Five Tips For The Best Granite Countertops

The interior design industry has been trying for years to break homeowners’ addiction to granite counters. They’ve introduced stainless, concrete, glass, quartz, wood, marble and other ideas to wean people away, but the alternative surfaces just don’t have the luxury look that granite does.

If you’re getting granite counter tops for the first time, here are five things you need to know:

Choose the right stone. Granite is a general term that describes a type of granular igneous rock formed by cooled magma and indigenous minerals. Depending on where the granite is quarried, it can be stunning with streaks of gray, pink, red, green, blue or gold. The rarity of the vein of granite can drive up the price considerably, as well as the thickness and the type of fabrication you choose.

When you shop for granite, don’t choose from a sample. You’re basically buying the whole slab so that’s how you should shop. Look only at whole slabs, as the fabricators will use as much as possible to match sections and to minimize waste. Sometimes it’s possible to buy two or more slabs from the same lot. They are sliced just like pieces of toast so they can accommodate large kitchens. If they’re put back to back, they form butterfly or mirror images of each other.

The beauty of granite is the movement of color and the pattern of streaks and dapples, so choose wisely. A strong graphic pattern will be highly energizing, while a softer color and pattern will be calming.

Hold the Dumb End of the Tape. Granite is sold by the square foot. You can get an idea of the number of square feet you need by multiplying length by width for each section of the kitchen, such as counter tops, back splash, and an island. Then add the square feet of each section together.

But that’s not all there is to measuring. There’s an edge allowance, seam allowance, sinks and other things to consider. You can tell your salesperson how many square feet you think you’ll need, and he or she can direct you to slabs and lots that are large enough to fulfill your order. Once you choose, the salesperson will “hold” the slab with a deposit, until the fabricator can come out to measure exactly.

Meanwhile, your cabinets should be installed before the fabricator comes out. Most appliances fit under the countertops, but if you’re installing a new sink or cooktop, the fabricator will need those measurements, too. Let the fabricator take the measurements. That way the fit is guaranteed.

Be aware of slab thickness. Not all granite slabs are sliced the same, so expect to pay more for a three-inch thickness than a one-inch thickness. If you choose a thick granite, make sure your cabinets can support that much weight.

Next, you’ll choose an edge that is bullnose, ogee or beveled, or raw-edged. The finish can also change the look of the granite. Polished granite is glossy and reflective. Honed granite is a smooth matte finish. Leather is a textured finish.

Ask for as few seams as possible. If you’re doing a large area like a kitchen, you want to use as few seams as possible so that the flow of the granite pattern and color is less interrupted. A seamless slab in a kitchen looks beautiful and holds more value than seamed pieces because it’s like a work of art. Ask the fabricator if any parts of the job can be done without a seam. Sometimes it’s very possible, depending on the design of your kitchen.

To save money, you can choose granite tiles, which is like a tile, so there will be no seams, but they add little value to your home. You can also order from scraps the dealer may have leftover from other jobs, but they’re only be suitable for small jobs where you don’t have to match another granite, such as a powder bath or laundry.

Granite requires care. Granite is fairly heat-resistant and easy to clean, but you should keep in mind that it’s also porous. It can crack, chip, stain and show scratches.

Don’t put hot pans directly on the surface; use a trivet or hot pad. Use only granite-safe cleansers. Don’t use bleach, ammonia products, scouring pads, or anything acidic such as lemon or vinegar to clean. Don’t use dish soap to clean as it can leave a dulling film on the surface. Spills of wine, juice and tomato sauce should be cleaned up quickly.

Some finishes such as polish act as more of a seal, but you can also purchase granite sealers at your local market. Just wipe it on once a year or so to keep your countertops looking their best.

If you’re wondering whether your countertop needs sealing, spill some clean water or the surface and cover it with a paper towel. If it leaves a stain, it will go away eventually, but you’ll know it’s time for sealant.

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

6 Surefire Ways To Get Your House Sold

We’re coming to the end of summer, and that means that families seeking to buy a new home before school starts have likely already done their thing. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you’re looking to sell. Whether you’re just getting ready to list your home or haven’t had any bites on your existing home for sale, these tips will get it – and you – moving.

