What is Heroes Home Advantage?

I am sure plenty of you see me posting people with "big checks" in the last year! Some of you look over them, some of you like, some of you comment, some of you might ignore them because you are not sure what this is all about... I will share with you that the reason I give back to these service people is that they do their jobs EVERY DAY first with their community and other people in mind. MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTER,FIRST RESPONDERS,HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS,TEACHERS. You are all our HEROES and we THANK YOU! As a business woman it is important to me to give back to the community that serves me and as a mother it is important to me to be a good example to my child of what giving is all about. Being a part of the Heroes Home Advantage Program allows me to do this for any client that buys or sells (or both) a house with me. It is 25% of MY COMMISSION that I am giving back to them for being a Hero in my eyes! These deserving people should be rewarded for their service to our country, our community and to us as individuals. Again, I thank you! If you know of anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the future that can use a little cash back in their pocket, help with closing costs, or a discount of real estate services, please call, email, PM or text me for more information. Again remember consultations to buy or sell a home are free! My services are free to the buyer and I have flexible plans if you are considering selling your home or land. Dani Miller "helping you find a house to call home" SOLUTIONS REAL ESTATE 480-695-2010 fax: 1-866-536-9401 www.azhousetocallhome.com www.freelocalhomevalue.com

Market Slowdown?

This time last year there were less homes on the market than there 1 year later. We experienced a shortage, where in anything gives into supply and demand. Less available makes more people desperate to find that good deal. Some buyers were frantically searching for the right home, making several offers, losing out to investors, waiting months on short sales and getting anxious trying to find the right home for the right price and in a decent amount of time. Today 1 year later there are more choices, more traditional sales, more builders introducing more inventory and new subdivisions. The competition is elevated and sellers are not selling their homes in hours, 3 days, 5 days and 10 days right now. Homes are now selling average between 90-120 days after hitting the market MLS. Wow this a complete change from last year at this time, and could be quite disheartening to you as a seller. As a buyer, you are having more choices presented to you, but you are almost concerned about the homes that are on the market longer than a few weeks. Many clients say to me- "what is wrong with it". Even though it can be a great looking home walking in, some are afraid that if it didn't sell right away there must be a problem. I try to explain economic slowdown, but when some houses are still selling in a matter of a few days, it makes those that aren't look bad. This is a normal market. I stress that sometimes markets need a break to rest, rejuvenate, and re-set themselves to a normal supply and demand capacity. When doing this there are such pockets of areas that will still sell quickly and those that will take a lot longer. Why the slowdown? In racing is called a "pit stop" in stocks it is a "correction", in sports it is a "time out"! In order for the market to perform the best over a long period of time and not experience the bursting bubble, the unnecessary run up of pricing or false inflation caused by creating high values in a short period of time that are not sustainable, these "breaks" must occur. Days on market will grow longer, competition will be stiffer and patience will be needed by all. If you are in the market to buy or sell, ask yourself why? Is there a perfect time to buy and sell? Usually not, it is usually one or the other. If you are selling market your unique feature, lower your price, offer something no one else is. Entice the buyer to pick you over the neighbor. Last week in most east valley cities average days on market rose to over 100 which means your home may not sell quickly... but know that is normal. If you need to sell more quickly, you need something no one else has or your price needs to reflect your urgency. At this point in the market in most areas, you can not as they say... have your cake and eat it to! If you are looking for what your home will realistically sell for in this market, call a Realtor today to get a consultation. We are the experts who will help you understand the market in your area and devise the best plan for you to sell within your expectations.

