Questions and answers
Questions About Selling, Buying and Owning in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia
For homeowners and buyers in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia: short answers from Anne Sostman of The Brokery, each linked to the page that answers in full.
Selling
What is my home worth?
What is my home worth in Scottsdale?
Start with an instant estimate from your address, built from recent sales nearby. Anne Sostman of The Brokery then turns it into a written valuation that weighs your home's condition, its upgrades and the homes it will compete with.
Is there a website that tells me how much my house is worth?
Yes. Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and the big lenders give a free estimate from an address, and Zillow's own published figures put the typical miss near 7 percent for a home that is not listed. Anne Sostman of The Brokery suggests using that number to get your bearings, then checking it against closed sales.
What is the Scottsdale housing market doing right now?
It depends more on your ZIP code than on the citywide headline. Anne Sostman of The Brokery publishes every Scottsdale single family sale by ZIP, 4,782 of them from July 2025 to July 2026, with sold prices, days on market and percent of list.
Weighing a sale
Is now a good time to sell my house in Scottsdale?
Scottsdale keeps its own calendar: winter visitors and seasonal owners drive demand, and summer leaves mostly serious buyers. Anne Sostman of The Brokery sets the timing by price band and by whether your likely buyer is local or flying in.
How long does it take to sell a house in Scottsdale?
Across 5,600 local closed sales, about a third of homes went under contract within a month and about a third took longer than three. Anne Sostman of The Brokery finds the difference is mostly settled before the listing goes live, by price and preparation.
Should I sell my house first or buy first?
Plan around roughly three months from listing to closing for a correctly priced home here. Anne Sostman of The Brokery helps sellers line up the two sales with a leaseback, a contingent offer or bridge financing.
Working out the money
How much does it cost to sell a house in Arizona?
There are four costs: the listing commission, which is negotiable and agreed in writing; title, escrow and recording; preparing the home; and your loan payoff and prorations. Anne Sostman of The Brokery itemizes each one on a net sheet before you decide anything.
How much do realtors charge to sell a house in Scottsdale?
No Arizona law and no MLS sets a commission; it is negotiated and written into the listing agreement. Anne Sostman of The Brokery puts her fee, the marketing it pays for and a net sheet in writing before anything is signed, because the sale price moves your proceeds more than the rate does.
Choosing who sells it
Who should I list my Scottsdale house with?
With an agent who can show the closed sales behind their price for your street and put your net in writing. Anne Sostman of The Brokery lists homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia and offers a complimentary strategy session to walk through that evidence before you decide.
How to pick a listing agent?
Choose on evidence: a verified license, the closed sales behind the suggested price, a written net sheet rather than a rate, and who personally attends the inspection and appraisal. Anne Sostman of The Brokery wrote a six point checklist you can verify against public records.
What questions should I ask a realtor before listing my home?
Ask about six things: the agent's own closed sales, how they arrive at a price, the marketing plan for your home, whether their listings are built for the AI tools buyers now use, who does the work personally, and the contract terms. Anne Sostman of The Brokery lists each question with what a solid answer sounds like.
Is selling your home by yourself a good idea?
Sometimes. Selling without an agent is legal in Arizona and works best when you already have a buyer, can price from closed sales and can handle screening, negotiation, disclosures and escrow. Anne Sostman of The Brokery explains where these sales usually give back the commission they save.
What is the fastest way to sell a house in Arizona?
A cash sale to an investor or iBuyer closes in 7 to 14 days, at a discount. A prepared, correctly priced listing shown to qualified buyers before launch can sell at full value in about a month; Anne Sostman of The Brokery took 3252 E Glenrosa in Arcadia from first meeting to closing in six weeks that way.
About Anne Sostman
Who is Anne Sostman?
Anne Sostman is a licensed Arizona real estate agent (license SA718853000) with The Brokery in Phoenix. She sells homes in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia, represents buyers in the same neighborhoods, and owns the marketing firm Spark Noir Creative.
What do people say about Anne Sostman?
