Peoria Arizona Real Estate Blog

Peoria Arizona Realtor Now Accredited with the Better Business Bureau

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:49:17 -0700

I am very exited to announce that I have recently become accredited with the Better Business Bureau. I think I am the only Realtor in Peoria Arizona to achieve this recognition. I always strive to provide excellent service to my clients and to go above and beyond what is expected to make sure that your experience when buying or selling a home is as great as it can be. I think my acceptance as an accredited business is validation for all the years of my client focused customer service. Please feel free to check my Better Business Bureau listing and I am also now listed at the Ethical Arizona website as well. If you are looking for a Realtor in or around Peoria Arizona I hope that you will give me a chance to earn your business.

AAARGH Banks! Do they even want to sell their short sales?

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:12:43 -0700

It seems like I want to say this every time I have any sort of communication with a bank regarding a short sale. I have a client that has an offer on a short sale property right now. We have been patiently waiting. I had told my client that there is usually a long wait, sometimes as long as 6 months before you hear anything back about your offer. So we have been waiting... And waiting... Then I get a call on Friday from the listing agent that basically says, "Oops I got the acceptance on your contract like a week ago. I think I forgot to let you know. Oh, and the bank wants you to close on the 9th or they are going to a trustee sale." The 9th is 10 days from now. We haven't done an inspection. We haven't had an appraisal. My client isn't paying cash so how are we going to close in 10 days? Even with the "Oops I got the acceptance like a week ago" comment that is still practically impossible. We are talking like just over 2 weeks to close. I even talked to the lender I work with and he said he might be able to get it done by the 13th. We asked for an extension and the answer was no. Even though they have a buyer right now for their property that can close within a reasonable time frame the bank won't allow it to happen. I just can't understand their thought process. Now I had to advise my buyer that we should just move on. Of course the "Oops" listing agent is trying to get us to push to make it happen still (otherwise they won't get paid), but there is no way I am going to have my client pay for an appraisal and inspection and have the home sold out from underneath her at a trustee sale after she has paid all of that money. So we move on to find a different home. AARGH Banks! About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Peoria Arizona Realtor that returns phone calls, shows up on time for appointments, and even attends all of your paperwork signings and inspections to make sure you understand everything that is happening 100% of the time. If you are looking to have a great experience when buying or selling a home in the Peoria Arizona real estate market then contact Bobbi.

Are you adding your blog feed to other sites?

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:45:45 -0700

I'm just curious if anyone is feeding their AR blog to other blog portals such as Technorati, or Blog Catalog? I think some sites ask for the blog URL and others might want the RSS feed information. To get your RSS feed URL you should go to your actual blog page, and on the right side of the page you will see You should right click on this and copy the link location. Then paste it in the appropriate field. Any thoughts?

