Tuesday, May 27, 2014

6 Upgrades to Secure a Speedy Sale This Summer

Selling This Summer? 6 Upgrades to Secure a Speedy Sale


(BPT) - When the weather warms up, so does the real estate market. Spring and summer are traditionally the seasons when both homebuyers and sellers are most active across the country. If you'll be putting your home on the market this year, simple, cost-effective upgrades can help ensure a speedy sale at a good price.



"In the world of real estate, it's often necessary for sellers to spend a little on upgrades in order to achieve a satisfying home sale," says Bethany Richmond, communications director for the Carpet & Rug Institute. "Fortunately, some of the most impressive upgrades, such as new carpeting, are also affordable. Such upgrades ensure that you don't have to spend a lot to achieve a better selling price."



Here are six easy-to-do upgrades that are both cost-effective and high-impact:



1. Replace carpet

It's easy to see the impact of worn or dated carpeting. "If you don't like looking at it, buyers won't either," Richmond says. "Replacing old or damaged carpet delivers impressive appeal for a modest investment."



New carpet is one upgrade that has a high ratio of value to cost. It substantially increases perceived value for homebuyers without requiring home sellers to spend a bundle. "Even less expensive carpet styles will freshen the look of a room and prepare it for sale," Richmond notes. "You can get a lot more quality for just a little more money, she says, "and if you take advantage of spring carpet sales, installing new carpeting can cost even less."



2. Clean flooring

If your carpet is still in great shape, then simply having it professionally cleaned can make it look even better. A deep professional cleaning helps lift tough soils and provides a cleaner, fresher look to rooms. You can find an expert in your area by visiting www.carpet-rug.org. CRI experts can even provide insight into how to remove difficult stains.



Not only is carpet a good value, it's healthy, too. People with allergies or other sensitivities are installing carpet to improve indoor air quality. Recent studies support previous findings that carpet, when effectively cleaned, traps allergens and other particles, resulting in less dust, dander and airborne contaminants escaping into the air. Don't forget to clean all other flooring, including hardwood, laminates and tile. Buyers will appreciate a sparkling clean appearance throughout the house.



3. Repaint in neutral shades

Fresh paint is another smart and cost-effective upgrade for sellers. Buyers expect it, yet many sellers hesitate to repaint. Perhaps they like the existing colors or balk at the cost of professional painting services. Yet repainting in neutral colors makes a room look fresher and brighter, and gives buyers a visual "blank slate" against which to imagine their own decor. Do the work yourself and you can reduce the cost of repainting even further.



4. Update or upgrade lighting

You may find that disco-ball style globe light charming in your kitchen, but the average buyer doesn't want dated or unusual lighting. Replacing dated or worn fixtures, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, is a cost-effective way to give a room a more up-to-date, contemporary look. If you already have newer fixtures, consider replacing incandescent bulbs with high-efficiency options such as CFLs or LEDs. Although they're a bit more expensive to purchase, these bulbs last years longer - a selling point for buyers who will reap the value of not having to replace bulbs any time in the near future.



5. Install new faucets

A high-end faucet can completely change the look and usability of a kitchen or bathroom. In terms of cost versus value, an upgraded faucet, such as pull-out or even touch-free styles, can dramatically increase perceived value for a relatively modest investment. An upgraded faucet is a thoughtful touch that will set your home apart in buyers' minds.



6. Replace hardware throughout the home

You may have already thought of upgrading kitchen cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, but have you also upgraded hardware in your bathroom or on the front door? These seemingly small items have a major impact on the overall visual effect of a home. In desirable rooms such as kitchens and baths, designer hardware can elevate the entire look of the room. And upgraded door hardware will ensure buyers have a positive first impression from the moment they enter your home.



Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Alpine Real Estate Market Report - April 2014

Take a look at the Alpine Real Estate Market Report - April 2014.

Please give me a call if you have any real estate questions.  I am here to help.

Jamul Real Estate Market Report - April 2014

Here is the Jamul real estate market report for April 2014.  Please take a look and let me know if you like the new design.  If you have any real estate questions, please feel free to give me a call.

El Cajon Real Estate Snapshot - April 2014

Here is the monthly real estate report for El Cajon.  I have changed the format so please let me know what you think.

El Cajon Real Estate Report

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

El Cajon Weekly Real Estate Market Report

El Cajon Weekly Market Report

Thursday, March 27, 2014

California Real Estate Quick Facts

California Median Home Price: February 2014
  • California Median:  $404,250
  • Highest Median County/Area:  Marin, $983,690
  • Lowest Median County/Area:  Plumus, $118,000

Mortgage Rates for week ending 3/20/2014 (Source: Freddie Mac)
  • 30-yr. fixed 4.32%, fees/points: 0.6%
  • 15-yr, fixed 3.32%, fees/points: 0.6%

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

How Much Water Do You Use?


