I am gong to take a moment to gloat. It is 85 degrees today in Scottsdale AZ. Actually, it is 80 degrees almost every day in the greater Phoenix AZ area. And, it is March 2.
There is a lot for resident and visitors to do. You can hike, bike, camp, play tennis, fish, and eat at sidewalk cafe’s just to name a few.
However, when it comes to the Valley of the sun (Phoenix AZ), there is really only one thing to do; and, that is play golf.
Scottsdale AZ is widely considered the golf capital of the United States and many (Americans) would argue the golf capital of the world.
350 days of sunshine and beautiful weather make year-round golf possible as some retirees play every day, literally on the, more than 400 golf courses throughout greater Phoenix AZ.
If have a friend who is a member, here are world famous private courses such as Troon, Silverleaf, Ancala and Desert Mountain. However, what makes Scottsdale AZ golf so unique is the seemingly endless number of world class public courses available to any golfer, no matter the handicap or even wallet size.
I am an avid golfer. Meaning, I play for love of the game, and not scoring, as I struggle happily (and frustratingly) to break 90 most of the time. However, the scenic beauty and no cell phones make each day memorable no matter my driver and putter are working.
Here are my top Scottsdale AZ public golf courses.
TPC Scottsdale AZ Golf Course -
The Phoenician Golf Club -
GrayHawk Golf Course -
Troon North golf course -
The Westin Kierland Golf Course -
These are some of the best golf courses in Phoenix AZ and Scottsdale AZ. There are many many more.
In fact, if you ask 10 people, you would likely get 10 different lists of top 5 gold courses.
Most of golf courses and resorts have golf-packages with hotel rooms , spa , pool, panoramic views and other amenities. Golf vacation packages are available for all price ranges.
I recommend you take a look at AZgolfguides.com as a resource and insider’s guide to Arizona courses.
If you are considering life in North Scottsdale or living in a golf community, hire an agent who is an expert in Phoenix AZ golf properties and has the experience to get the job done.
Call 480.221.8080 to find out more about Phoenix AZ real estate and life in Scottsdale AZ
I am going to my first Spring Training game of the year. Not to rub it in, but is supposed to be 88 degrees tomorrow (It was only 85 today )
Spring Training offers a baseball environment like no other. Big league stars, up close and personal in the small confines of a Stadium create an experience that is not to be missed.
Baseball fans young and old do not miss doing this ritual each and every year!!
If you are a first-time homeowners and interested in buying Phoenix AZ real estate, I have to suggest looking at Freddie Mac owned real estate marketed by HomeSteps.
Short sales are flooding the market confusing buyers on the difference between lender owned real estate and ‘pending lender approved real estate.
HomeSteps make the process easy, and most importantly attentive to buyer offers. Freddie Mac is not in the business of buying and selling real estate. Because of the economy, ie., high unemployment, declining real estate prices, and lack of available loans to borrowers, Freddie Mac, by default is now in the business of selling homes in Phoenix AZ.
So, for the most part, these homes are priced right. Here are HomeSteps 7 easy steps to buy a HomeSteps home.
1. Work with a Phoenix AZ real estate agent who knows the bank owned real estate market
2. Locate HomeSteps , Freddie Mac owned homes
3. Prepare your offer using your local state contract. The Seller should be Freddie Mac
4. Contract should include all required addenda (your Phoenix AZ Realtor will know)
5. Submit a buyer pre-qualification offer with the AZ real estate purchase contract. Any supporting financials will strengthen your offer (they are not required)
6. Your agent will negotiate the offer verbally until a final agreement is reached.
7. Formalize the offer in writing with original signatures and earnest deposit monies
8. Inspect property and request repairs Please Note: HomeSteps will not accept offers contingent on the sale of a buyer’s current residence.
Also, they do not accept offers based upon price alone. The likelihood of an offer closing escrow (cash-offers are usually better) is an important consideration. HomeSteps advises , ” the mortgage is not the only expense you need to consider.
Homeownership comes with other potential budget items such as repairs, maintenance, taxes, landscaping, etc. Once you fully understand your current situation, your future plans, and the big picture in terms of homeownership, it’s important to look at the pros and cons of homeownership to make the best decision for you and your family.”
