Elizabeth Newlin – Arizona Real Estate Agent

Did anyone else read this article today on AZCentral.com?

It brought up several questions for me:

1. Is there really such a thing as ‘Old Money’ out here in Arizona? We live in a state where anything built in the 1950s is considered ancient. So when we talk about the distinguished rich out here in the west, are we talking about the people who’s grandparents made their money vs. the nouveau riche whose parents were the ones who struck it rich? Anyone else see this as a silly comparison?

2. Does this mean that we can now expect pink fluorescent lights and orange hummers to line the streets up to the Biltmore now?

3. Why on earth do I care? Was it just a really slow news day or this ‘article’ have any sort of journalistic value at all?

OK, I admit it: I’ve been avoiding this website.

The last few weeks I’ve become frustrated with and exhausted by the Phoenix Real Estate Market and I’ve been taking it out on my blog. It’s become a symbol for me of the seemingly endless and futile attempts I’ve made lately to keep things together and make my deals work, so I’ve been neglecting my posting duties in a passive-aggressive attempt to get back at the craziness that has taken over my life. Ridiculous, I know.

Our market out here is in an adjustment phase. It’s a bit like a petulant teenager right now; desiring the maturity and freedom of the ‘normal market’ we’re headed toward, and still missing the free-wheeling, fast moving years we’ve just left. The sellers have been hearing from their neighbors all about the riches they can expect to get from their homes and the buyers are lashing back now with the ammunition that ‘the market is slower’ and ‘it’s a buyer’s market’. Everyone’s cranky and expecting more than he or she will eventually get.

I’ve been ‘working’ more than ever. Last week I had to triple my cell phone minutes to avoid another $330 cell phone bill. I haven’t had a weekend off in months and my recent culinary efforts have been next to nothing. Unfortunately, I haven’t seemed to be able to make anything stick. I’ve made no less than four offers in the last two weeks for three different clients and yet have nothing in escrow to show for it. Yesterday’s excursion is a prime example of why.

I met a client out at a new house I had found for him. It seemed quite promising on paper. Large and upgraded with two upstairs porches. In person, the house did not disappoint. I have to admit, if I had the income to support it, I would have considered buying it for myself. It had stunning travertine floors throughout with gorgeous detailed inlays. The kitchen was an absolute dream, with travertine counters, a large island, fabulous cabinets and updated lighting. The backyard was an entertainer’s paradise with a pool and built-in barbecue and seating for eight. My client said, “I can see this as home.” When we left, I agreed to go home and research the comparable properties in the neighborhood to see if it was appropriately priced. My client wanted this house.

When I looked into the comps, things got complicated. The house was listed at $600K, but there was another home in the neighborhood with the same floor plan also upgraded and with a pool, that had sold two weeks earlier for $489K. There was literally nothing in the subdivision to support anywhere close to the $600K price tag. I called the agent for the house (who was also the owner) and asked him to send me the comps he had used to price the house. He sent me houses several subdivisions over that were 15 years younger, custom and with twice the lot size. No appraiser would find them appropriate. I called the agent who had closed on the $489K house and he explained to me that that house had also started up above $600K and sat on the market for more than 6 months. He said the neighbors were convinced the houses were worth more and that it was all he could do to get the price on his listing down far enough to sell.

What it came down to was that the house we liked had only been on the market 4 days. The owner/agent wasn’t ready to see the light and come down at least $100K. My client certainly wasn’t willing to pay $100K over market value. We had a seller who wanted to sell and a buyer who wanted to buy, but no agreement whatsoever on what the house was worth. The potential deal was down the drain.

Welcome to the Phoenix market slow down. Exhausting and frustrating. I’m taking up yoga to cope.

*Sigh*

Well, the real estate market in Arizona has definitely gotten out of the fast lane and over to the far right with the snowbirds in Cadillacs and the driver’s ed cars. We’re still puttering along, but the ride’s not the high speed chase it once was.

It’s a new experience for me. When I got my license and started selling houses, there was very little effort involved in getting them to sell at whatever we asked in under a week. Now, my listings have been sitting for a month or two with no offers to speak of. I’ve spent the last month becoming educated on the ins and outs of getting houses sold. Obviously, I can’t work miracles, but there are techniques I hadn’t had the opportunity to learn last year what with the houses flying off the shelves, so to speak.

One of the most important things in getting a house to sell, is, of course, pricing it correctly. They say that anything will sell at the right price. And then, there is exposure. I’ve always done my best to get my listing descriptions worded the best they can be and of course order virtual tours. With one of my listings, however, we’ve decided to go the extra mile. Some of the other agents with listings in the neighborhood, and I have put together a neighborhood open house. We’re all going to hold our houses open at the same time next weekend and advertise in the paper as well as with a banner and balloons. The idea is to get as many bodies through as possible to hopefully find that perfect buyer.

Beyond pricing and exposure, there is just making the house look its best. I have a listing in Chandler that is currently vacant. The family has moved to Indiana and we are trying our best to get the sucker sold. In the last week we’ve had the carpets and the house cleaned and the landscaping trimmed and weeded. I’ve also had some negative feedback from the large cemented in planter in the living room:

Lots of potential buyers thought it was obtrusive and a little bit of an eye sore. So I hired a handyman to remove it and patch in the floor:

I’m thrilled that it was as easy as it ended up being. Unfortunately, now the walls need painting. I think, however, that paint will be the last step in this house. It should leave us with our best foot forward and a buyer in hand. Sometimes, you’ve just got to get a little creative.

