FIVE SMART HOMEBUYER STRATEGIES

The National Association of REALTORS^® has announced that there's a housing supply shortage. Homes are selling quickly and home prices are starting to inch up again. It's becoming a seller's market in many areas.

Any time the market changes, it's time to change strategies. During a buyer's market, buyers have the upper hand and can make more demands to sellers over their homes' price and condition. During a sellers' market, buyers concede the upper hand to sellers and are more willing to accept higher prices and terms.

When homes are in short supply, buyers don't have the luxury of taking their time, teasing sellers with lowball offers, demanding that every little thing be fixed, and shopping for homes with multiple real estate agents. Do these five steps instead. 

Make a good first impression. Not only do you need to impress sellers, you need to impress real estate agents. Hire one agent and let him or her profile your needs to the marketplace. Be specific about your must-haves so you don't waste your agent's and your time viewing homes that lack what you want most. When you find the home you want, send the seller a letter along with your offer outlining why you love the home.

Get preapproved by a lender. Not only will you know how much home you can buy, you'll be ready to make an offer quickly. Your real estate agent can include the fact that you're financially preapproved by your lender in with the offer, which will carry weight with the seller.

Shop within your price range. In a seller's market, it's wise to shop for homes within or slightly below your price range. This will give you more room to make full-price offers or above in case the home you want is in a bidding war with other buyers. You'll be able to pay your own closing costs. Trying to buy a home out of your reach during a seller's market will only cause you and your agent frustration.

Be flexible. No home is perfect. To get more home for your money, you might shop for an older home that needs renovation. Try to look past ugly wallpaper and stained carpet and visualize the home with more attractive finishes. You may be able to get more living space in an established neighborhood than with a newer home that is priced higher for similar square footage.

Be ready. Be ready to see a new listing at a moment's notice. Be ready to make an offer when you believe this is the right home for your household. Once a seller has accepted your offer, proceed as if you're in a normal market. Set a reasonable closing date that accommodates the seller as much as possible. Confirm the offer with your lender. Schedule the inspections you'll need and don't nitpick the seller over small things.

Whether you're in a buyer's market or a seller's market, you should feel good about the home you choose, the deal you make, and the courteous way you treated all parties to the transaction.

Written by Realty Times Staff on Thursday, 05 May 2016 3:30 pm 

Thinking about buying a home or selling a home contact Linda Wieczorek, REALTOR®

(602) 391-8246

azhomes4u@gmail.com

All the Single Ladies (Are Buying Homes)

All the Single Ladies (Are Buying Homes)

It doesn't come as a huge surprise that the largest share of homebuyer households is married couples. In fact, 67 percent of all homebuyers are married couples. The second most common group of buyers, however, is single females. According to the 2016 National Association of REALTORS® Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report, single females make up 15 percent of all home buyers, and this number creeps up when looking at older buyers—20 percent of buyers between 51 and 60 years of age and 19 percent between the ages of 61 and 69 are single females. These percentages are substantially higher than those for single males, who only make up 9 percent of all home buyers; the share of single made buyers is even lower in older age groups, only 10 percent of buyers between 51 and 60 are single males.

Story Springboard

Review NAR's most recent Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study to see the makeup of homebuyers for each age group. Talk to a Realtor® to find out who is buying homes in your area. Speak with single female buyers to find out why they are purchasing a home now and what they are looking for.

Highlights -  Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

• At 35 percent, buyers 35 years and younger continue to be the largest generational group of home buyers with a median age of 30 years old.
• First-time buyers made up 32 percent of all home buyers, down from 33 percent last year.
• Sixty-seven percent of buyers 35 years and younger were first-time buyers, followed by buyers 36 to 50 years at 26 percent.
• The most common type of home purchased continues to be the detached single-family home, which made up 83 percent of all homes purchased.
• Eighty-nine percent of Millennials, 87 percent of Gen X buyers, and 85 percent of Younger Boomers purchased their home through an agent.

Thinking about Buying a Home ? Who will represent you?

Thinking about buying a home? 

Who will represent you?                       

My Exclusive Buyer’s Broker service is FREE! 

