Shirley Owens, your Sun City West retirement expert

Reports show that the median home price has held steady long enough to cautiously predict a period of stable home prices.  Many experts are predicting that less expensive home prices will hold steady for some time or even see a moderate gain, while more expensive homes may continue to see a slight decrease in value.

The experts are gathering their information from the past four months, which has been in a positive trend.  For instance, in April 2009, home prices were down 35% from the year before.  In May 2009, there was a 33% decrease from the year before.  And it has been narrowed by 2% points each month.  This year, from April through July, there have been no major changes, which gives the experts their cautious predictions that the home price freefall may finally be coming to an end.

In the latter half of the year, home prices may dip slightly as they usually do.  Therefore, the experts are urging homeowners not to panic.  This will not last long and is expected to pick right back up after the first of the year. 

Another sign that things are beginning to turn around is that many builders have sold off their excess inventory and almost 10,000 homes have been sold in Maricopa County alone in the past three months.

The news is all positive for the time being and it’s what we all like to hear.  I promise to continue to keep homeowners, buyers and sellers updated about local real estate trends.  So, check back often to see what’s changing.

Realtor® Shirley Owens  ~  Sun City West, Arizona Real Estate

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Location, Location, Location

Sun City Grand is located in Surprise, Arizona in Maricopa County.  The area known as Surprise was founded in 1938 as a small farming community until it incorporated in 1960.  Now, Surprise, Arizona is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation.

And here at Sun City Grand, with senior living at its best, you can enjoy your retirement in paradise.  If you like to play tennis, there are many tennis courts to choose from or, if you are a golf lover, you will find a challenge at any of the four courses within the community.

Interesting Facts

Home sales in the newer communities of Corte Bella, Sun City Grand, Sun City Festival and Trilogy are UP, UP, UP!  There were 178 homes already SOLD this summer while last summer, there were only 124 homes sold.  It seems that we have already hit our bottom in the adult communities and, as weather begins to cool off, we will begin to see our typical surge of buyers throughout the area.  This is awesome news since the year is not over yet.  I am excited to see just how much things have really picked up in these areas.

Sun City Grand Activities

Many activities and recreational opportunities can be found throughout the community, including golf, softball, tennis, wood working, travel, poker, photography, mah jongg, language study, putting, fishing, stage, dominoes, scrabble, cribbage, genealogy, writing, canasta, bocce ball, art, ping pong, horseshoes, woodcraft, stitching, pinochle, music, lawn bowling, hiking, gardening, euchre, acting, dancing, chess, family history, memoirs, ceramics, bridge, billiards, pickleball, table tennis and more.  You can even start your own group and invite residents to join.  There are also trips from time to time.

Whatever your retirement dreams may be, you will surely find that you can fulfill them in Sun City Grand. 

Realtor® Shirley Owens  ~  Sun City Grand Arizona Real Estate

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In today’s real estate market, many homeowners are using the open house strategy to get their homes sold. However, when you ask a buyer where they heard about the home they bought, they usually never say “open house“. Therefore, there is a great need to re-invent the open house strategy and I would like to share some great ideas to help homeowners with their open house to make it a successful one.

The Game of Elimination

In a buyer’s market, the game of elimination is played more than ever. There are so many homes to choose from and buyers are simply trying to narrow their selection. A popular way of narrowing one’s selection is by visiting open houses. This gives the buyer the perfect opportunity to get a feel for what they do and do not like about the property. So, when it’s time for your open house, don’t play the strong salesman. Try to help them find perks about your home that they will like, need or want. You want to build a trusting relationship with prospective buyers, so don’t be too pushy.

Getting Set Up

Setting up for your open house is key. Just before your open house is ready to start, gather all your flyers from the box out front and any inside the home. Hold the flyers in your hand while you greet your guests and be sure to give them one.

Don’t forget those customary touches. Make sure everything is clean and tidy. You will also want the home to smell inviting, so bake something ahead of time, such as molasses cookies. Also, never have pets inside the home during an open house. If possible, ask a friend or relative to pet-sit for a little while. If you can’t find someone to pet-sit, keep the pet outside.

A Guest Book

It is always a good idea to have a guest book or sign-in sheet. Don’t ask for too much information though. The less you ask for, the more you will get. Often, if you ask for a name, phone number and e-mail address, you will get them. To get things rolling on your sign-in sheet, you can always ask a friend or relative to seed the first line with their information.

During your open house, introduce yourself and be polite at all times. Be sure to thank everyone for coming and don’t forget to shake hands.

If you feel like handling an open house on your own will be too much, a real estate agent can be a huge help. Real estate professionals will guide you through the whole process and take care of most of the work. So, don’t be afraid to seek one out when the time comes. You’ll be relieved you did.

As one of Del Webb’s premiere communities, Sun City West has so much to offer and is on top of my list of best places to be. Sun City West offers its active retirees a small town comfortable feel with wonderful homes to fit any lifestyle and budget. Combine all that with seven golf courses, several tennis courts, swimming pools and four recreation centers and it is the “Place to Be.”

Local Sun City West Conveniences

Residents in Sun City West have so many conveniences that many of them have exchanged their second car for a street-legal golf cart to get around. Even those who don’t play golf have found themselves buying their own golf cart because of the convenience of it.

Many other local conveniences include supermarkets, banks, pharmacies, hospitals, medical offices, houses of worship, a post office, a library and many other commercial services.

Location, Location, Location

Sun City West is surrounded by panoramic views everywhere you turn. It’s a desert oasis that’s been turned into livable art. Now, all adults ages 55 and over can finally enjoy the lifestyle they deserve. They can choose from luxurious homes to charming villas and attention has been given to every little detail. Sun City West is simply a new way of life.

Amenities That Count

When it comes to amenities, this wonderful community has many impressive features to boast about, including an Adobe fitness center and spa featuring an indoor lap and exercise pool, an outdoor resort-style pool, an activity pool, bocce courts, horseshoe pits, trails for hiking and biking, rollerblading and awesome tennis courts. There is also every kind of club you can imagine.

The golf courses are the grandest of the grand, with seven spectacular 18-hole courses, each providing a great challenge for every level player.

As a long-time resident to the area, I know just how wonderful Sun City West is. The community offers so much more, but you will have to come see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.