Price it right

This is the most obvious, but also the most contentious, tip when it comes to selling a home. Everyone wants top dollar. But rule No. 1 about a house that isn’t selling is to lower the price. (Likewise, listing a house now at an unreasonable price likely won’t get you the sale you’re looking for, especially when kids go back to school and sales naturally slow down.) ABC News has a good piece on how to tell if your home is overpriced, but…if it’s not selling, and your showings are limited, and your real estate agent has already talked to you about this (maybe more than once, including when you first discussed the list price), you probably already know why it’s not selling.

Here’s how to get past the disappointment of having to list your home at a lower price than you want or lower it when it’s sitting on the market: Your ultimate goal is to get the home sold and get on with your life, right? Maybe that means buying a larger home. Perhaps you’re looking to downsize or even move out of state. Whatever your plans, you’re delaying them by letting your home stay on the market.

Every month it doesn’t sell is another month you’re in a holding pattern. And, it means you’re spending more money on carrying costs if you’ve already moved to a new home before your old one has sold. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself what your happiness or peace of mind is worth. Chances are it’s more than the money you’ll miss out on if you sell for less. Once you’ve come to that realization, it should be easier to make a price adjustment.

Choose the right REALTOR®

Another “Duh” statement here. But the reality is that the right agent can make or break your sale. You may be inclined to list your home with a friend who’s just getting into the business or a cousin twice removed due to family pressure, but consider this move carefully. When you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars, you want to make sure you have someone in your corner who has the knowledge and experience to navigate professionally and successfully through every step of what can be a very complicated process. While your pal or relative may be eager, they might not have the depth of understanding of sales trends to strategize the best listing price, or the negotiation skills to get the deal done. The relationships a seasoned agent has with other industry professionals is also key to a quick and profitable sale.

Paint your front door

We all know the value of curb appeal, so getting your front yard in order is a must-do when listing your home. (If it’s not selling, perhaps a little more sprucing up out front is in order.) But don’t skip your front door while you’re trimming bushes and laying down new mulch. A refreshed (or new, if needed) front door regularly tops the list of improvements providing a good return on investment on the annual Cost vs. Value Report. It’s an easy DIY update, too.

But, before you run off to buy paint, carefully consider the color. Choose wrong and you could turn off buyers. Choose right and you could actually get more for your home.

“When it comes to paint color, homeowners may have reason to go back to black. Houses with front doors in shades of black – from charcoal to jet – fetched $6,271 more than expected when sold, said MarketWatch. “Pops of color are especially important for front doors. It often forms the first impression in a prospective home buyer’s mind and can determine how they will view the rest of the property when touring a home. A door paint in a popular color can help make buyers feel that the property is well cared for.”

Take half the stuff out of your closets

Yes, your overstuffed closet can kill a sale. If a potential buyer feels like they won’t have enough space for their stuff, they won’t be a potential buyer for long.

Put your personal stuff – and your personal taste – away

“Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. You’ll have to do it eventually anyway when you move, and buyers tend to have a hard time seeing past personal effects. You don’t want your potential buyers to be distracted. You want them to be able to imagine their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there,” said The Balance. “This goes for furniture items, too, painful as that might be. Not everyone will share your taste, so if you have your bright red sofa screams, “I’m unique!” you might want to remove it for the time being. Try to stick with your more understated pieces.”

Keep your emotions out of it

Selling your home can be an emotional experience, especially if it was your first home or it’s otherwise filled with memories. But emotions can get in the way of a home sale, and waylay your objective, which is to move up or move on.

“Once you decide to sell your home, it can be helpful to start thinking of yourself as a businessperson and a home seller, rather than as the home’s owner,” said Investopedia. “By looking at the transaction from a purely financial perspective, you’ll distance yourself from the emotional aspects of selling the property that you’ve undoubtedly created many memories in. Also, try to remember how you felt when you were shopping for that home. Most buyers will also be in an emotional state. If you can remember that you are selling not just a piece of property but also an image, a dream and a lifestyle, you’ll be more likely to put in the extra effort of staging and perhaps some minor remodeling to get top dollar for your home. These changes in appearance will not only help the sales price, but they’ll also help you create that emotional distance because the home will look less familiar.”

