Where is Arlington, Arizona?

Do you see the city of Arlington anywhere on the map? Either, do I!

I have lived in Arizona for over 30 years and I had never heard of Arlington until now. This is my story about John, Melanie and Arlington, AZ. I met John and Melanie at a showing of my listing on Sunaire Drive in Florence, AZ. They were newly married and had set up a wedding registry at their favorite credit union for their wedding guests and family members to deposit money in their behalf to be used towards a down payment on a home in lieu of gifts. John and Melanie had been gifted the necessary 3 1/2 percent for a down payment plus excess for closing costs, they both had stable and long term employment, good credit and with the help of one of my favorite lenders was able to meet the qualification requirements for a FHA mortgage. Although, they loved Florence they were open to suggestions about a location that would better suit John's commute into Phoenix everyday.

They were looking for an acreage property on the outskirts of the Phoenix metro area to raise their future family. I found in my MLS search a well-built HUD foreclosed home along with a fixer in Arlington, AZ that fit their criteria. I asked them if they were adventurous enough and could humor me in exploring the possibility. They were on board! We took a daytrip out to Arlington to look at homes.

Arlington, Arizona is a stone's throw east of the Palo Verde nuclear plant.

Yep! That's it! If you blink while you're driving by you'll miss it!

They fell in love with a home in Arlington that day. We made an offer on this HUD home and it was accepted!!! It was built in 2006 with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1510 square feet on an acre lot with a primeter fence, complete with a fully covered extended back patio and 2 car garage. Thanks to my favorite lender, Gary Smith of BNC National Bank, he was able to build the $1,100 repair escrow into John and Melanie's financing package as a FHA 203K. This would allow them to have the repair money set aside in an escrow account to have the repair made after closing. After a thorough home inspection, it was determined that there was a water leak that inundated the garage with water almost immediately after turning on the main water valve. They found that it was due to a broken valve on top of the hot water tank. After closing it only cost $150 to have it repaired. The remainder of the repair escrow was credited to the principle balance of their FHA mortgage loan. Awesome deal!!!

Gorgeous views of mountains from back patio! House sits on a little hill for optimal viewing in all directions. Creosote bushes to Melanie's delight!
Other than the water heater repair the home was in good condition. It was evident that the previous owners took pride in ownership. Being this was a foreclosed home it was being sold in the "As-Is" condition. HUD was agonizing slow with their answer at the beginning but in the end, John and Melanie have a beautiful home to enjoy with their family for years to come. And they lived happily ever after.

Barb Merrill Works 4 U!

The Best of Country Living in Florence, Arizona

Gorgeous View of Desert Vistas from Sunaire Property

21461 E. Sunaire Drive east of Florence, Arizona was the second acreage property I had the privilege to sell for the Mattingley family. Classic Arizona country living attracted Lawrence Mattingley to this property back in the 1980's. After he passed away in 2004, his children inherited both properties. Being they lived in Colorado, it was impractical to keep the homes and I was contacted through a referral to assist them in selling both properties. The main house, along with a carport/workshop and guest house are situated on a picturesque hilltop on 4.5 acres with unobstructed desert views of BLM land and mountains in every direction.

It has a charming farm style eat-in kitchen large enough to feed an entire crew of ranch hands!

Being the home on Sunaire was a site built home, the value was higher so the decision to sell the acreage with the mobile home in Javelina Desert Forest Estates was to be sold first. I sold the property located at 10680 N. Sagewood Lane, Florence, Arizona in June, 2009 for the Mattingley family. We worked hard and fast together to register the manufactured home with the MVD and record the affidavit of affixture with Pinal County, arrange for engineer certification of permanent affixture, test the well, pump and inspect the septic system and treat for termites. The front staircase had to be fortified to meet lender's conditions. It was just in the nick of time, too, because this was the last manufactured home that the mortgage broker approved before his underwriter discontinued financing manufactured homes. I arranged with the various service companies to be paid at close of escrow being the Mattingley's lived out-of-state and were not financially prepared to meet the expenses of selling the properties.

Everyone got what they wanted! The Buyers got a piece of heaven on earth, including a huge 1200 sq. ft. RV garage and workshop to die for!