Arizona Short Sale Consultation Provides Tremendous Insights

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:21:27 -0700

Today I met with a real estate attorney. I figured I could learn a thing or two by asking some of the most common questions that my clients are asking me. Honestly it was down right eye opening. (Now I must tell you that nothing here should be interpreted as legal advice. I am not an attorney. In fact I have no legal background whatsoever.) The number one thing I learned today from listening to the attorney go through my client's options is that all clients considering a short sale should consult an attorney first. Sure I am a Realtor and I only get paid a commission if the sale of the house is completed, but I was downright astonished at what I learned today. Here are a few of my takeaways. (Remember this is only applicable in Arizona.) #1 - I will say it again. There is nothing that can replace the advice of an attorney. Consult an attorney. If you don't know one, ask your Realtor for a referral to one. #2 - A second mortgage can and most likely will file a suit against you if it was not obtained to purchase the home. If the second mortgage was financed at the time of purchase it is called a purchase money loan and then it should fall within the anti-deficiency laws for Arizona. If you took the second mortgage at any other time then it falls under a whole other set of rules. #3 - Even if your promissory note for the second mortgage contract only specifies foreclosure on the property as the remedy under the breach of contract section, the Arizona statute supersedes that contract and the second mortgage can still file suit against you for the deficiency. This was a huge point to me. I would have never thought that something as well established as contract law would be superseded by an Arizona state specific statute. Contract law has been around since the beginning of recorded history (ok I don't know how long, but a long time). I was shocked to hear this. I don't see how a consumer can be expected to understand what they are signing. We always recommend that our clients read everything before signing it. Now I am hearing an attorney tell me that even that isn't good enough. I am really shocked, concerned, flabbergasted, what other terms can I come up with?!? How could the courts allow a blatant misrepresentation within the loan documentation that a clients signs? It should be mandatory to spell out what exactly happens within the contract. I don't know what else to say. #4 - It seems that the short sales can be a good option because some money would be paid to the second mortgage in order for them to release the lien. Some money paid to the second is better than none and should help with the future negotiations regarding the repayment of the second if applicable. #5 - A person facing a possible short sale likely has about 6 different options. You can short sale the home, foreclose, pay the past due amounts and make the loan current, perform a deed in lieu of foreclosure, apply for a loan modification, or file for bankruptcy. These are all valid options and can not effectively be communicated to you by anyone other than an attorney. Have I mentioned that you should consult an attorney? It seems like most real estate law firms have people on staff that can provide an initial consultation for somewhere in the ball park of $250. In my mind $250 is a small price to pay to have a clear plan as to how to deal with your current situation. So here is my expert Realtor advice....Consult and attorney if you are considering a short sale before you do anything else! About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Peoria Arizona Realtor and has obtained the Certified Distressed Property Expert designation. She has been in business since 2005 and has helped many happy clients buy and sell homes in the Peoria Arizona real estate market.

Cabrillo Point - New Homes by Pulte

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:01:53 -0700

There is a nice little new home development tucked away near 75th Ave. and Bell called Cabrillo Point. I say it is little because the entire community has only 69 lots. Pulte Homes is the builder and they claim that this development is the only one in the Phoenix area that is completely "green". I invite you to find more information about Cabrillo Point by visiting my website. About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Realtor that specializes in Peoria Arizona real estate. She has been in the real estate business since 2005 and has bought and sold many homes in the Peoria AZ real estate market. To view more information about Bobbi, visit her Peoria Arizona Realtor biography page.

Relocate to Arizona

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:24:44 -0700

If you are looking to relocate to Arizona now is the time! Ok I know I am not telling you anything you already didn't know. Of course interest rates right now are at all time lows. I joke that you can pick up a home for about the same as it costs to fill up your car with gas. But in all seriousness the reason for my message here is that if you are going to relocate to Arizona soon, or maybe by an Arizona vacation home then I hope that you will consider me to be your Realtor. Because I am lucky enough to have a pretty good ranking with the major search engines on the web I end up working with out of state buyers very often. I only mention it because I have had a lot of practice catering to the special needs that a person buying a home from out of state needs. I think the services I provide are uncommon compared to other Realtors, but at the same time are crucial for you when you do relocate to Arizona. I invite you to visit my website and in particular the area where I address how I work with people looking to relocate to Arizona. I hope that you take a moment to see how I set myself apart and work extra hard to be sure your precious time isn't wasted. You may also want to read my Arizona Realtor biography to learn more about me on a personal level. Thanks for reading and I hope to speak with you soon.