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

How Pros Choose A Fix-And-Flip Property

How To Flip homes For Profit

Shoot for 70 percent of the after-repair value (ARV) minus cost of repairs.
Look for homes with good bones (i.e., a solid structure)
Choose newer homes for faster, less thorough flips
Get all proper permits for repairs or additions
When starting out, get a mentor to teach you the ropes

If you’re looking to invest in real estate, one way is with a rehab project, also known as a fix and flip. The process entails buying a fixer-upper, remodeling and/or renovating it and then selling it at a profit. With home prices rising across the country, however, flipping homes can be tricky. It’s important to know what you’re doing when taking on a fix-and-flip project. If you make a mistake, your profitable investment could turn into a costly money pit.

How do you separate the winning properties from the losers? Fix-and-flip investors look at a number of factors to help determine whether a property is a good investment.

After-repair value
One of the most important things that investors searching for properties to flip must consider is the property’s after-repair value, or ARV, according to Nancy Wallace-Laabs, of KBN Homes, LLC.

“Typically, if you’re investing, you want to buy a house that’s 70 percent of the ARV minus the cost of the repairs,” she said.

For example, if you determine a house’s value after you make repairs will be $200,000, and you estimate the repair costs to be $20,000, you shouldn’t pay more than 70 percent of $180,000 (the ARV minus cost of repairs), or $126,000 for the property.

Wallace-Laabs said she evaluates each property she comes across and asks herself whether it’s better suited as a rehab project or a buy-and-hold (that is, a rental property). “On flipping, you really need to analyze and know your formula to know how much money are you going to make on that property?” she said.

Lucas Machado, president of house-flipping company House Heroes LLC in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, near Miami, agrees that the flipping game is all about the numbers.

“What do you think the thing is going to be worth once you’re done fixing it up?” he asked. “What are you paying for it right now? What are you paying to buy it, and how much is it going to cost to get it to being worth that? It’s really about nailing those numbers.”

It’s important to analyze comparable sales in the area to get a good idea how much the property could sell for, he said. You need to make sure you’re comparing “apples to apples,” he added: If a property in the area sold for $300,000, but it had a pool and your property doesn’t, for example, the two properties aren’t comparable and you can’t expect to sell yours for that much money.

“Good bones”

Doug DeShields, president of the National Real Estate Investors Association, and an active rehabber himself, said he typically looks for homes that were built between 1950 and 1975.

“They have good bones, good structure,” he said. “They’re typically brick and we can tend to do well in those houses.”

Part of knowing whether a house has “good bones” or not is having some familiarity with what it takes to make necessary repairs, according to DeShields.

“You do not have to be the world’s best carpenter,” he said. “You don’t have to swing the hammer one time. But what you need to do is have a good feel for the various aspects. You need to know a little bit about construction, whether you can physically do it or not. You need to know what makes a good property.”

Thorough inspections
On the other hand, if you’re looking to do a less extensive flip, you should look beyond a property’s “good bones,” according to Travis Moore, owner of Fargo Home Solutions.

Moore said he sometimes prefers less extensive flips — the carpet-and-paint-fix-ups, as he called them — that require less expensive remodeling. According to Moore, for that style of flip, the age of the house can make a huge difference.

“If I’m doing a project like that, I really like to stick to homes that are built in 2000 and after, because you’re not going to find as many surprises,” he said. “When you get into older homes, you may think it looks OK — it’s got good bones, it’s got good structure — so this is probably a good candidate for just kind of cleaning it up. (But) on older homes, expect to have a few surprises.”

To get it right on older homes, according to Moore, it’s important to do a thorough inspection.

“Before you purchase it, really do a deep dive inspection on it … really beyond just looking at what’s visible,” he said. “Any home that old that I’m considering a lighter renovation, I really dig deep into its condition for everything, (such as) plumbing and electrical.”

Proper permits
When you buy a property, know that not every addition or feature may be permitted — and if that’s the case, it could cost you. Flippers should be cognizant of the permitting requirements for their specific location, according to Wallace-Laabs.

“If you end up doing work on a property and then (are) trying to sell it on the retail market … you have to provide proof that you pulled permits on that work,” she said.

