Ann Landers
US advice columnist (1918 – 2002)

Growing up Ann Landers was always part of our family’s daily ritual, as was Dear Abby. I like this quote from Ann Landers because it seems pertinent in this current economy. No matter what is happening in the real estate market, the job market, the stock market…oh heck – any market – the reality is that it is irrelevant to our inner happiness and inner joy. We still wake up every day, we still do the things we have to do, we raise our families, we go to our jobs and in the future this recession will be a memory much as the depression was a memory for my grandparents. Something they told stories of, the challenges that were presented to them, the struggles, the laughter and joy found in the midst of it all, and inevitably the lessons learned from the experience.

Every struggle, every trouble we face as individuals or as a collective group bring lessons. I think we as Americans are learning that it is not our homes or cars that define who we are and what our worth is, but so much more. We are defined by our resolve, our ability to withstand the storm and the depth of our character. Things are just things, trouble is just a momentary hurdle, and in our hearts we know that America and its people will always come out the other side a little stronger, a little wiser and willing to share the lesson with the next generation – whether or not they will listen remains to be seen.

Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.
Robert Ingersoll

I think that so often people get mired in their own viewpoint, their own goals, and their own desired outcomes that they forget that we are all human beings. The seller wants the highest price they can get, the terms that work best for them, and the littlest outgo of expense. The buyer wants to pay the least they can, get the terms that work best for them, and have to spend as little money as they can – whether that is costs of the purchase or repairs after the close. The agents on both side want what is best for their clients, want to prove they are good advocates, and have as smooth a transaction as possible. The lender wants to meet the expectations everyone has and close the loan on time. So often we get lost in winning, that we forget that the best transactions are those that are win-win.

Win-win should always be the goal and we need to educate our clients (both buyers and sellers) what that means and how it should ideally play out in a transaction. We need to remember the words in the quote above and treat all parties fairly understanding that we have a basic right as human beings to be treated appropriately and those words by Robert Ingersoll sum it up for me.

Every now and then a HUD home hits the market that is in an adult community.  These homes tend to stay longer on the market as many adult market agents and their clients are unaware that the HUD list contains homes that might be appealing to them.  This weeks HUD home is on the daily bid list which means that buyers bids will be reviewed daily monday thru friday.

This property is located in Ventana Lakes, a lake oriented adult community with recreations centers, swimming pools, and a great location north of Sun City Phase 3.  While technically located in Peoria, Ventana Lakes has a Sun City mailing address.  commercial development around this community is not as developed as it is in Sun City proper or near Westbrook Village, but Ventana Lakes has lower HOA fees and lower transfer fees, as well as being a newer community with a traditional southwest look built primarily by Lennar and Shea homes.

This almost 1300 square foot home features 2 bedrooms, 2 bath and a 2 car garage.  It is listed at the FHA Appraised Value of $125,000.  The location is near Lake Pleasant Parkway and Rose Garden Lane.

To learn more about buying a HUD home or to schedule an appointment to view this property, please contact me!

Beyond boycotts and loss of tourism dollars, this law has impacted how people who were considering moving to this state feel about that decision.  They are questioning it.  They are saying “mmmm…no.”

So I understand that the real estate market is being impacted by this law and it doesn’t matter on what side of this issue you fall – we don’t need things that hurt the Arizona economy any more than it is hurt by the recession.  And as a real estate professional, I don’t need anymore hurdles than I already have!

And those that waited assuming the credit would be extended are out of luck… but are they really?  Prices are still awesome, at least here in the valley.  The interest rate, while increasing, is still really low.  Inventory, well there are houses and a lot of great ones at that.  So there is no reason for buyers who could not get something under contract by the deadline to lament, sure the $8000 is gone, but the opportunity to buy at historic low prices is not.  So if you missed the boat on the tax credit, don’t ignore that it still may be the right time for you to buy.

The truth is that with values where they are, most homes are practically a steal at list price.  Of course, there are always homes that are over priced.  Sometimes sellers, even banks, can be unrealistic in their pricing.  Here is a fact:  a home that is priced right will sell in under 30 days.  So… if a home has been on the market over 30 days it is overpriced.  And if a buyer makes an offer under list price are they really getting a deal at all or are they just getting it at true market value. 

Which brings me to my title…that dreaded question; How much under list can we offer?  It’s not that I hate the question, but I dislike the idea that the only way a buyer will feel like they got a “good deal” is to buy a home under list price.  Sometimes you will have to pay over list price and you still will have gotten a good deal.  It’s not about list price, it’s about value.  Making a low offer on an overpriced house and having the appraisal come in low happens; it means your low ball offer was still above market value.

So, my point – I wish the media would stop filling peoples head with this idea of buying under market value and that buyers would understand that we are trying to educate them about the value of the homes they are looking at.  Market value is what a ready, willing, and able buyer will pay for a property - that is it.  If you pay 10% under list, are you getting it under market value – no, you just established market value.  Sometimes the deal of the century is getting a home you  love, at a price that you can afford, in an area you want to live in!!!

And that is my two cents  on this subject!

@BestAt is often the source of me finding new and interesting people to follow for personal amusement.  @InmanNews serves the same purpose for me with business.  I find that every week since I stopped the tweets from landing in my LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, my twitter love grows as does my addiction.

Does anyone think that we will soon see a version of AA for twitter junkies?  Or are they already out there and if so – give me the number!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a social media naysayer.  I love facebook, am active on linkedin and tweet like there is no tomorrow.  I just wonder if it is like most new things that business grabs ahold of – “this is the stuff for success and you gotta get it” – but then 18 months later its like “your still doing that?”  We tend to be overzealous about the benefits of new things (or new ideas) and then spend a lot of time decrying why the really sucked after all.  I think social networking is a fantastic addition to a networking plan, but nothing beats the real thing!

Why did this great idea not end up being such a great idea?  Number one, twitter is fun and I found myself second guessing my tweets knowing they would be visible to everyone in my facebook and linkedin networks.  This really diminished the natural venting that one can do with twitter, which really is what makes it fun.  Being able to tweet things like, “can’t believe their late again” about a vendor or “what a waste of time” about some class is therapeutic and gets that grrrrrr energy out of your system on a bad day.  Not necessarily things you want your best friend from kindergarten reading…  Or the VP of your company…

See what I mean.  I guess this experiment has taught me that while time management is a good thing, somethings are just not able to be managed in a streamlined fashion.  I have facebook and uber twitter on my blackberry and don’t need one tweet to rule all social networking.  Linkedin can be updated through twitter with a few extra keystrokes.  So it takes a little more time, but it keeps the fun in twitter, the updates pertinent on facebook, and the linkedin status updates purely professional.  And in the end, that is what is really important.