In theory, an appraisal is an independent evaluation of a property by a neutral third party to determine its likely worth in the open market. In practice, it has become the de facto final word on a property’s worth, overriding the agreement between a willing buyer and seller. How is it that the guestimation of…
Author Archives: Paul Slaybaugh
On Seller Repair Refusals and Buyer’s Remorse
Surely, they won’t blow the deal up over THAT? A refrain familiar to any working Realtor. Be it a frozen shut-off valve under the kitchen sink, a double-tapped breaker in the main electrical panel, a wobbly ceiling fan or a stubborn sliding glass door, there is a minor nit or five in most every list…
The Placeholder House
It wasn’t your first choice. It wasn’t your second either. In fact, the short sale you wrote the offer on was likely more a product of attrition than anything else. Short sales take time. Like most astute 2012 home buyers, you are all too aware that the offer you submit on an upside-down property will…
Pinnacle Peak Vistas at 9535 E. Via Montoya
This, you tell yourself. This is why I moved to Arizona. Pulling into the stately neighborhood, your eyes take in not the exquisite custom homes, but the Sonoran Desert panorama into which they disappear. Rising out of the valley floor to the East are the majestic McDowell Mountains. The Northern skyline is dominated by the…
The Referral Responsibility: Are You a Man Or a Mollusk?
Classic risk aversion for the liability-phobic mandates that an agent make no actual referral to an auxiliary service provider in the course of a Real Estate transaction. Need a lender? Here are the names of three professionals. Need a home inspector? Sift through this stack of business cards and let me know who you choose…
Why Your Offer Loses
Tired of getting your teeth kicked in by competing buyers on the homes you try to buy? Wonder what sellers are thinking when they reject your offer time after time? You’ve landed on the right blog. Let’s take a quick look at a few critical components of an offer through a seller’s eyes to find…
Forever Views
Abe Flemming studied the open notepad on his desk. A daunting list of phrases stared back at him. There was a golden egg hidden within the black chicken-scratch, he just needed to find it. He started at the top and worked his way down. This Home Does Not Suck! Abe chuckled at his first entry,…
Realtor Flips Script, Reviews Customers
Scottsdale, AZ – Tired of being the one under a microscope, a local Scottsdale Real Estate agent has turned the tables on the service review paradigm. Barry Wong, a residential Realtor with Prickly Pear Properties, says the time has come for consumers to enjoy the same level of scrutiny to which service providers are subjected….
On This Day In Real Estate
On this day in Arizona Real Estate: 11/23/1881 – The first Real Estate disclosure laws go into effect for the young territory on the heels of the sale of a corral in Tombstone with a non-disclosed stigma. Claiming he would have paid considerably less for the property had he been aware of its recent history…
Scottsdale Home Inspector Declares War on Leaky Pipes, “Dumbass Realtors”
Scottsdale, AZ – A Valley home inspector has declared war on leaky pipes. And Real Estate agents. Tired of consumer demands for advice on matters outside of the scope of his services, Lester Hubble has announced on his small business website that receives up to four visits a day that all future inquiries about what…
