Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

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Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

Search the MLS like an agent at my ListingBook service. For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.

The problem is this company is charging $157 to get a copy of the deed to send you. Why is this a problem? You got one [...]]]> It may not be a total scam, but many people who bought homes last year are receiving letters that imply you should buy a copy of your property deed.

The problem is this company is charging $157 to get a copy of the deed to send you. Why is this a problem? You got one shortly after escrow closed. If you didn’t the escrow/title company will gladly get one for you, or you can go to the Maricopa County Recorders Office and order an official copy for a nominal fee.

When you buy a property, the transaction becomes public record and you will receive many offers for products and services. Most are of some value, but this one is not, don’t fall for it. If you have questions, contact your agent or the title company that handled the escrow.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR® Search the MLS like an agent at my ListingBook service. For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.

The following table shows the year to date sales of real estate by agents during 2010.

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, It was NOT the best of times, it was NOT the worst of times.

The biggest factor this year for both selling price [...]]]> This is it, the end of 2010 and the bigging of 2011.

The following table shows the year to date sales of real estate by agents during 2010.

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, It was NOT the best of times, it was NOT the worst of times.

The biggest factor this year for both selling price and days on the market is single family homes are much more desireable to today’s buyer. In past years condos and houses sold at roughly equal numbers, and just a few dollars difference in price per square foot. Days on the market also verify this preference

With prices of $76/square foot for single family homes, and $65/square foot for condos, the timing seems perfect for buying a home in Sun City AZ.

Tip 1 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: It has been said before, and will be said again, SELECT YOUR AGENT! This agent should SPECIALIZE in selling homes in the Sun City Arizona market. Why? [...]]]> 8 TIPS FOR SELLING A HOME IN SUN CITY ARIZONA From Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

Tip 1 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: It has been said before, and will be said again, SELECT YOUR AGENT! This agent should SPECIALIZE in selling homes in the Sun City Arizona market. Why? All real estate is local and a local agent can help you reach the buyers who are looking for homes in YOUR neighborhood.

Tip 2 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Discuss your home selling goals with your agent, and listen carefully to the agent’s recommendations. The agent should help you arrive at a listing price, provide a logical marketing plan, show you the competition (homes for sale similar to yours in your neighborhood) and many more points.

Tip 3 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Price your home realistically, Your best chance of finding the ideal buyer for your home is in the first couple of weeks it is listed.

Tip 4 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Look at your home as if you were a buyer. Look at it as you drive up to it. Does it look appealing? Does it have strong odors of cooking, pet odors, or just as bad room deodorizers or scented candles? Do you have too much furniture or too many decorations? Your agent will be able to help you with this.

Tip 5 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Tidy up. Clutter costs you cash. Clutter is not limited to inside the house, but also applies to the yard and patio areas. Tidy up leaves and litter and keep the whole home as tidy as possible.

Tip 6 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Repair minor flaws. Fix the dripping faucet, touch-up paint, make sure there are bulbs in the lights. Minor flaws will imply the home has been ignored, causing buyers to be wary that there may be major flaws because of differed maintenance.

Tip 7 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Make your home available to show. With all of the competition in today’s market, buyer’s agents will not jump through hoops to show your home. Have a lock box, do not put unreasonable limitations as to showing. Buyers agents will just go to another home and sell if instead of yours.

Tip 8 for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: Have receipts for all major work done. Knowing and being able to prove the air conditioner is only 2 years old is a major selling point in your favor. Buyers are now very careful to verify the condition of all major systems in the home they wish to buy.

Bonus Tip  for selling a home in Sun City Arizona: For more tips, or to sell your Sun City Arizona home, Please give me a call at 1-800-877-1776, I would love to help you.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR® A Real Estate Agent who lives here and works here.

Representing Home and Condo Buyers and Sellers in Sun City and Sun City West Arizona since 1998.

To Buy or to sell Real Estate in and around Sun City AZ, Please contact me.

Search the MLS like a Real Estate Agent at my ListingBook service. For your free subscription, Click Here.

Canadians have long been a factor in the Arizona economy, with many coming to visit during their long cold winters. We also see some buying homes either as second homes or investment opportunities.

I was talking to a Canadian from Vancouver B.C. the other day. We were talking about homes for sale [...]]]>

Canadians have long been a factor in the Arizona economy, with many coming to visit during their long cold winters. We also see some buying homes either as second homes or investment opportunities.

