Professional real estate agents are crazy busy as they manage the feast and famine of the local real estate market. During feast time, these agents are: Tracking real estate contracts or listing agreements Answering questions on properties from new sales leads to current clients Undertaking due diligence as listing agents or buyer’s agents Writing offers for vacant land or residential properties Negotiating offers between sellers and buyers Managing contracts in escrow   Attending required Continuing Education Unit (CEUs) Posting to Active Rain Then during famine times, professional real estate agents are: Updating marketing efforts Attending required Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Meeting with potential clients Researching current market Reading critical real estate news to Active R... 05/11/2025

Introduction to Mohave Valley, AZLocated in the picturesque northwest corner of Arizona, Mohave Valley offers a peaceful, rural lifestyle with convenient access to major cities like Las Vegas, NV, and Kingman, AZ. This small yet growing community is renowned for its scenic beauty, proximity to the Colorado River, and rich outdoor recreational opportunities. Whether you're looking to purchase a home for personal use or as an investment property, understanding the real estate market in Mohave Valley is crucial for making informed decisions.In this market report, we'll dive into the latest trends, property types, and investment potential of Mohave Valley, AZ real estate. Whether you're buying or selling, this guide will give you the insight you need to navigate the area’s real estate lands... 04/30/2025

Being on vacation for me as a professional real estate agent means I must: Have my laptop Have access current pending transactions Check emails for new sales leads to closing transactions Have Internet access is obviously necessary to attend to those emails demanding responses Have a charged mobile phone and laptop Notebook to keep track of all calls and requests Now in full disclosure I planned this vacation with the knowledge that current pending transactions should close before I left.  Also, I informed all my active clients as well as the title companies I was going on vacation.Of course, as it has been said the "best laid plans of mice and men often awry."  And this vacation has reaffirmed those words of Robert Burns. Now let me count the ways:The 72 hours before I left I had devot... 04/30/2025

Many sellers and buyers believe that they can sell or buy real estate properties without the benefit of professional real estate agents. By taking the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) path, these adventurous individuals look to save money to make more money. After all, some sellers and buyers believe professional real estate agents are just door openers and do very little to earn their compensation fee.This past week I received a call from a past potential buyer. I had physically toured several vacant land properties with these buyers though none exactly met their criteria. During this recent conversation, I learned these buyers had purchased a FSBO land and now wanted to sell it.I said I would undertake research of competitive properties in Golden Valley. AZ and send that Competitive Market An... 04/30/2025

I am a reader. Actually probably a voracious reader.  My love for reading is directly due to my father’s love for reading. At a very early age, I sat next to him in my childhood rocking chair mimicking reading.During the summer school vacation, I would walk a mile (one way) to the local library and check out a couple of books each week.  William Farley's Black Beauty was one of my favorites.Later I discovered science fiction with authors of H.G.Wells, Issac Asimov, Frank Herbert, and Jules Vernes. I believe my love for philosophy came from those early science fiction writers. My enjoyment of philosophy especially from the age of enlightenment, turned me onto John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. And that evolved into historical books.Beyond the Greek philosophers, I enjoyed the works of... 04/29/2025

Sometimes, professional real estate agents work with court approved sales. Often these are neglected properties with debris, non-working vehicles and in general a real mess.Usually there is a fiduciary firm appointed as the representative, guardian, conservator or trustee.  These court approved sales are very time consuming for all parties involved including the fiduciary firm, legal firm, title, the seller's court appointed attorney, the buyer’s agent and the real estate listing agent.The past two years as a vacant land listing agent who loves to sell dirt, I have had numerous court approved vacant land sales. Yesterday after 94 days, my most recent vacant land listing property received court approval. Yee Haw!Close of escrow will happen within 5-7 days after that hearing. I am sure al... 04/22/2025

In real estate due the compliance issues along with recent lawsuits and settlements, there are “government testers” contacting real estate agents to ensure adherence to state and federal laws and regulations. Professional real estate agents must be aware of these government testers while not offending potential real estate sellers or buyers.This past week I received a text from a potential sales lead (“retired Air Force individual") who was a small business owner of home use products (nutrition, skin care, etc.) allegedly here in Kingman, AZ. This individual stated he is currently renting and is seeking to buy a house in the Fall of 2025.Here is the last sentence of the first text I received.“All safe and around children (pets) would you and the wife seriously consider using these if we... 04/21/2025

