Los Angeles + Orange County Real Estate Podcast with Alfie McFadden

I recently visited Seattle to learn from some great real estate minds. Keep reading to find out what we covered.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleA few weeks ago, I went to Seattle and met with a few different builders and real estate investors, which I do at least once a quarter so that I can hone my skills, gain more knowledge, and use that knowledge to serve my clients better. Today I want to take you on part of that journey to give you a quick glimpse at what these builders are doing and how they are capitalizing on their investments.One investor took a home in the Beacon Hill area of Seattle, invested $130,000 into renovations, and then ended up keeping it as a rental property. You can hear more of his story in the video above. Essentially, he found a home in a great area, which equals great tenants and great rents.  “Check out the video above to see some great footage from my trip. ”Whether you are interested in building a new home, buying a new home, or rehabbing a home and turning it into a rental property, we can help. If you have any questions for me about anything in the video above or anything else related to your real estate goals, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email today.

Is it a good idea to close lines of credit once they’ve been paid off? Let’s take a look at the answer to this question today.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleRecently I was asked an interesting question: Should lines of credit be closed once they’re paid off?In general, no. If you’re searching for a home, this is especially important. One of the main ways lenders will judge your status will be by looking at your credit ratio. “One of the main ways lenders will judge your status will be by looking at your credit ratio. ”For example, if you’ve got a debt of $2,500 on an account with a $5,000 credit limit, your ratio is 50%. Even if you were to pay this amount off, the $5,000 credit would still be recorded so long as the account remained open. This will make your ratio look better than if you were to close down the account. If you have any other questions or would like more information about this topic or about building wealth through real estate in general, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why should you consider selling now? Here are three reasons.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleThere are three reasons that you shouldn’t wait until summer to list your home for sale:1. Less inventory. Less inventory means less competition. There are more buyers in the marketplace with less to choose from.2. Multiple offers. As a seller, multiple offers result in higher bids and stronger terms on the sale contract.“You can either list now in these conditions or wait until the summer. ”3. Higher sale price. With limited inventory, buyers only have a handful of homes to choose from. They don’t have a choice but to pay what it takes to get them the home.You can either list your home now in these conditions or wait until summer when competition is more fierce and there are many more homes on the market. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

I want to answer all of your real estate questions so I can transfer my real estate knowledge to you.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleA couple weeks of ago, I talked about how to set your goals for 2018 so you could achieve them, and now I want to talk about one of my goals: answering your real estate questions. Right now, I’m at a Mike Ferry event in San Diego. This is the first of four events I plan on attending this year to make sure I’m growing as a person and as a real estate broker for my clients. When it comes to real estate brokers, you always want to work with one who’s on top of their game and knows what’s working, whether you’re trying to buy, sell, or invest in real estate. I want to transfer some of the knowledge I’ve learned from previous experience and from attending these quarterly learning events to you, which is why I’m asking this question: What are some of the topics you’d like to know about regarding real estate? “I want to transfer my real estate knowledge to you. ”For example, if you’re curious about how to increase your cash flow or appreciation holdings in your portfolio regarding real estate, we can put a plan together or a series of videos you can learn from without attending a seminar. These videos are made for you, so I want to make sure they’re all beneficial. If you have a question, other people likely have the same question too, and I want to be able to answer all of them.If you have any real estate questions at all, don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I’d love to help you.

