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Real Estate Update as of March 2015

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Inventory is down, and as long as demand driven by re-bound buyers (people who sold their homes during the mortgage crisis who can now qualify) are taking advantage of low interest rates remains the same, that only means prices increase.

March showed us more closings than any other single month in the entire year 2014 and pending sales are also up.

As always, the media is behind the 8-ball on reporting and only now will be telling us that the real estate market is hot. If a home is priced right, it goes rather quickly, and this is coming from first-hand experience in the trenches with buyers who are having a hard time negotiating contracts with sellers. Sellers control the market right now.

If you want it, you need to be able to jump to action quickly, which means you need your financing in place before you even think about buying.

Triathlon Challenges for the Average Joe

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Deuces Wild Triathlon Olympic Distance Leaving T1In the time honored tradition of posting non-real estate related material on a real estate website, I thought I’d join in by offering a “Random Musing” as Jay Thompson of the Phoenix Real Estate Guy calls it, of my own.

May 31st was a difficult day.

Unlike any other normal day of the year, I found myself in the cool pines of Show Low enjoying near perfect weather in anticipation of a short, but difficult day ahead of me. You see, I had entered the 5th Annual Deuces Wild Triathlon to test my skills away from the negotiating table. A triathlon is a 3-discipline event which starts with a swim, followed by cycling, then by running. I do not excel at any of them, but I do enjoy it. Working out is a great way to burn off emotional steam and signing up for a race is a great motivator.

The night before the race, we had arrived to find an available hook-up overlooking Fool Hollow Lake, one of the most beautiful camping grounds I have seen in a while. We enjoyed the pre-race gathering and attended a small service put on by Fellowship of Christian Athletes where JR Rosania (pictured to the right) gave his testimony. What a stud.

After the athlete dinner, we crashed at the campsite. I slept in my car, which was surprisingly comfortable.

Negotiating an open water swim is far more difficult than negotiating a purchase contract for a new home. The swim is the first leg of the race. The water was somewhere around 53 degrees. Entering the water was actually easy because of the wet suit, and I even thought that I might perform. I tested my stroke, got a feel for the water, and prepared for what was the most difficult swim I had ever experienced.

Within 200 meters of the start line, I was already anaerobic, gasping for air, and certain I would have to call it quits. I was so ready to end it, but something unexplainable pushed me forward. I just couldn’t give up. I had traveled 3 hours, paid an entry fee, and trained for 5 weeks (perhaps the cause of the trouble.) There was no way I’d quit. Thankfully, I finally made it out of the water, nearly in last place.

After making it through the hardest part of the race, the rest wasn’t so bad. I completed the cycling portion and moved on to the run. I felt great during both, but unfortunately cramped my right calf 2.5 miles into the run. It slowed me down considerably, but I made it.

Challenging myself in disciplines that I have never excelled at has made me stronger. It has fueled my desire to continue to improve both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If you have never pushed yourself to complete something that you thought was otherwise impossible, you have not yet lived. Consider doing something above and beyond what you ever dreamed you could do!