Google’s $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest, creator of the smart thermostat and smoke detector, caught many industry watchers by surprise. But Google’s move to snap up one of the leading companies in the nascent field of devices that are paving the way for the “Internet of Things” is only surprising if you don’t know what Nest is all about. For the uninitiated, Nest is a company devoted to making everyday household objects smarter through advanced design and Internet-enabled features. Nest CEO … [Read more...]
Home Prices Back at Peaks in Some Areas
December 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Recovery Remains Uneven as Cities Spared in Bust Soar, but Many Others Struggle Home prices have zipped back into record territory in a handful of American cities, a milestone that comes seven years after the housing bust ravaged the market and the broader economy. Values are up more than 13% from their 2007 high in Oklahoma City and by more than 6% in the Denver metro area. Prices are back to all-time highs in 10 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of … [Read more...]
Smart Investments in Kitchen Cabinetry
September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The kitchen is the most expensive room in the house to build. The national average cost of a kitchen remodel is $50,000, though the real cost can vary widely, depending on where you live, the scope of the project and the materials you choose. New cabinetry can take up much of that expense. Make the most of this big purchase by treating your new cabinets as an investment.Realtor Victoria Gangi offers insider tips on how to get the best return on your cabinet investment, even if you're not moving in the … [Read more...]
Whole Foods Finally Set to Open Tomorrow on Camelback – Groceries, Wine Bar, 36 Beer Taps and Espresso Bar…and Much More!
September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
As if we needed more reasons to spend time (and money) at Whole Foods, the Valley's newest location is giving us a few more. Set to open at 9 a.m., tomorrow, the Whole Foods Market Camelback store (20th Street and Camelback in the Biltmore area) will feature a casual bar and restaurant as well as a juice bar and in-house roasted coffee along with its aisles of locally-sourced products, organic fruits and vegetables, and sustainable seafood. Here's the rundown. The Whole Foods Market on Camelback is … [Read more...]
Is The Phoenix Housing Market Finally Back to ‘Normal’?
September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
With big price gains, waning investor interest and plunging foreclosure activity, the metro Phoenix housing market was looking more “normal” this summer than its been for several years, according to a new report by Arizona State University. Even the number of buyers and sellers has finally begun showing some signs of balance after two years of a chronic shortage of homes for sale. But there is still much room for improvement, particularly in the new-home market where sales rates are still less than one third … [Read more...]
Buying A Flipped Home? Be Careful
August 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Home buyers always need to have an eye out for shoddy renovation work and defect coverups before purchasing a home. But when it’s a “flipped” home they’re considering, it’s wise to be even more careful, making sure the investor didn’t cut corners while prepping the home for sale. These days, a greater number of single-family homes are being flipped, or bought and resold within six months. In the first half of the year, flips were up 19% from a year ago and up 74% from the first half of 2011, according to data … [Read more...]
What Homeowners’ Discounts Are You Missing?
August 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Homeowners insurance isn’t a topic that most people like to think about except as the funny/scary ‘Mayhem’ ads for Allstate. For first-time homebuyers the prospect of adding home insurance to the other long list of costs can seem daunting. Yet homeowners’ insurance isn’t just required for your mortgage, it’s an important part of a plan to keep you and your home safe. Generally homeowners’ insurance covers damage from fire, most storms (some insurance does not include flood damage), theft, and more. It can also … [Read more...]
Arizona home prices rise 17.3% over last year
June 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
WASHINGTON - U.S. home prices soared 12.1 percent in April from a year earlier, the biggest gain since February 2006, as more buyers competed for fewer homes. Real estate data provider CoreLogic says prices rose in April from the previous April in 48 states. Prices also rose 3.2 percent in April from March, much better than the previous month-to-month gain of 1.9 percent. Prices in Nevada jumped 24.6 percent from a year earlier, the most among the states. California’s gain was next at 19.4 percent, followed … [Read more...]
Is The Phoenix Real Estate Market In Another Bubble?
April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
According to Michael Orr, Director of Real Estate at W.P. Carey school of business at Arizona State, we are not even close to a bubble at this point. Michael has thus put together a 'top ten' list of reasons why we are not currently in a bubble. CLICK HERE to read his findings. … [Read more...]
