Tucson is known for its Southwestern architectural styles. As with all American cities, you can find examples of most any style, from Bauhaus to farmhouse, even modern lofts are available. But for those who want a home that reflects The Southwest and its history, Tucson is a Mecca.
Many people who move here have a clear idea in their mind of what southwestern style means, but they lack the vocabulary. Perhaps what you want is a Santa Fe style home, but it could be a Pueblo home, a Territorial Home, a Southwest Territorial Home, or a Spanish Colonial Home. Read below to understand what these styles are and then you may know you exactly what you want. Adobe homes in Tucson, whether 250 years old or built this year, can give you the charm and ambiance of the traditional Southwest without losing the convenience and sophistication you need.
Here is a simplified way to differentiate and define the various building styles which belong to the region.
1) Pueblo: This is most often what people mean when they are looking for Southwestern ambiance. Homes in this style have been built in the Tucson area from the 18th century . . . though the oldest you probably will find were built in the 1870’s. These homes are typified by:
a. Rounded corners and stepped walls
b. Flat roofs with canales to drain water through the parapets
c. Often elaborate entry ways with portales and/or loggias
d. Stucco over adobe, masonry, brick or (more recently) framed walls
e. Doors and windows are usually deeply inset and usually have wood lintels
f. Sometimes vigas (roof support beams), real or decorative protrude from the walls and are evident inside supporting the ceiling and roof
g. Low courtyard walls or interior patios
2) Territorial: Also a strong tradition here, homes and businesses in this style have been a part of the Tucson mix since the mid 1800s. These homes are typified by:
a. Square corners and fewer stepped walls than adobe homes
b. Flat roofs with canales to drain water through the parapets
c. Often elaborate entry ways with portales and/or loggias
d. Stucco over adobe, masonry/brick or more recently framed walls
e. Doors and windows are flush with the stucco surface but with decorative wood trim
f. Decorative brick or adobe cornice at the parapets and chimney
g. Wood covered porches with decorative columns and trim
3) Spanish Colonial: Starting with the Mission at San Xavier, begun in 1699, an enduring architectural tradition. These homes are typified by:
a. Square corners combined with a few arches in doorways and occasionally windows
b. Clay barrel tiled roofs set at a 4 in 12 pitch or gentler pitch over porches
c. Courtyards and covered patios
d. Stucco over adobe, masonry/brick or more recently framed walls
e. Doors and windows are usually inset and usually wood decorations
f. Simple or no decoration at chimney
g. Occasionally wood beams and corbels exposed at roofline
4) Southwestern Territorial: found early on in the larger ranch homes from themed 1800’s and in town from the late 1800’s These homes are typified by:
a. Square corners and angles
b. Pitched, Sheet metal roofs, usually painted, extending beyond the walls gentler slope over porches
c. Yards more than patios, wrap around covered porches
d. Stucco over adobe, masonry/brick or more recently framed walls
e. Doors and windows are flush with the wall
f. Simple or no decoration at chimney
Southwestern Glossary:
Adobe - A block originally made of mud and straw, usually made into bricks. Now, adobe is usually made of sand and clay often stabilized with asphalt.
Banco - Built-in benches, often at a porch or near a firepit or kiva.
Canales - Water spouts, scuppers or rain troughs that protrude through a parapet wall, normally to drain water that collects on a flat roof.
Corbel - A supporting timber under a beam or arch. The end of the corbel may be cut square for a stepped appearance or elaborately carved.
Entrada – The entryway.
Fogon – A fireplace set in a corner.
Hornos - Round earthen outdoor wood burning ovens, used for cooking.
Kiva - A style of fireplace, normally with rounded front, placed in the corner of a room or wall in a patio.
Latillas - Small peeled poles used to form a ceiling. These can be made out of pealed Aspen or Pine, Saguaro ribs or ocotillo branches. Latillas are often placed between vigas for form a ceiling. They used to be covered in cement made of lime and mud.
Lintel - Crossbeam above a window. In southwestern homes, they are often wooden beams set into the adobe or stucco wall.
Nichos – Inset display shelves or "niches" in walls.
