Desert Living Blog

2 Bedroom Remodeled in 2007

2008-07-17T20:24:23Z

TURTLE RUN TOWNHOUSE

722 E MORNINGSIDE DR

Turtle Run is a desirable townhouse community in the Moon Valley area. Nestled in an area that separates Northeast Phoenix from Northwest Phoenix. Turtle Run is close to shopping and all freeway access. 7th street runs directly to downtown Phoenix and this area is one of the few express transit areas. Offering 2 community pools and a heated spa the grounds are lush and delightful.

RECENTLY REMODELED:

New Counters in Kitchen and Baths

New Faucets and Fixtures

New Appliances

Pella Dual Pane Windows installed

New Carpet and Tile

Skylights and Ceiling Fans

Alarm System

New H20 Heater

2 Patios

Covered Parking

Storage Rm w/Wk bench

2 Community Pools/Spa

This is a corner unit with parking outside your front door. Reasonable HOA fees and Move in Ready!

Offered at: 159,300 /Karen Turney/ Realty Executives

Click here: Phoenix Area Homes to find out more about this home, other homes in Phoenix and Phoenix Real Estate

Arizona Passes Loan Originator Licensing. What Do You Think?

2008-07-09T03:09:33Z

Arizona Passes Loan Originator Licensing

The Governor signed into law a bill that requires loan originators of Arizona home loans to be licenced . This new law will require loan originators to apply for a one year licence beginning Jan 1, 2010 and take required continuing education units before submitting a renewal application after that.

Supporters of this new law hope that it will reduce fraud by requiring educational classes and oversight of the licensee. Opponents do not like that the new law exempts employees of a commercial mortgage banker from loan originator laws. They feel that loan originators will flock to banks and leave mortgage brokers high and dry. Since mortgage brokers usually have a wider range of products, I think the demand for originators will remain high. What do you think?

I am in favor of this new law, and am delighted to know that loan originators will have a higher required standard of care for their clients. Now I know that some loan originators will be upset and I have to admit that 99 percent of the originators I have worked with have done an excellent job and act as consultants to their clients giving hands on care.

However, with that said, there have been some nightmare originators that clients have had to work with. Most clients come to me with a mortgage broker in tow and often have chosen them because of a referral or rate that they read about. Many clients don't know what level of expertise to expect and can fall for predatory practices. This will help to build consumer confidence.

As Real Estate Agents we are held to a high standard of care, we are licensed and are required to take renewal hours of continuing education mandated by state law.

Hey, even a hair stylist is licensed and takes more classes than this bill requires. This is a good thing.

Phoenix Zoo Winter In July

2008-07-02T14:37:01Z

As the summer goes on here's another COOL way to spend your time while living in Arizona. A wonderful family event at the Phoenix Zoo.

60 Tons of manmade snow will be brought in for the Winter In July Event at the Phoenix Zoo. Visitors can watch the animals play in the snow and play in it themselves! Toddlers under age 5 will have a special snow playground. The event takes place from July 12th at 11am with a Barbeque following hosted by El Paso Barbeque. Visit the Zoo Website for more information

KarenTurney/Phoenix Real Estate/It's A Good Move

Winter Escape From the Phoenix Summer

2008-06-25T15:23:33Z

If you are looking to escape the summer heat even for just an afternoon consider a visit to the Arizona Science Center.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exbition" premieres here in Phoenix this summer.

Visitors will view artifacts from C. S. Lewis' personal study and visit environments such as the attic and wardrobe which act as a portal to the exhibit.

Complete with falling snow and cold wind, the wintry scene leads to the White Witch Ice Palace.

The exibit was designed for you to enjoy scenes and items from the films and it teaches a message about stewardship of the environment.

For more information Contact the AZ Science Center located at 600 E Washington.

Visit the website at Arizona Science Center or call 602-716-2000

Karen Turney Phoenix Real Estate "Its a Good Move"

Clip art:lucy learns ltd.(c)

Child For Hire, What Was Your First Job?