Real Estate Investment With 401k Assets

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:53:43 -0700

Real estate investment with 401k assets is becoming more popular again. With the downturn in the stock market and the drop in real estate it is a potentially a great time to invest in both. I think many experts will agree that the housing market downturn and the stock market drop are very intertwined. Does this mean that when we hit bottom in one or the other that both will increase? No one can predict what will happen, but I think most financial professionals will tell you that it is a good idea to diversify your portfolio. Of course they will rarely tell you that real estate investing is a good idea because financial professionals rarely will be unable to receive a commission on the assets invested in real estate. They aren't managing those assets for you, so they can't get paid. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a Realtor so if you invest in real estate and work with me, obviously I get paid a commission. Having said that, I am fielding more questions recently from my web site visitors about real estate investment with 401k assets. It is important to realize that as an individual it is very difficult to diversify your own 401k plan assets into real estate, but there are two instances where it can work. Self employed individuals can easily amend their current 401k plan to allow real estate investments with the 401k assets. There are many companies out there that will charge 1% - 3% of the value of the real estate to "hold" the real estate within a self-directed IRA, but self employed people do not need to worry about the high fees. Because your 401k plan is a trust and you are mostly likely the trustee of that plan, you can direct yourself to purchase a real estate investment with 401k assets with relative ease. There are some drawbacks. You have to own the real estate out right, NO mortgages! You can not buy or sell the real estate from yourself as an individual, your children, or parents. You can not live in, use, vacation in, or benefit from the real estate while it is inside your 401k. So it isn't all great news when it comes to real estate investment with 401k assets. But think about the drawbacks for a moment. A mortgage is beneficial because of the tax deduction you get with the interest. Your 401k plan does not pay taxes so you do not get a tax deduction. Therefore you wouldn't want a mortgage anyway. The other two main drawbacks are to prevent fraud. Think about how easy it would be for your 401k plan to buy a parcel of real estate from you for an over inflated price. This could easily be accomplished with children and parents as well. That is the reason for the rules. The part about not living, or vacationing in the real estate owned by the 401k plan is also so that you aren't benefiting from an asset that is tax deferred. It would be really great right? Pump tons of money into a 401k plan, buy a home with tax free money, and live in it! Yeah, except it would be considered a prohibited transaction and you would be hit with some hefty penalties if the IRS figured it out. What if I don't have enough assets to buy the real estate in full? Well I am glad you asked. This is a "trickier" situation, but can still be done. You will have to enter into a partnership with another entity and purchase a fraction of the property. It isn't the greatest situation, but it can be accomplished. Even individuals that are not self employed could possibly diversify into real estate investment with 401k assets, but this is more difficult to accomplish. Most likely you will have to roll your 401k money out of your companies 401k plan and into a IRA. Then we can either find you a self-directed IRA custodian that will accept real estate as an investment, or maybe you can set yourself up with a side business that can adopt a 401k plan of your own and viola, you are self employed! It may be possible to invest in real estate while still holding the assets within your companies 401k plan, but you will likely have to get some buy in from the boss. He will need to work with a third party administration firm that knows the ins and outs of 401k plans to provide guidance. Either way I suggest that you work with a competent third party administration firm (I can provide you with a referral to a local and a national TPA that I know does great work) to ensure that you follow all the rules associated with real estate investment with 401k assets. Although I have hit the high points, I encourage you to visit my website and then contact me so that you can talk more about your interest in real estate investment with 401k assets. There are currently thousands homes in the greater Phoenix area that are for sale for less than $100,000. If you are interested in jumping in to real estate investing give me a call.

Congratulations to the Arizona Cardinals

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:56:13 -0800

I admit that I am a super sports fan and last night was very depressing. But I never would have thought the Cardinals would have been in the SUperbowl this year, or maybe ever. I was so excited last night because I really thought they were going to win. Then I was so crushed when they lost the game. Hopefully we are able to keep our good players for next year. Yes that means BOLDIN! The Bidwill family should have some great income streams now with the real estate the city of Glendale gave them for their stadium. I hope they arne't afraid to spend the cash for the good players to keep this good team (finally!) rolling. About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Realtor that specializes in Peoria Arizona real estate. She has been in the real estate business for over four years and has bought and sold many homes in the Peoria AZ real estate market. She is part of a team of Realtors with over 20 years of combined experience which enables her to provide expert superior service for all of your real estate needs. To view more information about Bobbi, visit her Peoria Arizona Realtor bio.

Questions about taking title in Arizona? Get your Arizona Title questions answered.

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:49:55 -0800

Taking title in Arizona or any other state is often confusing for home buyers. If you have ever bought a home before you remember what it was like. You are signing a bunch of papers and then all of a sudden the Title Company asks you how you want to take title. The different ways to take title are all described with a bunch of legal terms and it is confusing. I have tried to explain Arizona title issues as simply as I could on my website. So if you have questions, come get those questions answered. About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Realtor that specializes in Peoria Arizona real estate. She has been in the real estate business for over four years and has bought and sold many homes in the Peoria AZ real estate market. She is part of a team of Realtors with over 20 years of combined experience which enables her to provide expert superior service for all of your real estate needs. To view more information about Bobbi, visit her Peoria Arizona Realtor bio.

