Announcing The New Susan Talarico Website

I am very excited to announce my new website and blog: SusanTalarico.com. The contents of this blog have been moved to the new site. Please stop by, and be sure to bookmark the new location.

May Resale Number and What It Means to You!

Total re-sales in Maricopa County for May were 9,113! That’s 1,365 more than last month and 1,237 more than may 2012!  REO closed was 806 which is 9% and short sales closed was 1094 which is 12%. Normal sales closed was 7214 which represents 79%. Pending inventory is down to 12,497. REO pending was at 1,017 which is 8% and short sales are at 4,132 which is 33% and normal sales pending at 7,349 which is 59%. Active inventory for Maricopa County is still dropping down to 11,960. REO active is 631 which is 5% and short sales are at 482 which is 4% and normal listings are at 10,849 which represents 91%! There is less than 2 months inventory in all but 3 cities now!!(Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale)

So what does this mean for you? If you are a buyer, expect prices to continue to rise as the number of available homes for sale shrinks.  You don’t have the luxury of  “time to think about it”.  Mortgage rates are still at historic lows, but they are creeping upwards.  As the interest rates rise, the amount of home you can afford diminishes.  If you are lucky enough to find that home you have been looking for do not hesitate to make an offer that will get you the home.  The steals and deals have been gone for two years now.

If you are a seller or a potential seller, now is a great time to put your home on the market.  The shortage of  inventory makes this a seller’s market.  Anytime inventory levels fall below a 3 month supply it is considered a seller’s market.  Of course you need to be reasonable on your asking price.  If you price your home too high above the current market value, you will have very little chance of getting it sold.  With the the internet, public information is easier to obtain than ever.  Today’s buyer is tech savvy and does their research long before calling a REALTOR®.  Tax records and sold property information can be obtained in a few keystrokes.  Even if someone would entertain paying over market value for a home, it must appraise for the sale price to complete the transaction. The only exception to this would be a cash sale.  Keep in mind that cash buyers are very business minded and most likely would not pay over market value.

In summary, we have what looks like a perfect storm.  Great time to buy. Great time to sell.

Private water ski community in Deland, FL

Private water ski community in Deland, FL.

ALWAYS Get a Home Inspection

In today’s real estate market buyers are acting quickly to make an offer on a home so they do not miss out on a great buy. Acting swiftly to make a decision is an excellent strategy but, skipping details along the way is not. Even if you will not be requesting repairs, even if the home is being sold as-is, even if you want the deal to close quickly, DO NOT pass on having a home inspection.

A home inspection is important so you know what you are getting. Yes, the home may be at a price that is too good to pass up, but are the repairs more than you are willing to absorb? Go ahead and make an offer. Get your home inspection completed during the agreed upon inspection period. If the home inspection uncovers a problem beyond your budget you have the option of requesting repairs or cancelling your contract. The Arizona Real Estate Purchase Contract gives you many protections regarding repairs and items that are required to be in operating condition. In the event that you are purchasing a home as-is, it is still wise to do a home inspection. You may uncover a problem that would have you reconsider your purchase.

Be wise in your selection of a home inspector. Are they a member of American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)? Do they have Full Errors and Omissions and General Liability Insurance? Your Realtor can be a wonderful resource when selecting a home inspector. An experienced Realtor should have encountered several home inspection companies and can offer valuable suggestions.

2012 Real Estate Year in Review

This past year we have seen improvement in the real estate market with rising home prices and a diminishing inventory of distressed properties.  For all the details, click on this link…

stat-2012-year-in-review.pdf

How to Teach Kids to Save Money

Here is an article worth reading and implementing.  Saving money is an important skill that needs to be learned early on in life.  It is so important for the future of our children, our economy and the direction of our great county.

How to Teach Kids to Save Money

Ladies and Gentlemen…Start your engines!

It’s that most wonderful time of the year in Scottsdale, Arizona for car enthusiast. With three major collector auto auctions taking place, there is something for every motor head. Barrett-Jackson is the largest of the three and includes a large array of cars, trucks, utility vehicles, celebrity owned cars and yes, even airplanes. The event has grown over the years from a 3 day event to a 9 day car auction marathon. Don’t be fooled by all the exhaust fumes and testosterone in the tent. You can find some fantastic shopping in the lifestyle pavilion as well. Of course the people watching and celebrity sightings are worth the price of admission.

If you are more of a muscle car enthusiast, then you should definitely check out the Russo and Steele Auction. It is a smaller venue. So if you do not like large crowds and still would love to see some fabulous cars, Russo and Steele is the place to go.

