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Who Pays for What on a Scottsdale Arizona Seasonal Rental?

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Seasonal homes for rent in Scottsdale AZScottsdale Arizona is a popular winter destination due to its excellent climate, abundant activities and excellent shopping, dining and entertainment.

Many folks from colder climates choose to live here for the winter months and opt to stay in seasonal rental units. Seasonal home rentals in Scottsdale can range from townhomes and condos to fully equipped luxury estates in the top communities.

Scottsdale’s “high season” or “season” typically runs from November through April, with the highest demand months being January through March. Renters can expect to pay a premium for rental units during the season.

Questions I get frequently are “Will I need to set up my own utilities when I am here for my stay?” “What kinds of things come with the rental?” 

Now, every rental differs, so you will need to check on a case-by-case basis, but here are things that are typically covered under a seasonal rental contract and lease payment:

  • Rental of the unit including furnishings.
  • Linens and kitchen items.
  • Electricity – Some landlords may cap this at a certain dollar amount per month and any overages would be paid by the tenant.
  • Water/Trash/Recycling
  • Cable/Satellite TV – Generally, a basic or expanded basic package is offered. Sometimes premium channels may be included.
  • Any Homeowner Association fees.
  • Service providers – Gardeners, pool service, pest control and others.
  • Property and rental taxes.
  • Many rental units also provide access to high-speed Internet.

Coverage may vary depending on the rental rate. Generally, less expensive rates will cover fewer items and higher rates will cover more. But, for the most part, you can expect basic coverage on any seasonal rental you choose.

If you would like more information about seasonal rentals in Scottsdale, Arizona, please feel free to contact us.

Disclaimer: Every seasonal rental contract is different and items included and coverage of services vary. Please verify all terms and conditions, facts and payments/fees due to the landlord prior to committing to or signing anything.

What Does AWC Mean on a Scottsdale Arizona MLS Listing?

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Scottsdale Home Sale AWC status

**UPDATE – November 18, 2011**: The AWC field in the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) has been replaced with a new field, UCB. UCB signifies that the home is under contract, but that the sellers are still actively seeking backup offers. Please see here for additional information.

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Many people searching for homes in Scottsdale Arizona go directly to the local multiple listing system (ARMLS) to see all of the homes currently on the market.

While searching for homes, they will come across many homes with a listing status of AWC and wonder what that stands for.

What does AWC stand for? AWC stands for “Active With Contingencies.” This home listing status is used in lieu of placing the home in the “Pending Sale” status as there are hurdles that need to be cleared before the sale can move forward.

What it means to a potential Scottsdale home buyer is that the home is on the market and it being marketed to the public as a home for sale, but that there is a contingency in place that needs to be cleared before another buyer can move forward with the purchase.

When you see an AWC status, the person or entity selling the home is looking for other backup offers in case the existing offer/contract with the contingency falls through.

There are three different categories of AWC with one of them AWC-I or AWC- Seller Written Instructions being a very common one in today’s market. I will explain what each of them mean below:

  • AWC-C or AWC -Contingent Offers: This AWC status indicates that there are is another offer or contract on the home, but there are “contingencies” involved. The contingency on the contract or offer would need to be cleared before the sale can be completed.  An example would be if the seller had accepted an offer where the buyer has another home to sell prior to being able to close on the new home purchase.
  • AWC-I or AWC – Seller Written Instructions: This status has exploded in popularity in the last few years due to the large number of short sales in the Scottsdale and Phoenix real estate markets. The “I” stands for written “instructions” to keep the listing in an active, although with contingency, status. It can be used in different scenarios, but I would say the majority of the time when you see an AWC status on a  Scottsdale home listing, it is referring to a short sale. So, when you see this in the case of a short sale, it means an offer has been accepted by the seller, but now the seller’s lienholder(s) have to approve the offer. Once lienholder(s) has/have given their approval and the deal can move forward, these listings can then move into Pending status.
  • AWC-O or AWC – Existing Option to Purchase: This one is pretty rare to see. The “O” means that there is an existing “option” to purchase the home. Basically, the seller and option holder agreed to sell the home to the option holder at some point in the future. However, the option holder is not obligated to buy the home, so if they walk away from the purchase, a new buyer can step in.

If you have any further questions on the AWC status field or any other field in an MLS listing in the Scottsdale area, please feel free to contact us.

NOTE: Per the November 2011 change, the AWC status field has now been simplified. Now, the field will only be designated AWC and the three categories described above will fall under this single field.

What are CC&R’s and How Do They Affect My Scottsdale AZ Home Purchase?

