Podcasts about houses for sale in san francisco

Explore essential training programs for both new and experienced agents. Are you ready to enhance your skills and gain a competitive edge in the real estate industry? Whether you're just starting or have years of experience, the right training can elevate your career to new heights. Luckily for you, Keller Williams offers two essential classes that cater to both new and seasoned agents alike: 1. For new agents: Productivity training classes. The productivity training classes are meticulously designed for new agents to gain solid foundational learning. A dedicated trainer will guide you along the way to fully grasp the ins and outs of real estate. This structured training ensures you gain the confidence and knowledge needed to jumpstart your career. “Investing in your training is crucial for long-term success in real estate. ” 2. For experienced agents: Top masterminds. If you're a seasoned agent looking to take your business to the next level, the top masterminds class is perfect for you. These sessions gather the top 10% to 20% of agents to share their best practices and innovative strategies. By participating, you'll gain insights into what successful agents are doing in today's market, allowing you to implement these techniques into your practice. Investing in your education is crucial for long-term success in real estate. Whether you're a new agent seeking foundational training or an experienced professional wanting to learn from the best, these classes will equip you with the skills needed to excel. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your career! Contact me at (858) 461-9665 or via email at sean@mysddreamhome.com.

What you need to know about the future of our housing market. Will home prices continue to increase, or will we fall into a recession? Today I want to briefly discuss the future of San Diego's housing market. In May 2022, the average home price in San Diego reached $1 million. What does this mean for sellers? First, our market has had crazy-high appreciation recently, but things may calm down soon. The market won't crash, but instead of 25% appreciation, we may only see around 10%. Second, pricing your property correctly is more important now than ever. The market is still ascending, but just because your neighbor sold for a certain amount doesn't mean you're guaranteed to get a little more. The market is moving at a slower pace, but smartly priced homes are still selling with multiple offers over list price. However, overpriced homes are sitting on the market longer than they would have a few months ago. “2022 will be full of opportunities.” Meanwhile, interest rates continue to be the biggest factor in our market for buyers. If you became pre-approved a few months ago, I recommend you go through the process again. Your rates have likely changed, and it could impact your buying power. The last thing you want is to find your dream home only to learn you can't afford it. Overall, I think 2022 will be full of opportunities. It will likely be easier to buy and sell a home at the same time since there will be more inventory and less competition. Despite these factors, home prices won't fall anytime soon. Even if inventory rises, it will still be very low. Instead of homes selling with 25 or 30 offers, they'll sell with three or five, which is still good. If you want an experienced professional to help you take advantage of this market's opportunities, please call or email me. I am always willing to help!

Here are a few considerations to make before cosigning on someone's loan. Hi, this is Sandy with Sandy and Company, and today we're talking about whether you should cosign a loan for family or friends. Most of us have gotten a helping hand at some point in our lives. When I was teaching high school, I often had students come in and ask if they could borrow a dollar or 50 cents, whether it was something for the snack machine or to get lunch. As long as I had the money, I would go ahead and lend it. I made a little note, and if they didn't pay me back, I just never lent any money to them again. If someone is asking you to cosign a loan, it's probably a lot bigger number than 50 cents or a dollar. You have to ask yourself two questions that are very important before you decide to cosign on a loan for someone that you care about. First of all, do you have the money to pay that bill if they don't? If something happened and their paycheck didn't come in, something that they were counting on didn't happen, or an unexpected bill came up and they couldn't make that payment, could you cover it? Secondly, could your relationship withstand that stress? Those are the two biggest questions that I have. Make sure you are financially capable of handling this and that your relationship is capable of handling any hiccup in their payback. “Do you have the money to pay that bill if they don't?” Let's say you can answer yes to both of those questions or for whatever reason you feel an obligation to go ahead and say yes and cosign. You need to have some security in knowing that they're actually making that payment, whether you get statements that show every month that it's been made or whether you can get notified if those payments fall behind. There are times when an authorized person can get notifications if the payment is not made. You need to not be surprised by a collection bill in your mailbox that is so far behind that it's both affecting your credit and you've got collectors on your tail to get that bill paid. If all that's in place and you feel like this is the right thing to do, then yes. Please be a help to your friend, be a help to your family member, and help them get that foot up so that they can do what they need to to provide for their family as well. No man is an island. We have people around us that we very much care about, and we just want to make sure in our caring for them, we don't do something that's going to hurt that relationship down the road or hurt your ability to be on your island and not sink in the ocean as well. If you have questions about this or anything else we can help you with real estate, reach out, message me, or call me. I'm so glad to be that resource for you. Have a super blessed day, stay safe, stay healthy, and I look forward to talking with you soon.

Don't wait to buy a home; it will cost you more in the long run. Today I want to give you one more reason not to wait until prices drop before you buy a house. I totally understand the concern about where prices, home values, and affordability are—it costs a lot of money to buy a house. The question I have: Is it going to cost you more to not? Let me explain: Since 1989, our prices have dropped only four years. Four years in the last 21 years. From 1989 to 2020, the prices  dropped only four years. Now, this is a national graph, but it follows what happened here locally in the Seattle area as well. I felt that bottom fall out in June of 2007, and it was not pretty. But I've also seen since then that anyone who held onto their property has not only made up that value, but then some. Real estate has always made money over time. So if you are in the market to get a house and keep a house, to get an investment property and keep that investment property, to get a second house and keep that second house, do it now. Just do it now. I don't care if you can buy a condo, a little fixer-upper, or anything you can get your hands on. I know that it's a competition, but do it now because later on it will only cost you more. “From 1989 to 2020, our prices have only dropped four years.” Did you know that the average homeowner has 40 times more net worth than the average renter? Get in now. Get in while you can. If you're not sure how you can do that, call me. Let's either set it up so you can make that happen right now and get that competitive edge that we're helping our buyers get, or if we can set up that plan to make sure you can purchase sooner instead of later. We are here to help your home decisions matter, to help them make sense to you and your time. Can you time the market? No, not really, except for to get in. Let's just get you in. Call us, message us, let's talk about how we can help you get into that home now, and make it work for you in the long run. Stay safe, stay healthy, be blessed, and we're here to help. Reach out now.

Here are some challenges you might face when remodeling your home. Should you remodel your home in this market prior to selling? There's a lot to consider, particularly the three factors that are making remodels more challenging in this market than a normal one: 1. Supply chain issues. Real estate has been affected by these as well. This is likely not going to change anytime soon. 2. Increase in inflation. Repairs simply cost more to make now than they used to. Bigger projects become even bigger and more expensive as a result. 3. Difficulty finding good help. Finding good contractor work is essential for a successful remodel. We're fortunate to work with some quality vendors that we have great relationships with and can recommend to our clients. Let me know if you'd like their information. If you have any questions for me about remodeling, buying, selling, or real estate in general, don't hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Three gardening tips that you should do before it warms up outside. Hey, this is Sandy with Sandy and Company. You may think that because it's February and the sun is not shining and warm it may be time to still stay inside for a little bit longer, but this is actually the perfect time to get your yard and your garden ready. I've got three tips for you to do right now before it gets warm. I confess that I have been inside baking bread and enjoying my cooking shows and my knitting, and I've been looking outside going, “Man, I think there are a few things I need to do, but I'm not quite ready to start.” Well, here are three easy things that won't take me a lot of time, and as you'll see, I am not done with them. In the next couple of weeks, my intent is to knock those things out. The first thing we need to do is trim these fruit trees. You can kind of see where it's rounded and where the growth is—the lots of little twigs—and where it just goes straight up. Take a look at that shape, and you can see where it really wants you to trim back to so that you can have nice, diverse branches coming out. Take anything away that looks dead, and take anything away that's crossing another branch. They actually want to have their own space. If you don't have tall trimmers, that's actually something that I can lend you. I've got a trimmer for some really tall trees. There's a clip and there's a saw part of it that would be really helpful there. But do it before the sap starts coming into the branches and before the buds open up. So this is perfect fruit tree trimming time.  “Now's the time to just make your space clean and fresh and ready for the new green stuff to come up.” The next thing is to get rid of dead plants. Now, I'm embarrassed to show you, but I actually have sunflowers that are dead and just sitting there, and they've got to go. Anything that's dead that's a perennial, cut it back. If it's an annual, take it away completely.  While you're there, go ahead and pull out some of those green weeds that are coming through, and make some good space for the new plants to come up. Then decide what it is that you want to keep and what you want to take out. Now is the time. The third thing you can do is actually for the life around your garden. Take a look at your bird feeders; clean them up. My son gave me this bird feeder for Christmas. Thank you! And of course, we've got our hummingbird feeder over here. We've tried several that are even fancier, but they only like that flat bottomed red one. So give them a lift, clean them out, and make sure that they've got enough food to get through until they can really start getting some food on our trees. Here's a suet cup that one of my clients (thank you, Caroline) gave me that the birds are really getting into.  So, now's the time to just make your space clean and fresh and ready for the new green stuff to come up. Take a look at your yard. I am not going to bore you and fill up your inbox with every time I get one of these things done, but take a look at our Facebook or our Sandy & Company page. And that will be my accountability to you and make sure I get this done in the next little bit before everything starts to grow, and I go, “Oh my gosh, I really wish I could be seeing what I really wanted to see that makes my garden and my yard beautiful.” There you go! Enjoy your homes. Your home is the place for you to thrive and to really just stretch out and say, “This is what looks and feels good around me.” This is what we want for you. If you don't feel that way about your home, talk to me. I would love to see what we could to help you either love your home or find one that you will. This is now the time; it's an awesome time to buy and sell real estate. Give me a call. Have a super blessed day! Stay healthy! Stay safe. We love you, and we look forward to talking with you soon. Be blessed.

