NEW EXPERIENCES.....SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE TO DO THINGS OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE - Jun 14 04:21 PM
Sometimes when we want to or have to do certain things in life ...we have to go out of our comfort zone to experience it.
For example....my wife and daughter and I went on a vacation to Arizona. After the plans were made I told my wife that if we were going to travel there then I wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. My wife said no problem. She said we can drive there but it would be a 4.5 ...
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The Five Faces of Home Staging - Aug 15 10:12 AM
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOME STAGING you may have noticed there are a number of websites; blog posts; and on and off line articles which give the definition, the description, and the details of what home staging is. Most are well thought out. Nearly all use many of the same words. Scores of these sites and articles tell what home staging does for a piece of property in terms of the preparation which takes place in order to make ...
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REO properties, A good deal or not, a REO agents take - Dec 26 12:42 AM
I am a a REO listing agent in the Phoenix Metro area, I have listings throughout the valley but mostly in the western cities of Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, El Mirage, Avondale and Goodyear.
I really enjoy this business, it is a fantastic opportunity and you have to take the rough with the smooth, some homes are in perfect condition and some are a science experiment in the making. you have to be ready for anything from leaks to property preservation issues ...
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The Epicenter of Real Estate Blogging - Jan 06 01:55 AM
A light rain couldn't spoil the excitement and enthusiasm I felt this morning as I drove into the heart of the City of Phoenix. Papa Joe Brady, my able seminar assistant, retired sales executive for First American Real Estate Solutions, and proud Luddite negotiated the streets of the boom town as we headed to the first Arizona Real Estate Bloggers Roundtable.
The Roundtable was a trial balloon post here at Active Rain. I had planned to ...
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A trip to Arizona is better than a Dry martini - Jun 22 08:13 PM
Another Localism post written by Neal Bloom
Recently my family decided that we were going to take our first real vacation in ten years. Since we moved to Florida back in 1999 we really haven't traveled anywhere other than a few days down in the Florida Keys. After spending four months trying to figure out what to do we decided to go to Arizona so I wanted to tell you what a wonderful trip we had and what a great ...
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Option ARM, Pick-A-Pay, Flexible Mortgage: Learn the Truth! - Apr 25 11:11 PM
Consumers’ appetite for low payment mortgage programs continues to be strong. Exacerbating the demand for low payment mortgages has been skyrocketing home values. Home prices have risen considerably during the past few years. As you can imagine despite historically low interest rates, housing has become less affordable. To counter this problem many lenders offer Option ARM's.
The recent sub-prime meltdown has forced a lot of lenders to scale back on their aggressive pick a pay programs. ...
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Arizona Superbowl- YOU can Volunteer now - Apr 22 03:52 PM
Over 6,000 volunteers are being sought to help with Arizona's 2008 Superbowl in Glendale, AZ..
Signups are next Saturday, April 28th at the stadium. Online terminals there can be used to submit applications during the Arizona Cardinals 2007 Draft Party, from 8 am to 1 pm.
Lots of volunteers are needed, check www.azcentral.com for further details.
...
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Selling? Not Selling? Organize That Closet! - Jan 04 11:43 AM
Whether you are preparing your house for sale or simply beginning the New Year with a list of resolutions it is time to get those closets organized.
One of the closets we staged last year is a good example of how you can take your wardrobe space from “avalanche city” to a place you or your potential home buyers will like to see and use.
Here are some of the photos taken before the staging ...
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FEAR VS. GREED - Is Now The Time To Buy Real Estate? - Jan 25 06:51 PM
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Consider Arizona in March - Feb 28 11:51 AM
I know this is going to make some of you jealous (sorry), but I have killer tickets-- right behind home plate and just a couple rows back for the Texas Rangers vs. the Angels of Anaheim tomorrow. It's a 1:00PM game (gotta bring that darn cell phone) and the weather should be breezy and in the low 80's. I'm so excited, I'm bouncing in my chair.
Are you kidding me? Does it get any better? It is ...
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Go for the Gold! - Jul 01 07:47 AM
Neal Bloom was gracious enough to sponsor three groups to recognize members who have achieved the 50K, 100K or 200k points milestones.
This is a copy of my "Points Summary" as of today - July 1, 2007. In this post I'm going to address the "why".
Future posts in this section will focus on the specifics of each "how". Scroll down past the "Points Summary" for the rest of the narrative.
Activity Details
Why? Why bother doing things to accumulate points?
I ...
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Mortgage Clients Who Use And Abuse Me - May 25 02:42 PM
I
know I am not going to get much sympathy from Realtors on this particular post.
Don't worry, I am not looking for sympathy. However, I think many of you will
be able to
empathize with me on this.
I am actually writing this
for my future, potential clients. If you searched the web looking for an Arizona
home loan and you found this post, that is good for you. You just
happened to locate ...
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Listing Homes for Sale - Part 3 of a 5 Part series - Apr 01 09:53 AM
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 2 of a series
This series focuses on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix area Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller and the prospective Listing Broker, and the technology that is available to streamline the process.
CMA Review and Next Steps
So now it's decision ...
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Brainstorming - Why Do You Blog? What Do You Blog? How to Get Started Blogging? Plus??? - Apr 17 12:00 PM
As many of you know, the Arizona Real Estate Blog Network - founded by our very own Candace Robinson - will be having our first meeting next Thursday, April 24th - 9-10:30 a.m. to discuss the Hows, Whys and Whats of blogging.