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Marking Pile 1/X– What are CC&R’s? –

Many homeowners- to-be are curious as to what CC&R’s are and how they affect their Scottsdale Arizona home purchases.

CC&R’s stands for Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. In very broad terms, the CC&R’s spell out in detail all of the rules and restrictions of the community and how the community will be run.

More specifically, when reviewing the documentation that makes up the CC&R’s you will see things like:

  • Definitions – These definitions provide clarity around many of the terms that are used throughout the documentation.  You will see terms like “Annual Assessments” or “Improvements.”
  • Development Plan – This is the detailed description of the rules of the plans for development. It can spell out things like how long other parcels can be annexed and so on.
  • Use Restrictions – This is an important one for homeowners-to-be as it really explains what is acceptable and what is not in terms of home and lot development, decor and so on. Here, things like parking, antennas, RV and boat storage, architectural and design changes and playground equipment are addressed.
  •  Easements – This is where easements have been granted on certain portions of the community. For instance, utility companies could be granted an easement or a designated common area could be an easement. Other things could be a trail system or an easement for the builder.
  • Homeowners’ Association Information – This is another important one as it covers how the community will be managed and governed, how memberships (if available) will be handled, how leadership is elected and so on.
  • Assessments and Liens – In this section, the assessments that homeowners pay are covered. It also discusses special assessments and how they can be assigned to the homeowners. An example of a special assessment is if a community needs to do a large project like pave the private roads within the neighborhood and each household will be responsible for a specific monetary assessment. Understanding assessments is important to homeowners as unpaid assessments and fees can become liens placed against your home or property.
  • Maintenance – This section goes over lot, landscaping and exterior structure maintenance – i.e. boundary walls, etc., and who is responsible for maintaining them.
  • Insurance – This describes the insurance  coverage the community has in place.
  • General Provisions – In this section, a number of other topics are covered. Things like amendments, liability limitations and so on.

So, what does this mean in the scope of a Scottsdale home purchase? It means that potential homeowners really need to read through and review these documents prior to moving forward with the purchase of the home or lot. What if a boating enthusiasts plan to store their speedboat on the side of their home and that is not permitted in the CC&R’s? They can either plan for offsite storage or move on to another home. Knowing things like this is critical for potential newcomers to a community.

Again, this was a general overview of Scottsdale CC&R’s, but I hope that it helps shed some light on the importance of these documents and how potential buyers need to read through them before proceeding with the purchase of any property.

Disclaimer: This is a basic overview of what CC&R’s are as they refer to the governance of neighborhoods and subdivisions in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is not meant to be a definitive guide and information can change at any time. For more detailed information and specifics, please contact the Homeowners’ Association or municipality that governs the property or home directly.

photo credit: Sam Hames

What Do Scottsdale Homeowners’ Association Fees Cover?

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HOA Fees for Scottsdale Homes for SalePeople are often curious as to what Scottsdale Arizona homeowners’ association fees cover. On one home they could be minimal, less than $100 per year, yet in another community, a resident could be looking at annual payments in the thousands. Coverage can include anything from maintenance for common areas all the way up to almost all of your utilities including basic cable.

What the fees boil down to is what levels of service and amenities are being offered by the homeowners’ association (HOA.) The following examples are not comprehensive and every community is different, but they should give you an idea of what to expect as you are assessing and comparing monthly fees between different Scottsdale homes for sale.

On the lower end of the cost spectrum, many HOA’s simply offer what is considered “Common Area Maintenance.” This means that things like street medians and common community areas are maintained by the HOA. In Scottsdale, this generally means that a gardening service has been hired to maintain and manage the landscaping.

As you move up the cost scale, you start to see other things like street maintenance, (repairs for streets within the community are covered). Gated communities and neighborhoods with community pools and spas, parks, fitness centers and/or other amenities also are more expensive as the cost of maintaining these perks is higher.

On the highest end of the HOA fee scale, you see amenities like full-time guard gated entries and security patrols and/or golf courses and clubhouses. In many of the higher end condo communities in Scottsdale and Phoenix, virtually all of your costs are covered by the HOA, with the exception of electricity and telecom services. In these cases, your higher monthly HOA fee will be offset by not having to pay for these other services on an a la carte basis.

In multi-family settings or in communities where homes are partially attached, you will often see exterior maintenance of the units and a blanket insurance policy for the community included in the fees as well.

The good news is that you can look at Scottsdale MLS listings and see how much the fees are and what they cover. An entire section of the MLS listing information sheet is dedicated to HOA information, including contact information, costs, how frequent the payments are, what those payments cover and more.

