Here’s my take on these propositions on the ballot.   100 is VERY important…it’s a Yes vote, in my opinion. It will protect all homeowners against an extra “transaction tax” to the gov’t every time you sell a property…. even if it’s a transfer into a legal trust for a family member… so vote YES to say NO to total double taxing!  We pay property taxes out the wazoo as it is! And on income property, and we pay capital gains… so VOTE YES for sure on that one.

201 is more difficult to understand…it’s the “homeowners bill of rights” so that moniker alone makes it sound like a good thing!  But I’m voting NO.  Here’s why:  yes, it’s mostly about protecting buyers from the big new construction builders…making it easier for buyers to sue for new construction defects and so forth. It will add a 10 year warranty requirement (builders currently typically provide 1 or 2 years) …gives buyers a right to cancel within 100 days….forces builders to use only contractors with 10 years of perfectly clean records… all sound like relatively nice ideas, sure.  I think its mainly to help homeowners feel that they have recourse against cheap & cheesy builders….but they really do already have recourse!
And what this bill includes in terms of costs to homeowners is HUGE.  What I mainly see wrong with it is that it takes a lot of contract issues straight to litigation…and the Tucson and Arizona Association of Realtors contracts we currently use clearly have mediation, then arbitration, and only last resort, litigation in our terms. Instant rush to court seems silly in many cases,  and clearly , this benefits only lawyers, in my opinion. So i’m going to say “NO” on 201.
Hope this helps!

Are you looking to live in it?  Rehab and rent it?  Rehab and sell it again?  These are very very different purposes, and your motivations and gameplan should be carefully considered.  If you’re after a certain neighborhood, and see something so far below the comps that it is a “steal” and you have the money to get it to lovely condition, then by all means, it’s a good chance to buy into your desired neighborhood.  Know that you may not be the only person who feels this way…if it’s Sam Hughes, I’ll be there bidding too! 

 If you’re looking to rehab and hold it, as a rental, know your rehab costs, and learn the rental market. Be conservative….can you afford to carry it through the months of work? Can you afford more downtime if it doesn’t rent right away?  Is your rental expectation realistic? Tough questions, but lots of people are addicts of HGTV and never finish.  Don’t let the short sale or foreclosure frenzy get you in over your head.

 If you’re looking to flip, know this.  Flipping is over.  The buyers’ market is still going to be a buyers’ market, even if you pick up a property for what you feel is a song. You won’t be able to sell high.  You’ll buy low, but sell low.  My advice… flipping is the last reason one should go after a distressed property.  Buy it to live in it?  Yes.  Buy it to use as a rental property?  Maybe.  Buy it to flip?  Probably NOT a good idea. 

According to Yahoo news, 1 million properties are in some stage of foreclosure, so there are “deals” out there.  But know that the competition is stiff, you need a lot of cash (to buy, and also to do the work if it needs it), but the market is slow.  You may find tht you have to weather the dead market for a year, maybe 3 years.  If you’ve planned for that and can afford it, go for it.  If it will strap you, then the foreclosure sale is not for you.  You’ll just be in the distressed homeowners shoes in a matter of no time.

• Executive Club (top 10% of Realty Executives)
• 100% Club
• Gold Circle

Go ahead….. give it a try!   Can you name the oldest?  Your hints are 1775, and think of another word for fort!  Which one became home to railroad executives in the 1880’s? Hint: it’s our concentration of east-coast style Victorians!   Where is our concentration of California-style bungalows?  Hint:  the UA caused two “suburbs” to crop up…. can you name those two?  And what about my neighborhood?  We are famous for housing many santitariums for tuberculosis patients… early nickname was “Lung Hill.”

 Email me! sdenis1@cox.net

You’re thinking your house for sale is wonderful, and you’re wondering why it’s not selling.  Here’s what buyers want, according to recent survey results from the National Assoc of Realtors:

• central A/C
• wood floors
• lots of storage & big closets
• energy efficiency

Did you know that 51% of homebuyers remodel the kitchen within a year of purchasing the home?  Interesting.

So… if you’re looking at that nasty old carpet, wondering what to do…. rip it up, put down wood!  And if you think everyone in Tucson should just suck it up and live with a swamp cooler —no way!  Now’s the time to get good pricing on central A/C installation… summer’s over, so get an estimate done today.  Get your home as close to as you can… there’s a lot out there for them to choose from!

1. Sellers wouldn’t have their homes on the market right now if they didn’t need to sell, which makes everything negotiable!  You must have a realtor who’s not shy about lowballing on your behalf, negotiating hard, and guiding you to the real deals!

2.  There is a huge inventory right now, literally hundreds of homes in your pricerange and with your criteria.  Now is the time to get shopping with a tireless realtor ready to sift through them and help you choose.

3.  Prices are continuing to correct, true. But why not get out there while other buyers are sidelined and hesitant? This way you get to see the very best in your pricerange, work with me to get it now, at a price lower than the next 7 months worth of despairing price reductions.  The seller will be easier to deal with on repairs now.  Buyers are gold, and sellers know it.

4.  The mortgage crisis may be helping you! If  you have good credit and get into a loan program that won’t hurt you in the future, you are still afloat!  Hundreds of would-be buyers just went under in the pool of potential buyers.  I’ll help you find a local lender you can count on and learn from and trust.

Yes, it’s a VERY good time to buy!