Sellingedge Arizona Real Estate Tips By Gaylen

Agent to Agent Courtesy - Out of Style?

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:45:27 -0500

I must admit, I'm old school. So please help me understand in this new reality why agents being courteous to other agents isn't necessary, because I am lost.

I faxed an offer to an agent and then followed up several hours later with an email to verify that they had received the offer. Now 24 hours later I still have received no word from the agent. I called and left a message on their phone, still no call. I realize that in this short sale market it takes weeks to get acceptance or rejection, but a return call or email saying that the offer was received is important to me. Who knows in this electronic age if everything came through or went to the right person or whatever.

This agent is on Active Rain in my community and boasts of the great service and professionalism they provide. I guess this only extends to clients and not other professionals they deal with. Is it me or can you help me understand why courtesy is out of style?

How About Those Diamondbacks!

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:18:45 -0500

For those of you who thought the Arizona Diamondbacks were a "fluke" or "lucky" last year to win the NL West, take a look at the standings as of today. An 18-7 record leads the league and they aren't stopping there. If you want to see great pitching, timely hitting, power hitting and terrific defense, check out the D-backs.

Ashton Ranch Home Priced For You!

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:32:35 -0600

Charming Ashton Ranch 2 bed 2 bath close to Surprise Recreation Park, shopping and restaurants, ready for your immediate move in. The large den may be converted to a 3rd bedroom. Ashton Ranch features three pools and heated spas, with playgrounds and open areas.

Contact Gaylen at Desert Heritage Real Estate 602-578-0612 or see more at http://www.sellingedge-azre.com/.

Ashton Ranch Beauty

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:01:02 -0600

This charming home was just listed in Ashton Ranch and is price to sell now! This is in a terrific location and close to the Surprise Recreation Campus. Call me or see at www.sellingedge-azre.com.

This is a one owner, well kept home and the owner just got married and is moving out of state.

Surprise - Safest Place to Live

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:33:46 -0600

Not only is Surprise, Arizona very beautiful but it has been named one of the safest cities in the country and the safest in Arizona, according to the 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" which was released on November 19, 2007.

Surprise Police Chief Dan Hughes said that a low crime rate boils down to "community partnerships." "We are extremely fortunate to have outstanding officers and a great public response to programs such as Block Watch."

Surprise ranked as the 33rd safest city in America and the highest in Arizona according to the survey.

If you are looking for a terrific place to live, activity oriented and very safe, try Surprise, Arizona. You won't be disappointed.

Surprise Party

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:23:43 -0600

Everyone loves a party and a Surprise party is always terrific. You are all invited to the 6th annual Surprise Party at the Surprise Recreation Campus in Surprise, Arizona on Friday November 30th and Saturday December 1st. The admission is free with a donation to Sanderson Ford's Operation Santa Claus.

There will be Arts and Crafts, Skydivers, Balloon Glow, the second annual Classic Car Show, and interactive Kid Zone, Live Animal Shows, $1 Elephant rides, and a special guest appearance by SpongeBob SquarePants.

The Surprise Recreation Campus is located in the heart of Surprise in the Northwest section of Phoenix. There will be plenty of food and fun for the entire family. The evening will be capped by a spectacular fireworks display.

Come and enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the Surprise party.

Ashton Ranch - Surprise, Arizona

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:17:56 -0600

If you are looking to purchase a home in the beautiful community of Ashton Ranch, located in the heart of Surprise, Arizona now is the time to buy. There are currently 57 homes offered through the Arizona Multi-list Service and these homes range from $156,900 to $252,000.

Now is a perfect time to look at Ashton Ranch for you family. It is only 1 mile from the Surprise Recreation Complex, Aquatic Park, DreamCatcher Park, the Westside Library and spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals baseball teams.

Ashton Ranch has three pools with hot tubs, spacious common areas with play equipment for the kids and bike paths for avid riders.

For more information on the area, community or homes contact me at gthornton3@cox.net or see www.sellingedge-azre.com.

Are you Listening?

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:43:57 -0600

When President Lyndon Johnson was junior senator from Texas,he had a sign on the wall of his office that read: "You ain't learning nothing when you're doing all the talking."

As Realtors we love to talk, love to let the client know all about what we can do for them and how we can service their needs. However, do we actually know what their needs are when we are talking all the time?

It's had to be a good listener--especially when we like to talk so much ourselves. So often, we listen to part of what is being said, then ignore the speaker an think about what we intend to say next ourselves.

Have you ever found yourself thinking, " I wish they would shut up so I could talk?" Listening is an art and takes concentration and needs to be worked on everyday.

Next time you find your mind wandering stop and really concentrate on what the speaker is saying. It will help you to understand their point of view and what they really need and will make you a much better Realtor.

White Tank Mountains

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:43:22 -0600

For those of you who enjoy hiking, there is no better location than the beautiful White Tank Mountains just west of Surprise, Arizona. In fact the Maricopa County rangers at the park offer ranger-guided hikes and family-oriented programs. Reservations are not needed unless requested.

It is recommended that you wear sturdy, closed-toes shoes for most programs and bring plenty of drinking water. There are no fees for the programs, however entry fee to the park is a mere $5.

You can get to the White Tank Park on Olive Avenue, west of the Loop 303 in Waddell.

This is a fun way to see the gorgeous mountains and a spectacular view of the valley with your whole family.

The Key Ingredient

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:49:09 -0600

I fancy myself as a pretty good cook. I'm not as creative as many but I can follow recipes very well and I can get all the ingredients in there to make a pretty mean meal. Those who cook know that leaving out key ingredients can spell disaster for the meal. So it is in the Real Estate business, leave out a key ingredient and it can spell disaster.

What is the "key" ingredient in your business? The Dartnell Company put out a Salesmanship bulletin years ago and I think they hit the nail on the head when they said, "The key ingredient in business is people."

How true that is today. You work with people to list their homes, you work with people to stage a home, you work with mortgage company people and I could go on and on. Bottom line, we are in the people business, not the housing business. No matter how many homes you have listed if you don't have people to buy them........Think about it!

Water and the Desert

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:42:00 -0600

Water is a most precious commodity in the desert. Programs to conserve and reuse water are vital to each community. The city of Surprise, Arizona has teamed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program to help residents conserve water and reduce costs.

The Phoenix Business Journal reports that WaterSense program is "designed to decrease nonagricultural water use through simple conservation methods and the use of high efficiency products." The EPA has a criteria for efficiency in products and WaterSense-labeled product meet this strict standard.

The beautiful city of Surprise also is receiving international recognition for its wastewater plan. A Swedish Company, Alfa Laval, manufacturers wastewater treatment equipment, and they are printing a story in their trade magazine in Spain on how Surprise, Arizona is meeting increasing demand for wastewater services.

If you are thinking of moving to the Valley of the Sun, consider Surprise, Arizona as your new home. It is a family oriented and progress city in the northwest part of the valley. For more information on buying, selling or about the area go to www.sellingedge-azre.com or email gthornton@jroberts.com.

3 AM

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:09:46 -0600

All of us in Real Estate know that the market is not what it should be and we struggle. Retail is in the same boat and can you imagine having to work at 3 AM in a retail store? The Arrowhead Town Center is a big mall in the Northwest corner of Phoenix and the Disney store at that location will open at 3 AM on November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving.

Are there any other retail outlets in your area that open that early? Maybe it is a new trend and we should hold open houses early in the morning to get a jump on the day? (Just kidding)

Commissioner's Luncheon

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:58:45 -0600

Yep, I'm still on the Arizona Superbowl band wagon and I have great listings for your Superbowl bound clients. This past week Commissioner Roger Goodell visited Arizona and a nearly sold-out crowd of 700 dined at the Westin Kierland and heard him praise the Arizona Superbowl host committee, giving them an A+.

The NFL Commissioner singled out "Arizona's business, government and Native American communities for coming together to make Super Bowl XLII a success." The Commissioner also said, "Arizona has all the elements, I expect to see more Super Bowls in Arizona."

The timeis getting closer to the big game and there are still some amazing residences available for lease during the biggest sports week of the year. See: http://hometour.twodecoratingdivas.com or www.sellingedge-azre.com for more details. Don't wait until the last minute and be "left out in the heat" with no place to stay. Now is the time to make lodging and transportation arrangements - let me help!

A Real Dream

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:49:25 -0600

The Surprise Arizona DreamCatcher Park has been honored as a "Best of the West" award given in the Service to Communities-Health category at the October 25th Westmarc awards banquet in Glendale, Arizona.

The park is a real dream because it can accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices. This is Surprises first fully-accessible park and it features a softer, more resilient playing surface that is perfect for baseball, football or soccer.

Fans can also view the games from shaded, stadium-style seating, keeping the beautiful Arizona sun from shinning down on them.

Surprise is a progressive city with families and activities for all ages available. For more information go to http://www.surpriseaz.com/.

Veterans Day Ceremony

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:03:23 -0600

Come honor those who have served our Country on Friday November 9th at the Surprise Northwest Regional Library on Bullard. The City of Surprise is inviting all veterans and the public to attend this special Veterans Day ceremony which will start at 10 AM.

Patriotic displays, a police and fire honor guard, speeches and songs will be part of the hour-long event and a Mayoral Proclamation will be read in honor of all veterans.

Veterans living within Surprise city limits may call for a free ride to and from the event through the city's Dial-A-Ride service. Come and join the celebration.

Enthusiasm

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:45:04 -0600

How much enthusiasm do you have for your work each day? Do you energize others and do they like to be around you because of your enthusiasm? Do your clients sense your enthusiasm and energy for your work and because of that does it give them confidence?

Productivity Plus a sales motivation letter has said, "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a think, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective."

We might not be able to control the market and what it is doing, but we certainly control how we act and react each day. Try the enthusiastic approach and see what positive results you can get.

Ten Commandments of Good Human Relations

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 09:25:04 -0600

I have been in sales and marketing for over 30 years and I have collected many thoughts and stories. I ran across this and felt it worthwhile to share as a reminder since we are in the "people" business.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOOD HUMAN RELATIONS

1. Speak to people. The isn't anything as nice as cheerful word of of greeting.

2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown, but only 14 to smile.

3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to everyone's ears is the sound of his/her own name.

4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have friends be friendly.

5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6. Be truly interested in people. You can like anybody, if you really try.

7. Be generous with praise. Be cautious with criticism.

8. Be considerate of the feelings of others. It will be appreciated.

9. Be thoughtful of the opinion of others.There are three sides to a controversy - yours, the other fellows and the right one.

10. Be alert to give service.What counts most in life is what we do for others. Someone has said that "Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world."

Give Back

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:52:38 -0600

Volunteers are always needd at the Surprise Food Bank. If you are looking for a way to give back to the community and team-build at the same time, join the St. Mary's/Westside Food Bank Alliance as a group or an individual.

The food bank can use from five to 150 volunteers and service includes packing Emergency Food Boxes, sort food from food drives and repack produce.

For more information contact ElizaethWunsch at 623-344-2138.

The Wizard of Westwood

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:57:04 -0600

The legendary coach John Wooden became famous for his 10 National Champion UCLA Bruin basketball teams and his philosophies of life and how to achieve success. One of his teachings says, "Why do so many people dread adversity, when it is only through adversity that we grow stronger?"

This can apply to the Real Estate market in our world today. We continue to try to find buyers that can qualify for loans, sellers who want to price their homes "to" sell and lenders who will work with us. How many extra hours have you put in? What new marketing efforts have you started? How creative have you become? Has the "adversity" of this market made you stretch and come out of your comfort zone to be successful or has it dampened your spirit and made you negative and wishing for the "old days?"

If you have made strides forward with a positive attitude and have accomplished things you currently have never done are stronger and are still successful. Are you one of those that have embraced adversity or have you shrink from it. Now is a great time to evaluate what you have done these past 10 months and determine how strong you will finish the year.

What kind of character has adversity brought out in you? The Wizard of Westwood taught, "One's character may be quite different from one's reputation. Your character is what you really are. Your reputation is only what others think you are."

Have a Voice

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:33:08 -0500

Many cities in beautiful Arizona have elections on Tuesday 11/6. Many offices are up for election and candidates need your support. Take the time to let your voice be heard by voting for the people of our choice. Don't let a few make decisions in your cities and towns by staying home because it isn't a General Election with National implications.

In Surprise, Arizona we have the chance to elect a new mayor for the first time in years. You have a voice, let it be heard at the polls this coming Tuesday!

Dysart School District Boundaries

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:07:32 -0500

Do you have kids in the Dysart School District? Are you interested in the boundaries for the coming years?

The Dysart Unified School District is forming a committee to review the boundaries for the 2008-2009 school year and those parents and community members are invited to participate in the process.

The meeting will be help on Thursday November 1st at 6:30 PM in the Dysart Education Center, 15802 N. Parkview Place. There are two new elementary schools opening in the district and those boundaries will be discussed as well.

There will be two additional meetings open to the public as well. The next meeting after the 1st will be Thursday November 15th and the on November 29th, all at the education center.

Get involved in the process and let your voice be heard!

More Superbowls for Arizona

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:16:05 -0500

On October 15 the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell visited Phoenix to go over the preparations for the upcoming Superbowl in February. The Commissioner indicated that he expects Arizona to host more Superbowls. "You've got all the elements...a great infrastructure, a world-class stadium," he said.

If you are not familiar with the University of Phoenix stadium, home to the Arizona Cardinals, one fact you might find interesting, the field is on rollers. The stadium has a domed roof, which does open, but not enough to give the grass the sun needed to keep it growing, green and healthy. So, the entire field is on rollers and slides out the south doors to get the sun it needs to remain green and beautiful. It is very unique for a sports stadium.

The Superbowl is coming to Arizona and if you still need a place to stay I have some gorgeous homes available for lease. I am your Superbowl Realtor and you can see these beautiful homes at: www.sellingedge-azre.com, www.hometourtwodecoratingdivas.com, http://gaylenthornton.point2agent.com or call me 602-578-0612.

Secret Agent

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:50:13 -0500

So you want to purchase, sell or lease your home in Surprise, Arizona and use a professional Realtor to insure fair and ethical treatment. Congratulations on your first correct decision! Now where do you go and how do you decide which agent to utilize? Let me suggest some criteria that might help you select the best person for you.

Does your potential Realtor really know Surprise? Are they a "secret agent" only visiting the community if they have a buyer? Do they "live" in the area or do they have a main office in the town which they rarely frequent? Many agents list homes in area's but really don't have first hand knowledge about the community, the amenities, schools and HOA information. Information that goes deeper than just the name of the schools or just handing you a package of Home Owner CCR's without knowledge of what they contain.

Is your agent involved in the community and do they know what is happening in the marketplace because of their contacts and service? Have they worked with property managers of HOA's and do they know what homes are selling and which are not because they are in the area. Anyone can get information from the ARMLS but the information obtained is basic about the home listed but almost nothing about the community or services offered.

Is your agent familiar with the new ordinances and/or laws that effect your ability to lease or rent your property. How about water issues that arise and could cost homeowners large increases in HOA dues?

Does the potential agent offer "full" service or do they buy and sell only, leaving you to find additional representation if you wish to lease or need property management services?

Information is the key to success so take your time and select the one that can give you the details through experience and first hand knowledge. What you don't know can hurt you!

A Steal In Surprise

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:30:47 -0500

This spacious home in the quiet neighborhood of Legacy Parc lease, lease to buy or purchase. Large 3 bed 2 bath is just 2 miles from the Surprise Recreation Campus, Aquatic Center, Library, Dream Catcher Park and Dog Parks. Must see now this clean 1650 sq. ft. home. The pool sparkles and is waiting for you. For information go to: http://www.sellingedge-azre.com/or call 480-626-0023 and enter code 10868. Offer by Gaylen Thornton of J. Roberts & Company, your premier Surprise Real Estate Company.

Virtual tour at: http://gaylenthornton.point2agent.com

Moonlighting

Gaylen Thornton (Desert Heritage Real Estate) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:17:54 -0500

I read an interesting article in the Orlando Business Journal about Realtors taking a second job or even switching careers during this current housing downturn. On such Realtor was going to supplement his income by waiting tables at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern. One young lady decided to take a nine-week course in Hawaii to become a certified Bikram Yoga instructor.

One of the story participants said, "I don't think I would call it changing careers - it's survival." The article mentioned that there are too many houses for sale - and too many real estate agents trying to sell them.

So after finishing the article I was wondering how many Realtors in ActiveRain land have other moonlighting activities to supplement their income?