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
    • Single Family / Detached
    • Under Contract
    • Villas
  • Community Info
    • About Quail Creek
    • Quail Creek History
    • Quail Creek vs. Green Valley
  • Amenities
    • Anza Athletic Club
    • Canyon Club
    • Creative Arts & Technology Center
    • Golf
    • Grill at Quail Creek
    • Madera Clubhouse
    • Pickleball Complex
  • Buyers
  • Sellers
  • About
  • Blog

Blog

Buyer & Seller Tips • Real Estate News • Market Trends

How working remotely is changing homebuyer needs

August 16, 2020 by Russ

How working remotely is changing homebuyer needs

With more companies figuring out how to efficiently and effectively enable their employees to work remotely (and for longer than most of us initially expected), homeowners throughout the country are re-evaluating their needs.

Do I still need to live close to my company’s office building? Do I need a larger home with more office space? Would making a move to the suburbs make more sense for my family? All of these questions are on the table for many Americans as we ride the wave of the current health crisis and consider evolving homeownership needs.

According to George Ratiu, Senior Economist for realtor.com:

“The ability to work remotely is expanding home shoppers’ geographic options and driving their motivation to buy, even if it means a longer commute, at least in the short term … although it’s too early to tell what long-term impact the COVID-era of remote work will have on housing, it’s clear that the pandemic is shaping how people live and work under the same roof.”

Working remotely is definitely changing how Americans spend their time at home, and also how they use their available square footage. Homeowners aren’t just looking for a room for a home office, either. The desire to have a home gym, an updated kitchen, and more space in general – indoor and outdoor – are all key factors motivating some buyers to change their home search parameters.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Market Trends

Don’t make these common home buyer mistakes

August 15, 2020 by Russ

Don't make these common home buyer mistakes

Homeownership is one of the central tenets of contemporary life. Most of us dream of a familiar, comfortable place to call our own, and buying a home is gives us our own piece of the American Dream.

But until and unless you’ve been through the process several times, there are plenty of mistakes many people make on their journey to property ownership.

If you’ve made any of these yourself, don’t feel bad — it can happen to the best of us. And if you’re a home buyer who wants to get ahead of the curve, take a look at the following things not to do when buying a home… so when it’s time to pull the trigger, you’ll be ready to go!Continue Reading

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers

Infographic:
Mortgage rates and payments by decade

August 14, 2020 by Russ

Sometimes it helps to see the dollars and cents you’ll save when you purchase a home while mortgage rates are low. Today’s historic low rates mean it’s less expensive to borrow money, so the savings over the life of your loan is significant.

Mortgage rates and payments by decade

Let’s connect to determine the best way to position you for a financially-savvy move in today’s market.

Filed Under: Market Trends Tagged With: Infographics, Interest Rates

Infographic:
Consumers still optimistic about buying a home

August 7, 2020 by Russ

A recent study from HarrisX shows the current health crisis isn’t slowing down today’s homebuyers.

In fact, many buyers are accelerating their timelines to take advantage of low mortgage rates, and staying home has enabled some to save more money to put toward a down payment.

Let’s connect today if your needs have recently changed and you’re ready to make a move this year.

Filed Under: Market Trends Tagged With: Infographics

Applying for a mortgage? Be prepared for these questions

July 28, 2020 by Russ

Applying for a mortgage? Be prepared for these questions

When you apply for a mortgage, you expect your lender to have some questions. But the truth is, your lender is going to have a lot of questions — and if you know what to expect before you start the application process, all of those questions can feel a lot less jarring and invasive.

A recent article from Realtor.com outlined a variety of questions you should expect when applying for a mortgage, including:

  • What is your credit score? Your credit score will, in large part, determine the interest rate on your mortgage. Your lender will no doubt run your credit report in the process of getting you pre-qualified, but it’s a good idea to know what’s on your credit report before the lender does.
  • Do you have a sufficient credit history? Your credit score is important, but so is your credit history. Your lender wants to see a variety of credit types and a long history of on-time payments.
  • How much cash do you have on hand? Lenders want to know that you have enough cash on hand to cover your down payment, inspection, and closing costs. In order to show them you have enough cash, you’ll need to provide a variety of financial documentation, including bank or brokerage statements, and a break down of your assets.
  • How much debt do you have? Even if you have a lot of cash on hand, if you also have a lot of debt, it’s going to make a lender nervous. When you’re applying for a mortgage, your lender will need to see a breakdown of any and all debt, including credit card debt, student debt, and car loans, which will help them make a decision on your eligibility for a loan.

What does this mean for you? When you apply for a mortgage, part of the process involves answering a variety of personal financial questions — but if you know they’re coming (and prepare for them in advance), the process (and the questions!) will feel a lot less stressful.

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: Credit, FICO Scores, Home Loans

VA Loans: Making a home for the brave possible

July 4, 2020 by Russ

VA Loans: Making a home for the brave possible

Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of home ownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them.

If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, here is a breakdown of the VA Home Loan benefits that can be used to achieve the American Dream!

