A Realtor’s Road to Baghdad
A Realtor’s Road to Baghdad, by Michael Creel.
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Greg Swann's Arizona Republic real estate columns
- Oct. 10, 2009: The news media may insist that the real estate market has turned the corner, but my attitude toward work is simple: "Just say yes!"
- Oct. 3, 2009: Despite the hype, the long-term trend of home prices in Phoenix is still steadily downward
- Sept. 26, 2009: Looking for a reason to buy real estate? How about free ice cream?
- Sept. 19, 2009: When the weather finally breaks in Phoenix -- it breaks for ten solid months of pure paradise...
- Sept. 12, 2009: Are banks "warehousing" foreclosed homes in the Phoenix real estate market? If so, sooner or later something will have to give
- Sept. 5, 2009: Even though much of the current real estate "news" is really just hype, there can still be good reasons for you to be in the market
- August 29, 2009: Does your smart-phone hold within it the future of real estate marketing?
- August 22, 2009: Unleashing the power of internet technology on real estate transactions
- August 15, 2009: Fishing for the details takes the fun out of real estate fish stories
- August 8, 2009: How real estate transactions can fall apart -- and how Realtors work to keep the parties together
- August 1, 2009: The buyer's agent is the unsung hero of the home-buying process
- July 25, 2009: Why should you enlist a buyer's agent to help you buy a home? Because you'll get a much better deal -- even if you pay full price
- July 18, 2009: With MLS listings available everywhere on the internet, why do you need a buyer's agent?
- July 11, 2009: Is this the right time to buy a house in Phoenix? It depends...
- July 4, 2009: Private ownership of the land is the source not just of our freedom but of our civility and of our humanity itself
- June 27, 2009: Getting outbid for houses? Relax. Available homes are not in short supply, so there is no reason to overpay
- June 20, 2009: Cashing in on your $8,000 first-time home-buyer tax credit may take some effort in the current Phoenix real estate market
- June 13, 2009: Getting a $15,000 tax credit when you purchase your next home could be as easy as stealing candy from a baby...
- June 6, 2009: Do you want to save money in the Phoenix real estate market? Stop shopping for bargains and start shopping for value instead.
- May 30, 2009: How Phoenix real estate investors can make their rental homes more appealing to tenants
- May 23, 2009: Foreclosures are bringing unscrupulous practices back to the Phoenix real estate market
- May 16, 2009: The $8,000 first-time home-buyers tax credit gets even juicier
- May 9, 2009: The goal of the BloodhoundBlog Unchained training conference is to push the bums out of the real estate business
- May 2, 2009: Are you looking for a flinty-eyed steward to protect the value of real estate? Whatever you do, don't turn to a banker!
- April 25, 2009: Is there a housing boom going on in the Phoenix real estate market? Or is this really just a Fool's Gold Rush?
- April 18, 2009: A good Realtor may be the key to preserving your parents' legacy when they pass away
- April 11, 2009: Taking the pulse of the Phoenix real estate market: Boom? Bust? Both?
- April 4, 2009: The five bad habits of highly ineffective real estate investors
- March 28, 2009: If you live where it snows and where rust is common, it might be time to think about moving to metropolitan Phoenix
- March 21, 2009: The Phoenix real estate market will turn around when our population rises to match our housing supply
- March 14, 2009: There is money to be made in Phoenix-area rental homes -- unless you lose it to a scam artist
- March 7, 2009: Do you own a home in Metropolitan Phoenix? Trying to sell one? I feel your pain. But for investors and first-time home buyers, prices and interest rates are low and incentives abound.
- Feb. 28, 2009: The federal government's housing casino will never play fair as long as there are votes to be bought by cheating
- Feb. 21, 2009: Obama's housing rescue plan won't rescue housing, but it will delay the eventual recovery of the real estate market
- Feb. 14, 2009: Prices for Phoenix-area real estate are very low, but are they low enough to justify a run on the market?