New Homes for Sale in Peoria Arizona

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:39:37 -0800

If you are looking for new homes for sale in Peoria Arizona and don't want to be bothered driving to all the different new construction sites your self, you can find information about all of the new homes for sale in Peoria Arizona at my new homes section of my website. I have included photos, floor plans, descriptions and my opinions about many of the homes. If you are looking for a new home and would like to work with a Realtor that is experienced in Peoria Arizona, has helped many clients through the new home buying process, please visit my Peoria Arizona Realtor biography page to learn more about me. If you are ready to go look at the new home developments give me a call.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Peoria Arizona?

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:36:17 -0800

Well the Christmas break is over for most on Monday and it is time to get the kids back to school and the rest of us back to work. I guess life is back to some sort of normalcy again. If you are considering selling your home, but don't know what your home is worth you can visit my website to find the the value of your home for free. Just click on the free house values button below. I will perform a market analysis of your home with no strings attached. I just hope that if you do decide to sell your home that you give me the chance to earn your trust and then your business. If you are thinking of buying a home in the area, then please visit my Peoria Arizona home buyer's section, and my home buying tips for our free buyer reports. About the Author Bobbi Herman is a Realtor that specializes in Peoria Arizona real estate. She has been in the real estate business for over four years and has bought and sold many homes in the Peoria AZ real estate market. She is part of a team of Realtors with over 20 years of combined experience which enables her to provide expert superior service for all of your real estate needs. To view more information about Bobbi, visit her Peoria Arizona Realtor bio.

Put Finding Your Arizona Dream Home on Auto Pilot

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:07:40 -0800

If you are searching for your dream home by manually clicking through the Arizona multiple listing service (commonly referred to as the Arizona MLS), you can make it easier on yourself! The problem with searching the AZ MLS is that you only see the listings that are active right now. What if your perfect home was put on the Arizona MLS the next day or the next hour? You aren't going to see those homes until you sit down at your computer and search again. So I have done two things to make this easier on you. First of all you can search the Arizona MLS without disclosing any personal information. That's right, I don't even want your email address. Secondly you can click on the house image over to the right and be taken directly to an automated form that will ask you for the price range and features of the home you are looking for and deliver every home that matches that criteria directly to your email. This way you are alerted every time a new home is listed for sale that matches what you are looking for. So try it you and let's put finding your Arizona dream home on auto pilot.

Peoria AZ new homes - Riverstone Estates

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:43:31 -0800

There is a great little Peoria AZ new home development tucked away near 79th Avenue and Deer Valley Road. I recently toured these homes again recently and I have updated my website page with pictures and floor plans of the models. The homes range from the mid $200,000s to the mid $300,000s. The most exciting thing about these Peoria AZ new homes is that Columbia Communities (the builder) has so many optional design features in the floor plans that you can probably create the perfect home for your family. If you are searching for a new home for sale in Peoria Arizona then please take a look at my Peoria AZ new homes page. If you would like to tour the development, please learn a little about me, your Peoria Arizona Realtor, and if you think we would be a good match to work together give me a call. Thanks, Bobbi Herman

Question about Active Rain links to my web site

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:17:22 -0800

It is always difficult to get inbound deep links to your own webiste. I know I can write a blog post and link to those deep pages on my own website, but I am wondering if anyone knows if Google is going to give that the same "credit" as other links. It seems like having 100s of inbound links from Active Rain to my website wouldn't be as natural looking as links from multiple web sites. I know it won't hurt to have those links, but I am specifically working at gaining more inbound links to my site right now and I am trying to figure out the best use of my time.

