We live in Mesa, Arizona. Kind of a good news/bad news place to live.
You probably already know the good news. Golfing in January. Heck, swimming in January. We just had the most beautiful winter I can remember. Never even pulled out my warm coat from the closet. Not even once. Not even at night.
Showing homes in the winter was a pleasure. Even bank owned homes. Electricity not on? No problem. It's going to be 72 degrees inside regardless.
Which brings me to the bad news. Summer in Mesa, Arizona. But it's still good news/bad news.
The good news is that all the people who have a home anywhere else on the planet have left town. Fewer cars on the street. No waiting at your favorite restaurant. Fewer buyers to compete with!
How do I survive showing homes in our wonderful dry heat?
First, ice-cold bottled water for everyone. I keep a cooler in the car to make sure it stays cold. Plan on at least two bottles per person.
Second, avoid showing homes in the afternoon if at all possible. We can't always avoid afternoon showings, but most of my clients prefer bright and early in the morning or after dinner showings.
Third, which I have only done once, but I swear, saved my life--keep the car running. I'm not kidding. As I said, I've only done this once. It was hot, hot, hot and the home was a vacant bank owned with no utilities turned on. I brought two sets of keys--one in the ignition, the second, in my pocket. I stole this idea from a realtor friend, but it seems so "earth unfriendly" that I haven't done it again. Still, it may have been worth it to avoid heat stroke!
Fourth, keep oven mitts in the car to keep from burning your hands on the steering wheel, lockboxes and door knobs. Sounds like I'm kidding. I'm not. Really.
So we're still buying and selling in Arizona. All summer long. Come and enjoy the dry heat with us!
