Tips on selling your home in Arizona

1. Your neighbors. Most homeowners contemplating selling their homes understand the importance of well-kept neighboring homes. Many a buyer has pulled up to an amazing house, viewed it, and left shaking their head with woe, saying great house, but I can’t live here.

 On the flip side, your neighbors themselves - not just the homes, but the people - can actually help sell your home. Many homeowners know people who want to live in their neck of the woods; this is one reason many seasoned real estate professionals hold their listings open to neighbors and send out postcards to neighbors announcing the listing - the neighbors might know people who are interested in your home!

It’s a good idea, if and when you decide to list your home for sale, to touch base with neighbors you know and let them know; it’s in their best interests to get good new neighbors, so they might be able to go the extra mile in showing the neighborhood’s biggest asset - themselves - off to its best advantage.

  

2. The right sights, smells and sounds. It’s no news flash that the view of a used car lot; stinky foods or animal smells; and the siren song of a fire station next door could be deal-killers. What might surprise is some of the right sights, smells and sounds that can help seal the sale of your home.

For example, playing a soundtrack of classical musical is fine, but will cause some skeptical buyers to wonder what noises you might be trying to cover up - especially if you’re in a condo or other potentially thin-walled property where neighbor noise might be an issue. On the other hand, birdsong can be attractive to some buyers. The scent of the jasmine or lavender that grows in your yard or fresh baked cookies can be quite enchanting.

You might be desensitized to the amazing views of trees, mountains or even water outside your window, but pulling back the curtains so prospective buyers can see for themselves is an absolute must.

Home buying is a multi-sensory experience - visual staging of the property itself is no longer a plus, it’s a must. But homes which create pleasant impressions that fire on all of a buyer’s sensory cylinders definitely have the edge on their competition.

3. Your dog. The New York Times ran a piece a few months ago about sweet, well-behaved dogs (and cats!) who reportedly helped sell their owners’ Manhattan apartments.  Now of course, if the house smells of cat or dog- this will not hold true, but pets do play a strong part of our emotional ties to our home. 

Definitely consult with your agent before you decide to implement leaving your dog at home for showings as part of your plan. I’m a dog lover, and would be concerned that someone might inadvertently let one of “my girls” out, if I left them there while my house was being shown; as well, would-be buyers or their agents may have allergies your pet could set off. Lately, it seems like I’ve seen many brokers attempting to capture the best of both worlds by making sure that the family pet or even the broker’s own pet is captured in a charming tableau in 1 or 2 of the listing pictures, even if they’re not present at the home during showings.

  

4. Your happiness. Video and even written love letters that extoll all the virtues for which you love your neighbors, your neighborhood and your property are contagious to buyers. I’ve seen sellers help buyers see their homes through their own loving eyes by posting videos on YouTube and including the link on the listing flyer or even by putting a binder containing a letter plus menus and flyers from their favorite neighborhood restaurants, dry cleaners and other local merchants out on the counter during showings.

Wide-open curtains that let light stream in, light and bright paint and decor colors and other home features that science has proven make residents happy and joyful-- functional also create this thought process in a buyer’s mind: “Hmm, these people seem happy here. I could be, too.”

Similarly, indicators that you invested a lot of love in your home, by keeping it in immaculate order and pristine condition, by tending a well-cared for kitchen garden, lovingly furnishing and making comfortable (if not overly customizing) your kids’ rooms, all create the feel that a home was happily lived in - it’s like staging your home with a life well-lived, not just paint and tile.

If you would like to see a few more tips on how and what I can do to help you sell your home, please give me a call!! 

Elaine Beery

United Brokers Group

480-570-1912 Direct

www.AzBuysHomes.com

Elaine Beery 480-570-1912 Here, and well, just when you think mortgage rates
can't go much lower-they do! If you are on the fence thinking of buying a
home, this would be considered the "Perfect Storm". Low home prices, coupled
with very low interest rates, and throw in required down payment to be in
some cases only $1,000..it just can't get any better! Call for details or
For the rest of the story click;
http://ping.fm/Bi9sx
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Elaine Beery

480-570-1912 Direct

480-248-2826 Fax

Elaine@BeeryRealty.com
www.BeeryRealty.com
www.Shortsales-Elaine.blogspot.com

What do you have to do, to be a successful seller in today market

The goal for any home seller is to sell a property quickly at the best price for the market. Here are six characteristics that will help home sellers succeed.

