tucson real estate: Tucson's May Real Estate Report - 06/07/07 01:34 AM
Tucson's May home sales remained close to the number of sales in March and April with an unofficial 1369 sales. Real estate sales did fall nearly 10% short of what I predicted for the month. The number of homes for sale remains high with 10,290 homes for sale; a slight drop from April. Two days ago it was at 10,333. The positive sign is that there is just over 9 months of inventory. To return to a healthy market where home values will appreciate at a strong rate, inventory needs to drop to approximately 7,000 homes. Though the drop from April to May is … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: The Secret About Solar Homes - 06/03/07 05:53 AM
The secret about solar homes isn't really a secret in Tucson. Solar homes have been in Tucson, Arizona for some years now. The most prominent communities are Civano and Armory Del Sol. Both are products of forward thinking by a gentleman named John Wesley Miller. A very private man who sees the advantages of an abundant source of energy. One of John's designs in Armory Del Sol is nearly self sufficient for solar electrical energy.
Ten years ago while attending the University of Phoenix my study group wrote a business plan based on futuristic emerging industry. An existing company called Global Solar Energy was our model. … (1 comments)

tucson real estate: What Every Realtor Should Know About Old School New School - 06/02/07 02:01 AM
What every Realtor should know about Old School and New School.   In a time when many Realtors are scrambling to make sales in an over supplied Buyers Market there is a need to mix old school with new school. A significant number of Realtors today have lived off the fat of the lamb during a booming growth. Some areas of the United States are still growing. What has developed are so to speak fat lazy agents who are finding it hard to survive. 
Ben Hogan once said, "I feel sorry for rich kids now. I really do. Because they are never going … (6 comments)

tucson real estate: What Everybody Should Kow About Tucson's Newest Golf Community - 05/31/07 11:48 AM
Palisades At The Pines will be holding a Grand Opening on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Located next to The Pines Golf Course and Golf Club, this is a truly unique community. Homes will range from 2121 square feet up to 4046 square feet. I have been watching this community prepare for several months as I would pass by on the golf course. North of Tucson, its easy to jump on the freeway and head out to Phoenix, Casa Grande or even San Diego. Minutes from downtown Tucson, the University of Arizona, and Raytheon this is an ideal community located Read the … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Top 7 Characteristics Your Realtor Needs - 05/26/07 12:06 PM
Top 7 Characteristics Your Realtor Needs:
1. Honesty - When interviewing a Real Estate Agent look for honesty. Is the Agent answering your questions to apiece you or are they telling the truth. If each Realtor® comes in with a price higher than the previous, are they just trying to get on your good side to list your home? Be suspicious of those who promise too much. Can they really deliver what they say.
2. Strength - How strong is the Agent when you put out objections. If the Agent crumples under pressure this could be a good indicator of weakness during the negotiations between … (2 comments)

tucson real estate: April Home Sale Update For Tucson - 05/20/07 01:21 AM
I reported Who Else Wants To Know About Home Sales In Tucson? on May 11th about the available statistics at that time for homes sales in the Tucson area. Better numbers are in. Actual home sales were 1,329. Though lower than I anticipated, when compared to previous years, excluding the frenzy years, Tucson's real estate market remains strong. 
Tucson's MLS reported only 1,280 sales for the month. Its hard to get the numbers out when so many are late turning information in. As of May 19, 2007 the MLS search for April sales shows what I reported, 1,329.  
Days On The Market (DOM) fell … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: You Can Sell Homes In A Buyers Market Tucson - 05/16/07 11:14 PM
You Can Sell Your Home In A Buyers Market Tucson  
What can you do? With a significant number of homes falling into foreclosure the selling of your home only gets more challenging. If you think foreclosures don't effect you think again. Buyers are salivating over the deals they will get from short sales and foreclosures. It definitely effects not only how much your home may sell for Tucson, foreclosures also effect how fast your home will sell. Buyers are looking for WIIFM (Whats In It For Me?).  
Is it impossible? No. If you have a REALTOR® to work you are one step ahead of the game. You'll have access to … (2 comments)

tucson real estate: 60 Minutes - What Everybody Ought To Know About Real Estate Commissions - 05/13/07 03:32 PM
Today I watched a tabloid style presentation from 60 Minutes about Chipping Away At Realtors' Six Percent. There are dozens if not hundreds of people incarcerated for this perspective of preconceived notion. During my 20 plus years in the Criminal Justice System I was taught to investigate to find the person innocent. If s/he is guilty that guilt will stand out. 60 Minutes took a very slanted approach to the subject she reported on. The questions posed to the REALTOR® were more like an interrogation.  
First, not all commissions are 6%. Some are lower, some are higher. I have listed numerous homes for 7%. … (5 comments)

tucson real estate: Who Else Wants To Know About Home Sales In Tucson? - 05/11/07 05:04 PM
Home sales may not have been as high as I predicted. But, Tucson's real estate sales for April remained higher than sales prior to the frenzy of 2004 and 2005. Good news, January through March sales were higher than reported. How close are my predictions? January 966 predicted, 971 sold; February 1,047 predicted, 1,022 sold; March 1,320 predicted, 1,348 sold. For April I predicted 1,453, to date there have been 1,314 recorded sales in the MLS. May I predict 1,531. To date there have been 335 sales for May. How close will May be? Keep checking back.
Sales would be higher if some sellers were more reasonable with their … (2 comments)

