According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), pending home sales in August experienced a 7.4% increase, the highest in seven years. This came after a 2.7% decline in July. The news is even better for home sales in the west, where increases were as high as 18.64%, particularly in California, Nevada and Arizona. The depressed pending home sales in July were due mainly to the strict lending criteria in place through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the government takeover. After the takeover, pending home sales seem to have eased up and flourished in August. The increase in sales has also been attributed to the lower home prices as well as continued cuts in mortgage rates. Since the National Association of Realtors has predicted that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate will increase to 6.6% by the end of 2009, now is a great time to buy a home!
For the seventh year in a row, teacher John Vasey guided his Phoenix 6th grade Orangewood Elementary School students in their first real world math lesson: running an on-site school cafe. After weeks of preparation, the Cougars Hip Sports Grill opened last Saturday in Phoenix to serve lunch to 200 customers. Getting to this point took several weeks of planning. Students went to restaurants to learn how to serve customers, trailing the waitstaff at Glendale's El Paso Bar-B-Que during lunch time and even serving some customers there. They visited grocery stores to learn about fractions and decimals by looking at jars of peanut butter and rolls of toilet paper. They even wrote up a business plan for their own cafe, found out how to get a food handler's permit and filled out their own applications for the permit. Mr. Vasey is proud to say that all 24 of his students passed their permit tests. This cafe, open four to seven times a year) is more than a real life math lesson. It is also a chance for the kids to earn money for a trip to Prescott to learn more about literature.
You don't have to empty your piggy bank to raise the value of your home. Here are five inexpensive ways to polish your home's appearance while increasing its value:
1. Paint. Two gallons of interior paint can cost around $60 and is enough to cover the surface of a 12'x15' room. Don't forget to paint the ceiling and door for a fresher look. Using a bright white on the baseboards and crown molding can truly make the walls pop.
2. Basic Fixes. Spending $250 on a home inspection is a sound financial decision. An inspector will perform a walk-through of your home and give you suggestions on what needs to be fixed. Making any necessary repairs before placing your home on the market can save you money in the long run, because buyers tend to ask for a $2 discount for every $1 in actual damage.
3. Upgrading appliances. Replacing your old refrigerator, dishwasher, washer or dryer with a new, energy-efficient model will save you money now (most utilities provide a $50 rebate for purchasing Energy-Star certified appliances) and later (approximately $50 in energy savings for the first year alone per appliance). As the costs of energy rise, so do the costs of maintaining old, outdated appliances.
4. Replace old fixtures. For under $90, you can replace your old faucet, 10 drawer pulls and 10 knobs. Outdated fixtures remind buyers how old your property is. By replacing the faucet, drawer pulls or lights and adding new knobs to the cabinets, buyers see a pride of ownership and an effort to keep your home up to date. You'd be amazed at how new your bathroom or kitchen can look by simply replacing old fixtures.
5. Landscaping. Curb appeal can be the deciding factor on whether a buyer steps out of their car and ventures inside or decides it's not worth it and leaves. A trim lawn is nice, but flowers can add a nice touch and don't cost much. Planting drought-resistant plants not only increase a home's curb appeal, but are a nice way to save money in water costs as well. Acknowledging the water savings to a potential buyer can be used as a great selling point.
Are you interested in finding out how you can reduce your carbon footprint? Do you want to know what the heck a "carbon footprint" is? The City of Glendale offers classes, tips and services to help Glendale citizens, business owners and visitors learn how to live more of a "green" lifestyle. Ride your bike instead of driving your car. If you can't carpool or utilize any of the Park and Ride centers in Glendale, check out the Valley Metro Public Transportation sytem or Gus Bus. Water conservation is a huge deal in our desert climate. Drought-resistent landscaping, sweeping dirt and grass cuttings from your driveways and sidewalks instead of using the hose and watering the lawn less often can go a long way in helping Glendale conserve its water consumption. Every single-family household in Glendale is issued a 95-gallon recycling bin for their home. This bin is part of Glendale's curbside recycling service and can be filled with paper products (magazines, newspapers, etc), cans (soda, beer, soup, etc), plastic containers (milk jugs, water bottles, soda bottles, etc) and cardboard boxes that have been removed of any packing materials and flattened (moving boxes, cereal boxes, cake mix boxes, etc). The City of Glendale wants to help its residents help keep Mother Earth beautiful.
There's so much going on in the Phoenix area this week. Every Saturday, the Challenger Space Center in Peoria offers visitors a chance to fly a simulated space-mission for children in 3rd grade and older. Prices vary and reservations are required. For more information on this fun way to learn about space, visit the Arizona Challenger website. Also this weekend (September 6 & 7), the Lowrider Super Show comes to the Phoenix Convention Center. Open from 6pm-1am on Saturday and 12-8pm on Sunday, this indoor car show features lowriders, trucks and even motorcycles. Come to Phoenix to enjoy all the car fun. Next week, join the citizens of Tempe on September 11-14 for the 9/11 Memorial Healing Field, where you can view 3,000 American flags on display in recognition of the people who lost their lives seven years ago. There will also be a special reading and candlelight vigil, all free to the public. For more info on each day's events, please visit the Tempe website. Tofind out what else is going on in the Phoenix area this week, please visit AZ Central's calendar of events. There's never a dull moment in Phoenix!
