Mesa Community Notes
  • cleaning

    Cleaning Before Closing

    Moving from a home is often a hectic time. Packing, moving, storing, throwing things out, making repairs to the home, taking care of the purchase arrangements for the next home. The list goes on. It’s during this crazy time that Mesa homeowners who sell their...

    Full Story

  • spice-market

    How’s the Market? Let’s Get Specific

    Perhaps the most frequent question I’m asked is, “How’s the market?” It’s an innocent enough of a question, but the answer is usually a question in return: Which market? Markets are not just a product or geography–they are also a price. The market for a...

    Full Story

  • supply-and-demand

    Supply & Demand Real Estate-style

    Like any business, real estate has its own vocabulary. For example, we’ve defined earnest money, close of escrow, and risk of loss, to name a few. But as the market continues to shift, one of the terms that is moving to the forefront of discussion...

    Full Story

  • images

    Top-5 U.S. Banks Profit $55.2 Billion in 2011

    2011 was a record-breaking year for three of the top-5 U.S. banks, who cumulatively profited over $55 billion. The total profit is down for the top 5 from $60.4 billion last year, but what’s $5 billion amongst friends?! It’s worth noting that in 2010, Bank...

    Full Story

  • teeth

    Pictorial Humor at the Expense of Wells Fargo

    I love a good jab, especially when it’s based on a perceived truth. If you like to poke fun at the banks, you’ll enjoy this one. And if you want to stick it to the banks yourself, you might like this.

    Full Story

  • 3 Things

    3 Things Every Homeowner Must Know to Avoid Taxes in a Short Sale

    Jenny Casteel, Designated Broker of Casteel Real Estate Professionals, discusses the 3 things every homeowner must know to avoid taxes in a short sale. These are three tips can can save home sellers tens of thousands of dollars. For a 1-on-1 consultation to find out...

    Full Story

  • Writing a Check

    Unraveling the Mystery of Earnest Money

    Sometimes prospective home buyers are a little surprised as they step into my car when I ask whether they brought their checkbook. “Why do I need my checkbook?” “Because we can’t make an offer without earnest money!” * What is earnest money? Earnest money is...

    Full Story

  • craigslist

    Avoid Rental Home Scams

    If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Ever heard that one before? Well, it certainly applies to real estate. In the past, I’ve shown examples of mortgage marketing hooks, online scams, and protecting your identity to avoid credit fraud. Enter the...

    Full Story

  • Successful financial plans

    4 Steps to Retaining Your Customers

    I recently had an interesting set of customer service experiences. I might not have noticed either of them except that I had the two experiences within 15 minutes of one another. The first experience was at Sunrise Bank of Arizona, the small, local bank to...

    Full Story

  • Gonzo

    When is a Real Estate Contract Completed?

    I can still remember the words as Greg Schulte announced across the radio, “A little blooper…base hit…Diamondbacks win…They’re the world champions!” At that moment, there was no doubt that Luis Gonzales’ base hit to score Jay Bell ended the baseball season of 2001. Of course...

    Full Story