Betsie Melter's Real Estate Blog

Do's and Don'ts during the Loan Process

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:08:53 -0500

These of course, are just the basics. For more details about the loan process contact Amy Simmons with On Q Financial at 480.353.9140.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

New Trends in Decorating for 2012

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:24:06 -0500

What Will Be Hot in Home Interiors in 2012? On December 5, 2011, in Home Trends, by Melissa Tracey By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine The design forecasts are rolling in for the new year and the predictions of what’s going to be popular in interior decorating in 2012. According to Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla., here are some interior design trends to be on the lookout for in the upcoming year: Homes go gray: All shades of gray will be making up more households, from warm grey to charcoal gray, through furnishings, window treatments, and artwork. Yellow pops: Yellow can lift practically any room, according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design. Pairing yellow with gray can bring a trendy look to a home in 2012. Rustic: Furnishings from natural, reclaimed, and rustic wood are expected to catch on. “Finishes on these rustic pieces will range from wire-brushed to bleached oak to gray washes,” according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design. Repurposed lighting: Reclaimed pieces that are turned into lamps and lighting pieces is expected to continue its wave of popularity in 2012. The industrial look: The industrial look is also gaining traction, such as repurposed, industrial occasional tables or side carts. Lower seating: Chairs and sofas are sitting lower to the ground. More home furniture manufacturing companies are debuting lounge chair seating lower than the standard 20’’ off the floor. They’re introducing more products at 17-18’’ off the floor–possibly to fit in smaller homes. Oversized photography, such as in Sepia or computer-enhanced, will dominate the look of artwork in the coming year. Supersized artwork: Artwork continues to get bigger with oversized photography dressing up interiors with black and white, Sepia, or standard pictures.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Home for Rent in San Tan Valley, AZ only $850/Month

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:13:20 -0500

3 Bedroom/2Bathroom home within walking distance to the Elementary School and just minutes away from the new Ironwood Banner Hospital.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

October Events in East Valley - Phoenix, Arizona

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:20:00 -0400

My Favorite Event is at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek. They offer a corn maze, pumpkin patch, train rides, pig races, food, carnival rides and this year a BMX show and Stunt Dog show. It is fun for all ages and a great time to get outside and enjoy the October AZ weather. We are finally under 100 degrees, so we better appreciate it! The corn maze this year is a picture of the owners parents Ray and Thora.

*picture provided by schnepf farm website

Tickets are on sale at the gate for $15.00 or at Fry's for only $12.00. Visit their website at http://schnepffarms.com/

If Haunted Houses are more your thing, you will want to check out The Nest located at Rawhide just west of the I-10 south of Ahwatukee. THE NEST haunted house, is rated #1 scariest haunt in America by MSN.

RUN: September 23 - October 31, 2011
Tickets available September 15 SPECIFIC DATES: September 23, 24 & 30
October 1, 7-9, 13-16, 20-23 & 27-31 HOURS: Thursdays and Sundays 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays 7:00 PM - 12:00 MID Halloween Night 7:00 PM - 12:00 MID PRICES: $25 General Admission (discounts online)
$40 VIP FastPass (discounts online) PARKING: $5 GROUP RATES: For groups of 10 or more discounts can be found online WEBSITE: www.Frightened.com

Happy Halloween to everyone!

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Rental Available in Chandler, AZ for only $1200/Month

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:57:32 -0400

13331 E. Cindy St. Chandler, AZ 85225

FOR RENT! $1200/Month

3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms, Split floorplan, Greatroom, Vaulted Ceilings, Breakfast Nook

Huge Yard with No Neighbors Behind

Close to Chandler Gilbert Community College and The 202!

Available Immediately

Click Here to see the Video of the House

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

New Trends with Short Sales

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:37:49 -0400

I finally closed on a short sale that we started with in April. Yay! What a journey this one was. It should have been a simple one - Only One Lender and no equity lines. But trends seem to be twisting and turning every time we finally get the negotiation process figured out. This one I wanted to mention because my negotiator said they are starting to see a lot of this. The bank had approved the purchase price and even approved paying for the buyer's closing costs. BUT, a week later as we were hounding them for the approval letter, they stated that they are requiring a contribution from the seller. WHAT?!?!

Now, I am not arguing that they want to try and get what they can from the sale of the house. I understand that. My problem is this:

1) Shouldn't they have asked for that upfront when we were negotiating the price and closing costs with the buyer? They could have mentioned that they wanted the seller to pay $3500. At that point we could have said for the bank not to pay the buyer's closing costs, which just so happen to be $3600. That would have balanced out. Or, we could have bumped the purchase price up by $3500. The buyer would have paid it, they were willing to go higher if need be.

2) Secondly, where do they come up with $3500? They are already losing over $150,000 so what makes $3500 ok? We eventually got them down to $2000 (of which only $1000 came from the seller and both agents pitched in the other $1000).

3) If it was a purchase money loan and no equity line, why did they want any money from the seller at all? In AZ we have an anti-deficiency law that says they can't come after the seller.