2008-06-23T17:23:31Z

I wasn’t born a Realtor; it was a long slow progression of various jobs to reach this career.

Last weekend while stopping for gas a boy of about 11 approached me to sell candy. Now I know I could have thought he was too young to be out there working but then I thought back to my own youth.

It has been many years since I was 11 but I was working then too. I really didn’t think much of it at the time, it was the means to and end so to speak, work=money, simple as that.

I lived across the street from the tee of the golf course we lived on and I sold soda to the golfers as they passed. They did not have beverage carts then, so my brothers and sisters took turns selling on the weekends and my father gave us a share of the profits. I blew it all on candy as I recall.

When I was 13 my brother and I found a farmer 4 miles away that would pay 6 cents a pint and 8-10 cents a quart, to pick strawberries in his field. So, I rode my bike to and from the fields every day all summer until I had the money I wanted. I remember I was exhausted by the end of the day and that eating strawberries cut into my profit.

I know that there are still kids today that have paper routes, baby sit and mow lawns and they feel great satisfaction from a job well done.

It doesn’t really matter what you do when you first have that desire to make your own income, what matters is that you stick with it, serve your customer well and enjoy the rewards of hard work.

So how did you start your working life? Were you a kid too?

Karen Turney Phoenix Real Estate

Business Networking and the Benefits to my Clients

2008-06-21T20:51:53Z

This month I celebrate 10 years of belonging to Business Network International. As the name describes this group is composed of business owners dedicated to marketing and increasing the business of others.

As a realtor working in the Greater Phoenix Real Estate market, I am often asked if I have a pool service, do I know a good banker or have a painter and a handyman service?

As members, we are dedicated to a code of ethics that pledges to be truthful to our members and their referrals. I know I can refer a vendor that you can be happy with.

My networking group, the Scottsdale Business Builders, promise to deliver quality service and live up to the ethical standards of our professions.

Many of the clients that have been referred to me have referred other friends and family members to me.

When you buy or sell a home, you have a goal, including the best price, and the best service. I have a goal too, to fulfill your goals in order to receive your referrals.

Click here to view my preferred list of vendors.

Karen Turney / Phoenix Real Estate/ “It’s a Good Move”

Lovely 4 Bedroom Home! Directly Across from the Fire Station! Can The Internet Tell Me Everything About a Home?

2008-06-06T17:31:51Z

Think outside of the box! The computer box.

I love working with web savvy clients, they collect information that reduces their doubts and helps them make good decisions. They come to me with specific goals and ready to ask those all important questions. In short they are educated, feel secure ,have a plan of action and are ready to go.

The biggest problem I see about the internet is that you can’t FEEL the location. Not all buyers can drive by every home, and with the price of gas these days they may not want to! The Phoenix homebuyers market covers a large area.

When clients come to me with a list, they may not know about road noise, or ringing school bells, or lights from a football field . Since I know the area, I can help them with their list by getting crucial information. I form my own list of homes and compare the two lists in a conversational meeting before we head out to look at homes. Realtors can avoid showing homes that the buyer will negate because they did not have all the facts and can’t get them on the internet.

Some homes have beautiful photos, but the multiple listing services can’t tell you the sellers own 4 large dogs or they have a room dedicated to their iguanas, the private remarks that only realtors can view, will. I have actually seen an iguanas bedroom!

Looking for a home on the internet is a very good starting place. Once you have your criteria narrowed down then it's time for a Realtor that knows the area. Make calls to set up interviews with realtors, then enjoy your journey down the street of your dreams.

When is the last time you read an internet listing that said:

LOVELY FOUR BEDROOM HOME

DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE FIRE STATION

Visit here for more information about Phoenix area Homes

Karen Turney, It's a Good Move

Phoenix Homes Removed From the Declining Market by Fannie Mae

2008-05-29T16:42:32Z

The article, Fannie Mae payment rules eased from the Arizona Republic dated May 17th, reports that lending Fannie Mae is doing away with higher minimum down-payment requirements for borrowers in parts of the U.S. where home prices are dropping.

