By Mike Bodeen · 8 August 2016
Out of Town Buyers Need Area Options
I had the opportunity two weeks ago to show 24 homes in two days to a new out of state client referred to me by a Colorado Realtor I had done business with about 10 years ago. The buyers flew in for just two days to check out investment properties in the Sun City West area. The buyers, Judi and her husband Jim, were looking to complete an IRC 1031 Tax Deferred exchange with properties she was going to put on the market shortly in Colorado Springs.
Judi had looked at a lot of homes online through an online search we set up for them, and they had already known of the Sun City West 55+ community and had friends currently living there. Their plan was to rent out the property for a few years and then to use the Sun City West home in winter and their Colorado home in Summer, so the property needed to make rental sense and personal use sense. This was a fact finding trip rather than a buying trip as they will need to get their Colorado townhome sold first. They saw a number of homes they liked and would easily buy when the time was right. Though they didn’t “write an offer” they felt that trip was successful.
Within a few days of that, we received an online request to show a home in the Rio Verde area which is Northeast Scottsdale — think way North Fountain Hills! The buyers, Dom and Melissa were relocating from Nebraska and were flying into town shortly to formalize career options and check out housing. Dom is a Doctor who will be practicing in the SE Valley, while Melissa is an attorney who will be joining a law firm in Scottsdale. This couple have two young children and wanted a newer home in a rural setting with a large lot near good schools.
After meeting Dom and Melissa and getting to know more about their likes and dislikes, we recommended parts of the Gilbert/Chandler/Mesa/Queen Creek area – basically the SE Valley. The commute would be easy for Dom and a lot better for Melissa compared to Rio Verde. We set them up on a targeted search for the East Valley.
The day after I went out of town to visit friends in Bozeman, MT., Dom and Melissa found a brand new build from our online search. It was on an acre+, near Queen Creek and a short distance to his new job. They called Jonathan who showed it to them that same day. They loved it and they’re now in the offer stage to buy it.
One thing I have learned when representing Valley of the Sun buyers is the need to give as many locational options as possible. I don’t need to be an expert in every neighborhood, which is not even possible, but I do need to know enough about these towns to show buyers a good representative sample of homes in their price range. When a buyer comes in from out of state and has just a few days to look at homes and communities, they need to see as much as possible in a short time. I would personally find it quite daunting to have to make such a decision in a few days, but when it works out like this, it sure feels good!