If you have particular goals in mind you want to achieve in 2018, I have a simple but effective goal-setting guide that can help you.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleI have a nine-step goal-setting process to share with you that can help you set your goals for 2018 and achieve them. I myself use this goal-setting guide with my family. I got these steps from one of my mentors, Jim Rome. He made the process very simple, but also very effective. Remember—don’t complicate your goal-setting so much that you end up not setting any goals at all. Let your mind be open and free-flowing when following these nine steps:“Don’t complicate your goal-setting so much that you end up not setting any goals at all. ”1. Ask yourself what you want to do in the next one to 10 years. Jot down on a piece of paper what you want to accomplish and what you want to have. Write as much as you can as fast as you can for, say, five minutes. There is no wrong answer. If something pops into your head, jot it down. 2. Next to each goal, write the number of years you want to take to accomplish that goal. For example, if the first thing you wrote was something like “lose 10 pounds” or “make x amount of money” or “have better relationships,” write down next to that goal whether you want to make it happen in one year, three years, five years, or 10 years. Do that for each goal you set. 3. Sort each goal into five different categories: physical and health, family and relationships, business and/or finance, spiritual development, and mental development. This way, you can make sure you’re making progress in all aspects of your life. 4. Pick out the four most important goals. Look at the goals that you want to make happen in one year, and identify the four most important of them. 5. Describe your four most important goals in detail. For example, if one of these goals is to buy a car, what color will that car be? What size? What kind? 6. Describe why each goal is important to you. If you want a new car, why is buying a new car important to you? Whatever your goal is, make sure you go in depth as to why you want it. The reason you want to achieve this goal will keep you engaged with making it a reality. 7. Transfer those goals to a journal that you have with you at all times. 8. Review that journal. If you remember an important goal you forgot to write down one week later, you can add it to the journal. This is a working document—don’t be afraid to work with it and reshuffle it. They’re your goals and your life, so make sure they’re right for you. 9. Check your progress. Make sure you’re looking at your goals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Try not to go beyond a month. Once you have your goals set, ask yourself what steps you need to take to get closer to them. If you want to buy a home within the next six months or year and the first step is to get pre-qualified, how much down payment do you need? How much do you have in the bank now? Find out the difference and figure out what you need to save until you reach your timeline. This is a general overview of this goal-setting process, but if you’d like a more detailed approach or you know anyone whose goal is buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I'd be happy to help you.

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleMerry Christmas!I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support throughout the years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without your help! It truly brings me joy to help you make your real estate dreams a reality. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am here to help you in any way I can. In the meantime, have a very merry Christmas!

What does the Orange County market have in store for buyers and sellers? Stay tuned to find out.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleI’ve got a market housing report to share with you today that will provide you with all the statistics you need to know about the real estate market whether you’re buying, selling, or investing.If you’re a buyer out there, your competition is fierce. We continue to have very low inventory. The fact that homes are consistently selling in under 60 days puts us into a strong seller’s market throughout Orange County. There are currently 1,077 fewer homes on the market now than there were at this time last year. If demand remains strong and inventory continues to drop, we will start to see more and more multiple offer situations with well-priced homes. These homes will sell well above asking price.“These homes will sell well above asking price. ”The majority of the activity in our market is in the $750,000-and-under range. This portion of the market makes up 40% of our inventory and 61% of our demand. When you combine this market with the $750,000 to $1 million market, that’s where 80% of our demand is. If you’re in a situation where you're selling a home priced under $750,000 and looking for a home in the $1 million plus range, this is a great market to make a move in.If you have any other questions about your specific area of the market or anything else related to real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you soon.

Does it really matter which real estate agent you hire to represent you when buying, selling, or investing in real estate?Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleDoes it really matter which real estate agent you work with when buying a home, selling a home, or handling your investment properties? Let me ask you a different question. If you were out picking a doctor for a surgery, would you hire a part-time doctor who does the surgery every once in a while, or a full-time doctor who has done the surgery successfully every day for many years? The answer is obvious. The same is true for picking the right real estate agent to represent you and protect one of your largest assets. There are three main things you should look for in an agent:  The agent has many years of experience. They have the market knowledge to keep you in compliance with changing laws and regulations. They have the negotiation skills to get you the best price and terms for your real estate goals. They have the systems in place to ensure a smooth process from beginning to end. “Pick an agent that has many years of experience. ”The bottom line is that you need to deal with someone you can count on when it comes to real estate. If you or someone you know needs any help navigating our current real estate market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

We made another homebuyer’s dreams come true in this latest client testimonial.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleWhat’s it like working with our team to find a home? We’ll let Maria Cordova, a former client of ours, tell you her story. Maria was hoping to move to a beautiful neighborhood, and with the proceeds from the sale of her previous home we made that possible by finding a house with a view that—in her words—is “to die for.” You can see the view yourself in the video above. Maria found the home buying transition to be very smooth and professional, which was something we promised her. The best thing about working with us, in her opinion, was that we were not only professional, but we put on a personal touch. “Maria found the home buying transition to be very smooth and professional. ”"I want to thank Alfie for this wonderful home buying experience, and I’m so proud to say that I bought a home for my mom and dad,” she says. If you have any questions about how we treat the home buying process or you’re thinking about buying a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be glad to help you.