Question about Flash and SEO

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:59:06 -0700

I am considering uploading a flash animiation as the header to my new website design. My current site is ok, but I am ready to take the training wheels off and take a stab at some more complicated design. I have the SWF file basically done and then someone throws a curve ball at me. I am told that Search Engine spiders can't index Flash (ok that makes sense, they can't index the words on a GIF or JPEG either). Then I am told that the search engines may penalize or maybe not even index my site at all because of the flash. Now that seems a little crazy. All of the content on my site is still going to be written in html. I just want a fancier header to make my site look more professional. Then I go off reading about "swfobject" in the code.google.com knowledge base talking about this javascript that basically gives an either or approach to flash and css. If the end user (visitor or in this case search engine spider) doesn't have flash capabilites then an html version is presented instead. Sort of like as a layer underneath the flash animation. Boy oh boy though this seems like a lot of work to go through just to get a flash header on my website. Especially for someone without any java experience and just starting to work with css. So this long intro brigns me to the ultimate questions. Does having a flash header get you penalized or not indexed properly with the serach engines, or do they just skip that part and index the rest of your site anyway? It seems like the difference between having a jpeg logo or a SWF animation would be a minor difference, there isn't really any content in either. Ultimately I want a site that is found, indexed, and ranked well with the search engines. A flash animation is just an extra. Content is obviously king. I am very confused with this because it seems like I find conflicting information out there. Does anyone have experience with this issue?

Why can't we buy houses like we buy cars?

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:02:40 -0700

Isn't it odd that you can trade in your car that is worth less than you owe on it and be approved for a loan for a new car? They just roll your old balance into the new loan.Why don't lenders have the same policy when it comes to homes?Think about it. Many people are upside in their homes. The lenders are holding mortgages on homes that have balances higher than the homes value. Why wouldn't that same lender be willing to allow you to sell the home for a loss, buy a new home, and roll the outstanding balance into the new mortgage? The home buyer and the lender are in the same position they are in right now, but inventory would be turning over and maybe the housing crisis wouldn't be such a crisis.Heck I know a couple that has absolutely fabulous credit. The husband has an opportunity for a great position within his company but he has to relocate. The problem is that he can't because he can't sell his home. He would have to short sale it and they don't want to hurt their credit. What are their options? They have even told me that they would be willing to hold a note for the unpaid balance of the mortgage. Problem is, who is going to loan them $120,000 in unsecured debt?How silly is it that there doesn't seem to be a program to allow them to pay off the debt and keep their credit intact. There are so many responsible people that are willing to do the right thing, but there doesn't seem to be a way to allow it to happen.So why will lenders allow you to "roll" your debt from one depreciating asset (a car) to another, but won't on a home that is usually an appreciating asset? It makes no sense... I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that you can repo the car if they don't pay and it is much more difficult to evict someone from a home, but you would think if someone can qualify for the loan and has paid their mortgage on time for the past 24 months that there would be a way.

Advice for landlords with vacancies

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:36:28 -0700

The rental market in Arizona has been doing fairly well. There are many good quality renters in the market because of the foreclosures. Often times these are people that over bought, but have had good credit and are responsible.I recently was working with an investor that wanted $1,300 a month for his home and received an offer for $1,200 instead. He decided to decline, and instead rented the property the following month for $1,275. That doesn't seem so bad, but the cost of not having the home rented for that month was missing out on $1,200 of revenue.Both renters were going to sign a one year lease. He will be making $75 more per month, or $900 over the 12-month period by accepting the second offer. But when you factor in the lost rent for one-month it is going to take him over a year to break even. Even if he rented it for the full $1,300 per month he would have only broke even.I know these are difficult decisions sometimes, because you never know if someone would have rented the home the next day for $1,300, but I feel that in the current real estate market you have to try and cover your losses more than look to make gains.The market may turn soon, it may not, but in down times you need to try and dig the shallowest hole to get back out of rather than wait around for the home run.

Real Estate Losses - The value is already gone, holding doesn't prevent it.

