QUEEN CREEK BEAUTY ON 1+ ACRE

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With over an acre you'll have lots of room to roam, rest and play. This 4BR, 3.5 BA ranch style home offers a popular open floor plan w/LR/DR combo, a cook's kitchen w/lots of prep space; SS appl (double ovens) & hickory cabinetry accented w/beautiful granite countertops. Warm up w/a brick wood-burning FP in FR pre-wired for surround sound. Neutral tile, carpet, wood flooring, custom blinds, designer paint t/o. Master suite w/French door exit, double walk-in closets,jetted tub, travertine snail shower. Huge backyard w/extended patio, horse set-up, 2.5 CG/shop w/220 volt for all your toys, PLUS a side-entry 3CG. Mature landscaping surrounds this QC spread w/mountain views & clear skyline. NOT A Short Sale or BANK-OWNED!

Sold In 3 days-Heart of Ahwatukee!

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Your Home: A Point of Reference and Where the Heart Is

It’s funny how a point of reference of what we were doing at a particular time in our lives is often tied to where we were living. “Oh yeah, we were living in ____ house when we took that trip to ____.” And who could forget where they were living when the events of 9/11 took place? Feeling safe at home took on a whole new meaning.

As buyers, we think about what’s in store for us in our new place such as decorating, home improvement projects, birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and perhaps just raising our children in a stable environment. As sellers, we reflect back on what actually transpired there-yes, those parties and holiday gatherings and home improvement projects that ultimately tested our patience, but the other things in between too-family sit down dinners, jokes and secrets being shared; countless bedtime stories told and retold; a front lawn that became the neighborhood football field where thankfully no one got hurt and sued you; hot chocolate and board games on rainy days; the sight and sound of “Friday Night Lights”coming from the local high school; a lightening strike during a storm taking out your shadiest tree while you were drinking that hot chocolate and playing boards games; the backyard where pet hamsters were laid to rest; and house guests you couldn’t wait to have arrive and house guests you couldn’t wait to have leave. Even more than that, our homes played host to our hopes and dreams and thoughts that shaped who we are and who we aspire to be.

I get sentimental as my eldest child’s 19th birthday approaches because I think of memories from days gone by. Not my 12 hours of labor, (which was a whole day gone by!), but where we lived at the time she was born and the two other homes we lived in leading up to the end of her teen years. As a REALTOR® in the business of home buying and selling, it may be easy to look at what I do as a commodity at times. All I have to do however is come home to my family for my own daily reality check. I feel honored to help folks lay the groundwork for making their own home become a point of reference throughout their lives. Home truly is where the heart is.

Call Me A Twit, But I Quit Twitter!

Social media is here to stay. I’m not fighting it; in fact, I will continue to embrace it. I will however, use what best works for me and sharing tidbits of my day tweeting in 140 characters or less, is well, FOR THE BIRDS!

LinkedIn has been an excellent business networking tool. I have used that venue for several years now. Blogging has become a great outlet for me. It allows me to share my not-so-humble opinion with anyone interested enough to read what I have to say. Occasionally, I participate in online discussions and answer questions on real estate networking sites such as Trulia and Active Rain. My company uses Ning, which has proven to be a great way to share information and get to know fellow real estate agents from my office. Finally, there is Facebook. I swore I’d never create an account because it was “the one sacred place” where my daughter was free to be a college student without parental intrusion. Well I succumbed to the peer pressure! How hypocritical of me after years of telling her not to do that very thing! Now my daughter is my friend, and some of her friends are my friends and I have other family as friends in addition to old friends, new friends, work friends, school friends, and “friends” coming out of the woodwork! The truth is, Facebook is a lot of fun. It offers so much more in the way of communication by acting as a “one stop shop” where I can post my thoughts, share comments and photos, even “feed” this blog to my profile page (wall).

Listen, I’m not a celebrity and I will never have 1,000,000 + people “following” me! I’ve deleted my Twitter account. All 5 of my followers are devastated I am sure!

Nutritional Value Of Alphabet Soup After My Name

When I was newly licensed, one of the first things I did was lay out a schedule of GRI® (Graduate of REALTOR® Institute) courses I simultaneoulsy took while getting that real world experience. During my coursework, I was often asked by seasoned pros "Why are you earning your GRI® when you are so new?" Well that was an easy answer: To better myself and learn from others how to avoid issues that I hear from good people like yourself! Truth is, that designation was so valuable to me as a new licensee that I wish it was required of all to complete upon obtaining their license. I have applied so many principles, gained so much confidence and shared so much with others as a result of it. We attend real estate school, pass the state exam and off we go into the WILD BLUE YONDER! Let's face it, knowledge is power and in the ever competitive world of real estate, you'd better SHOW you know what you are talking about!

