by Paul Slaybaugh | Aug 31, 2011 | Home Buying
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.
by Paul Slaybaugh | Feb 28, 2011 | Home Buying, Paradise Valley Listings, Phoenix Listings, Scottsdale Listings
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.
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New Homes in Scottsdale
New Homes in Paradise Valley
New Homes in Cave Creek
New Homes in Fountain Hills
New Homes in Chandler
New Homes in Gilbert
New Homes in Glendale / Peoria
New Homes in Mesa
New Homes in Tempe
by Paul Slaybaugh | Feb 2, 2011 | Scottsdale Real Estate, This & That
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
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First Answer
First!
-Tommy Gunn, Real Estate Agent in Sacramento, CA
Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:37
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Make me
Tommy Gunn, Real Estate Agent in Sacramento, CA
Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:52
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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
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Realtors are crooks and scumbags. Get a real job loosers!
– B Real, Home Seller in Eugene, OR
Sat Feb 6 2010, 11:59
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Why not move to Milwaukee instead?
– Mason Pilsner, Real Estate Agent in Milwaukee, WI
Sat Feb 6 2010, 18:17
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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
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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
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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
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R U still looking?
– Dani Danderson, Real Estate Agent in Casa Grande, AZ
Web Reference: HTTP://HireMe.Please
Fri Apr 16 2010, 17:38
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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
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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
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Realtors suck
– Jaded, Home Buyer in Fairbanks, AK
Thu Mar 17 2011, 13:13
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Anybody seen the new Transformers movie yet? Is it any good?
Darryl, Home Seller in Little Rock, AK
Thu Mar 17 2011, 13:59
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Seriously, how do I turn off notifications?
– Jean, Home Buyer in Salem, OR
Fri Mar 18 2011, 7:42
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Marco?
– Geoff Belanger, Mortgage Broker in NYC / Tripoli
Mon Oct 31 2011, 0:01
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by Paul Slaybaugh | Jan 15, 2011 | Scottsdale Real Estate, This & That
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.
by Paul Slaybaugh | Sep 18, 2010 | Home Buying, Scottsdale Real Estate
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.