When Fannie Mae tagged metro Phoenix a declining housing market in January, the residential market suffered. As if it needed any help in this manner!! Dozens of homes fell thru because borrowers couldnt come up with the extra cash required for a down payment, and the status of buying in a "delining market" spooked potential buyers.

The government-sponsored mortgage finance company said it will require down payments to be between 3 and 5 percent for all loans that it guarantees.
This is wonderful news for the Phoenix Metropolitan market! For months agents were pairing potential buyers with homes only to find that they could not qualify for a loan due to the stigma and requirement of the "declining market" tag.

This move should translate into more Valley home sales!!

click here to begin your search Phoenix Metropolitan Homes

Phoenix Homes in Desert Ridge Neighborhood Where Urban meets Suburban

2008-05-16T20:46:36Z

Phoenix Homes in Desert Ridge Neighborhood
Urban meets Suburban

I have been visiting the sales office off and on at City North to keep up to date on the developments of this new urban development in Northeast Phoenix. City North is situated within the master plan community of Desert Ridge. This is where suburban meets urban living. Similar in planning to Kierland, City North is sure to please the current residents of Desert Ridge and entice others to locate there.

Located at the corner of 56th street and Deer Valley road, this community will be convenient to existing shopping in Desert Ridge and the 51 and 101 freeways.

Construction is in full swing at City North a 144-acre multiuse development east of The Desert Ridge Marketplace. Structural steel, foundations and much more activity is happening to create the first phase of City North known as High Street.
High Street will have 100 units for residency occupying several 4-story buildings.

High Street will have street level retail shops and include a collection of lifestyle boutiques with sidewalk bistros and cafes. Included in the buildings on the second floors will be over 320,000 square feet of first class office space including medical facilities.

Resident homes will offer several floor plans, which are now available for reservations starting in the mid 500k range. Floor plans offering two and three bedroom homes are available for sale now and are expected to be available for occupancy in the fall of 2008.

The Boulevard is the second phase of City North and will offer an Esplanade complete with high-end boutiques, and Bloomingdales. At the center of the Boulevard will be city parks featuring cascading fountains, art installations and public performance spaces.
This phase will offer residences high above the street as well.

54^th Street is the final phase offering residences overlooking a walkable thoroughfare and will be the gateway to City North. Shopping will include a Nordstrom’s.

The community plans on two hotels and ample parking structures. This is sure to be an exciting urban environment in northeast Phoenix.

Call Karen for more information on City North and to view all available homes in Desert Ridge

Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and was obtained from City North sales office team, and the Arizona Republic

Homebuyers Camping Out to Buy a Home at Mountain Bridge Mesa Arizona

2008-05-14T00:51:11Z

Buyers starting arriving monday evening to get a place in line to secure their first choice of homes at Mountain Bridge! Grand opening and Sales begin on Saturday, May 17th at 9am.

Blanford Homes the builder decribes the community on their website:

"Truly a one-of-a-kind resort style Masterplanned Community with Old World charm, Mountain Bridge is centered among top-rated schools, mega-shopping, fine dining and leisure activities, yet is also set so close to the wilderness...literally minutes away! Where else could you live where everything around you is already built and in place so you're not in the middle of nowhere?"

Homes are priced at pre-boom prices from 240K to 800K in this 720 acre community, complete with walking trails and custom homesites.

Buyers have not camped out to purchase homes in Arizona for a very long time. This could the opportunity that many buyers are looking for.

Click here for more infomation or to contact me

I Decapitated St. Joseph, It's All My Fault!

2008-05-12T20:11:34Z

It's not unusual for a homeowner to help facilitate the sale by burying St Joseph in their front yard. I have had many sellers tell me that they did so, or ask if I have a supply.

I consider myself a good Real Estate Agent, but even I will take any help offered.

