Category Archives: Real Estate

How to Detect Air Leaks & Save Money

It doesn’t matter if your home was built in 1968 or 2018: There’s a good chance it has at least a few air leaks.

So what, you ask? Well, an increase in unwanted airflow could cut into your cash flow in the long run. “If you’re not sealing your home against air leakage, you’re significantly reducing your energy efficiency,”

Source: How to Detect Air Leaks and Stop Hemorrhaging Money | realtor.com®

When one lives off-grid, every bit of power can be used just for cooling in the summer. The generator is our friend (although an expensive one.)

Today, our temps are expected to be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so we like that our super insulated straw bale house is keeping us in the high 70’s inside.

Batteries & solar panels become less efficient in the extreme heat, so it’s a double blow to our power needs.

Mornings are nice. We started off the morning at 86 degrees outside, but by 9:00 am it has jumped to 98 degrees.

Stay cool!

August Real Estate Update

It’s the dog days of August, we can see the two dogs in the morning skies, that is Canis Major & Canus Minor. Canis Major has the brightest star visible from earth, Sirius.

This month we would normally be shuffling papers, and trying to get chores done before the heat gets too oppressive, like say by 8:00 am. Surprisingly, this year the calls and emails have continued through the summer, which has been mercifully nicer temperature wise too. We’ll see if sales follow; one can always hope. We have had a noticeably better year  overall with a good positive trend that we’ve needed here.

The monsoon rains are very late this year. We had rain for about a minute one night last week, but that’s been about it. The humidity is higher now though. We had been 6-10% humidity most of June and early July, but now it’s more typically 25-35%. This weekend will see temperatures a high as 111 degrees in Yucca. We’ll be a precious few degrees cooler where we are, but it’s hot!

I believe that Yucca is the last great bargain in the West. We’re relatively close to smaller, but centrally located small cities, and those (Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Bullhead City) are becoming pricier as we see an influx of new residents. While it’s 2-2 1/2 hours to Las Vegas, that leaves many possibilities for visits from family and friends. California is just 20 miles from Santa Fe Ranch Rd., and one can be at the beaches in a little over 5 hours (avoid rush hour!)

The opportunity today I believe is in trying to extend infrastructure (as in grid power,) or by finding good property and adding septic, well and even a home.

There is a need, but many don’t have the wherewithal or physical capability to take on a home building project. To me it’s a young man’s dream, but the builders do work very hard, and are often subject to the whims of the market as we’ve seen over the years.

Considerable electric and phone infrastructure already exists around Yucca, and one can easily envision more development. Sun City, Yucca? Don’t laugh. We have water, power, rail, interstate, and thousands of acres of inexpensive (relatively) land.

Meanwhile, as we’re more than 20 miles out, I don’t think we’ll have a Circle K at the corner any time soon.

 

The Importance of Days on Market Time

It always amazes me to see agents leave a property on the market for years and years. While not everything sells of course, it sure looks bad to see a property that has been on the market for more than a year.

One of the first questions that I often get when sending a list of available properties is, “Why has this one been on the market for so long?”

No one notices that the price had been reduced several times, or that the market has been slow here for a long time, but they almost always focus on the market time.

The lesson is to take the property off (90 days in our MLS,) and reset the clock at least once a year. It’s easy and makes your home or land look “fresh” again.

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When we talk about days on market, we’re talking about the amount of time the home is posted on the multiple listing service, or MLS, which allows real estate agents to search for local properties for sale.

The timer starts whenever a house is officially listed on the market, and it ends when the seller has a signed and accepted contract with the buyer.

So, when you’re browsing real estate sites and you come across a home that has their days on market listed as one or two, that means the place was just listed.

Chances are, it hasn’t had very many, if any, showings yet. By contrast, if the home has 100 days on market, that means the seller has been trying to find a buyer for a long time – and things aren’t going well. So what days on market tells you is more than just how long the place has been for sale. It also provides insight into how the house has been perceived by buyers in general.

Source: Why ‘Days on Market’ is a Key Metric When Selling a House | U.S News Real Estate

Short Term Vacation Rentals Divide Sedona Residents

Julieanna Bottorff has lived in her quiet Sedona neighborhood for 20 years. A deer path that runs behind her house and across the street was regularly trafficked by wildlife.

Then a developer moved in across the street and ripped up the path, she says. The developer plans to build as many as five 6,000-square-foot homes to be used as short-term rentals, neighbors say.

The once quiet street is now punctuated with the steady noise of construction. The move comes as residents of the tourist hotspot grapple with the consequences of a two-year-old state law that restricts how cities and towns can regulate short-term home rentals advertised on websites such as Airbnb or VRBO.

On Wednesday, more than 150 people attended a city meeting. The Sedona residents grilled state Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, about how the state plans to address the law’s consequences.

Among them: investors moving into neighborhoods to buy up multiple homes, vacation renters driving up housing costs and the changing neighborhood dynamics.

Several homeowners supported the recent law that allowed vacation rentals to flourish in Arizona. They spoke about how the short-term rentals made it possible for them to pay their mortgages.

Source: ‘They killed our city’: Locals feel helpless as vacation rentals overrun Sedona, Arizona

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We have had an Airbnb, and have also used them. The problem is in the popular areas many can become just modern day flophouses.

