Free Government Grant Money Available in Maricopa County for Down Payments

There are many great Tempe area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (480) 776-5200 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

I'm here to talk about an exciting new program that can help pay for part of your new home if you qualify. It's actually a government grant, so you do not have to pay any money back!

Home in Five Program - Exclusive to Maricopa County

• A grant with no repayment terms. So yes, this is free money!
• Maximum amount available is 5% which will cover closing costs and your down payment.
• However, you must have a minimum 640 credit score.
• Your maximum family income can be no greater than $88,000.
• You must complete a home-buying course (which can be done online).
• The loan is a 30-year fixed rate.
• This loan is also available for military members with no income requirement and the maximum reimbursement can be raised to 6%. 

This program is exclusive to Maricopa county, so if you're interested and would like to speak with me about this amazing opportunity, then I can gladly set aside some time for you. You can call me at (480) 776-5200 or email me at Kagnew@kw.com

How do Appraisals Work?

Thanks for visiting my video blog! There are just so many questions surrounding the home-buying process so it's easy to get lost. Today I want to talk about one question in particular I was asked by a client of mine: what happens if the appraisal value of my home comes in low? Fortunately, we haven't experienced this problem as much as we did earlier in the year, but it still raises an important question. Appraisals are a mystery to a lot of us, so how do they work?

Appraisals are used to protect you from over-paying and to protect you from spending outside of your payment bracket. They are also used to keep the market stable and prevent inflation.

The mortgage company sends an appraiser to the home. Using pending sales and closed sales, they evaluate your home in comparison. As a real estate agent, it is our job to guide that appraiser. We give them facts about the area and neighborhood. We present them with recent homes that are similar and have sold for a high value. So it's important that the appraiser has this key information. This way you stand a better chance of getting a higher appraisal value.

If you have any questions about how to increase your appraisal value, please give me a call today! Let's talk about your home! Thanks for watching!

Happy New Year!

Hello, and Happy New Year from the Katy Agnew Team! 2013 sure has flown by, and as we gear up for the start of 2014, I want to take some time to let you know why we are so excited about the New Year.

We anticipate a stable market for at least the first few months of next year, and that means the market is good for both buyers and sellers.

For sellers, interest rates are still historically low, and this means a wider range of incomes can afford the super low interest rates so the market will be flooded with pre-approved buyers.

For buyers, we anticipate a flood of new homes on the market. Traditionally, we see a lot of new listings in January and February because people didn't want to put their homes on the market during the holidays.

As you can see, there are reasons to be excited for both buyers and sellers in 2014. Please don't hesitate to jump in! If you have any questions give us a call at (480) 776-5200 or send us an email at AgnewTeam@gmail.com.

6 Reasons Your Home Is Not Selling

 

Welcome back to my video blog! Lately, I’ve worked with a few clients whom are trying to sell their home for the second time. Fortunately, with the help of our great team we were able to sell their home. Why, though, didn’t it sell the first time?

There are actually a few mistakes sellers make when trying to sell their home that could prevent it from selling. Here are six of the most common mistakes made.

1. Your home is overpriced. It’s important to price your home aggressively to get as much attention as possible in the first two weeks on the market.
2. It’s difficult to set up a showing. In today’s world, we all want instant gratification. Buyers want to be able to easily come and see your home.
3. Your home has poor marketing. Ninety percent of buyers start their search online; that’s why you need great photographs to showcase your space. We recommend hiring a professional photographer.
4. You’re there during the showing. Buyers want to walk through the home on their own time without any pressure. When a seller is present it can cause the buyer to rush through and not appreciate the home.
5. Your home is too personal. I know you’ve had a lot of memories in your home, but when a buyer walks through they want to be able to image their life and their family in it, not yours.
6. You’re too emotional. Sometimes buyers send in low-ball offers and sellers can become offended and don’t want to counteroffer. I always recommend counter offering and engaging the buyer. That’s where your real estate agent comes in and can handle the situation for you.

These are six common reasons your home might not be selling. If you need help getting your home sold, give me a call today! Thanks for watching!

Market Update Fall 2013

Welcome back! We’ve had a lot of people ask us whether we are in a buyers or sellers market lately.

The Arizona market is beginning to stabilize. That means there is equal opportunity for both buyers and sellers!

Why should you buy? Now that inventory is balancing out, there are more “ready to move in” properties. That gives you more of a selection of great homes!

Why should you sell? Interest rates are phenomenally low. Buyers are ready and willing to purchase your home, where as just a couple years ago many buyers weren’t able to get approved.

It’s also a great time to sell because if your home is priced aggressively, you can expect it to sell in just a matter of weeks.

If you have any questions, or would like a free market analysis on your home, please give me a call at 480.776.5200

Thanks for watching!

Tempe Investment Fix and Flip Update

I wanted to update you again with an excellent rental or fix-and-flip opportunity at 919 La Jolla here in Tempe.

It’s not on the MLS and the seller, a wholesale company, asked me (along with a few select others) to find a buyer. It’s listed at $180,000 firm.

The wholesale company needs to sell it now and will break even.

With $35,000 in improvements the home will sell in this market in 4-6 weeks at $265,000. After you pay a commission on the sale, you can make yourself a quick $33,000 net profit if you call me at 480-414-4220 and act on it.

We need to update the flooring, fix up the pool, get new paint, update the kitchen, and add a garage. I’ll put you in touch with a contractor who will do all the work, and I’ll find buyer who will pay top dollar for the home.

The construction will take six weeks. So from the time you buy it, to the time it's sold, you can get your money in and out in 3 months at most.
You can also rent it for $2,000 a month with about $10-15k for minimal improvements to bring it up to rental condition. I have a property manager who you can talk to who specializes in the area to find and manage the tenants. Most likely you’ll rent to college students.

It’s in a very well established neighborhood and it’s an excellent investment for you if you have the capital – that’s why I’m writing you.



Click here for more details about the property

Email me back or call me ASAP if you’re interested in buying it (or know someone).

I’ll handle all the work – if you want a video of the property or more pictures, I’ll get them. I’ll even arrange the inspection. I'll make sure you're protected and you know everything you need to know.

And of course, if you need to sell your home, give me a shout and I’ll let you know what your home would sell for, or at least tell you what updates you need to make to bring it up to full market price base on what buyers are paying a premium for in Tempe.

Why is Curb Appeal Important?

What is curb appeal?

Curb appeal is what your home looks like from the outside. What does the exterior of your home look like?

Why is curb appeal important?

It is very important because it is the first impression buyers get of your home. A lot of people make an assumption that if the outside of the home is taken care of, that must mean the inside is taken care of as well.

I’ve had certain clients drive up to a house and were immediately turned off because the outside was a mess.

What are some tips on curb appeal?

There are some things you can do to improve your curb appeal: repainting or refinishing your front door, replacing address numbers, replacing light fixtures and cleaning up your landscape.

If you have any other questions on curb appeal or selling your home, please give me call!

Thanks for watching!