El estilo de vida en Gilbert AZ

No cabe duda que la ciudad a crecido bastante desde que llegamos aqui por primera vez. Nosotros compramos casa a principios del 2002 cuando aun no existia el 202. En ese entonces teniamos que manejar 10 minutos al norte para agarrar el 60 e ir a Phoenix. No habia tiendas y el Wal Mart mas cerca era el de mesa (el cual tambien era nuevo).

Hoy en dia todo es distinto y estamos viendo mas hispanos mudandose a Gilbert. Antes no escuchabas español por ningun lado pero ahora me da gusto toparme con alguien con quien pueda practicar mi español.

La ciudad en si es muy tranquila y tenemos uno de los niveles mas bajos en crimen. Nuestras escuelas estan dentro de las mejores en el pais. Esto hace de Gilbert una ciudad ideal para formar una familia. Tenemos un Mall nuevo 'San Tan Village Mall' el cual no esta completamente terminado pero muchas tiendas ya abrieron sus puertas. El area alrededor esta lleno de centros commerciales por lo cual se estima que Gilbert cera el centro del Este del valle.

Reciente se abrio una sucursal de Filiberto's en Gilbert, y aunque no comparo con los tacos de Hermosillo, Sonora satisfacen mi apetito por unos antojitos sin tener que ir hasta Phoenix o Mesa.

Hay varios lugares para ir a caminar, incluyendo parques para perros - El Cosmo Park.

Si tienes preguntas sobre Gilbert no dudes en contactarme y con gusto te ayudare.

Uncover what's always been there for you!!

The secret to success in just about anything is that you need to have the I-am-going-to-do-it-no-matter-what attitude. This is usually fueled by a reason of WHY you want to get it done. Very easy to talk about it, but for some reason we just don't implement this. Most of us have heard of the law of attraction and the Secret or psycho cybernetics, etc.

I had taken a few weeks off from the gym and decided this week I was going to go back. Good thing I'm young and follow a healthy diet, but I still lost 5 lbs in 3 weeks from not working out. Yes, I lose weight when I stop going to the gym. More specifically, I lose muscle. You see muscle is what increases your metabolism and acts like a fat burner much like putting butter on a hot skillet and watching it disappear. The more muscle (the hotter the skillet), the faster fat burns (the faster butter melts). One thing about abs, is that they've been there our entire life.... only they are covered by this yucky layer of junk - a result of our obsession with pizza, beer (guys), french fries, and ice cream (girls).... Yes sis, we'll count gelato as ice cream... We know that the fat around our belly buttons is the hardest one to get rid of, and it seems that nothing we do works. No bowflex or Amanda's secret work-your-entire-abs gym ball you see on late night TV works. Oh and forget about the make-celery-your-dessert diet books. This can really bring us down, especially if you live in a place (beach) where it is a sin to have any body fat. We know that muscle is the best way to burn fat, yet we don't commit ourselves to building that muscle to uncover our true physique - Hmm, I wonder if my abs are crooked? Abs are like our long lost friends from High School whom we haven't seen in years... they are there, we just don't take the time to look for them.

Real Estate is really no different when it comes to achieving a goal. If you do the research you'll find that if you set a goal of selling 30 homes a year - Ok maybe 300 can be more of a dream (achievable)- but let's not be greedy and stick to 30. Where I live we sell about 330-380 homes a month. In a year that's roughly 4200+. If I include the sorrounding cities (less than 30 minutes total drive) I can find we sell about 17,000+ homes a year!! If I want to sell about 30 homes a year, that's like .2% of total market share. Heck, let's be greedy and sell 300 homes a year, that's still less than 2% of total market share in the sorrounding area!! In other words, like your abs who have been there the entire time, the transactions in today's real estate market to achieve your goals are there - and they abound. You just have to go out and find the business. Advertising your business is like building muscle for your body. You know it can be tough, but it works, and many don't take the time or commit to doing it.

One last thing, it's not about looking good, it's about being healthy and feeling good...

Ok, enough said.... I'm loading up Survivor's "Eye of the tiger" on my iPod and on my way to hit the gym... where's the phone to my local newspaper - It's time to increase my marketing.... gotta go!

Gilbert AZ Real Estate Market Update

Here's an update on the Real Estate market in Gilbert AZ.

Our inventory is at 2005 active listings (down from 2500+ in November of 2007). Over the last few months I've been waiting for prices to be stabilizing around $260K - $275K. This month's average home sale price was $281K.

Trees, Block Fences, and the Real Estate Market - It's been quite a month with everything going on, but I'm glad to say that the opportunities are out there for anyone ready to take advantage of this market. I was not alive during the great depression but it's been said that more millionaires were created during that period than any other time in history. I dusted off my history book from my freshman year in college (no booze involved this time)... Granted I hated that class, but it's interesting to see how history is repeating itself.

We have an anti-utility-bill-shade tree on the side of our house next to a block fence. For months we've seen a crack stair stepping all the way from the top to the bottom of the fence....no big deal. One morning I woke up and saw the crack grow bigger and the fence started to tilt. (Uh oh, Time to take action.) I geared up like Jason with my dusty Chainsaw - after I changed the you-never-use-me-black colored oil - and started trimming down the tree. Knocked down a couple of branches about 80 lbs each. It has been a while since I've climbed trees and standing 10-15 feet above ground is no longer fun - I loved trees as a kid. I should have never let this tree grow so big, the roots are now pushing on the fence threatening our privacy and our bank account..... The tree is too tall so I now have to call in for help and pay the price.

Real Estate is very similar, we often see things coming but we don't take action until it is too late and we end up paying the price for it. This is an ever changing market and we need to get up to date information so we can make an educated decision.

