Before you make an offer on what you deem is the “perfect” home, make sure to consider these six tiny details, that although small, could turn an ideal house into a purchase you may regret. 

1. Check Your Cell Reception: Does your future dream home have cell reception? Check your signal when you’re on the property and see if it has dead spots, poor/limited data connections, or flat-out “NO SERVICE” messages. If you plan to telecommute or skip having a landline, this is especially important. While you can try and live on VoIP connections, WiFi, and other options, the hassle of a hole-in-cell coverage can wear on you.
2. Calculate Your Commute: When clocking your commute, make sure you don’t use a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Instead, try it during rush hour on a Monday (in bad weather if you can swing it). You might be surprised how school zones, backed-up interstate ramps, new construction, and peak transit schedules extend that commute. Calculate the commute for urban commutes as well. Even if you don’t drive to work, you’ll want to evaluate the commute in real-world conditions.
3. Check the Delivery Zone: Restaurant delivery areas are often drawn like congressional districts, so if you can, check out what the local food delivery options are like ahead of time. Lookup a few places, call them and verify they deliver to your address. (Asking the average delivery time is a good idea, too.)
4. Do a 24/7 Check: The home may be in a neighborhood that is quiet and peaceful on a Saturday afternoon, but what was it like on Friday night? What kind of traffic is there in the mornings? There may be an excessive number of children playing in the street in the afternoons after school. It is wise to do a drive-by at various times of the day and multiple days of the week to make sure you don’t have surprises pop up.
5. Give it the Sniff Test: Do you smell sewage, gas, or anything equally unpleasant? Sewage systems in older homes can sometimes get clogged or damaged by tree roots. Luckily, some sewer or plumbing companies can send a camera through the pipes to detect breaks or blockages. How does it smell outside? Some neighborhoods have distinct odors from nearby farms, landfills, water treatment plants, and industrial parks. It is vital to give it the sniff test inside and out.
6. Touch EVERYTHING: Turn on every faucet and light switch, open every window and door, and flush the toilets. Buying a house is a big step, and you need to know how everything works firsthand. Don’t forget to taste the water. There are water treatment options, but water quality is something you will want to know before becoming homeowners.

Markets can be super competitive, but remember that you’re planning on living in this new house for a considerable amount of time. (Most people would tell you at least 5 – 7 years.) Perhaps your priorities don’t include these six details, but they might to other buyers when you’re ready to sell.

As a realtor, I truly respect the time it takes to find the best home for the best price. I diligently do my homework for you to find what you are looking for. Contact me at 

928-916-1921, and I’d be happy to show you around homes for sale in the Prescott area.

What is an MLS?

The chances are that you have spent a little time online searching for homes. After all, most home searches begin online or on your phone. You may have even used a broker’s website or a site like Realtor.com, Trulia, or Zillow to help you browse listings. 

Source of Listing Information

Back in the day, before the Information Age revolution, brokers gathered and exchanged information about their properties. The idea was fairly straightforward: I’ll help you sell your properties if you help me sell mine. It’s a “private offer of cooperation and compensation.” Cooperation meant the real estate industry could thrive, and buyers and sellers could enjoy smoother transactions.

This spirit of cooperation gave rise to Multiple Listing Service(s) (MLS). By consolidating information about housing inventory in an MLS, listing brokers and buyers’ brokers can easily share up-to-date information about homes on the market. Though an MLS is typically a private database available to brokers, much of the data is syndicated to outside sites in the interest of casting a wider net for buyers and sellers.

Since the MLS is the primary source of information about a property, it tends to be the most accurate. In addition to the information available to the public online, the MLS may also contain private data for use by brokers only, such as times the home is available for showings and seller contact information. 

There are upwards of 850 MLS databases in the U.S. As you can imagine, just as technology and the real estate market change, the structure of the MLS is continuously being analyzed and revised to make it as user-friendly for the industry as possible. There is market pressure to centralize these into a national MLS database. Undoubtedly, we are sure to see changes in the future use of the Multiple Listing Services, but the core benefits to home sellers and buyers are certain to remain.

MLS Databases in Arizona 

What MLS databases are in Arizona? Better Homes and Gardens Bloomtree Realty uses PAAR and ARMLS for their MLS Database. The great news, we have recently changed our platform to make searching easier for our clients. Now, even though I am a real estate agent in Prescott, Arizona, you can search the entire state of Arizona from my website. The website directly taps into both the PAAR and ARMLS databases to give you more options when searching for homes for sale.

