Archive for May, 2007
The Arizona State Land Department announced the sale of 269 acres of land in the North Phoenix Desert Ridge area as the highest land sale in department history. Rightpath Limited Development Group purchased the parcel for $149.45 million, which is $555,535.00 per acre, and is planning to develop a residential community.
This comes as good news in our Arizona market as the last record land sale set in August 2005 when Toll Brothers and Pulte Homes also purchased land in the Desert Ridge area for $135 million.
Arizona State Land Commissioner Mark Winkleman proudly proclaimed, “This is a remarkable sales price and a milestone for the State of Arizona which sends a clear message that the market is strong and very interested in the lands Trust has to offer.” Read direct from State Land Commissiioner
Sound Advice for Investors of Scottsdale Rental Properties
Posted by: | CommentsIt has come to my attention that many of my Scottsdale investor clients have forgotten to register their Scottsdale residential rental properties with the State of Arizona and the City of Scottsdale.
The Arizona Revised Statute § 33-1902(A) states that an owner of residential rental property shall maintain with the Assessor in the county where the property is located information required by this section in a manner to be determined by the Assessor. If you have not yet registered your Scottsdale rental property, please go to this website and register your property and get all the juicy details of compliance.
What’s Happening in Your Scottsdale Neighborhood?
Posted by: | CommentsEssential Information for Scottsdale Home Buyers – City of Scottsdale Provides Detailed Information and Maps about Scottsdale Neighborhoods
I frequently get calls from my clients who ask “what is being built on that vacant lot down the street” – or something of that nature. When I work with Home Buyers, I am able to provide them with more details about their future neighborhood than can be found from the Seller. My friend, the City of Scottsdale always makes me look good!
Check out this website hosted by the City of Scottsdale to see What’s Happening In Your Scottsdale Neighborhood. Search for the Scottsdale neighborhood or community by intersection (only one street is required). And voila – you will see a list of the following items of public interest for your little neck of the woods in Scottsdale:
- Active building permits
- Plan Reviews
- Encroachment Permits
- Crimes
- Public Hearings
- Code Enforcement Violations
- Capital Improvement Projects
- Road Construction Projects
The AutoDesk MapGuide Viewer is a required plug-in and will be downloaded to your computer the first time you access the website. Also, remember to enable pop-ups in your browser.
You can also visit the Digital Map Center which provides on-line access to Scottsdale GIS (Geographic Information System Maps and databases. After registering you will be able to see parcel maps, aerial photos, easements, environmental features and much more.
Snowbirds Continue to Buy Scottsdale Luxury Homes
Posted by: | CommentsWhy Scottsdale is One of The Greatest Places to Live.
Have you ever heard of an Arizona snowbird? The wikipedia describes the snowbird as people from Canada and the Northeastern or Midwestern United States who spend a large portion of the winter months in Arizona, Florida or other regions of the Sunbelt. Snowbirds typically come just for a few weeks or a month and before they realize what has happened, they become addicted. Addiction to Scottsdale results in spending their leisure days searching for the perfect winter home which is usually defined as a luxury home whether it is a condo or a single family residence. Snowbirds and winter visitors have been buying second homes in Scottsdale since before Scottsdale became a city in 1897 and I don’t see any change in this trend.After living in Arizona for 14 years, I can easily understand why Scottsdale is inundated with snowbirds every winter. Scottsdale is a wonderful place to live for many reasons. Apparently the majority consensus agrees with me as Scottsdale was just ranked 7th in the Money magazines list of top 100 places to live. Money magazine’s reasons are based on statistics but there are other reasons that are more subjective but just as true. Here are my reasons and those expressed by my clients over the years why Scottsdale is a great place to live.
- The weather is fantastic 75% of the year – Imagine eating outside in balmy dry weather with no bugs or an early morning bike ride along the Scottsdale green belt bike path with breakfast along the way.
- The color of the sky is incredibly blue.
- The horizon stretches forever.
- Sunsets are spectacular.
