Blog
N. 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. He also blogs about animals (mostly dogs in the military) due to his love of pets and military history.
Arizona Has Some of the Best Cities for Recreation.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities using 47 categories in an effort to determine those with the best and worst recreational activities. In each city, basic living costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment, recreational facilities and...
Virtual Showing Options, Part 2.
Besides a virtual open house and a virtual tour described in Part 1, there are virtual showings and videos. Virtual Showings. A virtual showing is where an agent schedules a showing with a buyer and is physically present at the listing, but hosts the showing virtually...
Real Estate Tax Takeaways from the BBB.
H.R. 1, nicknamed the Big Beautiful Bill, is now law and its tax provisions effect your real estate. Of paramount importance to millions of homeowners is that the mortgage interest deduction has been permanently extended - up to a $750,000 cap. Previously excluded...
Metro Phoenix One of the Best Places to Start a Business.
WalletHub compared the relative start-up opportunities that exist in 100 large U.S. cities across three key dimensions: 1) Business Environment, 2) Access to Resources and 3) Business Costs. Since one in every five startups doesn’t make it past the first year, it’s...
Judy The Boxer, Part 1.
I wrote a previous blog about a dog called Judy in Asia during WW2 in The Canine POW, but this Judy’s story is from Israel, during the British occupation post war. Judy and her brother Punch belonged to two British officers who shared a house in a Jerusalem suburb...
Phoenix No. 1 for Build to Rent Homes.
Build to rent homes are single-family residences in a subdivision-like setting that were constructed for rent only. The build to rent sector, which not too long ago didn’t exist, reached a new all-time high in 2024. With 4,460 units built, Phoenix surpassed all other...
Bathroom Refresh Ideas, Part 2.
In Part 1, I gave three bathroom refresh ideas, and here are 3 more: Install a new Mirror. New mirror styles come out frequently. You can also try different size together with redoing lighting. The latest mirrors hide lighting (and tech) behind the glass for a clean...
Virtual Showing Options, Part 1.
There are several ways to show a home that is listed for sale “virtually”. Two are a virtual open house and a virtual tour. Here are the differences between them: Virtual Open House. A virtual open house is a live scheduled event at a designated time where an agent is...
Scottsdale is Still the Most Pet Friendly City.
Scottsdale is the most pet-friendly city in America according to WalletHub. This is not the first time, as previously related in Scottsdale is the Most Pet Friendly City. Why does Scottsdale continue to top the national list? Reasons include the very high number of...