The closing process isn't a crazy one, but it's usually longer and more involved than most people think when they sell their house.
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When you sell your house, there are few specific things you can always expect during closing.
While we're still in a seller's market, it's not as easy as simply getting an offer on your house and closing the next day. In fact, many sellers misunderstand how involved the process really is. 
The first step after getting an accepted offer on your property is the buyer's 10 days of due diligence unless you agreed on something different. The standard 10 days in the Arizona purchase contract gives them time for any type of inspections. 
Within those 10 days, they will either cancel the deal because they don't like the property or there are too many repairs, give the seller the option to fix certain items, or just accept the property as-is and move forward. 

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95% of buyers in our market use loans, so they'll need an appraisal.
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From there, you as the seller have a certain amount of time to address what you'll do. After that process comes the appraisal process.
Most cash buyers won't get an appraisal, but 95% buyers in our market use loans, so they'll need an appraisal. A third-party appraiser ordered by the bank will go to the property to make sure it's worth the agreed upon price. 
These two processes are the big hurdles in the closing and typically take about 20 to 25 days. That's why the closing as a whole usually takes around 30 to 45 days. Other steps include getting the home ready to move out and getting the title squared away with the title company, among other things. It's not a crazy process, but it can be longer than most people think.
If you have any other questions or you're thinking of buying or selling a home here in the Tucson market, give me a call or send me an email. I'm always happy to help!

When you start looking for financing to buy a home, there’s one key mistake that many buyers make that you should try to avoid at all costs.
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When you talk to a lender for the first time, there’s a big mistake that many people make that you should try to avoid. 
That mistake is signing up with the first lender you talk to.
Whenever you work with us, we like to recommend a lender and also that you get a second opinion. You’re not obligated to work with our preferred lenders; you can work with whoever you want.
However, we really want to make sure you know not to just stick with the first lender you talk with, just like you wouldn’t work with the first doctor that told you that you need knee surgery. You’d get a second or third opinion.

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You wouldn’t work with the first doctor that said you need knee surgery, would you?
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We also see buyers work with a lender who gives them a good interest rate, but we’ll recommend they speak with one of our lenders who can actually beat that interest rate. You always want to explore your options.
Getting a better rate will save you a lot of money in the end, so always be conscious of it. Our rule of thumb is to work with the best of two or three lenders that you speak with.
If you need a recommendation for a great mortgage lender or you’re thinking of selling your house, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help.

A lot of people have been asking me when the best time to sell is. The answer is right now, and here’s why.
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A common question I get asked is, “When is the best time to put my home on the market?” The answer is now.

I know you may think that I’m just trying to get your business, but the truth is the market has extremely low inventory right now, which means there are more buyers out there than there are properties available.


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Right now is the best time to list your home.
”

Because of this, we’re seeing a lot of multiple offer situations which are driving up sale prices. If you’re trying to get the most amount of money in the least amount of time, I definitely recommend putting your home on the market right now.

If you have any other questions or are looking to buy or sell a home, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help!

In today’s competitive market, it is more important than ever for buyers to hire experienced real estate agents.
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Why is it important to work with an agent who has a lot of buyer experience?

In today’s market, inventory is very low, which causes a lot of issues. If you want to buy a home, you are facing a lot of competition. Last year, if you submitted an offer on a house, it was probably the only offer on that property. Today, even if you make an offer on a home the day it hits the market, you could be competing with as many as four other buyers.


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Submitting an offer is different from getting your offer accepted.
”

That makes things really challenging for buyers right now. You need an experienced agent who can get your offer accepted. We are still able to get a lot of buyers into homes because we have many savvy techniques to get an offer accepted.

It’s one thing to work with a nice agent but you have to ask yourself, “Does this agent have what it takes to get my offer accepted?” Any agent can submit an offer, but getting an offer accepted is another story.

If you have any questions about navigating the current market, just give us a call. We would be happy to help you!

Interest rates recently went up. What does that mean for buyers? Will they continue to rise? I’ll go over everything you need to know today.
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Recently, interest rates went up. What does that mean for you?

Rising interest rates are not a bad thing; in fact, they indicate that the economy is improving. Ultimately, it’s still a good time to buy a home because you won’t have to pay the 9% interest rates of the past. Depending on your credit score, you might not have to pay more than a 5% interest rate.

However, we recommend locking in a low interest rate on a 15-year or 30-year mortgage now, as interest rates should continue to rise.

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Interest rates will continue to rise, so now is a great time to buy.
”

With the new year, our market will have a lot of activity. However, inventory is still low, so make sure you get pre-qualified now. That way, when your dream home comes on the market, you will be able to make an offer right away. Getting pre-qualified also gives you an advantage in this market, as we are still seeing multiple offers due to low inventory.

If you have any other questions about interest rates or our current real estate market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Real estate transactions can fall apart for a number of reasons, but I have noticed three in particular that cause deals to fail in today’s market.
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Whether you are buying or selling a home, you may end up in a real estate transaction that falls apart. Why do some real estate deals fall through?

There are many factors that go into a real estate deal, but there are three main reasons why a transaction could fail:

1. You ask for too much on the inspection report. Since we have low inventory right now, sellers often end up with multiple offers. As a result, they are not going to fix every single item on the inspection report. If you are buying a home, focus on the major issues in the home rather than requesting a bunch of cosmetic fixes. If you ask the seller to take care of everything on the list, they will simply move on to one of the other six offers they have on their home.