The evening before close of escrow on a property, the sellers asked me to stop by for a visit. We settled on the back patio to have a glass of wine and discuss the difficult escrow period that we were all happy was coming to an end.

Selling the house was difficult enough in a slow market so after 3 months when we got a contract that we accepted everyone was thrilled. Then reality set in. During the inspection period, the buyer supplied us a long list of somewhat silly repairs, which the seller agreed to do, because after all they had a buyer and did not want to jeopardize the sale over a GFIC that may or not have been needed 10 feet from any water source.

After finishing the repair list, the AC quit working, we needed a new thermostat, then a tree died in the back yard, the spa quit pumping, and a windstorm tore off the roof to the patio, the mailbox fell over and the grass got an infestation.

So sitting on the patio we all rejoiced about the impending COE! It was then that my seller told me she had planted St. Joseph on the first day of the listing, she was sure he brought the buyer to us, I had worked hard, but hey, I agreed, why not, could be?

Then she explained the reason for all the fiascos that fell upon them during the escrow period. It seems that very morning she had gone over to dig up St. Joseph and found she had decapitated him sometime earlier. She thought back to the last time she was digging in the garden. After the inspection period ended, she decided to replant some flowers for the new buyer and while digging she thought to herself, where is St. Joseph? Must have buried him deeper. It was on that day, the problems started with the house. THAT was the day of the mutilation.

We all laughed for a while and she said "So you see it was all my fault" I laughed and laughed then I agreed, why not, could be?

WELL IT COULD BE!

For more information about Homes in Phoenix

The Housing Crisis is Over! My Phone is Ringing.

2008-05-09T18:20:18Z

Yesterday my phone started ringing after an article in the Wall Street Journal announced that the housing crisis was over. Is it true? What do you think? Should I buy a home now? What can I get a 3 bedroom home for in Phoenix? Two emails followed from clients who had taken their homes off the market at the beginning of the year inquiring about the listing inventory, which is also slowly declining.

The article, The Housing Crisis is Over?, from the Wall Street Journal, reports that Cyril Moulle-Bertaux suggests that April 2008 marked the bottom of the U.S. housing market. And in his R.O.I. column WSJ's Brett Arends makes a similar argument. He looks at the data on housing starts since 1972, which shows that new housing starts slumped below the one million mark in March. Every time that has happened in the last 50 years, Mr. Arends writes, it proved to be the bottom of a recession. Mr. Arends points out that Bill Wheaton, a legendary real-estate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has also suggested that fears about the real-estate crash were overdone. And he points to a private portfolio manager in London, who said the homebuilding stocks on Wall Street were at last a "buy." In the Journal editorial, Mr. Moulle-Bertaux suggests that the housing market will revive, as more first-time buyers are lured in by falling prices and lower mortgage rates. "Homes on average are back to being as affordable as during the best of times in the 1990s," he writes. "Numerous households that had been priced out of the market can now afford to get in."

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the extent of an expected recovery hinges on better access to affordable loans. "Things are beginning to improve, but the availability of affordable mortgages is uneven around the country and sometimes within metropolitan areas," he said. "As anticipated, we continue to look for a soft first half of the year, for both housing and the economy, before notable improvements in the second half. Some time is needed for FHA and new conforming jumbo loans to become widely available."

SO DO WE BELIEVE IT? Thats what my clients were asking me. All I can tell you is what I have seen and heard.

1. My listings are showing now more than they did a month ago

2. A lender told me yesterday he has clients pre-qualified that have not been able to secure a property due to multiple offers

3. A home inspector told me yesterday that he has clients who have him waiting to do an inspection but they too are losing out to multiple offers.

4. Obtaining an FHA loan still seems to take forever, and availability of funds is still difficult.

SO WHAT I READ AND WHAT I HEAR, AND WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER

My feeling is that if your were waiting for the bottom to hit, your wait might be over. I dont expect a dramatic increase in activity but a slow and steady climb. I know there will be naysayers, but there does seem to be some statistics to back up these claims. Homes sales in the Phoenix market have been rising since February. If the homes that are currently pending a close of escrow do indeed close, then April and May look good as well.

