Buying a SoCal Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a SoCal Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report  There’s a certain way to obtain a quick home sale this year. Check out these helpful tips for success in the Southern California market. Sell first and then buy. This might seem difficult, but it takes active coordination between you and the buyer. If the next home is not prepared for you to move in, you can lease back your old property from the buyer for a month or even a couple weeks. You should always sell first to avoid contingencies. Market your property. Take professional photographs. Use social media. Post a video walk through of the property. The more content that’s online, the more traffic your property will generate. Negotiate with your agent. Try and bargain with them over the commission. If they won’t fight to negotiate their own commission, how can you trust them to negotiate and get you the best deal? The right agent will fight hard to protect your interests. Price your home right. The basics of marketing include product, price, and promotion. As a seller, you are responsible for the first two. If you have to lower the price of your home, it will sit on the market for a long time. You might even end up pricing it below market value if you have to lower the price, so make sure that the price is right from the beginning. Go clean. Ten years ago, before the last recession, only the high-end sellers staged their home. Today, it’s real estate 101 to stage your home. Clean out your closet, take down pictures, and remove clutter from the bookshelves. Give yourself a deadline. Homes sell fastest in the spring and summer. A lot of people get married in the spring, so they need to purchase a new home together. Since school starts in August, most families want to move during the summer. Of course, you can sell a home any time of year; the spring and summer markets just tend to move the fastest. Your home may even be worth more during the spring and summer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I would be happy to help you!

Buying a SoCal Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a SoCal Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report Today, I want to share an important rule when it comes to real estate investing. This is the rule of 72.  This rule states that if you divide the interest rate you get on an investment by 72, you will find out how many years it will take to double the rate of your investment. Additionally, if you divide the number of years by 72, you will find what type of rate of return will double your investment. Right now, many people in Southern California think real estate is much too expensive. However, the average rate of return on real estate investments is around 5.5%-6.5%! In fact, if you leverage your money right, using the rule of 72, you can double your investment in less than three years. If you have any questions about investment opportunities in the area, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm always available to help.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a SoCal Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a SoCal Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report Today I want to talk about getting ready to buy this spring in Southern California. Any seller, including yourself, that has just signed a listing agreement, is now a buyer. Because of this, you'll want to make sure you get pre-approved for a mortgage as quickly as you can, so you don't waste any time when it comes to looking for the perfect home. The first thing you will want to do when getting ready to secure a mortgage is check your credit. Here is where you can get each of your three scores, for free: Equifax: quizzle.com Experian: credit.com Transunion: creditkarma.com We have some good news for people moving from a condo into a single-family home. If your income limit does not exceed $67,000, there is a new down payment assistance grant that can give you up to 3-5% of the purchase price. This is a grant, not a loan, so it's something you don't have to pay back. If you want to know a little more about how to get yourself ready to buy or sell this spring in Southern California, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you get ready to take advantage of this market!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great San Gabriel Valley area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (626) 643-7090 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. We have just sprung ahead, and springtime is here. Regardless of market conditions, the spring market is always hot and always the best time to sell your home. Today we are going to talk about how to prepare your home for sale so it sells faster and for a higher dollar amount than it would have otherwise. The first thing you need to do is get rid of your clutter. Whether it be through a yard sale, salvation army donation, craigslist sale, or storage locker, get all the clutter and unnecessary items and keepsakes out of your home before you show it. The next thing to do is repaint your home. Bright, neutral colors are always your best bet, and a fresh coat of paint really appeals to buyers. Next, you need to clean your carpet, or replace it all together. If you need some carpet cleaning companies, we have some great references that can do your whole home for less than $120. Last but not least, making some improvements to your kitchen and bathroom are two of the best returns on investment you can have. Replacing counters and flooring in bathrooms and kitchens always adds value to the home when you sell, and will allow you to enjoy the luxuries for a short time as well, without having to really pay for it. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to help you prepare your home for sale this spring. As always, stay safe and stay happy!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great San Gabriel Valley area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (626) 643-7090 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Hey, everybody. I've got 2 great pieces of news for you today. The first is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have started new down payment programs, which will allow home buyers to purchase a home for only 3% down. In addition to this, Fannie and Freddie have also reduced their mortgage insurance premiums to under 1%. Once your equity is built up more than 20%, you can cancel it at a 78% loan to value. FHA doesn't allow you to do this. For buyers, the process of buying a home can be made easier when you include a renovation loan. This program is a private label, and incorporates 10% of the purchase price towards home upgrades, and it can close within 30 days. You can remodel the home how you want, and put all the TLC you want into it. If you have any questions, I'm always here to help. Give me a call or send me an email to get in touch, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great San Gabriel Valley area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (626) 643-7090 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.  Hey everyone, thanks for joining me once again. Today I want to talk about the preparation involved when buying a home. Whether you are a first-time buyer or a sixth-time buyer, these tips will help anybody who is transitioning into a new home. The first thing you want to look at is the neighborhood. Find a place with good schools that is also within a reasonable commute to work. The next thing you will want to do is get pre-qualified. This is a very important step, as it will allow you to see what kind of home you can afford. Before you get pre-qualified however, you need to pay special attention to your tax return. Most of the problems we see with tax returns and people getting pre-qualified is due to Form 2106: the un-reimbursed employee expense form. A lot of times accountants will be able to take thousands off of your tax expenses, but it will end up hurting you tremendously when buying a home. Case in point: we had a client who got $18,000 in un-reimbursed employee expenses and ended up paying $3,600 less in taxes. However, that gave him $18,000 less to purchase with, and once the 4% interest rate was factored in, his affordability went way down. He went from being able to qualify for a $450,000 loan to barely qualifying for a $300,000 one. So, take a look at your tax return, especially if you plan to buy in the next year. On your 2014 taxes, do a tax amendment eliminating the 2106 so when you purchase next year, you can afford more of a home. If you have any questions, be sure to let me know. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great San Gabriel Valley area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (626) 643-7090 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Welcome back to our blog, and welcome to 2015! Today I have a lot of information to share with you, including formulas and trends that will set up the pace for how the market will do in 2015. Let's get right to it. The first is collateral underwriting, which will be implemented by both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on January 26, 2015. This will include implementing an automated underwriting system, where appraisals will be fed through a pipeline to determine a rate based on 20 other comparable homes, instead of the typical 3. This will make the job of the appraiser much harder, because he will have 20 comparable homes to drive down rates and will make it harder for them to give higher rates. The second change we are keeping an eye on is the re-gutting of the quality index. We predict an increase of 12% lesser quality quality loans in 2015, which will cause Freddie and Fannie to be cutting down a little bit on their control. The 3rd thing we are keeping an eye on is a 12% increase in delinquency filing we saw in December compared to November. This will translate to additional foreclosures and short sales, but probably not until April or May. Finally, we are keeping a close eye on mortgage interest rates this year. We've seen exceptionally low rates in 2015, but definitely expect rates to rise in the next year due to the Fed's decreased spending. We will be sure to keep you updated on the changes we see in the next year. So there you have it, a quick market update on what we expect in the coming year. If you have any questions for us at all, feel free to send a quick email or give us a call. We wish you a happy, prosperous, and healthy 2015!