TODAY’S REAL ESTATE MARKET

People have many questions about today’s real estate market…..and how it will affect their personal situation.  If you are behind on your house payments, looking for an investment property, looking for a rental, currently renting, or buying your first home, I have something for everyone.

SHORT SALE / FORECLOSURE:   If you are currently behind on your house payment, or thinking of letting your home go, make sure you call me asap to review your options.  I can help you short sale your home for FREE and I can explain your personal benefits.  It is important to know all your options in this crazy real estate market.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS:  With all the short sales and bank owned homes on the market, it is the perfect time to purchase a great deal.  Interest rates are the lowest in history so it is important to take advantage of all the buyer benefits.

RENTERS:  If you are loosing your home and looking for a rental, I can help you at no charge.  If you have been renting, now may be the time to buy.  Call me to find out if you qualify to purchase a home.

INVESTORS:  Why invest your money in the stock market when you can purchase a home at a rock bottom price.  Many investors are buying great real estate deals.  You can purchase a home and use the rent to cover the monthly mortgage payment, find out if it can work for you.

BUYING / SELLERS:  The real estate market is always changing and it is important to have all your information before you decide to buy or sell.  Call or email so I can help you understand what is happening today.

If you know someone who could benefit from my real estate knowledge or needs a little guidance, please forward my information to them or let me know.

WHERE’S THE RENT ? (landlord humor)

When writing a letter to anyone you should always check your spelling and sentence structure………..Below are a few funny letters written to Landlords that I thought you might like:

The toilet is blocked and we cannot bathe the children until it is cleared.

This is to let you know that there is a smell coming from the man next door.

I request your permission to remove my drawers in the kitchen.

I want some repairs done to my stove as it has backfires and burnt my knob off.

I awoke this morning and found my water boiling.

I want to complain about the farmer across the road.  Every morning at 5:30 his cock wakes me up and it is getting old.

Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces.

The toilet seat is cracked:  where do I stand?

Could you please send someone to fix our bath tap.  My wife got her toe stuck in it and it is very uncomfortable for us.

Our kitchen floor is very damp, we have two children and would like a third, so will you please send someone to do something about it.

I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is running away from the wall.

Will you please send someone to mend our cracked sidewalk?  Yesterday my wife tripped on it and is now pregnant.

It’s the dogs mess that I find hard to swallow.

50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster and 50% are plain filthy.

These are all in good fun…..I am a Landlord and I sure hope my tenants don’t think of me like this:

What do you have if you have a landlord buried up to his neck in wet cement?

Not enough cement.

How many landlords does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

One.  One landlord holds it and the whole world revolves around him.

What do UFO’s and honest landlords have in common?

You hear about them but you never see them.

How do you save a drowning landlord?

Take your foot off his head.

When landlords die, why do they bury them 600 feet underground?

Cause deep down they are really nice guys.

WHY REAL ESTATE INVESTING MAKES MORE SENSE THAN EVER

Statistics show that investing in real estate and owning rental property is still one of the best ways to invest, even in our current market conditions.  The fact is now is the best time to purchase investment property for most people.

 Having investment property is not for everyone…….It could be labor intensive, and it’s not very liquid.  Holding onto the property will most likely give you greater return.  This is why you are more likely to “make” more money purchasing investment property than you may be able to “make” in other investment vehicles.

During the current market conditions, most homes have dropped in value.  In California we have many people loosing their homes and moving into rentals.  With the increase of these, home sales have dropped and our rental market is high.  investors can take advantage of this and put extra cash in their pocket.

Lets look at an example of a home currently on the market.  I found a home for $150,000 it is a 3 Bedroom + loft/office, 2 1/2 Bathroom, 1595sqft, 2 car garage, close to schools and shopping, move-in ready home in a nice neighborhood.  This would be a perfect investment home.

• $160,000 purchase price (including closing costs, negotiated price and closing costs – estimated)
• $30,000 down payment (may be less than 20% depending on the type of loan)
• $1,300.00 a month estimated mortgage, taxes & insurance (depends on loan and interest rate)
• $1,600.00 a month is the amount this home can currently be rented
• $300.00 profit each month 

With these numbers it will take you 100 months to make back your down payment, but don’t forget the other values owning rental property brings.  Each year you own the home you will receive an extra income tax deduction.  The hope is that you can make just a little money each month and hold onto the home until the market values go up and you can sell the home for a much larger profit.  A few years ago investors would purchase investment property and have a negative cash flow each month, that is not usually the case today.

These are rough numbers and every situation is different.  It is important that you talk to a Realtor to see what your numbers might look like.

