Real Estate Advice: Have Faith. Have Patience.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably heard about the difficulties the real estate/mortgage industries are suddenly having. There are a lot of homes on the market, and credit has gotten very tight. Some of the largest mortgage companies in the world are in very real danger. And a lot of people are losing their homes.

Our advice?

Have faith!

If you are looking for a new home but are worried that it may be out of your reach, here is what we advise you to do. Create a picture in your mind of your ideal home. Envision it. Hold that picture there every day. Then start talking to people who can help you find that home. If you're searching for a home in the areas of Scottsdale or anywhere else around Phoenix, then please call us...for example. And finally, have faith! If you want it bad enough, it can happen. It may take longer than you would like, but don't give up.

If you're trying to sell your home, our number one piece of advice is to have patience. If you are in too big a hurry, you will likely have to take less for your home than you would like, especially in the current market. And the same advice as above applies - envision selling your home to the perfect buyer at the perfect price, find the right people to help you, and have faith.

Choice Group Realty will do whatever we can to help you find the perfect home in the Phoenix/Scottsdale areas, so please call us today!

Chef Brad Miller Brings a Little More Fame to Scottsdale Dining

Hell's Kitchen is a reality TV show that airs on Fox. In it, a group of young chefs work in a restaurant for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay is to the world of cooking what Simon Cowell is to music - he's rude and has a quick, sharp tongue - and that's why people love him. This season, the show's third, featured a young Sous Chef from right here in Scottsdale - Chef Brad Miller.

Only 24, Miller already has an accomplished resume that includes attending the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and stints at some of the Scottsdale area's finest restaurants, such as the Arizona Biltmore and the Latilla.

Miller represented himself well on the show, but circumstances conspired against him and he ended up being the seventh chef eliminated. In a recent article on buddytv.com, Miller talked about the fact that because of the time constraints, participants were often edited to appear worse than they really were. In his final show, many problems were blamed on him that were a result of the actions of others. But viewers did not see all of that.

Despite his exit from the show, Miller represented himself and Scottsdale well. He is already receiving many calls as a result of the show, but hopefully he will stick around Scottsdale and its top-notch dining scene.

Choice Group Realty knows Scottsdale. If you are looking for a home here in Scottsdale or anywhere else near Phoenix, please talk to us before deciding on a realtor. You'll be glad you did.

Home Prices Falling? The FEDs State Otherwise.

Many studies indicate that home prices are slowing. However, the OFHEO (Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight) states its housing price index saw a 4.3 percent increase during the first quarter of 2007. This is the least amount of growth in a decade.

The NAR (National Association of Realtors) reported a price decline of 1.8 percent during the first quarter vs the same period last year. The OFHEO also reported a decline in prices.

The discrepancy between reports may be due to the calculations of each organization.