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.
From the category archives:
News and Updates
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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Having a cloud on Title does not conjure up images of puffy white cotton shapes in bright blue skies. It looks a little more like red tape. A cloud on title occurs when there is a claim, condition or encumbrance that impairs the title to real property. Luckily, this can be eliminated. The title is researched to ensure that no one else is claiming ownership and that it can be transferred to another party. This is one of the many jobs of a Title Company.r. Buyers also need to take responsibility as well and read through their documents and ask any questions they have regarding the escrow process. Your Realtor is also your trusted advisor and will work together with your Escrow Officer to ensure a smooth closing. Generally, a quitclaim deed or legal action is needed to straighten out any discrepancies. From there it should be clear skies and smooth sailing to a successful close of escrow.
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In case you didn’t get to read the paper, here is the article of the week. What do you think?
The Housing Crisis is Over — Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal, By Cyril Moulle-Berteaux
May 6, 2008The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now.
How can this be? For starters, a bottom does not mean that prices are about to return to the heady days of 2005. That probably won’t happen for another 15 years. It just means that the trend is no longer getting worse, which is the critical factor.
Most people forget [click to continue...]
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First there was Earth day and now there is Earth Hour. Were you a participant? [click to continue...]
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According to Matt Woolsey of Forbes magazine, the following are the top 10 places where you can still find a great bargain on a home:
- Salt Lake City, Utah. The fastest growing job market where real estate developers have produced more supply than demand.
- Raleigh, North Carolina. It seems the developers all over the country built too many homes too quickly. More supply equals lower prices.
- Orlando, Florida.
- Charlotte, N.C. A high inventory and growing financial industry.
- PHOENIX, ARIZONA - The Valley of the Sun has a high foreclosure rate but the weather is calling you. Thousands move here every year regardless of the supply of homes. With 50,000 homes on the market, there are plenty of good deals for you to choose from and now is the time to buy.
- Seattle, Washington. The weak dollar has allowed the port city to profit even with a slowing housing market.
- Las Vegas, Nevada. A recent statistic showed that 40% of the homes in Las Vegas were in foreclosure at the end of January, 2008.
- Jacksonville, Florida. Inventory is declining.
- Richmond, Virginia. Even with only one foreclosure per 1103 households in Richmond, compared to 1 in 33 in Detroit, there are still plenty of homes on the market.
- Houston, Texas.
Moving to Phoenix? Call us today and we can set up a FREE no-obligation consultation.
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With the recent real estate market slow-down, the media has showered us with doom and gloom-it sells. In contrast, I would like to point out some advantages in this market. For instance, buyers are taking more time to choose a home, not just a house. They are asking more questions about the surrounding area, schools, amenities and events. I believe this change is helping us build a better sense of community. In my tiny neighborhood of 39 homes which were all completed in or around June 2005, six of those homes were purchased from the builder for speculation. These houses remained vacant for one year while the owners waited out the clause in the contract that did not allow them to sell leaving 15% of our neighborhood empty and lifeless. [click to continue...]
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