In this case all parties wanted to be done, so we did what we needed to do to close the sale, but in all honesty, I don't think the bank acted in line with standard protocol. Ha- I guess, I shouldn't have expected them to anyway. All banks act by their own laws and contracts anyway. I was just hoping the art of negotiation would be standard practice. Nobody throws in a wild card like that after it has been agreed upon. Not Cool!

From what my negotiator said, he is starting to see a lot of banks require the seller to contribute so I just wanted to let all short sale sellers and agents know to be aware that this might come up in the process.

Good Luck out there! It is a rough market that we seem to be maneuvering quite well by changing and adapting along the way.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Introducing the merger of John Hall and Realty ONE Group in AZ

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:30:11 -0400

John Hall is now Realty ONE Group

Two Acclaimed Realty Powerhouses to Become

One of the Largest Real Estate Firms in Arizona with 1,300 Agents

PHOENIX

(Aug 10, 2011) –

Realty ONE Group and John Hall & Associates announced today they will join forces

to become one of the largest real estate brokerages in Arizona. The combined firm will be known as Realty ONE

Group, reflecting the company’s focus on support and innovation. John Hall & Associates has been a leader in

Arizona real estate since 1974 and Realty ONE Group has been recognized by INC

500 for three consecutive years

as one of the fastest growing companies in America.

Jim Sexton, owner of John Hall & Associates since 1994, says “I’m excited about this marriage with a reputable and

innovative company.” Sexton adds, “Realty ONE Group has built a solid infrastructure, developed strong

educational programs, implemented an amazing supportive environment for their agents and staff, created a

proprietary paperless transaction management software, hired quality management, established prestigious offices,

and paid attention to detail throughout the organization while providing value to their agents.”

With more than 2,500 agents in Arizona, California, and Nevada, Realty ONE Group closed over 13,000

transactions in 2010, ranking as the nation’s thirteenth-largest real estate brokerage. This year the firm is on pace to

close nearly 16,000 transactions, which will elevate it to the top 10 in the nation.

“John Hall has an esteemed management team in place,” said Realty ONE Group CEO and Founder Kuba

Jewgieniew. “These are ambitious people and we are all going to shine together.”

Pat Kelly, the current designated broker, has been promoted to general manager to oversee all of Arizona operations

for Realty ONE Group. Says Jewgieniew, “His continued dedication to establishing our brand in the Arizona

marketplace and providing support to management and agents while growing the company to new heights has

exceeded all expectations over the past number of years. Pat is an over achiever who will continue to lead Realty

ONE Group into its bright future.”

Former owner Sexton will be now the designated broker of Realty ONE Group in Arizona, which Jewgieniew feels

is a natural role for him due to his stellar reputation, experience and knowledge.

Realty ONE Group has grown so quickly in large part due to its unique fee and commission structure. In direct

contrast to the traditional model where brokerages take a percentage of each commission, Realty ONE Group

instead charges a flat transaction fee and the agent keeps the remainder. "Our business model is based on attracting

quality real estate professionals and empowering them by offering more resources for less money," said Jewgieniew.

According to Jewgieniew, Realty ONE Group’s supportive environment extends to a management team that is more

available to their agents than at most large brokerages. “Quality attracts quality and Realty ONE Group has

established itself as a premiere organization for successful agents to affiliate with. While we embrace technology,

Realty ONE Group has real, physical offices that house knowledgeable managers who average more than 20 years

of experience.”

About Realty ONE Group

Realty ONE Group is a full-service real estate brokerage firm with over 2,500 associates, headquartered in Las

Vegas, Nevada, with offices in Arizona and California. It focuses on providing ethical, professional and resultsoriented

services to property owners and prospective real estate buyers. Since its inception in 2005, the company has

grown to become the largest real estate brokerage in Nevada and the fastest growing real estate company in Arizona

and California.

For more information, visit

www.RealtyOneGroup.com

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:22:13 -0400

Well, this is the time of year when we start complaining about living in Arizona and all of the cooler states can start rubbing it in. I am not really complaining because I get to rub it in from October til April about our lovely weather. But, today I can say I'm feeling Hot, Hot, Hot. My A/C just broke in my car. We all know how our cars are our offices. Luckily the repair shop can fix it and hopefully I will be blowing cool air soon enough. In the meantime, I will just sit back and dream of cool weather in the not so close future.

In the spirit of the temperature I thought I would share some Arizona Heat Jokes and why you should live here:

It's so hot in Arizona That...

the temperature drops below 95 and you feel a bit chilly.

you won't go into the pool until it is 90 degrees because it is too cold.

you can attend any function wearing shorts and a tank top.

you learn how to drive your car with only 2 fingers.

it's noon, summer vacation, and not a single person is out on the streets.

hot water now comes out of both taps.

you can say 113 degress without fainting.

the four seasons are Tolerable, Hot, Really Hot and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I am just joking, I love Arizona and won't move anywhere else.

Happy Summer and 4th of July!!!!

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Rental Available in Gated Community-Johnson Ranch only $825/Month

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:16:04 -0400

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Look at the sales for the last 3 Months!