Here are a few tips to help you successfully buy a home in San Diego. Are you interested in buying a home in San Diego, but you don't know where to start? Today I'll share a few tips and tricks on how to win in today's real estate market. First, we like to sit down with our buyers to find out about your needs. Do you have a family? Do you want to live in an urban setting? Are you looking for good schools? Are you looking for nightlife attractions? Do you love beaches? All these questions will help us find your dream home. Similarly, we need to know if you'll need to commute for work. Many people think that they'll be fine living far away from their workplaces, but as we come out of the COVID era, the traffic is starting to return to San Diego. The location of the home makes a huge difference; one or two exits could add 15 to 20 minutes to your commute each way. Next, we'll create a hot map by looking up properties that sold over the last 60 days over the area you're interested in to see if it's a good fit for you and your family. Looking at homes that border the area you're looking in is a good backup plan to help you get a better deal. “The location of the home makes a huge difference; one or two exits could add 15 to 20 minutes to your commute each way.” We recommend that you schedule a time to sit down with us to talk about the area. We'll help you learn about the landmarks, shopping centers, restaurants, and bars where you'll be moving so that you know what amenities you'll be able to enjoy. We could also take you on a tour of the area or make you a map of the points of interest. These are just a few of the things we suggest to clients who are moving to San Diego. If you'd like to hear more or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email.

Here's a message of prediction and peace as we begin a new year. Today we're talking about what's coming up in 2022. I have had so many people ask me over the last few years: “Are we gonna have a crash?”  “What's happening with the real estate?”  “Are prices going up?” “Are prices gonna drop?” I heard an awesome explanation of what happens before a real estate crash. A real estate crash only happens when we don't have people who want to buy houses. That is obviously not the case in the Pacific Northwest. Anywhere near Seattle, the housing market is still incredibly tight, and it's definitely a seller's market all around. “Let's talk about what really works for you.” With that said, we're not expected to maintain the increase at the same rate that we did during 2021. How much are we going to increase? It really depends on your local market and what's exactly happening. Local market can be as much as your neighborhood: a five-block radius, a part of Everett, a part of Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds. It really depends on what's happening directly around you. How much did you go up this last year? And then shave a little off the top—how much? Let's talk about what really works for you. This should give you some peace going into 2022 if you have concerns about your real estate market and what you need to do. Whether it's the time for you to sell, whether it's the time for you to buy, whether you're looking to find the next place, we're not about to have the bottom fall out from under you. Because we can generally forecast, and as we get closer, we can more specifically forecast what's going to be happening for you. That way we can talk with our clients, both sellers and our buyers, about what the best time is to meet your needs and your goals in your real estate transaction.  We wish you amazing peace in this next year. In your families, in your homes. If you're doing a real estate transaction, we would love to help you with that and let you know how we can help you during that process of both forecasting at the beginning and walking you through, holding your hands, and making sure that we're putting our expert experience to your best use and your bottom line. Have a super 2022. I am looking forward to talking with you when we can help with your real estate needs. God bless you, stay safe, stay healthy, and I look forward to talking with you soon.

Here's the answer to whether it is a good time to sell in winter. Today we are talking about the wintertime market. The question we often get is: “Is there a bad time to sell? Can I sell in the wintertime? Is it a good time to sell?” And my answer is always, “yes; it's a great time to sell.” There is actually never a bad time to sell.  But for example, we have two families right now that we have helped to go ahead and sell their house, one in town and one in a bit more outlying area. And they both had multiple offers. They both went over their listing price. “So is winter a good time to sell? Only if you want to make some money.” The one most recently last night, they were hoping for one price, we listed for $50,000 more using comparables and direct data to show us why we should do that. And then, guess what happened? Six offers, much over asking price, and we are in contract for a good amount, that's going to pay for their move to Missouri, and everyone is really happy. Now, obviously, it still has to finish out, but it's looking really good. We've got a cash buyer and another one right behind him that says that if this one can't do it, they're ready to take over. So is winter a good time to sell? Only if you want to make some money. And we're glad to help you with that. Our motto is making lives better. How can we help you with yours? Have a super blessed day, and give us a call when we can help you with your house in the wintertime. Be blessed.

Here's what you need to know about the future of San Diego's condo market. Downtown San Diego is one of the great landmarks of the west coast, but the last few years have been rough. The pandemic shut down the city's vibrant social scene, and things have been slow to open back up. Now that more people are vaccinated and heading back to work, are things starting to come back? As of late November 2021, a lot has changed in the downtown condo market. We have fewer than 90 units for sale and over 140 in escrow. The rest of the San Diego housing market increased 30% during the pandemic, and it looks like downtown is just starting to catch up. “People from all over the country are buying property here.” Homes are entering escrow this year 65% faster than last year. On top of that, closed units are up 68%. One thing I've noticed is that the areas in development have a lot more clarity. New buildings are coming in, and people are feeling optimistic.  What does this mean for the future? It looks like downtown prices are only going up, and inventory is only decreasing. People from all over the country are buying property here, so if you want to get in on the action, you better act fast.  If you have any questions about today's topic, please feel free to call or email me. I am always willing to help!

Here are the top three reasons why homes fail to sell in our market. We've seen a crazy change in the marketplace over the last two years. We went from March 2020, when everyone stopped buying homes, to June and July, when everyone went right back to the market. In 2021, we've seen one of the biggest increases in home values that I think any of us will see in our lifetimes. Now the market is shifting again. It's not slowing down—we're just not seeing the rapid pace of increase that we saw between February and July. Here are a few things we've noticed that are causing homes not to sell in this market: “You can't just take a couple of photos on your iPhone and put the house on the market anymore.” 1. Poor home preparation. Earlier this year, all you had to do was put your home up for sale and watch all the buyers flock to your listing, some of whom might even have offered $100,000 more than your asking price. Today, however, there's more inventory available, so buyers are starting to become a bit pickier. The era of just listing homes and waiting is over; you need to clean from top to bottom, touch up your paint, and replace old and worn carpets. Simple projects like these add immense value to your home. Prepped homes sell for a lot more than homes with no work done. 2. Average marketing. If you were a real estate agent with a home to sell between February and June of this year, your job was a lot easier than it used to be. However, all that has changed. People are spending a lot more time studying listing photos and looking at media collateral before they visit a property, so make sure your agent is doing a full media package when it comes to marketing your home. They need to create a brand for your home to help it make top dollar. You can't just take a couple of photos on your iPhone and put the house on the market anymore. 3. Pacing too far ahead of pricing. Over the last year, we've seen people listing their homes for thousands of dollars over what the last comparable sale was. Now, people are more realistic about pricing in the market, and they're studying the pricing before they step foot in your home. The average buyer has seen all your comparable sales and has made offers on all of them, so they know what a house should be worth by the time they come for a showing. Buyers punish overpriced sellers by not making an offer at all or waiting for the seller to make a price adjustment. You can avoid that by simply listing your home at the market price. If you're looking for more tips on how to sell your home for top dollar or have any real estate questions at all, give me a call or send an email. I'd love to hear from you.

I wouldn't be where I am today without all of your support. Thanksgiving is here! I hope you are as excited as I am. I'd like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all of you this Thanksgiving. We've had a wonderful year with wonderful people who have made me laugh and love. I wouldn't be where I am today without all of your support, and we are grateful. Please enjoy my Thanksgiving encouragement video, complete with a significant guest appearance by Harley. And then enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner—that's what we plan to do! Then as soon as the leftovers are put away and the stock is ready for turkey noodle soup, we'll be back in the office and ready to serve you again. Please watch to hear how we're grateful for you this Thanksgiving season. 

Here are three podcasts that have improved my life for the better. Hi, this is Sandy with Sandy and Company and today we are talking about your greatest investment: yourself. Did you know that the law of entropy applies to yourself as well? Everything moves from order to chaos. Everything, including your thought life and your motivation to become and to stay the best of who God made you. You can charge ahead in your business life and in your home life and your personal and your school life, but unless you have someone else coming alongside to help you stay up the up at the top, you can slide pretty quickly down that hill that you have climbed every day. In an interview in 2019, Warren Buffet said, “By far, the best investment you can make is in yourself.” There are so many ways to invest in yourself, whether you go into classes and seminars, if you read books, listen to podcasts, you do coaching or you get mentorship. “By far, the best investment you can make is in yourself. - Warren Buffet” Lately my favorite is podcasts. When I'm in the car, for an hour or so, one of the best ways I can stay awake is to listen to podcasts and to actually keep my mind moving the entire time. And they're usually growth minded. I'm gonna give you my three favorite podcasts right now. Here's my first favorite podcast: TheBrianBuffiniShow.com. I love The Brian Buffini Show because he is interviewing so many different people from different walks of life. Whether they are athletes, authors, preachers, politicians. Sometimes he just talks about the books and what he got out of them. But ultimately they're looking at the mindsets, the motivations and the methodologies, it's way it's the way they put it of success. And it's always encouraging. And it's always giving me things I can think about, about how to either improve things or sometimes to pat myself on the back a little bit because I've already got that in place. “This is how I keep my mind fed.” My second favorite podcast is Graham Cooke's BrilliantPerspectives.com. Graham Cook has such a heart for the love of Jesus and the magnificence of who he is and who we are in him. And I'm always left with an understanding with a better understanding of how much God really loves me, how much potential I have in him and the steps that I can take to really reach into, feel and experience that love. God loves me so much. And he loves you that much, too. Anything that we can do to tap into that is just making life better all the way around. My last favorite podcast is Keep The Faith's ContagiousInfluencers.com. David Sams interviews high profile people. Most of the ones I've listened to have been actors, musicians, and athletes, high profile people that really once you get to the story behind the story, and I'm sure there's even more behind that, but it just gives us an idea of how that person got through either life's difficulties or even life successes and how it impacted them, and helps me think as well about my path and the tough things that I've been through and the great things I've experienced and how I can impact other people as well and share those experiences so that I can share the wealth and share the contentment of a really great life, that's lived well. As you can tell, I love The Lord, and I love people, and I get encouragement from both of those.  And that's how I really keep my mind being fed, so that I'm not just sitting in my own thoughts and sitting in my own experiences, getting my head out of my own self and into other people's stories really helps me keeping on the right track. You can find all of these online, just on the regular internet, as well as any podcast app that you have on your phone. And I highly encourage you to take some time and listen as a way to increase your net worth. And don't be surprised if you see the other net worth rise up as well. If you do need to change your home, if it's time to sell, if it's time to buy, or it's time to invest. Give me a call. Message, call, text me today, email me today. We are your Realtor resource who is interested in adding to your bottom line. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay blessed. I'll see you on the flip side.  

