Now is the opportunity of a lifetime for Canadians to purchase homes in Arizona. Phoenix Real Estate is about 50% less than what it was just a few years ago, while as we all know, earlier this month the Loonie reached par with the U.S. dollar. That is the first time since July 2008. Ever since, my phone has been ringing off the hook with buyers who understand the importance of investing now while the price is right.

There are some excellent opportunities for Canadian buyers right now. A recent news story has reported an estimated 80 percent increase in home sales to Canadians over the past year. Read about an investment group hoping to purchase hundreds of properties in the Phoenix area: http://www.abc15.com/content/realestate/story/Arizona-real-estate-being-snapped-up-by-Canadian/To_gZ9p-iUi_WqnE0RpCTw.cspx.

With the beautiful Arizona weather about 9 months out of the year, I can’t think of a better place to own a vacation home and get away from the cold Alberta weather. The Loonie will not remain this strong forever and with the Phoenix Real Estate market slowly coming back up, now is the best time to purchase a resort style home or condo so that you can spend your winters golfing and playing tennis in your own resort style community.

If you would like to view all available homes in the Phoenix Arizona area visit my website www.ThePhoenixExperts.com. Feel free to call me with any questions at (602) 791-0536 or (800) 300-0263.

Carmen Brodeur BA, LLB
Arizona Realtor / Former Alberta Lawyer
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

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Carmen Brodeur BA, LLB is an Arizona Realtor and Former Alberta Lawyer. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Her clients benefit immensely from her negotiation skills to get the very best deal possible. Put her experience to work for you. Call Carmen Brodeur at 1-800-300-0263 for all Phoenix and Scottsdale Real Estate.

Recent reports from several trustworthy financial sources such as MarketWatch, Inc and Dow Jones Newswires are stating that the Loonie will most likely reach par with the U.S. dollar by this Summer. The Loonie has increased by about 23% against the US dollar just in the past 12 months so it is looking like for the first time since July 2008 it might actually hit par.

What does this mean for you? It means that NOW is the time to start searching for your new home in Arizona! So many Canadians have been holding off on purchasing homes because they were worried that they would buy too soon or that the dollar was not strong enough. With the Arizona real estate market coming back up and the Canadian Loonie almost at Par, I can’t think of a better time to buy.  As an added bonus March and April are two of the most enjoyable months in AZ because the weather is so beautiful!

Feel free to contact me at (800) 300-0263 with any questions regarding the current real estate market conditions. I would be happy to help you find your dream home in beautiful Arizona. Visit my website to view available luxury homes at www.ThePhoenixExperts.com.

Carmen Brodeur BA, LLB
Arizona Realtor / Former Alberta Lawyer
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

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As you are probably aware, the Canadian dollar has dropped a few cents in the past week. This has caused concern among Canadian buyers. The Canadians I have spoken with this week fall into 2 categories:
(1) We need to find a home to buy IMMEDIATELY before the dollar drops further, or
(2) We have decided to wait a month until the dollar comes back up.

Who is right? Unless you have a crystal ball, no one can say for sure. I have in the past seen many Canadians assume that by waiting the dollar will increase, only to have it drop further. These people are shooting themselves in the foot. History shows that the dollar goes both directions, up and down. It will not necessarily improve in a month. If they wait even longer, say 3-4 months, they will miss the whole winter season. What use is buying a vacation home in Phoenix in the summer. You will have to wait until winter 2010 to use it to escape the snow.

If you are concerned about currency fluctuations you should exchange your money with a professional currency exchange firm prior to finding a home. That way you lock in the best exchange rate possible. Email me for details of the company we use in Edmonton, Alberta.

Carmen Brodeur BA, LLB
Arizona Realtor / Former Alberta Lawyer
1-800-300-0263
Carmen@ThePhoenixExperts.com

The Canadian Dollar is up again today. It hit a high of 90 cents for a few minutes today. That is an EIGHT month high. What incredible timing – Phoenix housing is hitting the bottom and Canadian dollar is hitting a high. I never imagined that these factors would align together at the same time – but they are. If you are serious about buying a home in Phoenix now is the time! I had a long discussion with a buyer from Red Deer, Alberta today who is trying to perfectly time the market. He has bid on SEVEN homes here this week. Does he plan to buy 7? No, only 1 but the bidding wars are so intense on the remaining foreclosures that often it is necessary to bid on multiple homes just to get one under contract. He plans to close and purchase on a home in 30 days. So he locks in the lowest price home this week, lets the Canadian dollar keep rising for a month and converts his money at the last minute a month from now. Now that is sharp thinking!

View all available foreclosures on our website at www.ThePhoenixExperts.com. To start you home search call me at 1-800-300-0263 or email me at Marc@ThePhoenixExperts.com. I look forward to getting you your Arizona dream home.

Marc Brodeur
1-800-300-0263
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com

Great news. The Canadian dollar has increased 3% since yesterday. A swing like that can save you $6000 on a $200,000 house. If you are serious about purchasing a home in Phoenix you need to take advantages of currency swings like that. Using a foreign exchange company can be the easiest way to pick the right moment to exchange your Canadian dollars for Amercian dollars. We can recommend you to two highly reputable international exchange companies. They can get you a better exchange rate than your local bank. Call us for more information or visit our website www.ThePhoenixExperts.com.

