Brenda & Ron Cunningham, Realtors® Phoenix Metro Homes for Sale

Phoenix Metro Area Housing Market Report March 2012.

The Phoenix Metro Area Housing has been showing signs of improvement recently and the following charts will show some of the statistics for the Phoenix Metro Area. This information can help buyers and sellers to get a good feel of the Phoenix Metro Area Housing Market which will help when making buying and selling decisions. It is certainly a good time to buy, but home buyers will find a lot of competition when making offers on homes as inventory is low and most homes end up with multiple offers. Home buyers may find this frustrating, but stick with it and you will find yourself with a home which will prove to be a good investment as the market continues to climb. Home sellers will find they can get more for their home than in the recent past as the lack of inventory and improved unemployment has helped in getting the sellers a better price for their home. The influx of investors in our market has also added to the multiple offers received on the properties.

Landlords be aware of the new 1099 law...

Since the beginning of this year, Jan. 1, 2011, any person who receives rental income must provide a Form 1099 for all payments of $600 or more made to service providers. The Form 1099 is provided to the IRS and to the service provider. The new requirement applies to both residential and commercial property.

Landlords will now be required to obtain certain information from their vendors/contractor, such as their name, address, and social security number or tax identification number. You will also need to keep track of the amount of money that you pay the vendor/contractor over the course of the year. If you pay them more than $600 within the tax year then you must reflect that income on a 1099.

Under this law, landlords will need to issue a 1099 to most all contractors/vendors regardless of whether they are a corporate entity or an individual. This will include handymen, plumbers, carpet cleaners, electricians, painters, gardeners, landscapers, accountants, lawyers etc. etc.

Landlords need be aware of the new 1099 law.

If you want to invest in homes in the Phoenix Metro area give us a call!

Make sure that you qualify to buy your next home prior to selling your current home.

You have decided to sell your home and purchase another one. Okay, no problem. You call up a Realtor and have them come to your home to take the listing. So far so good. You explain that the reason you are selling is that you want to buy another home after you sell your current home. The Realtor goes through the paperwork with you, you sign the listing agreement and the Realtor puts your home on the market. This could be the start of a serious problem. Okay, now you are starting to wonder what the problem could be. The problem is whether or not you have at this point spoken to a lender about whether you can qualify for your next home and how much of a home you qualify for. Make sure you qualify for your next home in the Phoenix Metro Area prior to selling your home.

As a Realtor, we frequently hear a seller state that there won't be a problem with obtaining new financing. They are absolutely sure of it. The problem is that they have not spoken to a lender yet. Maybe they have plugged in some information online, or just had a conversation on the phone with a lender, or worse yet they just "know" they can. This is not good enough. We are not trying to be difficult. We are not trying to be control freaks when we firmly state that you MUST get your loan application in to the lender FIRST before listing your home so that you can be sure you can purchase your next home.

Imagine, for a moment, that you put your home on the market and you get a fantastic offer on the home. You accept the offer. Next thing you do is go out looking at homes and find a home that you want to buy. You then put in an offer contingent upon your home closing escrow. You feel protected. There is one problem that you are not thinking of. If you have not been pre-approved on your financing then you have to be concerned if you do actually qualify. You have sold your home. The contract on your home does not say that you are selling it only if You can qualify for your next home. It states that you have sold your home IF the BUYER qualifies for your current home.

Years ago, we had a seller referred to us by a friend of theirs which was a past client of ours. This seller stated that he had a contract on a new build and needed us to list his home for him. We asked him if he had been pre-approved for the new home. He told us that he could qualify for it and that there was no problem. We explained to him that he needed to be sure that there were no problem with his qualifying prior to us listing the home. He was completely confident. We listed the home. After a couple weeks we received an offer. We explained to the seller again that he should be sure he could qualify for the new build prior to signing this purchase contract on his current residence. He was "positive" there was no problem. He was wrong.

A couple weeks later we received a call from the seller. He stated that after speaking to the new home builder's lender, the lender stated that he could not qualify for the bigger home he was trying to purchase. He was a bit frustrated, but was willing to purchase a little bit smaller home than the one he originally wanted. It was still larger than the home he was selling. Okay, not the worst thing that could happen, well, not yet.

We received another call from him about one week later. He couldn't qualify for that home either. Come to find out, they told him he would have to go down to the smaller home that they had in the series. This home was the same size as the one he was selling. He was really upset now. Why move? Well, he had signed a contract to sell his home with no contingencies written in for his protection as he was MORE THAN SURE he could qualify. He said there was no need to write it in as he was told he wouldn't have any problem qualifying. I think was irritated because we were pressing the issue so much. He should have listed to us! The worst thing did happen. The builder's lender called him one more time and told him he couldn't qualify. He couldn't buy at all. Yet he sold his home! He actually had to move into a rental with his kids. He had taken the conversations with the lender as being solid, but once all the verifications came in it proved otherwise. He was not frustrated with us as we tried on several occasions to get him to do something even if it was just a clause in his contract. He was absolutely positive - But then he was wrong. He called us a year later and was able to buy a home then, but for a year he was in a rental. Not what he wanted.

Many times people who have purchased previously think that they are familiar with the process and that they KNOW what they are doing. As Realtors we have seen so much more that they have. It is important to listen to the advice that we give. Every transaction is different to some degree. A Seller may only sell a few homes in his lifetime. We sell thousands and see thousands of different problems that any given seller may never see. We must protect them even when they don't think they need to be protected. We can't see all the problems coming, but we must learn from what we have experienced. I have been able to use this example every time a seller says that "It won't be a problem".

