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 likely take a minimum of 60 days for a response from the seller’s lender. You are also aware that the list price of the home is not necessarily reflective of the price that the lender will ultimately be willing to accept. If you are like many buyers I encounter, the cumulative uncertainty of a short sale transaction is likely what ultimately convinced you to first trawl the regular resale and/or foreclosure market for a home before turning your attention to short sale candidates. Fact is, unless you are an investor or in no hurry to move out of your month-to-month lease, you likely don’t have the luxury of waiting on an uncertain outcome.

With the pace that the good homes are selling in early 2012 due to a heightened demand and greatly reduced inventory (approximately 18,250 active property listings in the Arizona Regional MLS at the time of this post), it is also likely that you have either lost out on a property or five to competing buyers or become disenfranchised with the lack of choices.

Enter the Placeholder House.

Or not.

You see, in recent years it has become en vogue for buyers and their agents to tie up a short sale while continuing to look for a more expedient and/or desirable option. Utilizing a standard AAR (Arizona Association of Realtors) short sale addendum, you don’t have to deposit earnest funds, complete inspections, pay for an appraisal or otherwise commit yourself to the transaction until you get the yea or nay from the seller’s lender.

In essence, you get to tie the property up for free. If something better pops up while the bank is going through its laborious machinations, you can bounce at a moment’s notice. Sounds like the perfect backstop, right?

Not so fast, my friend.

Wising up to the ploy, short sale sellers and their capable agents have taken to adding penalties to such indiscriminate escrow hopping. The shrinking inventory means that there is more competition from your fellow buyers on short sale properties, too. No longer do the better opportunities lie all over the market, waiting for an indifferent buyer to pick them. They are sought after commodities. As such, you can expect to encounter terms such as non-refundable earnest money placed in escrow upon seller acceptance of your offer (before it is submitted to the bank for approval) for the first 60 days (or until bank response, whichever comes first). Some short sale list agents have taken to demanding that the inspection period begin upon seller acceptance as well.

These are measures undertaken to tie you into the deal; they provide you with a vested interest in sticking around for an approval rather than discarding them for the first best alternative that comes down the pike.

If you enter a short sale transaction in 2012, it’s best you leave the placeholder mentality where it belongs: 2010.

Time to abandon the contractual hedging of bets and get back to entering a purchase agreement with the intention of buying a house, lest you get stuck in a purchase you only sort of want to make.

Short sales: they aren’t just for Real Estate philanderers anymore.

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 to hire. The very thought of shimmying out on a limb to recommend a capable practitioner sends shivers up the clenched backside of some in our ranks. Cold anticipation of the potential commissionectomy that attends a referral gone bad trumps the tug of responsibility.

No businessman walks around looking for a financial colonic, but the very real potential for having his inner sanctum legally hollowed out exists in each and every transaction he undertakes. As such, it has become customary for many to simply ward off as much exposure as possible by abstaining from any form of guidance that can later be labeled malfeasance or conflict of interest. Heaven knows, if the contractor you recommend for repairs screws the electrical pooch, any rabid attorney worth his salt will gleefully encourage the client to pursue the deep pocketed brokerage (and agent by proxy) as well as the contractor for damages. Why put yourself on the line by recommending a home inspector when the potential for blow-back on a balky A/C unit can put you directly in the cross hairs? For that matter, why even bother to attend the inspection if the due diligence can be misconstrued for interference? Why attend closings if your review of the documents places increased responsibility upon your shoulders for their accuracy?

Because risk deflection is not my job.

My job is to fulfill my fiduciary obligations to my clients to the very best of my ability. That means recommending pros who have proven their worth to me countless times in the past, rather than crossing my fingers and hoping my clients receive competent service. That means attending inspections to physically see any defects, so as to better advise my clients and argue their cases. That means attending the closing to ensure that the settlement statement jives with the negotiated terms of the contract.

Doing the eeny-meeny-miney-mo thing with a referral does not serve the client, and neither does calling in “neutral” to the appointments that demand an ally. Such laissez faire Real Estating is designed only to mitigate the agent‘s risk. While it is understandable, given the litigious nature of our culture, it’s just not how I roll. You need a lender, I give you the name of the best lender I know. You need a home inspector, I give you the name of the most thorough one in the rolodex.

I would argue that recusing oneself from the crucial junctures and decisions of a transaction is not only negligent, but self-defeating. As the surest invitation for catastrophe is to stand aside and watch the transaction happen, the best defense is, and always will be, a good offense. Fixing potential problems, rather than hiding from them, has kept my clients happy, and me out of legal hot water to date. Active involvement serves the interests of all parties.

I wear my big boy pants to work every day. I put them on with the knowledge that certain forces will always be beyond my control. Secure in that understanding, I’d much rather stand behind the repercussions of my actions than my inactions. Standing on the sideline, not attending inspections & closings, carefully avoiding opinions … seems to me that ascribing to the Caspar Milquetoast model of risk avoidance is, ironically, the surest route to the ruin that one would desparately scramble to avoid. Decreasing the standard of care for the client is akin to an RSVP for trouble.

And trouble never sends its regrets.

Need a Referral to a Local Professional? Give me a ring. I’m not afraid of my own recommendations.

I must confess, most solicitations to follow a local business on Twitter, Facebook or any other recently-sprouted head of the social media hydra are met with the same level of enthusiasm I once harbored for an extra trip to the orthodontist.

Sure, I’ll “like” your fanpage! And maybe later we can head over to Dr. Evil’s office for a superfluous tightening!

While following another’s social exploits is comparatively painless, it is often every bit as pointless. Today’s consumer is besieged with invitations to like, follow, connect, kneel and kiss the rings of businesses across the myriad social platforms. It’s not enough that you subscribe to the blog or sign up for the newsletter, they must own you everywhere their online profile intersects with the public.