- Feb. 7, 2009: Are you planning on making expensive changes to your home? Make sure they'll make sense to future buyers
- Jan. 31, 2009: Remodeling your home -- if you do it right -- can add to your enjoyment now and to your resale value later
- Jan. 24, 2009: Looking to make changes in an older production home? Within limits, you can do just about anything you want
- Jan. 17, 2009: A pocket history of production home-building in the Phoenix-area
- Jan. 10, 2009: Doing the right kinds of repairs and remodeling to your home is the key to maintaining its resale value
- Jan. 3, 2009: If selling is not a viable option, you need to fall in love with your house all over again
- Dec. 27, 2008: 'U.S adults' may not want foreclosed homes, but homebuyers sure do
- Dec. 20, 2008: Workable real estate deals may require even more creativity
- Dec. 13, 2008: For some, the most financially-astute course of action may be to fake their way to foreclosure
- Dec. 6, 2008: Seriously, who's a better risk for a mortgage than someone who has already lost a home to foreclosure?
- Nov. 29, 2008: Someday soon we may have to turn back the clock on home lending
- Nov. 22, 2008: The bottom of the Phoenix real estate market may be in sight -- but, alas, the end is not near
- Nov. 15, 2008: A workout loan can be a win-win solution to avoiding foreclosure
- Nov. 8, 2008: How the new president is going to prolong the housing bust
- Nov. 1, 2008: Restoring a bargain-priced lender-owned home is easy -- if you have cash -- but a HUD 203k rehab loan makes it easy even if you don't
- Oct. 24, 2008: Foreclosure homes are sold 'as-is' -- but most need only minor restoration to bring them back to fully-livable condition
- Oct. 17, 2008: This just might be the optimal time to buy a home in Phoenix
- Oct. 10, 2008: If you have cash or can qualify for a mortgage, this could be the ideal time to grab a bargain-priced home in the Phoenix area
- Oct. 3, 2008: Other types of credit may be feeling the crunch, but home mortgages are still readily available
- Sept. 27, 2008: In a declining market, buying a short sale is too tall an order
- Sept. 20, 2008: This endless election season may give the real estate market time to self-correct before new legislation can make things worse
- Sept. 13, 2008: Fannie and Freddie fall to foreclosure, but, still, lenders lend
- Sept. 6, 2008: August was a great month for real estate sales, but when 40% of buyers are pushed off the playing field, home prices could plummet
- August 30, 2008: With its new iPhone application, Trulia.com is taking on-line real estate search to the streets
- August 23, 2008: Buy low? Sell high? You can't sell high for now, but prices are low enough that a buy-and-hold strategy could pay off handsomely
- August 16, 2008: What went wrong in the Phoenix real estate market? We told homeowners to treat their homes like securities investments – and they did...
- August 9, 2008: There's more to the mortgage relief bill than just mortgage relief
- August 2, 2008: New FlexMLS system is a bold stride into the twenty-first century for Phoenix-area Multiple Listings Service
- July 26, 2008: A real estate sign of the times: Our first custom yard sign printed in both English and Spanish
- July 19, 2008: What's the obstacle to a paperless, iPhone-able real estate transaction? The sclerotic real estate industry itself
- July 12, 2008: Don't learn all the wrong lessons about creative mortgages
- July 5, 2008: Musical chairs: You can buy a home on leased land for a bargain price, but you must be prepared to sell before the music stops
- June 28, 2008: You probably won't sell your home for an above-market price, but even if you do, the home still has to appraise for that price
- June 21, 2008: Investors are coming back to the Phoenix rental home market -- and with the right business plan they'll make money
- June 14, 2008: Price matters -- but so does everything else: When buyers come to see your home, they're looking for reasons to reject it, not to buy it
- June 7, 2008: Has the Phoenix real estate market turned the corner? It's too early to tell, but May's results suggest we may be nearing the bottom
- May 31, 2008: Looking for the bottom? Real estate speculators are establishing the bottom-dollar price for lender-owned homes in Phoenix
- May 24, 2008: Phoenix real estate conference teaches Realtors and lenders the brave new world of internet social media marketing
- May 17, 2008: The Flip digital video camera makes illustrating real estate ideas fast, convenient and fun
- May 10, 2008: Are you an investor looking for a Phoenix-area rental home that will stay rented? Buy a home that's worth living in
- May 3, 2008: Do you want to make sure your home will sell? Little things matter
- April 26, 2008: The challenge for Realtors and lenders in the future: How do you sell to consumers who don't want to be sold?