Finally, if you are considering a HomeSteps home owned by Freddie Mac, make sure you work with a Phoenix Realtor or Scottsdale Real Estate agent who is experienced with short sales and bank owned transactions.
If you are a buyer, make sure you contact a real estate broker who is knowledgeable with Phoenix AZ REO ‘ s and Chandler AZ lender owned real estate.
If you are listing your home as a short sale in Phoenix Arizona or Scottsdale Arizona make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.
Call 480.221.8080 to find out more about Phoenix AZ Short Sales and Scottsdale AZ short Sales my advice is to work with an agent who is experienced with the Freddie Mac
Americans are well known for their infatuation with debt and their inability to save. However, there have been two places that Americans have managed to save to accumulate wealth. do not take a heloc to pay off other debt
* The first is their primary residence, their home (believe it or not).
* The second is in retirement plans such as IRA and 401Ks.
The primary reasons these investment vehicles have been successful amongst the free spending is that they are both forced savings plans. People will pay their mortgage first. Before any bills.
If you have a fixed rate mortgage , principal will accrue and likely offer a nice savings nest egg down the road. The retirement plans/IRA also are often pre-tax withdrawals prior to receiving your after-tax paychecks. Again, a forced savings.
Amidst these surviving opportunities to save money for later in life is a growing problem that is happening much too often.
Americans who are facing difficult financial situations are pillaging both these valuable resources.
Now, there are circumstances that require a move to empty a 401K or get a (HELOC) /Home equity line. Though, these are last resorts. And, sadly, more and more frequently, people are taking on new debt (yes, these are loans) to pay other debt.
The problem with taking from a Home Equity Line is that you rarely pay off the debt. Most hope to sell their home at some point in the future. However, debt accumulates quickly. Also, you are paying interest (more than 7%) on your own money.
If your home grows at historical rates, you are just breaking even; not at all saving for the future.
Taking money from an retirement account poses a whole new set of issues. There are serious tax implications for early withdrawal distributions that you must be aware. These tax issues need to be explained by a CPA only!
Also, and most dangerously, it is very rare that someone every repays their IRA or 401K. Typically, if you need money for financial hardship, you rarely pay it back in a lump or installments. Ultimately, that money is not working for you over the years and you will pay the price when you need that money down the road.
When people are struggling the predators come out with promises and untold offers to reduce debt and offer debt consolidation. It may sound callous. However, Yes, I do mean to scare you.
Phoenix AZ real estate is made up of new home developments that sprouted up during the real estate ‘gold rush’ of 2001-2005. In
fact, I would argue that Phoenix AZ real estate leads the country in the number of new home builders who have come here to develop land.
As a result, the choice between resale and new home construction is difficult. Although,, I have argued very good reasons for both, it seem lately the advantages weigh in favor of new home construction.
There are many pros and some cons to both choices.
However, are 4 Reasons to Buy a new construction home direct from a builder.
1. Pricing/Value - most builders have a lot more room to negotiate than resale owners. The sales process is much more of a business decision versus an emotional one for most homeowners. Also, builder’s incentives make the price quite compelling.
2. Modern Energy Efficient Design - makes a home eco-friendly and “Green” ?
3. Design your Dream Home - both offers an array of modern floor plans that you can choose paint color, stonework, flooring, cabinets, landscaping and what seems to be an endless amounts of choices in amenities and design.
4. Long-Term Equity Appreciation- Think New Car Smell! Lets face it, who doesn’t like New vs. Used is as American as apple pie. Think, new car smell.
The question I have been asked quite a bit lately from sellers is , “Should I Stage my house” in order to sell it at a better price and more quickly?
Before I answer that question, you should know more about the
A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s of Home staging by Craig Schiller who is the Founder of one the premier home staging companies in the country.
In great detail, he outlines the 2 steps ,
1) prepping the home, making sure the home is in physically presentable condition and 2) staging the home.
In today’s challenging market with less buyers and more sellers, Make your home Stand out
* enhanced marketing such as staging your home so it appears above your neighbors and your competitors (often they are one in the same) is critical.
* A home that has obvious physical flaws or simple lack of upkeep leads buyers to wonder if something they cannot see is wrong with the home.
