The housing inventory in Arizona continues to drop causing the "seller's market" to strengthen.  With the decreasing inventory, West Valley buyers are having a much harder time finding their perfect home.  Homes $200,000 and under continue to receive multiple offers.  Buyers need to have have a good game plan in place before they start looking.  It's important to be a strong, pre-qualified buyer in order to beat out the competition.

The monthly market report for the Phoenix area is ready for you to view or download.  Click on the image below to access this month’s market report.  Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends.

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April did not see any huge changes in our local market.  We are still experiencing a seller's market with inventory remaining low.  Even with the low inventory prices have not increased significantly in the last 12 months but days on the market have increased.  When pricing your home to sell be careful not to price it too high or it will take longer to sell.

For buyers there's still competition and multiple offer situations.  Move-in ready homes that are priced right are moving quickly.  Homes below $200,000 continue to be popular.  Interest rates remain low, it's a great time to buy!

The monthly market report for the Phoenix are is ready for you to view or download, click on the image below to access this month's market report.  Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. 

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Search for homes for sale on the MLS.

One of the most important rules of thumb when you're preparing your Phoenix home for sale is to look at it from a buyer's point of view, not just from your own. Nowhere is that truer than in the wall colors you choose. You may love strong colors and have very stylish décor hat goes with them, but color can present several drawbacks when it comes to resale.

Of course, that doesn't mean you should always paint all the rooms boring beige before you put a house on the market. In fact, that could conceivably have the opposite effect, making a house seem plain-Jane (especially if it's limited in architectural detail or is under-furnished). Some picks from the experts include the following colors.

• Quincy Tan HC-25, Benjamin Moore – a nice warm neutral

• Stone White 11, Farrow & Ball – more gray green than white it's a perfect modern choice

• Sesame, Sico Paints – looks great with white trim

• Silver Blonde 2141, Pratt & Lambert – clean and modern, works well with light and dark wood

Selling your Phoenix West Valley home? We can help.

Retirement is a major accomplishment. But you also have to decide what to do next. While the new found freedom is exhilarating, many people don't know what to do with themselves in retirement.

Optimize your investments. The need for investment management doesn't end upon retirement. In many ways, it's a new beginning. If you worked closely with a financial adviser during your working years to save for retirement, continue to work with one going forward.

Optimize your lifestyle. Your investments are just one part of the retirement equation. With all of this new time on your hands, it can be easy to overspend. Instead, consider living a modest lifestyle. You might downsize your home and find less expensive hobbies. Consider eating better food and less snack and convenience foods. There's something about living modestly that's appealing to many people. Try it out and see if it improves your retirement. As a benefit, you will save money and be able to live within your means.

Show family members how to get the most out of their finances. Teaching others is extremely rewarding. If you have family members who are struggling with their finances and you've done well with yours, see if they'd be open to your help.

By maintaining your investment balance as much as possible and seeking out ways to save on expenses, you can have a much better retirement. Retirement isn't always easy, but one that's lived with care can be tremendously rewarding for you and your family.

March 2016 MLS Market Report for Phoenix

Although it's still considered a seller's market, prices have remained relatively the same over the last 12 months with no significant increases.  Sellers should keep that in mind when determining their list price.  They should also take the recent activity in their neighborhood into account.  While appraisers may look at how current list prices are trending, they are mainly look at the homes that have sold when determining market value.  Days on the market have increased and if sellers want to sell their home in a reasonable amount of time, they need to be reasonable with their list price.

Buyers continue to deal with low inventory.  If you are looking for homes $250,000 or less, or especially $200,000 and less, you will most likely have to act fast to compete against multiple offers.  In a market like this it is crucial that all buyers speak to a lender prior to looking for homes and to have a strong pre-qualification or pre-approval in hand to help battle the competition out there.  

The monthly market report for the Phoenix area is ready for you to view or download. Click on the image below to access this month’s market report. Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. Get a FREE instant property value now!

February 2016 MLS Market Report for Phoenix

Each month we analyze the Phoenix real estate market using the data from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  This data includes number of homes sold, the median price of the homes sold, the number of unsold homes listed for sale, and the number of new listings that hit the market each month.

It's still a seller's market due to low inventory, however, this has not caused a significant increase in home values in the last 12 months.   Sellers need to remain realistic and price their home in alignment with other sales in their neighborhood.  

Buyer activity is increasing and multiple offer situations are still occurring, espcially in the lower priced homes.  Prepare to meet some competition while searching for a home.  Buyers should keep this in mind when they write offers on a property.  

Click on the image below to access the February 2016 MLS Market Report for Phoenix.  Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends.

December 2015 MLS Market Report for Phoenix

Home sales in December were up 6.5% from last December, but down 15.8% from November.  Inventory remains low and the amount of homes for sale in 2015 as a whole was lower than the homes on the market in 2014.  Home buyers had fewer homes to choose from in 2015 but this did not cause a large increase in home prices.  In fact the approximate 5% increase in sales prices from last year is close to normal yearly appreciation.  

The amount of foreclosures and short sales on the market continues to decline.  We ended the year with 24.5% less short sales and 43.6% less lender owned than 2014.  Home sales in 2015 exceeded 2014 in every month but January.  These are both good signs for our local housing market.

BUYERS:  With interest rates still low it's still a great time to buy a new home!  With the present level of housing inventory buyers should expect to see some competition, especially in the $200,000 and lower price range.

SELLERS:  Our low inventor provides sellers with a great opportunity!  Buyers are actively taking advantage of interest rates while they remain low and Phoenix's "selling season" begins now so it's a great time to sell your home!  

Have you checked the price of your home lately?  Use our free instant property value tool to get started:  Get a FREE instant property value now!.  We can then do a personalized market analysis for you and narrow down how much your home is worth.  Contact us at 623-252-9350 today! 

Click on the image below to view Phoenix's December 2015 Real Estate Market Report. 

November 2015 MLS Market Report for Phoenix

Home equity returns in a big way, nearly a million U.S. homeowners came up from underwater on their home loans in the third quarter of 2015, finally owing less than their home is worth.  The nation's overall negative home equity rate fell to 13.4% of homeowners with a mortgage, down a full percentage point from the second quarter, and up 16.9% from a year ago, according to Zillow, the Seattle-based real estate firm.  Historically, the typical negative equity rate is lower than 5%.  The supply of homes for sale is very tight nationwide, but it is especially tight at the entry level.

The real estate market remains pretty much unchanged in Phoenix and the West Valley since last month.  Home buying and selling still continued to be unexpectedly busy during what is normally our "off season."  Interest rates are still low, but for how much longer is the big question.  Inventory is still low and the number of Active listings is down 11.7% from last November, however Pending Listings is up by almost that same percentage, 11.4% from last year.  In the popular price ranges heavy competition still remains.  

Sellers should take advantage of this time before rates increase.  Sellers should continue to remain realistic about pricing their home.  If your home isn't selling, it probably is overpriced.

The monthly market report is ready for you to view or download.  Click on the image below to access this month's market report.  Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends. 

Get a FREE instant property value report!