by Jeff Pittman | Jan 29, 2016 | Weekly Quote
“If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” ~ Dhirubhai Ambani
by Jeff Pittman | Jan 21, 2016 | Real Estate News
2016 Predictions What’s In The Cards For Southern California Real Estate? We remembered lessons learned from last year and discussed how we could apply them to the Southern California market this year. So the question is – what exactly does 2016 have in store for us in real estate? We decided to poll our agents and get their expertise on just what they predict is coming to the SoCal real estate market. The experts are divided on some points but on others, nearly everyone is seeing eye to eye. Take a look at what we think is in the cards for Southern California real estate. WHERE ARE MORTGAGE RATES HEADED? 87%: RATES ARE GOING UP 13%: NO CHANGE If you follow our Weekly Mortgage Watch, then you know rates have remained level for the past few months, hanging out at historic lows under 4%. In December the Feds promised a “liftoff” of rates but luckily mortgage rates have still remained steady across the spectrum. The question is now, for how long? David Mier, Assistant Manager of our Yorba Linda office, says “The Feds have indicated that they predict three separate 1/4% rate increase for 2016.” Marcel Atallah, Temecula office manager, also predicts rates heading up. “They have too. [Rates] are artificially low and I believe we will see them bump up, but not too crazy, due to the election year.” WHERE ARE HOME PRICES HEADED? 40%: PRICES ARE GOING UP 40%: PRICES ARE HEADED DOWN 20%: NO CHANGE Our experts are split on whether or not home prices will rise or drop, and looking at the sold prices for 2015...
by Jeff Pittman | Jan 21, 2016 | Weekly Quote
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
by Jeff Pittman | Jan 13, 2016 | Weekly Quote
“The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting.” ~ Walt Disney
by Jeff Pittman | Jan 13, 2016 | Sellers
The 5 Best Staging Tips Want to sell your home fast and for as much money as possible? Staging is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Staging can highlight your home’s best features, downplay its weaknesses, and make your home as appealing as possible to buyers. Here are five staging secrets you probably haven’t heard of that you can use to impress every buyer who walks through your front door. FLOAT THE FURNITURE Most people tend to push couches and other furniture against the walls of a room, but this makes the room feel stuck and creates empty, unused space. Instead, float furniture away from the walls to make the room seem larger and more open by creating a room within a room. If you have no room to float furniture away from the walls, at least choose furniture with visible legs for more visible floor space. GO NATURAL Did you know the air quality in most homes is worse than outdoor air? Keep your home from feeling stuffy or stale by adding fresh floral arrangements and live plants. Not only will plants freshen the air, they will also make buyers feel welcome and comfortable in your home. SELL A LIFESTYLE Consider what buyers in your area are looking for and how your home may appeal to potential buyers to sell a lifestyle. If your home seems good for entertaining, stage your dining room for a dinner party. If your staging budget is tight, you can use a Sur la Table coupon to save on high quality decor and cookware, which will help set the stage for the...
