While out showing property the other day my client turned to me and asked if I knew how Mummy Mountain got it’s name. He asked it in such a way that I knew it wasn’t a question that I needed to answer; but that he knew and wondered if I did too. I was anticipating an interesting story, a long lost miner, a mystery disappearance, drama, romance, betrayal or maybe at least a funny tall tale…but that was not the case. He too was disappointed to learn that there is no “story”. The original name was Windy Gulch. Charlie Meig, a Swissman and Arizona pioneer in the 40’s renamed the mountain for better marketing. He thought the name Mummy Mountain had more appeal. Read the short story and learn about the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust.
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Susan Gruenling
I recently spoke with a colleague of mine that was working with Buyers on a contract. The Sellers happened to live out of state. They wrote up an offer and presented it to the Agent. My colleague was told by the Sellers’ Agent that the Sellers do not have a fax and they are having the Title Company Fed Ex the offer to them. The offer was received at the Title Company late in the day so it did not go out until the following day. So then 2 days later the Sellers have questions and want to counter offer, which of course they want to mail back. Back and forth, back and forth for about a week and the Buyers become frustrated. There is no longer a contract. How unfortunate.
There is no reason for this. With today’s technology we should not have this situation. There is a great resource called DocuSign. The documents are sent via email. The agent has simply to highlight the appropriate areas for initials, dates or signatures and press send. The documents are delivered to the recipient who can view and save. With a quick click of the button the initials and signatures can be marked and the completed document will be sent back to the agent. No computer or email address? No problem. Computer use is free to the public at local libraries and email addresses are also free and easy to set up.
See how easily this unfortunate situation could have been avoided? If you live out-of-town, out-of-state, out-of-the-country or simply have a demanding schedule please be sure to check and see that your Realtor uses this resource.
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Michael Pennisi, a Realtor in New Jersey, wrote a post about Home Buying Myths. Myth #2 was “I can find more homes for sale by calling lots of agents.” Do I agree?
No, but if you read the link you see I don’t agree with the statement, but I do agree with Michael. Here in the Valley, (most) agents belong to Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. We all have access to MLS and can all provide you with the same homes for sale. Though some of us do have a slight advantage. A smart agent has learned the power of networking. It is in their (and ultimately their clients) best interest to be active in the real estate community. An agent that attends their office tours, Realtor Marketing Sessions (RMS) with home tours and has relationships with Realtors from other brokerages may have the upper hand. We learn of “pocket listings”. Pocket listings are properties that an agent has secured to list in the future but is not yet officially on the market for one reason or another. These listings are touted at meetings and talked about over lunch. We have the opportunity to show our Buyers before a For Sale sign is even ordered.
Realtor tours come in a wide variety from subdivision specific Broker’s tours to sunset tours sponsored by Title Companies to regularly scheduled tours provided by the local Association of Realtors. They can be informative and sometimes even fun. I regularly attend RMS meetings and tours in Scottsdale and occasionally in Desert Ridge, Cave Creek, Tempe and other Valley cities. These tours begin with meetings featuring guest speakers and oh yes the ever important cup of coffee. We learn about the market conditions, private schools, community amenities, how to recognize mortgage fraud and many valuable subjects including a recent debate between Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross and her opponent Jim Lane (too much drama so early in the morning). There is opportunity to associate with agents from all other companies in the Valley. We tour homes in a specific area which help us keep up to date on the market and learn more about the many subdivisions in our area.
I am also sharing the responsibility of organizing one of the regularly scheduled Realty Executives tours in Scottsdale. Obviously this tour features only listings within the company but it has proved beneficial in forming relationships with other agents and provides an opportunity to preview property for clients while on tour.
Bottom line; find an agent that you like, one that you can trust and feel comfortable communicating with. Express to them your needs, not only in a residence but also with what you expect from them.
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Purple has always been the color of royalty. Watch this color change shades as the sunlight changes throughout the day. It is rich and hazy but looked surprisingly greenish in the can. It looses a lot of it’s femininity when paired with rich dark wood.
House Beautiful recently declared violet as the new beige. Shades of violet and lilac actually work wonderfully with beige or wood furniture to add color and depth. Be sure to use lots of wood tones when pairing with white so that it does not look too girly. And keep your eyes open; you will see more of this shade on the runways as well.
This color is Hazy Lilac from Benjamin Moore
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How fabulous would this painting look in a young girls room! The image is so feminine and girly with a crystal and gold chandelier yet the colors are not too sweet and would add sophistication. This painting could definitely become a treasured piece of art that a girl could grow with. I could see this starting out in a nursery; one where the parents want a room their daughter can grow in more than a baby room. Envision a real miniature crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps the walls are painted sage green or pale lilac or even thick stripes of white and buttercream. This would be perfect over the crib. As the years progress I see this hung above a padded headboard or in a corner over a cozy chair or chaise where one would read books and magazines and talk for hours on the phone. In the future it could be used to add some glamour in a dining room or powder room on white or smokey grey walls.
“A Chandelier” acrylic on canvas 2006 Lacey Shelton
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If you are searching for a home you know that you have a lot of potential properties to choose from. It can seem overwhelming. How does one decide? Here a few helpful tips:
- List your priorities. Sit down with all who will live in the house and decide what is most important to you. What do you love about your current home? What could you live without? Determine “must-have” and “wants” Decide what are your top 3 “must haves” and then eliminate any home from your search that do not have these items.
- Locate your ideal spot. Is there a specific neighborhood that you love? Do you need to be close to a certain school, family, the office or have easy freeway access?
- Sit back and relax. If you find a home that meets your priorities or “feels good” take the time to imagine yourself living there. Walk around. If the house is furnished I always encourage my clients to have a seat. Stand at the kitchen sink and stove and spend time in the yard.
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Ask anyone what the top three most important things in real estate are and they will surely say “location, location, location.” Okay, so what if you have a house and it is not in the best location in the neighborhood? What if it is the worst location in the neighborhood?
We have seen this many times, and most recently encountered a home like this on a recent Realtor Tour in the heart of Scottsdale. The home was beautifully appointed. There were gorgeous hardwood floors, upgraded appliances, stunning honed granite counter tops. The home looked well maintained, freshly painted and was in perfect market condition. There was no question that this home shows well. At least on the inside. This particular home was located in a nice community conveniently located within Scottsdale and easily accessible to shopping, dining, freeways. Unfortunately it backed to a road that provides access to the neighborhood and it sides to Hayden Road (always busy and especially during rush hour). There is no doubt that traffic noise will be heard. How does one overcome this objection? Price. There is no other way around it. Even though the home is stunning inside and perhaps the nicest in the neighborhood that does not take away from the fact that the location within the neighborhood is less than ideal. The location cannot be changed. Of course some folks won’t mind the noise. Perhaps they are from a big city or only live in the Valley part time. But the price does need to reflect that there is an objectionable location.
I would love to hear what you think…
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