Parapets – Exterior walls above the roof line.
Portales – Decorative porches, and/or decorative entryways for the main entrance.
Ramada - Freestanding canopy made of upright posts (usually mesquite) and a loose roof of saguaro ribs, native cane (Carrizo), ocotillo branches or other sticks to give shade.
Rammed earth - A type of construction where walls are built compacting soil in forms at the building location.
Saltillo tile - Red and yellow clay floor tile, 6 or 12 inches square (sometimes octagonal).
Stucco - A plaster or mud finish originally made with lime, mud and cactus juice for a binder, now usually a cement product.
Vigas - Traditional peeled log beam supporting the ceiling and roof. They are visible inside and often protrude through the outside walls.
Zaguan – An entry, hall or entry courtyard, sometimes running through the house to the interior courtyard.
Free Tools for Home Buyers and Sellers in Arizona
Times are challenging for anyone buying or selling RealEstate today. For Sellers, home priceshave plummeted from their heights in 2006 and for Buyers, credit has beentight. Also, finding sources oftrustworthy information can be daunting at best. The good news is that from all appearancesthe market is turning. Inventory of homes in the Tucson area has been decliningfor the last four months and access to credit has also eased. If you need to sell, this may be the besttime to list in the last year, and if you are ready to buy there are stillbargains available.
However, you need to arm yourself with the best possibleinformation and if you’re looking in Arizona you’re in luck! The ArizonaState Department of Real Estate has created a very valuable tool forBuyers, though it contains a wealth of information for Sellers too. It is the Buyer’sBill of Rights which contains links to information as varied as finding outif the property in question is incorporated to who maintains the road, whoprovides the utilities and information about restrictions and hazards. Even though this tool was created for Buyers,Sellers will also want to view the links. They will surely find information they never knew about their ownproperty.
Another, even richer source of information can be found onthe Arizona Association of Realtors website. This living document is called the Buyer’s Advisoryand it really should be required reading for anyone thinking about buying orselling a home in Arizona. These toolsare free for your use and will give you the edge you need to be the smart,informed Buyer and Seller in today’s competitive marketplace.
For Buyers and Sellers in the Tucson Market there are twolinks which are a must. The first is thelink to the statistics published by the Tucson Association ofRealtors. This is the best, most completeand most impartial source for data on the Real Estate market in the Tucsonarea. Last, but not least is the TucsonAssociation of Realtors Multiple ListingService site (TARMLS). If you aresearching the marketplace yourself, go here first, it is the most up to dateand most complete list of publicly available Active listings in the Tucsonarea.
Explore these websites and arm yourself with the knowledgeyou need.
Susan, how did youbecome an Escrow Officer in the first place?
I was 18 years old and looking for a job, I contacted aemployment service and with the skills that I had, I had one interview and washired by Pioneer National Title Insurance at 45 W. Pennington.
Wow, so you’ve beendoing this all your life, no wonder you’re so good at it. I also notice you seem to take great joy indoing this work, what is it about Escrow that you enjoy so much?
I love the people; closing is my favorite part of my job.
What tips would yougive potential buyers and sellers who are thinking ahead and want to prepare tobuy or sell a?
I believe the most important thing buyers and sellers need todo is complete all documents that are requested of them the day they receivethe request.
That can be a littletough since there are so many papers, but I guess it doesn’t get any better ifyou wait. What’s the simple explanationfor what a title company does?
The title company performs a search and examination of thepublic records relating to the real property to be insured.
I guess they would belooking for problems, or clouds, on the title which might have to be fixedprior to closing. What sorts of thingsmight they find?
All sort of things, Mechanic Liens, Judgments, IRS taxliens, Unreleased but paid off Deeds of Trust, Parties not in title to theproperty, and deceased parties.
So to break this downa bit, Mechanic’s liens would be when a workman or contractor did work on ahouse and wasn’t paid? I understand thatcould stop a sale.
Potentially, yes.
And Judgments againsta homeowner or the IRS of course and I get the deceased parties who might stillbe named on the title, but what do you mean by “Parties not in title to theproperty?”