Scottsdale AZ Luxury Home Market – January 2011

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Here is the sales information for the  luxury home market in Scottsdale, Arizona for the month of January 2011. This snapshot covers  luxury home sales activity in Scottsdale over the previous 12 months. I am defining the luxury market as homes with asking prices in excess of $1 million.

– January 2011 –
 
Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,000,000 – $1,499,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: At the end of January, there were 268 homes on the market, down one home over December. This trails behind the 12 month average of 298 homes.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Nineteen homes were pending sale at the end of the month. This was up over December when activity was slower, but is still behind the 12 month average of 24 sales.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Thirteen homes sold in January in this price range. Sales dropped 50% over December when we saw a surge of activity. The 12 month average is 18 sales per month.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 93.6% – This is the highest this figure has been in the last year and home buyers averaged a little over 6% off of asking price.

 

 January 2011 Scottsdale AZ Luxury Homes for Sale Between $1 and $1.5 Million


Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $1,500,000 – $1,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: There were 164 homes for sale in this price range at the end of January. This is below the 12 month average of 188.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales:  Nine homes sales were pending at the end of the month. This is the same number we saw in December. It is below the 12 month average of 14.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: There were five home sales in January, making this the third month in a row with this number of sales. It is tracking behind the 12 month average of 8 sales.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 85.6% – This number bounces around a bit, but this is on the low end of what we have been seeing for this price range. Buyers in this segment enjoyed almost a 15% discount off of asking price.

 

January 2011 Scottsdale AZ Luxury Homes for Sale Between $1.5 and $2 Million
Scottsdale Homes Priced Between $2,000,000 – $2,999,999
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: There were 163 homes on the market in this range at the end of January. This number is up slightly over December, but still below the 12 month average of 171.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales: Seven homes were pending, which is the same as the 12 month average.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Six homes sold in January, which is a pretty decent performance coming off of lower numbers last Fall.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 85.6% – This is a pretty typical number for this price segment.

January 2011 Scottsdale AZ Luxury Homes for Sale Between $2 and $3 Million

 


Scottsdale Homes Priced $3,000,000+
– Active Scottsdale Homes on the Market: There were 116 homes for sale in excess of $3 million dollars at the end of the month, a 5.5% rise over December’s inventory.
– Pending Scottsdale Home Sales:  Three homes were pending sale, which was up slightly over December, but still just below the 12 month average of 4.
– Scottsdale Homes Sold: Only one home sold in January. This was a huge drop from December’s impressive 7 sales. However, the single sale is in keeping with what we have been seeing over the last several months, December excluded.
– Sales Price to Listed Price: 74.4% – This is on the lower end for this price range, but not unheard of.

January 2011 Scottsdale AZ Luxury Homes for Sale Over $3 Million

 

Overall, January was a lackluster month for the Scottsdale AZ luxury real estate market. However, given the lower number of pending sales in December and factoring in seasonality, this was not s surprise. Inventory figures were mixed with increases in some price bands and decreases in others. Pending sales indicate that February sales should be pretty similar to what we saw in January.

To see the detailed data behind this report, please visit my Scottsdale luxury real estate market reports page and click on the “Scottsdale Market Trends” report.

Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of  2/1/2011 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at single-family luxury resale homes in Scottsdale AZ over the last 12 months. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes. This blog represents the opinion of the author. No warranties implied or expressed.
Copyright © 2011 Heather Tawes Nelson

Winter Fun & Events at Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, Arizona

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Forest Highlands Flagstaff AZ Winter ParkFOREST HIGHLANDS – FUN IN THE WINTER  I think everyone considers Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, Arizona to be just a summer retreat since that is the busiest time of the year.  But there are always activities and work going on throughout the winter months. I checked in with Kurt Martin, the head of the Recreation Department, to see what’s happening.

He reported that they are totally redesigning the workout center at the Meadow Club House and replacing all of the cardio and strength machines with the latest Cybex equipment. Part of the renovation includes the locker rooms as well.

Throughout the winter months, the Recreation Department always plans some fun activities for the young ones who live onsite or come up with their families for winter activities.  On the 18th of February, a Friday, they are having a “Kid’s Living it Up Night” for little ones 4 years old and up.

From 6 to 9 PM at” Kid’s Living it Up Night,” the kids will be at the Recreation Center by the Meadow Clubhouse for a great night of food and fun.  Pizza for dinner (is there anything else?) and all sorts of favorite games like GaGa Ball (have no idea what that is), Steal the Bacon (clueless on that one also) and Dodge Ball (finally a game I recognize).  I know these are games that have been developed in the Recreation Department and the kids sure enjoy them during the summer camps.

