Friday, February 18, 2011
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories: Sold houses a block apart to 2 couples from Canada, who didn't know each other. I introduced them & now they are planning a block party for all the Canucks. Only rule: Mrs Costco isn't allowed to be the caterer. Have to bring home made!
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories: Gotta love the karma of showing houses. I was showing new model homes yesterday to a couple from Calgary, & another couple from Calgary were touring the same house! We have known each other for many years, but they didn't know Peter & I lived here. Be funny if both couples bought model homes. Keep your fingers crossed.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories
Mary's Funny Real Estate Stories: We have lots of citrus fruit on the trees here now. My clients from Canada think it's great that you can just pick it off the trees & eat it while we are out looking at houses! Also great to have fresh squeezed orange juice and grapefruit for breakfast every day at home. Can't do that back in Canada-- best you can do there is crabapples in summer, & the occasional saskatoons.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tips for a Successful REO Purchase
Tips for a Successful REO Purchase
1. Become a bank customer- With dozens of investors & broker calls about purchasing REOs every day, lenders often give preference to depositors
2. Be a bank resource- Lenders appreciate brokers who can offer sound market information, but take care not to cross that fine line from being an asset to a nuisance.
3. Go with proof of funds- either cash or a loan from another lender.- a few lenders will loan on REO, but that's still the exception
4. Do due diligence promptly- It should be conducted before you make an offer since sellers usually want to close in 30 days or less.
5. Don't expect complete property records.- Lenders usually don't have them & won't obtain them.
6. Don't ask for an extension on the closing- You'll probably face financial penalties or a lost deal.
Canadians: Want to know more about buying a home in Arizona? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home
*180 day rule for foreign nationals
*FIRPTA tax rules for selling your home in the USA
*Difference between using Escrow and a lawyer for conveyancing
*Disclosure issues
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
*Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty mary@marymaxie.com
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
1. Become a bank customer- With dozens of investors & broker calls about purchasing REOs every day, lenders often give preference to depositors
2. Be a bank resource- Lenders appreciate brokers who can offer sound market information, but take care not to cross that fine line from being an asset to a nuisance.
3. Go with proof of funds- either cash or a loan from another lender.- a few lenders will loan on REO, but that's still the exception
4. Do due diligence promptly- It should be conducted before you make an offer since sellers usually want to close in 30 days or less.
5. Don't expect complete property records.- Lenders usually don't have them & won't obtain them.
6. Don't ask for an extension on the closing- You'll probably face financial penalties or a lost deal.
Canadians: Want to know more about buying a home in Arizona? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home
*180 day rule for foreign nationals
*FIRPTA tax rules for selling your home in the USA
*Difference between using Escrow and a lawyer for conveyancing
*Disclosure issues
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
*Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty mary@marymaxie.com
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
2011 or MMXI-- it's my year
2011 or MMXI-- it's my year.
A friend who knows Roman Numerals wrote to tell me that 2011 will be my best year ever, because in Roman Numerals the year is MMXI which looks an awful lot like Mary Maxie, don't you think?
Canadians: Want to know more about buying a home in Arizona? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home
*180 day rule for foreign nationals
*FIRPTA tax rules for selling your home in the USA
*Difference between using Escrow and a lawyer for conveyancing
*Disclosure issues
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
*Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty mary@marymaxie.com
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
A friend who knows Roman Numerals wrote to tell me that 2011 will be my best year ever, because in Roman Numerals the year is MMXI which looks an awful lot like Mary Maxie, don't you think?
Canadians: Want to know more about buying a home in Arizona? Call or email mary@marymaxie.com for free info on the following:
*Register for frequent MLS updates on your new Arizona Home
*180 day rule for foreign nationals
*FIRPTA tax rules for selling your home in the USA
*Difference between using Escrow and a lawyer for conveyancing
*Disclosure issues
*Shopping, Golf, Sports, Critter Report, Arizona Living
*Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
*Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor 602-738-6597
*Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty mary@marymaxie.com
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
Monday, January 17, 2011
Make sure you measure a house before buying
Make sure you measure a house before buying
In many areas, the realtor is responsible for correctly measuring the square footage of a house they list, & if the measurements are off, the buyer can demand recompense from the realtor. In other areas, an independent laser measurement of a house is required before sale.
In Arizona, the buyer is responsible for verifying measurements, & often the square footage shown in the tax records or the MLS is not correct.