For busy professionals regardless of role or industry, balance between personal and professional lives is important. Years ago, I read Buddha was the first person who discussed balance and use a wheel in this discussion.Balance also extends to our thoughts as Bruce Lee noted in these words:"Balance your thoughts with action."When I read Lee’s words, my philosophical brain traveled down several paths including emotional intelligence. For those who demonstrate emotional intelligence, how we respond, our actions, must be balanced between the other individual and ourselves. This balance often includes our own moral code or ethics.  Others have similar thoughts about balance and action."Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." Albert Einstein"Man maintains ... 04/21/2025

Often I have been asked as a professional real estate agent what does it mean "going the extra mile?" In the last 72 hours, I demonstrated that effort for four of my listing clients.My First Goes The Extra Mile EffortMy first extra mile effort is with two listing clients who are small business owners as well as entrepreneurs. They decided to sell their commercial building and land at 3015 Hualapai Mountain Road, Kingman, AZ to embark on some other entrepreneurial endeavors. The sellers indicated to me that they wanted to sell this real estate holding quickly.I researched how to expedite this sale and discovered one viable option. Then I shared this option with my sellers who gave me permission to schedule a zoom call. The call went very well and my clients are moving forward with this o... 04/19/2025

The Oxford Online Dictionary defines grit as the "courage and resolve; strength of character.”  In real estate, grit is required and let me explain.Many of my real estate listings are from referrals whether current or past clients as well as community members I have met here in Golden Valley and Kingman, AZ. One of my  community member's listing referrals was the opportunity to list rustic cowboy bunkhouse. The seller had lived there for 2.5 years and I had septic and power permits.This horse friendly, rustic bunkhouse property received two offers. The first accepted offer (from buyer number one) was canceled. After receiving the home inspection report, potential buyer believed there was too much work to be done as the bunkhouse and property was quite rustic. Offer number two from buyer... 04/18/2025

In our personal and professional daily lives we often experience a difficulty and often more than one difficulty. Recently, I reread this quote by Rene Descartes:"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."For me, Descartes was providing a solution to achieving a goal by identifying each difficulty, obstacle, and then creating action steps, parts, to overcome, resolve,that difficulty.This is the essence of goal setting and goal achievement to achieve personal and professional success.To engage in this “difficulty” dividing behavior, requires critical thinking. Albert Einstein saw the potential within this particular personal or professional life experience."In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."By embracing Descartes approach, oft... 04/16/2025

Funny thing, just this past week I received a very lowball offer for an off grid residential property. The potential buyer shared he had done his research and four years ago the sellers paid this amount.  So he offered about $10,000 over what the current sellers paid.When the potential buyer and I spoke, I shared the sellers had made considerable investment in upgrading the solar system including a new inverter, new batteries and new solar panels. Additionally other improvements had been made, plus residential property values continued to increase.As a REALTOR®, the Code of Ethics obligates me to protect and promote my clients. Since this offer included a contingency addendum, I undertook additional research to better understand the 90 day contingency addendum.I discovered the property ... 04/16/2025

Often, I have read of real estate agents in other forums responding to this question from first time home buyers about the down payment amount with a response of “No Money Down.” Unfortunately, this response can be very misleading.Even if the loan does not require any down payment such as for qualified US veterans or a very small down payment such as 3% for FHA loans, there are other fees and out of pocket expenses involved in buying homes. Some of these fees can be included in the loan and others must be paid via certified check or wire transfer at close of escrow. Now each state is different as real estate is local; however, here are a few though not all Escrow Fees  Recording Fee Septic Transfer Fee Inspections Fees such as Home Inspection, Termite Inspection, Mold Inspection, Radon ... 04/11/2025