This is not a requirement that investors should try to skirt, because it could end up costing a lot of money, she said. Wallace-Laabs mentioned that she knows an investor who bought a house and didn’t do proper due diligence before finalizing the purchase. It turned out that a previous addition to the property had never been properly permitted.

“So now my investor friends have to tear out all the sheetrock so the city can inspect the plumbing, behind the walls, the electrical, and even (check) that they put in the right size of window to call it a bedroom,” she said. “So instead of them thinking it was going to cost them $30,000 to fix this house, now it’s going to cost them $60,000.”

Get a mentor
Then, there are the big things you should look for when evaluating a fix-and-flip property — avoid foundation issues or termites for example, but there’s only so much a newbie can know. That’s why every fix-and-flip expert we spoke to recommended turning to an experienced mentor for help.

The investment advisers at Position Realty can help you with finding the perfect investment property (we have a list of wholesale properties), help you analysis the property to make sure it’s a profitable investment and help you inspect the property for issue you may over look. Give us a call today!

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

Phoenix Real Estate Market Report ~ July 2018

The number of new listing in the month July 2018 is 9,088 listings (down 1,149 from last month) where we saw a similar drop off in July 2017 which is the month just before kids go back to school. The overall number of active listings as compared to the total number in July 2017 of 19,874 listing is similar to the total number of listings this year at 19,834 listings which is only a difference of -40 listings. In the past months this difference has been a lot wider where the number of new listings coming on the market is helping with the lack of active listings on the market. As for the number of sold transactions, we had fewer transactions in July 2017 of 8,024 transactions than in July 2018 at 8,547 transactions which is only a difference of 523 transactions. This is good news which shows the market is continuing to follow its normal cyclical ups and downs.

The Phoenix Housing Market ended 2017 with an overall annual appreciation rate of approximately +9.0%. If inventory remain low throughout 2018 and a strong demand for housing continues we can expect the market to continue to appreciation above the national average. Historically, real estate prices don’t start to increase until March as the buying season begins ands starts to slow down in August once kids go back to school which we are starting to see signs in July. In July 2018 there was a slight drop in the average sold price from $333,396 in June 2018 to $320,710 in July 2018 which is a decrease of -3.8%. We experienced a similar drop in the average sold price from June 2017 to July 2017 of -2.6% which indicates this is normal for the market unless we continue to experience price decreases in the following months. Since August 2017 (12 months ago), the average days on market has decreased approximately -10.4% (down from last month) and the number of sold transaction has increased approximately +3.4% (down from last month).

Since January 2018 we have seen four sharp trends: The average days on market have decreased -20.0%, the number of sold transactions has increased +37.6%, months of inventory have decreased -46.9% and number of new listing has decreased -14.2%. Should this trend continue throughout 2018 we can expect another year of appreciation above the national average in the Phoenix real estate market. Historically, 19,834 homes for sale represent the lowest number of homes this market has seen for over a decade. This low number of homes for sale indicates we are in a seller’s market (low supply and increased demand). Property owners are not putting their homes on the market because they are holding off to accumulate additional equity from the market. Hopefully, this roller coaster will come to a slow end instead of everyone wanting to put their homes on the market at the same time.

Real estate prices will continue to increase and interest rates are planned to increase in 2018 so if you are thinking about buying a home this year will be the time to buy before you get priced out of the market. Give us a call to discuss your best buying or selling strategy, TODAY!!

Five Tips for Staging Your Home

If you’re in a tough seller’s market or just looking to get top dollar for your home, you want to do any little thing you can to make your house stand out in a potential buyer’s mind. Staging is one of those things that can make the difference between a sold sign and a house that lingers on the market.

The National Association of Realtors suggests that staging has a real impact on home sales. In fact, a majority of realtors report that staging increases the sales price of a home anywhere between 1 and 10 percent. However, the real impact of staging seems to be how quickly a home is sold, with 39 percent of Realtors stating that it greatly decreases the time spent on the market. Buyers’ agents confirm the positive impact of staging, stating that 77 percent of buyers were better able to picture a home as their own when it was staged.

