For the third year running, Maricopa County is the fastest growing county in the U.S. For those of you who are not residents (yet), Maricopa County is commonly referred to as “The Valley of the Sun”. It is essentially Central Arizona and encompasses some of the most recognizable cities in the state: Phoenix for one,… Read More
Real Estate
Video: Selling Your Home? Make Sure it’s Not Lights Out For You!
In the world of Real Estate, light sells! Arizona homes tend to be dark, especially during the warmer seasons. I get it. Keeping the sun out keeps the heat out. Though we’ve had an unusually cool Spring so far this year, many of the homes I’ve shown to potential home buyers have been dim. Not… Read More
Home Sellers: Get the Biggest Bang for Your Upgrade Buck
Setting the appraisal aside (which is something I find difficult to do but I’ll give it a go at for the sake of sticking to the point) home updates can do one of three things for a home seller. They either increase the value of the home, decrease the days on the market, or they… Read More
Good News! Strong Housing Market Ignores Predictions
The Real Estate market appears to be equalizing in many parts of the country, meaning neither home buyer’s nor home seller’s hold all the cards. In these rare moments of balance, advantages can be gained by either party with smart negotiation, knowledge of strategies to employ and exactly how far you can stretch your advantage…. Read More
Mortgage Rates Maintaining a Downward Trend
Friday saw a slight rise in mortgage rates but it appears to be only a blip in this year’s trending rate declines. The conventional 30-year fixed closed Friday at an average of 4.25%, with FHA backed financing and the VA mortgage both stalled around 4%. Early in January, it was anticipated that rates for home… Read More
Save Time and Money, the Spring Home Selling Season Starts… … …NOW!
And the Spring home selling season starts… … …NOW! Perfect timing is everything, and never more so than choosing the ideal moment to put your house on the market. The real estate market is most definitely picking up and just so you know, it’s usually a very short leap between gathering steam and full-on crazy…. Read More
How will Secondary Market Reform Affect the Home Buyers? No One Knows Yet
How Will Secondary Market Reform Affect the Home Buyers? No One Knows Yet. Home owners, potential home buyers and those in the Mortgage and Real Estate industry, have been watching closely since the financial crisis to get a sense of where the real estate market is going and when. So far market recovery has been… Read More
Give Your Home a Value Boost With Your Tax Refund
Most people anticipate their yearly tax refund with a preconceived notion of exactly what they’d like to do with it. You’re either on team investment or team enjoyment. Here’s how you can do both. Invest your tax refund in your home. Always wanted to freshen up that dingy exterior? Appliances out of date? Maybe you’d… Read More
What Does an Increase in Real Estate Inventory Mean for You?
Following the lead of the nation as a whole, our state saw a slight increase in Real Estate inventory last month. For Arizona at least, this is noteworthy. I suppose logic would suggest that inventory has been so low for so long that a rise was inevitable, but my feeling is that a market jump… Read More
Lower Mortgage Rates, it’s Deja Vu All Over Again
Home Buyers are never quite sure of the precise moment to lock in their interest rate. Quite frankly, I’m not sure you’ll find a better time than now. Thought the Spring home buying season is right around the corner, home prices seem to be fairly stable, by which I mean we’re experiencing a normal rise… Read More