Blog
Latest NewsN. Mark Kramoltz, JD, GRI, CIPS writes blog articles on the metro Phoenix, Arizona, national and global real estate markets. Written from his perspective as a designated broker and real estate attorney, his articles avoid the inaccuracies and vacuous industry propaganda common to most real estate writings. Due to his love of animals and military history, he also frequently writes about dogs, cats and horses that have played a role in military conflicts. Subscribe to his blog now!
The Cats that Saved Leningrad during WW2, Part 2.
The German blockade of Leningrad caused mass starvation in WW2. But a mother and daughter survived thanks to their cat Vaska. Every day, Vaska would go hunting and bring home a mouse, a bird or rat. The mother would make stew or goulash with the meat for her, her...
Do you Need to Disclose if you Pay Cash?
Beginning March 1, 2026, new federal reporting requirements aimed at combat money laundering in cash transactions were scheduled to take effect. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reporting would be generally required for cash transfers of residential...
What Overseas Visitors are Coming to Arizona?
As set forth in Global Home Buying Recovering, global buyers are gradually returning to the U.S. Pre-Covid it was estimated that nearly 6 million international visitors annually came to Arizona. The 2025 numbers are estimated to be 5 million. So compared to past...
Scottsdale Ranks No. 1 for Jobs.
WalletHub analyzed 182 U.S. cities using 31 factors to determine the strength of local job markets - from job openings per applicant and employment growth, to the average starting salary each month. Scottsdale finished number one for jobs in 2025, in large part...
Can You Have a Horse? Part 3.
As to other Valley of the Sun cities, in Carefree you need 5 acres and you are allowed one horse per acre. In adjacent Cave Creek you only need two contiguous acres, and you can have five large animals per acre up to five acres. That works out to be 25 large animals...
Pay Less Property Taxes in Valley of the Sun.
According to a recent study by SmartAsset, homeowners in 13 Arizona cities pay 2% or less of their yearly income on property taxes. Several Valley of the Sun suburbs rank among the top 10 least expensive in property taxes out of nearly 350 American cities. In Tempe,...