Of course, there is an art to staging a home, and a poorly staged home can have a negative impact on a potential sale. Here are five tips for staging your house that will have you putting up that “SOLD” sign in no time.

1. Declutter and Clean

Before thinking about decorations or furniture placement, the No. 1 suggestion of realtors is to declutter and deep clean. Clear countertops and other surfaces, and pack away anything that is not essential. Your goal is to remove anything that will distract buyers from seeing the positive aspects of your house, which is why realtors often suggest removing family photos and overly personalized decorations (like your giant bobble head collection). Remember, decluttering includes removing excess furniture, which help make your rooms feel bigger.

2. Group Furniture

Once you’ve removed furniture that is unnecessary or too large for the space, group furniture into conversational groups away from the wall, instead of pushing sofas and chairs to the corners. You want there to be a flow to each room, and keeping the walls clear of big furniture will actually make the room feel bigger, says HGTV.

3. Accessories in Odd Numbers

Although you’ll need to declutter, you still want your space to feel like a lived-in home. Do this by decorating with groups of accessories like vases, books or plants. Staging professionals often recommend grouping similarly hued objects in odd number pairings of varying heights and shapes.

4. Add 1 or 2 Bold Accents

While you want to keep your staging décor fairly neutral, adding one or two bold accent pieces will help highlight a particularly great feature of your home. Adding a dramatic chandelier that matches the style of your home to a dining room, entryway or even a fabulous bathroom will not only add light to a room, but bring architectural interest to the space as well.

5. Use Mirrors

Mirrors can help brighten a dark hallway, bring light into a room and make a room seem larger, says Forbes. For a big impact, get a cheap mirror and add a decorative frame, or group a lot of small mirrors in differing shapes and sizes. In a room with a window, place mirrors across from the window to reflect the sunlight.

Staging is all about helping potential buyers create an emotional connection with your home. Help buyers picture themselves living in the house by decluttering, grouping furniture and accessories, adding one or two bold accents and using mirrors. Now get ready for the offers to roll in.

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

When Is The Best Time to Sell Your House?

It’s summertime and you’ve been thinking about selling the house. The weather is great which makes it easy to show your home, and the kids are out of school to help you pack everything up (or just eat ice cream and watch you do it).

If you’re wondering the best time to sell your house and want to take advantage of the current sellers market, then we’ve got the answers for you below.

When to List to Get the Best Price and Sell the Fastest
Every day real estate surges forward with a new abundance of real estate tech tools. These tools are the building blocks of the future of real estate and help to predict the temperature of the market.

We’ve used one of these tools to give you the best time to sell your house based on cold, hard numbers.

If you need to put your home on the market now, you’re in luck. Nationwide housing market data shows August as the best time to list a house in order to get the highest sale price. August was the best time to list overall from 2014 – 2017. Real estate transactions often take a few months to close, which means that homes listed in August will most likely close in November. Homes that closed in November over 2014 – 2017 sold for 4.04% higher than the national average.

If you want your home to sell quickly, aim for a close date this month or a close date in August. Overall from 2014 – 2017, homes that closed in July and August closed 7 days faster than the National average.

You can also predict the best time to sell your house in your local market by searching your city and state in this tool and state in this tool. For example, the best time to sell a house in Las Vegas is the Summer, aiming for a Fall close date.

Current State of the Market: Sellers Hold the Cards
If getting out while it is good is your goal, then it may be in your best interest to sell your house now. Currently the nation is in a sellers market, which means that the demand for homes exceeds the number of homes on the market. Basically, there are more buyers in need of homes than there are people selling.

The problem is that some people are predicting a cooling of the real estate market in 2018. According to USA Today, home buying may be less accessible in 2018 because of higher interest rates and rising home prices. The National Association of Realtors predicts interest rates around 4.5-4.6% for this year.

If you need to sell, it might be best to list the home now for fear of the market leveling off and a big loss of buyers in 2018.

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

Hard Money Basics: What Everyone Should Know About These Loans

When it comes to real estate lending options, there is no shortage of different types of loan products available in the market today. However, one of the most common, and often most misunderstood, are hard money loans. If you aren’t familiar with these loans they are a unique type of lending opportunity that can help both buyers and investors get the financing they need.

