Not All Real Estate Firms Are Created Equal

People often ask me how I selected John Hall & Associates as the brokerage company I work with - There are a number of reasons I believe the team at John Hall make for one of the strongest Phoenix area real estate firms.  These reasons include reliabilty, professionalism, reputation and broker support.  And, I'm assured the doors will be open anytime, day or night, that I need to get in the office to assist a client.

You may say, "well, of course."  Unfortunately, not all area agents with other firms can say the same thing...Yikes!

Phoenix Real Estate Market Shows Continued Improvement

More positive news for the Phoenix area real estate market! Having a background in health promotion, we were constantly looking for signs and symptoms of disease and recovery - Well, leading indicators are pointing to favorable outcomes in the real estate as well.

In addition to near-record closed sales in the past couple of months, inventory - the number of listings or homes available for sale continue to drop, foreclosures are declining and prices are steady.  All point to signs of an upswing in the Phoenix area.  There's even talk that we could see increases in home prices and market value. 

Photo from Flickr courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives

How's the Phoenix Real Estate Market?

So often, we get asked the same question: "How's the market in the Phoenix area?"

First in, first out - You've got to check this article out - there is only one answer to that question - INCREDIBLE!

Photo from FLICKR courtesy of http2007

Outlet Mall Comes to Scottsdale

Outlet malls have long been a destination on the periphery of many towns across America and it seems as if Scottsdale may be the latest beneficiary.  Plans have been announced for a factory outlet shopping development to be built on reservation land off of Indian Bend. 

Complementing the new Salt River Fields baseball park, developers having been gearing up for plenty of attractions in that area. The Pavillions shopping center has been much improved in recent months and new merchants and restaurateurs are taking a second look.  The weekly Pavillions Auto Show continues to draw visitors from across the valley and now an outlet mall could be a nice addition to the area. 

It's gotta be good news for property owners in neighboring Sands and surrounding communities.  

Photo from Flickr courtesy of epicharmus

Short Sales maybe be getting Shorter

There may be good news just around the corner regarding short sales - They've been anything but short in terms of time, but new legislation aims to speed that process.

Realtors® have longe cringed when representing buyers and sellers in short sales.  Short sales have been known to take a long time - and in some cases, a very long time.  I've seen them go one for 6 months and the buyer still doesn't know if he will get the home.  That makes it tough, especially if the buyer wants to live in the home - perhaps has a family and needs a place to call home. 

Often times, a home being sold as a short sale will end up loosing the buyer because the lender won't make a decision.  The buyer ends up moving on to another property because they can't wait any longer.

And, imagine the headache - and heartache - that the seller experiences.  Thanks to the efforts of the National Association of Realtors, new legislation has just been introduced that would speed the decision process up to 45 days - The legislation, "Prompt Decision for Qualification for Short Sale Act of 2011," is great news for buyers, sellers and Realtors® alike!

Photo from Flickr courtesy of Dave Stokes.





Neighborhoods like they used to be...

Remember the neighborhoods from TV? Leave it to Beaver, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch...Those shows helped us define our neighborhoods - they planted the seeds of expectations of the way life should be.  That was indeed a different time.  Ah, life was good back then.

The very make-up of our neighborhoods have changed over the years - and there are a number of reasons they changed from those we grew to love on TV.  Some of the changes may be positive.  Others perhaps not.

For the past several years, Gilbert, AZ has been a progressive leader in re-defining neighborhoods.  Here's a community that has consistently been ranked in one of the top places to raise a family, one of the fastest growing communities, one of the most affordable communities, etc., etc. 

Looks like Gilbert is working hard to make sure their neighborhoods stay strong and connected - I love their grass-roots approach to growing strong!  Check it out - and it's ok to participate!

Photo from Flickr courtesy of Chas Redmond.

Scottsdale Entertainment District Keeps Moving Ahead

Plans were unveiled for a new entertainment venue near Scottsdale Fashion Square - this time, a water-themed entertainment attraction - Read more!  Scottsdale Beach Club is a bit of a contadiction in terms but it's bound to pump additional vibrancy into an already hot-hot-hot part of town! 

Break out that sun screen!

Photo courtesy of StephenGilmer via Flickr.