The Most Expensive Home sold in Arizona last week - 6/21/16

My weekly blog post about the most expensive home that sells in Arizona each week had to take a brief hiatus while I was away at our annual church Summer Camp last week but I'm back and ready to share another unique property with all of you! I've highlighted properties many times before that are located in the highly sought after subdivision of Silverleaf in DC Ranch. Last week's most expensive home that sold in Arizona can once again be found in this luxurious and very expensive subdivision. This is a new construction home that is not expected to be completed until Spring of 2016, however, the below artistic rendition of the property gives you a glimpse of what the new homeowner can expect their house to look like. This home is being designed by Erik Peterson of Phoenix Architecture and will be close to 10,000 square feet in size. 

Situated on just over four acres of prime desert land and adjacent to the mountain preserve, this home will provide million dollar views with plenty of privacy. All of the expected amenities will be included in a home of this scope and magnitude including home theater, guest house, library, and an elevator.  There are a handful of pictures available to view on the listing which will give you a small idea of what the New York loft style interior will resemble upon completion. Click on the picture below for the full MLS listing:

Location: Scottsdale

Size: 9,974 sqft

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 5.5

Lot size: 178,393 sqft

If you are in the luxury home market and want a list of luxury homes available in Arizona, contact us Today! We'd love to help you find your dream home!

Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4902889/th...

May 2016 Market Report - How much is my Gilbert, AZ Home worth?

Every home owner wants to know how much their property is worth. Prices have long since stabilized for the most part here in Arizona and the dramatic shifts in upward and downward pricing have largely ceased. Bidding wars are few and far between and are only reserved for those most sought after locations around the Valley where properties rarely come available. But what can a home owner expect to get from their Gilbert, Arizona home?

The Sold to List ratio is a comparison between the price of what a seller listed their home for sale versus the price in which the home was eventually sold. In May, home sellers in Gilbert, Arizona saw a minuscule decrease in this ratio. According to the numbers, home owners are getting around 97.4% of their asking price when selling their home which is 0.1% lower than the previous month of April. Traditionally, prices and values steadily increase during the busy Summer moving season here in Arizona. 

The Sold to List price average is around the same percentage it was a year ago, if not slightly higher, which still shows a strong and stable real estate market here in Gilbert, Arizona. This is a good reminder to sellers that although you can list a home for sale at whatever price you feel is fair, the free-market will dictate what the home is worth. Ultimately, a home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. There are certainly homes that get offers at the full listing price but on average most home owners are only getting close to the 97.4% ratio shown in this latest graph.

Conversely, this is also a good reminder to buyers that sellers are getting the majority of their asking price so low-ball offers are not only being roundly rejected but are completely unrealistic in today's stable market. The Gilbert housing market has been steady all year so a dramatic shift up or down in the Sold to List ratio would be a surprise as we get further entrenched in the busy Summer market.  

If you need more information on homes for sale in Arizona or to find out what your current home is worth contact us Today! 

Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4902308/ma...

Animals of the MLS

My weekly Animals of the MLS blog post had to take a one week hiatus while I was away at church Summer Camp last week but we're back in the saddle (pun intended).  We've got a floppy eared and curious dog racing in to check out the scene in this week's Animals of the MLS. He can't get there fast enough to ensure this strange, picture taking agent is a friend not a foe. I'm sure our furry friend zipped around the corner at such a trot that the agent didn't have time to pull back and reset for the photo, however, how it ended up still loaded on to the MLS as a marketing tool is beyond me. A cute picture none-the-less this photo never should have made it on to the listing. 

This is a great example of why animals should be kenneled or completely removed from the home during showings when your house is listed for sale on the open market. Going off of the assumption that this hustling hound is friendly, if he's that enthusiastic about entering a room when a stranger comes calling, then I bet he'd also be excited enough to jump and beg for attention. Small children, elderly clients, individuals with pet allergies, or just home buyers who have a fear of animals could be very disturbed at the sight of this dog running towards them. As well intended as he may be, this pet could be a major distraction or complete turn-off to a potential home shopper who may not feel comfortable viewing a home knowing there's a chance they could encounter this beloved member of the family.

As for the picture of the room itself it's bland, boring, lifeless, and doesn't do a thing to help drive buyer interest in purchasing this home. The sectional couch cuts off and divides the room so you don't get the full scope of size or functionality options of the space. A professional stager could have certainly added some splashes of color to help bring this room to life by adding wall art, a few decorative pieces to the entertainment unit and perhaps even a small throw rug. Any or all of those extra touches would have made this space a whole lot more appealing than it appears here. 

If you're selling your home in Gilbert, Arizona or the East Valley let the experts at Zion Realty help you. We take professional photos and put together a perfect marketing strategy to sell your property. Contact us Today!

Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4901690/an...

Summer Camp 2016 at Point Loma Nazarene University

As many of you know I volunteer to be a High School girls youth leader at my home church, Redemption Church here in Gilbert, Arizona. Every year in June we take hundreds of kids on a five day Summer Camp to San Diego where we stay on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University. 

This year we chartered ten buses full of youthful exuberance and made the trek to the ocean where we all played games, sang songs until our voices were almost non-existent, and stayed up way too late every night laughing and sharing our lives with each other. Not only is Summer camp a way for me to get to know each girl in my group a little bit better to see how I can be of help in their lives but it also gives me a chance to unplug from the electronic world and not be completely tethered to work.

As the broker/owner of a real estate brokerage I can't ever completely lay down my business responsibilities so I did take an occasional phone call and answer some emails in the little down time that we have at camp. However,  I was able to focus the majority of my attention to the very reason I was there and that is to dig in and get dirty in the the lives of students who may not come from the best home life, or have been dealt the best cards so far in their experience. 

My group always gets together for a picture in front of the outdoor Greek amphitheater on campus and this year was no different. See if you can find me!

After an exhausting five days and a long car ride home last night there was much laundry to do, a house to clean, and groceries to be stocked in the empty refrigerator but it's a small price to pay for having such a great experience every year. 

Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4900211/su...