As your Buyer’s Broker I puts your interests first and negotiates 100% on your behalf from start to finish! I provides fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, disclosure, and confidentiality. Under her Exclusive Buyer Broker Contract, I becomes legally and ethically obligated to my clients by The Department of Real Estate and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics!

LISTING AGENTS REPRESENT THE SELLER!

Thinking about calling the number on the sign in the front yard? The sign out front indicates they work for the SELLER! Their job is to get the SELLER the highest price and the best terms.  The most they can offer you is Limited Dual Representation.* Would you go to court using your opponent’s attorney? No? Then do not allow the Seller’s agent to represent you! Simply call Me Linda Wieczorek 602.391.8246 with the home’s address and I will provide you with the information you’d like!

NEW HOME BUILDER’S SALES AGENTS REPRESENT THE BUILDERS!

Home Builders hire Sales Agents to sell their homes for the highest price and best terms. These Sales Agents are 100% employed by the Builders and do not even offer Limited Dual Representation!* Want to preview the models? Give me a jingle Linda Wieczorek 602.391.8246 Exclusive Buyer representative. I will accompany you during your first visit to ensure your free representation. Remember the Builder represents the Builder NOT YOU!

WORKING WITH MULTIPLE AGENTS CAN BE COSTLY!

Registered with New Home Sales Agents at the Models or the Listing Agent at the Open House? Even casual contact with seller’s agents may constitute grounds for commission claims leaving you owing multiple commissions and vulnerable to lawsuits! Give me a jingle and I will advises you on how to avoid these costly situations!

YOU CHOOSE THE HOME AND I REPRESENTS YOU!

New home? Model home? Resale home listed by another real estate company? Short sale? Foreclosure? Bank owned? REO?  I can represent you! As your Exclusive Buyer’s Broker, I will get you the lowest price and the best terms on the home of your choice! Check out what other clients have to say

Best Deal on Home Price

A home’s price does not always reflect a home’s value. I researches homes that have  sold in the area the Last 3 month to help you write an offer based on the home’s value, not the asking price! As a Certified Negotiation Specialist I negotiates based on supporting values in the neighborhood and market trends, not your total home buying budget! I will save you  substantial amounts of money using this process!

MAKE YOUR PURCHASE A REALITY!

As your Buyer’s Broker, I advises you to explore financing options and seek your lender’s approval right away. Why? A fully approved loan gives you tremendous negotiating power and may even allow you to compete with cash buyers. So, you get you the biggest bang for your buck or more home for your money, whether you are financing or paying cash!

DISCOVER VALUABLE INFORMATION!

I encourages you to uncover the actual facts about the home you intend to purchase, enabling you to make a truly informed decision about your purchase. Lets put your Exclusive Buyer’s Broker Contract into writing today! It’s a free service! 

​Linda Wieczorek 

ABR,CNE, CSSN,SRES^® 
REALTOR®,  602-391-8246 

Housing market diagnosis: Bipolar

The article, Housing market diagnosis: Bipolar, from CNNMoney.com, reports that bipolar is what comes to mind when diagnosing the post-home buyer tax credit market.

There are two separate forces pulling it in opposite directions, and experts aren't yet sure which path the market will take. On one hand, sales and prices are rising, indicating recovery. On the other hand, so are interest rates and repossessions, which most certainly do not. And then there are the millions of foreclosures that need to be sold but haven't yet been listed -- so-called shadow inventory -- that could derail a real recovery if they hit the market in floods.

The prognosis? Negative short term but turning positive by the end of 2010. One of market's biggest hurdles is getting beyond the lapse of the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. Thanks to the incentive, buyers scrambled to beat the April 30 deadline, pushing new home sales up nearly 30% in March. "In the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect measurably lower sales," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). But there is one factor that has experts really scared: homes that are ready to be sold but haven't been put on the market. Right now, there could be more than 4.5 million homes in "shadow inventory," according to a recent report by Barclays Capital. This so-called shadow inventory is a recent phenomenon. In the past, inventory was either tight or it wasn't. But now, with home prices so low and so many foreclosures on the market, both homeowners and banks have been waiting to put properties on the market. But as more sellers put their homes up for sale, supplies increase, which will depress prices again. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum.

