Scottsdale Real Estate Blog - Home Buying

What is Your Scottsdale Home Buying Power?

The first thing you need to do before ever contacting a real estate agent to start showing you homes is to find out what you can actually afford.  Many agents won't take you out until you can show them a pre-qualification letter from a lender.  And sometimes if the agent has never heard of that lender, or it's an online lender that isn't trustworthy, the agent will ask you to get pre-qualified by their preferred lender.

Then there are some agents that will show you a couple of homes to get to meet you, but once you've seen some they will ask you to get pre-qualified before they show you any more.  I have done that and some of those buyers, who thought they were fully qualified, ended up falling in love with a home I showed them, only to find out…

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Top 5 Home Design Trends of 2017

You can usually spot new design trends by looking at new construction, especially new subdivision models.  Most builders keep themselves up-to-date with current decorating styles.  One builder I met said they will build one spec home using a cool tone (grey) and the next one with a warm tone (beige).

The current trends are all about utilizing rich color, maximizing texture, and creating comfortable interiors you can’t wait to relax in. Use these trends to get inspired to makeover your home’s interiors and create spaces you love that also appeal to your personal style. Remember, if you plan to sell in the next few years, you may want to avoid doing anything dramatic and instead incorporate small changes that would appeal to buyers.  We plan on…

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All About Buyers and Sellers in 2016 - Infographic

Here is an infographic of some real estate buyer and seller profiles of 2016 that I thought many people would find interesting.

Home Buyers

Age

Nothing really shocking to me about buyers.  It is interesting to see how the average age has changed since 1981.  I bought my first house in 1976 at the age of 22.  That house cost $18,000 and it didn't hit me at the time but instead of a 30-year mortgage, we were given a 10-year mortgage!  We were happy with our 10.5% interest rate.  I still drive past that house whenever I'm in the area.

Marital Status

I normally work with married couples but I do get single buyers.  In fact, I worked with a couple this past year (they never did buy, but that might be good) that had just started dating and I…

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How Much Is Your Home Worth?

Click the photo above to go to the page for your instant market value.  This isn't just for homes in Cave Creek - it will change when you click on the page.  Just put your address in.  I've tried different home value programs and have come back to this one as it gave the closest value for my own home.  This value is based on sold and closed properties, which is what an appraiser goes by.

Buyers can also use this tool for a home they're interested in to see if the home is priced correctly.  However, I create a manual CMA for my buyers so they can get the best data available.

Keep in mind, this is an instant online value based on your location and the few quick questions for you to answer.  This will give you a price range and show you area…

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Generational Real Estate Trends for 2016

Below is an infographic from the National Association of Realtors®

As a baby boomer, I get confused about the generations that have followed me, so I'm going to list them:

• The Lost Generation - born 1890-1915 - I don't remember this generation, but my grandparents were in it - both are gone
• The Interbellum Generation - born 1901-1913 - I didn't realize generations could overlap
• The Greatest Generation - 1910-1925 - more overlapping - my parents were in this one
• The Silent Generation - 1923-1944 - my parents were also in this one
• Baby Boomers - 1945-1964 - My husband and I are in this one
• Generation X - 1961-1981 - My daughter & one son are in this generation
• Generation Y - Millenials - Gen Next - 1975-1995 - more overlapping…

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Looking For a Scottsdale Home in 2016?

We do work in more areas than just Scottsdale, so don't let the title of this post sway you.  Our hub is Scottsdale real estate but we will travel pretty far and wide to show you properties or list your home for sale.

It's the start of the New Year.  You might be considering purchasing a new home in Scottsdale or any other Greater North Phoenix location. You have many online resources to search for homes but did you know that sites like Trulia & Zillow don't have every home that's available listed on their sites?  They can also have outdated information.  

Along with them, some sites show properties that aren't actually for sale.  They think it's important to offer every existing address as they feel it makes their sites more relevant and important.…

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How Important is Square Footage in Scottsdale Real Estate Sales and Value?

This is an older post that still holds value today. Please note, although I'm mentioning Scottsdale real estate, this article covers all real estate. Our company is based in Scottsdale and is our main city.  In fact, because I network with agents around the world, I've heard other agents stating the same thing.

Why Don't All Listings Have Square Footage Listed?

Until just a few years back, the square feet section in our MLS wasn't a required field, so most agents didn't bother with it.  It is now a required field but we can put in "0" if we're not sure what the true value is.  I will only post square footage if I have a prior appraisal, an original blueprint, it is listed in tax records or a folder/pamphlet from when the property was built.  Most of…

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The Truth About Print Advertising for Real Estate Sales

This is an older post but it stands true today in 2022.

It's Thursday and I usually try to find an old post to bring back to life, but I'm writing a new post based on an old post I stumbled across that I wrote in February 2006.  It was titled More Home Buyers Search the Internet First.  I believe when I first wrote it the stats were that around 82% of real estate buyers search the Internet first.  Then I updated it to 90%.  If you do an Internet search you'll see those old stats and a slew of different figures all the way up to 99%.  I feel it's somewhere between 90%-99%.

It's not news that print advertising has died out for real estate

I used to advertise in the Southtown Economist, Sunday edition.  Sometimes they'd offer a deal for the entire…

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Scottsdale Rents Are Going Up

I rented my first apartment from a distant relative in Blue Island, Illinois, for $75.00 a month.  Sounds like a real bargain, right?  Well, it was in an old building on Gregory St. and had a big living room, large dining room, smallish eat-in kitchen, 3 bedrooms & 1 bath. Sounds huge.  However, only the master bedroom had an electric outlet. This was in the early 70's.  Also, it was oil heat which was very expensive in the winter, although it was only a winter bill.  And no air conditioning, but I think we had a couple window units.  

Instead of a dining table, we had a ping pong table in the dining room.  We were young newlyweds and had a lot of parties.  I didn't know half the attendees.  We had a White Castle steps away.  And we had an elderly,…

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Do You Really Want to Work with a Part-time Scottsdale Real Estate Agent?

Inman News recently published an article titled "Opinion: Why consumer behavior will eliminate the part-time agent,"  written by Tyler Smith (Founder & CEO of Skyslope and a former real estate agent). This is an older post but still holds true today, especially in our fast-paced seller's market.

I thought this was a great article as so many people will hand what is usually the largest financial investment to someone who is not a career real estate agent, and might only complete a few transactions a year.  Real estate is ever-changing and as a full-time, career Scottsdale REALTOR® I study changes in real estate and mortgage lending on a daily basis.  My team and I are out in the field almost every day of the week.  Even on vacation or attending…

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