The next Day, February 19th, from 1 to 3 PM, the Recreation Department is hosting a sledding event at the 15th hole of the Meadows course. They will create tracks and jumps and have sleds of all kinds for the kids to use.  Hot cocoa and goodies will be available for everyone.  Also – they’ll have a snowmobile that will transport the kids and adults from the bottom of the hill to the top — their version of a ski lift!

Stay tuned for more updates from Forest Highlands…

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Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ Luxury Condo Sales – January 2011

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Optima Camelview Luxury Condos Scottsdale AZ
Optima Camelview – Scottsdale, AZ

Here are January 2011’s results for the Phoenix and Scottsdale luxury condo market. For the purposes of this report, I am defining luxury condos as condos on the market with asking prices in excess of $1 million.

January was another decent month for the Scottsdale and Phoenix luxury condo markets. All of the January activity was in Scottsdale. At the end of the month, there were two pending luxury condo sales and a single sale.

The January sale was at Optima Camelview, a very popular complex in downtown Scottsdale. It was a three bedroom, two and one-half bathroom unit on the 5th floor with 2,848 square feet. The sales price was $995,000.

The two pending sales at the end of January were found at Safari Drive, a contemporary complex in downtown Scottsdale that has recently started sales again and The Landmark which is farther north in the Kierland neighborhood.

Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condo Market Information

 

Overall, January was a solid month for luxury condos in Scottsdale and Phoenix. The sale started the year off on a good foot and two pending sales could mean good news for February’s sales figures.

Learn More About Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos
Search Phoenix and Scottsdale Luxury Condos for Sale

Disclaimer: Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Data and information was pulled from the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS) as of 2/1/2010 and can change at any time. The analysis looks at resale luxury condos in Scottsdale and Phoenix over the last 12 months. There may be new home inventory in these figures if the developer is using the MLS to market its homes.
Copyright © 2011  Heather Tawes Nelson

Security Minded at Forest Highlands in Flagstaff Arizona

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Forest Highlands Security Flagstaff AZForest Highlands is a golf community just south of Flagstaff, Arizona off of Highway 89A. Established over 20 years ago with homes built around the well- known Canyon Golf Course, it offers a lifestyle hard to beat.  The addition of a second golf course, Meadow Course, and second  clubhouse merely enhanced the fun and activities for residents and their guests.  Although it is better known for summer living, it is located within ten miles of the Snow Bowl which features skiing, snowboarding and alpine cross country trails. Forest Highlands is truly a year-round community.

One of the unique features of Forest Highlands is the security offered by the Homeowners Association.  There is a 24/7 manned security gate at the entrance to the complex.  Over the years, the department has provided security for homes as well as residents and guests. To insure that the community and its residents are kept safe and sound, they are constantly updating the equipment and services offered.

Recently, one of the residents came up with an innovative idea to link his security system via the internet and his computer.  Rather than insist he stay within the current system, the Security Department worked with him and his internet provider to assist him in making the change.  The innovation paid off . Now homeowners can utilize land lines, cell phones or the internet to link their home’s security system to the Security Department.

In addition, the Security Department offers members and  approved vendors the use of auto transponders for ease of entry into the community. This technology also allows the Security Department to estimate the number of residents within the community in the event of an emergency that requires evacuation.

Elk on Golf Course Forest Highlands Flagstaff AZOne of their “other” slightly more unusual  jobs is to remove the flags from the golf course in the evening. It seems the beautiful elk  that reside nearby love to come onto the greens and use the flag poles as “backscratchers.” Removal of the pins seems to do the job as we see less and less damage to the greens.

There is also a service offered to residents for a nominal fee called “Security Watch”. This is a great solution for seasonal residents who leave their homes vacant for longer periods of time and is especially critical during the colder winter months.  With “Security Watch,” members of the department visit your home a minimum of once a week and insure that there are no issues. Security turns off the water at the street and monitors the temperature in the homes to prevent any damage from frozen or broken pipes.  They also monitor the snow level on the rooftops and will call the homeowner if they feel there is danger of a roof collapsing or “ice dams” forming that will cause interior water damage.  Another perk of the Security Watch  program is that during the winter season residents can call in advance to request the water be restored and ask that the thermostat is adjusted to insure arrival to a warm and cozy home.

In addition to being a great golfing community, Forest Highlands benefits greatly from a friendly and technologically evolving security department.

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