Marc Brodeur, Realtor
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

The best way to eliminate the regret of not converting your Canadian money when the rate was higher is to start to move your money into US funds on a systematic basis through a foreign exchange company. We work with an international foreign exchange company in Edmonton that can set up systematic exchanges as the dollar hits pre-determined prices. For example, the dollar is currently about 84 cents. You could tell them to exchange $10,ooo, $20,000, $25,000 or any specific amount every time it goes up a penny. So for the split second instant it hits 85 cents, 86 cents etc your money is exchanged. This is very similar to a limit order on the stock market. By taking action and taking control you avoid currency speculation and the ritual guessing game of which way the Canadian dollar is going. Leave it to the pros.

We are dedicated to serving Canadians interested in Phoenix and Scottsdale real estate. Call us with all of your questions. We are here to help you get the best deal on all aspects of the transaction. For more information pertinent to Canadians see the Info For Canadians page on our website www.ThePhoenixExperts.com.

Marc Brodeur, Realtor
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

I speak with many Canadians who commiserate with me that “…if only they exchanged their money when it was par…”. I can understand the feeling of regret for not acting sooner, but I always tell fellow Canadians to look at the big picture. Historically for the past 25 years the Canadian dollar has hovered around 65 cents. We are currently close to 85 cents! This is still an excellent exchange rate. The short lived time that our Canadian dollar was par to American dollar has come and gone. I highly doubt it will happen again during this decade. I personally think people are fooling themselves if they think it will happen again anytime soon.

Many prospective home buyers tell me that they will wait until the Canadian dollar comes back up. Well while they are waiting for the Canadian dollar to come back up, the price of Phoenix homes will probably also start going back up. We are seeing a big change in the Phoenix real estate market. Homes are moving much faster, sales are way up and foreclosures are drying up thanks to federal assistance programs. If you sit on the fence, the opportunity to buy a cheap home in Phoenix with a good exchange rate, may just pass you by.

Let us help you find you a great deal on a Phoenix or Scottsdale home. Start your search now at www.ThePhoenixExperts.com.

Marc Brodeur, Realtor
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

The Canadian Dollar has improved significantly during the past month from a low of 77 cents. It is currently at approximately 84 cents. That is a huge jump in one month. This will make a big difference when considering the purchase of a home in Phoenix. The price of a $200,000 US home in Phoenix, is approximately $20,000 cheaper for Canadians this week, than it was 4 weeks ago.

We are dedicated to serving Canadians interested in Phoenix or Scottsdale real estate. Go to www.ThePhoenixExperts.com for more information about currency exchange options for Canadians when purchasing a Phoenix property. Call us for all of your real estate questions. We are happy to help.

Marc Brodeur, Realtor
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263

When you convert large sums of Canadian dollars into American dollars for the purchase of your Phoenix home, it is always a good idea to go through a foreign exchange company, rather than your local bank. A foreign exchange company will be able to get you a better rate 99% of the time. As a result, you can save thousands of dollars. We work closely with a global foreign exchange company with headquarters in Edmonton. They have several ways to get a great rate:

Spot Contracts

This is buying currency immediately, or ‘on the spot’. If you need your currency as soon as possible a Spot Contract is the answer. You can agree to a price over the telephone, and they purchase the currency on your behalf that day. They watch the currency fluctuations throughout the day and attempt to get you the best rate of the day (banks simply exchange all funds at the same time every day, regardless of the fluctuations within the day).

Forward Contracts

This is essentially a ‘buy now, pay later’ contract where a client can fix a rate based on today’s price for a future date. For example, if you have decided to purchase a house within a few weeks or months you may not want to watch the value of the payment changing each day as the currency rates fluctuate. If you want to know exactly what it is going to cost when you need it, you could simply enter into a Forward Contract until the date you needed the US funds, and fix it at today’s price. You need to put down a 10% deposit to secure the rate. When you want the funds delivered, you pay the remaining 90%. In the meantime you can rest assured that you know exactly what the payment will be and you are not at the mercy of the markets.

Market Orders

Since the Canadian Dollar has dipped in comparison to the US Dollar, it is more important than ever to get the very best exchange rate possible. Many Canadian buyers simply let their local bank exchange the funds for their Phoenix home purchase. This is such a large purchase that a difference of a few pennies on the exchange rate can equal$2000-6000 or more in savings. That’s enough to start furnishing your new home. Don’t throw that kind of money away. Proper planning for the exchange of Canadian to US funds is imperative. Foreign exchange companies offer many advantages to your local bank. They watch the markets continually as the exchange rate fluctuates throughout the day. They can choose the best exact moment of the day to make the exchange. The local bank will not do that. They make all of the trade at the same time every day. With a foreign exchange company you can also set a limit order and instruct them to only exchange the funds once the exchange rate reaches a certain price. This is similar to buying a stock at a limit order, rather than market order. You name the price at which you are willing to purchase your US dollars. It places you in control of the situation.

Many of our Canadian clients have used Globex Foreign Exchange in Edmonton, Alberta. We would be happy to refer you to the private client representative that we routinely work with. Please feel free to call or email us for her contact information. Read more about currency exchange options on www.ThePhoenixExperts.com. We are here to help you get the best deal, in all aspects of the transaction.

Marc Brodeur, Realtor
www.ThePhoenixExperts.com
1-800-300-0263