Secrets of Working with Far-Away Sellers I have developed a few secrets of working with far-away sellers over the years, and by far-away I mean at least out of state, possibly out of the country. Differences in time zones, a lag in communications, not to mention a seller usually under pressure t
...
05/20/2014
I feel badly when a listing agent calls me for feedback, and I have to tell them something like this: They liked the layout, but the smell of the kitty litter box was really overpowering, so no, they are not considering an offer. It's just too high-priced for the area. There are two other homes i
...
01/24/2014
The 3 Variables of Home Buying Have you encountered any of these situations? As a buyer, you want a newer home close to your workplace. However, there are no new homes in that area, because it is already built up with older homes. As an agent, your client wants to be close to a specific school, b
...
01/21/2014
Mistakes Sellers Make Sellers can make deadly mistakes that hinder, reduce, or even prevent the sale of their home. I've seen quite a few of these and would like to highlight a couple of them for you. The biggest mistake sellers make is not taking their agent's advice. A case in point: I had som
...
01/16/2014
Are Mortgages Fun? Mortgages were fun in 2003. Think back to when anyone with a pulse could get a mortgage. Loans could be approved on "stated income" (meaning no proof of income) and 103% loans were available to cover everything from the down payment to closing costs. It was fun being a realtor.
...
01/06/2014
Markets are Improving Sure, real estate markets are improving in most parts of the country. Inventory has declined and prices in many places are up, and up significantly. We are almost back to normal. Prices are better, distressed sales are way down in much of the country. So what's the problem?
...
12/17/2013
Things in 2005 in Maricopa County were on a wild ride to the pinacle of the real estate roller coaster. Housing prices peaked in 2006, and then, as roller coasters do, we were sent screaming down at a terrifying speed which continued well into 2009. It was a time of despair. Foreclosures, evictio
...
11/19/2013
Moore, Oklahoma. What would we do? Since the recent catastrophic tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, this two year old blog post by Jason Nedrow of Moore, OK, seems timely again. I would hazard a guess that a majority of Americans live where some natural disaster or other can strike. Earthquakes in Virgi
...
05/22/2013
Top 10 Ways to Beat the Arizona Heat The thermometer is supposed to top 100 degrees today, mid-May here in Mesa, Arizona, and it will get up well over 110 pretty regularly in July and August. People who live in cooler places (pretty much the entire world except for the Arab Gulf states) shake the
...
05/15/2013
15 Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While You Are Away: Desert Version Being "away" in Arizona might mean you are on vacation, but it also might mean you've deserted the desert for the summer, and returned to your cooler winter home somewhere north. Either way, there are common-sense steps you should
...
05/13/2013
