The Phoenix Real Estate Advisor

Here’s a couple of common questions we receive from clients looking at homes in communities like Trilogy at Vistancia or Sun City Festival. These are just a couple of the questions covered in our 33 page Guide to buying an active adult home near Phoenix. If you would like your free copy of this guide please visit Guide to buying a retirement home!

Q:  What’s the difference between the HOA fee and a Recreation fee?
A:  The HOA fee is meant to cover maintenance of the house and yard.  The Community Recreation fee pays for the costs of operating the community centers and maintaining the land and streets.

Q:   I’ve heard the Community/HOA’s are really restrictive? How bad are they?
A:  That depends if you live in a community with an HOA right now. Most people that are used to HOA’s find ours to be very fair and really looking out for the betterment of the community. Some of the things that might surprise you in the more restrictive (usually newer communities) are yard art to your front yard; you may need to get permission to do this. The good news is your neighbor will not be putting pink flamingos in his front yard for you to look at.
Now can you find some rules you don’t agree with? Of course but that can be taken to the HOA and if the people of the community agree with you it can be changed.

Q:  What if I have a problem with a neighbor does the Community/HOA get involved?
A:  You’ll find the Communities very responsive to complaints, etc. from residents. Their goal is to ensure the integrity of the community and ensure people follow the rules. Things like excessive weeds are handled very quickly!

Remember this is just part of a comprehensive guide that answers the hundreds of questions our clients have asked over the years. This guide covers questions about Sun City West, Sun City Grand, Pebble Creek and many more! Get yours free!

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

We had a guest blogger today write about what interest rates are doing.

Here’s what he said– Yes it is true – mortgage rates are back near the 5% range for a 30 year fixed after today.  Long story short, the approved tax cuts (passed by the Senate) along with some positive economic news have both clearly spooked bond traders causing mortgage rates to continue on upward.  A “normal” month may see mortgage backed securities …See More!

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

We held our welcome to Sun City West this morning for Ruth Grob. We had a good turnout for coffee and donuts and Ruth met a few more of her new neighbors.

People find the retirement communities very freindly and Sun City West is no different.

Posted via email from Active Adult Photo Blog

Here’s a few more answers to the questions we receive from buyers that are looking at homes in communities like Trilogy at Vistancia in Peoria, Arizona or Sun City Festival in Buckeye, Arizona. Continue to come back for more answers or simply go to www.RetiringToAz.com and order your free “Guide to buying an active adult home”.

Q:   How fast do the HOA or recreation fees go up? Is there a limit?
A:  This one is difficult to say because it depends on a lot of things like inflation, age of the community, gated vs. non-gated, etc. For the most part the older the communities, the slower the fees will go up but that can change if they have a big expenditure like replacing all the roofs on a street, etc.
As far as a limit there is never an upper limit set in the by-laws because you just never know what is going to happen down the line. From experience, fees do not go up a lot in any given year and I think you’ll be see that once you move in.

Q:   I heard about a transfer fee, who pays that?
A:  A transfer fee is a cost to the buyer at the time of closing to transfer the name, etc. on the property to the new buyer. It can be negotiated but since it’s a fee for the buyers benefit you’ll find sellers sometimes unwilling to pay this fee.
The cost is usually only about $80-300 so it’s not something to worry about and asking the sellers to pay a small fee like this could cause them to counter your offer higher.

Q:   Do some communities have a special deposit fee? Who pays that?
A:  Active adult communities do not require a deposit mainly because they charge a capital improvement fee upfront. If you do find a community that charges this, the buyer would typically be responsible for the payment since it’s a fee they would get back when they sell.

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

I wanted to give you a quick update on Trilogy at Vistancia community in Peoria Arizona.  I am very excited to be only days away from opening their next neighborhood Desert Flora at Trilogy (parcel C-9) which will have some of our best desert wash home sites we’ve ever seen.  In addition, this neighborhood will feature a unique walking trail and some great lots backing up to beautiful natural open spaces and landscaped common areas.  If you would like to be near the center of a community and close to our Kiva Clubhouse and amenities, this neighborhood is for them!

I have included a copy of the new neighborhood map below for your reference.  For more information on our new neighborhood or if you have an interest on a specific lot, please don’t hesitate to contact me. For more information about Trilogy at Vistancia please visit www.RetiringToAz.com or contact us directly at 623.271.4234.

Posted via email from Active Adult Living