Foreclosed Home Pictures (house, buying, live)

[musicforme]

Several times a week I look at the various houses up for sale in 85085 to get an idea of how the market is going in far North Phoenix.

When a listing has four photos included and the front of the house, the back of the house, and the garage take up three of the photos I pretty much assume the inside of it isn't worth viewing.

I'd say about 40% of the listing I've viewed have decent photos really showcasing the house. If a listing does have interior photos, one of the first things I look for are blinds on the windows. If the blinds aren't missing, that is a house I'd be interesting viewing once I'm in AZ this summer. If the blinds are missing, what else was taken or damaged in the house?

[altus2006]

Originally Posted by musicforme

Several times a week I look at the various houses up for sale in 85085 to get an idea of how the market is going in far North Phoenix.

When a listing has four photos included and the front of the house, the back of the house, and the garage take up three of the photos I pretty much assume the inside of it isn't worth viewing.

I'd say about 40% of the listing I've viewed have decent photos really showcasing the house. If a listing does have interior photos, one of the first things I look for are blinds on the windows. If the blinds aren't missing, that is a house I'd be interesting viewing once I'm in AZ this summer. If the blinds are missing, what else was taken or damaged in the house?

Most houses here don't have blinds, so if that is your criteria, you will miss a lot of possible nice houses.

altus2006

[thegirlinaz]

Originally Posted by altus2006

Most houses here don't have blinds, so if that is your criteria, you will miss a lot of possible nice houses.

altus2006

Most houses here don't have blinds? I don't know what houses you are looking at, but it seems that just about every house here has blinds. Are you saying that most have shades or curtains instead??

[musicforme]

Originally Posted by altus2006

Most houses here don't have blinds, so if that is your criteria, you will miss a lot of possible nice houses.

altus2006

You mean most 3,000+ sq foot houses less than 5 years old that once sold for $500k now selling for around $250-300k don't have blinds? That sounds absurd.

Heck, my nearly 20 year old 2,000 sq foot house in Texas has blinds in it. My in-laws 20 year old house in Scottsdale has blinds in it as well.

The houses I'm looking at don't have curtain rods, so either there are a lot of free spirits that don't mind walking around in their undies for all to see in 85085 or the houses used to have blinds in them.

[w1ngzer0]

Originally Posted by sablebaby

I don't think realtors put much effort in selling the bank owned homes, not exactly sure why. Some realtors don't take good pics of non- bank owned either. No, we are not a ghost town here! We have over 4 million people in the metro phoenix area!

There are actually more people here then last year. The 202 is crowded all the time now 9AM to 9PM there are large amounts of traffic.

[altus2006]

Originally Posted by musicforme

You mean most 3,000+ sq foot houses less than 5 years old that once sold for $500k now selling for around $250-300k don't have blinds? That sounds absurd.

Heck, my nearly 20 year old 2,000 sq foot house in Texas has blinds in it. My in-laws 20 year old house in Scottsdale has blinds in it as well.

The houses I'm looking at don't have curtain rods, so either there are a lot of free spirits that don't mind walking around in their undies for all to see in 85085 or the houses used to have blinds in them.

Most of the homes we looked at did not have blinds. The house we bought has blinds in every room and I hate them because it is impossible to keep them clean. As soon as possible, I will be yanking them out and putting them in bulk trash pick up on Thursday.

I have not been in any of my parents or friends homes that have them. There are a lot of builders that put them in though.

altus2006

[kerplunk]

So, basically, correct me if I am wrong:

1. You should only judge a house by how it actually looks in person (which I knew before, I just wanted to know if some of those foreclosure communities were actually that bad).

2. There aren't as many good deals to be had as people say there are.

3. Listings with no pictures of the inside are not worth viewing.

4. Everyone can look inside your house because blinds do not exist in Phoenix. (jk )

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by musicforme

You mean most 3,000+ sq foot houses less than 5 years old that once sold for $500k now selling for around $250-300k don't have blinds? That sounds absurd.

Heck, my nearly 20 year old 2,000 sq foot house in Texas has blinds in it. My in-laws 20 year old house in Scottsdale has blinds in it as well.

The houses I'm looking at don't have curtain rods, so either there are a lot of free spirits that don't mind walking around in their undies for all to see in 85085 or the houses used to have blinds in them.

Most houses have newspaper on the windows. The upscale homes have aluminum foil. You'll see sheets in the more established neighborhoods but rarely in Foreclosureville.

[mattpresley]

Well ponderosa you know that a lot of homes in the paradise valley and north scottsdale areas have boards of the windows. you wont see that in much of the rest of the valley however because wood is expensive because the desert has no trees

[beckyinaz]

Just bought a foreclosed home here (close in about 2 weeks) and there was only one picture online, and that was of the outside. We've looked at so many houses, it's unreal. Some had pictures where the house looked GREAT, but when you go in, it turns out it's awful and it was some creative angles that made it look good. One house we went in had never been lived in, gorgeous, travertine floors, granite counters, gorgeous staircase - no blinds... You'll probably have to look at a lot of bad ones but you will also seem some great ones!

Not sure how great of a deal you'll be able to find. If you find a house that is move-in ready and very nice, don't think you can bid 30K under asking price and get it... Things ARE moving, so banks aren't desperate, but I do think that the fixers you may have a better chance of lowballing and getting it.