Buy or Sell Homes in South East Valley of Arizona

  An escalation clause can help buyers gain a crucial edge in today's seller's market, but these offer addendums need to be handled with care. What is it? An escalation clause is a real estate contract, sometimes called an escalator, that lets a home buyer say: “I will pay “x” price for this home, but if the seller receives another offer that’s higher than mine, I’m willing to increase my offer by “Z” to “Y” price. Just be sure you have the cash to back up the offer.  How does an escalation clause work? While escalation clauses vary significantly, the general escalation addendum has a few basic components: •              What is the original offer of purchase price? •              How much will that price be escalated above any other competitive bid? •              What is the maximum amount...

  Buying a home can be very expensive. First there's the down payment. Then there are closing costs, including fees for an appraisal, inspection, and title search. And once you own it, the expenses continue to add up, with everything from maintenance to taxes and insurance. There are some tax benefits to owning a home, though. Tax-deductible homeowner costs can reduce the amount of income tax you have to pay. What is a tax-deductible expense? A tax-deductible expense is one that you can deduct from your adjustable gross income (AGI) when you file your taxes for the year. Deducting these costs reduces your taxable income, and the lower your taxable income, the less you'll pay in taxes. When looking at potential homeowner tax deductions, it's crucial to know the differences between standard and itemized deductions. A standard deduction is a specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of income on which you're taxed, based on your filing status, age, and other...

Navigating uncharted territory without a compass is challenging at best. Nothing about this year’s real estate activity fits into the usual cyclical patterns. Data companies are updating their projections seemingly daily. Projections are based on trends and it takes at least 3 weeks to see an emerging trend. Before the trends, there is consumer sentiment. Home has never been more important. Today we live, work, play, and teach at home. This is why real estate is the shining star in the midst of so much bad news. With a 58% increase in new starts from June to July, multi-family new builds made up the majority of the 22.6% new housing starts in July over June. The new builds are the only thing keeping prices from skyrocketing out of control. (Bisnow) In July, single family starts were up 7.4% year over year. (Elliot Eisenberg) New single-family sales are were up in July 36.3% year over year. (US Census Bureau & HUD) Resale closings in July were up 24.7% from June which were up 20.7% ...

In Arizona and all around the Nation-- heck the world- things are changing.  With Covid-19 looming around the corner on the door handle, on a light switch perhaps even in your car, you just can’t be too careful!   Arizona has been hit, but as bad as some states. In this new normal you will notice many more Virtual tours, open houses done through video, or Facebook, sanitizer wipes in each home asking the potential buyers to make sure they use them. Buying or selling a home can be stressful even under ordinary circumstances now add all of this-- it can be overwhelming!  Unfortunately, the current state of the world is far from ordinary and no one knows how long this will be our new normal. The housing market is feeling the crunch- but in some ways is becoming more efficient. As fewer buyers want to get out and shop for a home, and fewer sellers want to take a risk with selling. Brokers and Agents are finding creative ways to make it all work for their clients....

I am writing this as a "food for thought article" Please take it as that... The history of interest rates have been up and down-- that is their nature. As the economy changes so does the interest rate. It is not a natural thing for either to be up for too long or down too long... it must change with the times.  I think that has been forgotten. in the past 10 years or so-- as a healthy economy needs to grow so does the views about it.  When the stock exchange continues to see new records broke though month after month-- I question the validity.  The American dream has always been (as long as I can remember) to own your own home- to be the person who reaps the benefits of ownership. To control one's life by knowing what your mortgage will be for a lifetime. God Bless America to allow that right of ownership- to allow each citizen the right to have a piece of the american dream.   Below is a chart showing the past interest rate and some comments about what ...

So many times, I have had folks come to Arizona and say, “I would like a home with a pool”.   Before you go that route, please think.   Because after about 2-3 years those same people come to me and ask me to sell their home because they are tired of being a slave to the pool.   When decided to move to Arizona, you will see a lot of homes have a pool out here, but here are a few things to consider when buying a home with a pool.   ·           If the pool is heated, you can have all year enjoyment. But usually it is heated by electrical and that will jump your bill up about $200.0/$400 a month. (depending on how much you heat it)    ·           If the pool is not heated, then you will most likely not use it for only about 6-7 months of the year (typical usage is from May through September), depending on your tolerance of colder water. But wi...