I thought it might be interesting to get some input from our Active Rain Bloggers as to why blogging is so important, how to get started, and what to blog about. Sharing this ...
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Climb Every Mountain?! - Jun 28 06:52 PM
Well - perhaps not every mountain! But - there are challenges galore out there in our industry - and for every perceived "problem" there is a solution - it's just a matter of identifying the solution. Those "mountains" provide opportunities for those up to the challenge - which I would hope would be most of us in the real estate business as it demands a certain "entrepreneurial spirit" and sense of adventure to get into the ...
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If the Bears Don't Get Him ... - Oct 26 12:08 AM
Attention Active Rain members:
Please be on the lookout for this man!
I am to call the National Forest Service, National Guard, maybe even the Nation Association of Realtors if he does not surface by Sunday evening. He was last seen leaving forest service road 25, approximately 5 miles south of Hannigan Meadow near Springerville, AZ. It is believed that he and a companion intend to complete a 4 day backpacking expedition, which runs the length of Bear ...
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A stranger is just a friend we have not met, yet... - Mar 01 12:42 PM
It has been said that a stranger is just a friend we have not met yet... Very true, and it brings up my rant for the day...
I see lots of listings in our MLS computer where the listing agent, in the Realtor remarks section, states that "escrow must be at XYZ Title". This might be because the home is a bank repo, and in that case, is very hard to fight... Often, however, it is ...
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Rain Power! - Jun 16 09:15 PM
Active Rain - it continues to pleasantly amaze me! Just back from a month long hiatus and already two calls - one of which is now a listing - due to the blogs of the last couple of days. Guess who will be blogging on a regular, "long tail" basis with no further interruptions. Thank You Active Rain - you turned my "double" for this weekend into a "triple" - and possibly a Home Run! We'll ...
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TO RENT OR TO BUY? - BUYING THE BEST HOME: SERIES 2 - Oct 25 08:15 PM
...
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Is The Housing Market Slowing You Down? ~:~ Achieving Your Real Estate Goals In A Slow Market - Jul 13 05:21 AM
It's the end of the world as we know it! Honestly! To listen to media outside of the real estate industry, the housing "bubble" is about to burst and foreclosures are at an epidemic rate. News like this would make it seem like this is the first time we have ever had a slow market. These headlines have sellers shaking in their boots, and buyers wary of purchasing.
The first thing everyone should do? CALM ...
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Birth of a Blogsite - Feb 28 09:00 PM
Here is the task list provided to us by the designer of our new BlogSite - which can be found at http://www.phoenixarizonahomesearch.com/. The list is fairly short, but few words can take much time to complete! We'll see how we do when we officially launch tomorrow, March 1, 2007.
Things To Do When Launching Your Real Estate Blog
1. Launch with no less than 5 fresh articles
2. List your site on Real Estate Top Sites
<http://www.blogtopsites.com/register> (provide the required ...
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The CRP in ERC - May 13 12:32 AM
What the heck is he up to now?!
I've been on a sort of hiatus from Active Rain as I cram for the CRP exam - held once a year - this year May 15.
What in the heck is a CRP?
According to the ERC (Employee Relocation Council):
"Established in 1990, Worldwide ERC®'s Certified Relocation Professional (CRP) Program has quickly become a symbol of professionalism and is the industry's premiere certification program. The CRP® designation formally recognizes ...
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Short sale - come on, everyone's doing it!! - Jul 08 08:57 PM
Short sale - come on, everyone's doing it!!by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler AZ REALTORChandler Arizona Real Estate
You buy a home. You need to sell the home. But for whatever reason....the home decreased in value or you borrowed too much against the home - you owe more than the home is worth. You would just have to remain in that house until you achieved a better equity position. But wait, oh, you lost your job also? Can't make the payments anymore??? ...
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Dirty Homes For Sale - Oct 07 10:03 AM
Is it me are do you find dirty homes hard to sell? I recognize that with so many homes "priced to sell" by the banks that not a lot of work goes into "sprucing" them up. However, if I work hard to get a listing I want that property to sell.
Do any of you do little clean up on a vacant house that you list or is it "buy as is?" I can understand if ...
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Selecting A Listing Agent - Consumers be wise! - Dec 09 09:11 PM
...
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Listing Homes for Sale - Part 4 of a 5 Part series - Apr 15 10:31 AM
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 2 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 3 of a series
This series focuses on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix area Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller and the prospective Listing Broker, and the technology that is available ...
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Bonus or Bribe? - Jun 16 10:38 AM
In today's market I'm seeing "over the top" incentives to real estate agents to encourage them to bring their Buyers to see properties - primarily new construction - based on the co-broke being offered. I've seen one builder in our area offer as much as 12% to the agent! Yes - TWELVE PERCENT!!
Should the Buyer purchase a home based on what they want/need - or based on what the Seller is offering to pay their agent?
I ...
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Unlimited cell phone calling plans are available - Feb 20 08:49 PM
I could hardly believe my eyes this morning when i read the newspaper, it stated that Verizon Wireless had introduced a unlimited calling plan at only $99.00, T-Mobile and AT&T were following suit.
