Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate Podcast with Brandon Montemayor

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Today we’re going to take a look at what’s going on in the Santa Clarita Valley area real estate market. While data relating to pending and active listings can give us a decent idea of current trends, the best way to get a feel for our market is by examining the homes that have actually sold.

In the last 90 days, we’ve had 921 properties sell in our area. Of those properties, 625 were single-family homes, while the remaining 296 were condos, townhomes, or manufactured dwellings.

Looking at how these 921 properties broke down between price points, it’s clear that some ranges see more activity than others. Here is the full breakdown of homes sold per price point:

If you have any other questions or would like more information about what this data means for you and your real estate goals, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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There’s a portion of sellers out there who know they want to list their home, but aren’t ready just yet. These same sellers wonder, though, what precursory steps they can take to ensure that they’re in good shape when the time to hit the market comes.

If this is true for your situation, here are eight easy steps you can take:

1. Have us come out to the house. We’ll draw up a very specific, specialized plan for you and your home so that you’re not spending time on items that won’t bring the value you might otherwise expect. Even if you’re five years away from your move, we’re always happy to come out and offer our opinion on what it’ll take to get your home market-ready.

2. Raise your home’s curb appeal. Think like a buyer who’s stepping onto your property for the first time—what would you want to see if you were them? Maybe you need to do away with some of those dead spots in your lawn, add some colorful flowers, remove an old tree stump or a shabby-looking chair. Whatever the case may be, this is a good place to start.

3. Declutter the interior of your home. Create a smooth, easy walkway for future buyers to come through. An environment where a buyer has to squeeze through tight or cluttered spaces won’t bode well for your sale, and wide open spaces tend to show better.

4. Repaint walls that may have an “extreme” color. Paint over lurid-colored walls with a more neutral option, and while you’re at it, touch up any nicks in the baseboards or on the walls. These sorts of things are the normal wear-and-tear of a lived-in home, but should be dealt with before your home goes to market.

5. Put your home to the “smell test.” This may be a bit of a hit to the pride, but it’s important to have an unbiased, third-party come into your home and give you an honest opinion. They’ll pick up things you probably wouldn’t—pet odors, the lingering smells of your cooking, etc., can all affect the salability of your home. Knowing this up front could determine your course of action when it comes to painting or recarpeting as well.

6. Perform a deep-cleaning. Whether it’s getting up to your high windows or dusting off shutters at harder-to-reach points, it’s a good idea to thoroughly clean these areas so that your home shows well and gets through the inspection with flying colors.

7. Start to hide valuables. You should begin to box up and put away valuable belongings if you won’t be using them in the next year or so. This way, you’ll know these items are in safekeeping when buyers are walking through your home.

8. Begin the staging process. Bulky, large furniture might be great for your current living situation, but when it’s “show-time,” they might make the room feel smaller and more cluttered. Because of this, it’s best to take early steps to remove some of these items, widen the open space, and create a great flow.

We’d love to come out to your property and work with you to lay out a plan for your future sale. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

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When talking about whether or not adding solar panels to your home is a good idea, there are two main points to think about.

First, ask yourself, “Do you plan on living in your home for a short period, or are you planning to live there long-term?”

For people who are looking to live in their home long-term, solar is a great idea.

If you’re only considering a short-term stay in that property, it really comes down to whether you can afford to put solar panels on the house and purchase it.

A leased solar panel tends to cause homebuyers some uncertainty; they don’t typically like to take on other people's leases. Mind you, we’ve sold a ton of homes with solar leases, some within a few months after the selling process, but if you want to appeal to most homebuyers, a solar lease isn’t the way to go.

It’s much easier to sell a house where the solar panels are owned by the homeowner. There are no additional payments, and it provides immediate savings in terms of utilities if you didn’t have to invest in the system.

Now if you’re planning to stay in your home long-term and are considering purchasing solar panels, you need to think about your income. Do you have a relatively fixed income? How much money do you have in your savings?

If you’re on a fixed income, have some money in your savings, and you can afford to make an investment in your house, solar panels will help you save on your electric bill over time by bringing it down to almost nothing.

If you don’t have a ton of money in your savings but you do have a consistent income, a lease is a great idea. During the hotter summer months out here in Santa Clarita where temperatures get into the 100s, solar panels will help you save big time.

For any questions you have about solar panels, the logistics of having them installed, and/or the savings they’ll provide you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to have an in-depth discussion with you.

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It’s time to look at how our market is performing so far in the early part of 2019.

Let’s get right to it: As of now, our active inventory is at 557 homes throughout Santa Clarita Valley and 361 home sales are either pending or in escrow. Year to date, there has been a total of 288 closings.

As you can tell, our market is experiencing a general upturn, with more homes in escrow than what was true of the same time last year. However, active listings haven’t budged much from where they were a year ago.

Interest rates have been tempered as well. In fact, we’ve seen some conventional loans as low as 4.5% as well as FHA and VA loans situated at 4.125%.

The marriage of amazingly low rates and our active listings leveling off—which means homes are still selling well—is encouraging for the strength and stability of our current market. This is to say that there are still moves to be made and plenty of opportunities to secure the best deal possible.

If you have any questions related to our real estate market and how it affects your personal situation, don’t hesitate to reach out. Put us to work for you!

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 Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

Now that we’ve transitioned into 2019, we’re happy to announce that our team has also transitioned into a new office! Don’t worry, though—we have no plans to leave RE/MAX Santa Clarita. We have a great relationship with the company and an amazing support staff and system to serve our clients’ needs at the highest level.

