The time between April and August is well known as the top home-buying season of the whole year. Buyers are eager to find their dream home and make their move long before fall and the holidays set in. If you have been considering selling your home, now is the time to make sure it’s in tip top shape. Here are our tips on getting your home ready to sell!

Take the First Step

If you haven’t already gotten started with the beginning steps of selling your home, make this your top priority. Reach out to one of our agents and learn about the process and develop a timeline and plan of action. Get the ball rolling!

Declutter and DIY

Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your home before it hits the market. One of the best things you can do is declutter. Be ruthless – your home will be much more attractive to buyers with less stuff, and you’ll benefit from having less to move when the time comes.

 

DIY projects are also great to knock out in early spring. Any minor fixes you can do will improve your chances of leaving a good impression at open houses and viewings (but leave the big stuff up to the professionals.)

Photo Prep

Start imaging how you want your home to look like for the ever-important photos. Brainstorm staging, lighting, and anything else you’d like to present with your home’s snapshot. Run your ideas over with your agent and do any prep work necessary.

Don’t Forget the Gardens

With the onset of spring, your gardens and yard may start to explode with springtime growth. Don’t let them get out of hand! Keep your gardens, patio, and yard trim to give your home the best possible curb appeal. The beauty of spring often attracts buyers to homes, use it to your advantage!

Bring on Buying Season

April through August is the ultimate time to list your house. The first step to reaching your goal is to be clear on what you can do to make the most of it. Now is the perfect time to get things in order before the best selling season of the year!

 

In the business world, escrow is essential. A third-party is necessary to ensure that both parties on either end of the transaction hold up their end of the bargain. In an ever-evolving world, the way we handle business transactions has seen many changes. While blockchain has garnered media attention as a burgeoning form of tender, it’s not the future of escrow. Traditional methods are proven effective and will stand the test of time against cryptocurrency. Here’s why.

Cryptocurrency is Not Proven

Right now, blockchain is like the wild west. Information is out in the open, yet out in the ether. Being such a new concept, we haven’t seen what the lasting effects of cryptocurrency are.

 

What seems like such a secure concept could be the most compromising. That’s why cryptocurrency will not be the norm in the foreseeable future. No one is sure of the long-term ramifications.

Blockchain is Not as Transparent

Many cryptocurrency companies are tinkering with the concept of an escrow. However, it’s hard for the average person to gauge a value they would understand in terms of their actual assets. You’d need an expert in cryptocurrency and math to make a calculated decision.

 

Whereas, traditional practices is a universal language at this point. You can speak to an actual human and get answers to your concerns. Plus, humans see traditional money as tangible. It’s not data floating in a server somewhere in the blockchain.

Cryptocurrency Doesn’t Fit with Other Processes

Escrow isn’t a business that thrives on its own. It relies on insurance companies, mortgage companies, and other creditors. These are all cogs in the machines that make the business world go round.

 

If someone pays a real estate agent for a home with bitcoin, that doesn’t mean the buyer can insure the house or set up an escrow account with cryptocurrency. Using an entirely different form of tender than you’d use to settle all the other essentials would complicate the process for the buyer. Who needs that headache? This why cryptocurrency isn’t feasible as the future of escrow.  

 

Buying a house is a big deal. It’s not a decision you should make lightly. A home is a commitment of at least 30 years. However, for many, it’s a lifetime. Now, don’t let that scare you. We learn the most when we step outside of comfort zone. Trust us, buying a house is definitely stepping outside of that comfort zone. So, take a breath and look over these 7 things before you’re ready to put in an offer.

Research the Area

When you buy a home, you’re also buying into a neighborhood. Therefore, you should know a thing or two about where you are moving. Luckily, Google has made that pretty easy.

 

Look up the address. Go down the rabbit hole. Check out the crime rate in the area. Read police blotters. See how often your potential street makes it into the news. You might find some red flags that this isn’t the house for you. However, a clean record can ease a lot of concerns!

How is Your Work Commute?

You have to pay the mortgage somehow. So, how is the work commute from the potential new home? You may fall out of love with your dream house if it takes hours getting to and from the job.

 

Before you put in an offer, take a ride to the office. Is it too long for you to bear? Maybe the house is close to a train station or bus stop? Figuring out how to get to and from your workplace most efficiently and cost-effectively can go a long way in swaying your decision to buy a home.

Figure Out the Utilities

Sure, you can afford the mortgage. However, can you cover the cost of keeping the lights on, the internet going, and Netflix streaming?

 

Utilities are different prices throughout the United States. Therefore, what you paid in your old neighborhood might not be what you’re forking out in your new one. Before putting in an offer, make sure you can afford to live in the neighborhood you are looking to move into.  

