Scottsdale Real Estate Blog - Home Selling

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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Scottsdale Real Estate is Better for Buyers

I remember two or three years ago working with some Scottsdale home buyers that were making full-price offers on properties and still losing out. I lost some of these frustrated buyers who decided to wait until the market slowed down.

That time is now here. Scottsdale home sales are down from last year. In some areas, there is double the inventory available. Although it doesn't seem to have affected prices yet, I am seeing a price reduction trend from current listings that have not sold, some having been listed for months.

This is bad news for home sellers in Scottsdale and other places in the Valley, but if you're thinking of buying this might be the time to do it. Not only are we seeing a general downturn from the record years we had witnessed,…

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Real Estate Cost Vs. Value Remodeling 2006

As a licensed Scottsdale REALTOR® I have a subscription to REALTOR® Magazine, a comprehensive publication provided by the National Association of REALTORS®. One of my favorite issues is the annual issue featuring a real estate Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compiled for the current year (2006).  Read the report here.

I like to save this article to bring along on listing presentations to help back up some items sellers might think are worthwhile expenses to sell their Scottsdale home when I feel they won't get their money back. In my opinion, this is one of the most informative articles the magazine puts out every year.

You Can't Always Get Back What You Paid

One seller insisted that he wanted to add the $5,000 onto the market value of his…

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Latest Real Estate Article Featuring Judy Orr

I was published again in the Southtown Star in the November 12th, 2006, issue in the Real Estate section. The title of the article was "Be Wise When Making Your Next Move." The story was about how you should prepare before moving, especially if you have a property you need to sell first. Most of the articles I've been interviewed for have been online on the Daily Southtown's site but I couldn't find an online version of this one.

It's a tough decision on what should come first, the sale of your current property or the purchase of the new place. Personally, I would want to sell my home first or at least prepare some kind of contingency financing, which is what I did when I moved 3 years ago.

Maybe it's because I lost my "dream home" (at the time)…

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Scottsdale Real Estate Market Facts 2006

As a seller in today's market, you might be questioning whether the news about the real estate downturn is a bunch of hype that gives your agent an excuse for your home not selling. I subscribe to a newsletter by an Association of REALTORS, of which I am a member.

In one of the articles, it states "Second quarter home sales are down 6.1 percent."  That doesn't seem like a big number, but it's never good when sales are down for Scottsdale real estate in any month from the prior year.

This just reiterates the fact that as a seller of Scottsdale real estate, you need to make sure your property is priced correctly for today's market and it needs to be at top condition in that price range. Why? Because with fewer buyers looking and more homes on the…

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Real Estate is Booming in Scottsdale in 2006

I've been so busy I haven't had much time to post in this blog.  All of my Scottsdale real estate listings have sold as the market in the area is very active.

If you currently have a Scottsdale home for sale that is priced in the median price range or less for your area and you still haven't received any offers then you need to rethink your price.  However, price isn't always the answer.

If your agent has made some suggestions on cosmetic fixes/repairs that would make your property more appealing you might want to tackle some or all of those items.  I can't tell you how many times a Scottsdale home seller could have received more money if they just made some cosmetic changes.  Even with the changes they would have sold quicker and netted more…

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