Relocation and Moving Tips in the Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas
By Roger Lee | November 18, 2009
Want the secret to an easy move? Whether you’re relocating just around the corner, renting a moving truck or are packing up the family for cross-country relocation, you’ll get the tips you need to survive. Here are some great moving tips to save you time and money.
The key is to stay organized, so check out moving checklists online to help you with your move to the Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas. Make a list of questions to ask for either your local moving truck rental business or decide if you need to go with actually hiring a moving company.
Experts in the moving and storage industry say that, you should plan six to eight weeks in advance to book a reputable moving company. Finding that reputable company can be a challenge, however, and a little research should be done before you entrust all of your worldly possessions to professional care. Check out listings online of moving companies that allow you to compare movers and interview moving companies to find just the right one. On interstate moves, charges are based on the weight of the items to be moved, the distance to be moved, packing, and other services. Get two or three estimates well in advance of your move. Be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau about any moving company you are considering.
Renting a moving vehicle or a portable on demand moving crate can be your best and easiest option to make sure your stuff gets moved to the new place the way you want them to. If you choose to rent a moving vehicle, you can rent it the day of the move or the day before. If you really want a lot of time to make sure you can arrange your furniture and household goods in your moving vehicle, then you might consider an on demand storage unit. These units get delivered to your driveway and you have as long as you need to fill it up. Then, when it is full, you call the company and they will come and pick the container up and deliver it to storage or to your new home.
No matter which moving option you choose, you will make things a lot easier on yourself if you weed out all the “stuff” that you haven’t used in a long time and donate it or throw it out. Start packing the items you want to keep but don’t use everyday away well before the moving day. Think about this tip: get wardrobe boxes to pack clothes. By simply hanging clothes inside these boxes, you’ll save time both packing and unpacking.
Facing relocation can be scary. Let your Real Estate agent, Roger Lee, ease the pain with packing tips, relocation advice and moving companies that specialize in relocation near and far.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
Credit After Foreclosure, Bankruptcy, or Short Sale
By Roger Lee | November 7, 2009
One of the concerns a consumer has after experiencing a bankruptcy, foreclosure, or short sale (referred to as a “preforeclosure sale” by Fannie Mae) is the ability to obtain credit to purchase another home. Fannie Mae has updated its credit guidelines. This legal article summarizes those guidelines in Part I. In addition, since lenders use FICO scores in order to determine the creditworthiness of a borrower, this article covers the impact of a bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale on FICO scores in Part II.
I. Fannie Mae Credit Guidelines
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
Great New for San Diego Buyers! Federal Tax Credit ($8000 First Time Home Buyers Credit) Extended through April 30, 2010.
By Roger Lee | November 6, 2009
The federal tax credit will be extended through April 30, 2010, with a 60-day extension if a binding contract is in place prior to the deadline.
Following the Senate’s favorable vote yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives just voted 403 to 12 to extend the home buyer tax credit, expanding the parameters to include existing homeowners and not just first-time buyers. As you may know, C.A.R. and our partners at NAR have worked for months urging Congress and the Senate to extend and expand this crucial piece of legislation. We expect President Obama to sign the legislation in short order.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
The Value of Homeownership
By Roger Lee | October 20, 2009
Homeownership may be the most important asset-building strategy for individuals. The value of homeownership gives homeowners a feeling of control, a greater sense of security and stability.
Homeownership is typically given a lot of importance and homeowners are generally allowed to do whatever they wish in their homes. Homeowners have the right to make choices and decisions regarding changes to their homes that renters may not be able to make.
Homeownership is a financial goal most families share. There are significant community benefits to homeownership as well. Owning a home gives residents a stake in the community and a sense of “rootedness” in their neighborhoods. Enjoying the privacy that a home brings, making long lasting friendships with neighbors and best of all taking pride in your home. The pride you’ll feel in owning and improving your home is an emotional value that cannot be expressed in dollars and cents. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.
Homeownership is thought to be an important element in achieving personal fulfillment. When asked to define the good life, polls have shown that many Americans value owning a home over such factors as an automobile, a happy marriage, an interesting or high-paying job, and good health. The value of homeownership is credited with increasing self-esteem, life satisfaction, and an overall feeling of worth. Owning a home embodies the promise of individual independence but there are also many responsibilities that come with owning a home. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.
If you are looking to buy your own home in Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas, these are some points to consider when seeing the value of homeownership. Allow me, your Real Estate agent, Roger Lee to help you see the value of homeownership.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
Unclutter Your Home and Get It Ready to Sell
By Roger Lee | September 21, 2009
It is very important to make a great first impression to the potential buyers of your home. Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it’s not luck that makes that happen. It’s careful planning and knowing how to efficiently unclutter your home that will excite buyers. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an appealing and marketable home.