Assess What Needs Fixing

Ever buy a used car and realize you bought someone else’s problems? Don’t fall into that trap when you are buying a house. This is an issue that will last far longer than the lifespan of a vehicle.

 

Have the house inspected. Let contractors give you estimates on what needs updating. Prioritize what is essential and what is cosmetic. From there, figure out how much you need to invest in fixing the place up. If you need a lot more work done than you initially anticipated, this might not be the right house for you.

What’s It Like at All Times?

When we start the home buying process, it tends to be during day time hours. This is when the neighborhood is at it’s best behavior. Drive by the house numerous times at various moments of the day.

 

See what the activity is like after hours. Scope out the scenery early morning. Are there noisy neighbors that will keep you up all night as they party? Perhaps, there are other neighbors that will be up at the crack of dawn mowing their lawn? Remember, you’re not just buying a house, you’re investing in a neighborhood. Figure out the lay of the land before you put in the offer.

Are There Certain Insurance or Taxes?

Make sure that you are aware of the tax bracket of the neighborhood. These are fees that many don’t anticipate and can be a costly oversight for new homebuyers.

 

Also, be aware of the zoning of the house. For instance, some neighborhoods require additional coverage such as flood insurance. You should know these requirements beforehand and figure them into your budget before making an offer.

Can You Imagine the Rest of Your Life Here?

This last tip may be the most important. The purpose of a house is to be the backdrop for a lifetime of happy memories. Is this the place?

 

Before making an offer, walk in the house. Take a look around. Close your eyes. Can you imagine Christmas morning or Sunday dinner in this house? If so, then it’s set. You found your forever home!

 

A new year typically brings resolutions and promises to get better at some aspect of life. For homeowners, this is the perfect time to get the house in order. Use the start of a new calendar to organize, address, and review in preparation for the year ahead.

 

Review Maintenance Needs and Plan Ahead

Homes require regular, routine maintenance in addition to some less frequent updates. Take stock in both these needs and plan for them throughout the year. Changing filters, testing and replacing smoke alarm batteries, and dryer vent cleaning should all make the list.

 

Plan for larger needs as well like roof inspections or HVAC maintenance. Put everything on a calendar to hold yourself accountable and avoid it “slipping your mind”.

 

Update Emergency Plans and Contact Information

Emergency plans can change based on a variety of factors like the age of those residing in the home and any renovations. It is important to review the plan annually, ensure everyone is aware of the plan, and make any appropriate updates.

 

Emergency contact information should also be reviewed each year. A list is useless if the names, numbers, and addresses are inaccurate. Be sure to update any new family phone numbers along with changes to physicians, dentists, and veterinarians.

 

Pre-Spring Cleanup

The new year represents a fresh start and is a perfect time for a little pre-spring cleaning. While many months of winter may remain, is a great opportunity to evaluate the things around your home that may be excessive.

 

Evaluate closets and decide what clothing can be trashed or donated. Inspect storage spaces for useless or junk items that can be trashed, donated, or labeled for a spring yard sale. Take some time at the new year to do a little work and make the spring cleaning less cumbersome.

 

Conclusion

 

As part of your planning for the upcoming year, take a moment to evaluate your home and its needs. Approach the year with an organized perspective to make home maintenance far less daunting.

 

Do you own a house and are on the verge of foreclosure? Many people will do almost anything to maintain the roof over their heads. As a last-ditch effort, thousands of homeowners are turning to equity stripping to make their homes less attractive to creditors. However, don’t let desperate times call for desperate measures. While on paper this method seems fool-proof, it’s leaving people with even less than what they started with. Let’s take a look at what is “stripping the equity,” why it’s dangerous, and how to avoid it.

What is Equity Stripping?

Equity stripping is considered a form of asset protection. When someone is in debt (such as facing a foreclosure) and are having trouble making payments, creditors start to look at the assets that the debtor owns for collateral. For many, the most valuable asset we own is our home.

 

If you have a mortgage, you have been paying on your house. That means you have some equity in your asset. This is valuable to those who you are in debt to.

 

In order to shell out less money to creditors, you need to prove you have less assets than you actually do. The only way to do that is to hurt your assets. That’s why many are turning to equity stripping.

Types of Equity Stripping

There are a number of ways to go about lowering your equity on your house. Here are some of the most common:

Home Equity Line of Credit

The best way to keep creditors away from your equity is to tie your equity up elsewhere. To do this, many are putting their house up as collateral while they get a home equity line of credit (HELOC). This loan allows you to draw a maximum amount of the equity you already have in your house. The beauty? You don’t need to draw from the money…ever. There’s no penalty for not taking from the loan. Meanwhile, creditors looking at your assets will be turned off by seeing a HELOC.

