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Arizona Real Estate ~ The Scariest "M" Word In Real Estate Is NOT Mold…

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

…it’s Meth.

Mold is icky, that’s for sure. But while mold is a naturally occuring substance and fairly easily remediated, it takes a bit more doing to clear the chemicals used in ‘cooking speed’.

The police will tell you meth is prevalent in large and small towns. Arizona is no exception.

A property where meth has been cooked, the powerful, airborne and potentially lethal chemical toxins allowed to permeate walls, floors and insulation…

…if the place didn’t blow up due to an errant smoker or electrical spark…MethLab

can be the ugly gift that keeps on giving.

To you, your buyer, your seller, your tenants, real estate brokers and their clients.

As of July 1, 2003, AZ Revised Statutes required full disclosure to prospective buyers if a property has been used to manufacture meth, ecstasy or LSD. They are also required to hire a drug laboratory site remediation firm that is registered with the State Board of Technical Registration to remediate the property of residual contamination.

Until the site is properly cleaned, it is unlawful for any person other than the owner, landlord or manager to enter the property.

Clean-up requirements and an approved list of drug remediation firms can be found at the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. The owner is liable for the costs incurred to remediate the property of residual contamination, even if the owner had no knowledge of the criminal activity at the property.

In areas of high contamination, generally all porous materials such as carpet, bedding, upholstered furniture and related items will be removed and disposed of. All stained materials from the laboratory operations, including sheet rock, wood furniture, wood flooring and tile flooring, will be removed and disposed. In areas not highly suggestive of contamination, all materials will be cleaned to meet the post remediation testing requirements. Owners can expect the costs of remediation for minimal damage to range from $500 to $5,000. More extensive damage can cost well over $10,000.

If you go to the AZBTR, you’ll be able to see a list of seized, but as yet unremediated ‘cook houses’.

Fortunately, Bullhead City 86442, Fort Mohave 86426 and Mohave Valley 86440, AZ properties have not appeared on recent lists.

What I find troubling, though, if you peruse the list, is that many apartment and condo unit addresses are listed.

Do the homeowners just beyond those common walls  — and the building owners — realize they are also at risk?

Mohave County Environmental Health is a good starting resource if you need assistance with meth lab remediation.

More info via Arizona Association of REALTORS on this topic can be found HERE.

Also, some home warranty companies have additional coverage for remediation. Ask around before you select a policy.

Arizona Real Estate On The Beautiful Colorado River ~~~

www.RealEstateBHC.com

www.CommercialBHC.com

www.RealEstateBHC.biz

866-228-2643

Candice A. Donofrio, Owner/Designated Broker

Certified Commercial Sales Specialist

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Do You Want To Live In Bullhead City, AZ 86442?

December 29, 2009 By

If you want to move to Bullhead City AZ 86442, you will be in good company.

Many relocations to our area and even more vacation and seasonal residents’ transactions start happening in Fall when the weather starts to mellow.

And every second Summer, the mistake-makers–those whose buyer (often dual) agents were masters of the ‘panic sell’ and bought wrong, wrong, wrong–come crying that they need to move back ‘home’–or anywhere else.

Upside down as all get out at worst case. Losing money or just breaking even at best.

Living in Bullhead City, Fort Mohave 86426 and Mohave Valley 86440 is GREAT. This Southern California transplant made the move in 1993 and never looked back.

BUT – we came for a 4 month leave of absence from our jobs in LA and rented until we were sure.

Before you buy, you will need to be clued in to the basic and immutable truths about our area.

1. Bullhead City is REALLY HOT in Summer (can be nearly 130 on some days! And it does NOT cool down at night so temperatures are often still over 100 for a low in mid July). And you know all the jokes about it being a ‘dry heat’? That’s ‘mostly’ true. BUT, during our ‘monsoon season’ the humidity cranks up and you’ll think you’re in Florida or New Jersey. Except hotter.

2. Bullhead City can get COLD in Winter. We are the desert! We don’t get snow. But it gets cold! If you are buying a Summer place, you will need to take precautions against freezing plumbing–a chief cause of water damage.

3. Bullhead City jobs are mostly ‘service industry’ related. Arizona is a ‘right to work’ state and our casinos (major source of employment) often won’t get you better than a 30k annual salary including tips unless you make it to upper management.