Here are three podcasts that have improved my life for the better. Hi, this is Sandy with Sandy and Company and today we are talking about your greatest investment: yourself. Everything, including your thought life and your motivation to become and to stay the best of who God made you. You can charge ahead in your business life and in your home life and your personal and your school life, but unless you have someone else coming alongside to help you stay up the up at the top, you can slide pretty quickly down that hill that you have climbed every day. In an interview in 2019, Warren Buffet said, “By far, the best investment you can make is in yourself.” There are so many ways to invest in yourself, whether you go into classes and seminars, if you read books, listen to podcasts, you do coaching or you get mentorship. One of the best ways I can stay awake is to listen to podcasts and to actually keep my mind moving the entire time. And they're usually growth minded. I'm gonna give you my three favorite podcasts right now. Here's my first favorite podcast: TheBrianBuffiniShow.com. I love The Brian Buffini Show because he is interviewing so many different people from different walks of life. Whether they are athletes, authors, preachers, politicians. Sometimes he just talks about the books and what he got out of them. But ultimately they're looking at the mindsets, the motivations and the methodologies, it's way it's the way they put it of success. And it's always encouraging. And it's always giving me things I can think about, about how to either improve things or sometimes to pat myself on the back a little bit because I've already got that in place. “This is how I keep my mind fed.” My second favorite podcast is Graham Cooke's BrilliantPerspectives.com. Graham Cook has such a heart for the love of Jesus and the magnificence of who he is and who we are in him. And I'm always left with an understanding with a better understanding of how much God really loves me, how much potential I have in him and the steps that I can take to really reach into, feel and experience that love. God loves me so much. And he loves you that much, too. Anything that we can do to tap into that is just making life better all the way around. My last favorite podcast is Keep The Faith's ContagiousInfluencers.com. David Sams interviews high profile people. Most of the ones I've listened to have been actors, musicians, and athletes, high profile people that really once you get to the story behind the story, and I'm sure there's even more behind that, but it just gives us an idea of how that person got through either life's difficulties or even life successes and how it impacted them, and helps me think as well about my path and the tough things that I've been through and the great things I've experienced and how I can impact other people as well and share those experiences so that I can share the wealth and share the contentment of a really great life, that's lived well. As you can tell, I love The Lord, and I love people, and I get encouragement from both of those.  And that's how I really keep my mind being fed, so that I'm not just sitting in my own thoughts and sitting in my own experiences, getting my head out of my own self and into other people's stories really helps me keeping on the right track.  You can find all of these online, just on the regular internet, as well as any podcast app that you have on your phone. And I highly encourage you to take some time and listen as a way to increase your net worth. And don't be surprised if you see the other net worth rise up as well. If you do need to change your home, if it's time to sell, if it's time to buy, or it's time to invest. Give me a call. Message, call, text me today, email me today. We are your Realtor resource who is interested in adding to your bottom line. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay blessed. And I'll see you on the flip side.  

Here's a short story that shows why homeownership is so important. This is a friend-of-a-friend story today. One of the big questions we have right now is: With all the uncertainty, are we going to have enough money to make it in the future? A friend called me a few weeks ago, and she was concerned for her friend who was in her 50s and still renting an apartment. We'll call her Faith. My friend had been talking to Faith for a while now about buying a condo in order to stabilize her living expenses. Faith works at Walmart, an hourly job, but she has also just gotten a nice little inheritance. So if she bought a condo, she could go ahead and pay for that condo with her inheritance, have enough money for security, and let her hourly job pay for her living expenses and homeowners association fees, especially once she no longer paid over $1,000 a month for rent. “The best way to control your future living costs is to own your own home.” So finally, Faith was ready to take that leap. We found her a nice little condo in town and made sure she had an inspection so that she can get her family in there and make sure that we had the thumbs up from everyone that she was going to be well taken care of. I just gave her the keys last weekend, and she is so excited. She is thrilled that she gets to make this her own place that feels so good and feels pretty around her. And our mutual friend is relieved Faith is no longer paying rent to a landlord who can charge whatever he likes because he can, and that's what the market will bear. Did you know that the best way to control your future living costs is to own your own home? If you have questions about this and about how homeownership is a key part of financial security, let's talk. If you're looking for a Realtor who can help you increase your net worth and stabilize your living expenses, call me, text me, or message me today. Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a super blessed day. And I look forward to helping you with your real estate needs. Call me today.

Here's why a change in our market means more opportunities for you. We watch the trends all the time about what's going on in today's market. What's happening in the last month, six months, a year. What we can project forward moving into the next few months and even to this next week. And as much as those trends have shown us that the market is strong, and it is strong, there is still a little bit of a change in the air right now. Now it is fall. The air is cooling. We were used to 90 degrees, 100 degrees. It was really steaming hot and fast and furious. Now suddenly I'm seeing that things are shifting a little. We've had two buyers right now who have had their offers accepted even when they had to sell their current house first. It's been a process. We've had to work through it, but we have two buyers who are purchasing even though they have a house to sell. That is one big indicator of how I can tell things are changing because in the market where everybody was going red hot, and houses were selling with so many buyers that don't have a house to sell, that wouldn't have even been considered. The second thing I'm seeing is that we have houses on the market for longer. We had a house just last week that we listed, and for the first time in probably a couple of years, it has lasted longer than the Monday that we were reviewing the offer. We're not worried. We know we're in a good position. We've got a game plan, but it's just telling me that things are shifting. “Let's talk now because we don't know what's going to happen in six months.” Like I said, when it was 90 degrees and then it turns into the 80s and 70s, sometimes it feels a little chilly. If I'm a seller, I might actually be concerned about this, but the exciting part is that there is not a concern, there's just the game plan. You're going to sell and buy in the same market. Whether it's up or whether it's down, you're going to get the opportunity on one side and the tension on the other. So you're going to be fine ultimately. The opportunity that we see here is that we have a chance for sellers to go ahead and find the next house without having to take away all the safeties that make it an easier transition.  So, here's the question I have for you: Are you looking to buy? Are you looking to sell? Do you need to change your home? Do we need to do it in a way that is a little easier on the stress factor? If that's the case, this is the time for you. Let's talk right now because who knows what's going to happen in a month or six months. It might cook back up again and be 100 degrees-plus. But right now we have an opportunity for you to make that change and do it in such a way that you feel more comfortable. Give me a call. Let's talk today. If you're looking for a Realtor who can gauge today's temperature and today's market and make today's plan, then let's talk today. Have a beautiful day, stay healthy, stay safe, be blessed, and I'll talk with you soon.

Here's a helpful reminder to keep track of your important documents. I have had two completely separate clients over the last two days searching desperately for their letter that comes out every year and says how much social security they're collecting. One of them is to qualify for a loan, and the other one is to qualify for tenancy in a mobile home park. Both of those people really needed it in a timely manner.  This is one of those things that you think, “You know what, yeah, yeah yeah. I'm going to get the bank statement every month, I'm going to see that it's in there,” but you know what? For bookkeeping purposes and honestly, I don't know what else you may need it for, but I'll bet you it might come up, and if you need it, you're going to wish you had it. So that letter that comes at the end of the year that says what you're getting the year following or the one that comes the first off as soon as you start getting your social security or your disability, save it. Put it in a file folder with your important documents so you know that you'll be able to find it when you need it. That place that says, ”Hmm, I put it somewhere so that I would remember.” Make sure you actually remember where it is. This is just a quick message today because anytime I start seeing a pattern and think, “You know what? I think more people need to know about this,” we end up helping a lot of people through the process of homeownership, whether it's in the actual purchase, or in helping them get their things together to finance, or obviously other options as well. This is one of the things you're going to need. “Make sure you remember where you put it.” Let me know if there's anything we can do to help you. Whether it's looking at homes, looking at your home and getting ready to sell, or getting those documents so you can put your plans together and not be freaking out, going, “I know I had that. I know I put it somewhere, but I can't find it. So, just want to give you that tip today. Have a super blessed day. Let us know how we can serve you. Our motto is, “Making lives better.” How can we make yours? Be blessed today.