Seller Anxiety

For all of you sellers and potential sellers out there. Good to know... I am now a true seller. I bought my home young and have lived in it quite a while. Have I bought and sold properties in the past 13 years of being in Real Estate? Of course I have, but never my own personal property. I am good at consulting with sellers. Telling them all the ins and outs of what will help them better sell their home, how to be prepared, little touches, minor changes, all the little things that make it more "show quality." In saying this I am extremely hard on myself on how my house presents itself to potential buyers. My clients often times get nervous when they know a showing is going to happen, scrounging around at the last minute to pick up the house, make it look perfect for a showing and may turn into an anxiety stricken seller in the meantime. Often times I try to calm sellers and let them know that the buyer is there to see the home, not their stuff. To relax and not freak out for showings. Stay picked up as much as possible but buyer's will understand that the home is lived in and that no one expects it to be perfect, however they can do their best and if it is meant to be then it will happen. I always say the days that they forget to make their bed or there are extra dishes in the sink, their dog got into the garbage or their kid tracked mud through the house on the one rainy day is when someone will look and often times want their house. It isn't a big deal I tell them, if someone really wants your house they will make an offer no matter what your mess at the time is. I still believe this is true. However, after 12 years of living in my home, accumulating things, having 2 big dogs, 4 chickens, 1 guinea pig, 1 tortoise and a 4 year old, my house is lived in.... but I can proudly say I NOW know what it is like to be that anxiety stricken seller trying to make their house look as best as possible in the small amount of time I have before each showing and it really is a crazy feeling. No matter how many times I have told my sellers not too worry, to relax and go with the flow, to do as much as they and let the rest go- I am really that seller that freaks out trying to get prepped for that showing that may/may not be my ticket to a successful sale. Wow what a wake up call. I think I am now prepared to take my consulting to a different level. To offer more support and understanding to what these sellers go through to prepare their homes for that right buyer. Be prepared for Dani, the agent that not only gives you the best consultation and advice when selling your home, but someone who is now in your shoes. Happy Selling! If you want a free home evaluation, call or email me for details.

Seller Tips for Today's Market- Photos Matter

I was sitting with some clients last night looking over homes in the MLS at my office. We put in 2 cities, basic search criteria: 3 bedroom, 2 bath 2 car garage, not adult community, not short sale, 1300 square foot or larger and over 100 homes came up for us to look at. That is a very large listing count to read through every Realtor's description. Don't get me wrong Realtor descriptions count- Over the years I don't know how many that I have seen that are blank, simply state 3 bedroom/2bath/2 car garage in the description (well, duh give me some information please) or are overly excessive to the point you show up and are extremely disappointed. Your verbiage has to accurately portray the property, too little or too excessive is definitely a problem. Also, when the listing talks about the big backyard with grass play area and large covered patio, and there is not a single picture to portray that, many people contemplate -WHY-? My client's main focus #1 cross streets #2 what does the inside look like! Pictures! Homes that don't show well, don't sell quickly. The inventory is still low but more and more homes are coming on the market each day! When you are selling your home staging is important. Be clean, pristine and clutter-free! Speak with your agent regarding photographs. Do they hire a professional photographer, do they have an ample high quality camera capable of taking pictures to best reflect your home? Or are they using their smart phone? Are they taking an adequate amount of pictures. I have been searching the MLS a lot lately for clients and I am finding that the homes with the least amount of pictures are being skipped over, as well as homes with blurry pictures. Make sure you are removing as much clutter as you can before the photographs are taken, make sure your house is CLEAN and free of dirt, dust and slobbery windows! For photos, remove cleaning products, toothbrushes, scrub pads, dishes in the sink, dog toys/bowls evidence, laundry baskets with clothes, papers, garbage and more! Your agent/photographer can move some stuff as they take pictures, but they don't want to clean your home for you. These photos are your chance to get people in the door. If you are looking at 100 homes on the MLS before you even get in the car to view them, what are you looking for? What are you passing up and why? These are probably some of the same reasons that others are passing up and opportunity to see the inside of a perfectly good home when searching the MLS, Zillow, Trulia and other forms of home search engines out there. If you want to sell your home, don't be a victim to bad advertising. Make the most of your sale, plant colorful flowers in the front, have some good curb appeal, take plenty of clutter-free pictures. And PLEASE close the toilet seat. If you are interested in finding out about what your home is worth or what you can do to spruce it up. Give me a call and I would be happy to come for a free consultation.