I have my service with T-Mobile and changed over today and one of my agents did the same with Verizon.
It may not be available in all markets or may be like snow in Phoenix, only around for a few minutes but it is too ...
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Expired Listings - Jun 15 12:32 PM
One potential revenue stream I have yet to tackle is the Expired Listing market. With the amount of inventory (close to 60,000) on the resale market, and the number of resale transactions holding relatively steady at about 10% of total inventory on a monthly basis, it seems to me that now is a great time to leverage success stories into listing previously Expired Listings.
The information I would share with a prospect to get their attention would ...
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Listing Homes for Sale - Part 2 of a 5 Part series - Mar 18 11:01 AM
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a series
This series focuses on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix area Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller and the prospective Listing Broker, and the technology that is available to streamline the process.
The FIRST Telephone Appointment
The "agenda" for the first telephone appointment is straightforward, but critical, in determining the appropriate next ...
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Phoenix, Arizona MLS Stats as of April 2, 2008 - Apr 10 09:47 PM
It's time to share what is going on in our market. Just FYI, all of the nay-sayers and negative news doesn't necessarily reflect the "real" truth. As my readers know, I keep a daily tally of active listings and of listings that are under contract. I have been seeing the numbers creep up. For instance - by way of example - we had 3,897 pending as of January 23! As of April 2, 2008, 6,850!!! I ...
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Listing Homes for Sale - Part 5 of a 5 Part series - Apr 16 11:40 AM
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 2 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 3 of a series
Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 4 of a series
This series focuses on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix area Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller ...
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Pinal County - One of the Fastest Growing Counties in the Country - Mar 20 09:37 PM
According to the Census Bureau, Pinal County, Arizona is among the fastest growing in the nation. Pinal County is south and east of downtown Phoenix, and includes such cities as: Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Queen Creek, Florence. Population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show Pinal County grew by nearly 67 percent between the years 2000 and 2007.The fastest-growing county was Kendall county in Illinois with a population growth of 77.5 percent.Maricopa county saw strong growth too, ...
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ERC, CRP and Relocation - Jun 15 12:20 PM
Corporate Relocation is big, and I mean B-I-G business. On average, it costs companies more than $60,000 to relocate an employee. A significant part of that expense involves contributions made to the costs of sale of an employee's existing home, and the cost of purchase of a new home at the destination.
Many of the relocating employees are mid to senior level management - which equates to homes in the higher price brackets, and working with Buyers who ...
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Northern Arizona Home Sellers – An Open Letter - Mar 06 05:54 PM
Dear Home Seller,
You have just set out to sell your house and you realize that it is not among the easier things you have ever done in your life. As a matter of fact there are all sorts of reasons that have made it one of the most difficult tasks you have attempted.
The decisions you’ve made concerning who you will enlist to help get the house sold.The inevitable paperwork which accompanies a transaction ...
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New Year, New Coach, New Ways the Arizona Cardinals can LOSE! - Sep 11 01:41 AM
The Arizona Cardinals have been in the Valley now for 19 years, showing up in the spring on 1988. We have seen, 7 head coaches, millions of changes and only 1 playoff berth back in 1998.
Welcome to another dreadful year of Arizona Cardinal Football!
I am a home town fan. I have been wanting to see some good solid professional football for 20 years now and every year I and many other fans in the valley ...
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Sometimes I can't help but disagree with information in the paper - May 18 09:43 PM
Sometimes I can't help but disagree with information in the paperby Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler AZ REALTORChandler Arizona Real Estate
This article was published in today's Arizona Republic. In general, a nice enough article about the current state of the Phoenix metropolitan Real Estate market. Inventory is high. Both the home and the neighborhood need to be in good shape for 'sellability'. It is difficult for resale homes to compete with builder incentives. All things that we have ...
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Are you HONEST about Open Houses? - May 04 05:11 PM
Are you HONEST about Open Houses?by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler REALTOR®Chandler AZ Real Estate
Open houses and real estate are practically synonymous. Back in the stone ages, I'm sure there was a loin-cloth wearing agent standing in front of a stone/straw hut trying to get the other neanderthals to offer 1 goat and 3 coconuts in exchange for the 'home'. Open houses are in many ways much more of an art form now. Flyers, balloons, cookies and an ...
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Nice to meet you Shailesh! - May 16 01:42 AM
Nice to meet you Shailesh!by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler REALTOR®Chandler AZ Real Estate
This past friday, I had the pleasure of meeting Shailesh Ghimire over a cup of coffee. OK, he had the coffee, and I had some water as I'm not a coffee drinker. Now, Shailesh wasn't the first AR member I had met. Back in January, Brian Brady had organized a Phoenix area AR get together. It was a lot of fun meeting all these folks ...
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Wealth!! Money!! Riches!! - May 05 07:04 PM
Wealth is a worthy goal for everyone to achieve. It would give a lot of people peace of mind to know that they could stop working and money would continue to flow into there bank account. Work gives us all a since of accomplishment and something to get up for each and every morning, but at the same time it would not hurt to have money to flow your way when you are on vacation or ...
