How to Keep Your Home Safe When Traveling

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North Scottsdale homeWhen you go on vacation, you’re probably caught up in a whirlwind of information you need to keep track of. You want to be sure someone is taking care of your pets, that you have your travel itinerary all under control, that you’ve packed everything you’ll need and that you get to the airport on time if you’re flying. With all these thoughts to worry about, you may find yourself neglecting the house you’ll be leaving behind. Of course, if you’re only going to be gone for a couple of days, there’s not a lot you’ll need to do to take care of your home before travel. However, longer trips mean you’ll need to do some prep work at home before you ever leave.

Leave on Some Lights

It’s always a good idea to leave on a few lights in and around your home while you’ll be gone. Not only will this give the appearance of someone being at home in case any intruders take notice, but also it will make the area outside your home brighter at night too. This will make it more obvious if anyone is trying to sneak inside. If you have motion lights or lights on a timer, be sure to use them while you’re gone, too.

Let the Neighbors Know

Even if you aren’t very close to your neighbors, it’s a good idea to let someone know you’ll be out of town. This way, if your neighbor notices something odd—like a strange car parked in front of your house—they can check in with you and call the proper authorities if it’s necessary, too. You might also want to leave a key with the same neighbor just in case someone needs to be able to get into your house.

Keep the Lawn and Shrubs Trimmed

Make sure your lawn and shrubs are trimmed before you go. If you’ll be gone a long time, schedule someone to come and take care of either or both of these areas while you’re away too. This will make it look like someone is still at home, and it will also make it more difficult for potential intruders to hide behind any unruly shrubs that might have become overgrown while you’re away.

Don’t Post on Social Media

It’s tempting to let everybody know when you’ll be leaving, but remember that anyone can see the posts you make on social media. This includes those you might not want to know you’re away from your home. You can always save your vacation pictures to show off when you get back—and this might make a big difference toward ensuring your home’s safety while you’re gone.

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be well on your way to a safer experience for your home the next time you travel. Although they’re not a requirement for shorter visits, you can always put them into practice during any trip, regardless of the amount of time you’ll be away.

We are local real estate experts helping home buyer and seller in Scottsdale, Arizona and surrounding areas.  Contact us if you are looking to sell or buy a home.

Fun Things to Do In Scottsdale

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Scottsdale Phoenix statueIn the Scottsdale area, there are plenty of incredible events and activities you might not even know are going on. In the month of September, you can check out lots of excitement and take part in the culture and life of the Scottsdale area. Well within driving distance of anyone living in and around Scottsdale, these activities are sure to keep you and your family entertained and happy throughout the month of September. Check out our list and see which ones you’re most interested in visiting so you can make a plan for how to spend your time this month!

Phoenix Cooks!

Food loves in the Scottsdale area, get ready! This is an exciting opportunity for you to join your fellow foodies and participate in a food tasting and sampling event that incorporates dishes and drinks from a wide variety of local restaurants. During this event, you can also participate in a cooking class if you choose, and you can learn a lot about how to create the perfect tasty bites to enjoy at home on your own time, too. This event is $85 per person and takes place at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale.

Children’s Learning and Play Festival

If you’ve got little ones in your family, don’t forget to check out the Children’s Learning and Play Festival at WestWorld of Scottsdale. On September 9, this event will provide children with lots of fun activities to participate in while adults can enjoy checking out vendors, lectures, information and much more from the world of childcare and parenting. Take your time exploring this fun event with your kids and you might find out about some local organizations or stores you didn’t even know existed!

Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market

At WestWorld in Scottsdale, antique lovers and thrifters alike can come together to shop for vintage items and clothing at the Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. This event takes place from September 15 to 17 costs $65 per person for the whole weekend or $25 per person for Saturday only. If you’re searching for that perfect vintage find, don’t hesitate to check out this incredible collection of vendors selling odds and ends all weekend long at this exciting event!

As you can see, there’s a lot to do in Scottsdale! There are plenty of other great events going on this month in the area, so don’t forget to check them out via local community calendars. There could be something thrilling going on right around the corner—so why not check it out?