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:00:28 -0400

The last 3 months have been tremendous for us in the Phoenix Market. Hopefully it will continue.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Final Post about my Auction experience

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:32:51 -0400

This is my final post about my Auction experience for now. We ended up not going to the trustee sale auction. After careful investigation and choosing over 8 different properties, none of them actually came up for auction. They were all postponed (some several times). I guess the homes I kept picking must have had bankruptcies attached to them or something because everytime we would be ready to bid the house would get postponed.

It all worked out though, my client ended up finding a really cute house that was a short sale and actually already had an approved price. So as long as everything goes as planned we will be closing on May 31st.

I still would love to find a house at auction so if anyone out there has the cash and wants to try out the auction process, I would be happy to help!

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Update on my Hunt for an Auction Home

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:43:06 -0400

Well back in February I had a client interested in purchasing an auction property at the trustee's sale. I posted questions and did a lot of research until we both felt confident in our decision to jump in and decide to place a bid. We had located the property, and were anxiously awaiting the day of the auction and what the opening bid would be. One day before the auction it was postponed for 1 month. Bummer. We were sad but felt like 1 month wasn't that long to wait. We continued searching and found a few other properties to bid on. Same thing, postponed. 1 month came and guess what, our original house was postponed again. This time to April 27th. So, here we are again. One week from auction and crossing our fingers it doesn't get postponed again. I think the most frustrating part of it is that we have no idea what the opening bid is going to be. If we at least knew that, then we would know if we can even bid on it or not. I mean, really, if it is over our price range, then we could at least have closure and move on.

Even while we are waiting on the auction properties we have still been searching for homes through short sales and foreclosures. Even those are not working out for us. My poor buyer is getting frustrated and who can blame her. Starting the process last July as an excited buyer has now led to a beaten down person who wonders if they will ever get a home. Luckily they don't have to move into it right away, but still how hard is it to find a house? She has cash and is ready to move but these short sales haven't been getting accepted. Maybe we are just picking the wrong houses.

All we can do is keep looking, continue to submit offers and wait. But I am hoping next Wednesday afternoon I will have an update that reads something like this: "Success at the Trustee Sale Auction"! Until then, we will just keep plugging away.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Market Recovering in Phoenix Metro

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:10:02 -0400

Our Market in Phoenix and the surrounding areas seems to be recovering slightly. For the most part our numbers have increased since last month. Our Active Listings are down, sales per month are up and days on market stayed about the same. These may not seem like huge numbers, but any movement up is heading in the right direction.

The Market Index is looking very good. The Cromford Report measures the market as such: If the number is below 100 then it is a Buyer's Market, if it is above 100 it is a Seller's Market. Since January the index has stayed above 100 which is showing that the market is switching toward a Seller's Market.

We hope to see prices appreciate slightly in the next 6 months. It appears we have moved out of the bottom and are starting to recover. Let's hope it is for real this time, unlike April 2009 when we hit our first bottom.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Blackberry Addict...I feel like I am in in withdrawal!

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:41:29 -0500

As I sit here typing this blog, I am going through withdrawals! Ok, I admit it, I am addicted to my Blackberry! Why am I going through withdrawals? I was doing too many things at once and knocked over a glass of water that was on my desk and soaked my phone. UGH. It worked at first, but now the keyboard won't do anything. The worst part is I can see the screen and see that I have texts and emails waiting for me but I can't get to them. 3 Good Things are:

1) I am at my desk, so I have access to the computer and a land line to make calls and check my messages.

2) I have insurance and they are Shipping a new one out tomorrow.

3) Now I can try to become less addicted to my Blackberry since I physically can't use it.

The hard part is I want to look at it every 5 minutes. And it is killing me not to see what the text messages say. Anyone know if there is a way to retrieve texts remotely?

I have to count my blessings. It is a beautiful spring time day, I wasn't that busy today, and maybe I needed a break anyway. Ha Ha!

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com

www.betsiemelter.com

Trustee's Sale Part II

Betsie Melter (Realty ONE Group) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:07:24 -0500

Last week I wrote a blog about buying a home at a Trustee's Sale or Auction at the Court House Steps. I had worked all last week on research for a client on a house that was supposed to go to auction today. Well, needless to say, it was postponed. Boo.
Oh well, as of right now it is postponed until March 23rd. It hasn't been changed to canceled so we are still crossing our fingers that it will go up for auction on the 23rd.

In the meantime, I feel very confident with the research I did last week and feel good about the auction process. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone by any means, but it is a good option if you have investors that don't really care about the inside of the house or the floor plan. Or in my case a client who is looking for a very specific lot and not so much the inside of the house. If you are looking for a house that is going to be your dream home, auction is probably not the best choice since you are very unlikely to see the inside of the house.

I have also gotten very motivated to look for other properties that fit my clients criteria and have found 3 other properties that might work and they go to auction next week and the week after. So now our biggest decision is to decide whether they will bid on any of the new properties or wait for the original property on the 23rd. I guess that isn't too bad of a decision to have to make.

Betsie Melter, REALTOR, GRI, ABR

Realty ONE Group

4677 S. Lakeshore Dr. Tempe, AZ 85282

480.734.3644

realtorbetsie@gmail.com