But to what end?

Why must you “follow” someone here if you already “like” them there? What additional benefit do you gain from this demand for universal allegiance?

Social media efforts tend to be a cross-pollinated mess. Good little worker bee that I am, my own marketing “campaigns” in this forum are no exception, having devolved into a black hole of pithy renduncy. A blurb on twitter, a joke on Facebook, links to new listings and blog posts on each … I have really provided no compelling reason to follow me or my business across multiple venues.

Until now.

Henceforth, I will be using the Scottsdale Property Shop page on Facebook to exclusively promote the “Scottsdale Foreclosure Value of the Day” and other daily property bargains that catch my eye. Not really blog fodder, it’s more at home on our fan page than within the confines of this site. While you, the consumer, can continue to perform your own home searches and sign up for listing alerts here, you’ll want to fan up our page to follow along with these pre-screened daily property selections.

You can continue to comb through the MLS for the best values yourself, or you can let us do it for you. Your choice.

Sure, there will still be a little of the humor and observation that tinges everything we do, but the page itself will be purposeful, not just another outlet for promoting this site.

So what are you waiting for? Now that there is an actual reason to do so, go ahead and “like” us on Facebook. You won’t feel a thing.

Oh, but the Twitter handle? @PaulSlaybaugh is still reserved for nonsensical shenanigans. Follow at your own intellectual peril.

Looking for new construction homes in Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area? You’ve come to the right place. Find your city of choice below and follow the links to a full list of all new homes currently listed for sale in the Arizona Regional MLS.

———————————————————————————————-

New Homes in Scottsdale

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 111. See more New Construction Homes in Scottsdale.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $1,360,000 : 18975 N 101st Street, Unit 10, Scottsdale
   
   3 beds, 3.00 baths

   Home size: 2,688 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,920 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2
   
2. $1,095,000 : 38525 N 103rd Place, Scottsdale
   
   3 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 4,400 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.05 ac

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2
   
3. $1,760,000 : 18887 N 101st Way, Unit 31, Scottsdale
   
   4 beds, 4.50 baths

   Home size: 3,540 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,276 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 6

   Days on market: 3
   
4. $1,180,000 : 7277 E Camelback Road, Unit 607, Scottsdale
   
   2 beds, 2.50 baths

   Lot size: 1,686 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 4
   
5. $1,440,000 : 7277 E Camelback Road, Unit 702, Scottsdale
   
   2 beds, 2.50 baths

   Lot size: 1,914 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 4
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Paradise Valley

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 28. See more New Construction Homes in Paradise Valley.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

New Homes in Cave Creek

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 25. See more new Construction Homes in Cave Creek.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $359,990 : 6434 E Military Road, Unit 107, Cave Creek
   
   2 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,450 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,557 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 3
   
2. $379,990 : 6434 E Military Road, Unit 106, Cave Creek
   
   3 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,450 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,557 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 3
   
3. $879,888 : 5508 E Palo Brea Lane, Cave Creek
   
   4 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 3,471 sq ft

   Lot size: 12,869 sq ft

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 4
   
4. $724,900 : 5241 E Baker Drive, Cave Creek
   
   3 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 3,228 sq ft

   Lot size: 13,974 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 7
   
5. $459,000 : 36464 N 58 Street, Cave Creek
   
   4 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 2,315 sq ft

   Lot size: 39,730 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 8
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Fountain Hills

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 5. See more New Construction Homes in Fountain Hills.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $969,000 : 15719 E Telegraph Drive, Fountain Hills
   
   4 beds, 6.00 baths

   Home size: 6,374 sq ft

   Lot size: 14,183 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 8
   
2. $2,700,000 : 9236 N Horizon Trail, Fountain Hills
   
   4 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 5,915 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.04 ac

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 93
   
3. $1,983,000 : 10914 N Arista Lane, Fountain Hills
   
   4 beds, 4.50 baths

   Home size: 6,922 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.98 ac

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 184
   
4. $1,540,000 : 12352 N Cloud Crest Trail, Fountain Hills
   
   4 beds, 4.50 baths

   Home size: 5,558 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.00 ac

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 314
   
5. $990,000 : 9504 N Desert Wash Trail, Fountain Hills
   
   4 beds, 4.50 baths

   Home size: 5,400 sq ft

   Lot size: 20,077 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 348
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Chandler

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 59. See more New Construction Homes in Chandler.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $559,900 : 3435 E San Carlos Place, Chandler
   
   5 beds, 5.50 baths

   Home size: 3,940 sq ft

   Lot size: 18,063 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2
   
2. $599,000 : 2051 E Kaibab Place, Chandler
   
   5 beds, 4.00 baths

   Home size: 4,004 sq ft

   Lot size: 15,600 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 2
   
3. $306,166 : 4700 S Fulton Ranch Boulevard, Unit 69, Chandler
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,876 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,012 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 8
   
4. $305,228 : 4700 S Fulton Ranch Boulevard, Unit 68, Chandler
   
   3 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,287 sq ft

   Lot size: 4,306 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 8
   
5. $277,421 : 4700 S Fulton Ranch Boulevard, Unit 67, Chandler
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,797 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,693 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 8
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Gilbert

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 92. See more New Construction Homes in Gilbert.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $178,900 : 3927 E Kesler Lane, Gilbert
   
   4 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,250 sq ft

   Lot size: 4,278 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 1
   
2. $295,000 : 2554 E Donato Drive, Gilbert
   
   4 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,692 sq ft

   Lot size: 8,400 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 1
   
3. $258,432 : 3542 E Megan Street, Gilbert
   
   4 beds, 2.50 baths

   Home size: 2,478 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,110 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2
   