I looked forward to every trip out to the Sagewood property. I came from the hustle of the Phoenix metro area to this beautiful, pristine cactus garden paradise. It is so quiet you can hear the wind blow and the cactus wren chirping. I love nature and was fascinated by the beauty of the cactus in bloom. Following are some of the pictures I took in the springtime:

I wish to thank the Mattingley's for the opportunity to work with them in selling their properties. It was not only a pleasure associating with them but a rejuvenation of spirit every time I visited their properties which I so needed in our busy world.

The Tale of Two Short Sales

Sometimes it takes selling a home twice to close a Short Sale with keeping the best interest of your Seller's as top priority. That was the case with the Richardson's. They found themselves in a position that they had to sell their dream home in Shamrock Estates, Gilbert, Arizona. After I had worked for 3 months with Bank of America to get bank approval of their Short Sale, the joyous day came when the Final Approval Letter arrived. However, it came with conditions. Bank of America refused to give the Richardson's a clean release from any future liability for the difference being forgiven. They required that the Richardson's come up with a Cash Contribution of 5% of the loss at closing along with signing a Promissory Note for an additional $12,000 to be paid interest free over 60 months to purchase the release. This was absolutely unacceptable for a family with the demands of 3 growing boys. After going back to the manager of the closing department, Bank of America refused to budge. Unfortunately for the Buyers, the Richardson's had to withdraw from the Short Sale. I did some research into the government sponsored HAFA program which allowed homeowners to Short Sale their homes by meeting specific qualifications that guaranteed a full release of any future liability. Bank of America was just starting to implement the program. I presented the program to the Richardson's and they were in favor of the HAFA alternative. I temporarily took their home off the market for 90 days while we submitted another full round of documentation and was issued a bank approved list price. I reactivated the listing under the terms of the HAFA Short Sale listing agreement. We had an acceptable offer within a week! Under HAFA guidelines, Bank of America was to respond to the offer in 15 days. After several rounds of haggling over the HUD and 30 days later, AMS Servicing, the outsourced company Bank of America is using for their HAFA Short Sales, agreed to release the Final Approval letter.

This was only a temporary breather from the stress. Bank of America insisted that we close on the exact close of escrow date as specified in the approval letter, not a day earlier. The Buyer's agent & loan officer did a terrific job of pushing his buyer's financing through and was prepared a week ahead of schedule to close, but to no avail. Bank of America would not review the final HUD until the day before closing to sign off and approve the closing. Right on schedule, the fireworks went off as Janice Kerwin at Old Republic Title and I celebrated another successful Short Sale closing on March 31st! In behalf of the Richardson's, I thank all parties involved because it takes everyone doing their respective job in an utmost professional manner to make the reality of a successful Short Sale for both the buyer's and seller's families.

For the rest of the story. . . real estate and the transaction of real estate is really about the people, their families, and respect for their family home. A Short Sale transaction involves so much negotiation with an institution and the stress related to a financially distressed situation that it can become numbing to the personal effect on the people involved. This Short Sale was no different and took it's emotional toll on the Richardson's and the buyers. The length of time that it took to finalize the closing was a blessing for the Richardson's. It allowed them the time they needed to emotionally cope with a change they weren't expecting. After applying for several rentals, the perfect home became available 30 days before closing. The landlord chose their application over 9 others and allowed them to paint to suit their personal tastes. The rental home has a pool, which was a bonus for the boys and kept them in the same school district. All the pieces of the puzzle came together perfectly for the Richardson's.

Normally, I don't know much about the Buyer's but in this case I learned of their situation through their agent. Mr. Mahnke has recently gone through 3 brain surgeries and was left physically and mentally impaired by his health ordeal. He needed a specific kind of home to meet his needs and the needs of his family. I have included a picture of the downstairs guest suite that includes a private bedroom with it's own full bathroom that he could use as a convalescent room to live and still allow for the privacy of the family members. The original floor plan for this Taylor Woodrow model left this room open as a bonus room with the option of turning it into a 5th bedroom. With the added expense of this option, not many floor plans included the extra bedroom. All remaining 4 bedrooms are upstairs. The Richardson's opted to build out the 5th bedroom and include the optional 4th bathroom. That was a blessing for Mr. Mahnke! The timing of finding and purchasing the home was perfect, too. Mr. Mahnke had the time he needed to recuperate from his surgeries just enough to get into the home and for the Richardson's to come to terms with selling. Thanks to Bank of America for dragging us through the mire because the very best happened for these two families!