Here are some simple tips to add value to your home so you can sell it quickly and for top dollar.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleThere are a few main ways you can add value to your home without spending a lot of money so that when the time comes to sell it, you can do so quickly and for top dollar. First, start with the outside. This is where buyers’ first impressions start. Make sure the grass is green and freshly cut and all the planter beds are filled with new mulch. Since all the buyers will be walking through your front door, make sure that front door is clean and the handles are working properly. Second, declutter the inside and clear it of any trash or personal belongings. Also, make sure the interior of your home smells good. The last thing you want is a buyer to get turned off by a random odor. Third, downscale your interior furniture. You could probably remove 50% of your furniture and personal items and make the house feel much larger. When a buyer walks into your house and sees all of your personal belongings crowding the space, they might assume there’s not enough room to accommodate them. You want to make buyers feel like they’re walking into a model home so they can picture themselves living inside it.Lastly, market your home aggressively. This is where picking the right agent to work for you is critical. There’s a lot more to the home selling process than just putting your home on the MLS and hoping for the best. You need to market it and prospect it to potential buyers so you can get the most money. “Picking the right agent is critical to marketing your home properly. ”If you have any questions about adding value to your home or you’re thinking of buying or selling your home soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

Having a goal to keep yourself motivated past the struggles in your life will put you ahead in whatever you do.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleToday, I’m coming to you from the Mike Ferry Retreat in Las Vegas to share what I’ve learned here so far. These tips can help agents, buyers, and sellers alike. First, ask yourself if you have a goal that keeps you motivated. We all have challenges in life, but having a goal to strive for will take you above and beyond whatever struggles you’ll need to overcome. Going to events like the one I’m at now is something I do to help me chase my own goals. I do this every year with the goal of improving my ability to serve my clients.Getting better as a person and a professional is important to me. “Getting better as a person and a professional is important to me. ”So if you need help with strategies on writing out your own goal, I’d love to help.If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you, soon.

You don’t have to wait 15 or 30 years to pay off your mortgage. Here are a few simple ways to shorten the length of that loan.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleDid you know that you can shorten your mortgage term without refinancing? In fact, there are a few different ways in which you can do this. One option is making an extra payment each quarter. Sometimes that can be tough though, so here are a few other options.You could also add an extra 1/12th of your regular payment to each monthly payment. For example, if you have a $1,200 payment, you would add $100 to each payment. If you do this for an entire year, you will have made 13 payments instead of 12.Another option is paying bi-weekly. Instead of paying $1,200 once a month, you can pay $600 twice a month. You’ll also end up making 13 payments with this method by the time the year is over. You could also just round up your payment or pay a little extra when you get a bonus or raise. The more you pay into your mortgage, the quicker you’ll be able to pay it off.“Bi-weekly payments is a great strategy. ”If you have any questions for me about this or anything else related to real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Our market continues to be strong, but summer is nearly here. What changes can you expect over the next few months?Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleI wanted to make sure you were in the loop about what’s been going on in the LA and Orange County real estate markets as we transition into the summer. Here’s a quick rundown.Here in LA County, we have 11,232 homes currently on the market for sale. In the last 30 days, however, the demand has increased and 6,610 homes went into escrow.In Orange County, there are 5,757 homes on the market. 2,904 homes went into escrow there in the last 30 days. As for Riverside, 3,490 homes went into escrow in the last 30 days and there are currently 8,146 homes on the market. In terms of the percentage of active listings that are going under contract each month, LA County is at 59%, Orange County is at 50%, and Riverside is at 43%. These are all high figures, so what does it mean for you?“The market is very strong. ”For one, the market is very strong. We can probably expect inventory to rise from now until about mid-August, making now a great time to get in the market. If you’re thinking of selling, you have to make sure you hire an aggressive agent who can help you take advantage of this market while it’s still hot. If you’re thinking of buying a home, you need a good lender in addition to your trustworthy agent.If there is anything I can do for you or if you have any questions for me at all about real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

Last week we talked about leveraging your investments, so today I wanted to give you an example of what that could mean with real estate investing.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleLast week, we talked about using leverage to have renters pay your mortgage, increase your equity, and give you cash flow over time. Today, let's continue that conversation with an example.Let's say you have $50,000 to invest and you choose something like stocks or a mutual fund. If those stocks rise by 10%, you'll make $5,000, which is great. Now say you used that same $50,000 to invest in buying a $300,000 house, which you rented out. If the market increased by that same 10%, the great part is that your gain isn't based upon what you put in, but upon the overall price of the property. Now your $300,000 property is worth $330,000, and your gain is $30,000. Your initial $50,000 is now suddenly worth $80,000.“By investing in real estate, your value grows at a larger scale. ”Now, this is a very simplistic example to make it all easier to understand. Keep in mind that there are different strategies for this type of investment depending on where you're at in life. You might be retired (or close to it) and want to be a little more conservative with your investment. Or, you might be young and have a lot of time to grow your investment. If you have any questions about the benefits of investing in real estate or about the different strategies you can employ, you can always give me a call or send me an email. It would be my honor to help you.