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:18:21 -0700

Everyone has felt the deflation in real estate prices. It's frustrating, disappointing, sickening, and a myriad of other feelings when you have your home appraised these days. The issue I often here is that people do not want to sell their home right now because they don't want to lose so much money.The problem with that thinking is that the value in the home is already gone. Sure you can hold on to the property until the market rebounds and you feel comfortable selling your home again. Selling your home now does not create a loss though, it already happened.For instance a 2,000 square foot home originally purchased for $250,000 with $100,000 as the down payment is now worth $215,000. There is only $65,000 in equity, the rest is already gone.If the home is sold the loss is locked in, but the loss is wiped out as soon as a new home is purchased.How is that, you ask? Well assuming a new home is purchased immediately then the new home is going to be purchased for a bargain as well. If moving neighborhoods, the new 2,000 square foot home is going to be purchased for roughly $215,000. It was worth $250,000 last year as well.What has happened, you are in the same position as previously with a 2,000 square foot home that is worth $215,000 in today's market. You took the $65,000 you received from the sale and put it into the new home. Why not hold on to the newer, nicer, better location, "whatever reason you want to move" home instead of the one you currently own? I know it is tough psychologically to sell a home at a loss, but you will be buying a home that is a deal at the same time.At least that is the way I see it. I don't think it is any different than when I bought my last home. It was half a fortune to buy, but I had just sold my previous home for so much it didn't seem like such a bad idea.Yes, you do need to have some equity still to be able to sell the home, but with interest rates as low as they are currently it is worth considering.

Door Knocking for Success

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:31:14 -0700

I am holding an open house today here in the great city of Glendale, Arizona. You know, the city that just hosted the Super Bowl.I have held an open house for this listing before. All of one person showed up. I decided this time that I was going to arrive at the home an hour early and walk around the neighborhood letting the neighbors know about the open house.I don't know if it will lead to more traffic at the open house, but you know what? It was sort of fun.I was apprehensive about knocking on doors, but more than half of the people opened their doors. More importantly everyone was polite and appreciative. I was able to hand out about 30 business cards also.It had a very quick message. Basically, "Hi, how are you today. My name is Bobbi and I am hosting an open house today on the next street over. I just wanted to invite you to stop by. Have a nice day." I didn't have much of a plan, but it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Maybe next time instead of mailing postcards, I'll hand deliver them instead. If nothing else maybe someone whose door I knock on will remember me as the Realtor that went the extra mile to get things done.Now I sit here at the open house waiting to see if anyone I spoke with this morning stops by.

Open house today at 5879 W Cochise, Glendale, AZ 85302

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:12:09 -0700

This afternoon there is an open house form 1pm - 4pm at 5879 W Cochise, Glendale, AZ 85302. You may have seen a flier on your door, or met me in person as I walked around the neighborhood this past week to let you know about the open house. The home is 1,596 square feet, with three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The asking price is $247,000. The home is less than a quarter mile from the public library, and is within walking distance or a short bike ride to Glendale Community College. The home is well kept in good condition, unlike so many of the foreclosures and short sales that are on the market these days. If you are looking for a home in Glendale, Arizona I hope to see you there, but if you are looking for something else in the area feel free to search the Arizona MLS on my web site. I don't require you to provide any contact information to look around. Bobbi

Looking for a Peoria Arizona Realtor?

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:30:30 -0800

I hate to self promote because that is not what I am about. The sad truth is that if you don't get your name out in front of people they won't know you exist. So here I am telling you a little bit about myself. We have all heard those ads on the radio. The famous line is, "I'm not trying to brag, I am applying for a job. I want to be your Realtor." I figure if you find this page it is because you are looking for a Peoria Arizona Realtor. The entire Phoenix area is a big city and Realtors are notorious for taking any business they can get. What I can promise you is that I only focus on Peoria Arizona real estate. Sure I know other parts of the valley, I have lived in Arizona most of my life. But what you won't find on my website is anything other than information about Peoria Arizona real estate. I don't promote that I work in Glendale, or Scottsdale, or Phoenix. Sure I have listed and sold homes in other parts of the valley, but that has been from family and friends that know I am a Realtor. I live in Peoria, I work in Peoria, my kids go to school in Peoria, I volunteer in Peoria, we shop in Peoria, Peoria is what I know best. So if you are looking for a Peoria Arizona Realtor give me a call and we can set up a time to meet and discuss your needs. The market is tough right now and I promise that you will get straight answers from me. I don't sugar coat things, I tell it like it is. If you don't want the truth don't ask. You've been warned!! Thanks. Talk to you soon, Bobbi Herman