ASU Condo - Tempe, Arizona

Sweet smile of success with her newly purchased bank-owned condo in the Tempe neighborhood of University Shadows. Nicole had been surfing Trulia for a new home from her San Deigo rental. She put out a request for an agent in Tempe who could help her find the perfect place. I responded to her request along with other agents. She contacted me about showing her homes during her next trip to Phoenix. After being away from the Phoenix metro area in which she was raised, Nicole decided to come back to her roots. She knew she made the right decision when on the closing morning a hummingbird hovered at the gate of her new condo as an omen of her mother's approval of the purchase. Her mother had passed away 3 years ago and it was essential that Nicole knew that her mother was happy with her decision. This was one of those sales that I felt like I was just the instrument in facilitating what was meant to be. I was honored to play a small part in this step of Nicole's life. It makes me smile when I make my clients smile! Nicole knew what she wanted and we found it! This 987 sq. ft. condo with 2 bedrooms, a family room large enough to play basketball and skylights in both bathrooms was the light and airy feel she had in her dreams. There is a security gated private patio with plenty of room for her dog and best of all, this is the only unit in the complex that has the washer and dryer hook-up in it's own interior closet within the guest bathroom. Nestled between Tempe Marketplace and Riverwalk, this condo offers entertainment and shopping choices galore. Plus easy access to ASU! Pride of ownership from previous owners was reflected in the spotless inspection report. Fannie Mae honored a 2-Year Home Warranty with no cost to the purchaser. I am always happy to assist you, your family and friends in fulfilling your real estate dreams.

Carefree, Arizona closing is carefree for owner!

I am thrilled to have had the privilege to list and successfully sell this classic southwestern patio home that is situated in the heart of Carefree, Arizona. Carefree is known for it's laid back atmosphere with resort style living which attracts people from all over the world. People like Lisa, who lives in France and contacted me about selling her home in Carefree. We worked together to meet the demands of a Short Sale by effectively communicating through the internet. The entire transaction was done electronically with her brother facilitating the signing. From the proceeds of the Short Sale I was able to successfully negotiate satisfaction on the 1st mortgage and provide Lisa with a satisfactory settlement on her Home Equity Line of Credit releasing her of any future liability of the debt. It was important to both of us that she could look ahead without the threat of future collection harrassment. This has been a win-win Short Sale situation for everyone!

The Buyer got a phenominal deal on Colina of Carefree's #1 unit! It sold at 2001 prices. The HOA was very cooperative in replacing the exterior Santa Fe style wood trim at closing. The HOA is actively involved in maintaining the community to preserve the quality of life and excellence of character that Carefree is known.

The central feature of this home is it's santuarian Great Room with a multi-dimensional ceiling, clerestory windows and dramatic fireplace. I have been blessed to bring peace of mind to my Seller and a place of peace for the Buyer.

JUST SOLD! Beautiful 2107 sf Home with Pool on Golf Course

Good things come to those that wait! That was the case for the Freiberger family who placed an offer on their dream home in the Villages at Queen Creek in Arizona. We closed escrow on December 20th. After a 70 day escrow, this beautiful 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom with a 3rd extended tandem garage which shows a pride of previous ownership was theirs. They purchased the home for $12,500 less than the appraised value from Freddie Mac. Freddie also honored a 2 Year Home Warranty, repaired the water damaged drywall behind the refrigerator and replaced the pool pump that broke down during the escrow period. Today they are enjoying their Arizona resort-style home on the golf course. Congratulations to the Freibergers!














I would be happy to represent you and your family in the very important decision of selling or purchasing a home in the Phoenix area. I have been representing families since 2006 as a full time REALTOR, GRI and Associate Broker. With my years of experience during the transitioning of home values in the Arizona real estate market, I will gladly pass on to you so we all may prosper.