If you are thinking about selling, here are a few things you need to think about. When I'm coming up to a home with a buyer, we use our buyer eyes to look for four main things: 1. What is broken? 2. What is dated? 3. What is dirty? 4. What is cluttered? As you're walking through your home before you put it on the market, look at what buyers are going to want to deal with right now. You may say that in a seller's market, everything is going to sell and you don't have to lift a finger. That is true—to a point. You don't have to lift a finger, but if you don't, you're going to take a hit in your pocketbook. If you really want the home to shine and sparkle, and if you want to hit the buyers right where their hearts are, you need to make sure that everything is ready to go. The first things to look at are your roof and siding. How does the roof look? Do you have a number of years left on the wear? Do you have some patches? Does it need some cleaning? How is your siding? Are the boards smooth? Are you going to need to get a paintbrush out to make it clean and ready to go? Roofs and siding are two big-ticket items that buyers want to hear about. When you go up to your entry, is it sparkling? Are the windows clean? Are the spiderwebs gone? And that's just the beginning. As you're walking through the house, I want you to look at each room not as the room that you've walked into every day for however long you've lived there, but rather as the room that people will be walking into for the first time.  Look at the structure and not your belongings. Is this a place that really shows off what you have to sell? “If you are thinking of selling your house within the next few months, now is the time to take stock and see what you have.” If you're looking for what to do next, look around for things that are broken and fix them. If the broken item in question is a big-ticket item, call me. Let's talk about whether that's something that you can handle, something that you need help with, or if it's something that you need the buyer to take care of. If it's dated, is it something like paint and carpet? If so, you can always get your money back by updating them. Light fixtures can also bring a good ROI, but granite countertops? Not so much. Next, assess whether your home is clean and sparkling. You could do most of the work yourself, but depending on the situation, you might want to hire a cleaning crew at the last minute to come in and do a deep clean of the property.  If your home is cluttered, figure out if you have things that you need to donate or put away in a storage unit. Now is the time to take a look, especially because we have one more month of reliably good weather to get someone out there to see what they can do, like a contractor, before things may start to turn. If you are thinking of selling your house within the next few months, now is the time to take stock and see what you have. Give me a call! Let me walk through and share with you what I would do (or not do) if I were you, as well as how we could help you make the process smoother and simpler. Let me know how we can help! Have a super blessed day.  

Here's my take on what we're seeing in the real estate market right now. Today, we are talking about the early summer Snohomish County housing market. I get asked so often whether there is a bubble coming up, and people are concerned that maybe our prices are at the very tippy-top and they don't want to be on the slide on the other side.  Well, what I can show you is that there is still so much more demand that it is not dropping anytime soon, even though we are well overdue for a correction. We're not going to have a pop and a slide like we did in the past, so take a look at this slide (0:36): As you can see, the inventory has come well down from what it was in 2019/2020. It pretty well dropped out. There was a short spike up just because people didn't know what was happening in the mid-spring, and then people were scrambling after that trying to find the home that fits for them until the point right now where both in March and right now again in May, and then we're waiting to see what happens with the end of June's numbers. We're still at 0.3 months of inventory. What does that mean? Well, you can see where I marked where the one month is. That means that if nothing else came on the market in one month, everything would be sold. Well, we are well below that so if nothing else came on the market, we would be sold out within about a week and a half. We had a week and a half's inventory back at the end of May. We do expect that to slowly creep up again, and we are seeing that there is more inventory available, I just don't have that specific number for you. But there are still so many buyers, whether it's their first home, whether it's the family home, which in many cases right now our first-home buyers are looking to get that family home that they're going to be able to raise children in, that they're going to be able to have the dogs and the cats and the friends and the entertaining and have the bigger space that they can make sure is going to suit them because they are paying quite a bit of money. They want to make sure it's going to suit them for years to come, and then we have the other families that are getting smaller and are going to the smaller spaces from the larger. “We're ready to help you when you're ready to make a change.” What is going on with your life is what's going to dictate what your home needs to be like and shape like in order to make it fit for you. So what is happening in our market? Very very low inventory, and that is still making sure that our buyers are competing not quite as much as they were back in March, but they are still competing with other buyers to make sure that they're paying the top price, having the fewest contingencies. What does that mean for you? Let's talk, because we're always wanting to make sure that our people are taken care of making the best, most educated decisions in this market about what they can do with their money for their home. We know what's happening in the market because we can see both statistically and anecdotally. We know what's happening with the stories with our current sellers, with our current buyers, and we're ready to help you when you're ready to make a real estate change and make a change with your home. Call me, text me, message me. We'd love to talk with you about your real estate needs and how we can help you right now with your home. Have a super blessed day. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we look forward to talking with you soon.

Here's an example of how timing can affect your real estate plans. Today we're talking about the timing of real estate because it's not always fun. I had a client call me a few months ago. Things were not going so well with her dad down in Texas, so they were gearing up toward making a great big move. They had a number of belongings in different states: in Utah, in Texas, and around here. They were collecting what they had left behind at different times in their life and getting everything back into the same area. So they were making several trips out of state and trying to put everything together so that it was a smooth process.  Well, we got most of that worked out and put the house on the market. Within 24 hours we got an offer, a great offer, so my clients decided not to wait through the weekend. We let the people who had already seen it know that we were reviewing offers that evening, and there was a flurry: we ended up with six offers on day two—all well over our listing price of $700,000. By the time it was over, we ended up having offers up to $850,000, and we took one for just under that at $830,000.  So the very beginning was a scramble, and then we got to wait. Appraisers in the more rural areas are a little slower right now, so it took a while to find an appraiser who was willing to go into Stanwood and take a look at acreage. So we got a little behind because the lender was having a hard time finding someone to appraise the house, and then once that happened, there were still things that needed to be worked out on the loan. We ended up giving these buyers four extensions… four extensions after that initial hustle and hurry, then we got to sit and wait. Now, a day or two is not so much of a big issue, but by the time we got to the third and fourth extension moving into two weeks, it started getting a little nerve-racking for the seller about whether this buyer was really able to perform. So along with our fourth extension, we gave some hardball news that said, “Hey, we need you to make sure that this is really going to happen, or you're going to start losing some earnest money.” Those make for hard conversations. Real estate is in the middle of life, and while no one is looking to take anything unfairly from someone else, if there's going to be a risk, if we're going to leave our house off the market and not getting the exposure that it needs to do to get sold, then maybe there's something we need in return for confidence and assurance that they're really going to be able to finish the job. “We want to be fair but also confident that this is really going to come together for everyone.” That's what we do as real estate experts: we help our clients look at the situation,  look at the market, look at the people involved, and ask, “Okay, where is the risk, where is the benefit? What do we need in order to have assurance and do the right thing?” Because we're all people trying to get to the same end result, we want to be fair but also confident that this is really going to come together for everyone.  Ultimately, the house did close. The seller got his money, the buyers got the keys to the house, and my sellers are in Texas and taking care of family, which is where they need to be. So the question is of timing, whether it's “Do we sell right now?” or it's, “Can my property in this market do what I need it to do for the next step?” That's the conversation that we get to have. And when we're in the thick of it, we get to make sure that our client's needs, as they see them, are taken care of and protected.  So what time is it? It's time for us to take care of you. Our motto is “Making lives better.” How can we make yours?  Have a beautiful day, stay blessed, stay healthy, and we look forward to talking with you soon when we can help you with your real estate needs.

Here’s a quick recap of RED day and how we were able to help the food bank. Today we are talking about helping out our food bank. Yesterday was RED day, and RED day at Keller Williams means that we are helping out in our community.  And so, for me, I actually was just busy with some other things, and at the last minute, I realized I have done nothing to help our food drive. And so I just got on the phone yesterday, called about 40 of my top favorite people, and not all of them, trust me. If you didn’t get a call, it just meant that I was going to save you for next time. So, but if you did, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Sometimes people, it’s the right time to give, and sometimes I’ll catch them next time. And the people that did, I picked up food and donations from almost 20 homes, and lots of food here.  “Top Ramen is great, but you don’t want to make life on it.” Let’s see, I’m looking into the sun, but my truck is full, my heart is full, and we picked up enough money that with me matching and our owner matching, we’re bringing in a little over $4,000 to the Marysville Food Bank. The summertime is kind of lean, especially for the kids. They need more than pb&js, and this is going to give them the ability to feed many families with good foods, good meals, meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Top Ramen is great, but you don’t want to make life on it.  If you’re in a spot, and if you’re able to give, free free to give me a call. I keep a bag going all the time. Give me a call, and I will pick up or donate to your local food bank if you know where it is and it’s easily accessible.  Have a super day. Bless the people around you. It really is the best way for you to get blessed in return. There really is nothing like going out and being face to face with people and having the opportunity to bless those who lift you up. Have a super blessed day, stay healthy, be loved, be blessed, and I look forward to talking with you soon when I can help you with anything real estate or anything else. Take care.

Here’s my No. 1 question for renters and homeowners alike. Today I’m asking you: Are you home yet? I’m heading on my way to an inspection for one of our buyers. I’m so thrilled for him because he has waited so long to find the place that feels like home. He rents a basement apartment, and the people that he rents from are really good people. They consider him family, but it’s not the same as having your own space and noises. Or making sure that your payment is going to stay steady when inflation makes the rest of our costs go up.  I’m so excited that we’re finally finding him a house that feels like home. He can come home to think about the rest of what’s going on around him in the world, and he can know that life is good because he has his own space. A lot of people are wondering right now: Is this the right time to buy a house? The question is really only answered by you. The few different factors you want to think about are: How much do you want to pay for your money? Is the interest rate going to stay the same then as it is now? I’m not a gambler, and so the future doesn’t look bright for that. Second, what’s happening with inflation? With the price of money going up, you can secure your house payment right now so you aren’t having to pay a 3% to 5% increase in your rent every year (or lately even more than that). When landlords are saying, “Hey, I could get so much more if I sold it. Maybe I should just rent it for more.” I’m hearing a lot of people talk about rent increases that are significantly stretching their budget. “Is this your sanctuary?” The biggest question is, if you can afford it, is this the place you like to call home? Is this your sanctuary? My husband was just telling me  that our home is our sanctuary. When he goes into our backyard and he’s got his fruit trees, this is the place he’s so grateful we have to call home. So let me ask you this: Are you home yet? Do you want to be home? If you own your own house but it doesn’t feel like home because something has changed, do we need to talk about that too? Is there something that we can change to make it feel like home again? Or do we need to look somewhere else?  We are so glad to be your resource for houses, whether you are selling or buying. Our motto is “Making lives better.” How can we make yours? Message me when we can help you with your home. Give me a call, text me, message me. We’re glad to talk with you and grateful to be your resource. Have a super blessed day, stay healthy, stay blessed, and I look forward to talking with you soon.