So now the question will be, how long will we ride the bottom, before the next upswing? Wait a minute, let me get my crystal ball.

For more about Homes in Phoenix and the Market

Update: Real Estate Market in Phoenix

2008-04-29T15:23:27Z

As and agent I am continually viewing statistics of the market conditions in Phoenix, Scottsdale and the surrounding areas. I have compiled some current statistics (with a little help) and put together this presentation for you to view. Unlike what you will hear on the news, these are not statistics from the last quarter, they are as recent as the end of March 2008, one month ago. I hope you find them useful when making decisions in regards to Selling, Buying a home in Phoenix or elsewhere in the Valley of the Sun.

DISCLAIMER: "Best Viewed with the Mozilla Firefox Browser. Internet Explorer Users, Click on the Magnifying Glass and use the "slide tool" to resize this presentation in the Blog Post Window."

Do You Like Living in Arizona?

2008-04-27T23:00:17Z

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 at first I missed the green and the abundant lakes, but when I returned to visit Michigan a year later I yearned for the expansive skies and the beautiful mountains. Until I had experienced desert living, I never knew what “purple mountain majesties” meant.

I don’t miss shoveling snow, or the long gray period at the end of the winter before the spring takes a strong hold. Though it was warm enough to dispense of the boots it was so slushy my shoes were always wet.

And oh yeah, no mosquitoes, that I don’t miss either.

So what do I love about Arizona?

I love the long warm winters with cool evenings where I can sit outside and have a glass of wine and chat with my friends or neighbors.

The sunsets are absolutely gorgeous, I think they beat most anywhere.

I love the subtle pale shades of the mountains and how they transform from brown in the summer to green with sprinkling of yellow, pink and white flowers in the spring. The mountains change color during the day depending on the angle of the sun.

I love all the hiking trails in the preserved mountain areas all over the Phoenix metropolitan area. I like to hike the "Go-John" trail in Cave Creek, or Pinnacle Peak, and so many other in-town trails. Nothing beats the serenity and beauty of the Grand Canyon. The drive from the valley to the Grand Canyon ventures thru red rock country, pine mountains and historic landmarks of the old west.

I love that I can ski all day nearby and return home to grill chicken or steaks in my backyard within hours.

I enjoy the sense of history and the cultural diversity. You can drive for miles and not see anything but beauty. Most states are so crammed up with people that you cant tell when you’ve left one town and entered another.

I have raised two children here, and they had a good K-12 education and both enjoyed 2 different but challenging and exciting colleges here in Valley of the Sun. I was never at a loss for something to do with them. The Valley of the Sun offers so much for families.

Although it does get warm here in the summer, it isn't much of a problem as anyplace you go is air conditioned, so you don’t have to endure the heat much, other than walking to and from your car.

And when it does warm up, I can drive 6 hours and go to beach in either San Diego or Los Angeles, if I want to fly, by the time they get the drink cart down the aisle, I’m there!

Mexico is three hours away for lots of sun, water, fishing and fun.

Vegas Baby! Only a short airplane ride or a 5 hour drive.

I realized while talking with my clients and driving around the

valley looking at homes that ...

Yes, I like living in Arizona!

Karen Turney/ Desert Living Blog/Phoenix Realtor

AND THE RACE TO THE SUMMER HEAT IS ON! WHEN WILL IT HIT 100?

2008-04-23T20:34:15Z

Only Arizonans know that:

Asphalt has a liquid state, Pot holders are good for steering wheels and retrieving open house signs, Shade is what location, location, location means in parking spots. You have become an Arizonan when you dont leave the house without your sunglasses, dont get in the pool until it hits 100 degrees, and you would bust open a car window if anyone left their pet or child in the car for even a second. You are an Arizonan Realtor when you carry 2 sets of keys and leave the car running with the AC on full blast while you show a home.

