Now you can learn all about crimes around Phoenix with this free interactive crime map. With the most recent crime data for the entire Phoenix metro area, it allows you to explore and compare across Phoenix – right down to the time of day, specific street intersection and type of crime committed. Neighborhood crime rates are important information for home buyers, so get a better sense of your area and make informed choices about where to live in Phoenix. Research crimes in your Phoenix neighborhood.
Phoenix AZ Crime Map
June 6, 2011 By
Free Home Staging Advice
May 17, 2011 By
If you don’t want to pay a professional home stager, then simply use a few suggestions:
- Declutter rooms – clutter makes a home look smaller
- Remove personal items – photos, school memorabilia, collectibles and other such belongings should be stored so prospective home buyers can imagine themselves in the space
- Don’t offend anyone – PETA supporters, non smokers and non religious people also buy houses so store your animal skin rugs, ashtrays, religious artwork and anything else that may even be remotely off-putting to a buyer
- Tone down walls – consider repainting any vivid (or plain white) walls with some neutral colors, such as light gray, cream or sage
- Show off the features – be sure you aren’t blocking any focal points of your home, like a fireplace or bay window, and arrange seating to showcase these elements when possible
- Trick the eye – use mirrors to create the illusion of additional space, get rid of oversized furniture and hang window coverings higher and wider than usual to make windows appear bigger
- Tell a story – imagine your home is an upscale bed & breakfast, so you may set out coffee table books on travel, arrange candles, lay a throw blanket on a sofa, etc
- Be selective – don’t worry about redoing every room and just focus on the kitchen, family/living room and master bedroom
Buying Phoenix Vacation Home
April 10, 2011 By
If you’re thinking about buying a second home in Phoenix or a Scottsdale vacation property, consider the following:
- Now is the time to buy – Prices are close to their 10 year lows and though some markets like Las Vegas, NV or Tucson, AZ could fall a bit further most economists believe the biggest declines are behind us.
- A property is a better deal if it’s rentable – Though you may intend to keep the property all to yourself, it’s smart to shop for a home as if you’re going to rent it because a house’s rental potential can affect its resale value. Just be sure to check the homeowners association (HOA) allows rentals. And keep in mind that renters prefer homes with one bathroom for each bedroom.
- Don’t rely on rental income to pay bills – The average rental property is only booked about 4 months of the year, plus you’ll need to pay for cleaning, maintenance, insurance and property management fees (of about 10-15% of gross rent).
- Your interest rate will depend on property use – Lenders have made loans for vacation homes more difficult to obtain. If you use the property primarily as a second home, you’ll pay about the same mortgage rate as you would for your primary residence. However if you need rental income to qualify for the loan, then the house is treated as investment property so you’ll need a down payment of 25%-30% and pay up to 1% more on the interest rate.
- Tax benefits can be nice – If you rent the house for less than 2 weeks each year you won’t have to report any of the income to the IRS, but you can still deduct property taxes and mortgage interest. If you stay there for less than 2 weeks each year you can also deduct operating expenses in addition to interest and property tax.
Fannie Mae Loan Lookup
March 31, 2011 By
Use this no-cost Fannie Mae Loan Lookup tool that enables borrowers to determine if Fannie Mae owns their loan by providing a street address and ZIP code.
If you have questions about the program that your loan servicer cannot answer or need debt counseling, you can call the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 1-888-995-4673. The hotline can help with questions about the loan modification program and offers free HUD-certified mortgage counseling services in English and Spanish.
The Fannie Mae Loan Lookup is provided as a free tool for borrowers. A search that results in a match found does not imply you will qualify for a Making Home Affordable mortgage refinance or loan modification. You should contact your mortgage lender to verify these results.
Turning Utilities On and Off
March 27, 2011 By
The simplest moving situation in terms of your water, sewage and garbage is a move within the same Phoenix area city, be it Glendale, Peoria, Scottsdale or any number of others. You just call up your city and the change happens instantly for the effective date(s) you specify. You’ll want your gas (SW Gas), electric (APS or SRP) and phone/internet (Cox or Qwest) services to be shut off the day after your move is scheduled. This way if there is a hiccup in the schedule, on your side or the utility company, you won’t be finishing your move in the dark or be without water.
It’s best to have the utilities turned on in your new home the day before your actual arrival. This way you can be sure you have the basics covered the minute you walk through the door. APS electric, for example, cannot pinpoint when the power will be on at your new location, but instead will confirm power between 8am and 5pm on that day. So if you are moving on the 15th make sure they have electric in your name for the property on the 14th. Otherwise you can run the likely risk of no power until late in the afternoon on the 15th.
If you are moving into Phoenix, AZ from out of town call on your real estate agent to help you in locating all the utility companies that serve your new location. Some cities and utilities will require a deposit (which may or may not be refundable until you move again). By this same token, some of your current providers may be holding a security deposit so be sure to request your refund.
Remember to charge your cell the night before the move and keep your charger handy too. Should your new telecom service not be installed yet, you can keep in touch easily.