An example would be a spouse who didn’t sign a disclaimerdeed when the other spouse took title. In this state, we would need to clarify if the spouse had any right tothe property (even if the name was not on the title) prior to a sale.
Wow, there sure arelot’s of things to research. So, whatdoes an Escrow company do?
An escrow company is an independent "stake holder"account and is the vehicle by which the interest of all parties to thetransaction are protected.
So it’s more thanjust holding the earnest money in trust and swapping the funds for the propertywhen it is time.
Yes, much more.
Your job is to betruly independent and act as a sort of “go between” for Buyer, Seller, Lender,Agents and all other parties which might be involved in a transaction.
Yes.
What is the actualprocess of an Escrow from your point of view?
I have attached a document, “The life of an escrow”, whichis also on our website at Title Security
Who else is involvedfrom the Escrow and Title side of things (name the parties and describe theirduties – anyone who works on the deal)
Well, as you know, Licensed Real Estate Agents prepare thecontract and represents the buyer and seller, and a loan officer negotiates theloan terms if it’s not a cash sale; but we do have a few other departments thatare involved in the Escrow. One is theEscrow Support Processing Department; they order the title reports, payoffs andassociation information. We also have Recon/Tracking Department they obtain theDeeds of Releases from the lenders that we payoff. All in all it takes a teamof people on all sides of a transaction to sell a home.
Thanks Susan, thiswas a wonderful interview
If you would like tocontact Susan (or schedule a closing at her office) here are her contactnumbers and her company’s website:
Susan Farero, TitleSecurity
6390 E. Tanque Verde,Tucson, AZ 85715
Phone: (520) 885-1600
Fax: (520) 885-2309
Email susan.farero@titlesecurity.com
http://www.titlesecurity.com/index.htm?template=getDocument&docId=18&auth=109B06075C189D9DC95FA3C0A92520A5
http://www.titlesecurity.com/
Thom Culpepper and I have been working together for sometime and I respect the quality of his work. I found his comments on home inspecting of interest.
Thom, how did youbecome an inspector in the first place?
My wife and I discussed starting a business, but we bothbiology majors at the time and then I went to nursing school. At the time, we had several rentals, we had"flipped" houses and liked Real Estate, but I was not interested inselling it. A friend talked to us abouthis business as a home inspector and so I decided to make it happen!
You must love this job, because whenever you do an inspection for me,you seem to be having so much fun.
I love most aspects of it, however I love to learn andresearch and there is a great deal of that in this business. My boss is the greatest as well!!
Right, I love minetoo. Being your own boss does reduce thearguments. So, what tips would you givepotential homeowners who are thinking ahead and want to prepare to sell?
I would say that if the house is 10 years or older, aninspection before selling could save thousands of dollars and be a greatmarketing tool.
Wow, great point buthow can you save money?
An inspection can reminda homeowner of issues they got used to and forgot. I’m sure you do this too, but people tellthemselves “I’ll get to that repair later" and sometimes it never happens.
You’re right, I’vedone it. Sometime, after the Buyers giveyou their list of requests you don’t have time to do much but hire the firstcompany you find to fix things, surprises aren’t good in a home sale.
So, an inspection provides Sellers with a list of issues to focuson to prepare the house for sale. As yousaid, knowing what to expect can be a tremendous relief!
How about tips fornew homeowners?
Home buyers should think of an inspection as a short terminvestment. A $350 inspection can yield areturn of possibly $500 to $5,000 in repairs in a month; you can’t do that on WallStreet. Buyers should shop for a homeinspector based on the Inspector’s knowledge and experience; not on whichinspector charge’s the least amount. Whysave $15 and risk losing $5,000! Homeinspections are also tax deductible, so why not get the best and save the most?
I agree. I encourage my Buyers to shop the market forall their services; but I try to help them make sure they are shopping forquality over cost. How do inspectors getcertified to do this work?
We must attend an accredited school accepted by the state,and accomplish 30 co-inspections with a certified inspector. Then we must take a national test, and gothrough a state background check. Ourinspections are sent to the state for review to make sure they meet thestandards of the state.