1. Realistic Expectations 
Real estate agents do not pluck listing prices out of thin air. Every price range they recommend to potential home sellers is the result of meticulous research: of the property, the neighborhood and the current real estate market. Most of the factors that affect a property's saleability―location, interest rates, the local job market―are outside the seller's control. Other things, such as the condition of the home and how it is presented, are within the seller's control. Highly effective home sellers address the things they can control and accept the things they cannot. You might not like what the market is saying, but it doesn’t lie.

2. Flexibility
A flexible home seller is open to suggestions. Listen to your agent and heed his or her advice regarding pricing the home for sale, marketing the property and making it show ready. Flexible sellers are prepared to lower the price if they are not getting any showings. Flexible sellers are prepared to stage and remodel the home if they are getting showings but no offers. Delaying a sale by being inflexible can cost you money in extra mortgage payments.

3. Detachment 
Homes sell faster when the seller stops thinking about the property as his home and starts thinking about it as product to be packaged for sale. Sellers who find it hard to emotionally detach from the home often sabotage viewings or reject offers, because they are not ready to leave their home. Be honest with yourself. If you are not ready to sell, don't. If you are, then pack up your emotions and accept that it is time to move on.

4. A Big Picture View
Giving way on price is not the same as giving way on the deal. Effective sellers think about all aspects of the deal. A seller who wants to move quickly may be prepared to lower the price in return for faster closing. Requests for repairs, no matter how galling, should be carefully scrutinized. Would you really want to lose a buyer over a $200 or even a $1,000 repair bill?

5. Availability
Selling your home is a time-consuming business. You must be available to speak to your agent and make urgent decisions concerning the list price, marketing strategies and any offers that come in. Remember, you can't sell a property if would-be buyers can't see it. Make sure that buyers can view your home at all reasonable hours. No showings on weekends might suit your lifestyle, but it certainly won't suit your buyers.

6. Learning
You don't need a degree to sell your home, but you do need a clear understanding of the home selling process. Sellers who understand how home sales work have a clearer idea of the hurdles buyers must jump to purchase a home and can better pre-empt a buyer's needs. Figure out what escrow means and what happens between the contract and closing. Speak to your agent. Ask him or her to fill you in on the local market, the lending environment and the types of things that buyers are looking for in your neighborhood.

July Market Report for 2019

Inventory is the story for the greater Phoenix real estate market in July. Active listings were down 4.1% to 15,442. The median price continues to rise, up 4.1% to $279,000.

Lack of inventory continues to squeeze buyers, especially below $200,000. And now
buyers looking for something between $200,000 and $250,000 are having a difficult
time too, as new listings in this price range were down a whopping 15.1%!

Fortunately, interest rates are still favorable, with 30-year loans at 3.75% with .5 points,
down .78% from one year ago (Freddie Mac, 07/11/2019).

In their July/2019 report, Freddie Mac says:
“The recent stabilization in mortgage rates reflects modestly improving U.S. economic
data and a more accommodative tone from the Federal Reserve to respond to the rising
downside economic risk from trade tensions and soft global economic data. On the
housing front, the latest weekly purchase application data suggests homebuyer demand
continues to rise, which is consistent with the slowly improving real estate data from the
last two months.” (Freddie Mac, 07/11/2019)

What does all this mean for today’s buyers and sellers?

Shrinking inventory along with low interest rates will continue to drive modest price
increases. If you are thinking of buying, waiting on the sidelines may not be your best
move. For sellers, you are selling into a significantly larger percentage of investors,
especially flippers. These investors are looking for a deal, not a home. Get your home
ready by freshening it up and pricing smart.

Work With A Professional That Understands The Balance Needed When Going Through A Divorce Or A Death In The Family.

Why find someone trained to do this? For the same reason you find a specialist when you need a doctor. I have earned my RCS-D and other destinations that help in knowing the ins and outs and to understand the needs and have the team in place to get the job done. 

In Arizona--The family home is usually the most significant asset in divorce and elder mediation or the passing of a loved one, often with significant debt but not always.  However, appraisal minus mortgage does NOT equal actual equity. This incomplete equation leaves your house over-valued and that works against you in family mediation for divorce and elder matters.

Don’t settle for a bad property settlement. In addition to the inaccurate and unfair division of your property, you risk damaged credit, default, foreclosure or even bankruptcy. 

Remember all those documents you signed when you bought the house? Most are missing when mediating that same house. My team and I  provide free help to gather the house documents you need to make an informed decision regarding actual equity and whether to keep the house.