You can use real estate to build your net worth without having to put in the extra hours of work. Here’s how.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleImagine you won an extra income every single month without putting in the extra hours of work. Wouldn’t that be great? There’s a way you can do it, and it’s by building wealth through real estate. Specifically, I’m talking about how to use leverage, which means using real estate income properties to leverage your time so you can earn income that renters pay. Over time, you will have those renters pay down your mortgage and you will see that value of your home increase. Your equity and cash flow will grow as well. At some point in time, you will have a stream of cash flow that will provide for you and your family and have equity that will increase your net worth. Your net worth is simply your assets versus liabilities. “Over time, you will have a steady stream of cash flow and an equity that will increase your net worth. ”For example, if you have a house worth $500,000, that’s your asset. The liability is the mortgage you owe on the property (let’s say it’s $250,000). Subtracting the difference between the two gives you your net worth, which in this case is $250,000. It’s our goal to make sure that net worth increases each year along with your cash flow. In the next few videos, I will show you a strategy to help you gain wealth. Stay tuned, because you won’t want to miss it. In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to know the value of your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

Today I’m bringing you the latest update on our real estate market.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleRight now is the hottest time of year for our real estate market and I wanted to show you the numbers that back that up. Just in the last couple of weeks, we saw 300 homes come onto the market. That represents 6.4% of the marketplace and that’s great news.Demand remains at an all-time high. In fact, also in the last two weeks, houses that went into escrow and pending sales shot up 11%. There are 3,000 pending right now! “You’ll need an excellent strategy if you’re looking to buy or sell in this market. ”If you’re on the fence or have any questions about buying or selling, let me know. Because our market is so hot right now, you’ll need an excellent strategy whether you are looking to sell for top dollar or beat out other offers to purchase your dream home. Don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help! 

Should you sell now or later? Only you have the answer, but I’ll explain how you can decide.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleMany people have asked me if now is a good time to sell, or if they should hang onto their homes for a little longer. There are actually a few factors that influence the answer. We have a new president, interest rates are going up, the spring market is in full swing, and people are preparing for the summer market. Whether you should sell now or wait depends entirely on your specific situation, so you need to ask yourself a few questions. First, what is your goal? Are you currently renting and looking to buy your first home in the next year? Maybe you already have a home but need to accommodate a growing family. Are you looking to downsize? Make sure you know exactly what your end goal is before you sell your current home. Second, what is your time frame? Are you trying to sell and move into a new home in the next six months or year, or do you need more time to save up? Make sure your time frame is realistic in relation to your finances and personal circumstances. Finally, what is most important to you? If your children are priority No. 1 during this move, consider checking out homes near the best school districts. If you’re an investor and money is your motivator, you want to look at properties that will have the best return. If you’re looking for a quiet life and want to make a switch from the city to the country, make sure you’re aware of what owning a rural property entails. If you should sell now or later depends solely on your specific circumstances. So, should you sell now or later? The answer really depends on you. If you need any help figuring out when the best time to sell is for you, or if you have any other real estate questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help.

People selling their home always wonder if they should update their house before listing it on the market. Here's how you can find out what your best move would be.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleOne of the most common questions I get is whether you should update your home for the market before you sell it. It's a really good question, and to answer it, let's look at it from the perspective of a buyer. When I take buyers to a home, the first thing they wonder about isn't whether the seller offers an allowance or a home warranty, but the actual feeling of the space. With that in mind, the first thing you need to do is make sure your home is clutter-free. Are all the papers off the desks and the pots and pans off the kitchen counters? Everything should be clear and tidy. That's the best and cheapest way to make sure your home shows well.Now, if you've been in your house for many years, the easiest way to freshen it up is with new paint. You probably have some scuffs or your whites just aren't truly white anymore. A fresh coat of paint doesn't cost much money and doesn't take much effort.“New paint is the easiest way to instantly freshen your home.”The third thing I would encourage you to think about is having the right-sized furniture. For example, if you have a small bedroom or office, don't put a large king-size bed in there. When buyers see that, their first reaction is to think about how small the room looks. Focus on the right-sized furniture or the right amount of furniture; you don't want to create a cramped feeling with too many pieces of furniture. If you've lived in your house for a long time, you might not notice these things after a while. To get a fresh new look and some advice about preparing your home, reach out to me! We can discuss how much equity we can get out of your home just by doing simple things both in your home and in the marketing. We also have staging professionals to make sure your home looks as good as possible for the market. If you have any other questions or you're thinking about buying or selling a home in LA or Orange County, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be more than happy to help!

