by Paul Slaybaugh | Jan 23, 2020 | Home Buying, Home Selling, Scottsdale Real Estate
The year was 2005. The market was hot. White hot. Jump up and down, and yell I’m a pony! hot. Everyone within the city limits of Scottsdale AZ had or was in the process of obtaining their Real Estate license. By July, I had lost former clients to chiropractors, dentists, doctors, doctors’ spouses, doctors’ spouses’ doctors … I thought I had experienced it all. Mind you, the prevailing thought at the time was that a chimpanzee with a business card could sell a house. And he probably could have with a Multiple Offer Addendum and a cell phone, but I digress. One day while running my daily search of the new inventory in McCormick Ranch, I see a suspiciously familiar address. I pull up the listing and do the whole Is that …? No, can’t be. But it looks …? NOOOO!!! bit.
Sure enough, it was the lovely couple I had sold the home to a few years back and had only recently visited over the holidays. My mind raced.
What did I do wrong? Are they upset with me? Did I fail to keep in touch? Did I keep in touch too much? Is it because I mangled their son’s name that time we ran into each other at the coffee shop?
After letting my stomach churn over the myriad ways I could have potentially brought this upon myself, I finally picked up the phone. After two rings, a familiar voice answered. Mindful to make sure that I did not say anything that could be construed as tampering with another agent’s listing, I simply blurted out, “What happened?”
Long story short: The wife’s hairdresser had recently gotten her Real Estate license to use on the side. Now, in my opinion, the words “hairdresser” and “Realtor” should never collide in the same sentence, but apparently not everyone agrees. No one would ever in a million years sit down at a chair and let me go to town with a pair of clippers and #2 attachment, but my highly educated clients made the decision to help her out by listing a $500,000 asset for sale and purchasing a million dollar property with her.
Now, I will not pretend that I did not first take the news personally and selfishly. That is a big chunk of business to lose to a hobbyist, and it stung. The value proposition of hiring a full-time, active agent did not outweigh the desire to help a friend get started in the industry. That is not an easy pill to swallow. What’s worse and ultimately paramount, however, is the disservice such a choice can do to the consumer him or herself. When you don’t engage in the practice of selling Real Estate but once or twice a year, if it all, you put the people you represent at an immediate disadvantage. You simply don’t know what you don’t know.
And sadly, in this case, my former clients … ultimately got a bad haircut.
It serves as a reminder that it doesn’t go without saying to the general public that all agents are not interchangeable. The effect of the misconception that we are can have a monumental effect on your bottom line and long-term satisfaction. As such, I try to use such experiences as teachable moments.
Remember, folks. We all want to help our friends and family members when and where we can, but think carefully before employing someone to guide you through a home sale or purchase if it is just their “side hustle.” This is not a profession that requires an advanced degree or special skill set over and above modest intelligence, tenacity, and a willingness to leverage your knowledge and experience for the benefit of your clients, but it does require practice. Experience. Repetition. Like any other human endeavor performed exceptionally, if never perfectly.
I don’t begrudge anyone the opportunity to make a little extra money in their spare time, but I firmly believe there is value to hiring someone who is working in their primary field of expertise. Hire your neighbor’s kid to pull your weeds. Hire your nephew’s girlfriend to walk your dog.
But when you have a major service need, I would advise the following:
- Need roof work done? Hire a roofer.
- Need your transmission serviced? Hire a mechanic.
- Need a haircut? Hire a barber.
- Need to buy or sell a home? Hire a Realtor.
And not a moonlighter. An active, full-time Real Estate professional who has been there, done that, and won the cheesy t-shirt in a home tour group raffle.
After all, if you don’t want me fixing your fade after spending my evenings learning the craft via YouTube, you probably don’t want your hair stylist selling your house.