So you really must meet some exacting standards. I would bet you have lots of fun andinteresting experiences doing your inspections.
The most fun is seeing, well, let’s call them unusual andcreative fixes to household problems. I photographed and placed some of these onmy website! Once, I had an Anthropologist follow me around for 2½ hours filming me.
How bizarre!
Yes, it kind of threw me off a bit.
I’ve seen your blogtoo, there’s a lot of excellent information there.
Yes, I have been writing blogs for homeowners aboutdifferent home related topics for quite a while. I’m now preparing to place home maintenancevideos on the website as well. I wantmore people informed --it saves money and energy down the road!
Well thanks Thom,this has been great. If you’d like more information feel free to contactThom
ThomCulpepper
TLCProfessional Inspections, Inc.
Cell; (520)991-1717
e-mail;TLCinspections@msn.com
Web Site: http://www.TLCproinspections.com
http://www.tlcproinspections.com/newsite/photo_gallery/
Blog;www.TLCpro.wordpress.com
Francine Martineau and I have been working together for sometime. She and I had a conversation aboutLending which I found very interesting.
Francine, how did youbecome a Loan Officer in the first place?
I had been sellingstocks, bonds and mutual funds for several years and was curious about themortgage business . . . it sounded intriguing. So I talked with a MortgageBroker friend. He tried to discourage meby talking about all the pitfalls, but I was undaunted. A year later I showed up at local MortgageCompany saying I want to be hired. Ibrought two deals with me to convince them. They were too busy to train me, butone of the long time Loan Officers took me under his wing. I will always begrateful to him.
Always best to learnfrom those who do a job. What is itabout this career that keeps you happy?
The thing I love about it is the people. I love working withpeople who are doing something with their lives. There is such a wide varietyof circumstances people set up for themselves to create the lifestyle theywant. It is terribly interesting and keeps me involved with life.
What tips would you give potential homeownerswho are thinking ahead and want to prepare to buy a home?
The biggest tip would be to sit down with a Mortgage lenderand map out your path to home ownership. People make credit mistakes theywouldn’t have made if they’d had a little knowledge. I also recommend keeping a scrapbook ofthings that you like in a home. This may seem hokey, but it helps you focusedon what you want. I have a friend who wanted to buy a house and I gave him thisrecommendation. Later, when he was moving in to his new place, he came acrosshis scrap book items and, to his surprise, everything he had envisioned was presentin the home he bought.
That’s verycool. So, if someone hasn’t planned, and theircredit doesn’t look so good, what can they do?
People do come to me who have not done any planning and mostare still able to qualify. If not, I can usually work with credit agencies toclean up a few things and get them into a mortgage right away. Some need alittle more extensive work.
What is the actual process of getting a loan?
The very first thing is to talk with a lender. I do personto person or telephone appointments. At this first meeting questions go bothways. I ask some financial andlifestyle questions, borrowers ask me about the process and fees. At that timeI do an initial pre-qualification so they know what range will work forthem. I give their REALTOR a documentcalled a Loan Status Report (LSR). Thisproves to a Seller they can buy the property. Once they have an acceptedcontract and Escrow is opened, I order an appraisal. At the same time the Title Company researchesthe property to see if there are any problems which would prevent a sale. Theythen issue a preliminary title report. Once the appraisal and preliminary title report are approved I set upthe best loan for the borrower’s advantage and one that will get an underwriterapproval (an underwriter is the company that funds the loan).
So you and the Buyerare the real decision makers?
Actually the underwriter is also a decision maker and canhave me or the appraiser go back and do something different.
What about theprocessor, what does that person do?
The processor is really a paper handler. They are notdecision makers but they do see to it that the right stuff gets to the rightplace and that’s important. Buyers (loanapplicants) usually have contact with only me.
I bet some peoplewant to be involved.
Some do, but it’s a sure way for a borrower to get theirloan put to the back of the pile. Sometimes a processor will call a borrower togo over something (with the permission of the loan officer), but there is noadvantage for a borrower to intervene. I am the borrower’s advocate. I work inconcert with REALTORS®, Title companies, and appraisers. It takes a group effort to put someone into ahome. Thanks Francine, this has beengreat.