Here are three ways to build your real estate portfolio in San Diego. Many first-time homebuyers are looking to purchase homes, but they’re finding that prices are just too high for them. I’d both agree and disagree with their assessments; it all depends on what you’re looking at. Today I’ll share three great ways to help you build your portfolio and wealth here in San Diego: 1. Condos. In today’s market, condos are probably the most underrated asset class. Over the last 12 to 18 months, so many people have shifted their focus to single-family homes that the condo market has softened and people are getting deals. Post pandemic, we’ll likely see the condo market come back strong as people use them for second homes and other purposes. I’ve seen a ton of clients gain lots of equity from condos, and it’s substantially easier to get into that market than the detached housing market these days. “Many young people don’t think of real estate as a great partnership opportunity, but it can be.” 2. “House hack” by renting out bought property. House hacking is where you purchase a large or multi-unit property and rent it out to tenants. The rent you receive can offset the cost of the property. Suppose you had a two-unit property in a desirable location where you couldn’t normally qualify for two units at $750,000. By purchasing a two-unit property there, you can use the rent generated to offset the property’s expenses, so it might feel like you’re only buying a $500,000 property. This is useful for those who want to live with another person. 3. Buy real estate with someone. If you’re looking to start your rental portfolio, try buying a piece of property with a partner. Many young people don’t think of real estate as a great partnership opportunity, but it can be. With the right agreements in place and the right vehicles to own real estate, there are easy, effective ways for people to buy real estate with a partner. If you have any questions about today’s tips or purchasing real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

Here’s when it's smart for buyers to opt for a zero-down loan. Today we’re talking about when might it be smart to have a zero-down loan.  In this hot market, our strong loan options have become much more limited, taking out essentially anything that’s a zero down payment—or so you would think. One of our buyers had enough money for a 5% down payment on a $450,000 purchase, but right now it’s not so much about the top value or top dollar amount that you’re going to offer. It’s actually more important how you can guarantee to the seller how you can get there. So it’s the money you have for an additional down payment if the appraisal doesn’t come in at the agreed-upon price, and sometimes creativity and good communication can get you further than a conventional loan amount.  Fortunately, we have both. Remember Sarah? She joined forces with me this year, and she’s been helping these particular buyers for the last couple of months. The house was offered in Algona for $370,000. Sarah called the listing agent and talked with them about what is most important to their sellers. Is it the most price that they can get ultimately? Or is it the guarantee over a low appraisal if it doesn’t reach the agreed-upon price?  “Sometimes creativity and good communication can get you further than a conventional loan amount.” Our buyers were already planning to offer their top of $445,000 to this seller, so the top price really wasn’t an issue for them if it appraised. Turns out, the seller’s concern was that the appraisal would be low even if the buyer’s offer was high. By changing from a 5% down to a zero-down loan, our buyers were able to free up $20,000 that they could put toward a low appraisal. Why would a buyer want to pay more than the house appraised for? Here’s the deal: Appraisers are confined to the houses that are already sold, and the prices are public. That means the prices on these homes are determined at least one or two months in the past, and prices are rising so quickly that appraisers simply don’t have access to the value that homes are worth in today’s market, and that makes a valuation very difficult. Once a house closes, the price is made public—not the appraised value, but the price that the seller and the buyer ultimately agreed on. And then others will price their upcoming houses on this public sales price. Therefore, that agreed-on price now becomes that value.  Plus, when the buyer is paying over the appraised value, they’re still not paying any more than what they already agreed to the seller in the first place. So they still felt like that was a fair value in today’s market. And when they’re making a higher down payment, the loan is actually based on a lower amount, so they’re going to be able to have a lower payment and pay less for the house in the long run. Pause this video and think about that for a minute. Rewind and replay if you need to, because this is important.  So back to our buyers. We have a plan in place. The sellers are comfortable. The buyers are comfortable, and they’re going to get their keys in just a few days.  Who do you know who needs creativity and resourcefulness in today’s market? Message me, email me, or call me with your info and let’s talk about how we can help calm the logic in this red-hot, frenzied market. Stay healthy, stay blessed, have an amazing day, and I look forward to talking with you soon about how we can help!

Here's what homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for in 2021. If you’re looking to add tens of thousands of dollars of value to your home this year, there are a couple of key things you can do. While these may be some big-ticket items that you’ll need to purchase, your investment will bring fantastic returns in the future. Since the pandemic began, we’ve seen pools and backyards explode in popularity. Everyone wants a place where they can relax, spread out, and entertain guests safely, so many clients have been investing in their outdoor spaces. Those who have added pools, which could cost $50,000 to $100,000, are often getting back $150,000 or more on their investment when they sell. However, not all homes will gain value when a pool is added; in some cases, you might get a better return if you simply move without pouring money into your property. Either way, we always invite people to reach out to us so we can weigh the options together. Studio sheds, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs), are also becoming extremely popular. Some people believe adding one would be a daunting task, but it’s actually quite easy. Some websites even have prefabricated options that you’re able to choose from. San Diego also has pre-approved plans homeowners can purchase to add ADUs to their property. Homeowners can use this as a way to create secondary income through a rental, or have a private place where relatives can stay. It gives people a lot of flexibility, and homebuyers are flocking to listings that include these units. “Many clients have been investing in their outdoor spaces.” If you have any questions about real estate or would like to learn about more ways to add value to your home, feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Here’s why demand is so high and supply is so low. If you’re struggling to find a home in the San Diego area, you’re not alone. Inventory has been overwhelmingly low, meaning that tons of buyers are competing over a small supply of properties. Many clients have been wondering why there are so few homes available, which is why we’re covering the top three reasons why San Diego and the rest of the country are experiencing an inventory shortage. Here’s what’s happening: 1. The COVID-19 pandemic: In the past year, many would-be sellers have decided to wait on listing their homes until the pandemic has passed. Whether they’re immunocompromised or simply uncomfortable putting their homes on the market, fewer people are listing properties. This is the case in San Diego, and high demand from buyers means that inventory is at record-low levels. “Inventory has been overwhelmingly low, meaning that tons of buyers are competing over a small supply of properties.” 2. Low interest rates: Many people who were thinking of downsizing or moving laterally decided it would make more sense to take advantage of low interest rates, refinance their homes, and come out with a cheaper monthly payment. This is especially true for baby boomers, who hold the largest share of real estate; they’re able to wait longer to move because they now have more options and can better afford payments. 3. Longer life expectancy: Baby boomers are also enjoying longer, healthier, and more functional lives. They’re also able to stay near their kids and grandchildren instead of moving to less expensive areas. In the past, older adults would typically be downsizing in their 60s and 70s, so this has locked down a lot of real estate. On top of this, San Diego isn’t able to have a lot of single-story homes, so this creates even more competition for the ones that are available. If you need help jumping into the market, have any questions, or would like more information, feel free to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you and helping with any and all of your real estate needs.

Here’s why I don’t mind picking up after others in my community. Today we’re talking about how to make our little corner of the world better. Lots of us these days are taking walks out around the neighborhood and down through the parks. We know it’s good for our health. We know it’s good for our dogs if we have them. I’ve got a puppy down here with me right now.  When we’re taking those walks, whether it’s around our own homes or in other spaces we really enjoy, there’s often trash we don’t want to see. Maybe somebody left their lunch stuff behind, their Taco Bell bag. Maybe somebody was walking their dog and didn’t have a bag. We can hope that’s why they didn’t pick up.  There are things that make it not so nice for us to do our own walking and our own enjoying. We could probably complain about that a bit. But instead of complaining, I often take an extra bag and pick up the trash right around my own neighborhood. I’m not picking up the whole trash. I’m not going out every day intending to pick up all the trash I see. But if there’s something obvious that’s easy for me to grab, I just pick it up.  If I’m walking along the trail (I like to go down here off of Sunnyside and walk along the slough there) and I see a dog pile, I’ll make a note to grab it on the way back if I’ve got space in the bag, I’ll toss it in there with whatever Harley put in. I’m not a big good Samaritan. I just know that I like having my space look good and look clean. “It’s just part of what we do to make our corners look better.” I like having my house look clean, and it always feels better when it gets picked up. So I just do it a little around in my own neighborhood as well and the spaces that I enjoy. Likewise, I have a colleague who, when he walks around his lake, he takes a grabber and a bag and he picks up the trash as well. It’s just part of what we do to make our corners look better. We enjoy it, our neighbors enjoy it, and when we have a clean space that looks unusual when it’s dirty, somebody else is likely to help pick it up as well because they want to keep it the same way.  If there’s anything we can do for you house-wise, please be sure and let me know. It is a majorly hot market right now, there is so much going on, and there is lots of protection that is needed for both sellers and for buyers. Give me a call if you are looking to sell and we’ll be glad to walk you through that process. If you are looking to buy, it is an incredibly tight opportunity, but there are still opportunities there and every one of our buyers has been taken care of. We may still be a process, but we’re getting it done.  I look forward to talking with you. Enjoy the sunshine– when we get it out here it is such a treat! And I look forward to talking with you when I can help you with your real estate needs. Have a super blessed day!

