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Thanks to all of those brave women and men who have fought for our freedom since the inception of our nation. Our nation allows us to enjoy the right to speak freely, assemble peacefully, and choose our religion amongst other important rights.  Our nation allows us to obtain the American Dream, to be successful and to improve our lives regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

We have the freedom to pursue happiness whether this includes material or non-material goals.  We all have our own values and vision as to what really makes us happy.  Let’s pursue it if it means finding your inner self and making personal, health, or spiritual changes.  Or, if it means furthering your education, securing a better job, or purchasing your first home.  Above all, lets not take for granted the blessings we enjoy daily in this beautiful country.

Have a blessed and safe 4th of July!

Have you ever driven by a new community and fallen in love with the model homes?  The staging, the ambiance, and the thought of being able to customize your new home can be very tempting.  In the excitement of things, you might not consider the need for REALTOR representation.  But, why should you? You are buying directly from the builder whose sales representative will take care of everything!

Well, purchasing a home, whether it is brand new or a resale, is one of the greatest investments in someone’s life.  The salesperson at the sales office is representing the best interest of the builder.  Not yours.  Consequently, you might want to consider having your own representation.  Most builders will cooperate with REALTORS as long as your REALTOR is present the first time you visit their sales office.

If you happen to stop by without your REALTOR, ask the salesperson if the builder cooperates with REALTORS and inform him/her you are represented.   If possible, provide your REALTOR’s business card. Do not fill out a registration card or sign any contracts without your REALTOR being present.

Your REALTOR can not only assist you in negotiating but also in advising you on what is or is not customary in purchasing a brand new home, what to expect during the process, how to compare your financing options, the pros/cons of upgrades, timeframes, and what inspections are required versus recommended.

Although you may purchase a brand new home without REALTOR representation.  You might want to weigh in representation vs. non-representation before making a decision to purchase a brand new home.

Are you thinking of selling your home but do not know where to start?  The first recommendation would be to meet with your REALTOR® to get your home ready to sell.  You may also want to consider the following 5 tips to get your home ready to show:

1. Declutter:  Organize closets and kitchen cabinets.  Buyers will look through them to get an idea of storage space.  Having a yard sale or donating to a thrift store may be the way to go.  There are also some apps where you may sell used items such as letgo, Varage Sale, or OfferUp.
2. Clean:  Dust on top of the fireplace mantle, cabinets, and ceiling fans.  Clean windows and closets.   If you are too busy, hire someone to do some deep cleaning.
3. Paint:  Paint the walls a neutral color.  This will help buyers visualize their furniture and decor in the home. Replace outside fascia and paint externally as well, if needed.
4. Depersonalize: The idea is to allow buyers to picture themselves in the home. Remove personal pictures or other personal belongings.  Also, consider removing  pictures and magnets from the refrigerator.
5. Stage:  Less is more. Move furniture around to create good flow in the room.  Create vignettes and highlight focal points.  Also, first impressions start with curb appeal.  Trim the front lawn and work on your garden.

These are only a few tips.  Put yourself in the buyers’ place and consider making repairs or other simple fixes which would encourage buyers to submit an offer.  These may be what makes the difference in getting top dollar for your home.

Have you ever wondered how your buyer’s agent gets paid?  If you have ever sold a house, you know that both the listing and selling agents typically get paid by the seller.  Most agents only get paid by commission.  With the exception of maybe a brokerage here and there, it is extremely rare that a real estate agent will get paid a salary.  This is why most agents strive to provide you with the best possible service.  They want your business.

Precisely because it is a business heavily dependent on commission, it is a very competitive industry.  Some buyers may not realize that if they walk into an open house and sign a purchase agreement with the listing agent, the selling agent who has shown them homes for months and spent endless hours preparing them to buy their dream home, will never get paid for all that work.  Buyers please communicate with your selling agent first before committing to someone else who does not represent you.  Your agent owes you undivided loyalty and looks out for your best interest.  It would be only fair that you would do the same.  Don’t you think?

This business is a people business and many different personalities are involved.  It is understandable that, at one point, a buyer may not feel comfortable with his or her agent or vice versa.  However, this usually can be identified at the beginning of the relationship.  Openly communicating with each other will help clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings.  Ask questions.  Express your fears and concerns. I am sure your agent would be happy to dialogue with you about them.  If after communicating, the relationship is still not where you want it to be, please don’t wait too long to tell your agent.  Remember to treat others as you would like to be treated…after all, real estate agents are human too.

Have a successful house-hunting journey!

First of all, what is a pre-approval? It is the preliminary process in applying for a mortgage loan. It is important to note that this is still conditional on a qualified property and other terms determined by your lender. This process involves running your credit report, verifying income, employment and funds, etc. According to Freddie Mac, a pre-approval is the first step to determine:

“Capacity – Your current and future ability to pay back the loan. Lenders look at your income, employment history, savings, and monthly debt payments, such as credit card charges and other financial obligations, to make sure that you have the means to take on a mortgage comfortably.

Capital – The money and savings that you have on hand plus investments, properties, and other assets that could be sold fairly quickly for cash. Having these reserves proves that you can manage your money and have funds, in addition to your income, to help pay the debt.

