If you own your home you've been through the sales process at least once when you purchased the house, but it's probably been awhile and now you are on the other side of the transaction.  Here's 10 tips for first time home sellers that should make the process easier! 

10 Tips for First Time Home Sellers

1. Hire a professional.  A Realtor will help you through the process of selling your home.
2. Price it right.  Your Realtor can provide you with the information needed to determine your best pricing strategy.
3. Declutter and depersonalize.  Remove personal items and knickknacks so buyers can better view themselves living in the house.
4. Make sure your home is clean and smells good.  Your home should smell and look sparkling clean from the moment the buyer wants in the door.  There's nothing worse than walking into a home to be assaulted by pet odors or other strong odors.
5. Make storage spaces look bigger by packing up your stuff.  Remove half of your items from closets and then arrange the items in an orderly fashion.  Buyers do open closet doors and the more space they see the better.
6. Make any necessary repairs.  Not sure what repairs need to be made?  Hire a home inspector.  The less items that come up during the buyer's home inspection the better and it gives sellers more negotiating power.
7. Make your home available and easy to show.  Always be ready to show your house.  Keep you home clean at all times in case of last minute showings.  
8. Remove yourself emotionally from the process.  Negotiating with buyers throughout the process is easier if you leave your emotions at the door. 
9. The buyer is not the enemy, keep an open mind when negotiating.  Try to put yourself in their shoes when negotiating instead of being confrontational about any requests.  
10. Get ready for closing.  Know the steps necessary to ensure a smooth closing. 

Buying your first home is an exciting time in your life!  Since it is one of the largest purchases you will make, it can also be a stressful time!  The key is to understand the process and be prepared.  Here are 10 tips for buying your first home.

10 First Time Home Buyer Tips

1. Reach out to a Realtor.  A local Realtor can help you get a game plan together for getting you into a home.  A Realtor can also be a great source of information and tools.
2. Get Pre-Qualified ASAP!  It's important to know how much you can afford and what type of loan programs are available to you.  Speak to a lender about what you need to do to qualify to purchase a house.
3. Be realistic.  Look at your total expenses to determine a house payment you feel comfortable with.  Don't forget to include real estate taxes, homeowner's insurance and HOA fees when setting up a budget for a new house.
4. Create a wish list.  Determine what you are looking for in a house.  Make a list of needs or must-haves as well as your wants.  You may need to compromise so make sure you know what features are most important to you. 
5. Keep an eye on the market.  A Realtor can set you up with a market report to keep you informed about where housing values are headed, how long properties are staying on the market and more.
6. Keep an eye on the houses that are listed.  A Realtor can also make sure you receive all the new listings to your inbox.
7. Save as much money as you can.  While you are getting ready to purchase a home, be frugal and cut your expenses.  Not only will you need the money for your down payment and closing costs, there will also be other fees involved in buying a home such as a home inspection fee.  
8. Know what your expenses are going to be.  Ask a Realtor to provide you with the customary closing costs so you know how much it will cost you to purchase a home.
9. Choose an area.  Start checking out different areas to live in.  Drive through the community at different times of the day.
10. Learn the home buying process.  A Realtor can go over the steps it takes to purchase and close on a new home.  Knowing what comes next at each step helps make the process easier.

Don't hesitate to contact us for more information abut the home buying process and homes currently on the market.  

It's still a "seller's market" here in the Phoenix Metro area including the West Valley.  However, home prices have not significantly increased with the limited inventory.  While sellers still try to maximize their profits, it's still important for them to be realistic with their listing price and base it off of comparable homes that have recently sold in their neighborhood.  The number of homes that went under contract continues to decrease.

The fall is a great time for sellers to showcase their home to potential buyers.  And it is a great time for buyers to take advantage of a little less competition.  Homes that are in good condition and priced below $200,000 continue to be popular so buyers should act quickly when they find the right home.  The interest rates are still incredibly low!  The questions is how much longer will they stay this low?

For information about buying or selling please use the contact information form.  We'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.  

The market remains relatively the same with low inventory and stable, slowly rising home values in most areas of the Valley.  September is typically a slower month for the Phoenix market and this usually starts our slower season through the end of the year.  

This time of the year, however, can create some great opportunities for both buyers and sellers.  Buyers can take advantage of less competition, especially for homes $200,000 and less.  Sellers can let their home really shine on the market while other sellers wait until after the first of the year to list their home.  Buyers can be very focused and motivated to purchase a home before the year's end so it can be a beneficial time of the year for both buyers and sellers.  With interest rates remaining low this can be a great time to make a move.

Contact us for more information.  Looking for more stats?  Visit our market reports for popular West Valley cities:

Litchfield Park Real Estate Statistics

Goodyear Real Estate Statistics

Avondale Real Estate Statistics

Buckeye Real Estate Statistics

Arizona Down Payment Assistance Program is Helping Buyers is Avondale, Buckeye and Goodyear!

Are you looking for a home in Avondale, Buckeye or Goodyear? You may qualify for a down payment assistance program for up to $20,000! The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), in partnership with the Arizona Home Foreclosure Prevention Funding Corporation (AHFPFC), have a great program called Pathway to Purchase for qualified homebuyers purchasing a primary residence in certain cities in Arizona (there are 14 other cities that qualify in addition to Avondale, Buckeye and Goodyear). 

So what's the scoop? The Pathway to Purchase has several restrictions such as a max income of $92,984 a year and a max purchase price of $371,936. The program will provide 10% of the purchase price (up to a maximum of $20,000) to be used toward the down payment and/or the closing costs when purchasing a qualified home. The program does require you to complete a homebuyer education course prior to closing on a new home, an easy request to complete considering how much money you could receive!

Of course, as with any mortgage loan you will need to find out if you qualify for the loan program. And there are certain restrictions that apply. How do you find out if you qualify? Speak to one of the ADOH approved and participating mortgage lenders. Or contact Cinda Rose at 623-252-9350 or cinda@wvhometeam.com for the names of some local lenders that can do a free consolation to let you know if you qualify. 

**All information is from the Arizona Department of Housing website.  Please verify all information.

Inventory remains low in the Phoenix Metro area, keeping us in a "seller's market."  Despite the low inventory home values have not increased significantly in the last 12 months.  Sellers need to continue to price their home in alignment with other closed sales in their neighborhood.  The number of homes that went under contract in July dropped significantly from the number in June, so sellers need to be smart when pricing their home.  Don't price yourself out of the market!

We are now leaving our peak selling season.  This may lighten the pressure for active buyers and lower the amount of multiple offer situations.  However, homes priced under $200,000 will continue to be popular and see activity.  It's time for buyers to take advantage of low interest rates and less competition!

Two of Phoenix's West Valley cities were among the fastest growing cities in the U.S.  According to a U.S. Census survey, of the 15 fastest growing cities in the U.S., Goodyear ranked 14th and Buckeye was 15th in growth.  The survey shows that both West Valley cities had a population increase of more than 4% between July 2014 and 2015.  

Goodyear added 3261 residents, bringing the city's estimated population to 79,003.  The City of Buckeye added 2569 residents and had an estimated population of 62,138 in July 2015.  

Phoenix, the 6th most populous city in the country, as a whole also saw an increase in its population as well, the most growth in Arizona.  According to the U.S. Census, Phoenix had the 5th biggest increase in population in the nation.  With the addition of 24,614 residents, the population last July increased to 1.56 million.