EMAIL ME TODAY TO LOOK AT YOUR SITUATION AND SEE IF BUYING AN INVESTMENT HOME IS A SMART DECISION FOR YOU!

MOVING TIPS YOU DON’T WANT TO FORGET

Many people don’t know were to start when it is time to move several years of “stuff.”  Moving your belongings to your new home is not the only thing that needs to be taken care of.  Make sure you don’t forget about:

DON’T FORGET

• Schedule disconnection of all utility services at your old home, and connection of them at your new one. Be sure to disconnect the day after you leave and connect the day before you arrive. If you have “last month” deposits with services, such as the water or gas company, request your refund.
• Notify any creditors of your move.  (credit cards, cell phones, auto loans/leases, insurance, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, auto registration, etc.  Make sure they are aware of your new address
• Contact health clubs or other organization you have joined.  Ask how to move, sell, or end our membership.
• Arrange to have school records transferred to your children’s new school district and/or daycare.
• File for a new drivers license with your new address
• Change banking information and order new checks.
• Order a copy of medical, dental and immunization records including prescription medications.  Ask your doctor to transfer your records and prescriptions to your new doctor and pharmacy in advance.   
• Don’t forget about your pets.  Arrange for your veterinarian to transfer the records to your new location.
• Make sure all library books have been returned and all dry cleaning or items out for repair have been picked up. Also retrieve any items out on loan.
• File a change of address with the Postal Service. 
• Notify friends and family of your new address and phone number

A few simple things you should remember when packing your belongings.  Having things in order will help relieve some of your stress and make the move go smoothly.

GET PREPAIRED

• Stock up on packing supplies. Moving boxes, bubble wrap, newspapers, packing foam, packing tape, plastic totes – anything and everything you can gather (ahead of time) will help when it’s time to begin packing.
• De-clutter and purge unwanted items.  Sale, donate or trash unwanted and unused items.  The more you eliminate the lighter your load will be saving you packing time, loading time and money.
• Pack unused and seasonal items early.  Packing items that you will not miss before the move will save you time later. 
• Mark all moving containers with the contents and location in your new home. You can lose a lot of time digging into boxes to figure out what they contain, and where they go in your new home.
• Wether you are using a moving company or moving yourself, keep all valuable together.  Try to separate valuable and/or irreplaceable items like important paperwork/documents, jewelry, family heirlooms, keepsakes, photos or any other important items.  Keep a special eye on this box and make sure it is put in a safe place at all times.

DAY OF THE MOVE

• Make childcare arrangements for moving day.
• Make arrangements for your pets on the day of the move.
• Have an essentials box.  Plan one box to be loaded last and unloaded first that will contain items that might be needed as soon as you get to your new home.
• Leave a note with your new address in the house so that future residents can forward any stray mail.

AT YOUR NEW HOME

• Make childcare arrangements for moving day.
• Contact the Chamber of Commerce to request their new resident packet.
• Register to vote
• Make arrangements for your pets on the day of the move.
• Have an essentials box.  Plan one box to be loaded last and unloaded first that will contain items that might be needed as soon as you get to your new home.
• Plan your meals ahead of time for moving day.



ONE LAST TIP: 

RENTAL SCAM ALERT – BUYER BEWARE

When you are looking for a new home to rent it is important to be informed of the dangers to avoid.  It is easy to fall victim to many of the scams out there.

When looking for a home to rent, many people will search the internet and local sites such as Craigslist.  One scam is for people to take a home that is currently for sale and list it on craigslist as a rental.  They will interview applicants and accept a first month and security deposit.  The renters have no idea that the person they are working with is not the actual owner of the home.  Most of these scammers are very convincing in dismissing suspicion.  They excuse the fact that you can’t view the home because the old tenant hasn’t moved out yet.  They may offer the home at such a great price that you just don’t want to miss out on the perfect deal.

This is not something that just happens on the internet.  Some scammers will find a vacant home and have the locks changed so they can meet clients, show the home, and collect the money.

Another scam to be aware of is one that can be very inconvenient for you.  Some renters are finding themselves signing a lease, moving into a home with no problems.  A little after they are settled someone knocks on the door and advises them that the home has been sold and they need to move out immediately.  Landlords that are in foreclosure are moving into rentals and renting out their homes until the bank shows up to remove them.  This will leave you with no place to live, the loss of your security deposit plus the additional moving expenses.

We can give you piece of mind when you are looking for a new rental.  Using a Realtor to find a rental is a free service we provide.  We will ensure that the person claiming to be the landlord is the actual owner of the home.  We can also check to ensure the home will not be in foreclosure at the time you sign your contract.  We can help you make a more educated decision when you are looking for a home to rent.