Tips and Advice
Are you Selling?
What Determines the Value of Your Home?
Basically, a home’s worth is determined by its market value. How is “market value” determined? Most often, it’s figured by a comparison (“comp”) with homes similar to yours in the surrounding area. So, if the homes in your neighborhood average, say, $250,000, then it’s likely that the value of your property will fall in the same range. But market value is also determined by a number of factors including the following: External Factors There can be several external factors influencing the value of your home. One is “curb appeal”, or the first impression your property makes upon prospective buyers. A home that’s in…
Read More
Preparing your home for sale (Part 1 of 3)
Know the “why” behind your move Clients need to understand the “Why” as to what is their motivation behind the transition and move for their family. A client’s motivation an important role in the process. Motivation can affect everything from setting a price, to deciding how much time and money you’ll invest to getting your home ready for selling. Another way to look at this is what is most important to the client in the selling process. Are they on a strict timeline to make the sale happen? Or are they trying to net absolutely the most money. …
Read More
Why my home didn’t Sell!
“Frank, I had my home on the market now for 3 months and nothing happened …” “Why my home didn’t Sell!” I get asked these questions at least one a week. When a home does not sell, Sellers’s can be very frustrated, disappointed and maybe even very upset with the real estate community and the market. I find that there are 4 areas to look at when a home does not sell: 1. Price along with Market conditions 2. Condition of your home 3. Access 4. Marketing. Price and market conditions I have to be honest. Correctly pricing a…
Read More
How are buyers and sellers protected in a real estate contract?
The short answer is “contingencies.” In simple terms, a contingency in a real estate contract means that the buyer or the seller has to do something in order for the contract to move forward. If you a buyer or seller and are part of a real estate contract, you absolutely need to understand the various contingencies that are part of the contract. Not only do you need to understand what contingencies are in the contract, but how long they are in play and how they are to be removed. In a typical residential contract in California today, the following…
Read More4 Reasons the Real Estate Market will be strong in 2019!!!
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the real estate market heading into 2019. That uncertainty has raised concerns that we may be headed toward another housing crash like the one we experienced a decade ago. Here are four reasons why today’s market is much different: 1. There are fewer foreclosures now than there were […]
Is now a better time to be a Seller or a Buyer?
This report is current for December 2018. When I talk with perspective sellers this time of year, a very common comment is …” We are going to wait until Spring….”. I understand that this is a common perception. But I have tracked our market for the last 10 years. I always review the current inventory on a monthly basis throughout the year. On any given year, the inventory of Active homes is always less in January- February as compared to June- August. I have found that the listing inventory decreases on any given year by about 20-40% in our…
Read More
Is our Real Estate Market headed for a crash?
Is our real estate market headed for a bust? Or maybe just a correction? My quick answer is the market is changing got sure. For purposes of the market, I will look at the market in Sacramanto, Placer, and El Dorado counties. This region extents from Sacramento going up both the Highway 80 and Highway 50 “corridors” up to Lake Tahoe. First let us look at some history. In this region in the last 5 years, prices have gone up 50%! We have been seeing a 8-10% increase in prices each year. Take a look at the chart below.…
Read MoreThinking of Selling Your Home? Here’s Why You Need A Pro in Your Corner
With home prices on the rise and buyer demand still strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own without using the services of a real estate professional. Real estate agents are trained and experienced in negotiation and, in most cases, the seller is not. Sellers must realize that […]
Where are Home Values Headed over the Next Few Years?
There are many questions about where home prices will be next year as well as where they may be headed over the next several years to come. We have gathered the most reliable sources to help answer these questions: The Home Price Expectation Survey – A survey of over 100 market analysts, real estate experts, […]
Are you Buying?
What Determines the Value of Your Home?
Basically, a home’s worth is determined by its market value. How is “market value” determined? Most often, it’s figured by a comparison (“comp”) with homes similar to yours in the surrounding area. So, if the homes in your neighborhood average, say, $250,000, then it’s likely that the value of your property will fall in the same range. But market value is also determined by a number of factors including the following: External Factors There can be several external factors influencing the value of your home. One is “curb appeal”, or the first impression your property makes upon prospective buyers. A home that’s in…
Read More
Preparing your home for sale (Part 1 of 3)
Know the “why” behind your move Clients need to understand the “Why” as to what is their motivation behind the transition and move for their family. A client’s motivation an important role in the process. Motivation can affect everything from setting a price, to deciding how much time and money you’ll invest to getting your home ready for selling. Another way to look at this is what is most important to the client in the selling process. Are they on a strict timeline to make the sale happen? Or are they trying to net absolutely the most money. …
Read More
Why my home didn’t Sell!
“Frank, I had my home on the market now for 3 months and nothing happened …” “Why my home didn’t Sell!” I get asked these questions at least one a week. When a home does not sell, Sellers’s can be very frustrated, disappointed and maybe even very upset with the real estate community and the market. I find that there are 4 areas to look at when a home does not sell: 1. Price along with Market conditions 2. Condition of your home 3. Access 4. Marketing. Price and market conditions I have to be honest. Correctly pricing a…
Read More
How are buyers and sellers protected in a real estate contract?
The short answer is “contingencies.” In simple terms, a contingency in a real estate contract means that the buyer or the seller has to do something in order for the contract to move forward. If you a buyer or seller and are part of a real estate contract, you absolutely need to understand the various contingencies that are part of the contract. Not only do you need to understand what contingencies are in the contract, but how long they are in play and how they are to be removed. In a typical residential contract in California today, the following…
Read MoreThe Cost of a 30 Year Mortgage Across Time
Some Highlights:
With interest rates still around 4.5%, now is a great time to look back at where rates have been over the last 40 years.