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Thinking outside the box - turn your home into a HOTEL! - May 14 07:09 PM
Thinking outside the box - turn your home into a HOTEL!by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler REALTOR®Chandler AZ Real Estate
Its a buyer's market. A strong buyer's market. Its tough on sellers and even harder on sellers whose homes are on the 'outskirts'. Some homes don't even get viewed. Some can't even be rented. What's an owner to do? Why not turn it into a hotel....
See this article from the Arizona Republic. One family was having a difficult time ...
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I decided to try and take some action against Homebuilders and Abusive Practices - Jan 28 07:32 PM
OK,
So maybe this was not the brightest thing I have decided to do, but I am tired of the consumer getting the raw end of the stick just so a homebuilder can make more money. I recently lost another loan to the homebuilders lender because of a very abusive practice of giving certain incentives for using their preferred lender. This is not the first time I had written about this topic, I had a featured post ...
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Sedona - there is just not much that needs to be said - Mar 19 01:43 AM
I spent the past Friday to Monday night in Sedona attending the Best School Of Real Estate (that is for another blog)
As I was driving to school to attend the Contract Writing BOOT Camp - well, this photo opportunity just jumped out at me. On Sunday the snow had fallen for much of the day, with hail, thunder and lightening around noon. I took this photo the following day as the storm clouds were building and ...
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Phoenix Arizona Market Stats as of March 16, 2008!!! AND some more photos of Superstition Mountain!!AND HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! - Mar 17 01:00 PM
I've found another way to post useful consumer information via a graph! Last time it was with a pie chart, this time I'm trying out the bar graph! It helps put into perspective what is going on in our market in "colors!" Our market has definitely picked up, and homes are selling much quicker - or should I say? Certain homes are selling much quicker. Those with acreage and irrigated lots, and those under $200,000. Of ...
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Sell Your Home for a Dollar? - Apr 21 06:58 PM
Would you sell your home for a dollar?
How about $100?
The pendulous real estate market is still swinging to the favor of the buyer...
...so sellers are becoming creative.
A Toronto man has decided to sell his home for $1.
Of course he's not going to accept offers in that price range... he's just hoping to receive as much word of mouth as possible.
He has created a buzz... here's his quote to CBC News, "basically to see whether ...
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Top Five Credit Score Misconceptions - Learn the Truth - Sep 24 04:46 PM
Our local paper in Gilbert, Arizona carried a very informative article yesterday regarding your credit score. It listed the top five credit (and debt) misconceptions. The East Valley Tribune (citing Transunion) listed the top five credit misconceptions as the following:
Co-signing a loan doesn't make you responsible for the account. Paying off a negative record will get it removed from your credit report. Paying off a debt will make your credit score jump 50 points right away. ...
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Phoenix AZ Real Estate Market Update / July 2007 - Jul 12 07:05 PM
Well, we're into the third quarter of the year... Time flies, yes? In what many pundits have given to call a "bad year", how is 2007 actually stacking up? Well, first let's define "bad"... If you are a seller, especially one who bought your home in 2004 or 2005, and you wish to sell it now, you might call this market "bad". If you are a buyer, especially one looking for a home to live in, ...
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New Home Builders Using New Tactics to Keep Buyers and Profits - May 23 10:28 PM
Today's AZ Republic featured an artcile on New Home Builders using trade-ins to keep buyer's from leaving. It works like this: a seller wants a new home but in order to get that new home they need to sell their existing home. So to entice the buyer and to keep the buyer, as long as the buyer is going for a house that will be started from dirt, the New Home Builder will pay 90% of ...
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What do you sell? Houses? Neighborhoods? Dreams? - Feb 26 04:16 PM
As recently stated, I have gotten in trouble for suggesting that I help people find family friendly neighborhoods in the Phoenix area. A wise agent from across the country made a statement that went something like, "You aren't selling neighborhoods, you're selling homes. People don't buy the house because the neighborhood has an easter egg hunt, they buy it because they like the house."
That statement has made me think. At first, because I am in true ...
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Sellers in Mesa, Arizona Are Getting More Realistic! Pricing Right and Staging! - Aug 01 03:42 PM
I've been noticing a "small" trend lately. Sellers in Mesa, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Chandler and Gold Canyon, Arizona are "beginning" to price their homes more realistically, do some staging or "showcasing" their homes allowing buyers to "mentally" move into their new home. Want to sell your home in 10, 20 or 30 days? Your chances are much greater - depending on location - if Sellers listen to their Realtors.
There are still some sellers holding onto their inflated price and their colored ...
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Pulte homes / Del webb - Jan 28 12:11 AM
I was reading through our local paper and came across a article stating that Pulte homes is being challenged by some union and construction trade groups, the article states that over 60% of the 410 homeowners surveyed had construction problems with their homes.
I live in a new subdivision where they were putting up homes as fast as they could a year ago, how did the builders monitor the quality or did they, did they put the customer first or was ...
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Does pulling credit hurt your score? Learn the truth! - May 01 12:30 PM
I often speak with potential borrowers who do not want their credit pulled because they fear the inquiry might ruin their credit. There have been many instances where the Realtor has coached the buyer to not have their credit pulled. The mortgage application process essentially starts with pulling credit on the potential borrower. There is very little a lender can do without knowing your score.
I try to explain that an inquiry can not ruin a credit score, it ...
