A couple is planning to tour the United States in a travel trailer during their first few years of retirement. They are going to sell their current home now and purchase another home when they finish their travels.
An interesting exercise is to determine the optimum time for selling the home: now or when they’re ready to buy their replacement home.
Continue reading Optimum Time for Selling
Looking for those last minute presents for loved ones this holiday season? I’ve rounded up 20 of my favorite home gadget gift ideas. And since I work in real estate, I focused on items that add enjoyment, comfort and, in some cases, extra value to your home.
From music lovers to home chefs, I’ve got something for everyone. And I’ve included a range of price points to suit any budget, from under $50 to major splurge, in case you’re feeling extra generous this year. I hope you find this list useful in identifying gifts your friends and family will love. And maybe some of these items will make your wish list this year, too!
Continue reading 20 Home Gadget Gift Ideas to Fit Any Budget
There’s a reason REALTORS® always advise home sellers to remove all clutter when selling their homes: The difference is remarkable. The clutter-free home often looks like a new one entirely, and homeowners even wonder how their home could look that good.
You don’t have to wait to sell your home to make it look better. Plus, clutter can physically and mentally stress us out. By breaking your decluttering down into five-minute sessions, you can slowly conquer your clutter. Leo Babauta of Zen Habits offers some ways to start:
Continue reading Kill the Clutter
Turn on the television or scroll through Facebook, and chances are you’ll see at least one advertisement that promises to teach you how to “get rich quick” through real estate investing. The truth is, much of what they’re selling are high-risk tactics that aren’t a good fit for the average investor. However, there is a way to make steady, predictable, low-risk income through real estate investing. In this blog post, I’ll examine the tried-and-true tactics you can use to increase your income, pay off debt, even fund your retirement!
Continue reading Why Real Estate Investing Makes (Dollars and) Sense
An efficient, well-managed move not only saves you time and money, but it also can make the transition to your new home easier and more pleasant for your family. Here are 10 proven tips to help make your next move trouble-free from start to finish:
Continue reading Make Your Next Move Trouble-Free
Understanding a home’s true market value is about more than pictures, software assessments and price-per-square-foot. Whether you’re a current homeowner thinking of selling or are house-hunting, it’s crucial you understand what factors affect home valuation. By partnering with a local market expert, sellers will avoid pricing their house out of the market (the kiss of death in real estate) while still getting top dollar. Buyers will ensure they get a good deal on their next home.
So, how do you accurately calculate a home’s value? After all, the value a home is assigned by the tax assessor and the one it’s given when it’s listed are often dramatically different from one another. Which one is accurate and what does it all mean? Read on to learn more.
Continue reading How to Do a Home Valuation and Get Top Dollar
If you’re in the market for a new home or investment property, one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is, “What can we afford?” To answer this question, you must look at more than just the asking price of a home. You need to understand what your total buying power is, and the factors that will affect it.
Continue reading What’s Your Home Buying Power?If you need more information about your property tax, take a look at the county treasurer’s frequently asked questions.
The holidays are a happy time for celebrating with family, friends, and co-workers. Unfortunately, this time of year can also be turned sour by a wide variety of clever frauds, unauthorized debit and credit card transactions, and bogus person-to-person scams. By the end of 2015, individuals, retailers, charitable donors, and companies were victimized to the tune of $1.5 billion. That number is expected to have gone up in 2016.
Just as you protect your home with an alarm system, you should set up defenses for your credit and identity. During the holiday season, fraudulent activity spikes. Here’s how to protect yourself from the eight most common scams.
Continue reading 8 Scams to Watch Out For This Holiday Season
Yes, it’s true: Fall is here, and that means winter is just around the corner.
Even with our mild San Diego County winters, this is always a good time to invest in a little home maintenance so your abode is running smoothly. You’ll also catch any potentially large (and expensive) problems before they get out of hand.
Follow this checklist of fall fixes, and you’ll be in good shape for the winter.
Continue reading Fall Fixes