Collateral – The value of the home that you plan to buy.

Credit – Your record of paying bills and other debts on time. (Even if you don’t plan to buy a home now, it’s always a good idea to build and maintain strong credit. Landlords often check it to make sure that you can pay the rent; it’s also important if you want to apply for a mortgage or other credit line in the future, such as a student loan, car loan, or credit cards)” (Freddiemac.com, 2015).

When the lender has reviewed the buyer’s financials and determined the buyer is capable and able to obtain a mortgage loan, a pre-approval letter is provided to the buyer, which may be submitted to the seller in support of the offer. This benefits both the buyer and the seller in the following ways:
Buyer

1) Knowing the price range you can afford and preventing the disappointment of finding something you love but do not qualify for.

2) Preventing unexpected surprises when you are in escrow.

3) Giving you more confidence over competitors who are either looking without a pre-approval or only have a pre-qualification.

Seller

1) You may differentiate between serious buyers and others who may not go through with the sale.

2) You may have more assurance that your home will not fall from escrow and lose time in the process.

3) You may be able to close the transaction sooner than if the buyer would not had been previously pre-approved.

It is in the best interest of all parties for buyers to take the time to get pre-approved. Sometimes people may think their credit is better than it really is. At the end, this process may allow everyone to make the best use of their time and their emotional stability.

Buying Or Selling Should Not Be A Negative Experience 

Buying or selling a home is already a big step in someone’s life but doing it for the first time can not only be stressful but also scary. Not knowing what risks are taken when an offer is accepted or wondering if there will be a way out if there is something major wrong with the house adds up to those fears.

However, buying a home should not have to be a negative experience. It should be an exciting event in life where the buyer looks forward to finally enjoying that safe haven.

Anyone Can Sell But Not Everyone Can Serve

Having an experienced Realtor can help to ease the buyer’s concerns and doubts. A Realtor will explain the process and answer questions. Also, having an agent whom the buyer trusts and sincerely has the client’s best interest is imperative in making the transaction more pleasant.

Personally, I strongly believe it is not only about how much money someone can make off of a transaction but how best one can serve the client. It should be about having satisfied, happy clients. It should be about relationships. I believe anyone can sell but not everyone can serve. 

As a result, I have repeat clients and referrals from them. I would love to also be of service to you. Contact me at (909) 346-3610 if you are interested in selling or buying your home.

What do I love about real estate:

• The satisfaction of knowing I can help others.
• The joy of  being part of my buyers’ dream to own their first home.
• The appreciation of my sellers for helping them through a difficult transaction.
• The referrals received from previous clients, which let me know I did something right.

As Steve Jobs said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”  I have found it!

Today is a day to celebrate love and friendship … to be thankful for the blessing of those special people who are part of our lives.  Many of our life goals and plans have to do with love.  We make decisions thinking of those we love and how they will be impacted.

But … what is love? Love is sacrifice, love is forgiving, love is patient, love is kind, love is sincere, love is unselfish, love is unconditional, and much more.  We can show love even to those we do not personally know. So…

Today, be intentional about loving someone near you.  Whether it is a kind word or a kind act, show them some love.

During this time our nation faces uncertainty, you may wonder if you should act now, or wait to see what happens with the real estate market. Perhaps, you wonder if you should wait to purchase in case the value of homes goes down. Or, you may wonder if you should wait to sell in case the value of homes goes up.

In either case, we do not know what will happen with certainty. However, we do know what we see now. What we see is that interest rates are increasing, which will impact purchase power. We also see more homes being built, which will increase inventory.

Depending on your individual circumstances, consider taking action now as the future is unknown and just as holding off might be to your benefit, it might also be against you. Do not wait too long to take action.  Contact me at (909) 346-3610 if you are interested in buying or selling your home.

Is This a Good Time to Sell Your Home and Buy Another One?

Yes! There is currently low inventory and many buyers. Consequently, if you list your home at the current market price, you may sell it fairly quickly and still be able to take advantage of the low interest rates available to homebuyers.

Having this advantage as a home seller, may tempt you to overprice your home. However, please keep in mind that everything is relative. By the time you are able to sell your home, the other homes may also be priced higher… and even the interest rate may be higher by then; therefore, affecting your buying power. And, if you sell now at a lower price, you may also purchase at a lower price.

On the other hand, you may wonder if the current inventory will harm your ability to purchase your new home. Although this is not the only option, hopefully, you have enough to put a large down payment and not ask for any closing costs or other concessions. The stronger your offer, the better chance you have of getting your offer accepted. Be flexible. Think about the type of offers you would like to receive on your own home.

Wondering if you should purchase contingent upon selling your current home? Well, the type of contingencies have a lot to do on the strength of your offer. Hence, an offer with this type of contingency may negatively affect the chance of getting an offer accepted. Perhaps, you may consider renting in between the time you sell your home and purchase the other one.

It may seem like a lot to process at first, but that is why your Realtor is there to help. Consult with your Realtor. Your Realtor may provide you with expert advice and even statistical information that may help on your selling and buying decisions.