by Jeff Pittman | Mar 3, 2015 | Sellers
The latest infographic from the California Association of REALTORS® explores the way in which technology is transforming the home based on data from the ERA/HGTV Automation Survey. From what you can see, consumers of all generations value smart tech features not only in their own homes but in future homes as well. What Home Technologies Are Out There? Over the past few years a lot of exciting technology has come onto the market. Here are just a few ways in which technology is making its way into the home and transforming our lives. Smart environment management: Not only can you have a programmable thermostat, you can get one that learns your usage patterns. The Nest controller is a prime example of this cool new tech. It’s a palm-sized module that’s fixed to a wall and infused with learning capabilities. It learns which rooms are most commonly used, what temperature settings you usually set and uses all of this to maximize energy savings. Security solutions: Security companies can now use wireless connectivity installations and keyless entry systems. The way it works is they integrate traditional sensors into your wireless home network to safeguard your property. IP cameras, fire detectors, carbon monoxide sensors and motion detectors take on the role of watch dogs all controlled by a central control panel. It will report back to your smartphone if it notifies any danger aka a boundary breach while you’re gone. Appliances of the future: There are all kinds of different smart appliances hitting the market. The fridge for example can be outfitted with tiny microprocessors, sensors, and faux intelligence to check if food...
by Jeff Pittman | Feb 27, 2015 | Weekly Quote
“Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.” ~ Vinnie Rege
by Jeff Pittman | Feb 24, 2015 | Sellers
Spring is coming and now is a great time to put your home on the market. Before you jump on the market however, there are some finishing touches you should consider completing in order to make your home even more valuable once it hits the market. One of the best ways to increase your home’s value is to make it more aesthetically pleasing (AKA bump up the curb appeal), so grab your favorite tools or call on a professional to help. Here are 6 finishing touches to complete before listing your home: Paint the exterior The exterior of your home needs to be renovated the most since it’s the first thing that potential buyers will see. Whether your home looks a bit neglected or outdated, a fresh coat of paint will make a huge difference in its appearance. However, you need to be very selective. Overly bold shades will likely do more harm than good. It may be best to repaint your home in a color that complements surrounding homes. Upgrade doors and windows Shoddy doors and damaged windows do more than just hurt your home’s curb appeal, so give them an upgrade. Energy-efficient windows are proven to be excellent alternatives because they help reduce utility bills in the long run, and they make the indoor environment more comfortable and intimate. As for your doors, you should replace them with modern ones that are more robust. Such doors will go a long way toward making your home safer and exceptionally appealing. Work on the yard Buyers really do care for a well-kept yard, so take measures to enhance the appearance of the...
by Jeff Pittman | Feb 23, 2015 | Sellers
Ways to prepare for a move when you’ve lived in your home for a decade or longer. Selling your home and moving to a new house takes time and planning but it is a whole different beast if you’ve been living in the same home for a decade or longer. You’ve had years and years of accumulating stuff and no need to downsize. Perhaps it has been a while since you last organized, de-junked, or even cleaned certain areas of the home. While this can make the task of moving feel even more overwhelming, this also presents a good opportunity for you to get a clean slate upon moving into your next house. As you prepare to move, you can shake off the dust and prepare for a new chapter in your life. When you have decades of life to move, the key is preparation. 1. Time to Downsize When you’ve lived in your home for a very long time, you tend to collect a lot of things that you no longer need. There is no reason to move with these things, so now is the time to donate the toys and clothes that your children have outgrown. If you have collections of things that are no longer interesting to you, then you should put them on consignment. Clean out the attic and closets for stuff that you haven’t seen in a long time, and you should make it a point to quickly decide to keep it, sell it, donate it or trash it. 2. Estate Auctions In the event that you are moving because you’ve reached retirement age, your...
by Jeff Pittman | Feb 23, 2015 | Sellers
The real estate market is cyclical. Sales slow in winter, begin to heat up in spring, and hit their peak in usually late summer or fall. You can see the seasonal flow in the chart below. It is a snapshot of the Southern California real estate market (Orange, LA, Riverside and San Bernardino counties) over the last two years. Keep reading for 5 reasons to hop on the real estate market before Spring. The best time to list and sell your home is before the spring rush. March 20th marks the first day of spring and that means you’ve got to kick your little cottontail into gear if you want to take advantage of all the perks of listing early.Here are 5 reasons to hop on the real estate market before Spring: 1. Demand is ramping up As you can see from the chart above, demand is starting to ramp up now that summer is near. And with a slew of new programs to help homebuyers, there are more people than ever eligible to buy. Listing now while mortgage rates are still low lets you take advantage of all this new buyer activity on the market. 2. There’s less competition – but not for long According to Trendgraphix, Southern California was at 3.9 months of inventory this January, up from 2.7 months in December. So supply is coming up, however we’re still under the 6 months’ supply that qualifies as a balanced or normal market. This means there are not enough homes for sale on the market to satisfy the number of buyers. Many homeowners have been waiting for the right...
