Buy
Buy with someone who understands the whole building.
A listing gives you the square footage, the finishes and the price. It doesn’t tell you how the house was put together, or what it would take to make it what you want. I’ve spent my career on that side of a building — designing it, drawing it and running the work — so I can help you understand what you’re actually looking at.
Understanding the whole property
- How it was built The structure, the roof and the systems, and what Arizona’s climate and each era of building tend to do to them. A tile roof, for instance, can be due for real work long before the tile looks worn.
- What the plan allows Whether the lot and the layout could take an addition, a casita or a different floor plan — and what that would involve.
- What the work costs A realistic idea of what a project runs, from someone who has managed it.
- What that means for the price Condition and potential both belong in what a home is worth. Understanding them gives us something real to negotiate with.
Questions worth asking early
Some things are much easier to sort out before you’re under contract than after. I know which ones they are, and who to ask.
- Where the water comes from — city water, a shared well or hauled water.
- Whether a solar lease or loan comes with the house, and what taking it over would mean.
- Anything that could make a home harder or more expensive to insure, like an older roof or a hillside lot.
- Whether there’s room to add a casita or guest house later.
Turning what we learn into a better price
Once we understand what a home is likely to need, we can use it. That might mean a lower offer, repair requests that make sense, or credits that cover real costs. It might also mean walking away from a house that looks great and isn’t. You go into an offer knowing what you’re paying for.
Seeing what it could become
If a home is close but not quite right, I can help you picture what it could be: a new layout, an addition, a remodel — along with a realistic idea of the cost and effort. That includes casitas and guest houses, for guests, extended stays or rental income.
An idea only works if you can pay for it.
A great idea for a property doesn’t help if it can’t be financed. I work with mortgage lenders who are willing to go the extra mile on creative solutions, including loans that roll the cost of a remodel into the purchase. When you find a home that needs work, we can look at what it would take to buy it and improve it, and line up a plan that fits your budget.
Financing options we can explore with a lender
- Renovation loans that include remodel costs in your mortgage
- Construction loans for building on a lot or rebuilding a home
- Lot and land loans
- Loans for investors, including rental and fix-and-flip financing
- Options for adding a casita, guest house or addition
Financing is provided by independent lenders, not by me or Perk Prop Real Estate. Loan programs, approval and terms depend on the lender and your qualifications. You’re always free to choose your own lender.
My observations come from years of design and construction experience. They are not a home inspection. I always recommend a licensed home inspector and, when needed, other licensed professionals.