I decided I was going to try something new and if it’s successful then maybe I’ll do it for all my listings, but I figured I would try the experiment on my own home first. The home I am offering for sale is located at 7750 W. Summer Sky Dr in Continental Ranch on Tucson’s Northwest side, but technically it’s located in Marana AZ, a fast growing suburb of Tucson.

To see all information about this listing, CLICK HERE.

Most new home builders work in the same fashion and have the same steps from initial contract through closing. By knowing the steps and properly preparing for your purchase, you stand a good chance of getting a great home built. They sell you a “lot”, and you pick the floor plan and the options that will be built upon it. For locking in the price and the home, you sign a builder contract that will be very sided to the builder’s interests. What most people don’t know is that — although very rare — certain terms of the contract can be negotiated. Did the homebuilder guarantee a certain date of completion? Ask that it be written in. Frequently, the builders’ agent sees that you are in need of a home by a certain date, and will guarantee that the builder will make that date to “close” the sale. Then some “setback” forces the builder to have delays, and the home does not even come close to the original date. Of course, by this time you are stuck. If you walk away from the home, you lose your deposit(s). This is a trick that I have seen many times, especially to those who are in a true need of having a home completed on a fast schedule. If the builder’s representative guarantees a date, then have it in writing that it will be done by that date. If the home is not finished by that date, then you can cancel and receive 100% earnest money back, or the builder will pay some set amount of money per day that the home is not complete. I have seen anything from $90-$180 per day if the home is not completed by the original date promised.

In my opinion and many others Tucson Arizona (AZ), is a world-class city for owning a second (also called “vacation”) home. Tucson offers a world-class climate, great affordability, and a diverse number of options to its residents.

Tucson Arizona’s (AZ) location makes it very unique. The city and surrounding areas are set in a valley surrounded by several mountain ranges. This makes it perfect for picturesque views and a variety of habitats for the surrounding wildlife. The city is located about a six-hour drive from San Diego CA, and about six and a half hours from Rocky Point, Sonora (Puerto Penasco), a small relaxed beach in northern Mexico. Tucson is also about a 45-minute drive to the United States/ Mexico international border. This allows residents to take day trips to Mexico for shopping, sightseeing, and other vacation options. Tucson’s location makes it a great choice for a second home, but that is not all the area has to offer.

I wanted to post about the new FEMA flood maps that will go into effect in September of 2008. The new maps place a majority of Marana in a floodplain which will affect homeowners who will be required to purchase flood insurance. Town officials do not agree with the new maps, stating that FEMA used out-of-date information when making the update. They are fighting the decision. According to Rodney Campbell (the Marana Public Information Officer), “The town is very disappointed with the mapping.”

I decided to write a post for beginning landlords or people looking to buy their first investment property. This is a very basic and simple post to help people with the job of property management.

With that being said, the first thing that comes to my mind — as should come to yours if you’re looking to attract those first tenants to your property — is deciding how, where, and who to allow to rent your property. Obviously Fair Housing laws should always be followed (and that goes without saying), but other than that, once you have a potential tenant you should do the following:

“Short sales” are sales where the borrower has to sell their property and owes much more on the property then the current value of the home (otherwise known as being upside down). These sales are becoming much more “normal” and buyers and sellers alike have very little information as to why/how they work, so I thought for this post I would explain the general idea of the “Short Sale”.