What’s It Like to Be a Buyer in Phoenix?

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Today we are joined by buyer specialist Holly Huntimer to talk about what it’s like to be a buyer in Phoenix right now. Holly has helped 10 families this year find their dream homes, and she’s going to share with us what the environment is like right now for home buyers.

In this tight market, sellers don’t have to be negotiable on their price. Homes are selling anywhere from 97% to 107% of their list price. There are not a lot of homes to look at on the market, so it comes down to about 3 to 5 homes that will match your criteria. We will look at them first, research them, write a contract, and start the process so we can get them in their new home quickly.

We’ve been specially trained to figure out exactly what you're looking for, research, and find those homes for you. It’s Holly’s job to preview those homes so our clients don’t have to make a career of buying a house, Holly is doing that for them.

If you want to find your dream home in Phoenix, we would love to hear from you. We would love to show you how our performance will outsell promises. Give us a call or send us an email any time. We would love to hear from you!

Our Probate Sale Service in the Phoenix Metro Market

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If you’ve recently lost a loved one, we are here for you. We can provide service based around your individual needs. My team and I can add value in several different ways during a difficult time.

We can list and sell your property on the open market. We can create a strategy to get the property sold in the shortest time for the most amount of money.

We can handle any personal property in need of removal. The family can remove what they want and our estate sale partners will handle everything else.

We can make any necessary repairs or improvement. We have contractors to fix the slightest repairs to full-blown renovations. We know investing in the right improvements add value to the home and help you earn top dollar.

We can bring a cash offer within 24 hours. If the situation calls for a quick sale, we can provide a cash offer with the ability to close within three weeks or whatever time frame is the best fit.

We’re willing to work with your needs. If you’d like more information, or would like to discuss any issues you’ve experienced with a probate sale, please reach out today!

How TRID Makes an Easier Process for Buyers

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Selling a Phoenix Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report    

Today I'm here with Tom Ross from Nova Home Loans, and we are going to discuss a massive change in the lending world. It's called TRID, which stands for Truth in Lending RESPA Integrated Disclosure. TRID is designed to simplify the lending process for the consumer. How will the new TRID law affect you?  

Right now when you close a loan, there are three essential pieces of paperwork: the good faith estimate, the truth in lending statement, and a settlement. The problem is that those three pieces don't seem to fit together. It is simply a counter-intuitive process that causes stress and confusion for the buyer. 

The new TRID law essentially compiles those three pieces of paperwork together. Instead of the good faith estimate, you will get something called a loan estimate. It will look similar to the good faith estimate, but it will also have information that usually goes on the truth in lending statement. When you go to close, instead of getting a settlement, you will get a form called a closing disclosure. The closing disclosure looks exactly like the loan estimate. This way, your initial documents will look like your final documents, which creates less confusion. 

Another change is that our consumers will now have a mandatory three day waiting period before they can sign their final loan documents. The waiting period eliminates rushing around to assemble all the papers  you need in order to close the next day, which is phenomenal for our consumers. 

Overall, the TRID law will probably add about 15 days to the escrow process, which is currently 30 days. The new 45 day escrow process is really aimed to protect the client, as it allows more time for things like inspections and assembling paperwork. 

If you have any questions, you can contact Tom at 602-791-5861, or email him at Tom.Ross@NovahomeLoans.com. As always, if you have any questions about real estate, call us or send us an email. We'd love to hear from you!

Nova Home Loans can help you after a "strategic default" so you can own a home again!

Have you had a short-sale or a foreclosure in the past 2-3 years? Are you wondering about your financing options?

Your seasoning period will depend on what type of financing you're seeking. For example, veterans seeking VA financing will need to wait 2 years after foreclosure, and 1 year after a short sale. For FHA financing, you’ve got to wait a whole 3 years for a foreclosure or a short sale.

However, Nova Home Loans offers a Home Again Program that can benefit those with a strategic default on their mortgages.

After a strategic default, if you still have a 600 FICO score and can put 25% down, you can buy right away at Nova Home Loans.

If you don’t meet those requirements, don’t fret!

Nova offers an in-house Credit Services Department, where they can instruct you on what needs to be done to boost your credit and buy a home.

Nova will also work with a 700 FICO score so that at a closing, that score will jump to 720. That seemingly little jump will save you almost a $1,000. Sounds great right?

Best of all, this Credit Service offered by Nova Home Loans is completely free of charge.

If any of this information fits your situation, get in touch with us today!

Mobile: (602) 413-8195

Monique@MoniqueSells.com

Or call Tom at Nova Home Loans:

Mobile: (602) 791-5861
Tom.Ross@NovaHomeLoans.com

Is my project DIY or should I call a professional?

We all want to save money, so when it comes to projects in your home, you may be curious to know which you can do on your own and which you need a professional for.

The first thing to consider is you. For some people projects are fun and rewarding and for others they are stressful. Which one are you?