Phoenix/Scottsdale Real Estate Market September Update- August 2017 Stats

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Here is the Phoenix/Scottsdale area Monthly Real Estate Market Report for August 2017, which shows 8,221 homes sold in the month of August compared to 7,968 homes in August 2016. This is a 3.1% increase for the number homes sold year over year. And the average sale price is up 8.0% year over year and 1.3% from last month! And the amount of listed homes is down by 11.6% to 17,654 from 19,741 in August 2016. Demand has continued to remain strong even during the slower Summer months, and the supply of listed homes continues to fall, with the average days on market down 17.2% from August 2016 to just 63 days. (Click on the link below or the image to view the full Market Report)

Click here to see the full August 2017 Market Report & Statistics

Give us a call or text us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this fall, as the strong market now continues to be good for both buyers and sellers, or if you have questions about this information. And don’t forget to explore our website AzDreamHomesScottsdale.com to see Scottsdale area homes and helpful articles.

Hiring the Right Real Estate Lawyer

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Scottsdale home photoDuring the process of buying or selling property—or even owning or renting property—you may encounter situations in which you might need a real estate lawyer. If this happens, you may feel overwhelmed trying to choose the right lawyer to get the job done. Follow the tips outline below to help you make the right decision and choose the right lawyer to suit your specific needs.

Be Proactive:  There’s nothing worse than having to scramble at the last minute to find a real estate lawyer to handle a situation that just came up. Take your time looking for someone when you don’t necessarily need their assistance, or when you know something is coming up but it hasn’t happened yet.  Ask your friends, family and realtor for recommendations and schedule a phone interview or a consultation to see if it’s a good fit.  This way, you won’t wind up choosing someone who may not be the right fit for your needs.

Find Reviews:  Look around online or talk to people in your area to ask for recommendations. A few recommendations or positive reviews can help you see which real estate lawyers in your area are the best options and which ones you may want to stay away from.

Ask About Similar Cases:  Call the lawyer you’re thinking of working with and ask specific questions. Don’t be afraid to explain your situation and ask if the lawyer has worked with any similar cases before. If so, you may even be able to ask for some general details, but remember that your lawyer won’t be able to give you a lot of information about someone else’s case.

Get Fees in Writing:  Always ask for your lawyer’s fees in writing before you get very far into your communications with him or her. Also be sure to ask if there’s any chance of these changing in the near future. Having something signed and in writing from your lawyer can make a big difference when it comes time to talk money. Although most good lawyers won’t try to change the fees  at the last minute, it always helps to know exactly what to expect when payment is expected.

Ask for References:  Ask the lawyers you’re considering for references from happy clients. A good lawyer should have no problem putting you in touch with a few people who can validate their skills and abilities. When you call these references, be sure to ask specific questions rather than leaving it open-ended. Don’t ask, “Is this lawyer good?” but instead ask things like, “Did this lawyer help you reach an end result you were happy with?”

Of course, there are many other ways to settle real estate issues.  Click here to read Ways To Settle Disputes Between Buyer and Seller

Contact us for your real estate needs.  We are local area experts helping buyers and seller in the northeast valley.

 

 

Ways To Settle Disputes Between Buyer and Seller

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Whether you’re buying or selling a home, there are various reasons why you might encounter a dispute between yourself and the other party or parties involved in the sale of the home, but it’s important to ensure that you’re both able to take care of any problems that may arise in a manner that works well for both of you. This is one of the many reasons why it can be especially beneficial to work with a seasoned realtor who can help you if something should go awry with your attempt to either buy or sell a home.

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Mediation:  This is one of the most common methods for settling disputes between the seller and the buyer of a property. This can usually be achieved by working with your agent. In the mediation process, a third party who is not the realtor associated with either the buyer or the seller can be called in to help both parties work together to find a happy medium that works for everyone involved.

The mediator is not called in to make a final decision or judgment based on the situation, but instead to encourage polite and effective communication between both parties to help reach a good agreement together. The mediator can also help explain any problems that may arise and may help steer the conversation toward a workable end result. However, mediator may not help sway the decision one way or the other.

Negotiation:  This method of dealing with disputes between buyers and sellers is also very common, and sometimes it occurs without anyone actually realizing it’s going on. With this method, a third party is not involved. Both parties will try to negotiate with each other to help reach an agreeable end result that they will both be happy with.