4. $510,000 : 3086 E Blue Sage Road, Gilbert
   
   5 beds, 3.25 baths

   Home size: 4,270 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,045 sq ft

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 5

   Days on market: 3
   
5. $299,900 : 2689 E Narrowleaf Drive, Gilbert
   
   5 beds, 4.00 baths

   Home size: 3,769 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,900 sq ft

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 6
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Glendale / Peoria

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 83. See more New Construction Homes in Glendale / Peoria.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $228,241 : 21161 N 98th Drive, Peoria
   
   4 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 2,141 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,435 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 8
   
2. $227,577 : 21166 N 98th Drive, Peoria
   
   4 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 2,264 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,325 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 8
   
3. $224,091 : 21156 N 98th Drive, Peoria
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 2,095 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,527 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 8
   
4. $295,000 : 8326 W Softwind Drive, Peoria
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,687 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.00 ac

   Year built: 2010

   Days on market: 10
   
5. $571,512 : 7529 W Trails Drive, Glendale
   
   3 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 3,398 sq ft

   Lot size: 16,523 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 16
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Mesa

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 54. See more New Construction Homes in Mesa.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $228,375 : 4448 S Hassett Street, Mesa
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 2,112 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,638 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 1
   
2. $135,845 : 2565 E Southern Avenue, Unit 73, Mesa
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,481 sq ft

   Lot size: 2,952 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 2
   
3. $143,363 : 2565 E Southern Avenue, Unit 29, Mesa
   
   3 beds, 2.00 baths

   Home size: 1,559 sq ft

   Lot size: 2,952 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 2
   
4. $399,900 : 7147 E Halifax Circle, Mesa
   
   4 beds, 3.00 baths

   Home size: 3,502 sq ft

   Lot size: 27,578 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2
   
5. $284,900 : 11312 E Stradling Avenue, Mesa
   
   4 beds, 3.00 baths

   Home size: 3,400 sq ft

   Lot size: 13,609 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 6

   Days on market: 3
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

New Homes in Tempe

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 7. See more New Construction Homes in Tempe.
(all data current as of 2/4/2012)

1. $300,000 : 2431 E Wesleyan Drive, Tempe
   
   4 beds, 1.75 baths

   Home size: 2,188 sq ft

   Lot size: 8,799 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 5

   Days on market: 1
   
2. $248,900 : 1414 S Terrace Road, Tempe
   
   3 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 1,685 sq ft

   Lot size: 3,153 sq ft

   Year built: 2012

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 12
   
3. $299,000 : 1300 W 5th Street, Unit 1003, Tempe
   
   3 beds, 3.00 baths

   Home size: 1,891 sq ft

   Lot size: 7,500 sq ft

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 96
   
4. $233,900 : 1404 S Newberry Lane, Tempe
   
   3 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 1,685 sq ft

   Lot size: 3,153 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 244
   
5. $233,900 : 1411 S Terrace Road, Tempe
   
   3 beds, 3.50 baths

   Home size: 1,685 sq ft

   Lot size: 3,153 sq ft

   Year built: 2011

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 244
   

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Q & A: Home Buying in 85258

I want to buy a home that is for sale in McCormick Ranch for $495,000. I've heard I can get a better deal if I don't use an agent, is this true? Also, what is the normal amount to take off the list price for an offer? Need help, please! 

-Jean, Home Buyer in Scottsdale, AZ

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:37 - Property in 85258

27 answers

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

First Answer

First!

-Tommy Gunn, Real Estate Agent in Sacramento, CA

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:37

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hi Jean!!!

First of all, welcome to Scottsdale! McCormick Ranch is a wonderful community with amazing amenities. I should know, I’ve specialized in the area for the past 17 years!!! Should you need any help drafting on offer for this property, I’d be more than happy to help! On average, my clients pay 5.8% less on their purchases than my competitors’ clients do! Visit my website to learn how this is possible!!!!

-Dani Danderson, Real Estate Agent in Casa Grande, AZ

Web Reference: http://WWW.HIREME.PLEASE

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:38

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Congratulations on your decision to buy a house, Jean. I am a mortgage broker in Pensacola, Florida who has seen firsthand just how advantageous homeownership can be for my clients. If you would like the name of a local Real Estate specialist, I’d be more than happy to refer you to one of my referral partners in the area. Also, I am licensed to broker mortgages in all fifty states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and parts of the Ivory Coast. Visit my site today to find out what financing option is right for you!

- Geoff Belanger, Mortgage Broker in NYC

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:41

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Nice that all of these out of area professionals are offering advice for questions that aren’t even in the same state. Can we somehow make it so you can’t answer a question unless it’s in your actual market? Oh, and Tommy? Grow up.

- Edward Alverez, Real Estate Agent in Aspen, CO

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:43

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hi Jean, unlike my colleague from Casa Grande, I actually live and work this area. I just checked the MLS, and there aren’t any current active listings priced at $495k in McCormick Ranch. Are you sure the house isn’t already under contract?

- Amanda Hahn, Real Estate Agent in Scottsdale, AZ

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:47

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Oops, forgot my web address. Remember, I can lend throughout the Western hemisphere and the southeastern quadrant of New Delhi.

- Geoff Belanger, Mortgage Broker in NYC

Web Reference: HTTP://WWW.LOANSINHELSINKI.COM

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:48

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Make me

Tommy Gunn, Real Estate Agent in Sacramento, CA

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:52

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hi Jean. McCormick Ranch Real Estate is good. You should do good with purchasing one McCormick Ranch Real Estate. I can help also in all markets too. Good luck!

