Mesa, Arizona Luxury Homes

Little family.  BIG HOUSE.  This was one of the original homes we looked at but after having a baby during the hot summer months, this family put purchasing a new home on hold.  When we looked at homes again in the fall, they put an offer on a smaller short sale home in the same neighborhood.  After months of waiting, this home kept coming back into their minds as the home they really felt suited the needs of their growing family.  It has over 5500 spacious square feet with a sparkling pool on just over an acre.  Perfect size for a family who loves to be surrounded by extended family members and friends. After some serious negotiating that about turned my hair gray, we came to an agreement.  Followed by some hairy moments with an on-line lender we were able to close escrow.  The true beauty of this home is in the eye of the beholder.  The Gardner's had a vision of what this home could become with some simple remodeling, a coat of paint and new carpeting.  They went to work immediately after closing to start gentle renovations.  Here are some before & after pics. . .

                                                            Before

                                                              After

The kitchen got a much needed cosmetic facelift which made a world of difference.  Check out these before and after pics of the kitchen. . .

                                                             Before

                                                             Before

                                                            After

                  The leaded glass pattern on the cabinet doors really POP!

Kitchen island looks amazing with the rock veneer removed and the stunning black painted contrast. The most dramatic change made was to the downstairs floorplan to make it more functional.  From the front entryway the double doors to the left opened to step down directly into the workout room.  The step down was eliminated and rather than opening into the workout room a hallway was created that lead to the workout room on the right and to the new master bedroom on the left.  A wall was removed between the two downstairs bedrooms to create a large new master bedroom.  The workout remained intact just a little smaller.  The downstairs 2nd bathroom remained intact, too.  The following pics don't do it justice but will give the general idea. . .

                                                 Front Entry - Before

                                                  Front Entry - After

                                              Workout Room - Before

                                                Workout Room - After

                                       New Downstairs Master Bedroom

The upstairs opens up to a loft play room with access to all the upstairs bedrooms.  Originally a swinging bookcase concealed the entrance to a storage room.  The bookcase has been removed and a door added.  Here are the pics of the improvements made. . .

                                                             Before

                                                              After

I have not captured everything that was done to the home before moving day but you get the basic idea of the vision that the Gardner's have for their new home.  I appreciate the opportunity to work with them and to be invited back to celebrate their accomplishments.  I wish them many years of happiness as they continue to make improvements in turning their house into the home of their dreams.

Making your dreams of home ownership is my business.  I am committed to make them a reality for you, your family and friends.  Call 480-570-5263 today to schedule a free real estate consultation.

Barb Merrill Works 4 U!

Apache Junction, AZ Short Sale

And the Mother of the Year Award goes to ... Ronda ... for exceptional generosity in giving her daughter the opportunity to own a home!  Over a year ago Ronda went to her daughter with an idea.  Being home prices hit bottom and mortgage interest rates were at an all-time low, she was willing to put up the down payment money and qualify for financing to enable her daughter to buy a home.  That is when I was contacted to help Ronda find a home within her budget that her daughter would love.  We looked at a lot of homes in Apache Junction, AZ.  All of them were distressed home sales.  We saw foreclosures, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HomePath, HUD homes, short sales and every other diamond in the rough out there.  A fixxer did not scare these women!  Love happened when we found this short sale in July, 2012.  The soon as we put in an offer, the sellers took the home off the market because they weren't sure if a short sale was in their best interest being a second home.  I kept the lines of communication open with the sellers agent and finally the sellers decided in our favor to accept the short sale offer in September.  The original offer of $104,000 was already 2 months old and the sellers were just beginning the short sale process with their bank.  Ronda should also receive the Nobel Peace Prize for exhibiting surpassive patience in the face of an excruciating long short sale.  She hung in there while the sellers bank lost their financials and had to resubmit all their documentation twice, was told it would be processed by the end of the year and wasn't and went through a handful of negotiators who no longer work for the bank.  A mother's love is enduring.

Patience payed off in a big way!  The coveted short sale approval letter came for the original offer amount 7 months later.  During those 7 months property values increased.  The lender's appraisal came in at $111,000 during escrow.  With improvements recommended by the home inspector, the current market value at closing is $121,000.  For a total earned equity of $17,000 while waiting for short sale approval.  Not a bad investment for this cozy 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1463 sf home!
I would be happy to represent you and your family in the very important decision of selling or purchasing a home in the Phoenix metro 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 share with you my expertise to get you and your family into the home of your dreams.

Forever Young in Sun Lakes, AZ

People are the heartbeat of real estate.  Each real estate transaction is as unique as people are unique.  Over the course of a lifetime, I meet people that have had an influence on me because of how they have conducted their life.  Last spring, I had the priviledge to work with Shirley.  She's 80 years young, (she's okay with revealing her age) looks like shes 60 and has the energy of a 50 year old!  She works full time for Walmart.  Don't get me wrong. . .she's NOT a greeter!  She heads the jewelry department for one of our local stores.  She is a trusted employee with over 15 years loyality to the company.  She processes all the jewelry inventory that is received and sold in the store.  She didn't start out with this coveted position.  She was willing to work any job just to have the opportunity to work.  She started out in the bakery doing a manual labor job for minimum wage.  Shirley is no stranger to hard work.  She raised 6 children as a single mother while holding down 2 jobs to meet the family's needs.

Her work ethic was evidenced in her home.  When I listed her home I found out that she had changed out the toilets herself with the help of a neighbor to set them in place, she had arranged to have hardwood flooring installed and found some beautiful leaded glass kitchen cabinets doors at a second-hand shop that she had custom fitted.  She always had her home show ready even within a moments notice.

Shirley needed guidance and direction from me to navigate through the Phoenix metro area real estate market.  In turn, I was blessed by her wisdom that comes with years of experience to give me guidance and direction to navigate through my middle age years.  Work has given meaning and fulfillment to Shirley's life.  She is an inspiration to me of how I want to grow young!

During early spring of 2012 the Phoenix, AZ real estate market was in the beginning stages of a sluggish recovery.  There were an abundance of homes on the market.  We were competeing against a short sale across the street but Shirley was determined to sell.  Shirley's 2-story home in Ahwatukee was to large for one person.  She was ready for a single level home in a resort community.  We had an accepted offer in 65 days for only $7,900 less than the original list price of $249,900.

The sluggish economy paid off for Shirley in a big time way.   After looking at several villas in Sun Lakes, Shirley decided on this meticulously maintained single-level 1781sf 2 bedroom with a den which features an open kitchen with beautiful quartz countertops overlooking the spacious family room and gracious dining room.  With the split floor plan, this home is perfect for guests along with all the amenities Sun Lakes has to offer for visiting family and friends.  The best part is the Sun Lakes community provides a guarded entry, security patrol, exterior maintenance of villas including the roof and complete front and back landscape care.  The owners had the home on the market for almost 6 months.  They originally listed the home for $225,000 and had reduced the price to $199,900.  They were anxious to move to Florida and accepted Shirley's offer of $195,000.  This home has everything on Shirley's wish list including the price!

SOLD!

And I can sell yours, too.

I was able to arrange with both title companies and lenders to close escrow on the same day.