Alex and Dusty were worried about the sale of theirhouse. They had bargained hard with theBuyers and had reached an agreement last night, but they felt at a disadvantagein today’s market. Under the terms ofthe Arizona Residential Purchase Contract they had to fill out a Seller’sProperty Disclosure Statement (SPDS), get a Letter of Experience or a CLUEreport from their insurance agent and provide both to the Buyers. Dusty wondered if these items mightdisadvantage them even further and was feeling a bit resentful in this wholeprocess.
They asked their REALTOR® if they could just skip fillingout the disclosure statement but he seemed somewhat surprised at thisrequest. “Dusty, the contract you signedrequires you to provide a full disclosure of everything you know about theproperty. I can understand why you’reworried you might jeopardize the sale but not disclosing what you know raises abigger flag than being happy to tell all. Besides, it is your protection to tell all.” Alex perked up, “How’s that?” “Alex, everyonewho is selling a home must disclose whatever they know about the premises, soyou’re really not at a disadvantage filling this form out. But if you know something and don’t discloseit, under certain circumstances you could be liable. When you disclose, the Buyer is then underobligation to determine whether or not that item is material. You are not obliged to discover things youdon’t know about the property, only disclose those things you do.”
The sellers mulled this information over a bit and thenDusty grinned. “It’s just like when wetook that trip overseas.” “What?” saidAlex. “You remember the long releaseform the travel agent sent us. Shewarned us about everything she knew about the countries we were visiting. By the time we were done reading the form Iwondered if there would be anything there for us to eat and how safe it wouldbe for us to go, but it didn’t stop us, it just helped us be aware of what tolook for and what to do about it. Thefunny thing was that after I read her disclosures about the food I felt betterabout shopping and eating because I understood the risks and what to do tominimize them.”
Alex and Dusty filled out their disclosure forms completelyand got them to the Buyers in plenty of time. The Buyers asked for somerepairs, but our Sellers figured the Buyers would have done so anyway. Disclosure is always in the best interests ofall parties in a sale; it protects you and is the right thing to do.
SPDSExample
EveryBuyer is entitled to an SPDS by Michelle Lind
CLUE(Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange ) Report by Lind
BIO and Links:
I have been a softwaretroubleshooter, an email administrator, a restaurateur, a Laser Tag Amusementbusiness creator and owner, a Faux Finisher and a decorative artist, a webdesigner, a writer, a painter an actor, a director and now I am a REALTOR®. Ihave lived around the world and in many of the States. I've been anentrepreneur for most of my life and I have tried to pursue a spiritual path inall my ordinary dealings. To my surprise I have found that by being a REALTOR®and adhering to the REALTOR® code of Ethics I can live the ideals I have alwaysbelieved. Who knew?
My website: http://www.johnmijac.com email at john@mijac.info
You can also contact me on Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook and The Examiner
Pat and Kim decided to make an offer on a property. We’d looked at many houses; some great forPat, some perfect for Kim, but this was the only property both loved. As Pat said, “It doesn’t matter how muchmoney you have, buying a home is always a trade off.” Kim replied, “Yes, butthis is a win-win. We’re both giving up a little while getting what’s mostimportant to us.” As this is true forany family finding a home, there is also give and take between Buyers and Sellers.Ideally, a successful Contract is a win for everyone; both give up a little butalso get most of what they want.
We wrote the offer at a fair price, but we asked for acouple of items which made the offer a little weaker. We hoped the Sellers needed the sale badlyenough that they wouldn’t mind a long closing, paying some of our closing costsand furnishing a home warranty. Typically, Sellers look for a quick closing (amonth or less) because the longer the closing the greater the chance somethingwill happen on the way to the sale.
As my Buyers had done their research on the web, they werewell informed about the neighborhood, the schools and all kinds of demographicdata which were material to them. So they were committed to the purchase. Byfederal law, there are things a REALTOR® cannot disclose about a property. Wecannot give you any information on the make-up of a neighborhood with regardsto age, sex, religion, race, color, familial status, National Origin,disability or Marital Status. That alsomeans buyers cannot be refused a sale based on those classes. However, a REALTOR® can point clients to thesource for such answers, this is one of the reasons the Arizona Buyer’sAdvisory is so important in my state.