Second Mortgage

While more effective, this is even riskier. Your equity is pretty much null and void because you will owe even more on the house than it’s worth. This might be a quick fix in fighting off a creditor, but it sets up a lifetime of debt.

Quit-Claim Deed

This used to be a lot more common before divorce became a regular occurence. Here, people sign over their property to a family member or spouse who has less debt. While it seems like a no-brainer, you are handing over your property rights to another person. If the person you signed the house over to doesn’t hold up their end of the bargain, you may find yourself up the creek without a paddle.

What to Do Instead of Equity Stripping?

Equity stripping may be effective, but it’s also dangerous. You can end up with worse credit, no equity, or even homeless. While these are worst-case scenarios, they should be taken into consideration. Before turning to equity stripping as your answer, try these tips first:

 

• Create a Budget and See Where You Can Cut Costs
• Contact the Lender About a New Payment Plan
• AirBnB or Rent Out an In-Law
• Refinance Your Mortgage with a Lower Interest Rate
• Sell Your House and Downsize or Rent

 

While none of these seem like easy answers, they are far less risky than opening up more lines of credit or signing over your house. Equity stripping might seem like answer, but it also can end up becoming a foreclosure scam. Be sure you make an educated decision before doing something as important as equity stripping.

 

Have a California property that you are considering putting on the market? Not sure if the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 is the right to pull the trigger? If you own any of the following properties:

• Commercial Real Estate
• Business Sales/Bulk Sales

 

And these properties are within the following California Regions:

• Inland Empire
• San Fernando Valley
• South East Los Angeles

 

We can help you make those decisions. Let’s take a look at the 2018-2019 real estate forecast for these famous California regions.

Inland Empire

This California region was hit pretty hard by the Great Recession almost a decade ago. Since the slow climb back, many have been apprehensive about the bubble giving out yet again.

 

Well, there’s no need to worry because there isn’t a bubble in sight. Research finds that right now might be the best time to buy and sell a house in Inland Empire.

 

Analysts also noted that if a recession were to hit Inland Empire, it wouldn’t be nearly as severe as it once was. However, employment, construction, and healthcare are all booming right now. That means retail and commercial estates are ripe for the selling.

San Fernando Valley

When it comes to multifamily investments, San Fernando Valley was on the radar for investors. This will continue as 2018 comes to a close and the calendar turns to 2019. The reason for this is that a $10 billion Warner Center investment just opened up.

 

This development created more jobs and brought extra people into San Fernando Valley. These citizens need a place to live. That’s why multifamily investments have been on the steady uprise all year long.

East Los Angeles

When it comes to the commercial real estate market, East Los Angeles ranks #1. Right now, the economy is doing very well. Plus, California has been offering a lot of new tax cuts. In turn, this has made business ventures in East Los Angeles more appealing. Analysts are predicting as high as 9% returns on all commercial real estate investments.

Why 2018-2019 is the Right Time for California Real Estate

This is without a doubt the best time to be in California since the Great Recession. Many are still living with a cloud of fear hanging over them. This apprehension makes getting in on the real estate market at this moment better than ever.

 

That’s because the economy is looking at a steady growth into the near future. With that being said, the pace will slow its rapid growth around 2020. Therefore, you need to ride the wave now when it’s white hot.

 

A home fire is one of the most tragic instances a homeowner can experience. Nothing else threatens human safety and destroys personal belongings faster than a quickly spreading fire in a home. Over 500,000 buildings are destroyed in America each year by fire. Here, we will discuss some things to be aware of and ways to ensure your home, and family, is fire safe.

 

 

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Check Smoke Detectors

The fastest way to ensure safety of persons and property is to be sure smoke detectors are operating appropriately. According to the United States Fire Administration, smoke detectors should be checked monthly. Even if your detectors are hardwired to your electrical supply, the battery backup should be tested. Smoke detectors should be placed on each level of the home and inside each bedroom, or at least outside the sleeping areas.

 

 

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Have a Fire Extinguisher

It may surprise you that many homes do not have a fire extinguisher available. The two main causes of home fires are cooking fires and improper smoking habits (like, falling asleep with a cigarette in hand). However, there are many other causes of fires inside a home that often start as small issues. The availability of a fire extinguisher could mean the difference between needing to do a little cleaning and having to find a new home.

 

 

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Be Aware

Always check for fire hazards as you move about your home on a regular basis. Are candles near flammable objects? Are lighters and matches out of the reach of children? Is there anything near the stove that could catch fire? Is my dryer vent clean of lint buildup? These are all questions that should be answered regularly, as things frequently change.

