Scottsdale Real Estate Blog - Home Selling

Home Seller Tips

It's that time of year again - the Spring season is upon us and buyers are out looking.  This means I am seeing more and more mistakes sellers are making in the presentation of their homes.  Every year around this time I write a post about how to best show your home in order to get a quick sale at top dollar.

This is not going to be a long list of everything a seller should do, but just what I've seen recently.

1.  Clean and de-clutter - you'd think this would be a given, but I can't tell you how many homes I show where you can't see the kitchen counter or sink with all the food, dishes, and clutter, piles of clothes all over (clean and dirty) and just very messy houses.  My house is up for sale and I am not the fussiest housekeeper around but when…

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Four Quick Curb Appeal Tips

Whether you're trying to sell a home or not, the curb appeal of your house is something you can't hide. Spring is here and it's time to create your plan on exterior home maintenance after winter.

1. Clean It Up

Cleaning up debris and any other clutter (Christmas lights still up?) should be done as soon as you can. Store any out-of-season or holiday decor away. Clean up leftover leaves, branches, and other lawn waste.

2. Start Planting

Now is the time to start planting spring bulbs for summer flowers. You can also start trimming down certain plants that require pruning for best growth.

Now might be the time to consider adding flowers, shrubs, and/or trees or removing some that just aren't working out. Check with your town, subdivision or HOA…

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New Appraisal Agreement - HVCC

I had heard of something new coming on May 1st to the mortgage industry.  I was trying to find out what it was, and I found out today.  It is called the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, or HVCC for short.  Do a search for either name and you will see some links explaining it, dating back to 2008.

HVCC is not a law

It is an agreement between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and New York's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.  Some banks have already been following the agreement although it was slated to go into action starting today (May 1, 2009).

Supposedly, it is trying to keep banks from turning to a shortlist of preferred appraisers and to use AMC's (Appraisal Management Company) instead.  AMC's are like middlemen for appraisers and charge each appraiser a…

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Buying a Home on a Busy Street

This is an older post that is still relevant today, so don't be put off by the date it was created.

I recently showed buyers a home they wanted to view that was located on a busy street.  I told them that I would show it but I also gave them my feelings about making such a purchase.  The Scottsdale home for sale was originally listed at $579,900 and was now priced at $509,000.  That might sound like a bargain with such a high price drop, especially in the area.

But at $509,000, it still is not sold.  I think it needs to go below $500,000, but even then I don't think this property is a real bargain because of its location.  From articles I've read in the past and my own deductions, the value of a home on a busy street (or near a train track,…

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Sellers Finding the Current Market Difficult to Understand

I am surprised at the fact that many Scottsdale real estate sellers act surprised when I tell them we're in an historic bad real estate market.  So many reply, "Really?!", almost like they're shocked to hear this news.  I don't get it, just turn on the television, read a newspaper, go on the Internet, and you'll read all about the bad economy and the bad real estate market.  Buyers sure know about it!

Why Are Some Agents Acting So Positive?

Many agents are taught to be positive and don't mention the fact that they're having a bad year.  NAR is advertising a campaign to give people hope - it's a great time to buy, yada, yada, yada.  Of course, that mantra is true - it's a good time to buy, although some professionals say keep waiting as prices…

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Will Scottsdale Real Estate Start to Recover After the Election?

I sure wish I had a crystal ball.  There are so many different opinions out there, and I'm talking about trusted individuals that I look up to for their wisdom.  Yet they all have different views of the real estate market.

The Real Estate Predictions

I can't remember if it was our own National Association of REALTORS (NAR) or a large real estate publication that told us we would see a recovery in the 3rd quarter of 2008.  That sure didn't happen.  They pretty quickly changed their prediction to the 4th quarter which didn't ring true to me because in the Scottsdale area our 4th quarter is always slow due to winter and the holidays.  So when I read that I wasn't convinced and my gut feelings were correct.  We are still seeing ever declining prices and…

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How I Would Sell My Own Scottsdale Home

Most sellers do not understand the marketing aspect of their properties.  They don't understand that the biggest reason their Scottsdale real estate will sell is because of the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and the correct price.  They expect other forms of marketing but don't know how these methods work and what they're really used for.  I'm going to explain some marketing tools to debunk the myths.

The MLS (Multiple Listing Service)

I would get my home listed on the Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS).  This is the reason most listings will sell.  Most buyers will use a Scottsdale real estate agent to purchase their next property.  Because the MLS is a system of shared property listings, once the buyer chooses the agent they're going to…

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Would a Scottsdale REALTOR® Buy Now?

I would never expect a buyer or seller to do something I wouldn't do.  It is a confusing market right now.  It has been a Buyer's Market for some time and prices continue to plummet in most areas.  This makes it difficult for buyers to make a decision to buy now or hold out until the real estate market hits bottom.

How do you know when we've reached the bottom?

I've been selling real estate since 1983 and I don't know when that elusive bottom will occur.  Some say the 4th quarter of 2008 will show recovery but that's a slow time in the Scottsdale real estate market even in a good year.  So that doesn't ring true to me.

Many others feel that after the election people will start to feel more comfortable and the market will slowly start its…

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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 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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