These transactions are most commonly used in fix-and-flips, rent-stabilize-refinancing deals, cash-out refinancing, land scenarios, construction deals, bankruptcy or foreclosure payoffs or transactions when the deal is particularly time-sensitive. In fact, one of the biggest perks of using hard money loans is how quick they are when compared to traditional banks.

So, What Exactly Are Hard Money Loans?
Hard money loans are fast—but there is more than that to these lending options. Simply put, hard money loans are an alternative to a mortgage and are designed for borrowers who need money quickly and who only wish to hold on to a property for a short period of time. Hard money loans can be used in a variety of settings, but are perhaps most common for those taking on fix and flip projects and who want to invest in real estate in an effort to make some quick cash.

Typically, these loans are meant for short-term only (most commonly 12 months), but that doesn’t always have to be the case.

These loans are also becoming a popular option for borrowers who are unable to get a conventional real estate loan. Lenders do not use a traditional underwriting process, and instead look at every situation individually. For borrowers who have had foreclosures or issues in the past, this can be great news as many hard money lenders won’t even look at the borrower’s credit history—they only concentrate on the property that is being invested in.

Hard money loans are financed by private hard money lenders. Typically, they are private individuals or small groups that lend money to those who need it. Since these loans aren’t funded by a bank, they are typically much more flexible.

The Loan-to-Value Ratio
When you apply for a hard money loan, chances are you will hear a great deal about the loan-to-value ratio. Hard money lenders will lend money based on the property you are buying, instead of your credit score and background. Instead of looking at assets or equity alone, the primary thing the lender will look at is the property being purchased. This is the main collateral that the lenders will use. This does make it riskier for lenders so they will typically look for a loan-to-value ratio of around 50-75%.

The term “value” in the loan-to-value amount is actually based on what the lender could expect to get for the property in a one to four month selling time. This is why these loans are so popular for fix and flip properties.

Important Facts About Getting a Hard Money Loan
If you think that a hard money loan may be the right option or you, there are a few things you should know about the application process and what goes into securing one of these loans.

The first is that the applications are simpler. Everyone who has ever gotten a mortgage before knows how complex a mortgage application can be. The good news is, hard money loan applications are much simpler. This also means they can be approved much faster. In fact, many of them are approved in just 24 hours. Closing can typically happen within 10 days.

However, while hard money loans are significantly easier to get than mortgages, lenders are still going to need some basic information. This includes:

– The location of the property
– Recent appraisals
– Inspection data
– Purchase price of the property
– Planned resale price of the property
– Estimated remodeling costs—if applicable
– Borrower’s credit score
– Total assets and income of the borrower
– Level of real estate experience from the borrower

Once you are fully aware of what goes into a hard money loan and how it may be able to help you secure the finances you need—it is time to find a hard money lender. The good news is, there are many hard money lenders out there that are available to provide those who need it with the financing they are looking for.

Hard money loans aren’t for every situation, but they are a very popular and very reliable form of financial backing for those who need to quickly and easily get a large sum of cash.

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

Phoenix Residential Market Report ~ June 2018

The number of new listing in the month June is 10,237 listings which is back in line with the number of listing back in June 2017 of 10,234 listings. The overall number of active listing is still down as compared to 21,239 listings in June 2017 to 19,907 listing in June 2018 which is a decrease of -1,332 listing or -6.3% In the past months this difference has been a lot wider where the number of new listings coming on the market is helping with the total number of active listings. As for the number of sold transactions, we had more transactions in June 2017 of 9,623 transactions as compared to 9,232 transactions in June 2018. This increase in demand during the summer buying season is causing prices to appreciate at a faster rate than in 2017. Also the low amount of active listings and the high amount of transactions the months of inventory has gone from 3.9 months in January 2018 to 1.98 months in June 2018.

