How to Move with Kids

As if moving isn't already hard enough, adding your children into the mix can present a whole new challenge. Kids are resilient, but major changes like big moves can be difficult to work through if children aren't prepared. Depending on their age, your children may be leaving behind a school, friends, and activities that they've grown to love. Instead of throwing them in the deep end, consider helping them get their moving feet wet with these steps. 

1. Talk to your children about your move as soon as it becomes a possibility.

Once you've decided to move, the first thing you should do is have an open discussion with your children. If you wait until it is time to pack, they may feel like they've had a bombshell dropped on them. If you give them a chance to voice their feelings and work through them, you'll deal with a little less chaos when it is time to move. Consider the best way to tell your children, taking into account how each child best receives information. Be open, honest, and available to answer their questions.

2. Find ways to involve your children in your new neighborhood.

Instead of leaving the kids at home while you are closing on a property or even just touring potential homes, bring them along. Find activities in the area that your children will enjoy, whether it be a park nearby or local libraries, pools, or playgrounds. Helping them feel familiar with their new home will take a weight off of their shoulders and reduce the fear of being the 'new kid' when they move. Once you are moved in, consider hosting a game night or play date for your neighbors with children so that your kids have an opportunity to make friends quickly.

3. Reach out and get local recommendations ahead of time.

This will help both you and your children have a little more peace of mind when it comes to making a big move. Before the move, find local parent groups (sites like Facebook are full of these) and seek out recommendations for daycares and schools that meet the criteria you are looking for. The first thing most people do when trying something new out is to check for reviews, and these groups will allow you to do just that. Create a short list of places you think will fit your lifestyle, and then conduct as much research as you need to make a decision when you arrive in your new home. This will reduce the time your children will spend in limbo when you move.

Moving can be a difficult time, but preparing your children will help make the process as smooth as possible and help to lessen the stress that comes with a big move.  They will be settled in at their new home sooner than you think!  

Tech to Find the Right Home

According to the National Association of Realtors's 2018 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, 52% of buyers want help to find the right home to purchase.  Physically locating the home is certainly part of what buyers want from their agent but finding the right home at the right price and terms is also crucial.

87% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.  Slightly more than half of buyers were referred to their real estate professional by a friend or relative or had used the agent previously to buy or sell a home.

There are tech tools that can be used together with the expertise and experience of your real estate professional to make the home buying process efficient and effective.

Listing Alert ... while this service is called by other names, such as property alerts, the buyer identifies the specifics about the home they want, and it will notify them directly when a new listing comes on the market that matches their needs.

Real estate smartphone apps ... imagine driving a neighborhood, seeing a sign and immediately being able to know the price and specifics about the home; very convenient.  There are a variety of different apps available such as Homesnap, and others, ask your agent for their recommendation before installing one.

Digital documents ... companies like DocuSign have revolutionized real estate negotiations by doing everything digitally so that you're not going back and forth between the parties signing and initialing changes.  It is safe and secure and your agent will handle this end of it for you.

ColorSnap Visualizer ... this Sherwin Williams app for iPad allows you to paint walls on a picture, match photos to find paint colors and other things before you commit to a color.

Google maps ... plug in an address on Google Maps and you see street view of the home, satellite view, surrounding businesses, traffic speed and other things.

Sex Offender Registry ... NSOPW, the National Sex Offender Public Website is a safety resource that provides the public with access to sex offender data nationwide.

Financial Calculators ... fill in the blank applications that can illustrate the benefits of renting vs. owning, Equity Accelerator, Adjustable Rate Comparison, Cost of Waiting to Buy and many other homeowner situations.

Free Public Records Directory - OnlineSearches provides access to public record sources like deeds and assessor and property tax records.  While this service is free, some state and county agencies may charge fees for accessing public records.

Virtual open house ... an alternative to physically viewing a home is to look at the multiple photos online.  If the property is interesting, you can schedule a physical showing with your agent.

Check your credit ... Order free credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each once a year at www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

The final recommendation is your phone.  When you have a question, contact your agent.  Calling another agent may seem like an expedient way to get an answer, especially if you cannot get a hold of your agent but it could inadvertently, cause issues.

As your real estate professional I can assist you with these and other tools to help you find the right home.  If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 623-252-9350.