Next make a list of the projects you want done around the house and then evaluate that list. Is there anything on there that you have done before? Maybe it's painting or sanding a piece of furniture. These are great projects for you to do on your own.

How is your health? Some projects may require you to be on a ladder or lifting heavy things. Is that something you are comfortable with?

Always keep in mind, there are some jobs you need to leave to the professionals: electrical, plumbing, moving walls, etc. Your safety comes first!

Thinking of Remodeling Your Home or Your Next Home?

Welcome back to my video blog! Today I have Tom Ross from Nova Home Loans with me to tell us about an exciting loan program going on right now.

Tell us about the FHA 203K Renovation Loan.

This is really a neat loan. Have you ever looked for a home, but didn’t find one you liked? With this loan you can purchase and/or renovate a home. The loan limit is up to $346,250. That means you could purchase a home for $250,000 and renovate it up to $100,000: add bedrooms, renovate bathrooms, kitchen, etc.

Are there any restrictions?

The home does have to be your primary residence.

FHA is also not big on pools, so you cannot use the money to add a pool. You must also not over-improve the home for the neighborhood.

What are interest rates at?

Interest rates are incredibly low right now. The regular loan rate is about 4.25 percent and the interest rate for the FHA 203K Loan is about 4.6 percent.

So if you have been thinking about buying a home, but haven’t found one you like, give Monique a call. Together the three of us can discuss your options.

Our Changing Sellers Market

Welcome back to my video blog! For the past few months I’ve been telling you how great our market has been. We saw a lot of buyer demand and very low inventory.

The market has changed. There are fewer showings, fewer buyers and fewer homes being sold. What does this mean?

Our market is changing. We are no longer in a sellers market, but rather we are transitioning into a more balanced market.

Now each price point is a little different. I recently sold a $250,000 home after being listed for three weeks. On the other hand, I sold a home for $235,000 in only a day. The higher priced your home is, the smaller the buyer pool becomes.

If you were a buyer that couldn’t find a home you wanted or you kept getting outbid by other buyers, now is your time. Give me a call so I can help you find the perfect home.

Thanks for watching!

What’s happening with interest rates?

Welcome back to my video blog! Today I have with me my preferred lender, Tom Ross of Nova Home Loans.  I wanted Tom to explain to us what exactly is happening with interest rates and where they are going.

Tom Ross:

People ask me this all the time. If you are looking to buy a home, the ideal credit score is 740; that’s the squeaky clean scenario.

Interest rates are currently around 4.5-4.6 percent. Now, if you remember rates recently spiked up to 5 percent and have slightly dropped since then.

Why is that? Over the past couple of months the Federal Reserve had hinted it was going to pull back on buying mortgage-backed securities. When they announced this, rates began to increase.

Well, in the last meeting they decided to continue to purchase the mortgage-backed securities for now. It’s really important, then, to take care of the market. Rates can increase at any moment.

Both buyers and sellers should make their move now. Buyers need to lock in that low interest rate and sellers need to put their home on the market for those motivated buyers.

If you have any questions, please give Monique or me a call. Thanks for watching!

How to Prepare for a Home Inspection

Did you know that moving is the #3 stress for most people? It doesn’t matter if this is your first home or your fifth home; selling is always stressful. So how can we make it easier? Knowing what to expect and then preparing for it can alleviate a lot of your concerns.

That’s why I have a list of tips that can you prepare.

      Make sure all your utilities are on and inspection ready.

a.       Turn gas, water and electric on prior to the inspection

b.      Unlock the electrical panel and gates

c.       Turn on all pilot lights on gas appliances

d.      Turn all electrical circuit breakers in the ‘on’ position

 

      Make everything accessible.

a.       Make a clear path to access the attic opening, garage crawl space or any other areas the inspector will need to get to.

b.      Declutter congest areas in your home.

c.       Open window coverings.

d.      Clear out storage items from oven or stove

       Protect Your Property

a.       Put your pets in a secure area

b.      Protect personal items that may get dirty during the inspection, such as clothes in a closet near a attic opening or crawl space.

c.       Put away all breakables, antiques etc 

Prepare for System Tests

a.       Preset your heating and cooling thermostat between 70-78 degrees

b.      Know that your dishwasher will be run during the inspection

c.       Have the operating instructions ready for any unique appliance

d.      Provide remote controls for ceiling fans, lights, fire places, etc

       Provide any pertinent information that may affect the property of the inspection

a.       A copy of the S.P.D. is helpful

       Expect a time frame of 2-4 hours for the average home inspection.

a.       An hour per 1000 square feet depending on age and equipment

I hope you find all this helpful and makes your home inspection much smoother! If you have any questions, please give me a call! 

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If you would like to contact my home inspector, Bruce LaBell, his contact information is as foll

Bruce LaBell
Royal Home Inspectors LLC
Scottsdale, AZ 85267-2246
602-765-2140
Cell: 602-402-7877
http://www.royalhomeinspectors.com; www.justafungi.com
License Number: BTR 41795