New Construction Permits Up After a Slow Start in 2017 Home-building overall stalled in January, but more permits indicate construction will pick up in the months ahead. Single-family construction rose 1.9 percent in January to a rate of 823,000, up from 808,000 in December, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing… Read More
Western Skies Golf Property. Chic, comfortable and updated to perfection, this single-level Gilbert home is ideal for full-time residence or vacation getaway. Split, 2,740/square foot floorplan with 4 bedrooms plus a private office, three full baths and two spacious greatrooms. Gorgeous neutral tile flooring in high-traffic areas. Island kitchen has oak cabinets and granite countertops…. Read More
20 Percent Down is Nice, but NOT Mandatory Due to misunderstood government regulations instituted in the past two or three years that were meant to stabilize the housing market, many folks are under the impression that they must have 20% down to buy a home. This is categorically untrue. Not only do 3.5% down FHA… Read More
Video: Retirement Options Close But Not too Close to the Big City. Of course, in my humble opinion, there is no place like Arizona for the ultimate retirement oasis. The greater Phoenix Valley has some incredible Active Adult Communities; Solera, a high-end Chandler gated AZ community, Sun Bird Golf Resort, a more affordable and conveniently… Read More
It’s Your Home. Make Sure it’s Smarter AND Safer! First adopters take a chance. Whether it’s a new car model, a new businesses or new technology, we all know the very first version is not going to be the last, or the best. So should we wait? In many cases it’s smart to be the… Read More
Trulia Report: Homes in the First Time Buyer Range in Short Supply. As a rule I’m not impressed with Trulia. Their home values are skewed by incomplete and vague information, and often the availability of a specific property is inaccurate i.e. not corresponding to the MLS data from which it is borrowed. Having said that,… Read More
This home just oozes Gwen Stefani’s style, and it’s For Sale! You can’t deny that Gwen Stefani has a style. Her music, her charisma, her sense of design, all have a unique and magnetic allure, and as you might imagine her home and lifestyle follow suit. In Yoda vernacular… Unique and magnetic this home is!”… Read More
Video: Think of Buying a Home? Do Your Groundwork. The only thing I really take issue with in the video below is the statement that home buying can be complicated. You’ve heard me say it over and over again… If your Realtor is doing their job, buying a home should never be “scary”, intimidating, complicated… Read More
Is There a Right Time to Sell Your Home? From my vantage point it’s all about the ‘when’. The increase in home buyer activity from the last quarter of the year (any year) to the first quarter, is not only remarkable but predictable. I think a combination of cabin fever and post-holiday momentum cause a bump… Read More
Interest rates on IRAs plummeted during the economic downturn but for the most part, they’re back. I’ve never been sure whether or not it’s a good idea to pull funds out of an IRA for the purpose of investing elsewhere. Having said that, you’ve got to live somewhere and I’ve always been opposed to paying… Read More