Associate Broker with Home Smart, Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer Representative, Graduate Realtor Institute. Serving Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, and the surrounding communities.
Foreclosures Canadian Buyers Why Buy Now?
I have been "Having a Ball" with real estate from day one. Negotiating the purchase or sale of property with an upbeat, win/win approach is one of the biggest advantages my clients receive. I have taken the extra time and effort required to earn various nationally recognized real estate designations. Those designations keep me up to date on the latest trends, laws, and marketing strategies. In addition, I have also earned my broker license (big difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker) by attending many hours of classes and passing the state exam concerning real estate laws and practices. What does all this mean to you? It means when I go to work on your behalf you can rest assured that I am not just a casual practitioner or part time real estate agent. I stay up to date on the latest market news and can provide you with the resources needed for a successful real estate transaction. If you're new to the area or just don't know who to call for a home loan, I can provide with a list of lenders that I have dealt with successfully over the years. I can put you in touch with home inspectors, roof inspectors, and various contractors for almost any type of work you need. When I work with you in buying or selling a home, I will be your resource center for anything relating to real estate.
Areas of Expertise
My area of expertise is in listening to your needs. If you're selling your house there are reasons for selling it. And those reasons will have a big impact on how we market the house for sale. Whether you're being relocated by your employer, wanting to upsize or downsize, or are acting on behalf of an ill or deceased family member, I will listen to what is motivating you to sell the house and I will market it accordingly.
Maybe you're a buyer that has specific needs. By listening to you when we talk about your dream home I will be able to pick up on your needs and do targeted searches for those needs. If you're a first time home buyer that is absolutely terrified of your very first purchase, I will walk you through the process step by step. But before we begin the home search I will explain to you in detail what to expect along the way. The more familiar you are with the process, the less scary it will be.
Thanks Larry for making this a painless process. We are very happy the house sold in a relatively short time in a market that is saturated.
Our thanks for taking us through the process in a very professional manner.
Hope Thomas
TMC HealthCare
Glendale, Az.
"Imagine, the worst down-market in a decade, Christmas week and I had to move. I found Larry while surfing online noting that he took advantage of the Internet and mass media in his marketing and, knowing that more than 98% of prospective buyers now use the Internet to search for a home, I decided to list with him; after all, I knew I'd need all the help I could get in this market.
Not one came those first two weeks!
I guess all the other Realtors decided to take a vacation because not even one Realtor previewed even though there were three active listings in the subdivision! Then in the second week of the new year, we got an offer for full price - minus their closing costs which I was happy to pay since they wanted to close in three weeks!
There were many things that I had inadvertently left undone in my rush to get home to Hawaii and I had to rely on Larry to take care of many details which he handled with efficiency, even taking care of UPS-ing packages that came for Christmas..
Thank you Larry, you deserve an award for Outstanding Service! Merle and I are fortunate to have found you! Be sure to look us up when you visit the islands, we'll give you da local-kine tour!
Aloha,
Richard and Merle Higashide
PS: Seriously, hire Larry to represent you; you will be glad you did!"
"...actually I should be thanking you for all your effort. When talking to other former home sellers, they were surprised at how much work you put into selling the house." Lawrence City of Tempe
"I want to express my thanks to you for making the house selling experience as relatively painless as possible. Even though it was our first experience selling, I know it could have been horrendous. We were so lucky to have you agree to sell our house and then to do such a thorough and professional job. All the extras you took the time to do (postcard mailings, advertising, etc.) were much appreciated - it was proof to me that you are serious, capable and really like what you do. I always felt comfortable and trustful and never worried about the process...I have told people about you and the great experience we had selling our home through you, and I will continue to do so. Thanks so much!"
Linda Pina
Phoenix College
"We consider ourselves to have been blessed that we had the opportunity to work with Larry in the purchase of our home. Ours was not a simple transition. However, Larry put us in touch with a lender that worked with us to smooth out all the rough spots. His professionalism, knowledge of the market, legal ramifications, and personal integrity made all the difference to us. His actions have earned him the right to be our friend and Realtor for life."
Jim Hart
Phoenix, AZ
Thanks for all the effort you have put into the sale of my house and even after the sale. You made it very easy for me and you have been a great help with it all. I was right in choosing you out of five Realtors for the sale of my house. I will recommend you to anyone I know. Thanks again, Luis
Luis Brulles
Glendale, AZ
It has been our distinct pleasure to again work with Larry recently in the sale of one of our rental properties. Larry's attention to detail, marketing expertise and professionalism in all aspects of this transaction only reinforced the fact that we were dealing with a true real estate professional.
As a former Arizona Real Estate Broker, I can only say that if I were looking for individuals to add to my team, I'd call Larry first.
Sincerely,
Kim H. Stern
Fountain Hills, AZ
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