We had such a great year in 2016 thanks to you. Here are a few reasons we expect 2017 to be even better.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleHappy New Year! First of all, I want to thank everyone for their support in 2016. We couldn’t have had such a great year without you. Thank you for allowing us to help you, your friends, and your family. Thank you for helping us grow. We look forward to helping you in 2017. Now, what can you expect to see in the next year in our real estate market?First, let’s talk about interest rates. We’ve seen them go up almost a full percentage point since the election. We anticipate a few more increases throughout the year. However, there is some good news here. We have started the year off with an incredibly low level of inventory. This is a sign that we are going to have a very healthy market in the first half of this year. Buyers are going to be anxious to take advantage of interest rates at their current level before they go up even higher. Buyers on the fence who have been debating whether to buy a home or not are going to get off that fence. If they wait any longer, they will be priced out of the market and they won’t be able to afford the same type of home they can right now. This is going to be really good for our market.“We are starting the year with incredibly low inventory.”If you’re thinking about making a move to a bigger home, downsizing to a smaller one, or looking for an investment property, let’s talk. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. Have a great week, a great month, and let’s all have a good year.

By buying real estate and using it as a rental property, you’ll have an asset that’s appreciating in value and increasing your net worth.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleAs you know, we’re well into the holiday season. This means everybody’s out there filling out their shopping lists. As for me, I try not to buy things that depreciate in value. Being in real estate, this gave me an idea for people in the market looking to buy a car and how they can appreciate their value. You see, my wife and I recently bought a truck, and our plan was to make a down payment on the truck. Instead, we financed the entire purchase of the truck. Rather than putting a down payment on the truck, we used that money as a down payment for a real estate property. This way, the income the property was making for us as we rented it out would actually pay for the car itself.If you tried the same thing, sometime in the near future when the car is paid off, you’d still have an asset that’s providing you income every single month. Not only that, but over the long term, you’ll have an asset that’s appreciating in value, thus increasing your net worth. “The income you can make from renting a property can pay for other things.”This is in contrast to the more common method of using that money to pay off the car and watch it depreciate in value the minute you drive it off the dealership lot. It’s never the best idea to use an income-producing property to pay off liabilities such as cars that depreciate in value, but it’s a better method than actually taking that money and just paying off a car that doesn’t appreciate in value at all.There are many ways you can appreciate your value, so if you’re thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to collaborating with you!

Today we're talking all about investment properties and the 1031 exchange. This tax code allows you to reinvest proceeds from the sale of an investment property into a more lucrative investment while deferring capital gains tax.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleRecently, I received a great question that I wanted to address from a financial advisor who has a lot of clients asking him about the 1031 exchange.The best way to explain what a 1031 exchange is would be to give you a live example. The 1031 exchange is selling an investment property and moving the proceeds of the sale into another investment property and deferring the taxes. You're making your money work for you rather than being taxed one-third of that money.I currently have friend and client with an investment property we're helping sell. By using the 1031 exchange tax code, we're able to use 100% of the proceeds of that sale to buy another investment property. In his case, that's an apartment building. He's tripling his gross income with the building he's buying while deferring capital gains taxes at the same time.Another client of ours has owned an investment property for a long time, but she's thinking about selling it to pay for her daughter's college. One strategy she could use is to sell her current investment property and buy two smaller units — one close to her that she can easily manage and another that is close to her daughter’s college. Essentially, her daughter will be one of her tenants.She will have two investment properties providing income and cash flow, and by the time her daughter graduates from college, the home may have appreciated enough for her to once again take advantage of the 1031 exchange.“You're making your money work for you and deferring capital gains tax.”Now, each individual has a different situation when it comes to investment property and the 1031 exchange. You want to be sure to talk to your CPA or tax preparer to ensure you're doing the right thing and, more importantly, talk to your real estate professional.If you have any questions for me as a real estate professional about investment properties and the 1031 exchange, give me a call or shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you!

I'd like to welcome you to my new YouTube Channel.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleOn my channel, you'll find tips for both buyers and sellers in the real estate market, as well as updates on what's happening in our local market. The real estate market affects all of us!I really want this page to be a valuable resource for you. If you have any questions about our market or about real estate in general, send me an email. Odds are good that if you have a question about a topic, someone else does as well, so send your questions my way and we'll make an educational video.Take a look around the channel and subscribe. I look forward to hearing from you soon!