- April 19, 2008: Will Realtors be disintermediated by on-line tools? Probably not, but tech-savvy Realtors will supplant those who do not adapt
- April 12, 2008: Zillow.com's Mortgage Marketplace brings anonymous apples-to-apples mortgage rate quotes to consumers, free consumer leads to lenders
- April 5, 2008: Looking for a bargain in Phoenix real estate? Add some elbow grease to your money and go for a bank-owned home
- March 29, 2008: If you don't have to sell into the current Phoenix real estate market -- don't. But what if you do have to sell...?
- March 22, 2008: In the Metropolitan Phoenix real estate market, our long, slow slide in home prices is finally encountering demand
- March 15, 2008: Your rental home in Phoenix will generate positive cash flow -- but will it appreciate significantly in the coming years?
- March 08, 2008: How do you get visitors to come to your home's custom weblog? Shoe leather works well. Search engines? Not so much...
- March 01, 2008: Dress up that custom weblog you've built to help sell your home
- Feb. 23, 2008: A custom weblog can be your home's 24-hour real estate salesperson on the world-wide web
- Feb. 16, 2008: Down Payment Assistance is another creative financing option you can deploy to make sure yours is the home that sells
- Feb. 09, 2008: Choosing second-best could get you the best possible home
- Feb. 02, 2008: If you've finally found your dream home in the Phoenix area -- don't dawdle
- Jan. 26, 2008: Selling your Phoenix-area home in a declining market? The race is to the swift
- Jan. 19, 2008: Net-borne buyers create new burdens for Phoenix real estate agents
- Jan. 12, 2008: Seller financing can give you an edge over your competition in the Phoenix real estate market
- Jan. 05, 2008: Your real estate improvement goals for 2008 will be more financial than physical
- Dec. 28, 2007: For real estate in Metropolitan Phoenix, the pain of currency inflation may be enduring
- Dec. 21, 2007: Time of the signs: Let there be light -- for real estate signs, that is
- Dec. 14, 2007: Government interference will prolong housing woes
- Dec. 07, 2007: Web site demonstrates how much work goes into staging a home for sale
- Nov. 30, 2007: What do Canadian real estate investors know about the market in Phoenix that you don't know?
- Nov. 23, 2007: Consumers to Realtors: 'Don't push me, I'll pull you instead -- and if you push too hard, I'll pull away'
- Nov. 16, 2007: Real estate representation has never been about information brokerage
- Nov. 09, 2007: Finding the best real estate deal in the Phoenix real estate market is a matter of balancing trade-offs
- Nov. 02, 2007: How low can they go? Negotiating a real estate bargain in the Phoenix real estate market
- Oct. 26, 2007: Phoenix has it's problems, but they're small compared to those in other cities
- Oct. 19, 2007: Your Metropolitan Phoenix house can't be sold if it can't be shown to buyers
- Oct. 12, 2007: New weblog documents and supports the transition to new a MLS system for the Phoenix real estate market
- Oct. 5, 2007: You'll lose money if you buy a house? Which house?
- Sept. 28, 2007: Looking for a bargain-priced home in the Phoenix area? If you don't Flinch!, the seller will
- Sept. 21, 2007: Fed trades a sharp pain followed by a quick recovery for an extended convalescence
- Sept. 14, 2007: If you assume the worst, what can you do to get your Metro Phoenix home sold now?
- Sept. 7, 2007: Doing an appraisal and an inspection in advance could swing the balance toward home sellers in Phoenix
- Aug. 31, 2007: What can home sellers do differently to get their houses sold int he current Phoenix real estate market?
