Your search has been frustrating because you've been pre-approved for a mortgage and you've been scouring the real estate portals for homes. Your agent - who was most likely referred by a friend, according to this article - is attentive and a genuinely nice person....
Happy New Year! Are you thinking of selling and/or buying this year? Here are some ideas to hopefully give you an edge in conquering what usually ends up being the 1% to 2% difference between the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat! Home Sellers The new listing...
We survived the Fed hike. Last Monday, the 30Y rate was 3.98%. The Fed made it official on Wednesday, and the 30Y rate initially jumped about 20 basis points. But by Friday afternoon we were back down to 4.02%. This guy thinks the Fed move was a mistake:...
The C.A.R. legal department issues contract revisions twice a year, and they tend to be ticky-tack minor changes. But the 2016 listing agreement will include a new paragraph that has sellers agree to pay for pre-sale reports! When used correctly by listing agents,...
Hat tip to the folks who sent in a link to the new home-value estimator. I'm presenting what I've seen; please come to your own conclusions. Here is the sexy explanation on their website, taking a direct shot at the other real estate portals:...
A family member in a hot market is trying to move up. They have lost out a couple of deals, so the right kind of frustration is starting to set in, but they keep coming across the same tactic - sellers who want to occupy after closing. It's not enough for these...
When Christophe Choo helped a couple purchase a $15 million Los Angeles home, he wanted to buy them a closing gift that was equally impressive. So instead of leaving a bottle of Champagne in the fridge, he and his wife ushered them onto a chartered jet bound for...
Wonder what it is like being a home buyer these days? It takes more than just finding a suitable house:
The new 3D tours are becoming more popular, and it won't be long before we see these on most higher-end listings. Here is a company that is using one of the new Matterport cameras: http://www.touritnow.com/ We should get familiar with the format - because you can get...
Have you noticed that some listings aren't on the real estate portals? There are two ways that it can happen. There used to be an agreement between our MLS company, Sandicor, and Zillow/Trulia, to upload our listings automatically. But as a result of a dispute...
