San Fernando Valley Real Estate Podcast with Scott Himelstein

What can you expect from the 2018 real estate market? Let’s take a look at the 2017 market recap and see which market trends may continue this year.

How does the California Pool Safety Act affect the home buying process? Keith Morgan from Property Inspection Consultants is here to help me explain. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price Evaluation I hope you all had a happy holiday season. Today, I’m joined by Keith Morgan from Property Inspection Consultants to discuss the California Pool Safety Act and how it affects buyers and sellers.  These changes were made on October 11, 2011, when Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 442 into law. This law modifies the business professionals code as it applies to the home inspection profession.  At this point, any time a home inspector conducts an inspection of a single-family residence that has a pool on the property, that inspector has to identify a certain number of pool safety access provisions. It doesn’t matter whether the home inspector conducts an investigation of the pool in addition to the home inspection or not. A minimum of two safety items must be included on the home inspection report in order to pass the general home inspection. This law is in place to prevent as many child drowning deaths as possible. Here are seven possible safety items that could be included in the home inspection report: An enclosure that isolates the swimming pool or spa from the private single-family home, i.e., a fence or wall. Removable mesh fencing. An approved safety pool cover that prevents someone from entering the water. These are not the same as pool heating covers, which offer no safety protection. Exit alarms on the private single-family home’s doors that provide direct access to the swimming pool or spa. A typical home security system does satisfy this requirement. A self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor on the doors providing direct access to the swimming pool or spa. An alarm that, when placed in a swimming pool or spa, will sound upon detection of an accidental or unauthorized entrance into the water. Other means of protection verified by ASTM or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). It is the inspector’s job to point out these items and let you know which safety features are available for the pool.  If you are a homebuyer looking at properties with pools, make sure that you work with an inspector who is aware of and conversant with the new requirements. This law does not require you to make corrections or upgrades. You simply need to be aware of the pool’s safety features.  At the end of the day, the California Pool Safety Act is there to prevent as many child-drowning deaths as possible.  Thank you to Keith for stopping by today. If you have any questions for him, you can give him a call at (818) 363-6670. As always, if you have any real estate questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How does the California Pool Safety Act affect the home buying process? Keith Morgan from Property Inspection Consultants is here to help me explain.

When it comes to choosing between buying and building a home or between buying a new or resale home, there are a lot of variables to consider. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price Evaluation Is it better to buy or build a house? Or is it better to buy a new or existing home? One of the pros of building a house from scratch is that you’re allowed to pick out the details of the home, such as the floor plan and other certain amenities.  Personally, however, I always think it’s a little more expensive to build a home, and I wouldn’t look forward to picking out the thousands of details necessary to build a house. These include all the building codes and regulations from the city that you have to deal with.  More importantly, with all the recent natural disasters in Florida, Texas, and California, I believe that hiring people to build a home will be more expensive than normal. Due to the shortage of supplies created by these natural disasters, the cost of materials will be more expensive as well.I wouldn’t look forward to picking out the thousands of details necessary to build a house. When it comes to buying a new or existing home, buying new construction is like buying a new car because it’s a brand-new property. No one has ever lived in it before, and projects like landscaping will need to be done after the fact. If you can find a similar home that’s maybe three to 10 years old in a similar neighborhood, you’ll find that projects like that have been taken care of.  When buying a brand-new property, landscaping can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000. Adding upgrades to the home itself can also cost you thousands of dollars. If you buy a resale property, there’s a good chance those upgrades will already have been done. Because that resale home isn’t brand new, the list price will also be lower too. There are a lot of variables to consider, so what’s best for you depends on what your specific needs are and what you’re willing to do and pay for.  If you’re trying to weigh the options of each of these scenarios or you have any other real estate questions, feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email. Until then, have a happy new year and we look forward to seeing you again in 2018!

When it comes to choosing between buying and building a home or between buying a new or resale home, there are a lot of variables to consider.