Unfortunately, though the Sellers were okay with ouroffering price they rejected some of our other items: the long closing date,and the home warranty. My Buyers wereangry. Pat said that there were plenty other houses in the area and that weshould just walk. Kim wasn’t so sure.Kim wondered how the Sellers could risk the sale for the price of a homewarranty and a couple of extra weeks.
I remembered an experience I had when I lived in India. Iran a kitchen there for several years and occasionally I would purchase largequantities of grain in the market, sometime several thousands of kilos. Thefirst time I went to the market I assumed my purchase would be so large themerchants would be ecstatic over the sale. To the contrary, when I walked inand placed my order they told me I could not buy in their shop. I went for awalk in the market, a little confused. A fruit Seller told me that in India arelationship must be established prior to a sale, and gave me a slice of mango.So I went back to the shop and asked if the owners would mind having tea withme as I was very thirsty. We had a wonderful conversation and later completedthe sale (I also bought a dozen mangos from my fruit seller later that day).Sometimes, I learned, the other party needs a conversation, but a relationshipis always a plus.
I suggested to my Buyers that we write a cover letter explainingwhat the house meant to them, why they needed the extra time - and that we alsooffer to pay the home warranty (a very small cost compared to the house). TheSellers immediately accepted our counter offer.
For additional reading onProtected classes please see:
Fair Housing, Government HUDpage
FairHousing Primer ~ Real Town Fair Housing ~Real Estate Times
BIO and Links:
I have been a softwaretroubleshooter, an email administrator, a restaurateur, a Laser Tag Amusementbusiness creator and owner, a Faux Finisher and a decorative artist, a webdesigner, a writer, a painter an actor, a director and now I am a REALTOR®. Ihave lived around the world and in many of the States. I've been anentrepreneur for most of my life and I have tried to pursue a spiritual path inall my ordinary dealings. To my surprise I have found that by being a REALTOR®and adhering to the REALTOR® code of Ethics I can live the ideals I have alwaysbelieved. Who knew?
My website: http://www.johnmijac.com email at john@mijac.info
You can also contact me on Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook and The Examiner
Pat and Kim, (who we met in Making the Offer and Pricing theHome) were under contract to buy a house they loved. By the time the counter offers were finishedand everyone had come to an agreement, the two were very attached to the homeand nervous about inspections. Bargaininghad been tough and the Sellers insisted on an “As-Is” Addendum. Pat was unsure what that meant. Was there something wrong with the house orsomething the Sellers were trying to hide? Would they have to take the propertyjust as it sat or lose their earnest money if there was a problem with the roofor the plumbing and they decided not to buy? Could they ask for repairs, and would it riskthe contract?
In the state of Arizona the Purchase Contract for aresidential property has strong protections written in for the Buyer. Most important here are those built aroundthe Discovery period: when inspections and other investigations areperformed. Buyers have the right toperform whatever detective work they need to determine that the house they arebuying is what they want. The defaultperiod for this is the first 10 days after the contract has been accepted, butthat period can be altered by agreement between Buyer and Seller. A t the end of this time the Buyers can endthe contract and walk away with their earnest money, rejecting the house forany material reason. Even if Sellersinsist upon an As-Is Addendum in the original contract, that does not curtailthis right.
Prior to making their offer I provided Pat and Kim with alist of local inspectors. They wentthrough the list and found several people they liked who offered a reasonableprice and had references. (Kim alsobrought in a relative who was a licensed electrician). We had inspections fortermites and pests, inspections of the roof, sewer connections, the HVAC, andeven mold in additional to our regular Home Inspector. Naturally, many things were found, as happensin almost every house. They feltoverwhelmed. On the one hand, they saw abeautiful home which they already imagined being theirs, on the other, an As-IsAddendum and a stack of reports on problems with that home.
