The Most Expensive Home sold in Arizona last week - 9/20/16

The most expensive home sold in Arizona last week takes us up to the North Country of Arizona to a place called Sedona. Sedona is famous for it's red clay mountains and breathtaking views. It's a must visit for tourists and it's a perfect weekend getaway for locals. This week's featured home is one of only thirty private estates located in the Seven Canyons Golf Club which is an invitation only, luxury golf community.  Surrounded by the Coconino National Forest the setting for this exclusive home could not be more scenic. The builder and architect were careful to use plenty of natural stone on the exterior to help blend the property in to it's surroundings while not taking away anything from the beauty of it's location. The large outdoor deck area and gorgeous pool will allow the new home owners years of enjoying the outdoor setting.

The interior of this home is just as carefully crafted as the outside. Plenty of natural stone joins the inside with the outside. Deep and rich dark wood floors add a rustic touch to a modern decor. There is no lack of natural light coming in through all of the floor to ceiling windows which not only gives the ability to enjoy the surroundings but also brightens up each space of the home giving it an open appeal. Hiking trails, golf, swimming, and access to so many other wonderful amenities right outside of their door step the buyers for this property will have an endless amount of activities to occupy their days and years to come. Click on the picture below for the full MLS listing:

Location: Sedona

Size: 5,678 sqft

Bedrooms: 4 

Bathrooms: 4

Lot size: 118,483 sqft

 If you are in the luxury home market and want a list of luxury homes available in Arizona, contact us Today!

August 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 August, home sellers in Gilbert, Arizona saw a minuscule increase in this ratio. According to the numbers, home owners are getting around 97.3% of their asking price when selling their home which is 0.1% higher than the previous month of July. Traditionally, prices and values start to slightly decrease once the busy Summer moving season begins to wind down 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 97.3% 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 even as the slower Fall and Winter selling season approaches.  

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

Animals of the MLS

We're going back to the feline variety in this week's edition of Animals of the MLS. This tabby is front and center for all of the action going on in their domain. They weren't about to let a stranger roam through their home without a personalized guided tour. I bet this curious kitty followed this agent from room to room brushing up against their legs just begging for treats and attention.

Interesting to note that this cat almost perfectly blends in to it's surroundings. There are some home owners who go above and beyond to cater to their pets but subconsciously I'm not sure these home owners are aware that even their house decor has become a reflection of the love of their precious pet. There are generally two kinds of cats when it comes to showing homes. The kind that will run and hide the instant a stranger enters the home and the kind that will want to be your best friend the entire time you're at the property. This one seems to be the latter. 

As for the picture of the living area itself, there certainly are a few adjustments that could have been made by the agent and owner to make this photo more appealing to prospective buyers. First, the furniture overpowers the room. It's big and bulky and takes up way too much space making the area seem smaller than it actually is. Secondly, there's way too much clutter and total overall decorations. Hiring a professional stager would have done wonders to make this room far more appealing to prospective buyers. 

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!

The Most Expensive Home sold in Arizona last week - 9/13/16

The most expensive home sold in Arizona last week is a modern and contemporary estate that could very well be the future look of custom homes in Arizona. At just over 11,000 square feet you would think that this massive luxury property would have no trouble sticking out among it's surroundings, however, the builder and architect carefully designed this desert dwelling to perfectly blend in to it's natural location. Located in the highly sought after subdivision of Paradise Valley Estates the exterior is a combination of soaring stone-clad colums, massive steel beams, and a smooth stucco finish. The new owners will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of both Camelback and McDowell mountain ranges from almost every room. The resort style pool with two waterfalls and a jacuzzi will also provide plenty of entertainment opportunities. 

The interior of this home is just as modern as the outside. The bathrooms reflect a European inspired spa-like experience with frosted glass, floating vanities, and open concept shower. The kitchen provides everything a home chef could ever need or want and there is plenty of room for hundreds of bottles of wine the seperate wine room. Have trouble navigating stairs? The buit in elevator will get you up and down with style and ease. Does the hot Arizona sun keep you from enjoying outdoor sporting events? The indoor basketball court and retractable batting cage will take care of that. But what else would you expect from a home that was previously owned by a well known major league baseball player.  Click on the picture below for the full MLS listing:

Location: Paradise Valley

Size: 11,028 sqft

Bedrooms: 4 

Bathrooms: 5.5

Lot size: 109,436 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!

Homes for sale in Gilbert, Arizona - August 2016 Market Report

The Gilbert, Arizona housing market in August began to show signs of the annual Fall and Winter slow down. The busy Summer season is coming to an end which means the amount of homes for sale and the number of willing and able buyers will both start to decrease. Let's list and analyze the raw numbers from the chart below first then we'll make sense of what the market is telling us. There were 1,037 Active homes for sale on the market in Gilbert in August. There were only 515 New listings added to the Gilbert market from July to August. The one statistic that matters most, however, also showed a slow-down. There were 521 sold homes which was a decrease of 21 total home sales from the previous month.

What do all these numbers mean for buyers and sellers? August came and went with the typical annual expectations once again coming to fruition. Buyers and sellers are both showing signs of decreasing their housing activity. Total available homes for sale is at a healthy and stable level but we'll have to wait and see if buyers decide to reinvigorate their home searches the rest of the year to take a leap in to home ownership. Gilbert, Arizona is still seeing the most steady level of sales activity for homes priced within $250,000-$300,000 which is now the typical first time home buyer price range. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other homes still selling.  

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to find properties below the $200,000 mark in Gilbert but armed with a little knowledge and a hard-working real estate agent from Zion Realty selling your home, or snapping up that perfect property before another buyer gets to it should be a little less stressful. Contact us Today!

Animals of the MLS

We've got a peeping Tom, or should I say, a peeping pooch in this week's edition of Animals of the MLS. Ears perked, and patiently waiting for someone to let him inside so he can be a part of the action, this curious canine is trying his best to figure out why he's been relegated to the back yard. I'm sure he wasn't kept banished for very long, but you can imagine all of the tail wagging and excitement that ensued when the home owners finally allowed him to join the family again once this agent's photo shoot was complete. 

This appears to be a larger breed of dog, which can be intimidating to many individuals who aren't a fan of dogs or pets in general. Even though most pet owners would swear their animals are well behaved, it's always best to completely remove pets from the premises if possible for showings or at the very least have them kenneled. There are still plenty of individuals who are afraid of dogs and might not even include your home on the list of possibilities if they know a dog is present.  

As for the picture of the kitchen area itself, there certainly are a few adjustments that could have been made by the agent and owner to make this photo more appealing to prospective buyers. First, the actual picture is crooked which could have easily been fixed in photo editing. The room also seems a bit lifeless. It certainly doesn't inspire anyone to want to spend time there preparing meals and having this be the hub of activity within the house. This is where professional staging would have come in to play. A stager would have added color, and appeal to this area of the home making it much more inviting to prospective buyers. 

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!