Quail Creek Homes | Russ Fortuno, Tierra Antigua Realty
Register Login (520) 333-0446
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Homes for Sale
    • All Active Listings
    • Floor Plans
    • Homes w/ Pools
    • Single Family / Detached
    • Villas
  • Community Info
  • Amenities
  • Buyers
  • Sellers
  • About
  • Blog

Blog

Articles Tagged: COVID-19 Safety for Buyers

Home Buyers Guide Mortgages & Financing

A new way to shop for homes in a virtual world

December 6, 2020

A New Way to Shop for Homes in a Virtual World

In a year when we’re learning to do so much remotely, home buying is no exception. From going to work to attending school, grocery shopping, and even seeing our doctors online, digital practices have changed the way we live.

This year, rather than delaying their home purchases, buyers – alongside their trusted real estate professionals – turned to the internet to do more than just a typical home search. In some cases, they bought homes without even stepping foot inside. In fact, one in every 20 homebuyers purchased a house sight-unseen during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

“People really didn’t buy houses sight-unseen, traditionally. It’s still not a huge number, but it has gone up, and we have definitely seen that trend accelerate.” says Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights at the NAR.

Today, digital practices help homebuyers and sellers walk through many steps in the process virtually. While following the regulations set forth by the CDC and all local guidelines, this year, agents quickly empowered buyers and sellers with virtual tours, floor plans, high-quality photos, videos, online open houses, and more.

And in true 2020 fashion, virtual practices helped buyers safely narrow down their top choices, so they didn’t have to unnecessarily walk into more homes than they needed to see throughout the process. At a time when health and safety are top priorities, current technology is making it possible for buyers and sellers to move their real estate plans forward at their own comfort levels, even through a worldwide pandemic.

For many, this means buyers no longer have to physically tour every home they want to see, and sellers don’t need to open their doors over and over again throughout the process. Safety can come first, and trusted real estate professionals are here to help.

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: COVID-19 Safety for Buyers, COVID-19 Safety for Sellers, Video & Virtual Tours

Lessons for buying a home during the pandemic

September 4, 2020

Must-know lessons for buying a home during the pandemic

House hunting is always a process — but in the midst of COVID-19, there are even more things to know and learn about successfully finding and buying a home. But what, exactly, are those things? What do you need to know to find and buy a home right now?

Realtor.com outlines some key lessons home buyers should know if they’re shopping during COVID, including:

Don’t bank on getting a “deal”

Considering how much the pandemic has affected the economy and peoples’ jobs, you might expect that it would have directly impacted real estate values. In many areas, including Green Valley, that just isn’t the case. In fact, due to such low inventory, prices have stayed steady and in many cases, even gone up. And there are a lot more buyers than houses for sale, making competition stiff. Now is not the time to make low offers on new listings.

Get pre-approved before you start house hunting

This is always the first thing you should do before looking at houses, even when there isn’t a pandemic. But, due to the current events, many mortgage lenders have changed their lending requirements — so before you get too deep into the house hunting process, make sure you get pre-approved (or pre-qualified) and can get access to the funds you need to buy a home.

Work with a Buyer’s Agent

Working with a Buyer’s Agent is also always important — but it’s especially important now, when you may be relying on photos or a virtual tour to determine whether you want to make an offer on a property. Not only can your agent walk you through the entire buying process, but because they’ll actually be on site giving you the virtual tour, they can clue you in to potential issues you might have missed on video — which can prevent you from making an offer on a house that isn’t the right fit.

There are a lot of factors that make this a perfect time to buy a home. Just make sure you go into it with realistic expectations, and are aware of the actual current market conditions in the area you are looking.

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: COVID-19 Safety for Buyers

Video touring a home? Check these outdoor elements

September 2, 2020

Video touring a home? Be sure to check these outdoor elements

Video tours are a great option for long-distance buyers and buyers who are hesitant to tour a property in person due to COVID-19 concerns. But if you’re planning a video tour and want to get a comprehensive feel for the property, you need to tour more than just the interior of the house — you need to take the video tour outdoors. Here are a few key outdoor elements you should explore:

Surrounding homes

Privacy and community are important — and, as such, it’s important to know how far (or how close) the neighbors are to the property you’re considering, and how well they maintain their homes. The fact is, real estate is all about location, and property values can be affected by “the company you keep.” You don’t want to buy a stunning home, only to find out later that surrounding homes are not maintained, in a state of disrepair, or that there’s a vacant lot behind the house that may be developed in the future. Ask your Buyer’s Agent to take a 360 degree video of the surrounding homes and the street to identify potential red flags.

