Is it time to Remodel?

Get out your tape measure, hammer, and... calculator.  Does the remodel you're planning make sense?  Are you doing it for you and your family's needs, or because you think it will increase the value of your home?

Social Media Savvy Buyers

If you're reading this, you're on the web. If you're on the web, you use either Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, or all four. It's a trend that has grown, with great success, so be prepared to see a higher percentage yet in 2015.

Renters' Roots

Sometimes it's vice versa, and a homeowner moves into a rental near the house he just sold!

Ever Have a Chinese Landlord? You may soon...

Based on this article, Chinese real estate investors are moving to a neighborhood near you:
Chinese RE investors

Homeo, Homeo, Wherefore art thou Homeo?

When someone says the LOVE a home, be it their own or somebody else's... statistics show they really mean it.

Yup, it's all about The VIEW

California has so many remarkable terrains and vistas. With ocean-cliff-coastal homes undoubtedly being the most valuable, the runners up all have a common theme: A great view. Having an ocean view, especially one that allows inhabitants to enjoy the sunset as it dips into the pacific, adds considerable value to a home. Couple that concept with a rooftop deck entertaining area, and you've got yourself a true Southern California lifestyle.

What do Sellers think about home value?

Comparing 2012 to 2013, Sellers are inclined to anticipate increasing value. Based on the reports for 2014... looks like they were right!

California Real Estate and Multiple Offers of Property

We Californians know that the prices are high in the desirable areas for just that reason... they are so darn desirable. Amazing beaches, mountains, climate, and trends bring more people here all the time; which not only continues driving property values up, but causes there to be multiple offers on properties very frequently. So how does a home seller deal with such a scenario, let's take a look at this chart to find out:

California Water Crisis

We're so accustomed to a certain lifestyle, where water is plentiful... what if it weren't (even for a Californian)? How do we use our water anyway, and can we be more efficient?

Pre-Spring Housing Inventory

Source: LA Times

"Southern California's housing supply is expanding ahead of the spring buying season.

The number of homes on the market jumped in February, according to new figures out Monday from the California Assn. of Realtors, and is well above figures from a year ago."

Read the full story.

Home Prices Rise by 12% Year Over Year in January

For those keeping track of the pulse of the real estate market, a recent report sums it up well...

"CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, today released its January CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI®) report. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 12 percent in January 2014 compared to January 2013."

The article continues... "Excluding distressed sales, home prices nationally increased 9.8 percent in January 2014 compared to January 2013 and 0.7 percent month over month compared to December 2013.  Distressed sales include short sales and real estate owned (REO) transactions."

Read the full story.

Prime Factor of Location: The Neighborhood

They always say one of the most important elements of real estate is the property's location. When it comes to home-buying, the neighborhood itself is a factor of location that buyers pay attention to. Is there a park nearby? Is there a shopping area within walking distance? What about the schools? Check out these stats to see what others are thinking about.

Spring Home Buying Season Starts Outside Polar Vortex

Source: Investor’s Business Daily

The spring home buying season, typically the busiest of the year, is now under way, and activity is brisk in many markets. Geoff McIntosh, managing broker and co-owner of Main Street REALTORS®, said, “We continue to see an extremely active marketplace. We've had a lot of pent-up demand and incredibly short inventory.”

Read the full story.

Home Financing Trends

Of the numerous financing options that banks and other lending institutions offer Buyers, you can bet after the 2008 crisis that security should be regarded as more important than tenths of a percentage point. The 30-year fixed, amortized loan repayment program assures new home owners that the mortgage rate they're paying today will not suddenly change. The 5-year ARMs that concealed crucial details in the fine print was a devastating lesson for economists and consumers.
Let's play fair people. Let's play it safe.

January Home Sales Price Report

Source: C.A.R.

A limited supply of available homes for sale continued to hamper California housing sales, which were essentially flat in January, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported.

“The underlying fundamentals for housing demand exists, however, constrained inventory is holding back a stronger recovery as affordability becomes an issue for current homeowners who are reluctant to move due to less attractive mortgage rates and more restrictive lending standards,” said C.A.R. President Kevin Brown.  “Supply conditions in the lower-priced segment were especially tight as inventory for homes priced below $300,000 fell 13.4 percent from the previous year, while inventory for homes priced $1 million and higher increased 11.1 percent from last year.”

Source and Read More

To Realtor or Not to Realtor

That is the question that "For Sale By Owner" contemplators ponder. Before making that decision, consider these matters...

Southern California’s luxury housing market rebounds

Source: Los Angeles Daily News

Sales of homes costing $1 million or more soared 45 percent, which is reportedly their highest level in six years for the luxury housing market. While there were 10,602 buyers in 2013 for these luxury properties, it was Southern California in particular that dominated the luxury market.

"Malibu notched the most expensive sale last year — $74.5 million for a 15,355-square-foot, eight-bedroom, 14-bathroom beachfront estate built in 1993, DataQuick said."

Read the full story.

California Median Home Prices

Categorized by County.
Source: CAR's November 2013 Home Sales and Price Report News Release

Americans believe housing prices will rise, poll says. And they’re ready for it.

Source: Washington Post

A new survey from the New York Federal Reserve shows volatility in the markets has not strongly registered in the minds of consumers, as the survey indicates that the amount of uncertainty that households have over home prices remained flat through the second half of last year.

Read the full story.

Home Improvements with a Return

Some home improvements bring more money back to the homeowner than the initial expense... after all, that's what flippers are banking on. But not all improvements will reap the rewards. Here is a list of some of the most common: