What Does Staging Your Home Mean First, let me just describe what I mean by “staging” your home. Have you ever visited open houses on the weekend? Have you noticed how some of them look like they come straight out of a home decor magazine, while others look like, well, real homes? The difference is […]
What does the best time of year to buy a house really mean to you? For most people, what they mean is “when will I get the best price?” The traditional wisdom has been that the best time to be a buyer is in the fall and winter months when the real estate market is […]
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to overhaul the tax code in our country. The plan is being branded as an attempt to simplify an overly complicated tax code that is rife with a million different deductions, complicated forms, and plenty of loopholes. So is the plan good or bad? Well […]
When the time comes to make upgrades to your home, the first thought for a lot of people is about increasing their home’s value. There are some very cost-efficient upgrades that can improve your home’s value above and beyond the cost of doing the work. However, some people don’t care all that much about increasing […]
There’s no denying that selling your home is a big deal. It’s probably one of the largest financial transactions you’ll be involved in (aside from when you purchased the home). Understandably, the price a home sells for is typically priority one for most sellers. However, getting the best price is not automatic. With all of […]
Do you remember your first date? What do you remember about it? Was it fun, awkward or nerve-wracking? Was it a disaster or was it a magical night you’ll remember forever (cue cheesy-nostalgic music)? Whatever your experience was, it had a significant impact on the way you felt about that person. That’s the whole point […]
It goes by many names: the rent to own, rent with a purchase option, purchase option lease, lease with an option to purchase, etc. But, no matter what you call it, the idea is that you are entering into a lease agreement that offers you an option to purchase a home eventually. I’ll explain a […]
Your lifestyle needs and tastes will change over time. My grandparents absolutely love their home. 2,000 square feet, 4 beds, 2 baths in the perfect weather of Huntington Beach. What more could you ask for? They lived in that house for 30 years, but eventually, although they loved the home dearly, they came to the […]
Let me just start out by saying that when you appeal your property tax, it is not the actual tax that is being appealed. The tax rate is what it is and can’t be challenged. what you CAN appeal is the assessed value that your property tax is based on. While changes in assessed values can be influenced […]
Buying a house, especially your first house, is an awesome experience… But it can also be nerve-racking! You can save yourself a lot of stress by doing some research and learning as much as you can about the home buying process before jumping in. Of course, every transaction is a little different with its own […]
What should a Realtor do for a Seller? Here’s the Problem… We have a problem in the Real Estate industry. The barrier to entry to become a Realtor is pretty low. Just take a few classes, pass a test, buy a box of business cards, and voila! You’re a real estate agent. Unfortunately, this low […]
Advantages of a Small Down Payment When deciding how much to put down for your new house, there are a few key things to focus on. There are several advantages to making a large down payment including lower mortgage payments, and avoiding additional interest… But, there are a lot of advantage to making a small […]
Should You Make a Large Down Payment on a House? For some people this is a no-brainer… If you’re scraping together every last quarter you can find under the sofa cushions, then your bank account has already told you how much you can put down. But if you’re in the position to make a large […]
The question of what a home is actually worth is the driving force of every real estate transaction. The negotiations about price and repairs, the managing of multiple offers for the best outcome, the buyer’s ability to obtain financing, and even insurance quotes all come back to determining the true value of a property. A […]
Are there hidden costs to selling a home in Orange County? In most cases I think that there are unexpected costs, but I wouldn’t necessarily say they are hidden. There shouldn’t be surprise fees, but if you haven’t done your homework or hired a competent agent, you may find yourself facing some unexpected costs. The truth […]