Here are three tips to help make your home purchase easier in this market. Looking to buy a home in 2020 but need to sell your current home first? You’re in luck; today I have three great tips on how to accomplish these dual transactions: 1. Get pre-approved. Most homebuyers use financing in today’s market, but with the dip in interest rates, you’d be surprised what you can qualify for without selling your current home. Many times, folks realize they can afford the new house without having to sell first. We always have people get pre-approved so they know their options and are financially comfortable with them. “For some families, a rent-back might be the only option.” 2. Start prepping your home for departure. While you’re looking for homes online, talk with an agent about a plan to prep your home for departure. A lot of times, homeowners think about doing something, find the perfect home, then lose out on it because their current home isn’t properly prepared first. Sit down with your agent and come up with a gameplan to move from point A to point B. 3. Negotiate a rent-back agreement. Since the market is so hot, we’re typically able to get rent-back agreements for our clients so they can sell their home, become completely liquid, then buy and close on the next house without worry. For families, this might be the only option, and today’s buyers are OK with longer rent-back periods as long as they can secure the home to purchase. If you have questions about how we can help you get started on the buying or selling process or concerning real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Here’s a story about how we helped our clients who were going through rough times. I got a call a couple of months ago from one of our clients. They were a cute, young couple who bought their house at the end of 2019. Unfortunately, this last year was really hard on them, and now they’re getting a divorce. It’s really hard for people to admit when things are going really wrong, so I was honored that they would give us a call to say that they needed help. It’s a very vulnerable position that our clients were placing themselves in when they invite us into times that are tough. I made them do a little bit of homework: they had to take a look at how much he owed. They bought the house with a USDA loan and there is a fee that goes on top of that since it’s a 100% loan. That meant they still owed more than what they paid for the house. Of course, the market is way higher than it was even 14 months ago, so we had a good opportunity to make sure that they would at least get some of their costs taken care of and be able to break even. And with the competition, we thought we could even make them a little bit of money. That was the goal. So we talked about how much we would list the house for, and that amount would break them even. Then as it turned out, we had a buyer who was looking for pretty much exactly what our couple was selling. We asked if it would be okay if the buyers took a look through the house before we put it on the market to see if that was something that would work for them, and they were good with that. They loved the house and we put the sale together. “We were able to find a buyer for them that not only helped them break even, but also put some money in their pockets.” There were a couple other things that were worrying the sellers when we were starting out. Like I said, they were a young couple; they didn’t have all the fancy furniture and decorations. They didn’t know what it would take to make their house look good in today’s hot market. So it was such a relief for them to know that they wouldn’t have 40 people tromping through their house and looking through their stuff. Our sellers were thrilled that we were able to find a buyer for them that not only helped them break even, but also put some money in their pockets so they could go on to a fresh start. This is such an important process, and we are honored to help them out. When we spoke at the very beginning, they said that they called us because we helped them so well when they bought. There wasn’t anyone else to call since they knew that we’d take good care of them. Who do you know that needs help with their house? Who do you know that is in a spot where they’re not quite sure what they can do next? We would love to talk with them about their options and what we can do to help them through their best-case scenario. As a final note, springtime is coming up. If you need a pressure washer or if you need to trim your trees before all the new buds come out, let me know. Remember, on www.SandysToolShed.com, I’ve got tools that you can borrow if you don’t want to buy them. Have a blessed day! And again, let us know about anyone who needs assistance with real estate. We are here to help.

I have three good reasons you shouldn’t wait until spring to sell. Are you considering listing your home in the spring or summer? You may want to rethink that timeline because now is an excellent time to list your house for sale. Listing between January and March may help you beat out the competition for three reasons: 1. Low competition. The competition itself will be lower before spring hits. We’re already seeing a massive amount of competition right now due to the reduced supply of properties on the market. Six months ago your neighborhood may have had five or six homes for sale, but today there may only be one. Less competition gives you the freedom to consider your next move without as many speed bumps in the way. 2. Pent-up buyer demand. People were looking to buy in the second half of 2020, but there wasn’t enough inventory on the market. San Diego recorded the lowest amount of inventory ever in the fourth quarter. Our market won’t come out of that until at least late February or March when more people start listing. By that time, we’re into the traditional selling season. Usually, people wait until after the Super Bowl to put their houses on the market, then we get even more in May and June from the family-dense neighborhoods because they want to wait until the kids are out of school. Virtual schooling has changed much of that, so people have the flexibility to move now. “Now is an excellent time to list your house for sale.” 3. Your home’s little-known features can be shown. How many of you have a beautiful fire pit with fantastic lighting or heaters, or some other great feature? As people are spending more time at home, they’re paying more attention to these details. They want to walk into a home and see that elegant fireplace lit up, as opposed to dormant, the way it is the rest of the year here in San Diego. They want to see these features utilized because they’ll be spending much of their time at home for the foreseeable future. If you might be interested in listing your house this winter and want help to compose a plan to win in 2021, we’d love to assist you. Call or leave us a message, and let us know how we can serve you.

Here’s how we’re protecting our clients in this wild market of ours. With this market being so hot and houses selling so quickly, for so much money and with so few protections, it brings a lot of fear for both the sellers and the buyers. We’ve done a lot of things over the last few months to cool that down for all of our clients—there’s a lot of worry on both sides. Many sellers are concerned that they’re either going to be left homeless, or that in order to complete a transaction they’re going to have to do a whole lot of repairs that may not be necessary.  For one of our sellers right now, we actually had a buyer who was looking for just their home. I’ve been talking to this couple for a while, so we gave my sellers a really long closing date that they could shorten up at any time. And sure enough, they were able to use that secure sale to get into their next house more easily. They they were able to wrap up our sale more quickly than they had expected. On the buying side, we have a lot of buyers who are being asked to waive inspections, waive financing, waive their title contingency (most people don’t even know what a title contingency is or why they would even want to waive it; I do know what it is, and I still don’t know why anyone would want to waive that). But the bottom line is that not every buyer is ready to jump in, throw caution to the wind and throw everything into just getting a house. Because something bad might happen down the road, and that’s why we have those contingencies. “Let’s make a plan so that we can take the fear out and put the joy in.” So I’ve got another buyer who’s buying a house that’s a little more out of the way. They’re working with the seller to be able to get repairs needed so they can be financed; it’s just a matter of talking, having good relationships with the local Realtors, and making sure that everyone is able to get their clients through a transaction at the pace that they need with the safeties they need. Sellers need to know that they have a paycheck at the end of it, and buyers need a home without any big, catastrophic (avoidable) surprises down the road. Moving is really hard work, and buying or selling a home can be really stressful. Give me a call. Even if it’s not right now but it’s coming up in a few months, let’s make a plan so that we can take the fear out and put the joy in. Have a beautiful day, stay safe, and call me when there’s something I can do to help you with your home!

Here’s how we’re helping our clients compete in this tough market. Are you looking to buy a home but frustrated by the intense competition in today’s market? Last year was a whirlwind, and the biggest thing on every buyer’s mind is how tough it was to compete. Everyone’s looking for that competitive edge to help them secure the home they want. Here are three tips that will help get you there: 1. Get specific. The key to finding what you want is getting specific on the house and the location that you want. We do a lot of things when it comes time to finding homes in particular locations that help our buyers win. To be on the winning side, you need a winning agent. It’s already tough enough to view homes on your own. Having an agent will make it easier. They can help you find homes that aren’t actually on the market, too. There are many opportunities out there for buyers to secure homes like these and we’ve had a lot of success matching our buyer and seller clients in the past. “An experienced agent with many connections is an invaluable resource.” 2. Use our buyer direct program. This allows us to target our search area and call, mail, and leave doorknockers for all the area homeowners where you’re looking and retarget them on social media. This allows us to bring you a property with the least amount of competition since it’s not actually on the market. Some sellers don’t want to go through the minutiae of putting their home on the market, and this program is dedicated to helping buyers win those homes today. 3. Work with an experienced agent. They should be well-intertwined with the agent community. So much real estate business gets done through agent communication, and who you work with matters more than ever. We want to be the agents who help you win, so if you’re looking for more tips and tricks or just have any real estate questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Should you refinance now or wait for lower rates? Here’s my advice. With interest rates as low as they are, a lot of our clients have been reaching out to ask if they should refinance. These are the lowest rates that we’ve ever seen, with some of our clients locking in rates below 2%. We know that the Federal Reserve has gone on record saying they won’t increase rates anytime soon, but should you wait? Well, on one hand, we don’t know what additional costs might be introduced by lenders down the road, but we do know that right now you can lock in a low interest rate and get the best possible financing for your home. If you have any other questions for me or would like to get connected with a great local lender, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Our market has seen an increase in buyer demand for a few reasons. The San Diego real estate market is hot, but where are all these buyers coming from? The majority of them are move-up buyers; that’s the main market today. People are moving out of townhomes and condos and looking for more space. We’re also seeing many people move here from comparatively dense cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to find more space. Some of the reasons they’re moving here are that our weather is excellent, we have the lifestyle people want, we have beaches, and we have housing that’s a little more affordable than other similar areas. We’re also seeing people leaving states with colder weather, where they know they’ll be working from home for a while. For those who know they aren’t going back into the office anytime soon, it’s the perfect time to move here to San Diego. If you want more tips for how to win in the San Diego real estate market or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via phone or email.

Here’s why the holidays are best served with a side of mindful priorities. Yesterday I had an agent call, as they often do when we put a new house on the market for sale, and ask, “What is most important to your seller?” As they’re crafting an offer, they want to know what they can do to make their offer acceptable to my seller. It’s not an unusual question. We actually ask that question right away when we sit down with new clients, whether they’re sellers, it’s going to be one of about three things that are most important, and if it’s a buyer it can be one of many. We have to make sure that we’re acting in order of what is important to them. As we move into the season, it’s fraught with distraction all around us. Thanksgiving has passed, and Christmas is around the corner, and there is so much grabbing our attention saying, “Pay attention to me! Pay attention to me!” So as we move into this time that can be so incredible, we have to make sure and do it with priority; what is most important? “Ask yourself first.” For me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I am so glad that I get to show love and service to my God by loving the people around me, being His hands and feet. How do I know what’s most important to them? Guess what? I get to ask about that. I get to ask, “What is most important to you?” Whether it’s my clients, and I can find out how I can best serve them, or my family. “What do you need from me? Time? A certain thing that I can help with? Something that I can help put together and be of active service?” My hope for you is that you’re able to walk through this season and find the joy and the blessing from serving those around you, asking, “What is that priority?” Ask it of yourself first: “What is most important for me to be doing today? and- “How can I get to the most important for later on?” If we can be of any service to that, please be sure to let me know. If there’s a priority about your home that has to change, we are so glad to be your trusted resource and advice, letting you know what you can look at and how we can help. Have a blessed day. Stay healthy, stay blessed, and when your real estate needs change, please call us, email us, message. We’re here to help.