Ensuring the fire safety of your home is simple. It just requires that you take the few appropriate steps to double check for small dangers. While not all fires are preventable, the majority are. Keep an eye on the things we discussed here, and you can confidently know that your home is fire safe.

 

Spring cleaning gets all the glory. However, fall is a great time to get your house in tip-top shape as well. After all, it’s your last chance before closing up shop and going into hibernation for the winter! Let’s take a look at some around-the-house, autumn-cleaning essentials. Here are a few chores that have to be on your fall cleaning checklist.

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Window Washing

After a gorgeous spring and summer, autumn is the final season where you willingly open the windows in your home. So, you might as well take the time to clean them. After all, you’re going to be staring out theses windows longingly for months on end, wishing for summer to come back ASAP. Might as well have a clear view!

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Pack Up Summer Stuff

Close up the sandbox, move the playhouse into the shed, and cover the pool. While fall offers a few glimmers of summertime hope, they become fewer and farther in between as the season goes on. So, before all your kids’ toys get covered in fallen leaves, store them away. Hopefully, they’ll still want to play with them next year!

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Get the Gutters in Shape

When the leaves fall, they need to land somewhere. A common place they end up is in your gutters. Before the first snowfall, you want to make sure those gutters are cleared. Otherwise, melted snow will pool on top of your house and cause damage to your roof. Cleaning out the gutters and downspouts ensures your home is getting adequate drainage.

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Weather Strip the House

Check windows, garages, and doorway entries for any signs of a draft. If so, invest in some weather stripping. Not only will this keep cold air out, but will also help with electricity, oil, and gas costs during the colder weather.

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Get the Furnace/Chimneys Inspected  

Don’t wait until the last minute to get your furnace and chimneys inspected. Otherwise, the first snowfall will be here before you know it and you might be left in the cold. Not to mention, it’s a busy season for inspectors. The sooner you get the ball rolling on this item, the better for everyone.

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Declutter the Kitchen

It’s no secret. We eat more food in colder weather. Part of it is being trapped indoors. The other part is that there are so many holidays during this time centered around food. Kicking off with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, fall is the time to start clearing out the kitchen. Make more counter space for you to work on by getting rid of unnecessary cookbooks and gadgets. Also, clear out additional room in the pantry for all the holiday cooking essentials. Less clutter will make the impending holidays far less stressful.

 

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Move over, man cave! If you want a little peace and quiet around your household without hiding away in the cold, musty basement, try your backyard on for size. People all over the country are transforming old sheds into round-the-house getaways called she-sheds. She-sheds are the outdoor alternative to man caves and are an easy DIY way to get some R&R. So let’s take a look at what is a she-shed and why you need one!

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What is a She-Shed?
A she-shed is a little enclosed area you put in your backyard and spruce up to fit your mental health needs. It’s purpose in life is to serve you. Whether you need an area to have a cup of tea and read a book, a quiet place to rest your head, or an open space to get your creative juices flowing, a she-shed is the answer you are looking for.

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To create a she-shed, you just need to clean out an old tool shed or abandoned playhouse. From there, you can transform the once disused storage space into your personal staycation getaway.

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If you don’t have any sheds on your property, don’t fret. You can simply buy a tiny house, cottage, barn, or shed from many department stores or hardware outlets such as Home Depot and Sears.

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Why Do I Need a She-Shed?
It’s more like, “Why don’t you need a she-shed?” She-sheds exist for the same reason man caves do…they’re just utilized a bit differently.

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The whole point of a she-shed is to get away. This is especially important for exhausted mothers who need a bit of “me-time,” creative types that need a safe space to explore, or nature lovers that need a break from the actual house itself.

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A she-shed is the perfect opportunity for you to unwind, catch some z’s, or clear your brain. It’s a chance to unplug yourself from what’s going on inside the house and get in tuned with what’s going on inside yourself.

How to Create a She-Shed
Once you have committed to the idea of creating of a she-shed, the next step is to make it yours. The best way to go about decorating your she-shed is to figure out what you are using it for.

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Typically, she-sheds aren’t too big, so it’s not going to fit your 55-inch flat screen, king size bed, and an entire yoga studio. She-sheds are for getaways. They’re not storage units. That’s what actual shed-sheds are for!
Decide why you need a she-shed in the first place. That way you can cater your she-shed to meet your demands. For instance, if you are creating a she-shed to work on a fairy garden, be sure to get a potting bench. Looking to relax with a good book? Get a mini-fridge and a futon. Just want to watch TV? All you need is a rocking chair and the boob tube. Whatever your needs are, she-sheds are ready made to meet them.