Paul has been selling the greater Phoenix area as a full-time Realtor for over 20 years now. For all of your Scottsdale AZ Real Estate needs, please visit him at www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com
by Paul Slaybaugh | Jan 3, 2018 | Home Buying, Phoenix Neighborhoods, Phoenix Real Estate

What? You didn’t think we never left the cozy confines of Scottsdale, did you?
Don’t let the self-typecasting branding of this website fool you. We serve the entire metro Phoenix area. We have a particular affinity for the historic homes of downtown Phoenix. Here are the very latest historic home listings sorted by district.
Scroll to peruse live feeds for the latest homes for sale in the Phoenix Historic District of your choice (sorted alphabetically by district name). Click on district links to view all historic homes for sale.
Alvarado / East Alvarado Historic District Homes
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Ashland Place Historic District Homes
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Brentwood Historic District Homes
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Campus Vista Historic District Homes
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Cheery Lynn Historic District Homes
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Coronado Historic District Homes
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Country Club Park Historic District Homes
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Del Norte Place Historic District Homes
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Earll Place Historic Homes
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East Evergreen Historic District Homes
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Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District Homes
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Encanto Manor / Encanto Vista / North Encanto Historic District Homes
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Fairview Place Historic District Homes
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F.Q. Story District Homes
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Garfield / North Garfield Historic District Homes
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Idylwilde Historic District Homes
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La Hacienda Historic District Homes
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Los Olivos Historic District Homes
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Margarita Place Historic District Homes
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Medlock Place Historic District Homes
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Oakland Historic District Homes
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Phoenix Homesteads Historic District Homes
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Pierson Place Historic District Homes
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Roosevelt / Roosevelt Park Historic District Homes
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Villa Verde Historic District Homes
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Willo Historic District Homes
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Windsor Square Historic District Homes
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Woodland Historic District Homes
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Woodlea Historic District Homes
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Yaple Park Historic District Homes
by Paul Slaybaugh | Dec 15, 2016 | Home Buying
Considering a move to Scottsdale, but unsure where to start?

Looking for a winter home and wondering which neighborhoods offer golf and/or gated options?
Perhaps, you already live in the Valley and just want to know where the neighborhoods with unique homes, best schools or freeway access are?
Whatever your needs, allow us to take some of the legwork out of your search.
Take the Scottsdale Neighborhood Quiz by clicking the image below to find the subdivisions/communities that best fit your unique needs. When you finish, you’ll get a PDF report outlining the neighborhoods that most closely align with your preferences.

Finding the right home in the right neighborhood for you has never been easier!
by Paul Slaybaugh | Jan 14, 2015 | Home Selling

Moving day is never easy. Keepsakes overwhelm boxes. Boxes overwhelm trunks. Memories overwhelm hearts.
Leaving a house is simple. Leaving a home is sacred. It is something that demands reflection and resolve, whether the circumstances surrounding the upheaval are chosen or forced. Happy or sad. Not everything fits neatly into a box. Not everything is meant to. Hopes, dreams, smiles and tears stay behind, etching one’s passage just as clearly as the jagged initials carved into an old ash tree in the front yard. As deliberately as the carefully penciled height marks that chase each other up a kitchen door frame. Though you leave, you are never entirely gone. Your footfalls never forgotten.
Moving day comes for us all. And it is hard.
As your agent, I understand this. It is my distinct honor and privilege to guide you through this momentous transition. It is also a great responsibility. I thank you for your trust and vow not to squander it.
This is my pledge to you.
by Paul Slaybaugh | Dec 20, 2014 | Home Buying
Greetings, Winter Visitors!
On behalf of the fine city of Scottsdale, I’d like to welcome you to the land of short sleeves and flip flops. Whether you are visiting us for the first time or have been making the annual pilgrimage for many years now, you are warmly welcomed. Literally.
There is no shortage of activities and attractions to enjoy during your stay. If I may be so bold as to offer a few suggestions, follow this link to read up on stuff to do in Scottsdale from a local’s perspective.