Do you ever have those days where people aren’t returning your phone calls, you’re wearing your most uncomfortable pair of underwear and even carbs don’t make you feel better? I’m having one of those days. Everyone and everything is irritating. So I tied up my loose ends at the office and went home and threw on the shirt I just bought last week from this site (pretty much my favorite site ever):

It suits my moods so well that I’m already feeling better (plus I changed my underwear).

So my birthday is nine days away. I will be 28, which, I know, might as well be 108. I’m ancient. Anyway, my awesomely sweet sister in-law is so totally on the ball that of course I got a present in the mail, from England, mind you, yesterday. A full 10 days before my birthday. She’s so good. And by contrast, I’m so terrible that I seriously couldn’t look at the adorably wrapped package for even 24 hours without giving in and opening it. NINE DAYS EARLY. I have no willpower whatsoever. Such a character flaw is really so sad in an elderly woman, I know.

Anyway, this is what she sent me from a ’boutique in Notting Hill’ (how just totally adorable is that alone?):

No, no, not the kid. He just can’t have a picture taken without being in it these days. She sent the adorable makeup bag made out of pineapple juice wrappers (the ‘Fun Chum’ name reminds me of The Chum Bucket restaurant on Sponge Bob Square Pants) and the super pretty pink business card holder. LOVE IT! How jealous are you?

In other news, because of the pretty pretty new car, I’m getting ready to sell the old gal. I got her detailed this weekend, and while she’s looking nicer than ever, she’s having some minor ‘drying out’ issues from the engine wash I subjected her to, so she won’t be ready for a couple of days. But if you’re looking for a safe and dependable car with great A/C for under $5K, call me and come see her!

So I’m officially one of ‘those people.’ And I know this is going to make some of you think differently of me and possibly mock me openly (Sarah and Bobby, I’m looking at you) but I have a confession to make and gosh darn it, a fear public taunting isn’t going to keep me from it: I joined my high school 10 year reunion committee. Is that totally weird or what?

I wasn’t completely thrilled with high school when I was there. I had a large graduating class (749, if I remember correctly) and though I wouldn’t consider myself ‘unpopular’, I definitely wasn’t one of the stars of the school who everyone liked or hated. I was kind of a floater. I had my friends and my activities, but otherwise pretty much kept to myself. I loved dance and my favorite memories of high school are of after school rehearsals and concerts, but other than that, I could have pretty much taken or left high school in general. It was boring, I was somewhat insecure, I didn’t have control over my life yet. It was a difficult time for me, like it is for pretty much everyone.

Obviously, I think of myself as a completely different person now. I am not shy to any degree and am proud of what I have accomplished in my adult life so far. I’m happy, and beyond that, content with who I am. So looking back, I wonder how different the people I knew then are now. I wonder if we would still be friends if we haven’t lost touch, and if I would be friends now with people I wouldn’t have back then.

So, when a girl I went to high school with emailed me last night for my contact information and to see if I would be interested in being on the committee, I said yes. I thought it would be fun to be in the mix and get a chance to see people who I haven’t seen in years again. And, well, I’m a joiner. I like to be involved. What can I say?

But, when I got the list of people who are also on the committee, it kind of set me back a bit. Some of the people I used to know well, but literally haven’t spoken to in 10 years, and others were in different social circles, cheerleaders or band geeks. I got a rush of the old high school insecurity and had the urge to email and cancel. It was only a tiny rush, though, and I’m over it. I’m back to excited. I’m a different person and I’m sure they are, too.

It’s going to be fun, right?

We call this look: “Lack of 20-20 vision”

And here’s the classic: “Midwestern Mullet”

And of course: “So do you have a boy or a girl?”

Now tell me he couldn’t be a movie star with that pout.

And I know you’re jealous that I get to go home with this looker every night.

And last but not least, now, definitely a sweet faced boy.

Is that a devastatingly handsome lineup, or what?

“Hmm, something’s different, right? I’m not sure what it is, but something’s a bit… bluer? Or, prettier maybe? Oh, wait, I know, more functional!!”

Yep, all of that and more. My webmaster signed me up to participate in the Spring 2006 CSS Reboot a couple of months ago and has been working feverishly since then (OK, so he’s mostly been working feverishly for the last three days) to put together Version 2.0 of www.elizabethnewlin.com. The whole point of the ‘Reboot’ is to get a bunch of people together who have websites and have them relaunch their new looks and functions on the same day. The website does a whole Before and After screen capture thing, which you would know, if you clicked on the above link, if the CSS Reboot site was not, ironically, down. It’s ironic because my poor husband was up literally almost all night finishing the site because he did not want me to get blackballed for signing up and not being done on time. Sad, but true. What are you going to do?

Anyway, the site still needs some big tweaks and has several things that will eventually be much more awesome, but for now, check it out. I think you’re really going to like some of the new functions. For instance, you can now search the MLS directly from my site! Awesome, right? And keep your eye on the listing of the week. I’m always able and happy to show anything that appears there.

And let me know if you see anything that just doesn’t work right. We’re still in the buggy stage. Version 2.1 to be released soon!