Our market is moving fast, but here’s why it may behoove buyers to act now. If you’re a potential homebuyer wondering whether it’s best to make a move before the calendar turns over or wait until spring 2021, here are three critical considerations to make: 1. Interest rates are at historic lows. You’ve probably been seeing this in headlines for almost a year now, but rates just dipped below 3% for the very first time. We’ve been helping buyers left and right lock in rates in the upper 2s on great pieces of real estate. If you’re discouraged about rising home prices, consider that rates have a much more significant impact on your mortgage payment schedule. Though it may seem counterintuitive, buyers today can afford more home for their money than in years past. 2. You can move into a new home with more space. This year, we’ve all realized just how important it is to have adequate living space. We’ve already helped scores of families move up from a townhome or condo into a home with more rooms and a yard. Is your family expecting a brand-new member soon? Are you having parents or grandparents move in to create more of a multigenerational lifestyle? If an upgrade is on your horizon, consider acting now; there’s never been a better time to leverage your purchasing power and move up into a larger dwelling space. 3. You can move into a home away from the city. When companies began allowing their employees to work from home, many people realized that the only thing they liked about living in the denser urban areas of San Diego was the close proximity to their place of work. Now that these employees can work virtually from anywhere, they’re looking at real estate in the extremities of San Diego where they would have never considered living before. Places like Poway, Fallbrook, North Escondido, and other areas just outside of the city are now hot markets, and it’s more than likely that they’ll become even more competitive as we enter 2021; if you’re one of the many city dwellers looking for more elbow room, it may be best to act now. These are just a few of the things to consider as a homebuyer in the fourth quarter of 2020. If you want more tips and tricks on how to win in the San Diego real estate market, please feel free to give us a call or send an email.

Here’s how we were able to help a buyer lock in her Marysville dream home. I got a call a couple months ago from a lady who was looking at one of my houses I had for sale in north Marysville. It was the absolutely perfect house for what she was looking for. Her big criteria for privacy was that she would have enough privacy that she could drink her coffee in her jammies in the morning, and this place had it.  Unfortunately, the house was already pending. My seller had already accepted another offer, so it was not available. In that case, she wasn’t really interested in seeing anything else, she was only willing to move if the absolutely right house came along. Well, good for her—the buyer got cold feet and found a reason to back out, and there was an opportunity for her to jump in. “My buyer was thrilled to have her perfect little slice of privacy.” I gave her a call, and she was ecstatic to hear that this house was available once again. This gal was able to purchase from money with her investments, but she didn’t really want to do that if she didn’t have to, since she’d be paying a penalty for pulling money out. So, she really wanted to buy the house contingent on selling her current house in Lake Stevens. We were able to put enough security in the offer so that my sellers felt very comfortable moving forward knowing that they would have a payday in about a month and a half. So we put it all together, and now we’re coming up to a key day and a payday.  My buyer is thrilled; she’s got a home where she can wander out on the deck and drink her coffee and listen to the birds in her pajamas. My sellers are absolutely thrilled that they have a payday so that they can move their investment from a house they weren’t able to use into the house that they are. Everybody is happy—vee have vays of making you very happy!  If you or someone you know is looking for expert real estate help so that we can look at all of the angles and see what the best solution is for them, give us a call, message us, text us today. Let us talk about what we can do to make you very happy! Until we talk again, have a beautiful day, stay safe, stay healthy, and know that we are here to take care of you!

Low inventory, low rates, and a shift in demand are fueling our Q4 market. Our fourth quarter San Diego market is as hot as ever, and one of the main driving factors is our low inventory, which continues to push home appreciation upward. Right now, there are fewer than 4,000 homes available on the market, meaning we have only 1.6 to 1.8 months’ worth of inventory. In other words, if no other homes were to come onto the market, all the existing homes for sale would be snatched up in just under 60 days. This scarcity has caused an 11% year-over-year increase in home prices. Even buyers we helped earlier in the year are saying to themselves, “Wow, there’s a lot more equity in my home than I thought there would be by now!” Though ours is a seller’s market, good loans, cash purchases, and strong buyers characterize the consistent demand we’ve been seeing this year. Behind all that demand is the ever-alluring incentive of cheap money; interest rates have hit record lows on several different occasions in 2020. New construction homes, highly rehabbed or flipped homes, and heavily remodeled properties are all selling for a premium right now. We’re seeing a shift in demand so radical and widespread that it’s transforming the normally quiet surrounding markets into hotspots. Today’s buyers are seeking big backyards, home offices, casitas, and family compounds for multigenerational living. For the last six or seven months, it seems that the traffic in San Diego is down, and that’s because countless companies have switched to remote operations, eliminating the morning commute for many workers. “These are likely the lowest interest rates we’ll see in our lifetime.” No longer needing to live close to the office, many buyers are eagerly exploring areas they’d previously ruled out as impractical or downright impossible—places like Poway, Jamul, La Mesa, Fallbrook, etc. Whereas the trend up until recently has been a westward migration toward coastal Cali living, people today are turning around and moving back inland. I’ve already mentioned them above, but those low interest rates deserve special attention; they’re truly a driving force in our market. Right now, we’re seeing borrowers lock in rates lower than 3%. (Some super-qualified buyers have even seen rates below 2%). While not everyone will be able to get a record-breaking rate, the majority of people are still able to get a fantastic one. These are likely the lowest interest rates we’ll see in our lifetime. So, if you’re looking to capitalize on these unique conditions or have any real estate-related questions, give us a call or send an email. We know that 2021 will bring even more changes to our market, so we at the Sean Zanganeh Real Estate Team want to be there to help you plan.

The path to a brighter future for everyone starts with just a single step. Today we’re talking about how bright is your future. I have the distinct pleasure of helping my son pick out his first home right now. It’s going to be a condo near work and he is so excited talking about how he’s going to be able to have his friends over, have the youth group over to play games, and even we’ll be invited for Thanksgiving dinner. His excitement reminds me how important it is that we have great plans to look forward to. That we have hopes, that we have dreams, and that we have a confident expectation that our future is going to be bright and have good things in it for us. I think that’s why God tells us that he has a plan and a purpose for us and it is good and not for evil. “Take that first step …” Looking at our lives right now, how much do you have that’s really good that you’re looking forward to and what are you doing step by step to get there? This was a process for Tony. He actually moved back in with us and he’s been paying rent while he’s been getting ready to buy his home. He’s also taken steps to make sure that his credit is right and he did that several months before we even started to look.  If there’s something that you can do to make your future brighter and make it positive and make it something that’s really exciting to look forward to, take that first step. Whether it’s today or this week, what can you do right now to make your present look like yesterday’s future? Have an amazing day. If there is something I can help you with house-wise to make your future turn into your present, let me know. We’re here to help. Stay safe, stay healthy, and most of all, be blessed. I’ll talk to you soon.

Here’s the story of two families that we helped at the same time. Hey there! It’s Sandy with Sandy & Company here today, and I’m going to share with you two families that we helped all at once. Doug and Kim had been looking for a new home for about five months. They were renting shop space and needed that as well as a little bit of elbow room to boot. Judy’s husband had just passed away, and even before then, they were having trouble getting around and keeping up with the maintenance on their property, house, and shop. The two of them were in the same friend group and realized they could solve each other’s issues. We were invited in to help. So we sat down, had a round table discussion, and let them know what could be done—and helped them decide what should be done. “We knew then that we were in good hands and that everything was going to be okay.” That’s just what we do. We do this every time with every single one of our clients: We let them know what their options are and help them choose how best to meet their needs. After our meeting, Judy and her family told Kerri, “We knew then that we were in good hands and that everything was going to be okay.” Selling and buying real estate can be really stressful, but it’s what we do all the time. We can take the stress out of it and let you know that we are here to help you. I often say that real estate is in the middle of life. This is life, and we are glad to help. And glad to help make it right. Have a beautiful day. Let us know how we can help you with your particular situation with your family. And your friends. And be that resource so that you can know you’re in good hands. And everything’s going to be okay. Have a blessed day! I look forward to talking to you soon.

Here’s why it’s so important to have fun and play games as we head into fall. I’m here to remind you that just because the summer is winding down, it doesn’t mean the fun has to. What have you been doing for fun this summer? Golfing? Hiking? Swimming? Going out on the boat? Just because summer is winding down and school is starting up doesn’t mean the fun has to be over for you and your family and friends. We’ve been staying closer to home this summer, so we’ve been playing a lot of games indoors. Just about every night, Don and I play cribbage—a good cribbage hand is a thing of beauty. We play a lot of Yahtzee!, too. Have you ever made up your own rules? We usually play a couple rounds of the regular Yahtzee! and then we mix it up a little bit by playing wild card Yahtzee! Instead of the five dice, you get to have four dice, you get the regular rolls, and you get to choose at the end what you want that fifth dice to be. Or, another one of my favorites is if you add some up. Let’s say you’re going for your threes, you get three dice that are threes, then you get a two and a one. Obviously, that adds up to three, so in that game of Yahtzee! you end up with four threes. You just gotta make it your own. “Take time to recharge and refresh.” There are so many great games to play: Monopoly, Risk, Bananagrams, Rummy, plenty of card games, and don’t forget Mario Kart. That’s a great thing for the whole family as well. The biggest thing is, take time to recharge and refresh. Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean that it’s going to be all work and all school. Make sure that you’re bringing joy and laughter in, and in abundance. That’s the best way that I know to keep making sure that your house stays your home. If you need any help changing your house to the place that you want to call home, I’m here to help you with that and for your friends and your family. Call me; we’ll take great care of you during these unprecedented times.  Have a great day, stay healthy, stay happy, keep laughing, and call me. We are here to help.