- Peggy Summerbottom, Real Estate Agent in Phoenix, AZ

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:53

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Realtors are crooks and scumbags. Get a real job loosers!

- B Real, Home Seller in Eugene, OR

Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:59

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Jean, the idea that you can somehow get a better deal on a house if you don’t have your own Realtor has been around awhile, and it is a myth. Some seem to think that the listing agent will be willing to shave a percent or two off the total commission if the buyer is unrepresented, but no non-knuckle-dragging homo sapien will take on the added work and risk of handling both sides of the transaction for the same compensation he or she would get if another agent were involved. Besides, you are cutting off your nose to spite your face by looking at that small pile of money instead of the big picture. The listing agent represents the seller and is charged with squeezing the highest price out of you as possible. A good buyer’s agent will save you countless dollars on a purchase, and untold heartache. Find a professional you trust and lean on his/her knowledge and experience to ensure you not only get the home for the lowest price possible, but that you isolate the right candidate to begin with. I’m not trying to solicit your business, just seen too many well-intentioned but misinformed people get burned by minsconceptions. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best.

- Andy Tomson, Real Estate Agent in Chandler, AZ

Sat Feb 3 2010, 12:03

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Oh, and the whole percentage off list price thing is a red herring, too. There is no magic amount to offer off list price from one property to the next as all list prices are not created equal. Study the comps to determine market value, and base your offer accordingly.

- Andy Tomson, Real Estate Agent in Chandler, AZ

Sat Feb 3 2010, 12:04

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Best Answer

Yes, go straight to the listing agent and offer 50% of list price. It’s a buyer’s market.

- Johnny Carwash, Chief Shammy Technician in Pamona, CA

Sat Feb 3 2010, 12:12

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sexy Russian Girls!!!

Click here for a list of naughty Siberian Hussies in your town!

- XXXXX, Guest in Other

Sat Feb 6 2010, 12:24

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

My God, I am surrounded by imbeciles. I have specialized in McCormick Ranch for the past twenty two years and have never heard of any of these so-called “experts” before. I’d check your pockets after meeting with any of these shylocks.  If you want to talk to somebody who actually knows what the hell they’re talking about, give me a call.

- Gregory Mallard

Web Reference: You’ll look it up if you are really serious

Sat Feb 6 2010, 12:48

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Why would you buy a house in this market the prices are going to drop another 40 percent you dummy realitors will tell you anything to buy they don’t get paid unless you buy use your head guy jeez.

- Realistic, Home Buyer in Maricopa County

Sat Feb 6 2010, 14:37

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

That is soooooo exciiiiiiiiiting! I live in McCormick Ranch and I looooooooooooooooooooove it!!!! I’m still on shift at the salon (we’ve got wifi – hee hee!), but I do Real Estate on the weekends too! Give me a call when I get off work tonight and I can tell you about all the benefits of working with a professional Real Estate agent! Think of me as two for one. I’ll save you thousands on your home and make your hair look FABO for FREE!!!!!!!

- Dede Beans, Real Estate Agent in Scottsdale, AZ

Sat Feb 6 2010, 15:56

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Why not move to Milwaukee instead?

- Mason Pilsner, Real Estate Agent in Milwaukee, WI

Sat Feb 6 2010, 18:17

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Thank you everyone, but I found out that the house sold back in May. Stupid websites. I’ll post again when I find another house. Think I might actually start looking in Gilbert. They have lake communities down there that are way cheaper. Thanks again for all of your input.

- Jean, Home Buyer in Scottsdale, AZ

Sun Feb 7 2010, 9:49

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

According to the community website:
“McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale Arizona was the first master planned community in Scottsdale, Arizona. Incorporated in 1972, it is famous for its lake system, greenbelts, walking paths and neighborhood parks. Home to the top rated schools in the state, McCormick Ranch has grown to over 20,000 residents. Residents earn an average annual income of $87,000, and the majority have college educations. The McCormick Stillman Railroad Park is home to many community events such as Railfair and the Summer Concert Series.”
Hope this helps!

- Benson MacDougle, Real Estate Agent in Lake Tahoe, NV

Sun Feb 7 2010, 19:51

I know many exceptional Real Estate agents all across the country. I would be happy to provide you with a referral to a local specialist from my network.

Cliff Basehead, Leads R Us in Topeka, KS

Web Reference: HTTP://StuckInTheMiddleWithYou.Com

Wed Feb 10 2010, 6:14

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

R U still looking?

- Dani Danderson, Real Estate Agent in Casa Grande, AZ

Web Reference: HTTP://HireMe.Please

Fri Apr 16 2010, 17:38

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Does anyone know how to turn off the comment notifications on this thing?

- Jean, Home Buyer in Albuquerque, NM

Fri Apr 16 2010, 20:51

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

McCormick Ranch is great! I’ve been selling here since 1999. Give me a call if I can show you around or answer any questions about the community that you may have!

- Rip Van Winkle, Real Estate Agent in Scottsdale, AZ

Web Reference: HTTP://McCormickRanchHome.com

Wed Feb 2 2011, 10:04

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Realtors suck

- Jaded, Home Buyer in Fairbanks, AK

Thu Mar 17 2011, 13:13

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Anybody seen the new Transformers movie yet? Is it any good?

Darryl, Home Seller in Little Rock, AK

Thu Mar 17 2011, 13:59

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Seriously, how do I turn off notifications?

- Jean, Home Buyer in Salem, OR

Fri Mar 18 2011, 7:42

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Marco?