Anne Sostman's Google reviews are quoted word for word on this site, every one of them five stars, from sellers and first time buyers in Arcadia and Scottsdale.
Ready to talk
How do I contact Anne Sostman about selling my home?
Book a complimentary strategy session online, call or text 480.999.9945, or email anne@annesostman.com. Anne Sostman of The Brokery confirms every request personally within one business day.
Buying
Moving to Scottsdale
What should I know before moving to Scottsdale?
Scottsdale lives like four places: walkable Old Town, the resort and golf country of North Scottsdale, the planned communities of the central corridor, and a changing South Scottsdale. Anne Sostman of The Brokery describes each area day to day, from dining to hiking to the morning coffee run.
What is the weather like in Scottsdale by month?
Average highs run from 65°F in December to 106°F in July, and average lows from 44°F to 83°F, by NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals. Anne Sostman of The Brokery's month by month guide covers what each season means for living here, from the monsoon to pool season.
Narrowing to a neighborhood
What luxury communities are in Scottsdale?
Anne Sostman of The Brokery profiles 24 communities across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia, 15 of them guard gated, each with current listings and ARMLS sales data for its ZIP code.
What should I know about buying real estate in a particular neighborhood?
Prices, lot sizes, HOA rules and how fast homes move all change from one neighborhood to the next. Anne Sostman of The Brokery keeps a guide for each of 125 neighborhoods across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Arcadia, each linked to a live home search.
Working out the cost
Who pays the buyer's agent in Arizona?
It is negotiable. Since the 2024 settlement, a buyer signs a written agreement stating what their agent is paid, and a seller may offer to cover some or all of it. Anne Sostman of The Brokery explains how sellers decide what, if anything, to offer.
What are property taxes like in Scottsdale?
A home's yearly tax is its Limited Property Value times 10%, times the rate for its tax area, less up to $600 for a primary home. Anne Sostman of The Brokery estimates about $6,314 a year for a $1,000,000 primary home in Scottsdale Unified, from the county's 2026 rates.
Looking at homes
How can I see off-market homes for sale in Scottsdale?
Some homes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley sell privately and never reach Zillow or the MLS. Anne Sostman of The Brokery gives qualified buyers access through The Brokery's Private Client Network.
Where are the new construction homes in Scottsdale?
In 2026 they run from gated townhomes near the Loop 101 in the upper $900,000s to acre lot estates above $2.7 million in the McDowell foothills, plus infill homes in 85251 and 85257. Anne Sostman of The Brokery represents new home buyers at no cost to them, since the builder pays the commission.
Before you sign
What should a buyer agreement include in Arizona?
Since August 17, 2024, a written agreement comes before any tour. It states what the agent is paid, says commissions are set by negotiation rather than law, and caps the agent's pay at that amount from any source. Anne Sostman of The Brokery reviews it with buyers before the first showing.
Ready to tour
How do I schedule a home tour with Anne Sostman?
Tours start with a short buyer consultation, where the written agreement is explained. Book it through the contact page or call or text 480.999.9945, and Anne Sostman of The Brokery will set the showings.
Owning
Your property taxes
How do I appeal my property tax valuation in Arizona?
File a Petition for Review of Valuation (form 82130R) with the Maricopa County Assessor by the date on your Notice of Value, with comparable sales or an appraisal; the next notices go out in early 2027. A complimentary written valuation from Anne Sostman of The Brokery can show whether an appeal is worth filing.
Improving or holding
Does a pool add value to a home in Arizona?
Often, but not always. Arizona buyers tend to expect a pool, so its value depends on the price band, the buyer, the lot and the pool's condition. Anne Sostman of The Brokery breaks down when a pool helps a sale and when it costs you.
Should I rent out my house or sell it?
It often turns on timing: sell within about 3 years of moving out and you may keep the tax-free gain of up to $250,000, or $500,000 for a married couple. Anne Sostman of The Brokery walks owners through that window, their equity and whether the rent covers the full monthly cost.