Fresh Ice Cream, Made Daily in Gilbert, AZ

If you like to frequent locally-owned ice cream shops where the ice cream is made fresh every day, and the delivery truck from the local dairy is parked out front, check out Udder Delights.  On the SW corner of Val Vista and Ray in Gilbert, AZ, they offer a variety of ice creams from vanilla to cinnamon streusel.  Make sure that you ignore the $1 scoop sign, though, because if you want real ice cream, you're going to have to pay for it!  Not sure what the sign is for; let me know if you find out.    

Short Sale Pitfall #379: Realtor Commission Disputes

It's no secret that I dislike short sales.  They always seem to involve too much work, too much uncertainty and too much waiting.  Below is one potential pitfall that you may encounter during a real estate transaction that is listed as a short sale.

Pitfall #379:  The bank approves the buyer's offer, but with conditions...

That's great!  What's the catch?  The bank demands that the total commission paid to the real estate agents involved is decreased by 2%.  Logically, neither the listing agent, nor the buyer's broker wants to decrease the amount of commission they expected to receive in this transaction.  Aren't they legally obligated to do so?  No.  Neither party has any legal obligation to decrease his/her commission.  Yes, this can turn ugly as they decide who gets paid less, and by how much, and yes, this can stall or cancel your real estate transaction.  The most likely scenario is that they split the commission-ectomy 50-50, which is good for you because you have a sale, but you shouldn't count on it being so neat and simple.

The information in this article is pulled from the Arizona Association of Realtors website.    

Create Live AZ in Gilbert Coffee Shop

Well, I don't know about you, but I am definitely planning to attend the second installment of Create Live AZ, featuring two very interesting artists and two musicians I know little about.  I guess not knowing what to expect is what makes it fun.  It's right here in Gilbert AZ, so I hope to see you there, but if not, I'll let you know how it goes.

Details:

• Who:  Open to the general public
• What:  Create Live AZ -- Natasha painting, Daniel illustrating, Jack and Josh performing live music
• When:  August 15, 2009 at 5:00 PM
• Where:  The Coffee Shop, 3000 East Ray Road, Building #2, Gilbert, AZ 85296
• Why:  Because it's going to be awesome (I hope)!

Update (Aug 16, 2009):  Yeah, okay, I didn't make it.  I was showing a house during that time.  It turns out that Saturday afternoon is a great time to show a house.  I'll make it next time.

New Home Sales on the Rise in Gilbert AZ

New home builders in Gilbert, Queen Creek and the rest of the East Valley have been using large incentives, great prices, and generous terms to move their inventory faster this summer than anyone expected.  On new home builds, the price is generally set, but the incentives - closing cost assistance and quantity of free upgrades - are often negotiable.  You can get great deals on foreclosures right now, but new homes are definitely worth checking out if you like to have new tile and appliances that you picked out yourself at the home gallery.

On Saturday, I helped one of my clients find a beautiful new home in the Village at Queen Creek that is being built by Richmond American.  The design and quality of construction they are using is remarkable and the big open floor plans and large lots are unbeatable in their price range ($200,000).  The other great thing about Queen Creek is that buying a house there may make you elligible for  a Rural Housing loan.  With zero down, the benefits are comparable with a VA loan.  Queen Creek has such a bad reputation because of the developments full of vacancies and foreclosures to the south, but the truth is that Queen Creek itself is actually quite nice still, and there are a lot of good bargains there.

Give me a call at (480) 699-1403 if you would like help finding a new home in Gilbert or the rest of the East Valley.

Additional Resources:

1. More about new homes in Gilbert AZ
2. Gilbert Housing Market Shows Signs of Recovery  - EV Tribune

The Islands of Gilbert, Arizona

Homes are selling in The Islands!
Conventional home sales have done surprisingly well this summer in The Islands. Check out this Report of Homes Sold in The Islands from mid-June through the end of July. This report only shows conventional home sales, not foreclosures or short sales.  In total, 14 conventional home sales were made from mid-Jun through the end of July - signs of a strengthening market.  


The Islands is a great waterfront community in the western part of Gilbert, bordering Chandler.  

Gilbert, Arizona Home Market Statistics for July

Residential home sales in Gilbert (from 1-31 July, 2009)

• 450 houses sold
• $226,803 average sale price 
• 393 pending sales (As of 31 Jul 09)
• 1,670 active listings (As of 31 Jul 09)
• $297,510 average list price (As of 31 Jul 09)

This is pretty similar to the month of June, with the exception that the average sale price has increased by about $7,000 during July.  Statistics courtesy of Arizona MLS. 

Schools in Gilbert, AZ "Excelling"

Once again it's time to see the results from the sometimes dreaded AIMS test.  Gilbert schools did outstanding, with the vast majority earning the highest designation of "excelling."  Two of Gilbert's school districts - Gilbert and Higley - were the only two public school systems in the southeast valley to meet federal testing standards.  It's no wonder that Gilbert public schools continue to receive high online rankings in every category.

More about schools in Gilbert, Arizona.