I recently talked to Hannah Harries from WiseOceans about their Reef Restoration Project. Learn more about how they are working to reverse the effects of climate change. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search   Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price Evaluation The Seychelles is composed of 115 scattered islands in the Indian Ocean. This tiny nation finds itself at ground zero of climate change.  The sea level has risen almost a quarter inch each year.  El Niño’s warmer sea patterns are killing the coral, which usually prevents beach erosion.  However, one local organization is trying to make a difference.  Today, I’m joined by Hannah Harris, a Marine Educator at WiseOceans.  A lot of people don’t know this, but 70% to 90% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed over the past year thanks to climate change and El Niño.  El Niño is a global weather event which occurs every two to seven years. It causes a shift in temperature patterns in the equatorial Pacific, which has global repercussions. El Niño is the warm phase of the cycle. Higher-than-average sea temperatures are bad news for corals. 70% to 90% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed. WiseOceans is working hard to reverse the damage done to the coral.  WiseOceans has been based in the Seychelles for five years now. They are dedicated to raising awareness about the fantastic marine life in the area. Getting people up close to the fish is an important step in getting them to care about the environment.  About two years ago, WiseOceans launched their Reef Restoration Project. The aim of the project is to restore an area of reef within the bay. Guests at the Four Seasons hotel can come out and snorkel in the bay to see the wildlife, and WiseOceans educates them about restoring the reef.  WiseOceans has a coral nursery to grow new coral. They take corals that have broken off naturally from the reef (“We call them corals of opportunity,” says Hannah) and place them in the coral nursery. There, the coral can grow and thrive in a protected area. After a few months, the coral will reach a healthy, reasonable size. From there, they are transplanted straight onto the rock.  People can sponsor their own corals in the nursery and sponsor the reef.  This process is very time consuming, which is why a project director is there to look after the coral day in and day out. Sign in the capital Victoria says in Creole, "Climate change is already here." Guests can get involved in the Reef Restoration Project, as can the local community. The education provided by WiseOceans helps people understand how vital the reefs are to us as human beings.  WiseOceans gets everyone they can involved. Hannah says, “We have workshops, talk at the local schools, run youth groups, take people snorkeling—the more local people we can get to care about the environment, the better.”  I would like to thank Hannah Harries for taking the time to educate us all about the Reef Restoration Project. You can visit www.WiseOceans.com to learn more about how you can help give back and protect your environment, and for more information visiting Seychelles, visit the official website of the Seychelles Tourism Board www.seychelles.travel. As always, if you have any real estate questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

I recently talked to Hannah Harries from WiseOceans about their Reef Restoration Project. Learn more about how they are working to reverse the effects of climate change.

Interest rates are low right now, but they won’t stay that way for long. Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, take advantage of them while you still can.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, there are several advantages to doing so in the fall or winter months. Looking to buy a home? Get a Full Home Search Looking to sell your home?  Free Home Price Evaluation Today, I’d like to give you an overview of the top reasons to buy or sell in the fall or winter months. First, I’d like to start with some of the advantages of selling at this time of year: 1. Less competition on the market. During this time of year, the inventory is down. This contributes to less competition, putting you in a better position by default. 2. The house is show-ready. Because kids are in school during these later months, houses tend to be a little cleaner. In turn, this means that houses require a lot less preparation before a home showing. 3. Vacations are over. With people having returned from their trips and outings during the warmer months, more buyers are back in town. 4. Buyers are more serious. Buyers who are on the market at this time of year aren’t just looking for fun. These buyers are genuinely committed to finding and purchasing a home. 5. The appeal of fall decor. Who doesn’t love fall decor? The change of colors adds some natural beauty to any property, and fall decorations on the interior of a home can make buyers feel cozy and warm. 6. It’s cooler outside. Why would anyone want to move when it’s hot out? The colder weather is perfect for the moving process. Some of the best deals of the year are done in the fall and winter months. Now, I’d like to move on to the advantages of buying during fall and winter: 1. Good deals are available. Some of the best deals of the year are done in the fall and winter months, especially for properties that have been sitting on the market for quite some time. 2. It’s a lot easier to look at houses during school season. When the kids are in school, it’s easier for people to go out and browse the market freely. 3. Fewer multiple offer situations. Since many of the homes on the market have been sitting for awhile, there is less competition for certain types of properties. 4. Year-end sales for furniture. The later months of the year are a great time to take advantage of sales, which will aid you in furnishing your new home. 5. It’s easier to contract necessary services. Since there tends to be less activity on the market at this time of year, booking contractors won’t be as difficult. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, there are several advantages to doing so in the fall or winter months.