Perhaps you are more interested in rare classics and exotics? Then head down to Scottsdale Fashion Square to the Gooding and Company Auction. Guys, if your wife or girlfriend is not into cars, this is a win-win. You check out the cars while she shops at the mall. At the end of the day the two of you can enjoy a relaxing dinner at one of the many fine restaurants in Old Town.

For more information on the car auctions, just click on the links below. See you there!
Barrett-Jackson January 13-20
Russo and Steele January 16-20
Gooding & Company January 18 and 19

Time to declutter?

• How to Get Rid of Stuff and Declutter Your Life

  You can get that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling and make a few bucks by responsibly ditching all the excess stuff you accumulate, particularly at this time of year. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Market Report for December 2012

MarketReport2012december

The Maricopa County Market closed 6,237 homes in December a slight increase. REO properties closed were 760 at 12% and Short Sales closed 1,633 are at 26% with 3,845 being normal at 62%. Pending Inventory has 1,163 REO’s at 11% and 4,035 Normal at 37% and the slowly dwindling 5,751 Short Sales at 53%. That’s another 1,000 less than last month! YEAH! Active inventory decreased to 13,852 listings with 1,241 REO’S at 9% and 930 short sales at 7% and 11,682 normal listings at 84%.

How to Get Kids to Save Energy

By: Courtney Craig

Published: August 29, 2012

Want your kids to pitch in and help save energy? Green parenting bloggers weigh in on getting kids to flip the switch and stop wasting energy.

Kids have more important things to think about than turning off the lights. But discovering the lights blazing in an empty room for the umpteenth time is enough to make any parent scream, especially when the power bill arrives.

The good news is, you can train your kids about the importance of saving energy right from the start. Here’s great advice from some of our favorite bloggers who know a thing or three about kids.

1. Let them take charge.

Jenn Savedge, who blogs at The Green Parent, practices a little reverse psychology — she urges her kids to remind her to turn off the lights.

“They get such a kick out of ‘telling Mommy what to do’ that it’s first and foremost on their minds,” Savedge said. “If I walk out of a room without doing it, they’re happy to point it out and then dash back and do it for me.

“Works like a charm and keeps the whole thing from becoming just one more thing that Mommy nags them about.”

The key to getting children to do anything is to make it “theirs,” says Monica Fraser, a mother of two who blogs at Healthy Green Moms.

“I get them to police me because they get inspired to turn off the lights ‘better than me,’” she said.

2. Find their motivation.

For Sommer Poquette’s 8-year-old son, it’s money.

“If I have to ask more than three times for my son to do anything in particular, he loses $1 out of his piggy bank,” says Poquette, who blogs at Green and Clean Mom.

“I do this so he learns that leaving the lights on costs me money, but also because he’s very motivated to earn money and spend money, so I hit him where it hurts the most: the wallet! Amazingly, he listens very well and never lets me get to the fourth ask!”

Fraser’s kids are motivated by the idea of helping out friends and neighbors.

“Because my children are quite young, I have said that we must remember to turn lights off and shut water off when brushing so that our neighbors have enough,” she says. “They know their neighbors, and certainly wouldn’t want to use all the water.”

3. Incorporate non-verbal reminders.

Gentle reminders, such as stickers on the light switches, help kids remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room.

“They’re each in charge of shutting off their bedroom lights each morning and during the day,” Poquette says. “We have stickers above the light switches to remind them. As a family, we all offer each other friendly reminders.”

Sticky notes don’t just apply to light switches, either. Tiffany Washko, who blogs at NatureMoms, places Post-It Notes labeled “Turn Me Off” and “Unplug Me” all around the house as reminders.

“Putting them by the light switch, on the side of the TV, on the wall next to the power bar that controls game consoles, etcetera, is a great visual reminder,” Washko says.

“We also require each child to do a walk-through each morning before they leave for school and turn off anything that may have been left on. Once they consistently remember, we stop requiring it … that is, until they have a few lapses, then we rinse and repeat.”

4. Explain to them why it’s important.

The full implications of saving energy may not immediately be clear to kids, but they’ll be more likely to remember to turn off the lights if they understand why it’s important.

“To teach them about the importance of turning off the lights and saving energy, we’ve read them several children’s books,” says Poquette. “My son understands the value of a dollar, so I’ve shown him our energy bill and explained to him what this means and how energy is produced.

“I think being up front with your kids, and explaining things to them in simple ways they can understand, is the best policy.”

How do you get your kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room?