I had a seller state the same thing to me today. I told them I would list the home after they get their application in with a lender to be sure that they can do what they want. I told them this story from my past client and they agreed to make sure they could buy before listing their home. Wise decision! It is much better to be sure!

If you are looking for a home in the Phoenix Metro Area, give us a call, we would love to help you!

Arizona weekend Adventure #4 - a trip for every weekend of the year for those who have moved to the Phoenix metro area!

We have clients that move to the area and don't realize what Phoenix or Arizona has to offer. So we are giving you something to do for every weekend of the year. This week I must mention the Arizona desert in bloom! Most people coming from other areas of the country don't have any idea of the beautiful spectacle this can be! Whether you like to hike or just go for a drive, this is the time of year to do it! The best time to enjoy the desert in bloom will be toward the end of March through mid April. This is when the wildflowers are seen in their splendor! Although you can find color in the desert during other times such as some of the cacti blooming in May, this time of year is when you will find areas in the desert that are so filled with wildflowers that they make the desert look like someone has painted the desert with color!

I could literally spend a whole year giving you places to go hike so that you can see spectacular sites and views, but I will make this short and sweet and give you some ideas to get you started. You can stay close to home or go further for a longer weekend adventure whichever you have time for! The options are almost endless! To maximize your wildflower viewing experience, monitor the "Ranger Cam" on the Arizona State Parks website. Parks from across the state send pictures and keep the information up to date as they find the desert in bloom!

One concern this year is that we haven't had as much rain as needed to create a masterpiece of color in the desert, but there will be areas that should still put on a colorful show! But if you find that the sites you want to see don't have the blooms yet, then make a trip to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, where they have a secret weapon to induce wildflowers. They irrigate and when necessary, they provide the water needed so even if everything around them is sparse, they almost always have a beautiful display of wildflowers. The Arboretum is located at Highway 60 Milepost #223 near the historic copper mining town of Superior, about one hour's drive due east of Phoenix on the Superstition Freeway.

Other areas to go to get away and give you that "ahhh" moment include Bartlett Lake, Lake Pleasant, Dragoon Mountains, Black Mesa in Mazatzal Mountains, and White Tank Mountain. You can stay close to home and go to the Desert Botanical Gardens, or hike at Usery Mountain Regional Park which offers over 29 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Trails at Usery Mountain Park range in length from 0.2 mils to over 7 mile and range in difficulty from easy to difficult. The Merkle Trail is easy and if someone is in a wheelchair they still can enjoy it.

Superstition Mountain is another popular place to hike. When someone says the Superstitions, they can refer to just the 4000 to 5000 foot range running from Lost Dutchman State Park to Peralta Trailhead next to Apache Junction, the area around Superstition Mountain, the entire official wilderness, or the entire area bounded by roads 60, 88, and 188. If someone asks you to go hiking in the Superstition Mountains, make sure you know what they mean. And make sure you are prepared! Hiking in the desert is inherently dangerous at any time of the year and is very different from hiking in other locales. It's especially dangerous when the high temperature during your hike is above 90°. Don't leave the parking lot unless you have a map of the area (hopefully a GPS too) and plenty of water. Never let children take off on their own if you are at any of these parks, once you get out away from everything you cannot always tell where you are! Many experienced hikers have gotten lost or seriously hurt on hikes!

One more thing, don't play with the wildlife or pick up rocks... you may not like what you find!

If you haven't found your home in the desert yet, be sure to give us a call... we can take that hike together!

http://www.cunninghamhomesaz.com/

Northeast Mesa home specialists, Ron & Brenda Cunningham, can help you buy, sell, or invest in homes that meet your wants and needs! From first time home buyers, move up buyers, investors and luxury home purchasers looking for a home in the Northeast Mesa area, there is a special home waiting for you! You will find all the homes in the Mountain View High School District of Northeast Mesa to be homes that are in wonderful family areas. There are older areas with their quaint charm and newer homes with the updated features you love.

One of the areas first time buyers looking in the Northeast Mesa area should consider is the MacArthur School district. You will love being in the MacArthur school district. It really is a wonderful community for families. Imagine your children walking to school or taking them to the park to play on the weekend. There is even a 9 hole golf course, Royal Palms, nearby!te

Northeast Mesa has a neighborhood for everyone. If you are looking for a higher end luxury home, we have the neighborhoods for you! Some of them such as Spyglass, Val Vista Groves, Villa Tuscano to name only but a few! Are you tired of cookie cutter neighborhoods? We have just the place for you! Want a newer home? We have that too! Call us and let us know what your wants and needs are, and we can send you listings to help you get to know the subdivisions in the Northeast Mesa area.

Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, in Arizona and is a suburb located about 20 miles east of Phoenix. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community on the north, Chandler and Gilbert on the south, ad Apache Junction on the east.

Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson, the 37^th largest city and largest suburb in the US. Although Mesa is home to 439,041 as of the 2010 Census Bureau, Mesa is a bedroom community. Mesa is home to the Polytechnic campus of Arizona State University and home to the Chicago Cubs for their spring training at Hohokam Stadium. Mesa has the largest comprehensive arts campus in the state. The Mesa Arts Center is a performing and visual arts complex in downtown Mesa, Arizona.

To begin looking for your dream home in the Northeast Mesa area give us a call!