I saw a recent post from the California Association of Realtors that stated that the average 3 bedroom, 2 bath home uses 174,000 gallons of water per year.  That's crazy!  They have provided the picture below to show where most of the water is used and how you might be able to save yourself some money!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Tips for Today's Home Buyer and Seller

As home sales continue to be slow, many buyers and sellers are asking what it all means to them. For months now, the lack of inventory has been considered the biggest contributing factor for the low sales. We are beginning to see a rise in inventory but still sales remain flat. This could be attributed to the fact that as prices and interest rates rise, home affordability decreases which forces many would be buyers out of the market. Here are some tips for both buyers and sellers to help them in this ever changing industry.

Buyers:

1. Get prequalified before you begin your search. Contact your lender and find out how much you qualify for. They will run your credit and crunch your income and debt numbers to determine the amount of loan you will be able to get. You will find out what closing costs, down payments, etc. are required as well as what your estimated monthly payment, taxes and insurance will be. You need to know this going in. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a house only to find out you cannot afford it. (If you need help finding a lender, let me know. I work with some very knowledgeable and reputable lenders who would be happy to get you started.)

2. Start early. Don’t wait until you have to move to begin your search. Buying a home is a process. Once you are prequalified start to look. Research what neighborhoods you would like to live in and what houses are selling for in those areas. Begin to see what your budget is going to get you. With low inventory you may not immediately find what you are looking for. Be patient but at the same time realistic. When you do find your home you will be educated and able to write a strong competitive offer. (When you know your budget and what area I can send you market reports, new listings, and recently sold prices to help you with your research.)

3. Have a plan for your current home. Do you need to sell your current home in order to qualify for a new purchase? If so, you should have a plan. Ideally you would sell the current home first and purchase your new home with a cash offer but if moving to a temporary home for a couple of months doesn’t suit you, there is a way. I recommend that you put your current home on the market first and find a buyer for the home with the understanding that the sale is contingent upon you finding a new home. Once you have a buyer in place you can then write an offer on a new home. A buyer is more willing to wait for a close of escrow than a seller typically is. So having your current home in escrow makes your offer on a new home more appealing to the seller. (If closing concurrently on both homes is appealing to you, call me to get your current home on the market and start the process.)


Sellers:

1. The Price is Right. Pricing a home at market value is crucial. You need to do your research and determine what comparable homes in your neighborhood are selling for. You need to be honest and realistic when doing this. Keep in mind the value of your home is not determined by what you owe on the home. Improvements you have made to the home may add value but not necessarily the actual amount you paid. (I can provide you with comparable homes that have sold, a list of your closest active competition and assist you with determining the market value of your home.)

2. Put on a show! Make your home appealing to buyers from the start. Make sure your home is clean, clutter is put away, repairs are done, and landscaping is neat. You want those listing photos to look great! It is the first impression of your home the buyers are going to get. Make sure your home smells good, is neat and that pets are secured for showings. (I would be happy to come by and give you tips on what you can do to make your hoe more appealing to buyers.)

3. Be available. Make showing your home easy and comfortable for buyers. Yes, having strangers tromp through your home can be tough but it has to happen. Allow agents to show your home with short notice and in the evening after work. When prospective buyers are viewing your home, if you are there step outside and allow them some space.


Buying and/or selling a home can be an emotional experience. It is imperative that your keep emotions in check, do not take things personally or be insulted if someone disagrees or doesn’t give you what you want. This is a business and you cannot allow emotions to cause you to make a poor decision. Research is key for both buyers and sellers. You need to know the market value of a home so you can make decisions based on facts not emotions. Keep a level head and do your homework, together we can make your real estate dreams a reality!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

El Cajon Real Estate Market Report February 2014

Here is the monthly real estate report for El Cajon.  I have included the numbers for all 3 zip codes.  This report is for single family homes only.  If you would like the numbers for condos, just let me know.  If you would like to see another area or some great graphs of the market trends visit My Website

92019
There are currently 80 Active listings in El Cajon 92019.  Ranging from $317,000 for 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1131 square feet to $1,495,000 for 6 bedrooms, 6 bathroom, 4287 square feet.

45 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

31 properties SOLD (closed escrow) in February.  Ranging from $228,000 for 3 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 1036 square feet to $1,155,000 for 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3540 square feet.  The average market time for the homes that sold was 45 days.

92020
There are currently 55 Active listings in El Cajon 92020.  Ranging from $215,000 for 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1357 square feet to $1,250,000 for 6 bedrooms, 5 bathroom, 5368 square feet.

39 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

22 properties SOLD (closed escrow) in February.  Ranging from $190,050 for 2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 964 square feet to $705,000 for 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2893 square feet.  The average market time for the homes that sold was 57 days.

92021
There are currently 54 Active listings in El Cajon 92021.  Ranging from $267,000 for 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1223 square feet to $979,000 for 4 bedrooms, 4 bathroom, 3424 square feet.

32 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

16 properties SOLD (closed escrow) in February.  Ranging from $222,500 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1238 square feet to $835,000 for 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3455 square feet.  The average market time for the homes that sold was 49 days.

