Buyers - Don't Make These 8 Home Inspection Mistakes

Buying a home is an exciting time in people's lives. When you've fallen in love with a particular house, usually after seeing a few, or many, your eye is now on the goal of closing and moving in.

There are timelines in the contract for your protection. One of the most important contingencies is for you to get the home inspected. And you need to do it and get any requests in by day 10, and no later. The inspection negotiations can go beyond day 10 but all inspections and the inspection form, called the BINSR, must be sent to the listing agent within 10 days.

Once the inspection has been done, you will receive a report with all items that are concerning. A good inspector will list everything they see, but what you need to be interested in are…

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Appliance Cleaning Guide

When it comes to cleaning our houses, most of us will concentrate on dusting shelves, vacuuming the carpets, and disinfecting the sinks, but we often forget about the appliances we use every day. Making sure appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and stovetops stay clean does more than keep your home looking its best. Cleaning these appliances regularly can be essential for keeping them in their best condition and ensuring that they run efficiently.

For example, refrigerator condenser coils can become covered with dust and lint. Thus, they have to work harder to keep your refrigerator running which could result in your fridge burning out before its time. In the case of washing machines and dishwashers, many people might believe that…

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10 Top Staging Tips Shared by Professional Stagers

The National Association of Realtors contends that staging your Scottsdale home for sale prior to listing it will help sell it more quickly and for more money. The Real Estate Staging Association indicates that for houses that are staged, it is estimated that they spend 73 percent less time on the market.

To get your home ready for sale, you should follow these 10 tips for the best results. These are easy and cost-effective ways to make your home look better which will give buyers a clear impression of their new neighborhood and how to decorate their home in a similar style and for less money. So go for it. Do a few of these things, and you can sell your home in Scottsdale quickly and for top dollar.

To get a plan customized for your particular…

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The Compound Effect: Building Your Household's Wealth

Wealth is within reach for many people; however, according to a study posted by Bankrate*, 63 percent of Americans said it’s not likely they’ll become rich. While younger people are more likely to say they’ll achieve wealth one day, only 34 percent of people aged 30 to 49 and 21 percent of people aged 50 or older say the same. There is no secret to becoming rich: it takes time, sacrifice, and good financial sense. Here are a few ways to build your household’s wealth.

Let Compound Interest Work for You Compound interest is your interest earning interest. While the concept may work against you when you take out a loan to buy a car or use your credit card, it works in your favor when you’re saving money. For example, if your savings is growing at a…

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The Home Buyer’s Guide to Getting Mortgage Ready

Don’t wait until you’re ready to move to start preparing financially to buy a home in Scottsdale. If you’re like the vast majority of home buyers, you will choose to finance your purchase with a mortgage loan. By preparing in advance, you can avoid the common delays and roadblocks many buyers face when applying for a mortgage.

The requirements to secure a mortgage may seem overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. But we’ve outlined three simple steps to get you started on your path to homeownership. Even if you’re a current homeowner, it’s a good idea to prepare in advance so you don’t encounter any surprises along the way.

Lending requirements have become more rigorous in recent years, and changes to your credit history, debt…

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Home Design Trends to Watch in 2018

We frequently get questions from clients who are taking on decorating and remodeling projects and want to ensure their dollars are invested wisely.

Which looks will last for years to come, and which ones will feel dated quickly? What colors and styles are most popular among buyers in our area? How can I add the most value to my Scottsdale home for sale?

So we’ve rounded up some of the hottest trends in home design to help guide you through the process. Whether you’ve planned a simple refresh or a full-scale renovation, making smart and informed design choices will help you maximize your return on investment … and minimize the chance of “remodeler’s remorse” down the road.

WHAT’S HOT NOW

While 2017 was all about millennial pink, brass…

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Scottsdale Real Estate 2018: What to Expect

As we head into a new year, the most common question we receive is, “What’s the outlook for Scottsdale real estate in 2018?”

It’s not just potential buyers and sellers who are curious; homeowners also want reassurance their home’s value is going up. The good news is that a strong U.S. economy, coupled with low unemployment rates, is expected to drive continued Scottsdale real estate growth in 2018. However, changes on the horizon could significantly impact you if you plan to buy, sell or refinance this year.

SCOTTSDALE HOME VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO RISE

Get ready for another strong year! U.S. home values and sales volume will continue to rise in 2018.

Experts agree that Scottsdale home prices will increase in 2018, but predict a slower rate…

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Tips on Buying a New Home

Following is a guest post written by Lance Mohr, a Tampa, Florida REALTOR

Buying a new home is one of the most exciting feelings anyone can dream of. However, it is not as easy as you might think. Having a lot of money is not all that matters. There are other factors to look into when buying a new home. Even the most luxurious property has its own drawbacks because there’s no such thing as a “perfect home”. Nevertheless, through several years of real estate experience, we have come up with various tips to guide you in choosing the home that adequately fits your style, needs and financial resources, may it be brand new or pre-owned.

Come up with a clear description of your ideal home. This way you have a clear understanding before you and…

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How Scottsdale Real Estate Agents Would Sell Their Own Home

I was going to update the original post I made about how I would sell my home back in 2008 (link below in Related Links).  But I would have had to make so many changes and updates that I figured it would be best just to start a new post.

De-cluttering and Staging

You need to know your competition

Before putting any home on the market sellers need to declutter, de-personalize and "stage" their homes.  This doesn't always cost money.  Today's buyers have a selection of similarly priced flip homes and regular re-sell properties.  Many times, even if the flip home is priced a bit higher, it's worth it as the new owners couldn't update a competitor home for less than the flip.  Some flips are completely redone - almost like new construction. …

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Realtor.com Results Summit 2017

The only time I had been to Las Vegas was in August of 2002 when my husband (and Team Member) Jimmy Herter and I got married. It was a whirlwind trip and we had 41 guests that traveled to Vegas to attend our wedding in the Viva Las Vegas Chapel.  It was fun but a busy time and although we visited a few other hotels/casinos, we were pretty much stuck on the strip.

So when we heard that Realtor.com was having a conference in Las Vegas, we decided to attend, especially since my grade school friend and REALTOR®, Karen Kostoff, lives nearby in Henderson and was also going to attend.  I wasn't expecting to have as much fun as we did.

Our Room at The Cosmopolitan

View from the balcony of our room on the 29th floor of The Cosmopolitan Hotel

We got…

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