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Premier Entry - Apr 11 06:27 AM
Welcome everyone. This is our premier blog entry. I hope it will be useful and informative to you. It is my intention to provide information about Tucson for the new visitors and snow birds. Where to shop, eat, visit, enjoy, see, do, and places to be. We love Tucson and want to share it with you. We have people from all over the US, Canada, and England visit our vacation homes. If you want to be a ...
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Ever wonder why those water tankers are at new home construction sites? - Sep 24 11:15 PM
Ever wonder why those water tankers are at new home construction sites?by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler AZ REALTORChandler Arizona Real Estate
You drive by a new home subdivision or a plat of land where homes are slated for. A lot of dirt. And often, a water tanker. Sometimes they can even be spotted "watering the dirt." What gives? Whats that all about? Pretty simple, really. Local authorities don't really want a whole bunch of dust/sand flying around when ...
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Realestate auctions a good deal or not, food for thought - Mar 01 12:42 PM
I found this on http://countrywide-foreclosures.blogspot.com/
Update: (And thanks Bubble Sitter for posting this)“US Home Auctions allow SHILL BIDDING. The quote below is right out if their brochure (and this is the second time I have posted this quote on your web site):”“On page 122 paragraph 3, I quote verbatim: ‘Except where prohibited by law, the Auctioneer may open bidding on any property by placing a bid on behalf of the Seller and may further bid on behalf ...
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Financial Literacy Starts with a Family Budget - Feb 06 12:11 AM
We are all feeling our pocket books being pinched in so many different way these days. The economy might be heading into a recession, costs of goods are increasing, gas prices are at an all time high, and for some homeowners it just getting tough to make ends meet.
Recently I met with a homeowner who approached me about refinancing their home. As we started getting to their core needs about pulling cash out of their ...
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My Arizona Cardinals: Spoiler team of the Century! - Nov 14 12:05 AM
Ok Arizona Cardinal fans, I am not going to tell you that this team has the true potential of making it to the playoffs. Heck we are (4-5), 1 game back behind Seattle and this team still has not clicked on all cylinders. This team, however, is impressing me this year by showing that they have the potential to play against the toughest teams and find a way to win. This year 3 of our 4 wins ...
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Real Estate Licensing Realities - May 24 12:55 PM
One of the recurring criticisms of the real estate industry is the fairly minimal standards required to obtain a real estate license. In Arizona, a prospective agent need only complete 90 hours of classroom instruction, select a broker, pay the licensing fee and they’re off and running.
Not that they likely will know much about real estate sales, mind you. The Arizona Real Estate exam is filled with a variety of virtually valueless information. I suppose ...
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Opinion on Real Estate Teams? - May 14 11:21 PM
Opinion on Real Estate Teams?by Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler REALTOR®Chandler AZ Real Estate
Teamwork is prevalant everywhere you look in American society. The major sports are team sports. Teamwork is emphasized in college education. Teamwork is a major topic of questioning when interviewing for a major corporation. Teamwork, is of course, also present in Real Estate. Realtors sometimes operate as individuals (like myself) or in larger teams consisting of 7 buyer's agents, 6 listing specialists, 5 transaction coordinators ...
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Getting Ready for Showtime! Part 1 of a series - Apr 21 02:06 PM
CONGRATULATIONS! Now you have the listing contract signed with the Seller for a saleable listing...what's next?
What do you need to do to get your new listing "ready for showtime"?
It's essential to discuss the "pre-activation" process with the Seller so they understand their role in ensuring the property "sparkles" prior to "showtime".
Why? Explain the graphic below to them.....
It's critical that the Seller understands that there is a group of Buyers, right now, looking for similar properties, who ...
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Do You Like Living in Arizona? - Apr 27 11:00 PM
Do You Like Living in Arizona?
Today while I was showing homes in Phoenix, a client asked me if I liked living in Phoenix or Arizona in general. While she was coming from California, she knew the price of homes in Phoenix, Scottsdale or any surrounding area are so much less than many parts of the country. But, what was it like to live here?
Hmmm?
I had to tell her that while coming from Michigan 30 years ago ...
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Run for your lives - the Killer Bees are coming! - Apr 06 06:01 PM
As is usual in my life lately, I was just about to write about the importance of checking for bees, wasps and hornets when I discovered a swarm of bees on MY house. Yes, sports fans, I was busy trying to coax my lawnmower into mowing the front yard just a tad shorter for summer so that the Bermuda would come up (a favorite spring pastime in Arizona) when I heard a loud and angry collective ...
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Outdoor air mess means indoor air nightmare! - Mar 31 09:29 AM
http://www.runningoutofair.com/
Here is a great website (and a flash video) that talks about the air quality problems in Maricopa County - remember as you watch this is that all of the particulates and pollution that are in the outside air are concentrated many times over in your home:
Air Duct Cleaning Facts
EPA claims indoor air has been found to be up to 70% more polluted than outdoor air (EPA) Children are more likely than adults to be ...
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What is a good offer? - Jan 28 01:26 AM
Offers are just that, a offer to purchase the home. some agents and buyers at this time just want to steal something, offer low and hope that they will get it.
My feeling is that sometimes a full price clean offer is cheap and getting a home for $50,000 bellow list is expensive, look at the comps, be aware of the area and at all times represent your client.
My feeling is that many times Agents get in ...
