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.
Who’s Moving to Arizona?
The numbers show that Arizona continues to be popular with people from elsewhere, taking in 2.2 million new residents from other states since 2010 to 2018. Job growth, Arizona’s steady economy and lifestyle are the major reasons that people say they are attracted to...
2019 Market One of Best Ever.
2019 ended as the year with the 4th highest number of homes sold in metro Phoenix history. When disregarding the other 3, which were all considered abnormal markets, it was the best ever. Both the median as well as the average sales prices hit historic highs, both...
The Archeology Dog.
You’ve probably heard of cadaver dogs, which search for recently deceased victims of disasters. But what about deaths that happened 1000's of years ago? Enter Fabel, the archeology dog. Fabel is a German Shepard that is used to detect buried bones. Makes sense, as...
The “Death Room”.
In the mid to late 19th century, the front room or parlor of most homes was strictly formal. Funerals and wakes took place at home then, and because deceased family members were laid out to receive their final respects in the parlor, it became known as the “death...
Phoenix is Veteran Friendly.
Metro Phoenix ranks number 2 in VA home loan originations in the U.S. That means lots of veterans are moving to or buying homes in the Valley of the Sun. This demonstrates the continuing popularity of Arizona to the U.S. armed forces community (and their dogs).
What is Your Home Worth?
You need to know what your home is really worth before you put it on the market. All the pictures, advertising and other marketing efforts will be useless if the price is not right. There are a number of free online web evaluation system such as Zillow.com (or...
Phoenix Home Prices Rise the Fastest.
Phoenix has the highest home-price appreciation in the country according to the October numbers from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index. Nationally, home prices were up 3.3% year over year, but Phoenix led the U.S. with a 5.8% year-over-year home price rise...
Nemo.
On December 4, 1966, Nemo and Airman Bob Thorneburg were on patrol near the company’s airbase in Vietnam. The two came under enemy fire and the German Shepherd took a round to his eye and Throneburg was shot in the shoulder. Despite his wound Nemo attacked the enemy,...
Loan Limit Increase.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has increased the conventional loan limit from $484,350 to $510,400. This gives borrowers more buying power, allowing them to avoid more expensive Jumbo Loans and their stricter restrictions. So you can now afford to buy more home in...