There are many ways negotiation may take place. Of course, when a buyer and a seller are trying to work together to find a selling price and contract that works for both of them, this is one type of negotiation. However, the realtor may also be involved in negotiations. For example, if some type of small damage to the home is bothering the buyer and preventing them from signing the contract, the realtor may step in and offer to fix that damage out of pocket to encourage the final sale.

Arbitration:  With arbitration, both the buyer and the seller agree to send any problems to a neutral third party who will make the final decision for them. This is very similar to mediation, but instead of helping encourage the buyer and the seller to make the decision together, the arbitrator will choose based on the situation.

 

Phoenix/Scottsdale Real Estate Market August Update- July 2017 Stats

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Here is the Monthly Real Estate Market Report for July 2017, which shows 8,008 homes sold in the month of July compared to 7,778 homes in July 2016. This is a 2.9% increase for the number homes sold year over year. And the average sale price is up 8.1% year over year, while the amount of listed homes is down by 11.4% to 17,490 from 19,723 in July 2016. Demand continues to remain strong even during the slower Summer months, and the supply of listed homes continues to fall, with the average days on market down 9.8% from July 2016 to just 65 days. (Click on the link below or the image to view the full Market Report)

Click here to see the full July 2017 Market Report & Statistics

Give us a call or text us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, as the strong market now is good for both buyers and sellers, or if you have questions about this information. And don’t forget to explore our website AzDreamHomesScottsdale.com to see Scottsdale area homes and helpful articles.

 

Challenges To Overcome When Buying a Home

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Scottsdale Home photoPurchasing a home can be a stressful experience, whether you’ve been through the process before or not. However, you may not realize the many different legal issues you might want to keep in mind when you get ready to purchase a home. There are a lot of potential scenarios and problems you may encounter during the process of buying your home, so it pays to know a little bit about the possibilities before you ever make your first offer.

Required Home Inspections

Understand that you are required by law to have a home inspection performed before you can purchase a home. Your seller should understand this as well, but always pay close attention to ensure that this crucial and legal step in the buying process is getting taken care of. Depending on the type of contract and mortgage you’re working with, you may be able to add a clause that states you can withdraw your offer if the home inspection turns up anything too significant, such as foundation or roof damage.

Backing Out on a Rent to Own

Unfortunately, buying a rent to own home is challenging from a legal perspective. The contract must be drawn up in a specific way to ensure that your seller cannot back out from this agreement. Otherwise, you may find yourself renting for years only to find that the seller decides to sell to someone else in the end.

Paying Property Taxes

Property taxes are a part of buying a home that many first-time homebuyers don’t know about or forget about altogether. You should always be prepared to pay your property tax bill when it’s due. If you don’t, you’ll run the risk of having your home repossessed, so make sure you have plenty of extra funds set aside to take care of this crucial payment before you ever purchase your home in the first place.

Problems After Moving In

Moving into your new home and finding that it’s not everything you thought it was can be disheartening. If the problems that arise specifically have something to do with the contract, you may be able to pursue legal action to get the previous owner to help pay for the repairs, as this could fall into the category of false advertising of the home. However, in most situations, you’ll be responsible for paying for these repairs. If the included refrigerator that came with your home goes out the next day, for example, this is the responsibility of the buyer and not the seller. It is always recommended that yo obtain a home warranty policy, at least for the first year of residence.

Key to a successful transaction and positive home buying experience is choosing an experienced, diligent realtor who will look out for your best interest.  We are local area experts, contact us if you are considering purchasing a home.

 

Phoenix/Scottsdale Real Estate Market July Update- June 2017 Stats

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Here is the Monthly Real Estate Market Report for June 2017, which shows 9,569 homes sold in the month of June compared to 8,969 homes in June 2016. This is a 6.7% increase for the number homes sold year over year. And the average sale price is up 6.1% year over year, while the amount of listed homes is down by 12.7% to 17,809 from 20,404 in June 2016. Demand continues to remain strong, and the supply of listed homes continues to fall, with the average days on market down to just 62 days. (Click on the image below to view the full Market Report)

Click here to see the full June 2017 Market Report & Statistics

Give us a call or text us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, as the strong market now is good for both buyers and sellers, or if you have questions about this information. And don’t forget to explore our website AzDreamHomesScottsdale.com to see Scottsdale area homes and helpful articles. Talk to you soon.