2. Your real estate agent gets emotionally involved. Unfortunately, there are a lot of agents out there who let their emotions interfere with your transaction. As real estate agents, our job is to represent our clients’ needs and interests. Sometimes agents feel as if they are the ones buying the property and end up taking everything personally, which can cause your deal to fall through.


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Focus on major issues in the inspection report instead of cosmetic fixes.
”

3. Bad negotiation tactics. In today’s market, if you offer $250,000 on a house that is worth $300,000, you could really insult the seller. Our job as real estate agents is to get you the best deal, but we are also here to educate you. That way, you can offer a fair price, avoid angering the seller, and get a deal done. If you insult the seller at the beginning, you’re in for a difficult battle during the negotiations.

Fortunately, a professional real estate agent can help you avoid any of these problems. If you have any other questions about buying or selling a home, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Inventory is extremely low in the Tucson metro area and we're seeing the market turn into a seller's market. We're even seeing sellers receive multiple offers on their homes.
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Tucson is really turning into a seller's market, so I wanted to stop by with a quick market update.

There is extremely low inventory all over the Tucson metro area. I've talked about this before, but I can't stress it enough: if you're thinking about selling at all, inventory is very low right now, so you have a very good chance of getting full price for your home. We're even having a lot of sellers getting multiple offers on their house and getting to choose one that's above asking price in some situations.


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You have a good chance at selling at or above asking price.
”

Low inventory puts you in a great negotiating position because buyers have fewer options to choose from, which means that you won't have to do many repairs after an offer comes in. These are the kinds of things that will save you money.

If you've thought at all about selling your home, give me a call or send me an email today because you don't want to wait any longer to take advantage of this market. I hope to hear from you soon!

This loan program will gift you up to 10% down to purchase a home. There are limited funds, so acting fast is essential. 
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I’ve got a great new loan program for buyers that I want to discuss with you today. This program is called “Pathway to Purchase,” and it’s one of the best programs I’ve ever seen for a conventional loan.

This conventional loan product gifts you up to 10% down, and you don’t have to pay it back. The only caveat is that you have to live in the house for five years before selling. After five years, you can sell or do whatever else you’d like. The down payment will cover up to $20,000, so you could get a home worth up to $200,000.


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There are limited funds in this program.
”

Even if you have money saved up for a down payment, you can use this extra money for renovations. There are limited funds in this program, so if you would like to learn more, let us know as soon as possible so we can get you in touch with one of our lenders. This program is designed to stimulate activity, but once it’s done, it’s done. This product has also brought more buyers into the market, making it a smart time to sell, too.

If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

I wanted to take a minute talk about a great new loan program that’s only available here in Tucson.

This loan provides up to $20,000 that you don’t have to pay back for properties in Tucson. The only small caveat is that you have to live in the house for five years. You can’t use this program to buy a house, get $20,000 in free equity, and sell it right away. This program is not for people who want to flip properties.

I’ve never seen a program like this for first-time home buyers. If you’re a first-time buyer and you don’t have enough money for a down payment, this program will give you up to $20,000.


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I’ve never seen a deal like this for first-time buyers.
”

It’s a remarkable deal with great rates, too. If you’re interested, we’d love to put you in touch with one of our preferred lenders.

If you have any other questions about this loan program or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Dave Clarkson is the president of Clarkson Insurance with State Farm. Dave found his calling to be in the insurance industry when he was in college and opened his agency in Tucson when he was only 23 years old. Dave is dedicated to educating his clients about insurance so they can make the best decisions possible.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How Dave got his calling to be in the insurance industry
• Why his job is to provide Insurance 101 to his clients
• Examples of the most basic insurance you should have
• Why umbrella policies provide peace of mind
• Why Dave views the insurance agency as a service industry
• Why Dave wants high schools to have a few days dedicated to insurance education

SUMMARY

Dave Clarkson is the president of Clarkson Insurance with State Farm. Dave opened his agency at the age of 23 and has been serving the community of Tucson ever since. His number one priority is educating his clients. Most people don’t understand the purpose of insurance and think they have nothing to insure. Dave explains why insurance is so important, the basic types of insurance you should have, and why education is so important. Dave also reveals why he would love to give a few lessons at local high schools.


RESOURCES

http://daveclarksoninsurance.com/
https://www.statefarm.com/agent/US/AZ/Tucson/Dave-Clarkson-L78W91YS000
https://www.facebook.com/Dave-Clarkson-State-Farm-Agent-179893835380010/

We’ve got a second quarter update for the Tucson market for you. Today’s market is a double-edged sword for both buyers and sellers. It’s great for sellers because of low inventory, and it’s great for buyers because interest rates are still low and there are a lot of down payment assistance options out there. At the same time, we are still seeing issues.

For buyers, low inventory means you’ll likely be competing against multiple offers on anything priced right in the $250,000 or below price range. For sellers, prices are going up due to low inventory, especially in the last few months.


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Buyers must be prepared to make a quick offer.
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If you’re selling in this market, all you’ve got to do is price properly and you have a good chance at receiving multiple offers. If you plan on buying, it’s absolutely possible to get a good home. You’ve just got to be prepared to write an offer quickly. Homes are sometimes getting multiple offers within the first 24 hours that they are listed.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in Tucson; the market is as well. If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We would be glad to help you out.