Landscaping and Patios

You want to get a clear idea of the time, money, and energy it will take to maintain the outdoor space, so make sure your agent gives you a full tour of the front, back, and/or side yards; that way, you can get an idea of existing trees, shrubs, and landscaping needs.

Outdoor space is important, and Arizona’s dry climate can lead to dry rot and deterioration of outdoor spaces if not properly maintained. It can be hard to see such damage on a video tour or in listing photos, so make sure your Buyer’s Agent zooms in on the patio areas so you can identify any wear and tear.

Each side of the house

The front of the house may look like it’s in great shape, but what about the sides and the back? Make sure you get images or video of the exterior of the home from every angle so you can identify any potential damage or necessary repairs.

Video tours can give you just as much detail and information about a property checking as seeing it in person. But that’s only true if when working with a Buyer’s Agent who specializes in working with out-of-state clients. Give me a call, (520) 333-0446.

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: COVID-19 Safety for Buyers, Out-of-State Buyers, Video & Virtual Tours

Video touring a home? Let’s get a close-up of the kitchen

August 28, 2020

Video Touring a Home

While COVID-related restrictions have loosened in many areas, many buyers are still wary about going to tour homes in person — and video tours are still hugely popular. Perhaps it’ll even be a permanent addition to how some people look at homes even once the pandemic is entirely under control.

Video tours can give you just as much detail and information about a property checking as seeing it in person. But that’s only true if when working with a Buyer’s Agent who specializes in working with out-of-state clients.

Since the kitchen is often considered the most important room in the house (from a buyer’s perspective), here’s some key points I’ll focus on in your virtual tour or video/Facetime showing:

  • See the room from all angles: Seeing the kitchen from a single perspective or viewpoint (as in listing photos) often does not provide a real sense of the space. I’ll be sure to ask your agent to show you the room from a variety of angels.
  • Zoom in on the appliances: Appliances are costly — and if you’re going to have to spend part of your budget replacing the appliances in the home, that could factor into your offer (or whether you make an offer at all). I’ll be sure to zoom in on the appliances to give you an idea of what kind of shape they’re in, and whether they’ll need to be replaced.
  • Cabinet close-up: The kitchen cabinets may look amazing in the listing photos, but when you get a close-up look at them, you may notice that they’re not so amazing and need to be repainted or replaced. I’ll zoom in on the cabinets so you can assess their condition before making a final decision on the home.

Just because you can’t (or don’t want to) tour a home in person, doesn’t mean you can’t get a good look at the kitchen — or any other room, for that matter. You just need to be working with the right Buyer’s Agent, and not hesitate to request a closer look at the things you really want to see.

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: COVID-19 Safety for Buyers, Out-of-State Buyers, Video & Virtual Tours

New Listing

NOTIFICATIONS

  • Email Alerts for New Listings
  • Save Your Favorites
  • Schedule Showing Requests
  • Price Change Notifications
  • Plus More…

Sign Up

What’s Your

HOME WORTH?

Find Out

Client

TESTIMONIALS

"Our situation was complex and Mr. Fortuno’s knowledge and experience made for a seamless transition. The timing of our sale was paramount and it happened as planned. His knowledge of the market was of upmost importance. Our home was priced accordingly and sold immediately. Additionally, Mr. Fortuno was available for our questions with prompt replies, often considerations or options. Our experience was “top notch” and we highly recommend him."
- Pat N., Quail Creek
"Exceptional! We found Russ to have an outstanding overall knowledge of the real estate market in the Green Valley area."
- Craig H., Quail Creek
"Fair, reliable, professional and a pleasant person to work with. Would not hesitate to recommend. All aspects of the sale were very professional. The materials to publicize the house were well done as were the photos. Russ’s familiarity with Quality Creek and the market were up to date and reliable. His manner was low key and very responsive. Easy to work with. Very helpful in staging the house. Excellent in all respects. Overall, a very easy person to work with and always professional."
- Joan H., Quail Creek
View All

Listing Notifications

Sign Up! New listings delivered to your inbox!
Sign Up Now

Stay Connected

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • YouTube

agent photo

Russ Fortuno, Associate Broker

I'm a Southern Arizona native and Quail Creek resident. Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Quail Creek, you’ll experience unsurpassed service and professionalism at all stages of your real estate transaction. I welcome the opportunity to assist in your next home sale or purchase.
Meet Russ

Tierra Antigua Realty

18745 S. I-19 Frontage Rd., Ste. A105
Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 333-0446
Contact Russ

This site is not affiliated with Robson Communities or the Quail Creek Country Club Property Owners Association.
© 2025 Russell E Fortuno PLLC, All Rights Reserved. ADRE BR658088000   •   Privacy