Rates are projected to climb to 5.0% by this time next year according to Freddie Mac.
The impact your interest…
4 Reasons the Real Estate Market will be strong in 2019!!!
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the real estate market heading into 2019. That uncertainty has raised concerns that we may be headed toward another housing crash like the one we experienced a decade ago. Here are four reasons why today’s market is much different: 1. There are fewer foreclosures now than there were […]
Is now a better time to be a Seller or a Buyer?
This report is current for December 2018. When I talk with perspective sellers this time of year, a very common comment is …” We are going to wait until Spring….”. I understand that this is a common perception. But I have tracked our market for the last 10 years. I always review the current inventory on a monthly basis throughout the year. On any given year, the inventory of Active homes is always less in January- February as compared to June- August. I have found that the listing inventory decreases on any given year by about 20-40% in our…
Read More
Is our Real Estate Market headed for a crash?
Is our real estate market headed for a bust? Or maybe just a correction? My quick answer is the market is changing got sure. For purposes of the market, I will look at the market in Sacramanto, Placer, and El Dorado counties. This region extents from Sacramento going up both the Highway 80 and Highway 50 “corridors” up to Lake Tahoe. First let us look at some history. In this region in the last 5 years, prices have gone up 50%! We have been seeing a 8-10% increase in prices each year. Take a look at the chart below.…
Read MoreAre You Spending TOO Much on Rent?
Chances are if you are renting you are spending too much of your income on your monthly housing expense. There is a long-standing ‘rule’ that a household should not pay more than 28% of their income on their rent or mortgage payment. This percentage allows the household to save money for the future while comfortably covering […]
Frequently Asked Questions
What Determines the Value of Your Home?
Basically, a home’s worth is determined by its market value. How is “market value” determined? Most often, it’s figured by a comparison (“comp”) with homes similar to yours in the surrounding area. So, if the homes in your neighborhood average, say, $250,000, then it’s likely that the value of your property will fall in the same range. But market value is also determined by a number of factors including the following: External Factors There can be several external factors influencing the value of your home. One is “curb appeal”, or the first impression your property makes upon prospective buyers. A home that’s in…
Read More
Preparing your home for sale (Part 1 of 3)
Know the “why” behind your move Clients need to understand the “Why” as to what is their motivation behind the transition and move for their family. A client’s motivation an important role in the process. Motivation can affect everything from setting a price, to deciding how much time and money you’ll invest to getting your home ready for selling. Another way to look at this is what is most important to the client in the selling process. Are they on a strict timeline to make the sale happen? Or are they trying to net absolutely the most money. …
Read More
Why my home didn’t Sell!
“Frank, I had my home on the market now for 3 months and nothing happened …” “Why my home didn’t Sell!” I get asked these questions at least one a week. When a home does not sell, Sellers’s can be very frustrated, disappointed and maybe even very upset with the real estate community and the market. I find that there are 4 areas to look at when a home does not sell: 1. Price along with Market conditions 2. Condition of your home 3. Access 4. Marketing. Price and market conditions I have to be honest. Correctly pricing a…
Read More
How are buyers and sellers protected in a real estate contract?
The short answer is “contingencies.” In simple terms, a contingency in a real estate contract means that the buyer or the seller has to do something in order for the contract to move forward. If you a buyer or seller and are part of a real estate contract, you absolutely need to understand the various contingencies that are part of the contract. Not only do you need to understand what contingencies are in the contract, but how long they are in play and how they are to be removed. In a typical residential contract in California today, the following…
Read MoreThe Cost of a 30 Year Mortgage Across Time
Some Highlights:
With interest rates still around 4.5%, now is a great time to look back at where rates have been over the last 40 years.
Rates are projected to climb to 5.0% by this time next year according to Freddie Mac.
The impact your interest…
4 Reasons the Real Estate Market will be strong in 2019!!!
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the real estate market heading into 2019. That uncertainty has raised concerns that we may be headed toward another housing crash like the one we experienced a decade ago. Here are four reasons why today’s market is much different: 1. There are fewer foreclosures now than there were […]
Is now a better time to be a Seller or a Buyer?
This report is current for December 2018. When I talk with perspective sellers this time of year, a very common comment is …” We are going to wait until Spring….”. I understand that this is a common perception. But I have tracked our market for the last 10 years. I always review the current inventory on a monthly basis throughout the year. On any given year, the inventory of Active homes is always less in January- February as compared to June- August. I have found that the listing inventory decreases on any given year by about 20-40% in our…
Read More
Is our Real Estate Market headed for a crash?
Is our real estate market headed for a bust? Or maybe just a correction? My quick answer is the market is changing got sure. For purposes of the market, I will look at the market in Sacramanto, Placer, and El Dorado counties. This region extents from Sacramento going up both the Highway 80 and Highway 50 “corridors” up to Lake Tahoe. First let us look at some history. In this region in the last 5 years, prices have gone up 50%! We have been seeing a 8-10% increase in prices each year. Take a look at the chart below.…
Read MoreAre You Spending TOO Much on Rent?
Chances are if you are renting you are spending too much of your income on your monthly housing expense. There is a long-standing ‘rule’ that a household should not pay more than 28% of their income on their rent or mortgage payment. This percentage allows the household to save money for the future while comfortably covering […]