I asked CyFy, who inspects homes for a living, what defect scares him the most when buying a home for himself. His answer? Structural issues. 😳 Not bathtub cracks. Not gas leaks. Not broken window welds. Structural problems. Why? Because structural repairs can be EXTREMELY expensive a

One of the biggest surprises for many new build buyers? The earnest money deposit is often essentially NON refundable once the contract is signed. 😳 Barring a few specific situations like: • Low appraisal • Loan denial • An act of God damaging the home …it’s very common for builders to kee

This is one of the most exciting parts of the new build process… design center day ✨🏡 My client is building a brand new home, and we got to spend the day choosing all the finishes, upgrades, colors, and design options that will turn this house into their home. From cabinets and countertops to fl

Today my client officially became a homeowner! 💪🏽🏡 She just closed on her very first home, a $422,000 townhome with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2-car garage, and access to a community pool… without having to worry about maintaining a yard or pool herself. Honestly? Kind of the best of both worlds

Today’s showing was a good reminder of why I always recommend sellers remove pets during showings if possible. The seller had left their dog home behind a baby gate, but the dog became extremely stressed once strangers entered the house. It escaped the gate, aggressively barked, and lunged towar

CyFy has spent years crawling through new build homes finding defects for a living. That’s literally what people hire him to do. He’s seen it all: Poor workmanship. Missed issues. Contractors cutting corners. Builders dragging their feet on warranty repairs. Customer service nightmares.

I asked CyFy what his biggest fear was when buying a home… and surprisingly it wasn’t the little issues he finds during inspections every day. It was structural problems. 🏚️ Why? Because cosmetic defects and smaller repair items are usually manageable. But major structural issues can be incre

I spent the day touring homes with one of Arizona’s most well-known home inspectors, CyFy. And honestly? Watching a home inspector shop for HIS own home is fascinating. The things he notices in 10 seconds would blow most buyers’ minds. One thing we both agree on: New build and resale homes c

The follow up no one asked for… The More You Know 🌈😅 Apparently one reason construction workers leave bottles behind in homes is because some trades, like plasterers, wear stilts while working. Taking those things on and off doesn’t exactly make for a quick bathroom break. 🥴 Do I understand t

Most home builders wait until the buyer’s construction walkthrough to find issues that need to be fixed instead of just delivering a quality home from the start. Why? Because the truth is, many buyers don’t know what to look for and skip inspections altogether. Builders get away with leaving def

Happy closing day to my amazing clients who traded city life in Maryland for wide open desert living in Arizona 🌵☀️ They had a clear vision: room to breathe, land to spread out, and zero HOA telling them what they can and can’t do… and they made it happen. For just $352K, they landed a home w

RIP Spirit Airlines ✈️ I’ll always remember your affordable $49 flights with extremely long layovers that somehow turned out to cost $297 after paying for baggage fees and all the little add-ons… May your frugal spirit live on in all of us. 🕊️ #spiritairlines #RIP #gonebutneverforg

You’d think a brand new home would be basically perfect, right? Yeah… no. 😅 New homes are built by humans, and humans make mistakes. It’s actually pretty common to find issues in new builds. The good news? If you can find the problem, you usually have a strong shot at getting the builder to f

Over the years I’ve collected a few tools to make my job easier… but WHY have I never thought of this?! 😅 This little extendable mirror is about to be my new best friend during new build walkthroughs. When we’re checking every nook and cranny, it’s the spots you can’t easily see that matter the

Hold on, I’m about to jump on a call… 📞😅 #wfh #workfromhome #realestate #arizonarealestate #arizonarealtor

In this case, the grass was indeed greener in the other side, and yet my client decided it wasn’t the home for them. Sometimes greener grass isn’t what it’s cutout to be 😅🥴🤣 #grass #buyingahome #househunting #homesearch #realestate

So the builder’s sales rep tells you your brand new home will be done in 6 months… Sounds great, right? But here’s the real question: what does the contract say? 👀 Because in many new build contracts: 1️⃣ There is no guaranteed closing date 2️⃣ The builder can have up to 2 YEARS to compl