September 2017 – Real Estate

Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Listing Your Home

Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Listing Your Home

Ready to sell your Phoenix home this fall? Choosing the right REALTOR® to sell your home can be difficult, especially when they all sound so convincing. And most of the time, when it comes listing your home, the only questions you usually have for your agent is how much can you sell your home for and how fast can it be sold? Beyond that, real estate agents say few sellers take time to ask additional questions, and many hire the first agent they meet, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®.

These top 10 questions to ask before listing your home will not only help you select the right Realtor®, but to also get the very best from the agent you choose.

Do you work as a full-time Realtor?
What is my property worth? What listing price do you recommend? How did you arrive at that price?
Do you have references that I can check?
How will you set my listing apart from the crowd without costing me more money?
Do you handle incoming property inquiries?
How many listings do you have at this time, and how does this work to my benefit?
Do you have a help system to see that no details are overlooked?
How many potential buyers and sellers do you speak with each day? Each week? Each year?
In what ways will you encourage other Realtors to sell my home?
How do you promote properties on the Internet?

If you’re thinking of selling a home in Phoenix the Voss Team can help you navigate through each step of the process to assist you with making the best real estate investment decisions. Let us help you with your real estate investment goals. Contact us today!

Roberta Voss

The Voss Team

(602)-697-0730

7111 West Bell Road Ste 101

Glendale, Arizona 85308

thevossteam.com

Housing Ends Summer Strong; Only Slight Inventory Relief

Housing Ends Summer Strong; Only Slight Inventory Relief

U.S. home sales in August extended a summer of strong demand and weak inventory that once again resulted in listings with short shelf lives. In addition to the normal late summer real estate trends, a primary focus during the next month will be on housing in specific markets affected by natural disasters like devastating wildfires and hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The September 2017 RE/MAX National Housing Report shows August sales topping July by 2.8 percent, but finishing 0.84 percent below August 2016 which remains the best August in the report’s nine year history. Houston, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25, already experienced a 21.3 percent drop in sales from July and a 27.5 percent decline year-over-year. Other notable numbers include:

Inventory in the report’s fifty-four markets declined 3.9 percent from July and 13.7 percent from a year ago
Days on Market have dropped to forty-seven – the fastest listing-to-sale average for any August.
The Months Supply of Inventory, while continuing to rebound from a May low of 2.6, settled at 3.1 months and set another report record for August.
After hitting $239,950 in July, the median sales price dipped to $236,475 in August but still finished 5.4 percent higher year-over-year.

“Overall, we’re still seeing home prices rise year-over-year at just above historical averages — even with slightly declining nationwide prices in August, which is an expected annual pattern,” said Adam Contos, RE/MAX Co-CEO. “The data shows that home hunters continue to experience very limited inventory and increased competition, and home sellers are benefiting from quick sales for top dollar.”

Want to know more about the current real estate market? Click here to download your copy of the September 2017 RE/MAX National Housing Report. If you are looking to sell your Arizona home or are ready to buy a Phoenix home, please contact The Voss Team today.

Roberta Voss

The Voss Team

(602)-697-0730

7111 West Bell Road Ste 101

Glendale, Arizona 85308

thevossteam.com

Do These 3 Hacks Before Moving In

Do These 3 Hacks Before Moving In

After you close on your new Phoenix home, the moving frenzy can feel like an ongoing series of to-do lists to no end. And though it’s tempting to take it easy and start arranging your furniture and hanging curtains the minute you get the keys to your new home, stop and remember to do these 3 hacks before moving in to your new place.

1.) Change the locks: Before you even so much as drop one box into your lovely new domicile, be sure to change the locks or have them rekeyed. You never know who may have a copy of the original keys and it’s better to be safe than sorry. You can pick up locksets at your local home improvement store and they are relatively easy to install yourselves.

2.) Locate the circuit breaker: Doesn’t sound super important, but locating the circuit breaker in your new home is one of the first things you should do prior to move in. There’s nothing worse than having a power outage during a move that leaves you struggling to find the breaker. Even if electrical testing during your home inspection went well, it still doesn’t hurt to know where your electric box and switches are. It’s also a good idea to label your switches clearly in case of emergency if they aren’t labeled already.

3.) Change the alarm batteries: It’s likely your fire alarm and carbon monoxide detectors were tested during the home inspection process of your home buying experience. But making sure your alarms have fresh batteries will benefit you in the long run. In the shuffle of moving in and getting settled in, it’s an easy step to forget that could save lives later.

Remember to do these 3 hacks before moving in to your new home and you’ll have just that much less on your to-do list as you settle in to your new home. Looking to buy a home in Phoenix this fall? Contact The Voss Team today, and we’ll help you navigate through each step of the process to assist you with making the best real estate investment decisions and find the perfect home for you!

Roberta Voss

The Voss Team

(602)-697-0730

7111 West Bell Road Ste. 101

Glendale, Arizona 85308

thevossteam.com

Top 3 Labor Day Safety Tips

Labor Day is synonymous with the end of summer and the long holiday weekend, and is typically packed with celebratory events like backyard barbecues, final excursions to the lake, picnics at the park, and beach parties. But even festive events like these present hazards you should be aware of. Here are the top 3 Labor Day safety tips to keep in mind as you enjoy this federal holiday.

1.) Travel Safe: According to the National Safety Council, nearly 400 deaths result from motor vehicle collisions over Labor Day Weekend. A notorious road-trip weekend, it’s one of the busiest on the road. If you’re planning a weekend excursion make sure you’re well rested, plan for frequent rest stops, and divide driving duties if possible.

2.) Drink Safe: For many, it’s not a party ‘til alcohol is involved. But because drinking impacts your decision making, coordination, reaction time and vision, you may become more vulnerable to accidents and hazards. If you plan on consuming alcohol, setting a limit on how much you will consume. And as always, please don’t drink and drive. Arrange for someone to help you get home if you drink more than planned.

3.) Sun Safely: Just because Labor Day signifies the unofficial end of summer, doesn’t mean the sun isn’t still raging, especially in Arizona! If you plan to be outdoors barbequeing, boating or enjoying any other outdoor pleasures, please remember to use sunscreen and stay hydrated with water.

Remember, just because you’re taking a vacation doesn’t mean you need to take a vacation from safety too. Keep these top 3 Labor Day safety tips in mind and have a safe and Happy Labor Day weekend!

Roberta Voss

The Voss Team

(602)-697-0730

7111 West Bell Road Ste 101

Glendale, Arizona 85308

thevossteam.com