tucson real estate: Price, Price, Price. What Are Some Sellers Thinking? - 05/06/07 02:30 PM
Attune to location, location location, is pri$e, pri$e, pri$e. The Tucson real estate market is overwhelmed with overpriced homes. Two examples, first is a home I showed my clients yesterday. Lovely homes, well maintained, great location. Everything in this gated community in Oro Valley is selling for an average of $153 a square foot with a low of $136 and a high of $162. OK, square footage is not the gospel, but, it is a good bench mark to start with. The seller is asking $242 a square foot.   
Second home, again in Oro Valley. The seller is asking $254 per square … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Starr Pass Golf Course Tucson - My Favoriate Mountain Course - 05/03/07 10:23 AM
One of my favorite mountain golf courses is Starr Pass. The Starr Pass legend began over 120 years ago when Richard Starr crafted a trail through the rugged wilderness of the Tucson Mountains. The golf course at Starr Pass was originally completed in 1986. Renovated by Arnold Palmer in 2004 Starr Pass is one of the premium courses in Tucson. Nestled in the Tucson Mountains with 27 holes this course has a challenge for everyone. Broken into three 9-hole courses; the Roadrunner up to 3241 yards, Rattler up to 3490 yards, and Coyote up to 3512 yards.  You will play a combination of two … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Housing Recovery 2007 - Tucson - 05/02/07 08:55 AM
Housing Recovery Likely This Year; Timing Unclear was the headline for an article in the Arizona REALTOR® May Issue. What does this mean to the Tucson real estate Market? Tucson has always remained stronger than most parts of our fine nation. I have been watching sales daily and they have been on track with my prediction. Which is higher than February's sales. All the information won't be in for a few more days. I will post it once the date is in.
I went back this morning to double check the numbers for January through March. They were off from what the Tucson Association of Realtors reported … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: All-In-One iPhone - is it for Realtors? - 04/26/07 09:03 AM
In the ever changing face of Real Estate technology has been both a blessing and a curse.
How many hours have you spent on the computer learning the latest software for becoming a sophisticated  up to date Realtor? How many hours have you spent on your PDA learning to manage all your client information? How long did it take you to get proficient with your smart phone? Oh, and then comes managing lock boxes, transferring information to your partner and peers. Many of us carry a smart phone, or PDA and cell phone. We keep our laptop handy for those Internet … (2 comments)

tucson real estate: Home Sellers, Buyers, and Realtors Beware of Zillow's Zestimate - 04/25/07 04:23 PM
Zillow seemed like a good thing for Realtors in the Tucson Real Estate market. Allowing Realtors to assist Sellers in getting their home before more Buyers when Zillow announced Q&A. Being reasonable, I thought I would give Zillow a try. Maybe things had gotten better. I ran one home for a while to test it. No Zestimate came back on it. It seemed like a good forum to get offer one more service for my clients. So, today I entered another home. Boy was the Zestimate off.  
My partner and I ran independent comparisons and came up with similar information. Three other Realtors who competed for the listing came up … (3 comments)

tucson real estate: Starter Home With No Garage - 04/25/07 09:35 AM
Ideal starter home. Newly constructed TEP Energy Efficient Guarantee. Stained concrete floors, heat pump, hoc/trowel interior, recessed lighting, A/C, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths with laundry closet for full size appliances. Constructed by AZ Roc licensed General Contractor. Contractor and manufacturer warranties convey. This property is 823 Lot A.
For More Information About This Home (Click Here)
… (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Starter Home With a Garage - 04/25/07 09:30 AM
Ideal starter home. Newly constructed TEP Energy Efficient Guarantee. Stained concrete floors, heat pump, hoc/trowel interior, recessed lighting, A/C, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths with laundry closet for full size appliances. Constructed by AZ Roc licensed General Contractor. Contractor and manufacturer warranties convey. This is 823 Lot B. For more Information on This Home (Click Here) … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Tucson Real Estate Market Remains Strong - 04/24/07 04:53 AM
While going through my real estate reading this morning I read that the National Association of Realtors reported an 8.4% decline in the sale of homes for the first quarter.  So, the first thing I did was to jump into the Tucson Multiple Listing database and check our local numbers. Chicken Little, the sky is still its bright Arizona blue. Read the rest of this entry (Click Here)»
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tucson real estate: 10 Things Home Buyers Should NOT Do - 04/22/07 10:05 AM
As Home Buyers you have read, heard and digested everything available about what to do. What about what NOT to do?
Here's 10 Things Not to do:  
Buy a house on emotion. Who cares that the one across the street sold for $200,000 less. This is your dream home and you are never going to leave. Paying too much for a home can be a costly mistake. Especially if circumstances change in a few months and you have to sell. I always advise my clients to buy with the thought of resale in mind. Right behind location, location location is price, price, … (4 comments)

tucson real estate: Tucson's Starr Pass Golf Community - 04/21/07 02:55 AM

Tucson's Starr Pass Community
Merely five minutes west of downtown is one of Tucson's premium golf and luxury communities nestled in the Tucson Mountains. Spread over hundreds of acres, Starr Pass has something for nearly everyone.
The latest developer for Starr Pass reduced the density of this community to embrace the majestic surroundings. Making Starr Pass one of the best options for relocating to Tucson. Condos from $149,000 to large luxury homes priced at well over $1 million. Many homes back up to fairways, while others have the richness of mountain settings, vista views and city lights. Subdivisions include:
 Moonrise at Starr Pass Condos - … (0 comments)

tucson real estate: Tucson's Exciting April Events - 04/20/07 02:36 PM
It's not too late to squeeze in a few more events for April in and around Tucson. My favorite is the Mariachi Conference from the 23rd to the 28th. See you there. Youth Fencing Tournament April 18-24  (Tucson) USFA North American Cup fencing tournament for elite and youth (ages 8-15) competitors from around the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America, at the Tucson Convention Center. United States Fencing Association (USFA), (719) 866-4511.
Pima County Fair April 19-29  (Tucson) Old-fashioned fair with exhibits, food, stage concerts, and other live entertainment, carnival rides, educational exhibits, including a Gem and Mineral Show section. Pima County … (0 comments)