Personally, I feel that the property owners’ rights to full use and enjoyment should never be infringed, but rather any control of property use is best left to the individual, or past that,  a small carefully supervised HOA or better yet neighborhood council.

Once we get to the municipal level, the rules get more ridiculous, and the monies wasted in trying to enforce the new laws just end up creating more bureaucracy (which taxpayers have to fund, defeating the whole exercise.) Continue reading Short Term Vacation Rentals Divide Sedona Residents

Online real estate firm Purplebricks to Leave US

As I mentioned in my recent post about Amazons’ entrance into real estate, it really is a lot more than just taking a few pictures and putting a home online.

Just as one wouldn’t try to be their own doctor or lawyer, one should always at least get some advice from a professional.

Purplebricks, a British-based online real estate service that marketed itself as a disrupter of the traditional home-sale process, is ending its United States business after less than two years.

The company, which was founded in the United Kingdom in 2014, announced earlier this month that it was leaving the American market. When it started its American operations in September 2017, it said that Southern California would be its prime target.

Purplebricks informed the California Employment Development Department in a July 12 letter that the company would close its offices on Spectrum Center Drive in Irvine by Sept, 13. Fifth-five employees there and 68 additional people, referred to as “independent sales agents,” will be let go by the closure date.A company official, who co-signed the notification letter to the state, declined to comment on the situation.

The shutdown of all American operations is expected to be completed by the end of the year.  Earlier this year, Purplebricks also announced it was leaving Australia’s real estate market and would focus on only the UK and Canada.

“The problem is, you attract Realtors that are not of the highest caliber,”  Drake said. “A lot of people think it’s easy to sell real estate, that you just put up a sign, take photos and put them online. A good agent has relationships in the industry and knows the process.

Source: Online real estate firm Purplebricks leaving the United States

City Apologizes, Pays $151K to Agent, Buyer for False Arrest

Cincinnati city officials have settled with the real estate agent and prospective buyer who were handcuffed and accused of breaking and entering a listing via lockbox.

Real estate pro Jerry Isham and his client Anthony Edwards had filed a lawsuit in federal court last week over the wrongful arrests that occurred on Nov. 17, 2018.

The men were arrested after a retired Cincinnati police officer had called 911 to report that “two black males forced the front [of the home] open.” The home was on the market for sale in the West Price Hill neighborhood.

The men allege that police came to the house, ordered them out by gunpoint, and handcuffed them. The City of Cincinnati has now issued an apology. Cincinnati City Manager Patrick Duhaney said in a statement: “The city regrets this extremely unfortunate and unnecessary situation. Mr. Isham and Mr. Edwards did nothing wrong. … We sincerely apologize.”

The city has agreed to pay the men $151,000 as part of a settlement. Duhaney also added that “voluntary training” of his employees with the local board of REALTORS® would be made available to avoid such situations from happening in the future.

Source: City Apologizes, Pays $151K to Agent, Buyer for False Arrest | Realtor Magazine

Real Estate Update July 2019

The days are getting hotter, but June was nicer than most. Calls and emails have continued at a brisk pace, and we’re seeing many residential sales in Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and all of Mohave Valley/Bullhead City. It’s become a sellers market for homes, as we’re seeing an influx of new residents.

Meanwhile, land sales have picked up. The prices are still extremely attractive, but little by little the values are disappearing, and we’re seeing the beginnings of price appreciation in the Yucca area. The sellers here could sure use some relief.

It’s a mixed blessing though. We love our solitude & the remoteness, but it is welcome to see so many new faces. Shhh, don’t tell too many people!

 

 

Tiny Houses from None Other than Amazon

We all know you can find almost anything on Amazon, but did you know that includes a house? A dive into the online shopping giant shows that they actually have a fairly wide range of kits and prefabricated tiny homes for sale. What could be better than getting the tiny house of your dreams with free shipping?

From basic shipping container homes to rustic cabins, prices range from just over $5,000 to more than $50,000, allowing you to select the kit that fits into your budget. A quick search for “garden house” or “cabin kit” will pull up most options, with these tiny dwellings perfect for guest houses or extra office space if you aren’t looking to permanently downsize.It’s worth noting that many of the kits are sold through third-party vendors, and most will need you to get inventive when it comes to a bathroom and installing insulation, but isn’t improvising part of the fun with a tiny home? You’ll also want to check local building codes, as laws vary state by state about acceptable structures. Once you’ve done your research, it’s just click and go.

Source: Prefabricated Tiny Homes Available for Sale on Amazon

Real Estate Update June 2019

We’ve had an extraordinary year, both in terms of rainfall, and also in terms of just nice weather. Instead of suffering through days of 100 plus degrees, it’s been pleasant 80s & low 90s. Everything is so green and beautiful this year.

People have discovered that Yucca is not only an inexpensive destination, but a high quality of life place too.

It’s all meant a big uptick in interest in the Yucca area. We’re putting in long days answering questions ranging from costs of solar systems to wells and septic systems. Between showings, emails, and a steady stream of calls, our days are fully occupied.

Blah blah blah, the travails of a land guy. Anyways, back to work…

Have a great June!