Here’s one example of how I’m able to help clients with their goals. This February, one of my clients let me know that she knew of an elderly couple who were headed into assisted living, and that their kids were working on the house over the weekend, and that I should go meet them—they definitely needed my help.  When I stopped by, they weren’t home, so I went ahead and left a note; the son called me and asked me to come and take a look and see what they should do to go ahead and get ready to sell. I let them know they could go ahead and just fix the drainage issue in the backyard and do some clean-up, and that would be that—or, they could go ahead and paint and carpet, and then they would get a little more. But under no circumstances were they to touch the wallpaper or remodel the kitchen; those were not things that would get them their return in the long run. They got to work, and every few weeks I stopped by to give encouragement, and check on the progress, and let them know an updated value because spring and summer values were heating up. Finally, they were ready; July came, and our values were about eight to 10% up from the three to four months before when we first started looking at numbers.  Now my client’s biggest concern was making sure that he was protecting his parent’s nest egg. This was going to be their last big investment that they could go ahead and profit from to take care of the rest of their days financially, so this was a very big deal. “Every few weeks I stopped by to give encouragement and check on the progress.” Well, August 1 came, we listed their house for $370,000, and then my guy went on vacation for a week. When he came back, we had nine offers to review, and two of them went up to $415,000—that’s $45,000 more than other homes like this one, and it was another $15,000 above anything that he had really hoped and dreamed for.  So let me ask you this: Who do you know who is looking for the best Realtor who both understands the unprecedented market that we’re in right now, as well as how to use that market for your unique situation? Everyone’s situation is different.  Call me, text me, message me, reach out—let’s get started on a plan today to make sure that you have the best for when you are ready. Have a blessed day! Stay safe, stay healthy, and know that we are here for you!

Here’s why an off-market home transaction might make sense for you. Let me tell you about the not-so-new trend of checking out your neighbor’s house. You like it? Make an offer. Let me tell you how we can help you with that. We are currently helping two different sellers who never listed their house in the local multiple listing service. Why did they do that? They were approached by someone who wanted to buy and knew they wanted to sell, and they asked us to help them through that process.  You see, we help our clients fulfill their best interests as they see them. So what’s the downside to not putting it on the market? You don’t have the competition, so you may be taking less than you would get if you were to put it on the open market. What’s the benefit?  There are several. One of them is stability. The sellers may want to go ahead and secure the buyer now but stretch out the purchase to meet other family timelines. And if it all goes sidewise, the sellers can go ahead and list their house on the open market without the traditional buyers looking at them sideways because it didn’t go well the first time—for whatever reason. “We help our clients fulfill their best interests as they see them.” If you need a home and you hear of someone who’s looking to sell, call me. I can help you avoid that stiff buyer competition and get the home for you at a price that makes the seller glad to sell it to you now. Or if you have a home to sell and your neighbor’s cousin wants to make it theirs, I can help you protect your interests and sell it for a price that makes you smile all the way to the bank. Thanks for listening today. Stay safe, stay healthy, and call me when I can help you and the ones you care about move in and out of their homes. Have a great day!

No matter which of the two trends describes your needs, we’re here to help. Whether you’re staying home because of safety reasons or because of work reasons (working from home), or whether you’re looking for a different place to live because your family is changing, or your work is changing and it’s time to follow through, you are in good company.  Right now, we’re seeing that people are either staying in their homes and fixing them up, or we’re also seeing a big chunk of people who are changing states (not necessarily full states). I actually have a client going to Spokane, I’ve got another one going to Idaho, and a third client considering the move to Idaho, so there are many miles between this house and the next one.  If you’re looking to make a change and there are many miles in between, I can help you with that. I can help you with your house here, and let you know what you need to do in order to get maximum value in this very unique time in our housing history. I can also help you find a fabulous Realtor to get your needs met at the next home as well.  Call me; let’s have a conversation about what’s going on in your life and how we can best help. Have an amazing day, and be blessed in your home—this one, and the one to come! I’ll talk to you soon!

We want to help you reach your real estate goals, even amid COVID-19. The world has changed so much in 2020. We’ve been checking on our friends, family, and clients to make sure you’re all doing well. During these conversations, we’ve been receiving many questions from you about the market, home prices, and more. Today I wanted to share how we can help you during this peculiar time. We want to provide accurate information to help you make the best decisions for you and your family. You’re home has probably gone up in price more than you think, so we should chat if you’re even having a thought about selling. If you’d like to set up a call to discuss the value of your home, visit our Calendly link below and select a time that works best for you. We look forward to speaking with you.

Here are my tips on how to safeguard your home’s equity. In these uncertain times, the longer we go, the more uncertain it gets. We have got to be thinking about how we can be conservative and do well by our home and our family. One of the biggest ways that I’ve found is to guard and increase the equity in your home. There are several ways you can do that. So when you’re first purchasing, what can you do to get money into that home? Zero down loans are great; they help you get a foot into the door. The way that values are moving, that’s going to be important just to get in the game. Start working on your equity right away. Do everything you can to pay that loan down quickly—just because you got a 30-year loan doesn’t mean it has to take you 30 years to pay it off. Do everything you can to get more space in between what you owe and the value of your home. Third, do everything you can to keep your home in great repair. There’s actually a chair right up on my deck up there. I sat in that thing and it just went. I know that’s very poetic, but it fell apart. And initially, I was thinking that we were going to have to go ahead and throw it away, but my husband, the handyman that he is, was able to show me how we can go ahead and glue it and screw on some braces and whatever it is that he’s going to do. “Start working on your equity right away.” We are doing everything we can to be the best stewards of what we have. It’s about using your resources the most wisely so they stretch as far as you can. Your home is important—it’s your home base, it’s your safety, it’s an investment. If you have any questions about what you can do to make that better for you, then please give me a call. We are here for you whether you’re buying, selling, or staying put.

Todd Pianin joined me for a great discussion on the state of the mortgage market. Todd Pianin of Guaranteed Rate has joined me once again to talk about the state of our mortgage market. A lot of people have been asking us about the increased showing traffic and whether or not it has resulted in an increase in mortgage applications. According to Todd, Guaranteed Rate’s volume is going up each month and demand has picked up, especially in the last few weeks. He also discussed jumbo loans, interest rates, and more. To hear our full conversation, watch the video above.

Today we are talking about Sandy’s toolshed. This message is just a reminder that I help my clients and our community whether you’re buying a house, selling a house, or staying put. One of the ways I do that is with my toolshed. We have a carpet cleaner, pressure washer, tree trimmer and a fruit-picker, compressor, paint sprayer, and more. All for you to borrow for free. If you need a tool for your home maintenance needs, call or email me today. To see my telescoping tree-trimmer in action, watch this short one-and-a-half minute video.

Buying a home during a pandemic is different than it normally is, but there are still opportunities out there to buy safely and successfully. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many different areas of our economy, there are still people out there buying and selling homes. Today we’re going to focus on what active buyers are experiencing right now. Many buyers began the process before this crisis happened and need to buy in order to expand their family. The good news is that there are still great opportunities out there for them. One of the main advantages for homebuyers now is less competition. Our inventory levels are near rock-bottom lows, and instead of competing against 10 other buyers, most are competing against just one or two. Another opportunity has to do with interest rates. Due to shifts in the stock market, interest rates have become extremely attractive for those who qualify. If you are in the process of looking for a home to buy, make sure you get a pre-approval. If you have one from earlier in the year, make sure you’re getting an updated one. Most agents aren’t looking at pre-approvals that are more than a few weeks old. “We can help you start your search through virtual, 3D showings.” Finally, we’re seeing a big shift in terms of how people are viewing properties. We saw showings drop dramatically at the end of March, but they’re up by over 25% in just the last few weeks. Buyers in today’s market are much more interested in virtual tours, Matterport tours, HD photos, and videos than they have been in the past. For-sale homes that provide them are where buyers are starting their search. From there, we can help you figure out what the right fit is to save you time, keep you safe and healthy, and make sure you can find the house of your dreams. If you have any questions about buying a home, or real estate in general, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

COVID-19 has flipped our world upside down, but the real estate industry is resilient. Here’s how we’re helping sellers maximize opportunities. Are homes still selling during the COVID-19 pandemic? If you need to sell, how do you even go about doing so right now? Truthfully, the market is still moving along considerably well. We’re monitoring the MLS and seeing homes in our San Diego market go into escrow every single day—remarkably close to what we’d see under normal conditions. Here’s even more good news: If your home is in a low inventory area or a highly sought-after price point, we’re seeing those prices increase. The sellers getting top dollar for their homes right now are the ones working with experienced agents who leverage 3D Matterport tours and narrated video walk-throughs to keep prospective buyers well-informed and all parties safe. Things like high-definition photography, professional videography, and virtual tours have always been powerful tools in the arsenal of elite modern brokerages; now more than ever, these tools are essential to the success of a real estate transaction. We have plenty of experience using various media to get homes maximum exposure on the market, so we’re well-equipped to handle this shift to virtual real estate processes. “Buyer tastes and overall demand are changing.” What’s next? Make sure you’re reaching out to a real estate agent and having the conversation now. Buyer tastes and overall demand are changing right now, so the earlier you can prepare your home and set up a game plan for going to market, the better. If you think you need help with getting your home sold in this unusual environment, please feel free to reach out to us today. We’d love to have a confidential conversation with you and explore your specific situation.