Only the Buyers know what is important to them, but Pat andKim were having a hard time sifting through the large list of problems. The Home Inspector, who used to be a nurse,smiled at them and said, “It’s just a matter of triage.” Pat and Kim wereperplexed. “It’s just like an accidentvictim in the emergency room. You lookover the patient and quickly pick out the major problems. If there aren’t any and it’s all minor cuts,scrapes and bruises, you are lucky because all houses have those. If there are Major issues, addressthose.” Kim and Pat stuck to the bigstuff, and submitted their list ofrequests. The Sellers addressed Pat andKim’s requested repairs, even though there was an As-Is Addendum. The Sellers knew that if this contract fellapart and they had to deal with another inspection the same things wouldprobably be asked of them.
For additional information see:
Official Site Arizona ASHICertified Home Inspectors
The National Association ofHome Inspectors, Inc. (NAHI)
BIO and Links:
I have been a softwaretroubleshooter, an email administrator, a restaurateur, a Laser Tag Amusementbusiness creator and owner, a Faux Finisher and a decorative artist, a webdesigner, a writer, a painter an actor, a director and now I am a REALTOR®. Ihave lived around the world and in many of the States. I've been anentrepreneur for most of my life and I have tried to pursue a spiritual path inall my ordinary dealings. To my surprise I have found that by being a REALTOR®and adhering to the REALTOR® code of Ethics I can live the ideals I have alwaysbelieved. Who knew?
My website: http://www.johnmijac.com email at john@mijac.info
You can also contact me on Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook and The Examiner
Billy and Kim needed to sell their home. They were in the Service and were beingposted to Japan in two months. They’d triedto sell it on their own, but finding a buyer in today’s market seemed impossible. Kim pointed out that neither of them had theexperience to price or market their home effectively. But Billy noticed that the people who hadcome to their showings had seemed uninterested. They decided that the few percentage points they might save didn’t mean anythingif they couldn’t sell. “Also,” they toldme later, “we would still pay the Buyer’s broker a commission if the buyer wasrepresented, so we were really just cheating ourselves out of our ownrepresentation.” That’s when they found me.
I suggested we market their home online with a focus on youngprofessionals. More than 80% of allbuyers start their search on the web. Mysellers hadn’t really thought beyond Craig’s list. They were pleased to see how I could populatetheir listing to all the search engines in a few days, and set up a dedicatedwebpage for their listing. We talkedabout price but Billy and Kim had done their homework. They had realisticexpectations based on a professional appraisal they had received. They were nervous about pricing their home atthe appraised value, but understood the logic once I showed them theircompetition. They also agreed to placethe house under a home warranty. Ipointed out to them that a warranty would protect them from any system failureswhile the house was listed (a water heater or HVAC). Also, they remembered how important a policyhad been to them when they bought. Thelast important item was to prepare the house for showings. Kim had a hard time with this.
The two of them were collectors of art, pottery, rugs andall kinds of interesting memorabilia. Ihave been in many houses and look past my client’s personal effects, but thishouse was a museum curator’s dream. Isaw items everywhere which distracted and fascinated me. I told them everything must go, that weneeded to simplify the house. I toldthem we wanted people to feel free to make their own space in the house butthat now it reminded me of a crowded rickshaw, no room for anyone else. Kim objected and insisted we leave theirpersonal items in place. We agreed to try it their way first and learn from theexperience of our first visitors. We heldan open house and I kept all the contact information. Most agreed to fill out an anonymous form viaemail and the results were conclusive. Ninety percent said they could barely remember the house, only thewonderful artwork and collectables.
The next day week we removed all of their personal effects,so potential buyers could imagine their own pictures and artwork on the walls. We left just enough furniture to give thespaces definition but not so much as to make a room feel cluttered. We gave the house a thorough cleaning,replaced every broken light bulb, and simplified all the window dressings. No surface had more than two items on it, novisible products were allowed on the counters and shelves. Kim thought we had turned their house into anice hotel. I laughed and said that wemust have succeeded, since the idea of a hotel is to invite new guests in tostay.
I called everyone back for a second showing, just like thatprogram on TV. That week-end we had two offers, one over our asking price.
