Increasingly, today’s home buyers are looking for a retreat from the physical and mental pressure of their constantly hectic lives. A sense of community and togetherness continues to be meaningful to most buyers, but the current trend seems to be leaning more toward the need for a bit of quiet separation. As a matter of… Read More
Closing Costs
12 Year-End Tax Tips Especially for 2017
12 Year-End Tax Tips Especially for 2017 Year end brings the craziness of holiday celebrations, the joy of family visits, the excitement of the coming new year, and looming quietly in the background… another approaching tax season. Are you a recent home buyer? Make sure you are well informed about the deductions and benefits available… Read More
Video: Choosing the Right Lender Makes All the Difference
Video: Choosing the Right Lender Makes All the Difference I’m not sure how many people realize how critical it is to choose the right mortgage lender when you’re buying a home. Unfortunately, by the time you find out you’ve made the wrong choice it’s usually too late. As a Realtor, I learned very quickly which… Read More
Cost vs Value: The 4 Best and 4 of the Worst Remodeling Projects
Cost vs Value: The 4 Best and 4 of the Worst Remodeling Projects To begin with, I have just a couple notes of caution for you regarding cost vs value in a home remodel. Always consider not only the value of your own home but the value of all properties surrounding it. Research what buyers… Read More
Why Are Existing Home Sales Tanking?
Why Are Existing Home Sales Tanking? *check in tomorrow, for How to Buy a Home in a Seller’s Market. I wouldn’t exactly call it a plummet, but there’s been a definite, noticeable decrease in existing home sales. This is not to say that home buyers are disappearing, not even close, it’s to replay my mantra… Read More
Infographic: The Top Cities to Flip Houses in 2016
Infographic: The Top Cities to Flip Houses in 2016. There are some statistics here that might, at first glance, appear to be an anomaly. But if you’ve been watching the Real Estate market at all you know that the bulk of current data follows a predictable pattern. For instance, you’ll notice in the infographic below,… Read More
Fannie Mae Broadens Access to Credit for Eligible Home Buyers
Fannie Mae Broadens Access to Credit for Eligible Home Buyers. Home Buyers have long been overburdened by the mortgage application process and simplification of the lending regulations is long overdue. There have been a few policy shifts recently that make the mortgage process smoother, and in my humble opinion fairer, for qualified and qualifiable home… Read More
Are You Paying Too Much for Flood Insurance?
Are You Paying Too Much for Flood Insurance? You might not think of Arizona as being a place where homeowners or home buyers need to consider flood insurance. We are after all, largely desert. In fact, according to the government website FloodSmart.gov, in the past 5 years, property owners in all 50 states have experienced… Read More
Does Anyone Think About Title Insurance? Why It Matters to You.
Does Anyone Think About Title Insurance? Why It Matters to You. After dealing with a title issue for a home we owned many years ago, years of stress, inconvenience and expensive attorney fees, I can attest to the fact that an Owner’s Title Policy is absolutely essential. An owner’s title insurance policy protects your property… Read More
Anticipating Common Challenges during Escrow
Anticipating Common Challenges during Escrow – I work a lot with the folks at Pioneer Title Agency. They are local, efficient, and very knowledgeable all critical attributes in such a precision-dependent occupation. They’ve taught me a lot over the years, but one thing I have not learned from them is that problems are inevitable. I… Read More