Jamul Real Estate Market Report Februrary 2014

Happy March Everyone!!  Here is the monthly real estate report for Jamul.  If you would like to see another area or some great graphs of the market trends visit My Website

There are currently 23 Active listings in Alpine.  Ranging from $219,000 for 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 888 square feet to $1,799,999 for 5 bedrooms, 6 bathroom, 8841 square feet.

15 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

8 properties SOLD (closed escrow) in February.  Ranging from $190,000 for 2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms, 1040 square feet to $710,000 for 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3065 square feet.  The average market time for the homes that sold was 97 days.

Alpine Real Estate Market Report Ending Feb 2014

Happy March Everyone!!  Here is the monthly real estate report for Alpine.  If you would like to see another area or some great graphs of the market trends visit My Website

There are currently 48 Active listings in Alpine.  Ranging from $275,000 for 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2091 square feet to $4,750,000 for 4 bedrooms, 3 bathroom, 2853 square feet.

22 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

14 properties SOLD (closed escrow).  Ranging from $345,000 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1646 square feet to $1,100,000 for 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 3908 square feet.  The average market time for the homes that sold was 45 days.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Alpine Monthly Real Estate Report - January 2014

Here is the monthly real estate report for Alpine.  I have included the statistics for single family homes for the month of January 2014.  Please visit my website if you would like to see Alpine Real Estate Market Trends or you would like information regarding another area.

There are currently 55 active listings in Alpine.  They range from $344,000 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1397 square feet to $4,750,000 fro 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2853 square feet.

23 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

8 properties sold (closed escrow) in January.  Ranging from $363,825 fro 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1658 square feet to $625,000 fro 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2519 square feet.  The average time on the market was 48 days.

El Cajon Monthly Real Estate Report - January 2014

Here is the monthly real estate report for El Cajon.  I have included the numbers for single family homes in all three of the El Cajon zip codes.  Please visit my website to see other areas and to view graphs that show the El Cajon Real Estate Market Trends.

92019

There are currently 86 Active listing in El Cajon (92019).  They range from $324,000 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1134 square feet to $1,495,000 for 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 4287 square feet.

45 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

20 properties sold (closed escrow) in January.  Ranging from $200,000 for 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1064 square feet to $1,100,000 for 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4201 square feet.  The average time on the market was 52 days.

92020

There are currently 61 Active listings in zip code 92020.  They range from $274,900 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1082 square feet to $1,250,000 for 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 5368 square feet.

27 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

17 properties sold (closed escrow) in January.  Ranging from $230,500 for 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 895 square feet to $1,229,000 for 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 4568 square feet.  The average time on the market was 55 days.

92021


There are currently 61 Active listings in zip code 92021.  They range from $219,000 for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1222 square feet to $979,000 for 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3424 square feet.

30 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

22 properties sold (closed escrow) in January.  Ranging from $270,000 for 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1377 square feet to $475,000 for 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3259 square feet.  The average time on the market was 50 days.

Jamul Real Estate Report -January 2014

It is time for the monthly look at the local real estate market.  Here is how the real estate market looked for Jamul in January.

There are currently 22 active listings in Jamul.  Ranging from $219,000 for 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 888 square feet to $1,800,000 for 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 8841 square feet.

23 properties are pending (currently in escrow).

1 property sold (closed escrow) in January.  It was a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2098 square foot home.  It sold for $710,000 and was on the market for 28 days.

Please visit my website to view Jamul Real Estate Market Trends or to explore another neighborhood.

Monday, January 6, 2014

San Diego East County 2013 Real Estate Review

Happy New Year everyone!  I wanted to take a moment and review how the San Diego East County real estate market looked for 2013.  The market has definitely changed.  Prices have stabilized and are rising in many areas.  The inventory of homes on the market it very low and buyers are scrambling to get into a home before prices and interest rates go up further.  More and more sellers are regaining equity in their homes and as a result, we are seeing very few short sales and REO sales at this time.

Here are some of the numbers.  I have included, how many home sold in 2013 and the current number of active listings.  The numbers include all residential styles including, single family homes, condos and manufactured/mobile homes.  If you are considering selling and want to take advantage of the low inventory and reduced competition, please call me today.  I would be happy to provide you with a market value report for your home.

El Cajon (92019) 544 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 119 active listings.
El Cajon (92020) 499 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 48 active listings.
El Cajon (92021) 632 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 85 active listings
.
Alpine (91901) 232 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 64 active listings.

Jamul (91935) 81 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 22 active listings.

Lakeside (92040) 459 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 55 active listings.

Santee (92071) 756 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 84 active listings.

Spring Valley (91978) 106 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 18 active listings.
Spring Valley (91977) 679 homes sold in 2013.  There are currently 88 active listings.

If you would like more information or want to see the numbers for another area, please feel free to let me know.  I would be happy to help.

Feel free to visit  My Website search for homes, run reports and read some great real estate articles.

AddThis

Bookmark and Share