Now, if you are like me, you can’t help but toy with the idea of a second home purchase during the course of virtually every vacation you take. While those whims often fall by the wayside shortly upon returning home, they can make a lot of sense in Scottsdale’s case. I can only imagine how much you are spending per night in one of our five star resorts or furnished vacation rentals. If you plan on making an annual reprieve from the ice and snow a semi-normal thing, buying your own spot can be much more appealing than paying the hefty hotel tabs.
You can afford to stay longer, rent the place out when it’s not in use, and you get to sleep in your own bed.
Enough with the sales pitch, though. You wouldn’t have landed on this page if you weren’t already trolling vacation homes online. So without further ado, here are a few listing feeds created specifically with you in mind.
Low maintenance patio homes, gated condo / townhouse communities, homes near Old Town Scottsdale, homes near shopping centers, golf community homes, homes near attractions like Westworld and the Ice Den … it’s all just a bit further down the page.
See one you like? Call me and I’ll show it to you in five minutes. Okay, it might take slightly longer than that to set it up, but there is a message behind the hyperbole. I get very little rest during the high season. On call virtually 24/7 from January to May, I am here to help turn your pipe dream into reality.
Patio Homes
Townhouses
Condos
Golf Communities
Old Town Scottsdale Homes
Homes Near Shopping Centers
Homes Near Salt River Fields
Homes Near Westworld
Homes Near the Ice Den
Not seeing what you’re looking for? Create your own custom home search here!
by Paul Slaybaugh | Dec 18, 2014 | Home Buying
“Alright, alright. Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy?”
– Gordie, Stand By Me
Patio homes: what are they?
If you have been in Scottsdale for any period of time, or have been shopping for a home from afar, you have undoubtedly encountered the term patio home more than once.
You know what a single-family home is. You know what a condo is. You even know what a townhouse is.
But what the hell is Goofy?
The term, patio home, is not a legal descriptor. It does not describe a style of ownership. It is really more of an idea than a legal thing.
For brevity’s sake, we’ll define a patio here in accordance with prevailing wisdom. Most consider a patio home to be a cross between a townhouse and a single-family home; a hybrid, if you will. Patio homes bridge the divide between traditional housing types. You can think of a patio home like a single-family home that has been plopped onto a townhouse sized lot. That’s a gross oversimplification, of course, as patio homes come in all shapes and sizes, but this post is to serve as a handy crib sheet, not a thesis.
The idea is to provide housing with relatively low outdoor maintenance without sacrificing the size of the home itself. In other words, patio homes are tailored to those who still want the privacy and comforts of a single-family home, just not all of the headaches and expenses that come with the standard single-family lot.
The typical patio home may be attached to a neighboring property by one or two common adjoining walls (like most townhouses), or be free-standing (like most single-family homes). Many patio homes are single level, but they can have multiple levels, too. Patio homes typically do not have neighbors above or below them, as is common with apartment style condos.
Patio home ownership varies from development to development. Some entail fee simple ownership (you own the lot in addition to the structure). Some entail condo ownership (you do not own the lot, just a fractional interest in the common area).
Responsibility for property maintenance varies as well. Some communities have very active homeowner associations that provide for front landscaping maintenance as well as select exterior structural maintenance of the homes themselves. Other patio home communities more closely reflect single-family ownership, in which homeowners are fully responsible for all maintenance associated with their properties. You need to check community CCRs to determine exactly what is and what is not covered by the HOA in a patio home development.
If you like the idea of a smaller, low-maintenance lot, but aren’t quite ready to step all the way down to a townhouse or condo, a patio home might be just the thing for you. Popular with seasonal residents as well as full-time residents who frequently travel or simply prefer a little less upkeep, patio homes exemplify the lock-and-leave lifestyle that many Scottsdale home buyers seek.
So there you go. Not so Goofy after all, is it?
Ready to start your Scottsdale patio home search? Follow the new listing feed below for the very latest active listings, updated daily!