So let's predict

Ok Arizonans, the time is here for your predictions. This weekend is expected to reach 98 degrees with the 3 digit temperatures to follow. So the big question is WHEN? Send me your predictions and I will post the winner on my blog unless I get heat stroke, and then I will count on you to remind me.

Hang in there and remember when it heats up, Real Estate does too!! Go figure.

1413 W Wagoner Rd, Phoenix Arizona 85023

2008-04-23T16:17:21Z

CRISP AND CLEAN, MOVE IN READY, SPLIT 3 BEDROOM FLOORPLAN

PRICED WELL AT $218,000

Three bedrooms

Two Baths

Plantation Shutters

Open Family room

Formal Living room

Large Master

Full Length Covered Patio

1539 square feet

Desert Landscaping

Walk to Elem School

KAREN TURNEY

REALTY EXECUTIVES

602-999-2742

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

ARE WE THERE YET??

2008-04-18T00:40:40Z

Lately, my clients and others who find out that I am in Real Estate keep asking me: Have we hit the bottom of the market yet? I get asked so often it seems similar to the never ending car trip question. Are we there yet?

When you are in the car you can point out the mile markers and judge how far you need to go to reach "there". In Real Estate we have our mile markers, but there are many road blocks as well. One of the blocks seems to be the media and its interpretation of the market. Unfortunately since the press usually uses a variety of prognosticators, most of which have never shown or sold a home. The markers used are usually last quarters statistics as indicators of the journey. By the time you have digested all of the stats the market could very well be different. I often wonder why the media uses economists, professors, and last quarter statistics. Personally even when I want the answers to the market, I ask my fellow Realtors, seems simple to me, go to the source, the expert in the field. In todays world it seems that so many people use the media to tell them what the answers are to all their questions. But they are not in the business to actually sell you a home or negotiate the best transaction, seems silly to take their word for it. I think they really don't care about you, they care about ratings, units sold and the bottom line for them.

So I tell my clients to stop listening to the media and to ask real estate questions of real estate professionals, lenders and title company representative. So are we there yet? Here in the greater Phoenix area, I think we are bumping along the bottom. Picture a plane trying to get lift, skipping along the runway and then eventually lifting off. Our inventory is slowly going down, rates are wonderful and as usually the sun always comes out after a rain, eventually.

Have a safe and happy trip! Real Estate is part of everyone's journey, ride with someone who is dedicated to make the trip enjoyable and trouble free!

Karen Turney/Homes in the greater Phoenix Area

Optomism and an Uncluttered Life

2008-02-23T16:49:16Z

I have been in Real Estate for 23 years this May and I have survived down markets and high markets.

Sometimes even if you remodel your entire business and call every living soul you have ever known or worked with, it won't create the business you want, sometimes the market is just plain adjusting, and the momentum is slow.

The only way to survive that is to be optomistic. Now in the past I have sweated every minute wondering where the next listing or sale would come from, what if it didnt come etc...

But after a lot of years on this roller coaster I have learned to enjoy the ride and keep on it. Be optomistic, this slow down will pass. The good news is if you stick with this business long enough and build trust among your clients you will have enough referral business to make it through until things start humming again.

So what about the clutter? Lets face it when it's busy we neglect other things. So while we wait for the sure thing (a steady and busy market) unclutter your life. Right now my garage is a work of art, my closets look wonderful, I have staged my entire home! I have no intentions of selling but I have stayed busy in my spare time working on all the things in my business that I always wish I could spend more time on.

So, lately I have worked on staging. I spent time on marketing, my new website is being converted and should be live soon, my newsletter is revamped and most of all I keep optomistic by connecting with positive people. When I run into a negative realtor, I cant run fast enough, I dont need to think that way!! Life is great, business is great, sometimes abundance comes at times you can't control. So get on the ride, keep smiling

Karen Turney "It's a Good Move" www.karenturney.com Arizona real estate