- Desert plants and animals are unique and lush in their own way
- Outdoor activities in abundance include golf, hiking, jeep rides, bicycling, hot air balloons, etc.
- Some of the best golfing in the world.
- An art mecca with more than 125 art galleries in Scottsdale alone.
- Numerous choices for fine dining – I guarantee you won’t get bored.
- Scottsdale real estate is still affordable. California hosts 23 of the top 25 places with the priciest homes, with median home sales prices ranging from $678,500 to $1,362,500. Scottsdale’s median home price is only $370,000 and you can still buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath home for $325,000. In fact some of these older areas will be not always be so affordable because of all the redevelopment happening in downtown Scottsdale.
- Good public schools and superb private schools.
- Fantastic shopping.
If you like living in Scottsdale, I’m sure you could add to my list. Email me with your suggestions and I’ll include them. Don’t forget to let me know if I can use your name.If you visited the Money magazine website you may have noted that several of the blog comments were negative. Let me state for the record that as a real estate consultant specializing in Scottsdale, I have met mostly wonderful people who I would love to have as my neighbors. In any city, especially one that offers a high standard of living, there will always be those people who are too materialistic and too full of themselves that no one wants living next door. But as one blogger said, “we need to make our own reality”. My reality says: People are people and every city has all kinds. Scottsdale is a wonderful place to call home and I think Scottsdale is fortunate to have a diverse population of very friendly and authentic individuals from all over the country and world. Life is what we make it, right?
| Median Family Income | $84,747 |
| State Income Tax (highest bracket) | 5.04% |
| Job Growth (2000-2006) | 8.75% |
| Median Home Price | $370,000 |
| Home Price Gain (2004-2005) | 25.4% |
| Personal Crime Risk (100 is national average) | 52 |
For more Money magazine statistics click here
How to Get Top Dollar for Your Scottsdale Home
Posted by: | CommentsStaging Your Home Will Pay Huge Dividends
Now more than ever – it is so important to “prepare your home” before you list it for sale. Scottsdale homebuyer’s have lots of choices and how your home shows will determine how quickly it sells and how well we can negotiate the best sales price for you.
So how do you entice the buyers to make an offer on you Scottsdale home? Stage it! Stage it to look like a model home and reap the rewards.
I tell my clients, ” How you live in your home and how you sell your home are two completely different things.” When you live in your home, you want it to reflect you and your unique personality. You want your home to be comfortable for your lifestyle. You invite your friends over and you want them to see your personality. But… when it’s time to sell your home, the last thing you want is the Buyer to feel like he is walking into your home. It is a better idea to evoke the model home feeling which means that the Buyer is going to walk in the door and be so wowed, that he immediately starts moving in his personal belongings.
In order to achieve this goal, you, the seller have work to do. Here are a few tips that will pay off big.
Get rid of the clutter of your life and eliminate your personality from the house:
- Purchase a storage space and start packing.
- Go through all your drawers and closets and pack what you can live without and throw out what you don’t want to move. This will make it so much easier for you and will also allow your storage spaces to appear much larger than they are. Buyers love to open closets but they don’t want to see your junk in the closets or even in the garage. It is just a reminder that it is YOUR home.
- Remove all the photos and post it notes from the refrigerator.
- Take down the bulletin board and calendar.
- Clear off the counters and leave just a few decorative items.
- Keep a drawer where you can keep your bills, magazines and paper clutter that accumulates on a daily basis.
- Keep your bathroom counters, tubs and showers free of all the shampoo and other personal items.
- Hire a carpet cleaner.
- Hire a window washer.
- Give your yard a major trim and clean.
- You might want to consider hiring a weekly cleaning service if you don’t already have one.
This list is just for starters. One of the services we provide when we list a home is a thorough showing evaluation report. This report is filled with suggestions about what needs to be removed from the home and how we might better stage it to showcase your home and get you top dollar.
Trust me, the money you spend preparing your home prior to listing it for sale will be well worth every penny when you go to sell your Scottsdale home.