- Geoff Belanger, Mortgage Broker in NYC / Tripoli

Mon Oct 31 2011, 0:01

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Terms of Service

By utilizing this platform, all users hereby acknowledge they have read and agree to the terms of service written in six point, comic sans font in the Mandarin Chinese dialect in the footer of the secret page which cannot be found in the navigation bar. We are not responsible in any way for the content of postings herein or the ensuing commentary. Should any content be deemed inappropriate, we reserve the right to delete the offending material and revoke the account of the perpetrator after getting a good solid twelve hours of sitting at our monitors and laughing our asses off out of the ensuing fracas. Dance, you monkeys! Dance! In the event that you should ever wish to delete your account or unsubscribe to notifications, tough t$tty for you, fishface. You’re ours.

See you on the boards!

Pass me around ↓↓↓

]]> http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/this-that/somewhere-on-real-estate-forum/feed/ 2 http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/this-that/feedback/ http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/this-that/feedback/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 03:43:24 +0000 Paul Slaybaugh http://www.scottsdalepropertyshop.com/?p=5244

Damon’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket as he stepped out of the stately house and into the warmth of late April in Scottsdale, Arizona. Checking the display, he recognized the number from the four previous calls he’d let roll to voicemail. Whoever it was, his mystery caller was pretty keen on speaking with him right now. He sighed as the door closed behind him, deciding to break his personal rule about taking calls while showing property.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Damon said to the young couple waiting on the porch, pointing to the phone.

“No problem,” the wife answered, running a hand over the lone straggler in her otherwise perfectly coiffed, auburn hair. “We’ll go ahead and get Maddux in his seat.”

Nodding, Damon pressed the “receive” button and put the phone to his ear.

“This is Damon,” he informed the caller in a slightly quizzical tone. Not for the first time, he wondered if he sounded helpful or confused.

“Yes, um, hi, this is Peggy Dragic. You showed my listing on Oak? Just curious what the buyers thought.”

The vein over Damon’s right eye throbbed with aggravation as his cobalt blue eyes narrowed to angry slits.

“You’re kidding, right,” he demanded, the sing-songy eagerness in his voice replaced with an icy baritone. “You’ve called five times in the past ten minutes for feedback?”

“I have a very eager seller,” she responded, by way of an apology.

“Look, Peggy, I’m right in the middle of an appointment. If you want to call back with the property address, you can leave it on my voicemail. I’ll review my notes when I’m done here and call you back,” he directed, willing his rigid jaw to relax. The last thing he needed was a trip to the dentist to fix another filling.

“Surely you remember it,” the agent pressed. “8423 North Oak – the beautifully remodeled Tudor with a split guest suite and stained glass clerestory windows in the foyer.”

He glanced at his black Yukon, where his clients were struggling to load their squirming nine month old. He couldn’t help but smile at their plight. Dylan had started reacting to his seat like a cat to an ice bath at about the same age. Damon suspected it was because he didn’t want to face backwards anymore. No longer content within his own little world, he was ready to join the big, forward-facing one.

“Hmm, doesn’t ring a bell,” he lied, deciding to play along. “What day did you say I showed it?”

“Today, between ten and eleven,” the incredulous agent informed him.

Damon pulled the phone away from his ear to check the time.

10:31 AM.

“Today? We must not have gotten to it yet. Nothing but overpriced dogs to this point,” he said. His mouth curved into a toothless grin.

“But I just got off the phone with the seller! She said you were just there!”

“Wait … did you say Oak,” he asked.

“Yes, Oak! There’s a koi pond in the front courtyard,” the agent clarified.

“No koi ponds today, just a stagnant bog that someone is using to brew West Nile virus. Couldn’t have been your listing,” he assured her, looking down at the half dozen carp of varied brilliant colors loitering near his feet.

“She was home when you came through,” the agent insisted. “You were there for half an hour!”

Movement in the living room window caught Damon’s attention.  A wrinkled face disappeared behind the elegant taupe curtain when he turned to look.

“Tudor, you say? We did see one Tudor, but it needed a lot of work,” he replied.

“My listing has newer appliances and a tankless hot water system,” the agent corrected.

“Well the one I’m thinking of smelled like an old lady’s apothecary chest and had the most garish flooring I have ever seen. The husband called it the “La Vida Loca House.”

“I’ll have you know that is the finest terracotta tile money can buy, imported directly from an artisan in Pienza. Each piece is handmade, baked in the sun for seventy two hours and fired in a 16th century kiln,” she huffed.

“No kidding? It looked like something my kid made in art class,” Damon responded. “And not for nothing, but Michelangelo he is not.”

“Well, what did they think about the kitchen? Is that not a gourmet’s delight,” she asked.

“If you are into cherry wood and granite, I suppose,” Damon admitted. “My people are alderwood and corian people. The kitchen would be the first thing they’d have to gut.”

“You won’t find another piece of property like this,” she pressed. “Where else can you get an acre and a half backing to state trust land in Scottsdale?”

“Maintenance would be a killer,” Damon countered. “My people are relocating from a studio apartment in San Francisco. He doesn’t even own a lawnmower.”

“How about the price,” she asked, hesitating slightly.

Damon allowed an audible sigh to preface his reply.

“You already know you’re overpriced by two hundred thousand, Peggy. No sense belaboring the point. It’s out of their range, but we wanted to take a look just in case it was move-in ready and the seller was willing to deal a little bit.”

“She is open to all offers,” the agent replied.

Damon realized he was pacing and began walking towards the SUV, where his clients had finally wrestled their sobbing child into his seat. He made a mental note to stop for a snack, toy, bottle of methadone or any other anti-tantrum talisman one could purchase at a Circle K.

“I appreciate that, but I just don’t see this house working for my people, Peggy. They want a split master, need an extra half bath, hate stairs …”

“Any suggestions? She really needs out of that house,” the desperate agent interrupted. “Since her husband passed away last year, it’s become too much for her to handle. Her family is all waiting for her back in Toledo.”