Why Chose a "New" home?

New homes are making a comeback. Grand openings seem to be happening every week. Parties, Celebrations, Wine and Cheese events for Brokers are popping up in my email box on a weekly basis all across the valley! Invites to drive traffic and spark interest in these new communities being built. Enticing not only the potential buyer but their agent as well to spread the word, spark the interest and sell their homes! Each builder seems to be offering some sort of extra incentive or feature to bring the buyers in. These new communities are plugging away at money saving features such as "energy efficient" homes, space saver storage, modern home layouts for the modern family, updated safety features, gourmet kitchens with standard granite countertops and more. They are driving consumers with more choices than ever to think new, fresh, clean and hassle-free by buying "new" verses staying in and remodeling their existing homes. "Leave the renovations up to the investors some say." What does this mean for the existing homeowner who is looking to sell their home in an area where these never been touched, never been lived in or used homes are popping up with features buyers may not be able to resist? There is competition! If you are an existing homeowner who is looking to sell, you have to make some decisions as to how you want to market your property. How can you stand out from your competition? Is it features? Price? Location? Lot size? Existing Pool? (Remember you can get somewhere between $10,000-$20,000 for a pool resale- which may have cost $20,000-$60,000 to build new!) Gorgeous Landscaping? All of these features as well as your goal in selling can be discussed with your Realtor to determine the best course of action for you when selling your home. Market is all about supply and demand. Price is determined not only by appraised value or market value but also by what a buyer is willing to pay for what YOU have at a particular moment in time. Whether you are looking to buy new, resale or sell your existing home to maximize your profits. Call me for your free consultation to determine your needs and we can point you in the right direction. When buying a home always have your own representation whether you are looking at land, resale or new build homes, the agent the represents the seller/builder represents them, have someone looking out for YOUR best interest.

Are we entering a Buyer's Market?