The listing feed that you can use on our website is one of the most user-friendly and most accurate feeds in the industry.

If you have questions on one of the properties you view, contact me and we can help answer your questions. 

Home inspection professionals are trained to spot problems and evaluate a home’s overall condition. Home inspectors will do their best to be ethical and thorough. However, they are also still human, and as a result, sometimes details escape their attention.

If you’re making a significant investment in a home, there’s no reason you have to leave 100% of the inspection up to someone else. There are areas you can review for yourself (or hire an outside party to check).

Before you sign off on the house, don’t neglect to review these commonly overlooked areas:

Roof:

Yes, inspectors will consider the roof condition, but they probably won’t be on top of the roof when they do it. This is one area where checking it out yourself or hiring a roofing contractor to take a look can be a significant benefit during negotiations.

Fences:

You might not think there’s much to inspect here, but replacing a fence is expensive. What looks sturdy on a sunny day can turn into a giant repair after a storm. This is especially true of wooden fences.

Drains:

Fill up tubs and sinks and see how long it takes them to drain. If they’re slow, you’ll want to know why. It could be something as simple as a clog, but better safe than sorry.

Fireplaces:

Home inspectors will often give these the once-over, but it is unlikely for them to light a fire. If you can, make sure these operate as expected. Also, find out when the chimney was last cleaned, and how often it was maintained. If the owner had burnt wood in the fireplace or wood-burning stove, no matter what kind of wood, the chimney should be cleaned regularly to prevent a chimney fire. Click here for a video tutorial that shows you the signs of when your chimney is ready to be cleaned and gives instructions on how you can quickly sweep your chimney.

Heating/Cooling:

The time of year might impact how thorough an inspector is with the heating and cooling system. Even if it is a hot summer day, don’t forget to run the heater, and vice versa, even if it is a snowy winter evening, run the A/C. Heating and Cooling units are big-ticket items, and you will want to be sure it performs as expected.

Electrical Panel & Outlets:

Your inspectors will review the homes electrical, but once again, things may be missed. To be thorough, check each room’s outlets by plugging in a phone charger. Along with this, open up the electrical panel. Is it neat and organized, or is it a tangled mess with disconnected wires?

Pricing is directly tied to a home’s condition, so don’t overlook the opportunity to protect yourself from repair bills. Along with this, problems found in the inspection process can present you with leverage in negotiations.

Ready to hunt for a home in great shape? Let me help you with your search. Contact me today: (928) 916-1921.

In today’s housing market, low inventory dominates many conversations in Prescott and in many areas of the country. With less inventory available, this increases the need for preparation for homebuyers when a house becomes available. Without preparation, you may miss out on a great opportunity. To help out, we have summarized five tips from realtor.com’s article, “How to Find Your Dream Home—Without Losing Your Mind.”

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search

One way to show you’re serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage. Even if you’re in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence to know whether or not your dream home is within your reach. This will help you avoid the disappointment of falling in love with a home well outside your price range.

2. Know the Difference Between Your ‘Must-Haves’ and ‘Would-Like-To-Haves’

Do you need a walk-in pantry in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a three-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Before you start your search, list all the features of a home you would like. Qualify them as ‘must-haves’, ‘should-haves’, or ‘absolute-wish list’ items. Taking time to recognize your priorities at this stage of the game will help you stay focused on what’s most important.

3. Research and Choose a Neighborhood Where You Want to Live

Every neighborhood has a unique charm. Before you commit to a home based solely on the house itself, take a test drive of the area. Make sure it meets your needs for included amenities, how far is the commute to work or school, look at the school district, check out the neighborhood noise, and survey the traffic. 

4. Pick a House Style You Love and Stick to It

Evaluate your family’s needs and settle on a style of home that will best serve those needs. Just because you’ve narrowed your search to a zip code doesn’t mean you need to tour every listing in that vicinity. For example, if you need all of your bedrooms on the same level, avoid two story-homes that don’t meet those criteria. If you don’t want to spend time working in a yard, avoid touring homes with large yards and high maintenance.

5. Document Your Home Visits

Once you start touring homes, the features of each home will begin to blur together. Having a journal or notebook to organize your thoughts and comments for each house would be helpful. Keep your camera handy and make notes to document what you love and don’t love about each property you visit.

Being prepared is your best advantage. Get your ‘must-haves’ and ‘must-nots’ ironed out, check with the mortgage company, and of course, enlist the help of a realtor to research homes that meet your criteria.  

When you are ready to start searching for a home, give me a call, I will put my resources to work for you:  928-916-1921