“Just between me and you, as a professional courtesy, it’s not going to sell while she’s living there. Her stuff is all over the place, family pictures staring down at you from every wall. Didn’t help that she followed us through the entire house, pointing out where one of her kids bumped his head forty years ago and the laundry room baseboard that Daisy, the Golden Retriever, chewed up in the mid eighties. My people felt like intruders.”

“I know, I know,” the crestfallen agent confessed. “I keep telling her to take the dog for a walk during showings. It died ten years ago, but she doesn’t know that.”

“Put her on a plane to Toledo and crash the price. It’s too far gone for a mom and pop. Your buyer is an investor.”

Damon climbed behind the wheel and buckled his seat belt while pinning the phone between his ear and shoulder in a well-practiced maneuver. After checking his passengers to ensure that everyone was secure, he started the car.

“Well, not what I wanted to hear, but I appreciate your candor,” the agent said, partially obscured by the throaty engine roaring to life.

“No sweat, hope it helps,” Damon offered.

“It does, thanks for taking the time.”

“Sure thing, Peggy. Best of luck,” Damon concluded, terminating the call and dropping the phone into the grey cup holder in the console. He looked in the rearview at the young woman in the back seat, beaming despite the now shrieking child next to her.

“So what do you think, guys? Still feeling it,” he asked.

“Absolutely, it’s everything we’ve ever wanted,” the computer programmer with the prematurely salt and pepper flecked buzz cut sitting next to him gushed, breaking from his usual recalcitrance to answer for them both.

“Terrific, let’s go back to the office and write it up. One thing, though,” Damon teased.

“What,” both spouses asked in unison.

“We’re gonna offer a hundred grand less than we discussed.”

All three smiled as they pulled away from the curb, leaving 8423 N. Oak Drive in their wake.

That is the G rated version.

The working title was initially more along the lines of:

“What the &^%$ Do You Mean the &^%$#&^ House Is Under &^%$^&# Contract? The &^%$#$@ Listing Says It Is &^%^&#%$ Active!”

There is little more frustrating to the do-it-yourself consumer than outdated data. It’s hard enough to navigate unfamiliar territory with an accurate map, but it’s downright infuriating when that map is hopelessly obsolete. Like punching in the street address to the nearest Starbucks and being warned that there be dragons beyond the intersection of Hayden and Shea. A modern expedition requires modern cartography.

And yet, with the technological onslaught that has shifted the landscape of Real Estate practice, we still suffer from the “garbage in, garbage out” axiom that stifles growth in all human endeavors. All too often, an online home shopper comes across that perfect home that is everything he or she has ever wanted in a house … or rather, it would be if it were actually available.

Son of a &^%$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before converting your Nissan Murano into a makeshift scud missile and driving it through the listing brokerage’s plate glass window, humor me for a moment.

Once a buyer and seller successfully negotiate a purchase contract here in Scottsdale, with all terms and conditions agreed to and ratified by each party, the listing agent has two choices: change the listing status to “Active With Contingency” or “Pending.” Whether the home remains visible to the consuming public depends on which selection is chosen.

If the home is updated to reflect “Active With Contingency” status, the home remains on the market while the transaction is shepherded through the escrow process. Whether the contract is subject to the buyer’s financing, inspection, ability to sell another property, etc, there are certain contingencies in place that must be satisfied prior to closing. During this time, the seller can market the home for backup offers if he or she so desires.  By essentially keeping the home in active status, but disclosing the presence of an existing contract, a seller does exactly that.

If the home is listed as “Pending” once an offer is accepted, it is removed from the market while the escrow is processed. In essence, the seller and listing agent are telling the Real Estate community to cease showing the home and that backup offers are not being solicited at this point.

With those two primary options serving as the choices for listing agents and their clients, you can imagine why many opt to go with the former. With the challenges buyers face in obtaining financing, in addition to typical inspection and appraisal concerns, some consider keeping the home available for possible backup offers the biggest no-brainer since all-you-can-eat ribs.

I actually prefer to utilize the “Pending” status as it shuts down the Days On Market accumulation that can stigmatize a property in the event that the transaction explodes, but that is another post altogether.

The truly baffling thing is that the public is not generally privy to the “With Contingency” part of “Active With Contingency” status. Take your pick amongst several possibilities and/or conspiracy theories as to why the listings displayed to consumers online will show up with no differentiation between the two entirely different categories, but the upshot is that you often stumble upon interesting properties that haven’t really been available for weeks, if not months. Just be aware that it’s no trickery being undertaken by the agent whose site search you are utilizing. While some industrious types might theoretically thrive on creating such confusion to create their own clarifying need, most of us are just as annoyed by the data disconnect as you are. We’d much rather the information that is disseminated be 100% correct and up to date than to field calls that lead to inevitably frustrated consumers. It’s simply a limitation of the information that is parsed out by the local MLS.

So there you go. Every home you come across online is available to purchase. Except those that aren’t.

On behalf of the industry, my apologies for rewarding your self-directed internet search for new construction in Scottsdale with a map of Pangaea.

Give me a call or shoot me an email if you want to request current availability on any and all “active” listings you come across online.

“You mean, it’s ours? It’s really ours?”

They were so excited. Even after I handed them the keys, they were slow to believe that the modest Spanish bungalow was now in their adoptive custody. Over the course of four exasperating months, we must have seen and dismissed close to a hundred homes. This one needed too much work. That one had a poor kitchen layout. Yet another sat on the “t” of a subdivision’s entrance: bad feng shui, or so I was told. Before the market skies parted and yielded the seventeen hundred square foot, clay tile miracle that appeared to have met extinction in their price range, our flagging spirits were all but ready to pack it in. The May 5th, 2005 discovery saved them from another year of apartment living. A challenge, at best, with a ten year old daughter, let alone with a half-baked bun in the oven.

