Category Archives: Home Buyers

Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Property Taxes, tax

How to Move But Not Increase Property Taxes

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how to move but not increase property taxesAccording to a survey by the California Association of Realtors, one of the top reasons home owners have not considered selling is a concern that property taxes on another home would be too expensive.

For certain groups of people living in San Diego County and some other counties in California, there is a way to move but not increase property taxes.

California voters have passed several propositions, Propositions 60, 90 and 110, that allow eligible property owners to transfer the base year value of an existing principal residence to a replacement dwelling.

What do these propositions do? Who qualifies, and what are the benefits?

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Credit, Home Buyers, Home Loans

Things That Can Kill Your Credit Score

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Things That Can Kill Your Credit Score

Some people take their credit for granted and don’t start paying attention to it until they need it. Doing this could cause them to pay more interest or keep them from getting a loan altogether.

There are several things that can kill your credit score. Knowing what they are and dealing with them ahead of time will save you time, money and headaches.

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Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Negotiation

You Need a Champion

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championThe Super Bowl and World Series determine the football and baseball champions. Since there can only be one champion, the other team loses the competition. In feudal times, a knight might champion for the king or a patriotic, romantic or religious cause.

Fierce competition can occur when buying or selling a home because each party wants to get the best deal possible. When the buyer and seller are not be equally matched, and they rarely are, it is important to have a champion on your side to fight for your cause.

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Home Buyers, Homeownership, Housing Market

Prices on the Uptick

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Prices on the Uptick

Credit, Home Buyers, Home Loans, Homeownership

6 Myths About Credit Scores

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6 Myths About Credit Scores

Home Buyers, Mortgage, Refinancing

Selecting a Lender

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selecting a lenderFinding a mortgage lender for a purchase loan or refinance is not a problem. Selecting someone who will help you find the best loan product for your situation even if it means sending you to another lender, is paramount.

There is a huge advantage to be able to sit across the table from someone you’re doing business with and look them straight in the eye. It’s difficult to make an informed decision based on a website and a phone call.

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Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Homeownership, Renters

Rent Again?

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rent againAfter you take the training wheels off your bike and learn to ride it, you’d never consider putting them back on again. Similarly, once you’ve owned a home, you might think you’ll own a home from now on; but there may be some situations where it makes sense to rent again.

Big shifts in a person’s life like a divorce, death of a spouse, empty nesting or a temporary transfer to a new city are certainly things that may warrant renting, at least temporarily, until you know what your long term plans are.

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Home Buyers, Homeowners, tax

Homeowner Tax Tips

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homeowner tax tipsEven if you’re having a professional help you with your income tax return, you need to provide them with information on the money you spent that might be deductible. Look at the following list of homeowner tax tips to see if any of these things need a little more investigation to determine if they apply to your situation.

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Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Homeowners, Homeownership

Should You Downsize Your Home?

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downsizingWith roughly 12.5% of the population over 65 years of age, it is understandable that some people are thinking of downsizing because they may not need the amount of space they did in the past. There is something to be said for the freedom acquired by divesting yourself of things that have been accumulated over the years but are no longer needed. Should you downsize your home? It does have its benefits.

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Home Buyers, Home Sellers, real estate

Common Real Estate Terms

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Common real estate terms like CC&Rs, a cloud on title, or PITI are frequently used in the real estate industry but often unknown outside of it. The California Land Title Association has put together a list defining many of these terms.

If you’d like to know the meaning behind those strange terms and acronyms, read on.

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