Here is a link to the article

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/17/real_estate/housing_market_direction/index.htm

What is a FINAL WALK Through?

The final walk through is what you do right before you close on your home. It is the last chance you have to see the home you bough before you close.
it is also the time to check and make sure that everything in you Buyers Inspection has been completed.
After your offer has been accepted on a home, you do your 10day inspection. If you are lucky enough in today's market and you home is not a Foreclosure or a Short Sale, and you bought a Resale Home you can ask for repairs in you home inspection. In Arizona we use a Buyers Inspection Notice Sellers Respond Addendum. This is where you would request your repairs. Those repairs should be completed before you close on the HOME! This is where your final walk through comes into play.
A lot can happen in a month while you are waiting for the home to close.

I myself sold a home about 4 yrs ago. I painted, carpeted and got the home ready to sell, the day before closing the property, the buyer went back to the home to do the final walk through with there Realtor and the home was broken into...I could of died...Someone took a hammer to the walls and slopped paint all over the interior of the home. I did have insurance on the home to cover the repairs.. This is why it is good to do a Final Walk Through with your agent the day before close or even the morning before you go sign your docs.

The walk Through is very important, it protects the Buyer and you get to look once more at what you are buying before CLOSE. Ask your Realtor about your Final Walk Through

Gay and Lesbian Retirement

Many gays and lesbians reject the traditional retirement community lifestyle. After years of living freely, they don’t want to move back into the closet. So make way for the following alternatives:

Marigold Creek which is a new retirement community for gays, lesbians and their family and friends. Marigold Creek is located In Surprise, Arizona, which is 30 minutes from Phoenix. Close to Sun City West on Phoenix’s rapidly growing west valley. Marigold Creek is a welcoming and "straight-friendly" community.




1. They offer the choices of 2 or 3 bedroom Single Family Homes or Patio Homes with Casitas available for an additional charge.

2. They offer 1 to 3 bedroom Condos, all of these in a “Contemporary Southwestern” design.

3. The property is owned by Out Properties and is a gay-owned and operated
Realetate development company with many years of experience in building luxurious, lifestyle properties.

4. A Green Community, and pet friendly community complete with a dog run and bath area.

5. Marigold Creek is specifically designed to cater to the wishes of the “gayby boomer” generation.

6. Walking Trails - Persuades you to “break a sweat” with the breath-taking beauty that surround you.

7. Coffee Kiosk - serves fine coffees, teas and other beverages in a cozy gathering place.

8. Travel Club - Coordinates trips to exciting destinations for you, your loved ones and neighbors who share your love for seeing new places and faces.
Activities Director - Plans enjoyable outings and programs that suit your active lifestyle.

9. Gated Entrance - Contributes to the safe, secure and full-acceptance atmosphere that makes Marigold Creek such a unique place.
10. Poolside Bar and Grill - Features delicious snacks and refreshing beverages so you can make the most of your time in the sun.

11. Daytime Spa and Salon - Provides the finest relaxation and beauty treatments without ever leaving the comfort of Marigold Creek.

12. Concierge Service - Supports the entire living experience, from securing tickets to area events to helping you find the best dry cleaning services in the area.

13. Fitness Center - Features state-of-the-art equipment in the ideal environment for staying fit.

14. Spiritual Center - Provides a relaxing and meditative space for residents of all faiths and devotions.

15. Theatre & Cabaret - And we love the theatre, Engages the community with live entertainment and movies. Showcases the residents with the Annual Talent Show!

How do I secure a home at Marigold Creek or view the community?
Contact Linda Wieczorek, 602-391-8246 or e-mail me.