Soon after earning my GRI®, I took the e-PRO® course online which gave me more confidence in integrating technology into my real estate business. It wasn't until a year later that I earned my SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) designation. With our aging population and the buying power of the Baby Boomers, learning more about how to work with them was invaluable (BTW-I missed being a Boomer by only one year!)

You cannot take away years of experience in the field...but let me say this: There are some however, who have been in the business for years, collect the minimum renewal hours and still lack the basic skills it takes in real estate. Earning designations can be looked upon in the same way-you can earn it, but applying what you learn to real world situations and avoiding the pitfalls is what will make you a success.

These days, I share with my clients what the value of alphabet soup after my name means to them. I don't worry that I may appear to be a "show off"-I got over that fast. I truly feel that it is a combination of experience and continued education-both renewal hours and designations that will take our industry to a higher level of professionalism. I will always be a work in progress-next up for me: Earning my ABR and my broker's license.

Signed,
Margery B. Berbling, PLC REALTOR® GRI, e-PRO, SRES, AHWD

Declare Your Buying Independence!

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to buy and sell real estate...

Did you know that over the last few months, bank-owned (lender-owned) properties, also known as REO (Real Estate Owned) constitute approximately 1/2 of the listings in the metro Phoenix area? Short Sale listings (a home priced for less than what is owed on it) make up another 1/4, leaving "regular listings" as the balance-another 1/4! Has there ever been a time in history when this has happened? I think not!

This is a "Qualified Buyers' Market" for sure.

With that said, there are some interesting ways in which business is being conducted here in the Valley. Usually priced under market value, short sale listings are generating so much interest that the Sellers are creating their own "mini-auction" - bidding wars abound, buyers with offers on multiple properties anticipating which one gets bank approval first. Buyers may feel like they are spinning their wheels, but for the persistent ones, they may very well end up with a great deal in their pursuit of Happiness.

Working with bank-owned properties requires much diligence on the Buyers' side. The banks have their own addendums to add to the transaction, often redundant and seemingly meant to cover their butts. It is typical for the Buyers to receive an answer from the bank (who is the Seller), within days to a week so there isn't the long waiting game like Short Sales. Keep in mind, those "mini-auctions" exist with bank-owned as well.

A "regular" listing has its advantages whether you are on the Buyer side or on the Seller side. Assuming the Seller prices their home to sell in today's market,(and guess what? The comps (comparables) used to price the home include those recent Short Sale and Bank-owned property sales!),they do draw attention as they are the exception to the others now! Buyers love it as they don't have the lengthy waiting period that you do with Short Sales or all that lender-owned property paperwork to deal with. For the Seller, it makes putting your home on the market now as a "regular" listing not such a bad idea when you have equity. The additional $$ they feel they won't make from the sale of their home now could be made up for by taking advantage of those "deals" offered to them as Buyers.

I use this analogy: Buying real estate right now is like a trip to Vegas-You can do some window shopping-get to see some great shows, pick and choose your listings like you're at a buffet and place a bet knowing that you could win or lose...however, the odds are that it is a pretty safe time to gamble right now!

Enjoy your Life, your Liberty and your pursuit of Happiness!

Don't Fence Me In

First, a happy Father's Day 2009 wish to all you dads out there!

I recently followed my broker, Heidi Quigley, to her new company, United Broker's Group. Having been with KW for three years, it was truly unchartered territory-leaving a real estate company with great name recognition, to one where we all stand strong based solely on our own reputation with a new name attached. It's like I was crossing the Great Divide!

From the time I was a little girl, I guess you could always say I was a "Maverick" like my father Bill Bannister, a land salesman and developer. I respected authority, but I could challenge it too (yes, that included Dad and Mom). Despite this, I was able to play very nice with the other kids-and I mean this as a professional as well. I don't mind speaking up when I think things can be done a better way, or someone has been wronged, or more importantly, a question of integrity arises when a person or situation is questioned or compromised. Yes, I can dish it out, but I can take it too! This past year has been a challenging one for me and I want to thank those close to me who have given me my own kick in the pants to keep forging ahead (my mom gets a lot of credit for that-I love you mom and an old friend who helped give me a jump when my RE batteries were low).

I am excited about being a charter member of United Broker's Group! I will continue to stay true to who I am-conduct myself in the most professional manner, be passionate and spunky, look out for my clients, loved ones, friends and those I come across in my travels. Sometimes it is those mere acquaintances who sometimes need us the most.