The Phoenix Housing Market ended 2017 with an overall annual appreciation rate of approximately +9.0%. If inventory remain low throughout 2018 and a strong demand for housing continues we can expect the market to continue to appreciation above the national average. Historically, real estate prices don’t start to increase until March as the buying season begins ands starts to slow down in August once kids go back to school. With the low inventory of homes the market has already appreciated 5.8% from an average sold price of $315,070 in January 2018 to $333,396 in June 2018. Another sign we are in a healthy market is the current percentage of foreclosures and short sales sold remains at only 1% of the total market. Since July 2017 (12 months ago), the average days on market has decreased approximately -6.2% (down from last month) and the number of sold transaction has increased approximately +15.1% (down from last month).

Since January 2018 we have seen four sharp trends: The average sold price has appreciated +5.8%, the average days on market have decreased -18.7%, the number of sold transactions has increased +48.6% and months of inventory have decreased -49.2%. Should this trend continue throughout 2018 we can expect another year of appreciation above the national average in the Phoenix real estate market. Historically, 20,808 homes for sale represent the lowest number of homes this market has seen for over a decade. This low number of homes for sale indicates we are in a seller’s market (low supply and increased demand). Property owners are not putting their homes on the market because they are holding off to accumulate additional equity from the market. Hopefully, this roller coaster will come to a slow end instead of everyone wanting to put their homes on the market at the same time.

Position Realty
Office: 480-213-5251

What Landlords Can Do To Avoid Evictions

Evictions are at an all-time high. Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist and mass eviction researcher Matthew Desmond placed the number at 2.3 million for 2016, offering a combination of reasons: Soaring housing costs coupled with flatlining incomes have come together to make rental properties that much more unaffordable to average families.

More than ever, families are squeezed between the income they produce versus the rent and housing costs they must meet.

In other words, the climbing eviction rate is unsustainable.

Though there are economic and structural reasons for this uptick, there are also tangible steps that landlords can take to attenuate that rise — effective ways landlords can avoid evictions.

Adopting A Proactive Approach

Evictions are not only destructive for tenants. They also negatively impact landlords, too. Neither party benefits from the eviction process. Tenants are tasked with the challenge of securing a new home. For landlords, the eviction process can take weeks or even months of time, cost and stress. It’s in the interest of both parties to avoid this outcome.

Landlords who mishandle the eviction process may receive a countersuit, action that can bury your case into a deeper, more insipid legal quagmire. Landlords must take a proactive, measured approach to avoid this outcome. When I say proactive, what I mean is an approach that prevents evictions in the first place and that puts the risk in your favor.

Create conditions in which the landlord-tenant relationship is healthy, open, honest and, most importantly, reciprocal. Remember — landlords are bound by their obligations as much as tenants are. Even though landlords own the property, they cannot take the law into their own hands. I’ve seen too many cases in which landlords have done precisely that.

A proactive approach is one that manages the concerns of your tenant in a timely, reasonable manner. It’s an approach that reduces landlord-tenant tension. It’s also an approach that seeks to avoid a reactionary response.

In many cases, evictions take place in unnecessary circumstances. Perhaps the tenant has a reasonable case for late rental payments. Perhaps landlords can adopt a more moral approach, one that seeks to understand and come to a sensible, long-term resolution that benefits both tenant and landlord. It doesn’t always have to result in eviction proceedings. Evictions should be avoided whenever possible.

Evictions are, of course, the action of last resort — both tenant and landlord should come to that realization if a dispute, no matter how small, comes to the fore. It’s not always the fault of the tenant. Landlords should realize this and act accordingly.

Always Meeting Obligations

Of course, there are situations in which eviction proceedings are wholly unavoidable. Even then, though, landlords should reflect on how that situation has arisen.

Landlords should ensure that their tenant is of the highest possible standard. Necessary background checks must be performed before leases are signed. It’s simply not enough to take a passive, distant attitude. It never works. But conducting those extra checks can, in the long term, save you weeks if not months of time, stress and cost by avoiding the eviction process. Invest the necessary time upfront, and it always pays off.

Even when things go awry, landlords should think about how that situation has come to pass and what steps, if any, they can take to avoid the same situation developing in the future. Again, it’s often down to being proactive and tackling every potential source of tension and discord in the landlord-tenant relationship.

The perilous increase in eviction rates of late casts a wider shadow over the landlord-tenant relationship, giving us greater cause to reflect on what landlords can do to prevent this often needless outcome. Landlords must be proactive along three fronts:

1. Landlords should guarantee that their tenant comes with the lowest possible risk. Conduct necessary, extra background checks.