- Aug. 24, 2007: Is Phoenix a buyer's market? You bet, but even more than that, it's a Realtor's market
- Aug. 17, 2007: How to take away buyers' objections to drawbacks in a home
- Aug. 10, 2007: Mortgage meltdown? The end of the world has been delayed again
- Aug. 3, 2007: Why didn't your Phoenix-area house sell? Price, preparation, presentation -- and availability
- July 27, 2007: A by-owner home seller is no match for a skilled Phoenix Realtor
- July 20, 2007: What makes a home sell in the curent Phoenix real estate climate? Marketing, preparation -- and especially price
- July 13, 2007: Not all Phoenix area neighborhoods are feeling a downturn in real estate values
- July 6, 2007: Celebrating the father of our freedoms: The freedom to own real estate
- June 29, 2007: iPhone may herald a whole new way to shop for homes
- June 22, 2007: Arizona state rethinks crackdown on online home appraisals
- June 15, 2007: A short list of questions serves to answer why Arizona's real estate license laws should be repealed
- June 8, 2007: The consumer is the loser with Arizona real estate licensing
- June 1, 2007: Arizona real estate licensing fuels debate
- May 25, 2007: The MLS 'ad' crackdown is a waste of time
- May 18, 2007: New Arizona real-estate licensing law fails consumers
- May 11, 2007: Video has a place in home sales, but use it wisely
- May 4, 2007: Picture this: Digital photos can sell your home in the Valley of the Sun
- April 27, 2007: Arizona State vs. Zillow.com will be a lengthy bout
- April 20, 2007: Attention Arizona Board of Appraisal: An internet real estate valuation is not an appraisal
- April 13, 2007: How to prioritize your home-buying negotiation in the current Phoenix real estate market
- April 06, 2007: Web site builds a community of real estate consumers and vendors
- Mar. 30, 2007: A skilled Realtor in the Phoenix real estate market is the bargain of lifetime
- Mar. 23, 2007: Realty.bots will make home sellers happy
- Mar. 16, 2007: On-line real estate databases can fall short of buyers' and sellers' needs
- Mar. 9, 2007: Passive marketing can swing the balance in your favor in the Phoenix real estate market
- Mar. 2, 2007: Today's Metropolitan Phoenix real estate market should dictate price of a home for sale
- Feb. 23, 2007: Homeowners associations (HOAs) don't deserve hate; they have a purpose
- Feb. 16, 2007: 'Fizzbos' fizzle because of three key marketing issues
- Feb. 09, 2007: Phoenix home sellers: Are you ready for cherry-picking time?
- Feb. 02, 2007: A home seller who doesn't move out on time can create a legal tangle
- Jan. 26, 2007: A recent refinancing can make selling a house costly in the Phoenix real estate market
- Jan. 19, 2007: Phoenix-are home sellers who aren't motivated can create headaches
- Jan. 12, 2007: Blogs can help Realtors connect with communities
- Jan. 5, 2007: Communication is a good reason to use Realtor
- Dec. 29, 2006: The most important information in a real estate transaction comes with experience
- Dec. 22, 2006: Cutting out the middle man in a real estate sale might cost you
- Dec. 15, 2006: Real estate web sites offer exciting options
- Dec. 8, 2006: The price downturn in the Phoenix real estate market is less than scary
- Dec. 1, 2006: The best estimate of the value of a home comes from an appraiser
- Nov. 24, 2006: Be careful what you sign with your real estate broker
- Nov. 17, 2006: The home buyer is always liable for the mortgage
- Nov. 10, 2006: Helping my clients make a great deal on a new home purchase in Phoenix even better
- Nov. 03, 2006: Want to stop sprawl in Metropolitan Phoenix? Government needs to stay out of the real estate business
- Oct. 27, 2006: Learning to negotiate the buyer's agent's commission
- Oct. 20, 2006: Online real estate search can be fun, but it offers too few details
- Oct. 13, 2006: For-sale-by-owner home sellers can help move the real estate market into a new world for buyers
- Oct. 6, 2006: The Greater Phoenix real estate market is slow, but it's not on life support
- Sep. 29, 2006: Repeat after me: Mr. Realtor, what do you charge?
- Sep. 22, 2006: Greater Phoenix home buyers: Protect yourself from agent bonus fees by builders
- Sep. 15, 2006: Here are some blogs that stay on top of the real estate market
- Sep. 8, 2006: Who pays when 'seller pays closing costs'? The buyer...