One Picture To Prove Why You Should Move To Peoria Arizona

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 05:16:54 -0800

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 right now, it is a great time for those thinking of retiring here to purchase a second home or even move to Peoria, Arizona right now.This picture only reinforces why so many people move to Arizona every year. As of the 2006 census there were 3.7 million people in Maricopa county. The experts predict that the population will have doubled around the year 2025. Peoria is one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona, and the north part of Peoria is beginning to give Scottsdale a run for its money. All of this adds up to a temporary soft market. Once the over supply of homes are purchased the market will begin trending upwards once again.So come to Arizona to get your piece of Peoria Arizona real estate and come play in the water with us!

Activity seems to be picking up in the Peoria Arizona real estate market

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:50:03 -0800

Our office has a meeting of the minds once a month and the first topic was about the activity level the office has been experiencing. When asked, "How many of you have noticed more activity the past couple weeks?" everyone in the room raised their hand.It is too early to translate that into homes be bought and sold, but there is definitely a different vibe lately.Some of the higher producing Realtors that invest in a lot of property are talking like they are thinking about getting back into the market again. None of them seemed to be real anxious but they are getting close. Showings seem to be up, calls seem to be up, even leads coming in through lead router are coming more frequently.There is still an over supply of homes on the market, but there are a few zip codes that are not declining.I don't think we have hit the bottom yet because there are still too many foreclosures, but maybe the Peoria Arizona real estate market is getting ready for a bit of a turn around.One of the Realtors had a great point. Arizona is not going to have a long term problem. Too many people mover here and they are continuing to move here. When someone is ready to move from their home state in search of a new life, a new beginning somewhere else, they choose Arizona. They don't choose Detroit. When kids graduate from high school they want to attend ASU, UofA, USC, UCLA. They aren't looking to go out of state to western Michigan.My point is that even though we are in a declining market, its not all doom and gloom and it won't last long. Prices shot up too fast and now they are correcting. Arizona is still a great place to buy.

Get your new home Ebay style - Arizona Foreclosed Home Auction

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:04:23 -0800

Unfortunately this is where the market is right now. March 15th and 16th there are 375 foreclosed homes being auctioned off in Arizona. These are homes that the banks own and have typically been on the market for at least 100 days. The homes are statewide and some of the homes have a starting bid of $1,000. The homes range in value from the mid 100,000s to close to 1,000,000. If any investors or homeowners are looking for an interesting way to buy a home contact me and we can go preview some of the properties prior to the auction. I have heard they are expecting more than 1,000 people there to bid on the properties. It should be a fun weekend

A Peoria Arizona Real Estate Web Site Making Life Easier For Out Of State Clients

Bobbi Herman, Realtor, Peoria Arizona (Realty One Group) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:17:19 -0800

When thinking about relocating to a new state it is difficult to narrow down which properties are worth coming to see. Even if you are searching the MLS you will only see six photos at most and the listing agent is going to post the most flattering photos possible. What about the neighborhood? Does the next door neighbor take care of his home? Is the pool out back a green mess and that's why there isn't a photo of it? The best thing to do is have a Realtor in the area preview properties for you so that you can narrow down your search before coming out to view them your self. Your Realtor is the expert of the area and can help you eliminate homes from your list before you arrive. One of the difficulties once your Realtor finds a home that has potential is how do you view the home before arriving? Of course the answer is pictures or video. If you are using a free email service like gmail, yahoo, or hotmail, etc. there is a good chance your Realtor is going to have trouble sending you large files. Your email server is going to block it thinking it is spam or your inbox is going to fill up and you won't have any more space. A better idea is to have a web page customized for you by your Realtor. This is what we do at www.peoria-real-estate-info.com. We can upload video of the property to YouTube and host it right on your custom area of our web site. We also can post photos with descriptions so that you know what you are looking at. I know that relocating to a new state can be stressful, but I hope to make the move as easy as possible. If you are planning on relocating to Arizona feel free to visit my website and contact me directly anytime. Thank you for visiting. Bobbi Herman