* A home that has no poor street presence s a result of an unkempt front yard or exterior will deter drive-by traffic from calling to ask to even see whats beyond on the inside.
* An empty home does not feel as warm as a dressed home. Make sure you use furniture that will appeal to the broadest amount of buyers
Reach out to one of the many truly talented staging experts here on Active Rain.
We all read the news. We know the stock market is struggling. Likely, if you read this blog, you are more concerned with the Phoenix AZ real estate market. And, for the most part Phoenix AZ real estate and Scottsdale Real estate is selling, but slowly.
It is a challenge for homeowners to sell a home at fair market value as sellers are (in most places) competing with short sales, foreclosures and bank owned homes (REO). These types of listings are priced at significant discount to resale market prices as a net amount a sale is less important to banks and short sale listings.
As a result, if you really want to sell a home in most parts of Phoenix AZ, Peoria AZ, Chandler AZ, Gilbert AZ and Glendale AZ, you need to price your Phoenix AZ real estate near the price of neighboring REO’s and Phoenix short sales.
There is a growing trend that I have been hearing more and more of and wanted to offer it as a solution to selling your home at a fair price and relatively quickly.
It is called a Home Lottery or Home Raffle. Here’s how it works.
* Let’s say you own a home in Gilbert AZ
* You want to sell your home at $250K * You do not want to pay a Gilbert AZ real estate agent to list the home.
* You do not want to pay a Phoenix AZ real estate agent to bring a buyer * Hold a raffle. (please see your local guidelines about the legal requirement for non-profit organizations to conduct the raffle)
* Non-profit should conduct/Advertise raffle or lottery tickets at $100. * Offer that $10/each ticket goes to a local charity * Receive some radio and other advertising for free as a result
* Sell 3,000 tickets for a total of $300K. * One lucky winner, will own the Gilbert AZ home , ‘dream home’ for only $100. Not bad, right ?
* And you get to help donate $30,000 to charity while you sell your home at at a ‘dream price’.
Q: Is it legal ?? IMPORTANTLY, I am NOT an attorney. I do not know the laws in your area, jurisdiction or state. Although, each state has different laws,
I have been told by Ser Greene at USA Home Raffle , one of the leaders in helping conduct Home Raffles , that these raffles must be held by Non-Profit organization. Otherwise, as stated above, they would be illegal.
Make sure you speak with local governments about raffle, sweepstakes and lottery laws as such a priced item may require certain guidelines and registration. I wish you the best of luck and happy selling!!
Contact your bank a real estate professional to help you through the process.
Make sure you work with a Phoenix Realtor or Scottsdale Real Estate agent who is experienced with auctions and lottery sales.
If you are listing your home as a short sale in Phoenix Arizona or Scottsdale Arizona make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. Call 480.221.8080 to find out more about Phoenix AZ Short Sales and Scottsdale AZ short Sales
You have all heard the investment phrase, ‘Buy Low Sell High’. Buy ( Real Estate ) Low - Sell High.
However, how do you actually do that?
at least when it comes to buying real estate as in East Valley (Maricopa County) Real Estate. Let me tell you story which might help shed some light on this investing “ Holy Grail ” “
Finance 101 will often tell you that, “the best time to buy is when opportunities are created out of seller necessity.
A couple I have worked with for some time, just bought a home straight out of a Builders Inventory (these days, builders have taken homes back from a buyer who could not qualify for a loan.)
The original price on this home was more than $700K. They bought this brand large beautiful new home in a wonderful community of Peoria for $400K.
Now, this couple has bought this new build home low. Have they purchase at the lowest?
My crystal ball has not worked as well as I would like. However, based upon their needs, wants and desires, they have bought “Low” and have a wonderful home to raise their family.
How do they sell High? Well maybe the correct term is sell their real estate “Higher”. Again, my home buying crystal ball is on the fritz. However, they have a very affordable 30-year fixed rate that they can comfortably afford and do not have plans to sell for many years to come.
A historical outlook will suggest that their plans to live in this home for 5-7 years and possibly longer will give them an excellent chance to build equity, save on taxes, sell higher, and most importantly give their family a place to call home.
