Jamie Geiger

Hi Frances,
I live in Queen Creek (Maricopa County) and I love it, just as Jay said, it is a long commute into Phoenix. There are several new shoppings centers that have recently opened, that will create more jobs locally- you can get a great deal on a home- REO or new construction. - Wed Apr 23 2008, 17:24

Hi Jared,
Yes the down payment can be gifted- when I purchased my first home in the early 90's my parents gifted money to us to help in the purchase. Your lender can guide you in the proper documentation that would be needed. - Wed Apr 16 2008, 07:20

It will be necessary to give an earnest deposit. On a short sale- the check is not deposited into the escrow account until the offer is accepted-which can be a significant amount of time- if you change your mind prior to the acceptance of the offer- you can withdraw your offer. At the time the offer is accepted- you will still have 10 days for your inspection period-if you find something during the inspection period that is not acceptable you can cancel the contract.
With REO/bank owed properties- the seller will require additional addendums - you need to read very carefully - as they may make the earnst non-refundable after the inspection period. Also with REO properties- some of the homes have been stripped of appliances, lighting etc. If during the appraisal the appraiser deems the properite "unlivable" in the current state- you lender may not approve the loan and your deposit could be at risk. Many REO's are requiring earnest deposits to become non-refundable after 15 days. - Mon Apr 7 2008, 11:31

HI Michael,
Property taxes would also depend on what country you buy in. In Pinal country, for a 300k home you would pay about $2000 per year. In Maricopa country it would be about $1500 per year. As values are declining, property taxes may go done next year as well. If it is new construction- the first year taxes will be based on the vacant land only, so will be much lower. The taxes on the property reports are usually accurate. - Thu Apr 3 2008, 11:04

Hi Kathy,
Check out bios online of agents, testimonials and ask others if they know a good agent. I would recommend looking for someone who is full time, not part time.

Best of Luck on your home hunting
Jamie Geiger - Sat Mar 15 2008, 20:38