Top 5 Benefits of a VA Home Loan

  • The greatest benefit of a VA Loan is that borrowers can buy a home with a 0% down payment. In 2016, 82% of all VA Loans put down 0%!
  • Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is not required! (Most other loans with down payments under 20% require PMI, which adds additional costs to your monthly housing expense!)
  • Credit Score requirements are also lower for VA Home Loans. The average FICO® score of a borrower for an approved VA Loan is 620, compared to 676 (FHA) or 753 (Conventional).
  • There is also a limitation on a veteran buyer’s closing costs. Sellers can pay all of a buyer’s loan-related closing costs and up to 4% in concessions in some cases.
  • Even with interest rates rising, VA Loans continue to have the lowest average interest rates of all loan types.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers Tagged With: Home Loans, VA Loans

Tips for selling your home safely during the COVID-19 pandemic

July 1, 2020 by Russ

Tips for selling your home safely during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has brought much of the country to a screeching halt. But, just because people are stuck at home doesn’t mean your home sale has to come to a screeching halt, too. You can sell your home in the midst of this challenging time — as long as you’re safe.

A recent article from realtor.com outlined steps homeowners should take to sell their home safely during the COVID-19 crisis, including:

  • Embrace virtual showings. You don’t need a bunch of potential buyers walking in and out of your house; it’s not safe for you or them. Instead, have your real estate agent vet buyers and give them virtual tours of your home.
  • Practice safety measures for in-person showings. If your real estate agent has a buyer who they’ve vetted and is extremely interested in the property, they may want to see your home in person. Before you allow anyone in your home, make sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces to protect potential buyers — and then make sure to do the same after the in-person tour to protect yourself and your family.
  • If possible, close remotely. Many states have remote notaries and many lenders offer fully virtual closings. Do your research and see if you can close your home sale remotely to avoid any unnecessary contact.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way people buy and sell homes. But with the right safety measures, there’s no reason it has to derail your home sale!

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

Sheltering in place leads to desire for more space

May 5, 2020 by Russ

Sheltering in place leads to desire for more space

The shelter in place orders that have been in effect for weeks across the country have many people spending more time at home than ever before.

And after spending so much time in their homes, many of them are noticing what they don’t like about their current space — and what they’re looking for in a new home. A new survey from realtor.com asked people what they considered must-have features for their next home after sheltering in place. And, unsurprisingly, many of them had to do with space.

Some of the most common must-haves on buyers’ post-quarantine wishlist include:

  • More space (16 percent)
  • More/better outdoor space (14 percent)
  • Separation from neighbors (10 percent)
  • More bedrooms (9 percent)

So if stay-at-home orders are making you realize you’re ready for a new space (and more space), you’re not alone — and you’re not stuck. Thanks to virtual tours and closings, home sales are still happening in the midst of the coronavirus—so get in touch with your real estate agent and start looking for the space you need.

Filed Under: Market Trends

The economic impact of buying a home

March 31, 2020 by Russ

Economic impact of buying a home

We’re in a changing real estate market, and life, in general, is changing too — from how we grocery shop and meal prep to the ways we can interact with our friends and neighbors. Even practices for engaging with agents, lenders, and all of the players involved in a real estate transaction are changing to a virtual format. What isn’t changing, however, is one key thing that can drive the local economy: buying a home.

If you’re in a position to buy a home today, know that you’re a major economic force in your neighborhood. And while we all wait patiently for the current pandemic to pass, there are a lot of things you can do in the meantime to keep your home search on track.

Every year the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shares a report that notes the full economic impact of home sales. This report summarizes:Continue Reading

Filed Under: Home Ownership Tagged With: Home Equity

5 financial benefits to owning your home instead of renting

January 3, 2020 by Russ

Owning will always be better than renting

Owning a home has great financial benefits.

In a recent research paper titled “Homeownership and the American Dream,” Laurie S. Goodman and Christopher Mayer of the Urban Land Institute explained:

“Homeownership appears to help borrowers accumulate housing and non-housing wealth in a variety of ways, with tax advantages, greater financial flexibility due to secured borrowing, built-in ‘default’ savings with mortgage amortization and nominally fixed payments, and the potential to lower home maintenance costs through sweat equity.”

Let’s break down five major financial benefits of homeownership:

1. Housing Is Typically the One Leveraged Investment Available

Homeownership allows households to amplify any appreciation on the value of their homes by a leverage factor. A 20% down payment results in a leverage factor of five, meaning every percentage point rise in the value of your home is a 5% return on your equity. If you put down 10%, your leverage factor is 10.

Example: Let’s assume you purchased a $300,000 home and put down $60,000 (20%). If the house appreciates by $30,000, that is not only a 10% increase in value but a 50% increase in equity.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers, Home Ownership Tagged With: Home Equity, Rent vs. Own

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • Next Page »

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

"Russ Fortuno is our trusted choice for real estate. After selling our house, we hoped to find a new home in Green Valley. Russ came highly recommended to us. It was a very stressful time, as we felt time-crunched, but we rested more easily, with Russ on our side. His experience in this market, knowledge of the area and insight into what we needed and wanted in our future home really gained our trust. It was also helpful that he has a calming demeanor! We found the perfect home for us, thanks to Russ. What a blessing!"
- Mike and Linda S., Quail Creek
"Great Experience! We purchased a home in Quail Creek last May – while living in Illinois. Russ was super communicative on every topic / question we had, efficient with the transaction overall and really knowledgeable about the community. Highly recommend!"
- Deb W., Quail Creek
"Above & beyond! Russ is the consummate professional. His knowledge and expertise of the market are spot on. His marketing and attention to detail were perfect. He made sure every showing had all the information and detail our house had to offer. I highly recommend anyone looking to sell their home to trust it in the hands of Russ. "
- Janet A., 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.
© 2026 Russell E Fortuno PLLC, All Rights Reserved. ADRE BR658088000   •   Privacy