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Snowman - Arizona Style.. - Dec 13 12:02 AM
For most people across the country, when you think of Arizona, you don't always think of snow. Typically, it is not one of my first thoughts either and I have lived here for over 35 years. This week, my wife and I took the kids on a trip to Northern Arizona to ride the Polar Express. This is a train trip where the kids get to ride to the North Pole and see Santa. Turns out, the ...
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What Matters Is........... - Sep 25 08:23 AM
How do you see yourself? I read, hear and see so much of the negative all the time that it can rub off if we are not careful. When I try my best and do everything right and then someone comes along and for, whatever reason, tears me down I can let the negative come in and believe them or I can see myself in a different light.
Attitude is such a powerful "weapon" in our lives ...
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Who Staged Arizona? - May 14 11:38 PM
Wouldn't you know it? It seems I've been able to get around a great deal during this spring season in my adopted "home state" of Arizona. What I noticed is another Stager has been giving me all the competition I can handle. Of course he knows all about all the things it takes to perform well while staging a property.
Here are the before photos of his handiwork.
There isn't anything about Composition that he doesn't know. ...
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www.SellQuickForCash.com Is Arizona's #1 Short Sale Specialists. We Negotiate Short Sales! - Mar 01 08:59 AM
WE BUY FORECLOSURES IN CHANDLER, ARIZONA. WE BUY FORECLOSURES IN MESA, ARIZONA. WE BUY FORECLOSURES IN TEMPE, ARIZONA. WE BUY FORECLOSURES IN GILBERT, ARIZONA
If you are asking yourself "how to stop foreclosure and save my home", then contact SellQuickForCash.com to educate yourself of the Arizona Foreclosure Process and learn about what options are available to you! Call 480-861-8732.
Are You Facing Foreclosure And Need To Sell Your House Fast? Are You Upside Down On Your Mortgage And Feel ...
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SellQuickForCash.com - We Buy Arizona Houses Fast In Any Area, Any Condition. WE BUY HOUSES FAST! - Feb 27 09:09 AM
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Sell Your Chandler, Arizona House Fast. We Buy Chandler Houses Fast With No Agents, No Fees, No Hassles! - Feb 26 10:40 AM
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Do you want to sell your Chandler, Arizona home fast...no agents...no fees...no hassles? You're in the right place! We buy homes in any condition. http://www.sellquickforcash.com/ is Arizona's #1 and fastest homebuyer specializing in helping homeowners solve their housing problems!
SOUNDS LIKE A WIN / WIN SITUATION TO ME!We always offer custom financial solutions which will best suit the needs of you and your family. http://www.sellquickforcash.com/ is ...
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Who Moved My Cheese!?!?! Tucson's New Real Estate Market of 2008! - Feb 24 10:19 PM
Hey Tucson!!! What happened to the Real Estate Market of "old"?
When I hear folks bemoaning the fact that their neighbor sold there house for a $100k profit, having only owned it for 2 years, I say..."EXCELLENT!!! What a great investment choice that person made! He followed the time-tested model for investment of "Buy Low; Sell High!". Now, how does this differ from buying Microsoft stock in the cyclical times of HUGE earning disparities, AND in the same ...
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A member of the police tortured and killed by their partner - Aug 15 07:33 PM
Bandit is a member of the K-9 police and his partner was the head of the K-9 squad in Chandler. Bandit was recognized many times for his work on the police force and was a member of the force in good standing. His human partner left Bandit in the non-running patrol car with no air conditioning and the car turned off with the windows up on the car. He went back to the car more than 12 hours later.
The ...
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New Zip Codes for Arizona Communities - Jun 07 01:56 AM
New Zip Codes for Arizona Communities
After July 1st, Higley Arizona will no longer have its own zipcode. Higley is a rural community in Gilbert Arizona. The U.S. Postal Service will be changing the zipcode for the nearly 70,000 Valley homes.
View map of zip codes
Nine new ZIP codes are being created in the metropolitan Phoenix area, and 12 new ones statewide in Arizona, including two in Gilbert, one in Chandler, one in Scottsdale ...
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Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a 5 Part series - Mar 17 05:26 PM
This series will focus on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller and the prospective Listing Broker, and the technology that is available to streamline the process.
The premise of this series is that the Seller and the Listing Broker have already made initial contact, and the focus of the series will cover the territory from that ...
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Arizona Sets A Record That It Didn't Want! - Aug 30 11:31 AM
On Wednesday August 29th we set a record for the most days in a year over 110 degrees in Arizona. The previous record of 28 days was set in 1970 and 2002. The record was broken when at about 4:00 pm the temperature hit 113 degrees for the 29th day this year, this also tied the record high temp for that day set back in 1948 and 1981.
But it could be worse! ........
We haven't come close to the ...
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Do It Again? - Feb 25 08:43 PM
On a cold and cloudy day Papa said to Nana (that’s me) “Let’s take Pumpkin Seed to the snow and let her ride on a snow dish.” Nana (yeah, me again) called Pumpkin Seed’s parents and suggested they come along for the fun.
Pumpkin Seed is two years and five months old. Pumpkin Seed goes along with all the “big people” in her life so she wasn’t consulted. The peppy, perky Pumpkin Seed was informed that ...
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Gaining buisness in todays market - Jan 05 11:07 AM
Listening to the major media you would have to think that the entire world is falling in, the market has stopped homes are not selling and lets just throw up our hands and give up....