My first exposure to bargaining was in grade school. I played the part of a Mexican vendor givingadvice to his new gringo friends. I still remember my lines (after all, it wasmy debut!) “First, ask the vendor howmuch the pottery costs; his price is double the cost. Offer him less than cost, but enough so youmeet in the middle and you are both happy. Senor, you should never be mad or act insulted . . . bargaining shouldbe a game everyone enjoys.” Buying ahouse is not like buying a pot in old Mexico, but there’s a message here for usall. First, you must know the rulesbefore you begin to bargain and have some understanding of how the Seller haspriced his home. Second, don’t take theprocess personally. Even though buyingor selling a home is one of the most personal of decisions, you will be muchmore effective in your bargaining if you remain detached and enjoy theprocess.
A few weeks ago I took my clients Pat and Kim househunting. We visited two homes in anupscale neighborhood. They werecomparable, except that one had a pool and a remodeled kitchen and was pricedmuch higher. I knew my buyers wanted aremodeled kitchen and a pool but I took them by the other home to give them areference for bargaining. The problem wasthat the Seller of the tricked out home put the price of all those extras righton top, plus added room for bargaining. Ihad already given Pat and Kim a Comparative Market Analysis of these homes sothey knew what comparable homes had sold for in the neighborhood. They quickly realized that this Seller hadpriced himself out of their bargaining range. They decided they could buy the less expensive home and then add thepool and kitchen of their dreams.
The two parties could have found a meeting place if theSeller had really been aware of the market value of his additions. Pat and Kim would have seen that they weregetting a benefit if the Seller had not priced the home so high so there wouldbe “bargaining room”. As a Seller, it isbetter to stay firm with a realistic price than price the home high and thenbargain down. But, how do you find thatmagic number? You must dispassionatelycompare the property to those which have sold and avoid putting a high price onupgrades. In today’s market, most upgradesadd less than half their installation value to the price of a home.
Buyers and Sellers should go through the same process whentrying to decide upon the purchase price of a home. When they don’t, bargaining to an agreedprice often leads to heartache and hard feelings - if not a lost sale. Whether you are a Buyer or a Seller, take arealistic look at the market in your area. Get an appraisal or ask your REALTOR® to provide you with a ComparativeMarket Analysis. The more you know aboutthe homes which have sold in the neighborhood in the last six months, thebetter armed you are for a successful negotiation.
ConsumerReports: How to bargain for almost anything
Bargainingto buy the best home: Negotiating tips
That is compared to what there is to know. I am always amazed by how few people who live in Tucson know about even a few of the great things to see and do here. I know that my tastes are a bit catholic, but really, Tucson has something for everyone. If you love Opera, Symphony, Pops, Local Professional Theater, dance, museums or zoos, (and of course there’s the Desert Museum which is neither a zoo nor a museum but much more than both) we’ve got it.
If, on the other hand you’re more of a gardener . . . wow! What about the Tucson Botanical Society, Thono Chul, or the Tucson Bonsai Society to name a few. Perhaps your thing is Hiking, City Biking, Mountain Biking, four-wheeling, nature walks, birding, telescopes, minerals & gems, mining, history . . . as you can see from these few links, whatever it is we’ve got it in abundance.
So, in some ways I can see why it’s so hard for us to form a city center . . . we all have so many different directions we can go and few of them lead downtown. This, however, could be our real strength, if we can find a way to make the center a vital connection between all of these disparate destinations. How? We can do it with public transportation. So, will the planned Streetcars do the trick? No, unless we follow that small plan up with an immediate second, third and fourth stage. Let’s be forward thinking here and encourage our representatives to do the same!
For those of us who live in Tucson, subjects like Rio Nuevo can raise hackles. Still, there seem to be signs that something may be happening. Unlike the so called Rainbow Bridge or the now mostly forgotten Aquarium, substantive things are happening.
Take for example the call for a Tucson Town Hall by local media and government, or the recently approved Streetcar . . . or even the more sober, infrastructure approach proposed recently at the Fox by the Pima County Real Estate Research Council. What do you think? Here's a place to voice your ideas and hash out your concerns, vision and plans. As for me, I'm getting involved.