Save yourself time and money by knowing the process!

(Updated 9/4/25)

Congratulations!  The decision to buy your own home is an exciting one!  You are about to embark on one of the most important decisions of your lifetime.  Even if you have purchased a home in the past, it is a decision that will bring you years of comfort and joy.

Where should you get started? I have a proven 21 Step Home Buying Process that can help you every step of the way.  Please see the diagram below:

Once you've completed the first step and you know you want to buy a property, your second step should be to contact me to set up a time for us to chat about your goals and what you want to achieve.  I can then let you know if I can help you get a game plan together.  

By hiring me, you are hiring a Realtor with advanced training, years of experience, as well as systems in place to help you experience success with buying a new home.  Plus, I care about my clients and enjoy helping them find the perfect home for them!  

Even if you are months away from buying, it's never too early to start the process.  I am always here to answer any questions, so please feel free to use me as a resource.  Call or text me at 623-252-9350.  Or send me an email to cinda@cindarose.com.  I look forward to connecting!

Looking to purchase a home? 

Let me help you experience success! 

Inventory is low and you will most likely run into competition. My goal is to help you learn how to buy a home and beat out the other buyers.  Through the years I have helped numerous people like you buy a new home in the West Valley, from first time home buyers to people looking for a retirement home.  I can help you get ready to buy, avoid problems along the way, and enjoy the process from start to finish as I keep you informed every step of the way. My timely updates will let you know where we stand in the process and what comes next.  

Important Things To Know About Buying a Home:

• Consult professionals to assist you--utilize their knowledge and experience to make the process easier for you.  Find an experienced Realtor that has extra training and education as well as systems and process in place to help make home buying experience easier.  This should be step 1, even if you are months out from buying a home.  

• Ask your Realtor for a recommendation for a mortgage professional.  Realtors see the good, the bad, and the (super) ugly when it comes to financing and completing the loan process.  They can recommend mortgage professionals that they have worked with in the past that have done an outstanding job.  

• This mortgage professional can help you understand how much you can spend and what type of home that will get you.  

• Decide on a monthly mortgage payment that fits your lifestyle and budget.

• Determine how much money you will need for a down payment and closing costs.

• Did you know that you don't need 20% for a down payment if you plan on living in the house?

• Down payment assistant programs still exist!

• Start saving money! In addition to your down payment, and closing costs you will also have other costs such as cleaning and moving costs.

• Find the right home for you. It's time to work with your Realtor and do some research into what is the right property for you.  

• Consider a new construction home, but take along representation, the sales agent represents the builder, not the buyer.  Even if you are just checking out model homes, once you go in without representation the builder will not let you use a Realtor.

• Start viewing homes.  With a handful of your Realtor's business cards in your hand, head out to open houses to get a feel for what is on the market.  Your Realtor can help you get a list of open houses together. 

• Agents that work open houses work for the seller, not the buyer, so be careful what you say!

• When you are ready, it's time to start your home tours with your Realtor!

Check out my proven home buying process:

Cinda Rose's Home Buying Process

According to the National Association of Realtor's (NAR) July housing report, existing-home sales slowed for the 4th consecutive month in July.  This signifies the most sluggish pace in more than two years.  NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says that rising home prices and rising interest rates may be causing would-be home buyers to pull away from purchasing a new home.  A lot of first time home buyers have been priced out of the market.  However, this slowdown could be a great opportunity for buyers, as sellers may be willing to lower their sales price.  

Why use a Realtor® to help you buy a new home?  And what does ABR stand for?

Buying a home is a complex process involving the largest financial transaction you may ever undertake.  A Realtor® does not just find people houses or help them with their home search, in today's world most buyers find the properties that they want to purchase online (unless it is a pocket or upcoming listing). 

A Realtor'sⓇ main job is to be an advocate for buyers and help protect, as well as, guide them through the home buying process with the least amount of stress as possible.  It's important to note that there could be negative legal and financial implications involved in buying a home, so having a knowledgeable agent on your side is crucial.  It could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

What is a buyer's rep/buyer's agent?

