Home Sellers should be aware, that as home updates go, none may be more valuable than an updated bathroom. Home Buyers commonly look for quality upgrades in both kitchens and baths, but not necessarily expensive, just modern, attractive and functional. Spa-like baths and luxurious touches can go along way to getting a home sold quickly,… Read More
Gone are the days of the guaranteed 30-day closing. Though not impossible, in light of tighter mortgage regulation a 30-day closing is no longer the norm. Realistically you’re probably looking at 45 days from contract to close, and that’s without additional contingencies. Even with this extended contract period there are a number of things that… Read More
If you’ve never bought or sold a home, chances are you have a preconceived notion of what real estate agents are all about. Even if you have had experience working with an agent, you may have formed a mistaken impression of the profession as a whole. Are you aware of exactly what your agent should… Read More
I might venture a guess that better than half of all home buyers, and a great majority of first-time buyers, choose an FHA mortgage. Home loans come in a variety of flavors but the FHA loan, insured by the Federal Housing Administration, offers benefits not found in most other options, not the least of which… Read More
Do Veterans make the best Realtors? I’ve always thought so. In a recent article written by Forbes leadership and management contributor Kate Cooper, it was noted that Military Veterans develop valuable skills while serving, and in spite of their extensive training in areas such as project management, teamwork and leadership, many Veterans struggle to find… Read More
Gilbert, Arizona recently earned a spot on WalletHub’s list of the Top 10 best places for first-time home buyers. I’m not exactly sure how this happened. Gilbert has been experiencing the same shortage of inventory as the the rest of the country and though it has been easing up a bit, availability is still not… Read More
Though Summer temps in the Phoenix area routinely register in triple digits, there are ways to survive the heat. The Phoenix.org website cautions that we all should know the signs of heat illness, and take some basic precautions when Summer sizzles. Suggestions range from staying hydrated to, believe it or not, covering your head, arms… Read More
More New Construction listed in MLS can only mean one thing. Numbers for the sale of brand new homes are down. Developers do not typically welcome the necessity to list their properties in MLS (more on that later). Recently I’ve noticed a considerable uptick in MLS listings for New Construction homes. I would suggest this… Read More
The gradual upward movement of Arizona’s current Real Estate market is very much like most other markets throughout the U.S. The rate of Arizona homeownership has been on an upward trajectory since 2015 when it hit a 20-year low point of 61.7%. 2016 saw a moderate rise to 61.9, and a substantial increase to 64.4%… Read More
Early, alarming predictions for a dramatic surge in mortgage rates in 2018, have so far fallen flat. True, home buyers have seen incremental increases in rates for home loans since January, but in more of a one-step-forward-and-two-steps-back pattern. I’m cautiously optimistic that this might continue for three significant reasons. First, the country’s economy appears to… Read More