“Can we go in,” the wife asked in a small, cautious voice.

“Of course,” I responded. “It’s your house, Liz, you can do whatever you please.”

She ignored my extended hand and engulfed me in a fierce hug. Her husband clasped my shoulder in a vice grip which betrayed an adolescence spent laboring on the family farm in Iowa. His curt nod spoke volumes.

“You’re welcome, Mel,” I replied.

“Thank you both for hanging in there with me. I know it hasn’t been easy, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the patience and trust you’ve shown. It’s been a long, tough slog, but I think we got it right.”

“Yes, we did,” Mel said, breaking his silence for the first and only time that morning.

“We would like to have you and your wife over as soon as we get settled,” Liz added.

“I’d like that,” I told her.

I meant it, too. I like just about every client I take on, but felt a special kinship with this couple for reasons that surpassed the extended time spent in each other’s company. After bidding the happy couple farewell, I glanced in the rearview as I navigated my way down the tree-lined street. Instead of going inside, they remained rooted in place, holding hands and staring at their new home.

I received a phone call from Liz this morning. Turns out that Mel has been out of work for some time now, and they cannot afford to keep the house. Might have to move back to the Midwest and look for a position on the farm. See just what kind of life is left in those gnarled, old leather hands.

I hate this job sometimes.

So you have 20% to put down for a single family home in Scottsdale AZ.  Your FICO scores are higher than Willie Nelson on Bob Marley Day in Montego Bay.  You have been gainfully employed in the same W2 position with the same company for years.  The American Express card with a $124 balance and the $112 payment on your 2002 Honda Accord make up the sum total of your earthly debt.  Congratulations, you are one of the few buyers in today’s market in a position to call your own shots.

Surely the right play is to go the conventional financing route, right?

No private mortgage insurance, the lowest possible rate, less red tape than government sponsored financing vehicles.

From a strictly cost-based approach, all signs point to a nice, vanilla 30 year fixed conventional loan at a microscopic rate as the biggest no-brainer in the history of money.

Of course, as we have learned all too well, there is more to your choice in financing than today’s consideration.  In fact, there is more to your choice in financing than even the total cost to you over the life of the loan.  While we may not know where the market and its attendant values are heading, one fact is indisputable:

Interest rates will rise.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.  Inflationary pressure makes it inevitable that rates will take off at some point.  All of the warning signs are there.  It will happen.  Rather than banging the tired gavel of “buy today, rates on the way up,” let’s steer the discussion in a less self-serving direction.

Q:  What is today’s buyer?

A:  Tomorrow’s seller.

If you are buying a home in 2010, you need to consider the market forces that may shape 2015 or 2020.  When we agents prognosticate, we tend to focus exclusively on home values.  This is a fool’s errand.  What we really should be thinking about is the buyer pool’s (in)ability to buy.

If interest rates manage to climb into the double digits in several years’ time, the difficulty of selling the property you are buying today may be compounded by a further contraction of able buyers.  How does one counteract the specter of such a looming boogeyman?  By going back to the future for familiar, but forgotten solutions to a similar problem.

What saved home sellers in the era of 18-20% interest in the ‘70s and ‘80s?  Owner financing and assumable loans.  For the purpose of this post, I wish to focus on the latter.

With the low to zero down conventional financing options in the market for my first decade in the business, it was a rarity to consummate a transaction with anything other than non-assumable financing.  Now that FHA loans have forcefully elbowed their way back into the marketplace, however, assumable financing has returned.  Most borrowers are not considering this aspect of the financing in the least, mind you.  They simply jump on whatever they can qualify for that provides the least cost and lowest rates.  I maintain that the assumable nature of a loan will be incredibly important moving forward.

While a new buyer would have to qualify for the loan to assume it, imagine how much wider your future buyer pool will be with such an option in place.  Your 30 year fixed at 4.75% may not look quite as good to you if you find yourself in a position in which you have to sell your home in the midst of 12% interest rates.  Not to sound the bell of an alarmist, but it’s not difficult to foresee a future in which many buyers who have migrated to the security of 30 year fixed conventional mortgages in the wake of the mess spawned by more creative financing find themselves imprisoned within those non-assumable safety nets.

Moving forward, your mortgage might not just be your mortgage.  It could potentially be your future buyer’s.  As such, when shopping for financing, there is more to consider than just the nuts and bolts of your own cost.  Your mortgage could eventually prove either an enticement or a hurdle to a sale.

Heady stuff.

I will close with that which should have served as a preface: I am not a mortgage professional.  DO NOT rely on my speculation in any manner when making a choice in financing.  The nuances and new rules/regulations in the financial world are changing so fast that even those who wade in those murky waters on a daily basis are having a hard time keeping their raft of sanity afloat.  For some, the internal debate is academic anyway, as there are qualification constraints on all financing types.  Only your lender, with a full view of your financial picture can provide competent advice as to which programs you may ultimately qualify for, and which is the best fit for you.  I do, however, want you to add this question to the typical inquiries about rates, fees, penalties, etc when speaking with your chosen loan officer:

“Is this loan assumable?”

I expect it will matter more than the attention it is currently being afforded in most Real Estate circles.

Despite an uneasy economy at large, Scottsdale, Arizona maintains its stranglehold on a coveted relocation address. Official population counts from the end of 2009 put our grown-up resort town at 230,000+ residents and climbing (projections of nearly 250,000 total residents by 2014).  For those of you keeping score back in Delaware, that’s a 10% increase from the year 2000, uneasy Real Estate market and all.  Not too shabby for a town whose 1951 origins boasted a total population of two thousand hardy pioneers.

