Kellie Fitzgerald

I recently blogged about how, at least in my area, investors seem to be investing in real estate again. This morning I received an email from someone who does not consider himself to be a real estate investor, asking if now was a good time for him to start investing in real estate...if it's safe to test the waters of real estate.

This seems to be a really popular question. Everyone wants to know when it's safe to "get back into the water" with real estate. Problem is, no one really has the answer to this question.

Real estate has been and always will be all about location, location, location. So, even though many parts of the country (and world for that matter) still have dismally slow or even nonexistent real estate markets right now, there are parts of the country where things do seem to be picking up a bit. And, everywhere, there are tremendous deals to be had. So, even though everyone seems to want to get in at the bottom of the market, just like the stock market, no one can every really be sure we're at the bottom until we start coming back up.

I suppose the bottom line is now exactly the same as it has always been...if you find a great property that you really like and you can afford it or arrange affordable financing for it and it is at a good price...buy it.

One good thing that is happening in many real estate markets across the country is the return of seller financing, also known as owner carry-back financing. For people who are either lacking stellar credit or lots of money to put down, this can really be a terrific thing. The downside is that the interest rates are generally a bit higher than you could get at a bank and the terms are normally a bit shorter as well. However, the upside is that many people can buy property they otherwise could not purchase and the seller can sell a property that they otherwise may not have been able to sell.

This type of financing is more plentiful with vacant land, however, we're seeing it more often with manufactured homes and even site-built single family residences. So, even if the listing does not specify that the owner will be willing to do this type of arrangement, it's worth asking. All they can do is say 'no' and they might just say 'yes.'

There are some tremendous deals right now in real estate for those looking for investments. Talk to your agent to find those that will work for you.

A while back I blogged about the foreign investors who came through looking at property, mostly land, and looking for "deals." Since then, it seems like our "home-grown" investors are out scouting out the deals as well.

Is this the "turn-around" we've all been waiting for? Who knows. But, it certainly is encouraging to see that the investors are starting to invest in real estate once again. There are probably as many reasons as there are investors...but, in my local area it seems like investors are looking to "pick up" residential income property. The Border Patrol here is apparently expanding and the general consensus is that they'll be bringin in additional personnel who will, of course, be needing a place to live.

Problem is, there really isn't a whole lot of the usual residential income properties, i.e. apartment buildings, multi-plex type housing, around here. So, I'm having investors looking at single-family homes as potential rentals again. This has not really happened around here for the past couple of years and it's very encouraging.

Hopefully this does signal a market that's ready to rebound. No one expects that it will happen overnight, and certainly we will not return to the feeding frenzy of several years ago...but it does appear that properties are starting to move again. And that's a very welcome thing.

If you really want to sell you home, it really needs to be ready to be sold. Therefore, I have put together a list, based on properties I have shown so far this week, to let you know when your home is NOT ready.

If you own three cars and two of them are broke down in the middle of your front yard...maybe your home is not ready to sell.

If to save money you decided to paint the exterior of your house yourself...but that was three years and two paint color changes ago and it still is not finished...maybe your home is not ready to sell.

Same thing with painting the interior of your home.

If your collection of dead animals and hunting trophies are proudly shown off on every single wall and table in your home...perhaps, just perhaps, your home is not ready to sell.

If your swimming pool is doubling as a fishing hole (no kidding...catfish and everything)...maybe your home is not ready to sell.

If your are saving money by converting those third and fourth bedrooms in your home into a storage facility...maybe your home is not ready for the market

Finally, if the rain gutter, various roof shingles and the privacy fence that were blown down during that windstorm...four years ago...are still in your backyard...maybe your home is not quite ready for the market.

Sellers, please, this is a difficult market for all of us. Especially those of us who make our livings in this industry. Please, please, do us all, and yourselves, a favor and make sure your property is ready to sell before trying to put it on the market. You will save yourselves, and all of us, a whole lot of grief. Thanks.

Yes, this is a picture of a frog. But, this is not just any frog...

this is the frog that "sold" a property this afternoon. I know, I know, it sounds "fishy"...but this little frog did, indeed "seal the deal." My buyers today came to look at property very tentatively, see, they thought ALL of southern Arizona is desert. The husband had mentioned on the phone that he has a job opportunity in the area and needed to reassure his wife that he was not bringing her out to the desert. She grew up not far from where they currently live in the south, so she is used to trees, a green landscape etc. He went on to mention that she is particularly fond of frogs, so if I knew of a property that had a pond that would be great.

Being fond of frogs myself, I already knew exactly what property would fit the bill. So, late this morning we met and went off on our quest. I did not show this property first as we would pass right by another one that could have been suitable. Alas, the pond on that property was almost dry and did not contain frogs...or anything else for that matter.

So, I told them about the property I thought they would really like as we drove onward. We drove down the driveway and stopped just before the house, where I knew there was a very large bird nest in one of the tall cottonwoods. The husband said "wow honey, this looks pretty good." She just shrugged. We went on to and through the house, and I quickly realized this lady was really more interested in the property itself than the house. So, out the back door we went to take a look around at some more of the property. She seemed duly unimpressed and I was starting to worry...after all, I had really talked this place up. Then it started to sprinkle...I really was starting to feel like this just was not going very well.

Just as I said "we should probably get out of the rain" she said "look, look, look...a frog" followed immediately by "this place is just paradise...not what I expected. I could live here." And just like that, this little frog sold the property.

I took this picture right after it had rained and just before the sun went down last evening. Since I've been out today taking listing pictures I had not had a chance to really look at it until now. It just came out so nice I just had to share it.