Real Estate Buying Tips for Alpine & Nutrioso, Arizona

Buying in the White Mountains is a little different than your normal real estate purchase. Chances are you’re a long way from home and unfamiliar with the area and people. First off, you need to concentrate very hard on the real estate agent that will be representing you, so take a minute to check the Arizona Department of Real Estate Public Database and check out your potential agents track record at: http://159.87.254.2/publicdatabase/ Check to see how long the agent has been licensed, if there are any complaints and if the agent has a stable work history. As a Realtor, I recommend only working with fellow Realtors as we are accountable to a higher standard and will cooperate with other Realtors on the White Mountain Multiple Listing Service.

I consider purchasing property in the White Mountains a “recreational investment”. Typically, the property is a second home or land that will continue to appreciate in value while you are enjoying it – try that with stock certificates!!! So, you want to be cognizant of both your present and future needs and desires. Most folks that are looking to purchase in the eastern White Mountains love the great outdoors and spend a lot of time hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, skiing, biking, etc. These are all tremendous amenities in our area mainly due to the 1.3 million acre Apache National Forest that surrounds our small mountain communities. You want to think about access to your favorite outdoor destinations and how they relate to the property that you are considering.

I have handled hundreds of Buyers over the years for both cabins and land; here are my observations of some of the most Frequently Asked Questions.

• Determine whether the well is private or community – if private have the well tested for GPM (Gallon per Minute) along with depth and recovery rate. Your Realtor should be aware of the areas in which water availability may be an issue.
• If the property is on a private septic system, it will need to be tested and usually pumped prior to closing – this is typically the responsibility of the seller. The system can either be a conventional or non-conventional septic system – both work well, the non-conventional is usually more expensive to construct.
• Look in the crawlspace; is it damp? Are there moisture issues? We see a lot of problems that involve poorly ventilated crawlspaces. These can be very expensive to correct, so take a few extra minutes to look over the crawlspace.
• How is the roof? Is it shingle or metal? A well pitched metal roof is hard to beat in our snowy winters. Is there gutter and downspouts for drainage?
• Is the property on a maintained county road? Can you access the cabin year around even in deep snow?
• Many of our mountain properties are covered with trees, a healthy ponderosa pine forest has around 40 pines per acre. Too often, we see properties with 200-300 pines per acre, this may be an additional cost that wasn’t expected down the road and should be taken under consideration.

• Does the property have power, water and septic already in place and to the lot line? Typically, this is a $20,000 expense and many financial institutions only like to lend on properties with these amenities in place.
• Does the future cabin site on the property allow for ingress/egress? Driveway construction is a major undertaking and one should consider as much southern exposure on the driveway as possible due to snow melt off.
• Is the property Deed Restricted or CC&R’s for site built or manufactured homes? Can you have horses on the property? Apache County allows for 2 horses per acre unless otherwise Deed Restricted.
• Find the exact boundaries of the property, if the corners are not flagged for your inspection, request that they be flagged to your satisfaction prior to closing.

For more information contact : Eric@AzAlps.com