So what exactly is it that keeps this one-way conveyor belt moving?  What intrinsic value of the Arizona lifestyle keeps folks coming in droves to the Valley of the Sun? Why does the city still nostalgically known as “The West’s Most Western Town” continue to add labels, such as the nation‘s “Most Livable City,” and find inclusion amongst various new best-of lists, such as the “Top 100 Cities for Young People,” (1) with each passing year?

Young people?  In Arizona?  Bet you didn’t see that coming!

Let’s examine why exactly Scottsdale might appeal to people of all walks of life.

Is it the 314 days of deep blue skies and sunshine? A horizon so boundless that the occasional passing cloud is quickly chased away like a stray tumbleweed through the Sonoran Desert?  The average high temperatures of 85 degrees, and a scant 7 & a half inches of annual rainfall?  Where the only ice you will find in December lies inside a cocktail glass?

Possibly.

Is it the Scottsdale Unified School District, which routinely ranks atop the state in performance and outpaces local and national averages by a wide margin in critical categories such as SAT and ACT scoring?  Which boasts an off the charts percentage of schools categorized as “excelling?”  With 50% of the adult populace holding a bachelor’s degree or higher (which likewise outdistances the state and national averages by a wide margin), education has always been a top priority to the citizenry of Scottsdale.  Surely the robust school system is the reason an out of towner looks to Scottsdale with a longing eye?

Possibly.

Could it be the vibrant nightlife and fine dining that boasts an inordinate amount of upscale eating establishments, wine bars and the like? Where you can’t fall down without landing on the finest Fillet Mignon or Prickly Pear Margarita you have ever tasted?  The more than 125 art galleries which make Scottsdale a bastion of high culture? Is it Taliesin West, the former winter home and school of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright which lives on as a popular tourist destination?

Possibly.

Is it the golf? The more than 40 courses which can be found within Scottsdale‘s city limits alone? From Par 3 executive courses to PGA venues, there is something for every skill level. You are moving to Scottsdale, Arizona. It simply must be for the golf.  Right?

Possibly.

Is it the strong local economy? The one with the ultra low unemployment figures and strong income levels (median family income of $85,000+ per 2009 estimates)?  The one powered by tourism (39% of city workforce), convention revenue, 2^nd home buyers, strong aviation industry presence centered around the Scottsdale Airpark, medical field stalwarts such as Scottsdale Healthcare (largest private employer with nearly 6700 employees), the Mayo Clinic (2nd largest private employer in Scottsdale with nearly 5000 employees), etc?  Notable businesses include the Fortune 500 company, Allied Waste, as well as Rural Metro (private fire protection), Go Daddy, General Dynamics, Dial Corporation, Cold Stone Creamery and TASER International.  So, is it the allure of a healthy job market for a highly skilled workforce that makes Scottsdale Real Estate so historically vibrant?

Possibly.

Or how about the shopping? The spender’s paradise which boasts Kierland Commons, Fashion Square Mall, The Promenade, Old Town, Gainey Village and The Borgata, just to name a few?  Where you will find that perfect something that you can’t live without in every shop?  As synonymous as Scottsdale has become with retail therapy, it has to be the shopping, right?

Possibly.

Perhaps it’s the unbelievable location and access to the rest of the Valley?  Minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport, Scottsdale is connected to the rest of the greater Phoenix area by freeway. Bisected by the Loop 101, previously distant reaches of the Valley such as Chandler/Mesa/Gilbert to the south and Glendale/Peoria to the west are now readily accessible. Could the prime central location be the reason for Scottsdale’s popularity?

Possibly.

Wait, it has to be the resorts, right? After all, our well-earned reputation as a resort town is what first put Scottsdale on the national map. With over 70 resorts and hotels, half of the Valley’s resorts are located in Scottsdale. Might the lure of an afternoon at the Hyatt Regency’s pool or the Westin Kierland’s spa be the source of enticement?  Maybe afternoon tea and relaxation at The Phoenician, or reaching out to touch the mountains at The Four Seasons in Troon?

Possibly.

How about the immediate access to escape from the daily grind? The ability to trade the heat of a July day for an afternoon in the high mountains with only an hour and a half’s drive north as payment? Or to dip toes in the Pacific Ocean by making the 6 hour drive to San Diego? Heck, less distance than that puts a traveler on a lazy beach in Rocky Point, Mexico. Is it the convenient getaway capacity that attracts all of these new Scottsdale residents?

Possibly.

These are all very strong contenders for the title of most alluring, but I think it boils down to something far more simple, yet somewhat indescribable. Most people move to Scottsdale, Arizona for the very reasons that I have never left. Those reasons are hard to express with words.  Less a physical place than a state of mind, Scottsdale is that internal intersection where an unencumbered side street of your soul meets the thoroughfare of refined, modern living.  The desert Southwest stirs something ancient and irresistible within the romantic ventricles of even the most hardened heart.  Lacking the eloquence to due her justice with my pen (or keyboard, as it were) alone, I yield to pixels.  The images below should provide greater insight as to why this native son still calls Scottsdale, Arizona home after all these years.

(1) Phoenix Business Journal (2007)

Statistics courtesy of the City of Scottsdale (2009)

Ready to Start Your Own Scottsdale Adventure?

Let the Scottsdale Property Shop be your relocation guide.  Follow the links below to all things Scottsdale.

___________________________________________________________

Scottsdale Schools

Scottsdale Homes for Sale

Scottsdale Neighborhoods & Communities

Things to do in (and around) Scottsdale

Scottsdale Real Estate Market Data

Scottsdale Home Buyer Resources

__________________________________________________________