If you’re looking for a home either new or a re-sale- in the South East Valley of Phoenix; including Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, or San Tan Valley you’ve got a lot of choices. Here are 10 communities in no particular order. I think they are worth checking out for your consideration if you are looking for a resale home.   1.      Dobson Ranch – Built between 1973 and 1999, this well-established community offers easy access to freeways, walking distance to schools, and year round community events. Dobson Ranch offers tennis courts, community pool, golf course, meeting space, and programs for all ages. 2.      Val Vista Lakes – Located in the heart of the fast-growing, family community of Gilbert, Val Vista Lakes offers more than 24 subdivisions and lakeside views, and a community center with heated pool and beach with sand, where you can enjoy special events with family and friends. 3.      August...

Many banks will give you a pre-qualified letter-- but that is not enough if you are buying a home in Arizona.  It is important to understand why you must do your part before looking to buy a home- this will save you many headache and will give you the best chance to buy your dream home when you do find it.   If you are planning on buying a home in the next year, there are a few things you should do before you start looking: decide on the neighborhood that will provide you with good schools and a reasonable commute to work; get your credit reports and confirm all the information is accurate; and learn the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved mortgage loans. What Does Pre-qualified Mean? The first thing you need to know is that being pre-qualified for a mortgage does not guarantee you will get one. When a lender sits down to talk to a prospective buyer, they will ask questions about the buyer's credit, assets, and income. It's important to note that no ...

Some highlights: 24% of all recent home buyers were single at the time of purchase 47% of single men cite the desire to own a home of their own as the primary reason to buy. 18% of first time buyers were single woman  If you have been thinking of owning your own home- I LOVE helping first time buyers get on the right path so down the line you have the right home for your needs...Never any pressure, and always making it a fun experience!   

With Summer just around the corner are you thinking of buying a home for your growing family? There are a few things to consider. What features mean the most to you? Maybe you need all the bedrooms on one floor or prefer a one-story home. What’s your budget? What part of the Phoenix area do you want to be? Answering all of the questions can get overwhelming which is why I offer the following tips:   Buy a home with resale in mind . Families are transient here in the Phoenix area with many residents hailing from other cities and towns across the nation, making it important to think about reselling your home. For example, a kitchen and bathroom remodel could cost a lot of money but you may need to do it to sell your home at a good price. Schools . Even if your children are young now, think about where you would want them to attend school. You wouldn’t have to move just to get into a better school district. Also, when you resell your home, the value may be different dependi...

Buying or selling a home is an investment in your financial future. Making sure you have the right real estate agent to meet your needs will help your transaction run smoothly and get you the outcome you desire whether it’s selling your home at a certain price point or buying your dream home. Here are six great questions to ask before hiring a real estate agent:       1.   Are you a full-time agent? You might like Aunt Sally’s friend’s daughter but if she does real estate part-time, you might not get the level of customer service you desire and deserve. I recommend working with a full-time agent who can dedicate more time and effort to your transaction. (Yes, I am a full-time real estate agent. If I am not buying or selling homes, I am not making money)       2.   Are you a member of the National Association of Realtors? REALTORS® must abide by the NAR Code of Ethics and state regulations. They must also complete continuing education. (...

If you’re looking for a home either new or a re-sale- in the South East Valley of Phoenix; including Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, or San Tan Valley you have  a lot of choices. Here are 10 communities in no particular order. I think they are worth checking out for your consideration if you are looking for a resale home.   1.                   Dobson Ranch – Built between 1973 and 1999, this well-established community offers easy access to freeways, walking distance to schools, and year round community events. Dobson Ranch offers tennis courts, community pool, golf course, meeting space, and programs for all ages. Centrally located between Tempe, Gilbert, and Mesa you are close to ASU, MMC, Hospitals and Sky Harbor Airport. 2.                   Val Vista Lakes – Located in the heart ...