As an example, a house we owned was correctly measured by the appraiser when we bought it, as 1450 sq ft. We sold it because it couldn't be added onto, & we needed a bigger house. I noticed in the MLS a couple of years later that the seller was showing it as 1700 sq ft. We knew it hadn't been added onto, because the lot & pool prevented adding on, unless a second storey was added, which obviously hadn't been done. The tax records still said 1450 sq ft.
The reason it makes a difference, is that the sq ft price is often used in AZ as a comparable. In the case of bank owned houses, it is usually the only comparison allowed. (Banks tend to exclude pools, garages, improvements such as granite, hardwood, travertine, high end lighting, plumbing etc from their comparables).
Therefore, a higher sq footage in MLS leads to a lower price per sq ft value, which skews the neighborhood values. Likewise, lower sq footage in MLS leads to a higher price per sq foot value.
People fill in garages & patios to get more sq feet in their homes, but then there is no garage or carport, so the sq footage added is offset by not having a place to park.
So an accurate sq footage is needed to acurately decide on the house value.
Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
In many areas, the realtor is responsible for correctly measuring the square footage of a house they list, & if the measurements are off, the buyer can demand recompense from the realtor. In other areas, an independent laser measurement of a house is required before sale.
In Arizona, the buyer is responsible for verifying measurements, & often the square footage shown in the tax records or the MLS is not correct.
As an example, a house we owned was correctly measured by the appraiser when we bought it, as 1450 sq ft. We sold it because it couldn't be added onto, & we needed a bigger house. I noticed in the MLS a couple of years later that the seller was showing it as 1700 sq ft. We knew it hadn't been added onto, because the lot & pool prevented adding on, unless a second storey was added, which obviously hadn't been done. The tax records still said 1450 sq ft.
The reason it makes a difference, is that the sq ft price is often used in AZ as a comparable. In the case of bank owned houses, it is usually the only comparison allowed. (Banks tend to exclude pools, garages, improvements such as granite, hardwood, travertine, high end lighting, plumbing etc from their comparables).
Therefore, a higher sq footage in MLS leads to a lower price per sq ft value, which skews the neighborhood values. Likewise, lower sq footage in MLS leads to a higher price per sq foot value.
People fill in garages & patios to get more sq feet in their homes, but then there is no garage or carport, so the sq footage added is offset by not having a place to park.
So an accurate sq footage is needed to acurately decide on the house value.
Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
How Many Bathrooms in this house?
How Many Bathrooms in This House?
Mary's funny Real Estate Stories: MLS said house had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. We discovered that one bathroom was in the master suite. The other, which had been the hall bath, had been walled off the hall, & a door cut through from a secondary bedroom to what used to be the hall bath. The owner told us he wanted his teenage daughter to have her own bathroom. However, what about guests wanting to use the bathroom? Or the pre-teen son, who had to go through the teenage princess' bedroom to get to the bathroom? Some people have strange ideas of what is or is not acceptable in a house.
Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
Mary's funny Real Estate Stories: MLS said house had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. We discovered that one bathroom was in the master suite. The other, which had been the hall bath, had been walled off the hall, & a door cut through from a secondary bedroom to what used to be the hall bath. The owner told us he wanted his teenage daughter to have her own bathroom. However, what about guests wanting to use the bathroom? Or the pre-teen son, who had to go through the teenage princess' bedroom to get to the bathroom? Some people have strange ideas of what is or is not acceptable in a house.
Free Stuff from Mary@marymaxie.com
FREE Pickup of books, paperbacks, videos, CDs, sheet music, for VNSA Charity Book Sale
FREE Tips on Home staging your house for better showings
FREE Tips for First Time Home Buyers
FREE Tips for First Time Home Sellers
FREE The 10 Things Most Often Cited on Home Inspections
FREE Info on 180 day rule for foreign home buyers
FREE Info on FIRPTA Rules for foreign investors
FREE Info on what Canadian buyers of Arizona Real Estate need to know.
FREE shopping, golf, sports, Arizona Living info
FREE info on Great Canadian Picnic, & Canada Cup Golf Tournament
FREE Market News from www.ArizonasRealEstate.com
Maxiemize Lifestyle with PhoenixAreaCanadianRealtor
Mary Maxie, Associate Broker, Desert Dwellers Realty
GREEN Master of Real Estate, GRI, CRS, ABR, CSSR, SFR, CRMS, CIPS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