A buyer's rep represents you and your interests, not the seller's, in a real estate transaction.  A buyer's agent who has earned the Accredited Buyer's Representation (ABR) designation has gone the extra mile and completed specialized training in delivering the best buyer representation services to their clients.  An agent who is an ABR is a trusted advocate whose training and experience helps them excel in helping clients search for homes, write and negotiate offers, and get the buyer to the closing table.  ABR's help clients find houses that become homes.

An ABR can help you:

• Be an educated buyer.
• Navigate the home buying process.
• Find properties that reflect your specific needs and wants and help you keep your goals in mind.
• Understand how much you can afford.
• View available properties.
• Write offers.
• Negotiate your offer to your best advantage.
• Provide a list of qualified vendors (such as lenders, movers, etc.)
• Keep your best interests in mind throughout the transaction.
• Guide you with investigating and inspecting the property before you take possession.
• Protect your earnest money should you decide not to buy a property.
• Coordinate every transaction detail -- to closing and beyond -- to keep you on track.

Thinking about buying a home in the next year?  I want to help!  I am proud to be an ABR Realtor® and I am ready to help you experience success! Contact me today for a free no-obligation phone consultation:

Phone Consultation with Cinda Rose   

I provide my clients with free access to their own

moving concierge to make their move easier! 

As you can see they help you set up just about everything you need to make your move a smooth one! Another service not listed above is mail forwarding through the USPS.  And the best part, all of the services are FREE for my clients.  It's just one of the ways I like to set my clients up for success with less stress! 

Contact me today for your free phone consultation to help you get a game plan together to achieve your real estate goals!  Even if you aren't ready to buy right away, it's important to build a relationship with a Realtor that will be your advocate throughout the process.  I'd love to connect to see if I can assist you when you are ready to buy a home, please fill out the form below to request a free phone consultation.

Unfortunately, crime is everywhere.  When you are ready to buy a home it is important to do some research about the area's crime rates and more since your Realtor will not be able to provide that information to you due to regulations.  Where can you find crime reports or other information about a neighborhood or city?  There are several websites that offer crime statistics, neighborhood stats, information about schools and more. 

Here are four websites that can help you research a neighborhood before you buy or sell: 

CrimeReports.com

According to their website, "CrimeReports is the nation's largest collection of law enforcement agencies committed to transparency, public access, and citizen engagement."  At CrimeReports.com, you can search over 1000 departments by name, region or zip code.  You can utilize the typical search box or you can explore areas by on a map.  

NeighborhoodScout.com

On NeighborhoodScout.com, you can "Know the neighborhood. Intimately." Before you buy a home in an area.  They provide data for future homeowners as well as investors.  They provide "Custom analytics to invest, appraise or finance real estate."  In fact, they have several tools for an investor to keep an eye on a neighborhood and pick the best one to invest in.  Investors, lenders, brokers, agents, property managers and home buyers and sellers can utilize their neighborhood data to make better decisions. 

City_Data.com

Find out the crime rate in Arizona's cities and small towns via a map search.  You can also research schools, neighborhoods, and restaurants.  This website also provides information about registered sex offenders.  

Bestplaces.net

Sperling's Best Places provides info on cost of living, schools, crime rates, and more.  Search by city, town or zip.  

Does the neighborhood participate in a Neighborhood Watch?

The Tax Difference in Second Homes

A principal residence and a second home have some similar benefits, but they have some key tax differences. A principal residence is the primary home where you live and a second home is used mainly for personal enjoyment while limiting possible rental activity to a maximum of 14 days per year.

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Mortgage Interest Deduction allows a taxpayer to deduct the qualified interest on a principal residence and a second home. The interest is reduced from a maximum of $1,000,000 combined acquisition debt to a maximum of $750,000 combined acquisition debt for both the first and second homes.

Property taxes on first and second homes are deductible but limited to a combined maximum of $10,000 together with other state and local taxes paid.

The gain on a principal residence retained the exclusion of $250,000/$500,000 for single/married taxpayers meeting the requirements. Unchanged by the new tax law, the gains on second homes must be recognized when sold or disposed of.

Tax-deferred exchanges are not allowed for property used for personal purposes such as second homes. Gain on second homes owned for more than 12 months is taxed at the lower long-term capital gains rate.

This article is intended for informational purposes. Advice from a tax professional for your specific situation should be obtained prior to making a decision that can have tax implications.