About Prescott's Whiskey Row

Lowest Rates in History!

Over the last week world markets have been gripped by a tremendous amount of fear and uncertainty. These kinds of events are very unnerving for all of us. This is especially true if you are considering a major financial commitment like a new home.

It is our job as real estate professionals to help our clients understand what all of this means to a home purchase transaction. Many people assumed the downgrade to US debt would mean a rise in mortgage rates. That is not currently the case.

Mortgage bonds are the source of virtually all of the money used in home lending. As the price of bonds goes up, rates go down. In fact, they are currently pushing to new all-time highs. This means that rates are now at new all-time lows!

Despite all of the turmoil in the markets and in the world, for buyers who are serious about a purchase of a new home, there are very compelling reasons to do so now.

If you wondering if now is a good time to purchase a home, consider that the chart above illustrates that we are now at "LIFETIME LOWS" in terms of purchasing power. And if you are considering buying a home in the Prescott Arizona area, let me show you how to find the best deals available. I enjoy teaching my clients about the market. About the history of Prescott Arizona and Whiskey Row.

For my Prescott Arizona Pick of the Week, we have an amazing deal. 210 N Alarcon Street, Prescott AZ 86301

What makes this downtown Prescott Arizona Listing special reads like a laundry list:

1. Its right downtown just a short walk from the square and Whiskey Row.

2. Its Bank owned so the price is super low. (Main house is 1211 square feet and the duplex in back is another 1579 square feet) listed at $208,000!

3. Its in great shape. The front house has beautiful hardwood floors and in floor radiant hydronic heating (which costs plenty to install and is a wonderful way to heat).

4. It has tons of curb appeal.

5. It has built in income production with the two apartments in back.

So with all of this I can tell that we will have multiple offers by Monday and in all likelihood it will sell for above the list price of $208,000. But whenever I see a deal this good I like to share it with people who like a good deal.

My primary area of expertise is with bank owned homes. If you are looking for the best deal available, chances are I have already seen it. Dave Conners enjoys helping his clients reach thier goals with professional service and no drama.

The Acker Music Night in Prescott Arizona is my favorite event all year. The event promotes musical culture in the Prescott community.

Benefactor James S. Acker wrote, "All the residue of my estate...I give to the City of Prescott to be used for parks and for promotion of music, particularly for children" J.S. Acker 1865-1955

It consists of over 100 Prescott, Arizona downtown businesses featuring a variety of musicians performing in their place of business and on the Courthouse Plaza. One of the goals is to increase funding for local youth performing arts programs.

This annual event traditionally happens on the first Friday evening after the Courthouse Tree Lighting. This year it was December 10, 2010. Acker Night has become a highlight of the holiday season and is one of Prescott Arizona's favorite hometown events.

This year the weather was warm and clear, which made it one of the best ever. With so many wonderful musical acts, the hard part is deciding what your musical priorities are. This year I mapped out the acts I wanted to see to make sure I didn't miss any of my favorites.

Many businesses provide hot chocolate or hot apple cider along with cookies and other sweet treats. This year the Prescott Keller Williams office gave out over 1000 cookies and tens of gallons of hot chocolate and hot apple cider.

Prescott has many wonderful events all year long, which is one of the reasons it has become such a magical place to live, especially for those looking to retire.

Dave Conners enjoys helping people learn more about Prescott Arizona, (Arizona's Christmas City)

Prescott, a popular retiree destination 100 miles north of Phoenix, is dotted with Victorian homes, 19th-century Whiskey Row saloons, and a leafy Courthouse Plaza. With the world's oldest rodeo and more than 800 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, the town's cowboy heritage is hard to miss.

The weather here is hard to beat: plentiful sunny days, but also four distinct seasons, thanks to the town's elevation at 5,400 feet. That lures residents out to 650 miles of trails in the adjacent 1.25-million-acre Prescott National Forest. Plus they enjoy half a dozen golf courses, and a revolving door of art shows, film festivals, craft fairs, and outdoor concerts.

Of course, until recently, high home prices were a drawback to settling here. But with the market down more than 35% since 2007, Prescott has become a decidedly more affordable retirement haven.

And for those comers who are education minded, Yavapai College's 17-year-old lifelong learning program offers roughly 200 classes a year.

Dave Conners enjoys finding the perfect spot for new retirees in Prescott Arizona.

Real Estate Agent Referrals are the bread and butter of my business here in Prescott Arizona. After nearly a decade of business I have come to some interesting conclusions about referrals.

1. Clients who find me via referral are about twice as likely to close a transaction with me then clients who find me in other ways; sign calls, craigslist and other online property marketing etc.

When a friend or family member says "hey you should really talk to Dave about helping you find the best deal on a bank owned home", there is a level of trust that automatically transfers from the friend or family member that attaches to the agent receiving the referral. Since I track where my buyers and seller come from I can easily see that about half of my clients are referred to me from past clients, friends and family, and especially other agents who are outside of the Prescott AZ market, or who do not have experience in a particular market.

2. Past clients, friends and family, contractors, really anybody who knows an agent who excels in a particular field enjoy sharing the "inside information" with friends. If you have a mechanic who is excellent, its fun to share that knowledge with people who can benefit from it. With this in mind, getting referrals is easy if you excel in a particular field.

3. The cost of giving or receiving referrals is zero. Compare this to all the other ways busineses work to find new customers and clients.

4. The person receiving the referral is not taking a gamble that the agent he found via a sign call or walking into a brokerage to talk to who ever is on floor duty will perform up to their expectations. This should clearly be the most important item for any buyer or seller, but I am amazed almost daily at the number of people who choose an agent by default who will represent them in one of the largest financial transactions in their lives. If this were heart surgery would you use the yellow pages to pick the surgeon? You get my point.

In summary, buyers, sellers and agents should be taking advantage of referrals. They help the agents by ensuring a higher close ratio, they save money, they make us feel good when we refer a business, and finally they save the buyer or seller time and money and provide them with the confidence that the agent with whom they are working will do the job well.

Dave Conners loves getting and receiving referrals in and around Prescott Arizona.