3. Our way of life is a lot SLOWER PACED than our LA, CA or Las Vegas counterparts. Some can’t deal with how ‘country’ we still are.

4. If you are inclined to overindulge in food, drink or gambling, Bullhead City, with its 24 hour casinos and bars within a 10 minute drive, could very well be your downfall.

5. We have critters–sun spiders as big as your hand–scorpions–rattlesnakes–coyotes–mountain lions. You won’t see ‘most’ of those in the suburbs–and I personally own stock in the pest control company! But move onto a 10 acre ranch at the foot of the Black Mountains? DUH!

So PLEASE, investigate this area well before settling on it. I won’t be crushed that you decided not to rush forward on what might be an unwise move. Some people SHOULD rent. And we have rentals as well as sales.

HOWEVER, if you think this may be the place for you–and it is a WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, FUN place for those who understand 1 – 5 above– here’s a REALLY SMART PLAN:

  • Arrange for a ‘reconnaissance mission‘ trip prior to any property touring to cruise the area solo. That way, you can really figure out what areas you are attracted to without distraction, and at your own pace. Listings, maps, directions, not a problem. Just ask. 

  • Visit our area in Summer — and in Winter.

  • Second reconnaissance mission will be with me. We’ll see some representative properties in areas you’ve found of interest. No pressure. 

  • Get your financing in order. If you are making a job transfer for instance, you may need to rent for a bit first to qualify while you ‘settle in’ to your new position. And loan professionals are not all created alike. I know who the great ones are–and who they aren’t. Ask me before you start clicking around online! 

  • When you are certain you like our area and can handle the extremes of heat and cold, slower pace than big city living and the occasional unwanted ‘critter’, we make an appointment and see a list of the properties that fit your criteria BEST just prior to making your OFFER to PURCHASE. 

  • Let me EDUCATE you about the PROCESS of buying property in AZ, so you enter into your TRANSACTION comfortably, confident that you’re making a sound DECISION.

Remember that working with your real estate broker is a team effort:

YOU, preapproved or funds-ready, knowing what to expect from our area PROPERTIES, ready to work together toward this common goal.

And ME, ready to share my MARKET KNOWLEDGE and BUYING or SELLING STRATEGIES with you as a CLIENT.

You may not know it, but you just got a little bit LUCKIER. Because

LUCK = Laboring Under Correct Knowledge!

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How To Get Home Warranty Work Done FAST!

December 29, 2009 By

Home warranties are something I believe in, and yet they are, after all, insurance companies (although usually kinder and gentler) and a ‘middleperson’.

When you want NEED the repair done, done right the first time and done fast, being proactive and efficient on YOUR end will help you–or your client–significantly.

When requesting service:

  • Request service online. Most warranty companies have portals where the homeowner or agent can request service. USE THOSE BLANK FIELDS that ask for additional explanation! This is a lifesaver when you have a middle of the night plumbing leak or thermostat issue. First in the Q = first to dispatch.
  • THEN, call the warranty company‘s CSR and pay your service fee via CC or e-check. That too should expedite processing–and vendors who get paid fast get the work done fast. It’s also great for them to not have to collect the service fee. Saves time all around.
  • Ask the warranty company for a LOCAL vendor as close in proximity to the property as possible, unless you have a reason not to. Keep in mind that the companies do not know which zip code is closest. My house is closer to a zip code in another state than 3 local ones.
  • Ask the warranaty company for the phone number of the vendor. They often have a ‘back office’ number that won’t go to voice mail.
  • Call the vendor. They are faxed the service requests, usually via an office person who may or may not be a ‘techie’. There’s a good chance, even after the previous steps, that the information they got from the warranty company CSR is incomplete. Tell them a request is en route. And be PLEASANT!
  • Provide information to the vendor: the make, model, type of appliance if applicable, and tell them as clearly as possible what is wrong and what parts of the appliance appear affected. Repeat trips are often eliminated when the vendor can arrive with the correct replacement parts.
  • Give the vendor DETAILED directions to the property.
  • Give the vendor your cell number and/or e-mail address so they can give you an ETA and heads up. Murphy’s Law WILL prevail and you will not want to miss each other!

You’ll be amazed how easily things get done when you help servicepeople help you…

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