- Sep. 1, 2006: An escape clause in real estate employment contracts would help everyone
- Aug. 25, 2006: Make your rooms make sense when selling your home
- Aug. 18, 2006: Getting a home inspection is important, but don't let it scare you off
- Aug. 11, 2006: Phoenix home sellers should select a price to make their house stand out in the marketplace
- Aug. 4, 2006: Don't be chicken about the Phoenix area real estate market
- July 28, 2006: Home buyers should negotiate compensation for their real estate agents
- July 21, 2006: Who pays whom for real estate? Follow the money...
- July 14, 2006: In real estate transactions, dual agency benefits neither buyer nor seller
- July 7, 2006: How much should you put down as an earnest deposit on a home purchase?
- June 30, 2006: Two out of three ain't bad when buying a home in Phoenix
- June 23, 2006: First-time home buyers' search provides good lessons for both buyers and sellers
- June 16, 2006: Win-win deals are best for home buyers
- June 9, 2006: Secret of getting a great real estate deal: Be willing to walk away
- June 2, 2006: Tips for Phoenix real estate investors on avoiding unexpected fees and penalties
- May 26, 2006: A rental house in the Phoenix area can be a smart opportunity if it is set up as business
- May 19, 2006: The psychology of pricing homes for a quicker sale in the Phoenix real estate market
- May 12, 2006: Let Realtor do his job and price your house for the Phoenix real estate marketplace
- May 5, 2006: 'Homey' feel is a lure for attracting women home buyers
- Apr. 28, 2006: How to make your Phoenix-area house sell slowly
- Apr. 21, 2006: Using the web to buy a home may not be the best idea
- Apr. 14, 2006: Many factors affect a home's value in the Phoenix real estate market
- Apr. 7, 2006: Divorcing couples need togetherness on sale the sale of their house
- Mar. 24/31, 2006: 'Cheap' Phoenix home may not be what it seems
- Mar. 17, 2006: Home sellers, don't tell the buyer's agent your reason for selling
- Mar. 10, 2006: A vacant residential property requires attention, espcially in the Phoenix area
- Mar. 2, 2006: Realtors keep the home-buying process free of personal issues
- Feb. 24, 2006: You'll like the Phoenix real estate market better in April...
- Feb. 17, 2006: In real estate, market value is the rule: You cannot sell a house for more than it's worth, and you cannot buy a house for less than it's worth
- Feb. 10, 2006: The homeowner who blocks his own sale
- Feb. 3, 2006: Strategy and timing are everything in making a purchase offer on your dream home
- Jan. 27, 2006: Phoenix-area rentals can be a good investment if you can weather negative cash flow
- Jan. 20, 2006: The best time to list your home for sale: Friday mornings
- Jan. 13, 2006: Big money can still be made in hot Phoenix home market
- Jan. 6, 2006: Timid real estate investor lost chance for large Phoenix area rental home gain
- Dec. 30, 2005: The perils of pre- and post-possession for home buyers and sellers
- Dec. 23, 2005: Despite condo trend, the single-family home is still king in the Greater Phoenix real estate market
- Dec. 16, 2005: Make your home's mushrooming value work for you with a Phoenix rental property
- Dec. 9, 2005: In the Phoenix real estate market, home improvements don't necessarily mean a higher selling price
- Dec. 2, 2005: The sky won't fall in the Phoenix real estate market, but you can expect change
- Nov. 25, 2005: Seller's paying of closing costs could be a win-win situation for first-time home buyers
- Nov. 25, 2005: Short-term interest hikes shouldn't discourage Phoenix-area home buyers
- Nov. 18, 2005: Little white signs are tin-eared real estate marketing
- Nov. 11, 2005: Make your first open house the only one
- Nov. 4, 2005: Creative negotiations could land you a home bargain in the Phoenix real estate market
- Oct. 28, 2005: Getting a handle on leverage in the mortgage lending process
- Oct. 21, 2005: Price your Phoenix-area home right and it will sell
- Oct. 14, 2005: The real estate market is still sizzling in Phoenix' West Valley
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