To keep your house for all the right reasons, you need a real estate agent specializing in divorce or estate planning – an RCS-DTM designee.

I am with UBG- United Brokers Group and have completed the course work to earn the RCS-DTM designation as a Real Estate Collaboration Specialist – Divorce™,   in Arizona,

As an RCS-D™ REALTOR® , I is professionally trained to neutralize divorce real estate as a business transaction in the best interest of the house – and each divorcing spouse. Leading your divorce real estate team, Elaine also serves as project manager working with you and your lawyers and can refer real estate and financial professionals specializing in divorce to assist with gathering house-related documents and scheduling consultations, most of which are free.

The RCS-D™ professional program was written and taught by Kelly Lise Murray, J.D. & Wendy Waselle. Professor Murray earned her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School & is an Instructor in Law at Vanderbilt Law School. Co-Instructor Wendy Waselle has a Masters Degree in Education & developed the RCS-D™ marketing system.

You may contact Me @ 480-570-1912 to discuss how you can protect one of your most valuable financial assets during the stressful time of divorce or estate sales. Whether your divorce is completed, just beginning or somewhere in between,  Elaine Beery  can help you determine your best options now for a stronger financial future, and you can count on her team to make sure you get the most for your home inf you do have to sell with the least amount of stress.  

Please know I will do everything I can to help you and secure your fut

FHA Kiddie Condo Program

In Arizona, the FHA kiddie condo program is a popular option with Arizona parents who have kids going to college. The FHA kiddie condo program is really just a regular FHA loan with a nickname “Kiddy Condo” mainly because it is used for these college-aged-kids situations.

 It could also be used for a home for older parents as well. With prices so low and interest rates historically low, this could make sense for quite a few people!!

The term “Kiddy Condo” is just a nickname.

Highlights of The FHA Kiddie Condo Loan Program Include:

The Kiddie Condo loan program is offered by the FHA, and it is designed to provide a way to help young adults purchase their first homes. This program can be very beneficial to you if you qualify. Here are the basics of the Kiddie Condo loan program.

The Kiddie Condo Loan

This is a program that is designed to be for parents and their young adult children. The child is going to want to purchase a home, and the parent is going to be willing to help them. With this program, both the parent and the child can sign up for the loan and increase the chances of getting approved. The parent is going to help the child by providing extra income and credit to get the loan approved. This makes it possible for a young adult to purchase a property when she would not be able to purchase one otherwise.

Advantages

This loan program has several advantages for the borrowers. First of all, you are going to be able to purchase the property with a very lowdown payment when compared to other mortgage programs. Currently, you can purchase a property for only 3 percent down. When you compare that to some lenders that require 20 percent down, that is a big difference. Another advantage is that you are going to be able to get a low, competitive interest rate on the loan. Some lenders would require you to get an investment property loan with a high interest rate because the parent is not going to be living in the property. However, with this program, you can actually qualify for an owner-occupied interest rate. This could potentially save you a lot of money over the life of the loan and on your monthly mortgage payment. Another benefit that will come from this program is that the new homeowner is going to be able to establish her credit. The loan will have been granted because of the good credit of the parent. However, as long as the payments are made on time, the younger borrower will be able to benefit from this.

Tax Benefits

This mortgage program also provides some tax benefits for the borrowers. With any mortgage, you are going to be able to deduct the amount of interest and points that you pay from your taxable income. With this mortgage program, you can split up the interest deduction between the two borrowers as you see fit. In many cases, this can be attractive to the parents because they have a higher income that they need to offset with this interest.

Requirements

The major requirement for this loan is that one of the borrowers has to live in the property as her primary residence. You should also realize that the property does not necessarily have to be a condo, even though the name of the program is the Kiddie Condo loan. It could be a single-family home or a town home. 

It allows non-occupant co-borrowers which means that parents and or child can purchase a condo using their credit and their income but are not required to live in the property--only the co-borrower is required to live in the property.

The property is not considered to be a second home or an investment property. Because it is not considered a second home or investment property, the Arizona mortgage rates are the same as the regular Arizona FHA loan programs.

The kiddie condo program also allows the occupant to charge rent to roommates!

If you need help buying in Arizona, please contact me so we can get started on finding you a great condo. 

Elaine Beery

UBG- United Brokers Group

480-570-1912 Direct

480-248-2826 Fax

Elaine@BeeryRealty.com

www.ElaineBeery.realtor

www.AzBuyshome.com