Rainbow Vision has developed gay and lesbian retirement communities in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Palm Springs, California.
Currently under development, Paradise One Condominiums is part retirement community and part upscale condominium, “a progressive community that is as Straight-Friendly as it is Gay Friendly.”
Stonewall Communities’ vision is to develop and offer a range of options for older GLBT people. Stonewall Audubon Circle, currently under development, will be open to anyone regardless of race, colour, national origin, religion, familial status, age, handicap, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
The Resort on Carefree Boulevard bills itself as Southwest Florida’s premier lesbian destination, with a mixture of full-time and holiday residents ranging in age from 40 to 85 years, both working and retired.
Despite its name, Finnish Mummolaakso (’Grandma Valley’) is a solidarity group open to women of all ages, with most members aged between 30 and 60. The organisation aims to provide healthcare and terminal care for lesbians and bisexual women, with the ultimate aim of providing retirement housing services, too.
F
For information and any of these communities contact Linda Wieczorek

First Time Home Buyers & Investors... Now is the time to buy in Phoenix

Things have changed in the Phoenix market in the last month, it is NOW time to buy. All you first time buyers who've been on the fence, there are some Great Homes out there just waiting for you. The interest rates are down and plentty of inventory. I have been working with investors who are busy building their real estate portfolios. it is time for you.

Several market indicators suggest the Greater Phoenix market is rebounding, primarily in the under $200,000 price range. This is not to say prices are going to go up soon... that would be wishful thinking and I'd be stupid to suggest it. However, prices in the under $200,000 market are stabilizing and that market is pretty darn hot right now.

To sum things up, if your thinking about that first home, investment property or just getting back into home ownership in the under $200,000 range you may want to move forward. At the top-right portion of my Blog there is a sweet home search tool. We invite you to take a look, dream a bit and maybe you'll find something that really excites and surprises you.

Have a great weekend. If you have any questions, we're here for you. We love to help first time home buyers and investors have the real estate experience of their life.

Contact Linda NOW

Phoenix’s $15,000 incentive for home buyers purchasing a bank owned home.

Yes , you can purchase a home and get money for doing...The City of Phoenix is offering this program... This is true but not as easy as it may seem.

The $15,000 is a loan that must be repaid when the home is sold or refinanced. So...yes,you can purchase that home and pay the money back later.

The money only can be used toward down payments and closing costs. The home needs to be within Phoenix city limits, it must be a bank-owned home, the buyer must qualify for the loan according to FHA guidelines and you must take an 8 hour credit counseling class. The home must be more than 15% below appraised value of the home and then there are income restrictions, inspection, and disclosure requirements among other things.

At first I thought it sounded pretty darn good and then I started thinking about it... I am in trouble NOW!!! Thats what I have been doing all year. I have sold all Bank Owned and all were 10%-17% below list price and appraisal .. asking for closing cost no brainier, was no big deal at all..MMMMM

I dont know where I am going with this yet...BUT... If you would like more information about this 15,000 program give me a jingle Linda 602-391-8246
I do need to do a little more research...

NSP Homeownership Fact Sheet

Did YOU Know

Nearly one-quarter of first-time buyers are single females who purchased their first home on a median income of $47,400.


Women are not waiting around for their soul mate to show up to buy a home, they are going out and getting it on their own. According to The National Association of Realtors 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, women are becoming the second largest group as homebuyers. In 2008, 2.0 million (23%) of single women were homebuyers due to higher divorce rates, delayed marriages and longer life expectancies. Women are also making more money giving them the income necessary to purchase a home.
Becoming more educated and financially stable has given single women the confidence to procure a home. They make sure to research and read every single line of an application or contract before purchasing a home. Females understand that homeownership will bring them tax benefits. They realized that buying a home is an investment that will benefit them in the future. Purchasing a home gives them a sense of security, economically, and a place to live when they retire. Since women understand that a good home investment brings equity, many of them are investing into buying a second home.

-Single females accounted for 13% of all second/vacation homebuyers in 2001/2003, according to the Realtors Profile.
-Single women purchased approximately one in five homes in 2003, while men purchased more than in 10.
-More women (15.5 million) than men (11.8 million) lived alone. Among these, women were more likely than men to own their homes (56% vs. 47%).
-In 2001, the total homeownership rate was 67.8% overall, 49% for single mothers, 51.9% for single women without kids, 69% for single men with children; for racial and ethnic minority women overall, homeownership rate is only 35.5%. (2001 Census)
-Fannie Mae predicts that by 2010, women headed households are to increase to nearly 31 million-close to 28% of all households in the country.
If you would like more info on buying a home please contact Linda Wieczorek
Azhomes4u@gmail.com