I am sure all the sellers out there have enjoyed the summer months, multiple offers and ability to negotiate up on the sale of their home, selling quickly and walking away happy and lucky! Recent market trends have proven there may be a halt in the ability of sellers to still have the reins of the market. A recent report published by ARMLS® STAT - November 8, 2013 here in Phoenix indicates the shift in the market is coming and perhaps a little faster than some may welcome. What does this mean for you? If you are a seller you will be noticing days of market is a lot longer than 4 months ago, coupled with a median price that has remained flat over the last 4 months and a typical homeowner having to reduce their asking price several times or be willing to negotiate with the buyer more for the buyer's benefit. But in turn that means a better deal for you the buyer as well if you are looking to move. It is extremely hard in a cyclical market to not only sell high but find that bargain buy that is your dream home for low as well. Remember as a seller what your main goal is, if it is to buy a different, better, bigger, smaller, more affordable, less maintenance, shorter commute, another state, single level, bigger back yard, more garage space, RV gate, more land, etc. The price that you will receive for your home is only relevant at the time that you wish to sell and therefore if you wait until you can get exactly what you think you should get for your home, your opportunity to buy and get a deal on what you want may have already passed you by. In 12 years of real estate and seeing all the ups and downs and market changes I know that if you wait too long for the perfect situation you not only lose out on what you wanted to get or the price you wanted to pay for something new, sometimes you must come down in sales price on the sale of your home so much you can't even make the deal happen. From personal experience I have learned that sometimes us, even as professionals in this industry get caught up in the greed of the market, in the fluctuating risk taking that we can lose a lot more than we have ever anticipated. Years ago my husband and I bought 5 acres with the intention of building a rather large home that we would have and live in for the rest of our lives, a planned "mother's suite" and all. At the time the interest only loans were hot and we decided to put a good chunk of money down, pay a monthly payment and build a little equity in the other 3 investment properties we owned at the time, sell them all, build a brand new home and owe very little. When the market crashed and only 1 of those homes produced any equity (which was used to pay the bills when hubby got laid off) and surly not enough to build our new dream home or pay off the loan on the land, we split the land hoping to sell 2.5 acres for what we owed on the whole 5 and pay off the other 2.5. At the time we wanted top dollar in order to pay it off, instead of selling it and paying down the loan on the whole acreage. This when the market started to crash, banks discontinued loaning on land and halted construction loans at the time. We in essence couldn't give the land away. We started the short sale process which never panned out and ended up walking away with nothing but a $58,000 bill that we had to settle in court as well as our hefty down payment and interest only payments we made for 6 years. Not something I would recommend for anyone out there. Why am I telling you this- the consumer? The person I want to trust me to assist them in making the right decision when buying or selling? What makes me credible if even I make mistakes? I want to use myself as an example of my greed stepping in and wanting the most for my property because I thought it was worth it and I was emotionally attached. I didn't see a bigger picture, I didn't anticipate further market changes. I just wanted everything to work out to my benefit which is something we often do. We lose site of the bigger picture, a home, land, investment, product is only worth what it is worth at the time someone is willing to pay for it. Simple supply and demand. It doesn't make me a bad Realtor, it only makes me human and more able to connect to my clientele out there. Please seek professional advise and assistance whether it is mine or someone else's when selling your home. Even though it may be ultimately your choice if you want to sell your home, what you want or need out of it and if it is even feasible for you. If you are considering buying or selling sit down with a Realtor today. Go over your goals, expectations and risks. Weigh the options of what you are wanting to do and make a decision based on current market and your situation. Below are the current market conditions to help you understand the shift that we are all about to face. Year-over-year: 2011-12 - 2012-13 The amount of sales year over year dropped 13.9% and 4.3% month-over-month The amount of new inventory rose 8.9% year-over-year and 14.1% month-over-month Total inventory rose 15.3% year-over-year and 11.9% month-over-month The average list price of a home went up 19% year-over-year The average sale price went up 18.6% year-over-year However, the average sale price has remained flat since July of this year. Pending foreclosures went down 53.9% year-over-year Short sales went down 72.3% year-over-year This is showing a shift of traditional non-distressed sales dominating the marketplace. Investors are looking to purchase the distressed homes due to the possible return-on-investment. When the traditional sales dominate a marketplace slowing occurs due to less homes being bid on for that "great" deal. October sales declined 13.9% and inventory in October increased 11.9%. This is a huge indicator of a shift in supply and demand that will make an impact on the market and turn it into more of a buyer's market than a seller's market. (statistics obtained through ARMLS® STAT) If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell or just wants to stay current on the marketplace and would like to receive weekly updates, please follow my blog for the most current information.

Buyer Advisory

Are you looking to buy a home and want as smooth of a transaction as possible? A Realtor can really help you find the right home, negotiate the contract and look out for your best interest. There are however things that you can do to help you decide if the property is the right one for you. I am not talking about location, cosmetics or amenities! I am talking about all the things that you don't see but would LOVE to know about. When you are looking to purchase a home your Realtor should give you a copy of the Arizona Department of Real Estate's Buyer Advisory which is frequently updated when new information becomes available. Included are various websites that you as the buyer can research and find out more information than may be provided by the homeowner who is selling their home to you. This form is often not given until you sit down to write a contract. But I believe that if you had a chance to pre-plan about the area in which you want to live, or you are trying to narrow it down, this document provides you with the essentials you need to get started. If you have questions or are considering purchasing a home, this document may help you find answers with added benefits to helping you make one of the largest investments in your lifetime- buying a house to call home! Click on the link below to take you straight to the advisory information. You local Neighborhood Realtor, Dani Miller/ Solutions Real Estate: Buyer Advisory