Answers by Spirit Messingham

Hi Candy Recommend you seek referrals from friends, family or co-workers and interview three local Realtors. It will help if they live or specialize in your area or subdivision. They will complete a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) which will be much more accurate than the Guestimate, I mean Zestimate from Zillow. Good luck! Spirit Messingham Tierra Antigua Realty Tucson AZ

Hi Robert Here in Tucson AZ, A condominium is a building structure divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. A Co-op, a cooperative is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned enterprise". Cooperatives are democratically owned by their members, with each member having one vote in electing the board of directors. A condo is run by a HOA, usually a management company and Bylaws. Hope helps, best of luck. Spirit

Hi Annie, that is a great question for a lender. The good news it is free to find out, Google loan officer or call your local bank/credit union. It usually only takes 20-30 minutes to apply for financing and even if you can't get approved for what you need now, a good lender can educate on what you can work on (like your credit score for example) so that home ownership can be a part of your future. Good luck, Spirit

Hi Julie, yes. First step for any potential buyer is to get pre-approved with a local lender. Many buyers do not understand here in Arizona we need a signed pre-qualification form from lender when ready to make an offer (line 69 of the 11 page Arizona Purchase contract). There really are no "wrong" answers, if your credit is not high enough, a good local lender will let you know what you can do to improve it. That way, in time home ownership can be a part of your future. The best part? It is free to get approved and usually only takes about 20 minutes online. Next step? Find a good dedicated buyers agent to work with. Spirit Messingham, Tierra Antigua Realty (520) 471-6900

In today's STRONG sellers market, I would not recommend paying for an appraisal. An appraisal is a statement of opinion, in writing. If the buyer is obtaining financing to purchase the property, let them pay for it. Here in Tucson, AZ many offers agree to waive the appraisal contingency. 25% of all sales here are cash, which means no appraisal. Talk to your local Realtor about what your home is worth and get it on the open market for top dollar. Good luck! Spirit

I would recommend you speak with an attorney. Buying a home is not like buying a car with a "lemon law", once you close here in the state of Arizona (recorded with title) it is your home.

Recommend you seek an agent that works or specializes in your neighborhood. Referral company's make a 25% for referring you, where word of mouth is free. Reach out to neighbors and friends if they have a good agent they can refer. Another option, look up Realtors on Zillow, read their actual reviews. Home values have increased a lot, make sure you speak with a knowledgeable agent to find out the value of your home. Good luck! Spirit

Depends. VA loan for example can be no money down, talk to local lender about types of loans you qualify, amount of downpayment, etc. Here in Tucson, AZ it is an extreme seller's market. Buyers should expect to pay their own closing costs. Couple of years ago I would get most if not all closing costs paid for the buyers I represented by the sellers. No longer the case in a hot, seller's market. Best of luck. Spirit

I can't speak for your market, but here in Arizona the market value has far exceeded the appraised value. An appraisal is a statement of opinion of the properties value. Where the market will tell us what the price is when a property gets into a bidding war and sells $6 figures over asking price (which is happening in many parts of the country currently). Best of luck, Spirit

Hi Nancy, there may be consequences and recommend you speak with a licensed contractor or architect. I live and work in Central Tucson, AZ where there are a lot of older and historic homes. Many of these have unpermitted additions. I understand why, the owners didnt want to pay extra property taxes. Most of the time, this does not affect the sale. If the lender calls it out, it can become a problem. You might want to contract a licensed contract and or architect for their opinions. Good luck with your home purchase!

It should not "hurt", opinions vary. For some experienced, mature buyers they could be viewed as a plus. Speak with a local Realtor to see what your home needs to achieve top dollar. Usually deferred maintenance are the items we focus on when listing properties for sellers. Best of luck in your home sale! Spirit

Some agents swear by it and others do not care for staging. I show an average of 400 properties a year, for many buyers viewing a home empty is good. They can see where their stuff will go, etc. For larger homes (say 3K> SqFt) it can help to have it staged. However, a good staging company can be expensive. It is an extreme sellers market here in Tucson, AZ and not sure I would pay for the expense. For luxury listing, above $750K it might be an advantage to have it staged. Best of luck in your sale! Spirit

Hi Harris, Open ended question. Can you send us a link so we can view the home? I could rattle off 100 reasons but dont know if they apply to you and your home. In the end, it usually comes down to price. No matter what else is going on, if a property is priced "right" it will sell. Especially in a hot seller's market. If it is listed, ask your agent for feedback from the showings. If you are not listed with a real estate agent, that should be your next step to help you sell your home for top dollar. Good luck! Spirit

Some good answers on here already. At the end of the day, go with your gut to make the decision....