I would say that I have never seen so many great buying opportunities for the prudent, savvy, patient and credit-worthy real estate investor and/or new home buyer.
More and More these days, in Phoenix and the surrounding towns of Peoria, Tempe , and Fountain Hills to name a few great Arizona cities, Opportunities abound. You just have to know where to look.
There is a lot of news about loan modifications. In fact, due to the decline in home prices of Phoenix AZ real estate, we are a national leader in loan modifications.
On Monday, Citigroup says it is imposing a moratorium on most foreclosures as part of a series of initiatives aimed at helping at-risk borrowers.
Previously, Bank of America halted foreclosures in California and more then 2,000 homes in greater Phoenix.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. won’t put any more homes into foreclosure for the next 90 days while it implements a plan to help borrowers stay in their homes.
Yesterday, and most significantly, government sponsored entities and lending giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held a major news conference to announce that they too would be modifying loans for hundreds of thousands of borrowers.
The loan modification is here to stay. It may even pass sub-prime and credit crisis as the financial word of the year for 2009.
The question is : What is a Loan Modification ??
A loan modification is a permanent change in one or more of the terms of a mortgagors loan which allows the loan to be reinstated and results in payment the mortgagor can afford.
Loan modifications typically involve a reduction in the interest rate on the loan, a fixed rate mortgage vs. adjsutable rate mortgage (ARM), the term of the loan, principal, interest and fees (the arrears ) added to the loan balance to bring you current.
A loan modification can consist of any and or all of the above. The next question: Why would a bank or lender or the government want you to modify your loan? The government, through such programs as the Hope for Homeowners Act is pressing banks and lending institutions to work with borrowers in what is called “Loss mitigation” to modify loans for qualified borrowers.
Believe it or not, legal fees and related foreclosure costs for a home that is lost in foreclosure is often more costly to a bank then a loan modification (assuming the borrower can and still wishes to pay). Short sales have been the most common form of loss mitigation.
In a short sale, a bank agrees to take less money then the borrower owes when the home is sold. Bank have been (somewhat) adverse to short sales as they do not recover any interest, fees, principal in arrears, take a drastic loss int he home and lose a potentially paying customer.
Loan modifications have now emerged as the best alternative for banks as a way to keep a borrowers in the home , borrowers continually paying interest (which is how banks make money), and maybe most importantly keeping less bank owned real estate hitting the market for sale which further drives down prices.
Keep in mind that the government has established loan modification to help prevent more Americans from losing thier home. It is not something to be afraid of at all. In fact, for many, it is the best thing they have done since the day they bought their home.
After you have made the decision to buy new home construction from a Scottsdale AZ new home builder or Phoenix AZ new home builder, you have to decide which builder from whom to purchase.
Again, choices range from large builders like Pulte, KB Homes, Lennar, Shea Homes and Engle to smaller luxury new home builder , Camelot Homes.
One of the builders that is offering great homes at even better prices is Toll Brothers.
The are currently running a sales special called the Toll Brothers New Home Expo. The Toll Brothers New Home Expo is this Saturday (today) and Sunday only.
Communities include Windgate Ranch in Scottsdale AZ, Saguaro Estates in Scottsdale AZ and Treviso in Scottsdale AZ. In Phoenix AZ visit The Villages at Aviano at Desert Ridge. Montevista in Phoenix AZ and the Desert Enclave in Sonoran Foothills.
Toll Brothers invites you to ‘ Take advantage of new low pricing and special incentives from *America’s luxury home builder* (trademark).’
Sales specials, Favorable financing, seller contributions, builder incentives and Free Upgrades are just some of the great deals during the self-proclaimed “New Home Expo Stimulus Package”!
I encourage you to visit the field models and sales office of any of the great new home communities from Toll Brothers in greater Phoenix AZ and Scottsdale AZ. The have great homes in builder inventory at prices we have not seen in many many years.
If you are considering buying a from a new builder in Scottsdale AZ or Phoenix AZ, hire an agent who knows the new home construction market in Scottsdale and Phoenix AZ and has the experience to get the job done.
Call 480.221.8080 to find out more about Phoenix AZ real estate and life in Scottsdale AZ
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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