In our MLS (ARMLS) between January 1st 2007 and December 31st 54341 residential properties sold, the newspapers will tell you that this is almost 20000 less than the year before and 50000 less than 2005 but homes are selling, people are moving ...
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Arizona News: One Sided Toxic Story Hit My Local Newspaper - Oct 22 01:09 AM
Normally I do not read my local newspaper. If I do happen to pick up a paper, it's usually the Sunday edition, so my wife and I can look at the sales and cut coupons. Yes these days, we are back to being bargain shoppers.
Anyhow, my wife wakes me up this morning with a coffee and said she went out and bought the paper. On the Front page of The Arizona Republic is a story titled "Lies, greed, fraud, ...
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Thoughts on the Flat Housing Market, and Mortgage Crunch - Jul 29 11:42 AM
The housing market in my area is spotty, with Sun City and Surprise homes selling at a slightly increasing rate, while Sun City West, Peoria and Glendale flat. Prices are, in,fact, down from the 2005 record prices. Inventory is high in all areas, and the "I'll sell if I get my outrageous price" folks have been dropping out of the market.
It is a Buyer's Market!
Oh really? In that case, where are the buyers? Why aren't they buying?
Conventional ...
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Why Arizona? - Jan 05 03:21 PM
Your Browser is incompatible to view this image. Sorry!
I Love Arizona!Many people over the years have asked me, "Why in the world do you enjoy living in Arizona so much?"Sometimes it is difficult to put into words, so I found something that does a pretty good job without getting long-winded.
Well, click on the link, watch the slideshow and see a few reasons!
Arizona Slideshow
Music is by Wilcox' own Rex Allen, Jr. so turn on your speakers!
Click ...
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Update: Phoenix Freeway Closures - Miss the Weekend Mess - Aug 24 02:20 PM
Weekend traffic in Phoenix can be a real challenge, since most major freeway work is done between Friday night and and Monday morning.
One of my past clients has mailed me this report every Friday afternoon for over a year. Having this info has saved me numerous times, whether I was planning a tour for a buyer, or trying to get to an open house on time!Here's a link you can check in advance to plan ...
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Mesa, Arizona - Lots to see close by - Part One - Jun 20 06:25 PM
Since I was raised in the Phoenix Valley, my family would frequently go camping in the White Mountains in Northeastern Arizona, or travel to Oak Creek Canyon and stay for two weeks washing in the streams. My dad would leave early in the morning bringing back Rainbow Trout for our breakfast. We also had a boat and would go to the nearby lakes to camp and to ski. Since I moved back to Arizona in 2000, ...
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investrip.com - worlds best real estate educational website - May 02 01:49 PM
I am a Realtor/Broker out of Mesa Arizona, and work mainly with investors. My specialty is investors and all I do all day is try to find good deals for my clients. I network with a lot of out of state agents who refer me business, and I am looking to work with more agents as time passes. If anyone out there has a client who wants to buy an investment in Arizona I can help. ...
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One Picture To Prove Why You Should Move To Peoria Arizona - Mar 02 01:16 PM
One look at the national weather channel and all I see is snow, snow, and more snow coming. Yet my daughter and her friend asked me this morning if they could go out front and play with the hose to spray each other. Even though there aren't any leaves on the trees yet, there they are. I had to snap a picture.
I think to myself, with the Peoria Arizona real estate market being a buyers market ...
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Arizona Motor Vehicle Department Provides Courtesy Services? - Nov 09 12:20 AM
Yesterday in the mail I got a notice from my favorite government institute on the planet. YES. you know I am talking about the motor vehicle department better well known as (MVD) or any other colorful name you given this bureaucracy over the years. Here is how the notice read:
LAPSED REGISTRATION NOTICE
The registration on your vehicle has expired. Renew your vehicle registration online at www.servicearizona.com, by phone at 888-713-3031, or at any Motor Vehicle ...
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4 Wheel Drive Real Estate - Aug 10 11:41 AM
I LOVE MY JOB.
It is diverse. I can sit at my computer and use my left brain to develop my web site or pour over data to see developments and write marketing reports. This week after writing my blog about the land market in our area I have gone out in the field...and mountains and mud!
I've gone 4 wheeling and hiking for most of the last week and a half. I've been doing several things. ...
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Buyers and Sellers - Market Stats for Southeast Valley - Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek and more! - Mar 28 03:31 PM
Since many of my buyers settle in the southeast valley, I am providing a separate graph of this area. The southeast valley is a wonderful area of the valley and includes Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. Many of the 55+ communities are located in Mesa or Apache Junction, and our winter visitors flock to this part of the valley every year. Even today, in Gold Canyon, the Ladies PGA Golf Tournament is being hosted by Safeway ...
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Should your Buyer go for a New Build? - Sep 06 07:27 PM
Here in Arizona the new home builders are still cranking out so many incentives - to both the buyer and the buyer's agent. There are increased commission incentives, there are upgrade incentives, there are financing incentives, etc., etc, etc. With all of those incentives and the lovely lure of a fresh, unblemished, squeeky clean, brand new home - shouldn't we all be bringing our homebuyers to the new home developments? Actually I think it is our duty ...