2. Landlords should meet their obligations and ensure the landlord-tenant relationship is healthy, free from both hostility and tension.

3. Landlords should be flexible where necessary, seeking a long-term resolution for whatever the source of tension may be.

In cases where all three strategies fail, eviction proceedings are unavoidable. In these circumstances, landlords should always conduct themselves in accordance with the relevant state and local legislation and the tenancy agreement – a professional approach that seeks to streamline the eviction process, while also protecting the landlord against potential counter suits.

Some evictions are avoidable. By appreciating that fact for what it’s worth, landlords can do more to help their situation (and tenant) in both the short and the long term.

Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals: What You Need to Know

Businesses from airlines to restaurants to taxis are finding themselves in hot water due to their lack of understanding the rules governing service and emotional support animals.

It’s important that organizations – and especially, small businesses – know when and how to accommodate people with service animals to ensure that everyone has the safest and most pleasant experience with your company as possible.

Service Animals
According to the Department of Justice, service animals are classified, as a dog – and vary rarely, a miniature horse – that has been “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The work task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.” A service dog can be trained to assist an owner with a disability with any number of task from helping someone who is blind navigate walking streets to picking up items for someone with acute arthritis to activating a life-alert button for someone who has epilepsy.

Service animals are not required to wear any type of vest or carry certification, so they may not always be easy to identify by just looking at them. Businesses can ask if a dog is a service animal and what work task they have been trained to perform, if it is not obvious. However, they are not allowed to demand any verification for the dog or inquire about their handler’s disability.

Service dogs are also protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) and can accompany their handler to any public place – including office buildings, coffee shops and airplanes, provided they are under control and not a threat to others. Under the ADA, businesses must make “reasonable modifications” of their policies to accommodate trained service dogs. Companies can be fined for violating the rights of people with service animals.

A good way for businesses to think about service animals is as an extension of their owners. The dogs are trained to help their handlers with tasks they may be unable to perform alone. As such, businesses are not allowed to subject service dogs to any fees or restrictions that might apply to regular pets – such as cleaning or transportation fees. Hotels must also allow service dogs and their owners to stay in any room, not just “pet-only” rooms. Essentially, if a human is allowed somewhere, service animals are likely allowed there, too.

Emotional Support Animals
The rules become a bit more challenging around emotional support animals – also known as therapy animals. Emotional support and service animals are not one in the same. The role of an emotional support animal is to provide comfort to its owner and it is not trained to do any specific task. Any animal from a dog to cat or a bird or guinea pig can be considered an emotional support animal and are not covered under the ADA. These animals are considered effective in helping those who suffer from anxiety, depression or even PTSD.

To qualify, owners must receive an approval letter from a mental health professional that the animal provides a therapeutic benefit, and be able to provide that letter if a business requests it. Emotional support animals are allowed in the cabins of airlines at no extra charge and in any rental that falls under the Fair Housing Act, but that is the extent of what federal law requires.

Local laws vary for therapy animals, so it is best to check on the rules in your area before establishing your company policy. For instance, California has more extensive legislation protecting emotional support animals, but New York City isn’t so generous. For instance, in New York employers and landlords must make reasonable accommodations for support animals if you have proper documentation, but they can reject the animal if it poses a threat to the health or safety of others, or if the animal poses a danger of substantial property damage.

California creates three types of support animals with separate rules. The definition of a service dog and an emotional support animal are the same. But a psychiatric service dog is a dog trained to help a person with a mental disability. The tasks it is trained to do is waking someone with clinical depression and making them get out of bed, responding to a panic attack, or alerting an owner to erratic behavior if someone has a bipolar disorder. The protections for this level match those of a regular service dog.

If you do ever encounter a service dog or emotional support animal that is out of control – barking loudly, misbehaving or endangering the safety of other customers – it is perfectly acceptable to ask its owner to bring the animal under control. It is also acceptable to ask them to remove the animal if they are unable to control it. Just as you wouldn’t be expected to allow a human to behave erratically in your place of business, you are not expected to allow a service dog or therapy animal to act that way, either.