I was talking to a Canadian from Vancouver B.C. the other day. We were talking about homes for sale in Sun City AZ. His comments “homes are 1/10th the price in Vancouver”.

The Canadian dollar is near parity now, making Arizona real estate very attractive to Canadian buyers again.

Today’s (9/24/2010) Arizona Republic had an article about this phenomenon, you can read it Here.

Canadians have even surpassed California buyers as the largest group of out-of-state buyers in Arizona.

If you are a Canadian hoping to buy a home in the Sun City AZ Neighbohood, please call or email me, I would love to help.

Financing programs are also available.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.

“I am seeing so much garbage on the market,  foreclosures, tax sales, short sales, auctions, that my head is spinning.  With me not being in a hurry because of my age I can’t help but wonder [...]]]> I got an email from a confused, concerned prospective buyer today. I am quoting a little of it here.

“I am seeing so much garbage on the market,  foreclosures, tax sales, short sales, auctions, that my head is spinning.  With me not being in a hurry because of my age I can’t help but wonder what is the best avenue for me right now.  What type of buyer am I ?  I will have cash in my pocket and no financing needed.  Obviously with the deals out there, I want a deal.  So, what is my best avenue?  Is this the right time to buy? ”

Here is my response

First, how is the market? Hard to say, yet seems like a little more buyer activity. Prices are low but seem to be stabilizing.

What to do? As far as the future goes, I can only quote one economist and the most successful investor the U.S. has ever known. The economist, John Kenneth Galbraith said, ” economic forecasting exists to give astrology a good name” In other words, who knows. The investor is Warren Buffet. When asked about timing the market his recommendation was to find an investment with good fundamental value, and hold it. Even though the housing prices have dropped, almost all of the value lost was from the inflated run-up of 2004-2005. In other words “funny money” that is a real thing to the people who bought during that time period, but real values from earlier have not been lost.

Short sales might be an option for you, since you are in no hurry, but you will need to be flexible regarding model of home you want, there may not be the model you want on the market offered short. Likewise foreclosures. Both of these types of sales offer good values, but may require fix-up work. Traditional listings may also offer bargains. I just closed on a home like you want at $98K. The value is at least $110K, but the heirs were ready to close out the estate and the other agent was able to keep negotiations open.

We are also seeing investors in the market again, buying at today’s prices and holding for rental and future appreciation. All are operating on the proven principle that you make money when you buy, but realize it when you sell. Cash puts you in the strongest position possible.

What kind of buyer are you? The lucky kind, you have both cash and a value laden market with the time to exploit it.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.

I decided to do a little research and find out how many homes were on the market that could be bought for a house payment of $600 per month [...]]]> Yesterday I posted that the Greater Phoenix Az area was rated number 1 in the nation for affordable retirement housing. You can read that post here.

I decided to do a little research and find out how many homes were on the market that could be bought for a house payment of $600 per month or less. I used the same criteria U.S. News & World Report did, which is the standard 20% down 80% loan. In other words, a conventional home loan.

There are 840 homes in Sun City AZ that are for sale. Of these there are 538 offered  at $153,000 or less. With a 20% down payment, principal and interest would be $600 or less at today’s quoted rate of 4.125% on conventional loans.

Folks, if this isn’t value for a retirement home, I don’t know what value would be.

If you would like more information on Sun City AZ for your retirement or permanent home, please contact me here.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.

The writer was investigating locations in the United States where you can buy a home for less than $600 a month. The [...]]]> U.S. News & World Report said in an article on September 24, 2010 that the Phoenix area was the number 1 place to buy a retirement home. You can read the article here.

The writer was investigating locations in the United States where you can buy a home for less than $600 a month. The writer also takes into consideration such amenities as golf courses, (over 200 in the metro, 9 in Sun City alone.), sports, hiking, and cultural events. The Valley of the Sun ranks high in all of these.

If you wish to consider retiring, the Phoenix area is great, the Sun City Neighborhood is even better since the communities were designed specifically for active retirement.

For more information about the Phoenix area and the Sun Cities, please call me or email me.

Jim Little, Your Sun City Neighborhood REALTOR®

For your free ListingBook subscription, Click Here.