Law Bans Anti-Deficiency Claims for Investors - Arizona is infamous for having the anti deficiency law that made it really easy for homeowners to walk away from their homes with virtually no recourse in the future. Now, it looks like Arizona residents that live in their primary homes for 6 continuous months prior to their home being foreclosed will still be protected, but investors, second homeowners etc will not be able to walk away so easily starting September 30, 2009.

The Fight to Fix Arizona's Broken Anti-Deficiency Law - On July 10, 2009, Arizona Governor Brewer signed into law SB 1271 that is a major change to Arizona Revised Statutes Section 33-814(G) effective September 30, 2009.  The law apparently is intended to protect only borrowers who "utilize" and "use" a home for at least six consecutive months from deficiency judgments, but only if they get a certificate of occupancy for the home.

Arizona's anti-deficiency laws are changing efective September 30, 2009!-  Before agreeing to a foreclosure or short sale it is critical to understand your rights and obligations as a borrower.  In addition to damaging one’s credit, a foreclosure or short sale can result in a deficiency.  The change was intended to limit the type of borrowers that will qualify for anti-deficiency treatment.  Set forth below is a general outline of Arizona law regarding when a borrower may be subject to a deficiency action or sued on its note following a foreclosure or short sale.

Bank Short Sale – a Great Way to Purchase Investment Property  - A bank short sale is a great way for investors to buy property at a fraction of the market price; however there are several steps that should be followed in order to guarantee a successful and profitable transaction. These tips include using a real estate agent experienced in the short sale process, doing research on the short sale specifics, identifying the correct owner of the property, file all associated paperwork in a timely and efficient manner, and completing a thorough inspection of the property before finalizing or signing any papers. [Click the link to view the entire article]

Use a Short Sale to Escape Foreclosure - The beauty of short sales is that they can be a win-win-win situation for seller, buyer and lender. Here's how:  The seller gets out of the mortgage liability without facing bankruptcy.  The buyer gets the home at a reduced price.  The lender agrees to a loss it considers minimal without going through a foreclosure and being saddled with an unsalable property.  [Click the link to view the entire article]