Depends where you live. Here in Arizona we no longer have any warrantied items as per lines 191-199 of the 11 page Arizona purchase contract. In short, the property is sold in the current condition it is in at the time of offer, we no longer have an "as-is" addendum that we use because of this change (purchase contract changed to reflect Feb 2017). Talk to a local realtor to see what your market will allow. Here in Tucson, AZ it is an extreme seller's market. Some buyers are waiving their inspections on the offer in order to purchase the home. Good luck! Spirit

Yes. Yes! YES! YESSSSS!!!!!!! As a top listing agent I hire a professional photographer (he is an artist that just happens to shoot homes I represent) for professional studio quality photographs including drone and sunset photos. I also pay for a floor plan and Matterport (virtual tour), things for you to consider asking local Realtors as you are interviewing. Good luck!

Normally buyers are responsible for their closing costs, which are the costs they incur to obtain financing for the purchase of the property. Until last year I would typically get the sellers to pay for the buyers closing costs. However, we are experiencing an extreme seller's market currently where I have seen homes sell for up to $150k OVER list price. When sellers have 25 offers to choose from, they certainly will not consider those that dont have the best terms for them (like paying the buyers closing costs). I am also seeing those with VA financing having a hard time getting a contract accepted and those with buyer's contingency (like when you have to list and sell your current home in order to close on the new property). Recommend you work with a dedicated buyers agent and they explain what you can expect and your local lender to see how much you should expect to pay in closing costs. Good luck! Spirit

Hi Michael, I would speak with friends, family and co-workers for referrals. You can also check out agents on Zillow to see their past performance and reviews. I would look for an agent that specializes in your area, with sales in your neighborhood. Next, set up interviews. Not everyone is a good fit, trust your gut and look for an agent you think will do a good job and you will get along with. A good test is to ask them if they can explain their Fiduciary duties to you as a client (you would be surprised how many can't, Loyal, Obedient, Disclosure, Confidentiality, Accounting, Reasonable care and Diligence). Good luck! Spirit

Hi Elieen, I would speak with a real estate attorney for legal advice and also check with your local title company. The answer could also change depending on where you live, for example here in Arizona we are in a community property state. Best of luck, Spirit

Hi Mike, Yes, you always should conduct a final walk thru, even on a new build. Best of luck, Spirit

Some good answers on here. I would recommend speaking with a local lender to see if you can qualify to buy a home w/o selling your current property. Here in Tucson, AZ we are experiencing an extreme seller's market. If a buyer wants to make an offer with a buyer's contingency (where they need to list their home in order to close on the new property) they have very little chance of success when the sellers are receiving 10-20 offers, 25% of which on average are cash. As an experienced agent, I have found that it easier on clients if they are able to find and buyer their new home, get moved in and then list and sell their old home. Hope this helps, good luck! Spirit

Hi Mike You have asked a lot of questions on here. First step should be to get pre-approved with a local lender. Here in the state of Arizona we require a signed pre-qualification form from lender when submitting a purchase contract (line 69 of 11 page Arizona purchase contract). It is free to do and buyers need to know how much they qualify for, down payment amount, current interest rates, closing costs, etc. Next, interview a dedicated experienced buyer's agent to work with. Best of luck in your home search (though I suspect you actually work for Fast Expert). Spirit

Recommend interviewing several agents, look for one that is a good fit for you. We all have different personalities and it is important you are attuned with your agent. I would recommend asking friends, family or co-workers if they can make a recommendation. You might also want to utilize Zillow reviews to find an agent for you. Good luck in your search! Spirit

Hi Ronda, Interview local Realtors, look for one that specializes in your neighborhood. Anytime a person is looking to sell a commodity, put it on the open market for top dollar. Do not allow cash or institutional buyers buy your home off market for less than it is worth. Best of luck! Spirit