New to Town Referral Buyer Client -
Everyone has a style and approach when working with new clients. Usually, I'll meet with new clients in my office for at least an hour and sometimes as much as 3 hours, depending on the client. My policy is that if clients can't spend that much time explaining their hopes and dreams for their next home, then how can I be effective in finding that next home.
Today is a little different in that this buyer doesn't have a rental car to drive to my office. Since Phoenix is almost 500 square miles, picking up someone in a car on the way to showing homes will oftentimes allow for enough time to get to know the individual and understand their motivations.
My questions start out with asking them to describe their current home, what they love about it and what they'd change. Since homes in other parts of the US are usually more traditional construction, it's imperative to explain that Arizona homes are very different. So, it's important to ask if they've been to Arizona before. And if so. where did they go and how long did they stay.
And, most important, is this going to be a 2nd home or a primary residence.
Arizona homes are typically varying shades of sand and, believe it or not, we do have basements! Our newer single level homes typically have a more open floorplan and typically 
12'+ ceilings, while older, single level homes have 8' ceilings. Ceiling fans are very important to move air in the summer, so this is usually discussed. The orientation of a home can be important depending on if the buyers will be here in the winter, the summer, or both. Winter visitors might prefer east/west orientation since that allows more heat gain into the home during the winter months. While a year round resident might prefer north/south orientation to avoid harsh west sunshine in our mega "warm" summers.
Vegetation is also important. If a new buyer isn't familiar with our trees and shrubs, they might prefer a neighborhood that allows plants that aren't native to the desert. Desert plants can be beautiful, but sometimes not at first sight. Some Homeowners Associations (HOA) prohibit palm trees and non-native plants.
Neighborhoods that have gated areas within the same neighborhood can have two HOA fees, a master plan and the individual gated neighborhood fee. Thankfully, I can usually gain the information needed during the inspection period to ascertain if the HOA has valid reserves and can meet future large expenditures, ie parking lots, pools, gate maintenance. Since foreclosures have taken a bite out of some of the HOA reserves, this is critical information during a purchase to make sure a buyer won't be hit with an assessment due to inadequate reserves. Understanding when the last reserve study was completed is also helpful.
Clearly there are a multitude of questions and conversations so showing homes and talking might not work as well if the drive were shorter, but in todays frantic race for the clock, sometimes the drive is all we have.
Comments(5)