Question from a Client: What type of loan do I need to buy a foreclosure?

A: The answer to this question varies depending on the stage of the foreclosure. Many people don't understand the process to foreclosure, but to make this simple we'll say that there's the pre-foreclosure, the auction, and post-foreclosure (i.e. bank owned). When you're dealing with the auction, you normally want to have cash since the timelines to pay for the house after you win the bid at the auction doesn't give lenders enough time to process the loan. Hard money loans can be an option, but make sure you know what you're doing. Pre-foreclosure and bank owned are very similar, they just vary in what the bank is willing to do for you. If the house is a total mess you can look for an FHA (203)k streamlined, which finances the repairs, since the bank won't do any. If you plan on using 100% financing or ask for help with closing costs, some banks will not work with you.

F.Y.I. There are still some zero down payment loan programs

Gilbert AZ- A new home ownership program allows qualified buyers to buy a home with absolutely no down payment.
You may have owned a home before and are presently renting, or maybe you are a first time homebuyer and need a way to break into the housing market but are holding back because you think you require $10,000, $20,000 or even more for a down payment.
Well regardless of your present situation, if you want to get into, or re-enter the housing market without having to make a cash downpayment, then this new program may be just what you're looking for. Why pay your landlord's mortgage when you can be building your own equity.
Industry insiders have prepared a new special report entitled "How to Buy a Home With Zero Down" which reveals how this new and innovative program can get you into the housing market immediately and with absolutely no down payment.
To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call
1-888-675-4461 and enter ID# 2004. Call anytime, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and discover how you can get into the housing market NOW and with ABSOLUTELY NO DOWN PAYMENT.

Some Conditions Apply Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers signed to contract. This report is courtesy of Jorge Zarate Re/Max Elite
©2008 New Generation Real Estate Team Re/Max Elite

The "new" trend of our economy is Home Based Businesses

Ok, so I admit that I get curious when someone posts an ad offering $250K income potential or some other 6 figure income biz. I'm sure you've peeked at some of these sites and wondered what's the catch?

I love reading some of those sites that sound like they are selling medicine by asking questions like - would you like more cash? Is the economy affecting you? - This valium like business will solve those problems. Consult your doctor if this is right for you. Common side effects include bankruptcy and more stress.

Anyways, here's what's behind all these sites. Some are just straight up scams and you can only make money if you recruit half the continent - So called MLM programs. Others are legit programs, but they are still businesses and like any other business you need to run it like one.

The model

When you visit these sites they'll direct you to some meeting or a phone call where they explain the business. They are direct sales companies and your job as an entrepreneur is to move their products. This is no different than Wal-Mart buying a ton of cereal for $2 dollars and selling it to you for $3 and make a profit (they are moving products.) Your job when you join these programs is to move their products which vary from personal development books to seminars or wholesale vacation packages. They leverage their business by having you purchase the product and have you pass on the first 1-6 sales (depending on the company) meaning you don't make money on those sales. That's all that they are. Anything after that you keep all the profits.

Here's the thing with these businesses. Even if you buy the product, you won't make money unless you advertise. It's no different than running this real estate business. I often hear agents say that the only agents having success are the ones that spend thousands of dollars on advertising.... well no kidding, how else can you get so many people to talk to you?

This is how you should see advertising. Think about what you tell people when you know they are looking to buy a home? example - 'would you like a list of the 10 best buys in ________ (area)'? I'm sure any agent who knows their area can come up with such a list and keep the promise.

Now instead of you going out to the mall or the store to ask 100 people this very same question, why not write it down, and post an ad where you know that people who are looking to buy homes go? (e.g. newpaper, online, etc.) You can get as many leads, but the difference is that it only takes 15 minutes to talk to the newspaper rep and it takes an entire day to talk to the people yourself.... this is called leverage.

You see most people don't understand this simple concept or many times are afraid to spend the money and think they are just wasting the money, and it's why many of these home based businesses fail.

Well hopefully I just saved you some time or at least eased your curiosity for what these programs are and if they work. My answer is 'Yes', but only if you run it like a business. I won't endorse any specific company, but I did join one because many people are turning to home businesses as they are losing their jobs and need to find a way to keep food on the table. I'm doing it part time and it seems it may outperform my current real estate business (and I'm doing pretty well). Ok I'm off, I got a closing to take care of.

Buy a Home With Little or No Cash Down

If you think a downpayment is keeping you from buying a home and take advantage of today's home prices, think again. Not every bank or mortgage broker offers these programs,

Here are three programs you may not know about:

100% Down Payment Assistance program - How does it work?
Seller contributes 10% towards the deal
-3% goes toward down payment
-1% goes toward non-profit agency fee
-6% covers interest expense and closing costs
-Buyer usually comes out of pocket about 1% (Earnest Money Deposit)

*Note - many think that this program went completely away with ameridream or nehemiah, but there are other options out there.

Rural Housing
Finance 102% of Value, no Cost. This means buyer can finance closing costs.
-2% USDA Funding Fee is charged
-Queen Creek, Casa Grande and rural areas included
-There are income limitations that vary and depends on geographical location

1% Down
-1% Customer Down Payment
-2% Seller gift (AZ Housing Program)
-5% 2nd Mortgage
-92% 1st Mortgage

You can get more information by visiting www.BuyZeroDownHouses.com or by contacting me.

Also, make sure that your Realtor knows how to structure the offer correctly when using these financing methods to avoid having to write addendums or counteroffers and have a smoother transaction.

If you are a Realtor and want to learn more about these programs to help grow your business feel free to contact me via e-mail and I'll respond (time permitting).

If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment and I'll either comment back or write a blog about it.