Imperative Home Inspection Repairs

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estate gate photoMost home inspection will reveal a list of things that need repairs and/or replacements and this is where the second round of negotiations begin.  If you are not buying a brand new home, the home will most likely need some cosmetic touches but this is not where your focus should be. Sellers are usually willing to at least make some changes or improvements to the condition of a home before they sell it, and as long as you feel like you’ve got some bargaining power in terms of your offer, it’s a good idea to see if the seller will take care of at least a few of the problems that your home inspection has shown. Below, you’ll find a list of some of the most common issues you should ask about.

Infestations: Whether you’re talking about termites, rats, bats, squirrels, or any number of other creatures or insects that could be infesting a home, if your home inspection returns results of any type of infestation or pest problem, you can request that the seller take care of this before the home is sold. Although some sellers will be unwilling to do so, most will realize that they probably won’t be able to sell the home until this problem is resolved anyway.

Mold or water damage:  Mold and water damage are both major issues that your seller should be willing to fix before the home is sold. Some types of mold are much more dangerous than others, and if possible, it may be a good idea to find out if the mold in the home is of a dangerous variety or not. Either way, it’s best if you can talk the seller into repairing any water leaks or cleaning up any mold before you sign.

Structural issues:  If the roof or foundation of the home are seriously damaged, you can request that the seller fix these problems before you buy. In some cases, if a home inspection turns up these kinds of problems, the seller may choose to re-list the home on an as-is basis instead, rather than having to fix the structural problems going on. Some sellers, however, will be happy to fix the problems before they sell.

Lead paint and radon levels:  If a home inspection shows high levels of radon or lead paint present in any part of your home, your seller should be notified and you should absolutely request that this be resolved. Although sellers are not required by law to fix either of these problems, they are required to disclose lead paint if they know about it beforehand. Many sellers don’t realize their home has lead paint, and most are willing to take care of it when a home inspection shows that is is present. Radon mitigation is almost always something the seller will need to cover before a home can be sold.

Are you looking to buy a home in the east valley?  Fill out this form and create a custom home search based on your own search criteria. 

Requests To Avoid From Your Home Inspection

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pool photoWhen it’s time for you to buy a home, you probably already know you’ve got a home inspection coming up in the near future. It’s very important to get a home inspection done before you finalize anything in the home buying process, but just because the inspection turns up some problems, that doesn’t mean you have to rely on the seller to solve all of them. Check out the list below to help you figure out which home inspection issues you can take care of yourself instead of risking losing the home of your dreams by asking the seller to do it for you.

Cosmetic issues in the home or yard:  No home is going to look perfect when you buy it, especially if it’s been lived in previously. It’s unrealistic to expect the seller to take care of cosmetic problems, especially if those problems are subjective. Even if it’s something everyone agrees on, such as paint that’s chipping badly on the exterior of the home, plan to take care of this yourself.

Removal of external buildings:  If you buy a home that has sheds other small external buildings on the property, you usually shouldn’t talk to the seller about removing them before you buy. In some cases, the seller will be fine with it, but in a seller’s market it’s usually best to assume you’ll need to take care of this on your own.

Outlets that don’t work:  There are usually outlets in older homes that don’t work, but this is something you can take care of yourself after you purchase the home. This isn’t something to get hung up on when you’re trying to make a deal with the seller, especially since it’s a low-cost fix.

Concrete floor cracks:  Cracks in concrete floors or sidewalks are to be expected, especially if you’re looking at an older property. As long as there are no cracks in the walls, you should have no issues going on if you see concrete floor cracks. Always have a home inspection to determine if there are any structural issues you need to know about.

Repairs under $100:  Even a home that’s only a few months old probably has something going on that could stand to be fixed or upgraded, but if you’re trying to get your seller to take care of little things under $100 per repair, try taking a step back. Think of it from the seller’s perspective. Would you want to deal with a buyer who is making a lot of unnecessary requests before signing?

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