Questions
Questions buyers and sellers ask
Straight answers on selling, buying, staging, pricing and how I work. Ahwatukee, Chandler and the Southeast Valley, from a REALTOR® licensed since 2017.
Working with me
The questions people ask before they get in touch. If yours is not here, ask me directly and I will answer it plainly.
Are you a REALTOR®?
Yes, and I belong to the National Association of REALTORS® through WeSERV, the West and SouthEast REALTORS® of the Valley, which is the regional association for this part of the state. I have been licensed in Arizona since 2017, license SA673095000, and I hang my license with HomeSmart.
Is Savvy Realty Group a brokerage?
No. It is my practice within HomeSmart, which is the brokerage I am licensed under. My Arizona license number is SA673095000.
Will I work with you or with an assistant?
With me. A transaction coordinator handles closing paperwork and deadlines behind the scenes, but the advice, the showings, the pricing and the negotiation are mine.
What areas do you cover?
I cover Ahwatukee and all its communities first, because that is where I live and where my knowledge is deepest. Beyond that I work across the Southeast Valley, in Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa and Sun Lakes.
Do you only work with luxury homes?
No. My focus is $700,000 and above and that is where most of my listings sit, but every listing gets the same process: the prep walkthrough, the staging consultation, professional photography and the drone video. The preparation does not get better because the price is higher.
Do you have an office I can visit?
I work from home in Ahwatukee rather than keeping an office, which means I come to you instead. My brokerage is HomeSmart if you need a corporate address for anything formal.
How quickly will you get back to me?
Same day in almost every case, and usually faster. I answer my own phone.
Questions about your move? I'm glad to help.
Selling your home
The full method is written out on the process page, step by step. These are the questions that come up before we get that far.
How do I find out what my home is worth?
Ask me and I will put together a comparative market analysis with no obligation. It is built from homes comparable to yours in your specific neighborhood, which is something an automated estimate cannot do because it has never seen inside your house.
Do I have to make repairs before listing?
No. The prep walkthrough tells you what a buyer will actually notice and what an inspector is likely to write up, and just as importantly which things are not worth your money. Some sellers do everything on the list, some do three items, some do none. What I want is for that to be a decision you made with good information rather than a guess.
Do you charge for the staging consultation?
No. The consultation is complimentary on every listing I take. If full staging is then recommended, you arrange and pay for that part, and I say so upfront rather than letting it surface later.
Is the staging included?
The staging consultation is complimentary on every listing I take. If full staging is recommended, you arrange and pay for it. I keep that distinction clear from the start rather than letting it surface later.
What makes your marketing different?
Specifics rather than adjectives. Every listing gets an educational video with full drone footage, professional photography, its own single-property page, a first-weekend open house, and distribution through the channels I actively publish on. Paid advertising on Meta and Google where the property warrants it. And it happens at every price point, not only the expensive listings.
How long does it take to sell a home in Ahwatukee?
It depends on the neighborhood, the price point and the condition, and I would rather look at what comparable homes near you have actually been doing than quote you an average that may not describe your situation. That analysis is part of our first conversation, and I refresh it monthly while you are on the market.
What if I am not ready to sell yet?
That is the most common place my clients start. Most people I work with are three to twelve months out when we first talk, and several are simply trying to work out whether the move makes sense at all. There is no pressure attached to that conversation.
Buying a home
Buying in Arizona has its own sequence, and the buying process page sets it out in full.
Do I need to be pre-approved before we look at houses?
Yes, and it is worth doing properly rather than quickly. A pre-approval where a lender has actually reviewed your income, credit and assets is what lets you act when the right house appears. I can introduce you to lenders I work with, or you are very welcome to use your own.
What do I sign before you show me homes?
A buyer-broker agreement. Agents who belong to the REALTOR® association and use the local MLS are required to have a written agreement with you before touring a home, and my brokerage requires it too, so every agent you speak to here will ask for one. There are two kinds, exclusive and non-exclusive, and we pick the one that fits where you actually are. Broker fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable; ours are agreed between the two of us in writing before we start, and I walk you through the document line by line before you sign anything.
What if my budget does not reach what I want?
Then I will tell you in the first conversation rather than after eleven Saturdays of viewings. Sometimes the answer is a different area, sometimes a different house, and sometimes it is to wait a few months. I will say so even when waiting is not in my interest.
Keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Savvy Realty Group?