Whether you are a real estate agent, REALTOR®, seller or buyer results matter. A recent survey from the National Association of REALTORS®, suggested in 2024 that 71% of agents did not engage in a successful real estate transaction.The answers to this possible failure rate are many. However from my experience as someone with over five (5) decades of sales experience including 20+ years in corporate sales, 20+ years as an executive leadership strategist and sales coach and now eight (8) years in real estate, my answers to this question are three.#1 – False Expectations – Many who entire the real estate industry have been filled with false expectations such as easy money, big money, easy hours, and easy work.  Those who are authentic professional real estate agents know that the money is n... 04/10/2025

Way is such a simple word with basically two meanings (Oxford Language): A method, style, or manner of doing something A road, track, path or street traveling along These two meanings came back to me as I read this unfamiliar quote by Miyamoto Mushashi (Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist and writer of The Book of Five Rings).“If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything.”My somewhat philosophical mind started traveling down many paths almost simultaneously. Was Mushashi thinking a method or a path?For me I have a certain manner of handling or process for potential real estate transactions be those transactions from sellers or buyers. Over time this way has evolved and continues to evolve which for me reaffirms knowing the “WAY broadly, you will see it in everything.”Ad... 04/09/2025

In any role be it professional or personal, doing things differently matters especially when achieving positive desired results.  Years ago, I read this quote by Marcel Proust:"The true voyage of discovery is not seeing new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes."How do you see things differently for yourself as a parent, sibling, friend or one of the many roles within the real estate industry?In my personal roles, I believe consistency beyond being ethical is one attribute that shows I do things differently.For me, being old school in real estate is definitely being different. I want to: Meet face to face with clients Actively listen to their wants and needs as well as what is not said Protect and Promote My Clients (Code of Ethics, Article One) Develop authentic relationships Be the Sou... 04/07/2025

Professional real estate agents are legally obligated to be diligent when acting as a listing agent or buyer’s agent. This due diligence surfaced when I started thinking about the publication of seller’s residential floor plans on MLS public viewing websites.Beyond that issue, there are many other areas for due diligence.Here in Golden Valley, AZ where we have four different water companies. There is considerable due diligence knowledge required such as: Water Allocation – paid or unpaid Water Assessment – paid or unpaid or not an issue Water Meters – paid or unpaid Water Meters location – Over time and poor paperwork, water meters can be buried and no one knows that a water meter exists for a particular vacant land parcel Water Haul – Distance and servicing water company Electric avail... 04/06/2025

Often home owners take extended vacations and return home to find a water leak or worse more than one. Sometimes these water leaks are from hoses to the washing machine that have experienced constant pressure or a sudden increase in water pressure.When we lived in NW IN, my husband decided to eliminate this potential water leak by installing a valve that allowed the hot and cold-water hoses to the washing machine to be turned off. The hoses to the washing machine no longer would experience changes in water pressure.Moving to here to Golden Valley in NW AZ, once again the husband installed the same type of valve. Of course, one must remember to turn on the valve when washing clothes and to turn off the valve when that task is finished.As to the price of this water valve, eight years ago ... 04/06/2025

The month of April for many means spring cleaning their homes. This is the time all furniture is moved, cleaned and possibly re-positioned in the home.What I have learned is to take spring cleaning to a new level.  That new level is de-cluttering and determining what is truly essential.  Of course, some items will always stay such as family heirlooms.Since we have moved to NW AZ, we both have changed our wardrobes. Jeans have replaced dress pants.  Boots now are the favorite foot wear. Most open toe shoes have been donated. Wool blazers are now long sweaters to help ward off the continued strong breezes to unexpected winds here in Golden Valley, AZ.No longer needed items are donated to local not for profits.  Having a yard sale that is so far off the main road does not make sense.Spring... 04/05/2025

The annual Gallup Poll honesty and ethics reveals how the public view others within various professional roles. In January of 2023 (most recent survey), nurses retained the highest ethical rating at 29% very high, 50% high and 17% average. In that same survey, real estate agents ranked at 4% very high, 20% high and 50% average.In other words, 4 out of 5 nurses were ranked at very high and high while 1 out of every 4 real estate agents were ranked at high or very high. Given many real estate agents are also REALTORS® who swear to uphold a high standard of ethics (Code of Ethics), the results of this survey suggest that there are real estate agents who do not go above and beyond for their clients.The good news is real estate agents ranked above: Lawyers (3% very high, 18% high) Journalist... 04/05/2025