The move wasn’t drastic by any means: We’re still on the same road between Lyons Avenue and Calgrove Boulevard, right off the 5 Freeway. We’ve gone from that white building into the big, brick building across from In-N-Out and the hotels nearby.

If you happen to be in the area and need anything from us, we’d love for you to drop in, say hello, and let us know how we can help.

For a moment, let’s turn our attention to the 2019 market and how it’s performing so far:

Though it was slow going as we entered the new year, our market has again begun to pick up speed. We’re seeing multiple-offer situations spring up, interest rates are staying at historic lows, and correctly priced homes are still selling for top dollar.

With the right amount of patience, some persistence, and a game plan, you can take advantage of what our market has to offer right now, and we’re here to assist you with that.

For help with any and all of your real estate needs, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We look forward to an awesome 2019 and to talking to you soon.

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The holiday season is absolutely flying by. Before we know it, we’ll all be left scrambling to find space in our homes for all the gifts we received.

For some of you, this may mean taking a trip up to the attic or down to the basement. Coincidentally, the holiday season is also a perfect time to check on the vital home systems that run from those less-traveled places of your property. There’s no time like the present to get started on your home maintenance checklist.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, click here to see the list we’ve put together. Following the steps on this list will be crucial to keeping your home (and your family) safe and sound.

Also, while larger tasks like checking up on your HVAC system, your hot water heater, and other major systems and appliances are important, you also shouldn’t neglect less-involved maintenance items, such as cleaning the gutters, replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors, and changing out your air filters. Proper home maintenance will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle in the long run.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Want to Buy a Home? Search All Homes

 Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

If you’ve been wanting to buy a vacation home (or a permanent one), today we’re going to teach you everything you’ll need to know. We’ll also show you the top 10 best places to buy, so if you don’t have an idea in mind yet, we can give you some great suggestions. Before you decide to purchase your perfect getaway, here are some things to keep in mind.

The market is great, and people who have bought in the last few years have seen their equity skyrocket. There are a variety of loans available, and many don’t necessarily need huge down payments. Even if it’s something you’re simply thinking about, it’s a good idea to see if you’re qualified and find out what your affordability is like. It’s never too early to start planning.

Do research on the area you’re interested in. Is it a seasonal place or does it see traffic year round? What is the market doing? You want to purchase at the right time. You also want to go in with a plan, whether you’re wanting to purchase immediately or years from now. You can even leverage your home as a rental or Airbnb for when you’re not there. There are many different options that can help you pay for your property instead of having to wait and save.

Don’t have an idea of where to buy? Here are the top 10 places to retire:

10. Lakeland, Florida

9. Dallas Fort Worth, Texas

8. San Antonio, Texas

7. Nashville, Tennessee

6. Grand Rapids, Michigan

5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

4. Austin, Texas

3. Sarasota, Florida

2. Fort Meyers, Florida

1. Lancaster, Pennsylvania

If you need help making a plan, figuring out your numbers, or buying your perfect property, feel free to reach out to us. We have some great agents who will put you on the perfect path toward your vacation home goals. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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We haven’t done a market update in a while, so I wanted to get one to you today about what’s going on right now in our local and national real estate markets.

In Santa Clarita, there are about 690 active homes on the market right now that are available for sale. Over the last 30 days, there have been 262 home sales.

If we look at the numbers over the last few months, we’re beginning to see a pattern of leveling out. We’ve been so used to extreme highs and lows over the past decade, but every sign is showing that the market is balancing out now. This normal, “boring” appreciation between 2% to 4% a year is good news for our market overall.

We don’t exactly know how long this is going to last, but because our low inventory is gradually increasing and interest rates are bumping up slowly, we’re in a very equal and balanced market.

In any shifting market like this, there is opportunity for everyone. Whether you’re looking to move up, move down, invest, or buy your first home, there’s opportunity out here as long as you know where to look.

If you have any questions for us about how you can take advantage of this market, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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 Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

In this market, where properties carry a lot of equity, it is important to know everything you can about real estate investments. To help you out, I want to talk about capital gain exemption rules and 1031 exchanges with you today.

To start with, I will explain how capital gain exemptions work.

If you have lived at least two of the last five years in your current home, any equity you have built during that time can be claimed as tax-exempt gains. For married couples selling their home, this amount can go up to $500,000. A single person, on the other hand, can claim up to $250,000. You can even qualify for this exemption if you rented out your home for three of the years, as long as you currently live in the residence.

So, if you're thinking about selling, this exemption can save you a lot of money. 

And through a 1031 exchange, you can defer all capital gain taxes if you are thinking about selling your current investment property to reinvest the funds into a new one. Of course, this exchange doesn’t apply to primary residences. It must be done with investment properties.

If you have any questions about this, or if you are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

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 Want to Sell a Home? Get a Home Value Report

We’ve seen a lot of price reductions lately in our Santa Clarita area, but does that mean the market’s leveling downward as a whole? We don’t believe so, and here’s why.

Most of these price reductions happened with listings whose sellers tried pricing their homes just ahead of the pace of the market while it was at an incline. For example, during this time, one of these sellers might’ve priced their home at $525,000 if they saw that the last home in their neighborhood sold at $500,000 and they thought theirs was better.

As our market’s leveled out a bit, the excess demand for standing inventory has also leveled out. Now when we see that $525,000 home selling at—say—$510,000, what might look like an overall trend is actually the case of a seller reducing their price to a point that it should have been at all along.

If you have any more questions about our Santa Clarita market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.