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B is for Bowling - Jun 28 06:05 PM
As you may have gathered from my previous blogs, my husband and I are doing "alphabet dates", finding things to do in the area that start with the letters of the alphabet in order. We are alternating letters. So far....
A is for Arboretum
B is for Bowling.
It was Mr. V's turn to decide what we were going to do for the letter B. I had a feeling he would choose bowling, since he's a little bit of ...
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Where the housing boom goes on - Jun 28 03:00 AM
Where the housing boom goes onby Kaushik Sirkar, Chandler AZ REALTORChandler Arizona Real Estate
A good portion of the country is stuck in a Real Estate 'flat'. Or maybe even a little bit of a 'bust'. This is certainly not the case everywhere. Read this article from money.cnn.com. Various places are posting double digit price appreciation! How is this possible? Numerous reasons are given, but I think it boils down to a few basics.....
Didn't appreciate during the ...
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"I see dust bunnies - they're EVERYWHERE! " - May 02 09:46 PM
Are your dust bunnies multiplying like, well, bunnies? I had a question yesterday from a home owner that was concerned about the dust in her home. "Every day that I dust..." said Mrs. Homeowner "...I see more and more dust bunnies. Please help me, DUCTZMAN!" (Ok, I made that last part up...) Believe it or not, the dust load in a home CAN be reduced but it takes some work. As Indoor Air Quality experts, we always ...
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Local Expert: Tucson One Of "7 Recession-Proof Places To Retire"! - Apr 21 10:49 PM
According to SmartMoney, writing for MSN's Money page, Tucson has distinguished itself one of "7 Recession-Proof Places To Retire." The article touts the sunny climate and the rich culture of the area as attractive winter features, but goes on to note other factors as well:
Cost of Living: 3% below national averageStrong Job MarketSteady Housing Prices: in the age of doom & gloom, the average price of a home only dipped 0.01% in 2007 according to the article. ...
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Retirees Like College Towns- Welcome to Arizona! - Mar 23 09:21 PM
There are Seniors in College and Seniors near college.
They share a common goal- live where the action is.
While college seniors may have aspirations to leave town as soon as they graduate, Senior Citizens are increasingly moving to college towns as they enter their twilight years
... Or so says a report from NuWire.
In their report, they explain that retirees are increasingly seeking residence in Florida and Arizona's college towns; why would this be?
Here's what the retiree ...
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Finding the Good in Bad News - Mar 18 07:20 PM
Today the Fed cut the overnight lending rate by .75 points.
The stock market responded with the highest gains in five years.
A reporter has a choice:
Explain the pitiful state of the economy that requires such drastic measures.Analyze the the move as a demonstration that there are still many buyers in the market.I remember a Finance professor in the Arizona State MBA Program who said that psychology can always be found behind the moves in every market. He ...
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The Best Mortgage Alternatives in the Declining Arizona Desert - Mar 06 03:45 PM
Lately, I feel that I have beating a dead horse over here with all the changes due to a declining housing market. Our lending environment has became so tight that good borrowers feel that there are really no options to help them get into a home today.
Recently the mortgage guidelines have become more strict in Arizona and Conventional loans are really not the hottest ticket in town anymore. If you are a Conventional loan, the Sheriff has made ...
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World's Largest Solar Plant- Headed to Arizona - Mar 01 05:47 PM
We share the same sun- but Arizona seems to share it more than most.
That may be why Abenoga Solar, in a press release, revealed that they have chosen Arizona for the largest project to date.
Operational in 2011, they expect to harness the power of the sun to deliver 280 megawatts of power at a value of $4 billion over the next thirty years. The plant will be located in Gila Bend, a city 70 miles southwest ...
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Arizona Mortgage Advice in both English and Espanol - Nov 07 04:31 PM
Maybe I am behind the times, but I have been living in Arizona for over 25 years now, and I have finally made a decision this year to offer my services in both English and Spanish (Espanol).
I have teamed myself up with a translator who I have known for a long time and trust. So if you have any clients who need mortgage services in Arizona and your client would prefer the service translated into Spanish, I can now ...
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Procrastination and the Superbowl - Oct 11 11:32 PM
Are you or your clients putting off thinking about where you will stay the week of the biggest sporting event of the year this coming February? Requests for accommodations are coming in daily so don't procrastinate to long or the choicest properties for you clients will be long gone.
I have just listed another beautifully decorated home 6 miles for the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals and host for the 2007 "Big Game" ...
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Getting Ready for Showtime! Part 2 of a series - Apr 22 12:50 PM
In the previous entry in this series: Getting Ready for Showtime! Part 1 of a series
I made a list of the various things to do to get ready for "showtime".
First up are: Title Inspection and Home Warranty
You are under contract with the Seller to represent their best interests. Two items to be done immediately and concurrently are a "Title Inspection" and placing a Home Warranty on their property.
By "Title Inspection" I mean having your preferred ...
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And Now April Existing Home Sales are UP!!! - May 01 11:06 AM
We saw that March had an increase from February sales. Now April has seen a 13% increase from March sales. There were 4783 existing home sales in April. This is really good news. Combine that news with the fact that the number of homes currently in escrow is close to 8000 means May looks to have at least as many sales as April. I believe we will hit 5000 homes sales in May. Right now Inventory is at 54716 with 49% of those properties sitting vacant. ...
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