Scottsdale Real Estate Blog - Judy Orr

NAR Disallowing Use of MLS on Agent Web Sites

Recently I received a "cease & desist" letter from my local real estate board.  I received copies of my offending real estate website pages that have links titled "MLS Search".  Now our National Association of REALTORS (NAR) has made an addition to our Code of Ethics preventing us from using the term on our sites.  A majority of agents don't really understand the big picture because many do not have websites and for many that do, they don't understand that having a website is one thing, having an Internet presence is quite another.

How do we achieve an Internet presence?  By doing search engine optimization to allow our sites to appear at the top of search engines when people search specific real estate terms, or keywords, like Scottsdale MLS or Cave…

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Is the Scottsdale Real Estate Market Really Slowing Down?

I have been reading headlines referring to the slowdown of the real estate market in Scottsdale and surrounding Phoenix area. I wrote another article about the downturn of the Scottsdale real estate market.  It is actually affecting most of the nation. The party is certainly over.

First off, most buyers have made their purchasing decision within the past 5 years when interest rates were at record lows. I personally believe these low interest rates will cause buyers to remain in their homes longer than usual because it will be difficult to give up those low rates unless they absolutely have to move because of a job change, growing family, downsizing, divorce, etc. This will affect the real estate industry years down the road.

There is always a…

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Scottsdale Home Sellers, Don't Say "No" To Showings

UPDATED 2/19/2019

It always amazes me at how many sellers will not confirm an appointment to show their home. I realize we all have a life and sometimes a showing is not convenient, like when you're very sick or you're having a party (or maybe the morning after the party), etc.

I tried setting several appointments for Scottsdale homes recently during the day. On each day, one seller said no. Then the receptionist asked if I could make it at a different time. My answer is always, "We're out looking at that time. If my buyers don't find something, we might reschedule at a later date." But in most cases, we don't reschedule.

You should use a lockbox

Most sellers allow the use of a lockbox, which makes it very easy and comfortable to show their…

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What is the Best Valley City?

This is an oldie but goodie, timeless post. I have been asked recently, on more than one occasion, what is the best place to live in the Greater Phoenix area or what is the best area of Scottsdale real estate? That is a loaded question!

Real estate agents should not answer such questions but guide potential buyers to do their own homework. I believe buyers should be able to make a decision on where to live based on their personal preferences. But we cannot force our preferences or opinions on buyers. We could be accused of "steering," which means promoting areas based on ethnic or racial groups. This could result in punishment of paying hefty fines and even losing our real estate license.

Besides that, we can truly only give our personal…

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What Style Home Do You Have?

Whenever I'm getting information over the telephone regarding a home I'm going to be preparing a Comparative Market Analysis on (CMA), I will ask what style is the home?  Many times I'll get a long pause where I will step in and start naming and describing different styles.

Most people know that a ranch style home is a one-level home.  That's the easy one.  Some people will tell me they have a two-story when they really have a cape cod (or 1 1/2 story).  A cape cod is easy to describe over the phone as it's typically the kind of house children draw in pictures with a square body and a triangle on top with a peaked roof coming down the sides.  A true two-story has the same square footage on the upper level as it does on the main level and the upper…

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Two Popular Real Estate States for Baby Boomer's Second Homes

Two Popular States for Baby Boomer's Second Homes

Florida, the Sunshine State

Moving to Florida, the "Sunshine State" is a dream come true for many retirees, families, and singles. With tropical weather in most parts of this giant peninsula and miles of sandy beaches, it's easy to daydream a new life in Paradise. As the third most populous state, the dream is a reality for more than 16 million residents. If you're wondering how to pick out your dream property in Florida, keep reading the tips below.

I thought my parents would surely retire to Florida since that is where we took all of our annual vacations. We went to Sarasota for many years and went to Bradenton a year or two also since one of my best friend's Grandmother had a house there and my…

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Is Real Estate in Scottsdale Slow?

I'm sure you've read about the market slowing down.  A lot of what we read is using national statistics and you need to do some local research if you're really interested about the market in your area.

While many agents have been complaining about the slow market, I am heading for a record year.  I believe my real estate presence with my Scottsdale real estate site is bringing me net-savvy buyers and sellers and agents that do not have a real estate website are still relying on the old-fashioned methods of marketing.

However, as local as real estate is, even putting all of the areas together won't give you the exact market your specific town might be in.  There is also a different market between single-family vs. condos and townhomes and price range…

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Does Burying a St. Joseph Statue Help Sell a Home?

St. Joseph was Mary's husband and Jesus' father on earth and is the patron saint of workers and fathers in the Catholic religion. So what does he have to do with real estate? If you go to Snopes.com, you'll read some different origins of why his statue was related to a quick home sale.

Snopes states that the first American history of burying a St. Joseph statue was in 1979 and became popular in the 1990s. I always thought the statue was buried upside down and never realized that there are specific places to bury it, although there are several locations, so which of these is correct?

There is also a divide between leaving it buried or digging it up. Some feel it must be dug up and displayed in the new homeowner's house. Others feel that it can be…

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First-Time Scottsdale Home Buyers Still Give Me a Thrill

After being a licensed Scottsdale REALTOR® since 1983, you'd think I'd become used to certain aspects of the business. But it's always exciting to work with first-time buyers and find them the first property they'll ever own, be it a mobile home, condo, townhouse, or single-family residence.

I just had a closing for a Scottsdale condo for sale and this was the first home for my buyers. They were such a pleasure to work with. I was able to find them the best home in their price range.

What made everything enjoyable was that we communicated well. Their expectations were reasonable for the market. They used my favorite mortgage company/loan officer. They provided the mortgage company with all documents needed in a timely manner.

We even had a…

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But It's a Dry Heat!

You have to be careful about how you talk to my Mom. She’s very opinionated and demands respect, but she can also be hurt easily. But after hearing her broken record over and over during phone calls, “but it’s a dry heat…” I couldn’t take it any longer. I replied, “OK, Mom, I get it! It’s a dry heat. Enough already!

A coaster set we just had to buy

As little interest as I had in Arizona, another reason was the high temps. Let me state that I am always cold. I love warmth. In the summer here in Chicago I only use the a/c if it’s really hot and humid, or if it’s warm and humid (which makes it feel hotter than it really is). A 90-degree day in Chicago is extremely hot because there’s usually high humidity in the air.

So when I’m hearing temps of…

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