Get rid of those items that have been sitting around for years without being used or even handled. This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Buyers and real estate agents should see your house in its best condition from the very first day it’s on the market.
Here are a few approaches to take to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”
Another way to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell is to make those minor repairs and best of all, make the house sparkle! Only do one room, or even one small area, at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Your best friend is the trash bag; when in doubt, throw it out. Many find it easier to use boxes to sort items, so you don’t have to find a home for everything as you unclutter. Most important, be quick and decisive when sorting. Tell yourself:
• If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.
If you are getting your house ready to sell in the Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas, then take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas where you can unclutter your home and let myself, Roger Lee, your agent help you to get your house ready to sell.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
Going Green in California
By Roger Lee | August 26, 2009
Have you heard the news! Green real estate is getting lots of buzz. More and more homebuyers are looking for ways to increase their green footprint. They are looking for that perfect home and yard that will give them eco-luxury. Going Green in Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California is happening as we know it.
Not only are we worried about our cleaning supplies being green, but now we want our homes to be green also. Homes with amenities like Gammpar floors, LEED-certified building materials, double-paned windows and even docking stations for electric cars! Also, homes that boast features like rainwater harvesting, passive air ventilation, reclaimed fixtures and recycled content tile and flooring.
This may all seem very over-whelming, but there are a lot of sites on the web that will help you fully understand just what finding a “green” home entails. It will be worth the research and will make your life more comfortable in the long run. Just “Google” the words “green real estate”, for starters. Enjoy the search and learn what makes a “green” home; a home that you want to be a part of. We all want to do our part and so let’s enjoy all of the eco-luxury that we can.
Just a side note - there’s no denying that the mortgage meltdown has meant tragedy for many home owners. But take a look around. You’ll see there’s very positive activity in many vibrant markets throughout the US especially in Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas. By focusing on the good news and passing the message around, we can help speed up the market recovery. Don’t panic, let’s all do our part!
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
Real Estate – it’s not going away!
By Roger Lee | July 19, 2009
The oldest use of the term “Real Estate” that has been preserved in historical records was in 1666. In other words, real estate has been around for a very long time. However, it is not going away! It will be around until the end of time. What a comfort that is. With the slump that is happening, it is a reassurance to know that even if the economy gets bad, real estate is here to stay.
Real Estate is a legal term, according to Wikipedia, that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is stationary, or fixed in location. The word “fixed” is the keyword here, meaning unmovable. Real Estate is here to stay!
Wikipedia also states that it has been argued that the word Real is derived from “royal”. For hundreds of years the Royal family and/or King owned the land, and the peasants paid rent or property taxes to be on the Royal’s land. Today, just like hundreds of years in the past, we pay property taxes, or rent to be on the government’s land or the Royal Estate. Isn’t it great to know that even though we do have to pay property taxes our homes are owned by us and not a king or government or royal family!
This article has been a little bit about the history of Real Estate, but thankfully there is a great future for real estate. Make your own future and invest in “Real” estate.
If you are looking for a home or selling real estate in the Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside California areas then we can help!
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
July 03, 2009 San Diego housing market showing some recovery
By Roger Lee | July 3, 2009
A spurt in residential home sales that started in some of California’s more affordable inland areas have began to spread to several more expensive coastal areas, another indicator that the California’s real estate market may on it’s way to recovery.
In Perspective
- Many homes in the lower spectrum of the market are receiving multiple offers for mostly every property, with some prospective buyers bidding well above asking prices. Inventory levels for homes priced under $500,000 stood at 3.2 months in May 2009, compared with 9.4 months in May 2008.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate | No Comments »
Carlsbad, San Marcos, & Oceanside California Real Estate Market
By Roger Lee | June 21, 2009
Welcome to carlsbadhousehunter.com. I hope you’re enjoying the spring-like weather. It’s time to “spring clean” your homes and get them ready to sell. I’m Roger Lee and am here to help you jump start your way into that new “dream home” you’ve been waiting for.
Economic forecasts show that our economy is “springing” back! Take advantage of it and don’t miss the incredible deals that will be starting to happen within the next few weeks.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate, Escondido Homes for Sale, Oceanside California Real Estate, San Marcos CA Homes for Sale | No Comments »
San Diego Real Estate Market Update June 2009
By Roger Lee | June 19, 2009
San Diego residential real estate market has swung from the seller’s market of four years ago when home prices were increasing as much as 25% to 40% per year to the buyer’s market today where prices have decreased and there’s an abundant inventory of homes from which to choose. That’s good news for those looking to buy a home. Interest rates continue at record lows, at least for now.
Topics: Carlsbad California Real Estate | No Comments »