An update on life.... after realizing my company was in some serious trouble, they managed to stay in business until June. When June came around they came to realize they were no longer able to commit to any sort of time frame on constructing homes and they were better off "temporarily" closing the sales offices. Admittedly, I held some hope they would come around and open back up, but as the months go by, I feel less and less confident they can turn the business around. At this time, it is my understanding they are still fighting with the banks to work out a deal and continue building. We are seeing a change in heart and more flexibility with the banks on the resale end, maybe a little bit of that will trickle down to this builder.

Realizing I couldn't sit around forever and wait for Element to turn around, I began to focus my energy and time into the resale market. I quickly picked up a client and got back in the groove of resale. To say resale is rough in the market is an understatement. These were first time buyers dealing with some of the most complicated and constantly evolving loan requirements we have seen in years. On top of that, they placed 8 full price offers on homes, were haggled on each one, and lost every offer until the last one accepted. Its not pretty out there.

While working with these clients I came to realize I have a passion for working with home buyers especially first time buyers. There is something about taking the time to get to know the buyer, and educate them on what is involved with buying a home that is enjoyable and rewarding. As began to get back into the resale side, I started remembering the oddity of this industry. With real estate, in most instances, if not all, you work with a Realtor who is working on their own. Maybe they have an assistant or they are part of a team, but one way or another the client only deals with that one individual. Personally, it never seemed logical. Maybe it is my education and experience in the corporate world, but I always felt the buyer would have a better experience if they were able to work with a company and a fluid team of Realtors. This way their questions could always be answered, they wouldn't have to worry about finding time in their Realtor's schedule to make an appointment or preview homes, they would be able to find a Realtor at anytime. Its is a unique way of looking at the industry. In my discussions with agents and home buyers, I have found a strong resistance from the Realtors, they think it takes away from what real estate is and.... ohh yeah, they didn't have much else to say except they didn't like the idea. The home buyers on the other hand really liked the idea.

And with that, I have started a new company, focusing heavily on buyers and being a resource to their needs. A couple weeks ago, we launched our website. Its a blog style site that is already loaded with great information for home buyers, sellers and owners. While it is focused towards Arizona real estate, it includes countless articles on market overviews, real estate news, mortgage news, home buyer tips, inspections, home warranties, loan officers, loan programs, the purchase contract, all contract forms, realtor qualifications, and statistics on Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek, Maricopa, Gold Canyon, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Casa Grande, Coolidge, Fountain Hills, Peroria, Cave Creek, Anthem, Glendale, Avondale, Laveen and Arizona as a whole. Here is a screen shot, I have no doubts this will be outdated in a matter of weeks, but I think it will be fun to come back to this post and remember how it all started. Here is the address: www.flinskrealestate.com