Are you considering selling your real estate property

If you are considering selling your real estate property, you need to know the property values in your neighborhood. This is typically done by getting a feel for comparable home sale prices around you and having your home appraised. Unfortunately, appraisals take time and money. Comparable home values are a bit vague and may not take into account unique aspects of your home. To help solve this mess, we have located a service that provides you with instant home property values so you can determine the value of your property quickly and painlessly.

If you are considering buying a home, you need to keep in mind that the listed price for the home may have little to do with the actual value. Nothing is worse than finding a home you like and not being able to get a mortgage because the lender says the value is much less than the sales price. To avoid wasting your time, please feel free to contact me, my number is (909) 979-4328. Thank you!

Diamond Bar House LP: $ 789,000

Bedrooms:	4
Baths:	3.00/
Built:	1977
Square Feet:	2,077
Lot Size:	6,578

Property Description:
This Is A Very Well Maintained Home With Beautifully Landscaped Backyard. If Your Clients Are Looking For A Home With Relaxing Views Of The Surrounding Hills And City Lights, This Home Has It. Home Features 4Bd / 3Bath, 3 Car Garage, Covered Patio, Spa With Wood Deck, Professionally Installed Home Security System, 2Yr Home Warranty. Home Is Inspected For Termites Every Year. In Addition, Home Is Also Sprayed For Ants And Other Insects Every Month. As A Bonus, My Clients Will Be Leaving Most Of The Potted Plants For The New Owners. One Year Of Gardening Service Will Be Prepaid*. Also, Seller Will Consider Replacing Garage Doors With Newer Roll-Up Doors*. *Call Agent For Details On Gardening Service And Garage Doors.

Features:
Ceiling Fan, City Lights View, Direct Garage Access, Double Door Entry, Hills View, Home Warranty Plan, Lot 6500-9999, Mountain View, Panoramic View

Buyers benefit most when staying in home long term

Given the recent negative press about the state of the residential real estate market, it's understandable that buyers would be reluctant to offer more than the asking price. Yet, some buyers are finding that a list-price offer is not enough. Multiple offers are making a comeback in some markets.

A couple from San Francisco, who had resolved to pay no more than the list price, is now resigned to do so for the right property. They were surprised to find that there were multiple buyers seriously interested in each of the first three listings they considered buying. The one they chose to offer on received three offers. The winning bid was for $10,000 more than they offered.

Exhausted and disappointed from the experience, the San Francisco couple realized that if they wanted to buy a good house in their first-choice neighborhood, they would have to be prepared to compete.

Some buyers in this situation would decide to wait to buy until there are more listings and fewer buyers. A downside of this approach is that waiting in a market that's short on inventory could mean paying a higher price later.

Although appreciation has been flat to negative in many areas of the country, there are pockets of the market -- like the starter-home markets in Oakland and Berkeley, Calif., and Brooklyn, N.Y. -- where there aren't enough homes for sale to satisfy the demand. This tends to put an upward pressure on prices.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Does it make sense to pay over the asking price in a market that could soften further? The answer depends on how much over asking you have to pay and how long you plan to own the property.

Some sellers are still pricing their homes low to stimulate buyer interest. In this case, paying over the asking price may not mean paying over market value. Check the sale price of the most recent comparable sales in the area to determine if paying over asking is too much. Your real estate agent can help you with this.

Even if a listing is fairly priced, paying more might make sense depending on your circumstances. If the house will serve your long-term needs and you're confident that you won't be moving for five or 10 years, paying an extra $10,000 is probably worth it. However, if your future is uncertain, it could be risky to pay more than the asking price.

A job transfer that forces you to sell in a soft market soon after buying, could leave you in a precarious position -- particularly if you financed the purchase with a mortgage for 100 percent of the price. Unless you have financial assistance from your employer, you might have to pull money out of savings to cover your selling costs. If the value of your home has declined you might not be able to sell for enough to pay back the mortgage.

Another factor to consider before offering more than the list price is whether the house will appraise for your offer price. Typically, a lender's mortgage commitment is conditioned on an appraisal of the property that substantiates that the buyer is not overpaying. Most lenders require that the appraisal report include three comparable listings from the neighborhood that sold within the past six months.

Due to the general slowdown in the housing market, some lenders are tightening up on their appraisal requirements. Recently, an appraiser who was appraising a property in Oakland's Upper Rockridge neighborhood was instructed by the lender to use comparable sales from the last three, not the last six, months.

THE CLOSING: To protect yourself, include an appraisal contingency in your purchase offer so that you won't risk losing your deposit should you back out of the contract because the property doesn't appraise for the purchase price.

Diamond bar house. This is a Short Sale. LP: $539,000

Living Built: 1700
Lot Size: 9580
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2


Any offer is subject to interior inspection. Seller's reserves all the services. Buyer's to verify information to satisfy.

Finding Real Estate Agent

Finding A Real Estate Agent

Whenever you buy or sell real estate, you may be like millions of other people out there, in thinking that you don’t need a real estate agent. Most people who buy or sell homes, generally think that a real estate agent is a waste of money. Those who choose to buy a new home, think that real estate agents only add to the cost of purchasing the home.

What most people aren’t aware of, is the fact that real estate agents are normally paid by the seller, not by the buyer. As a buyer, you’ll get to work with a professional real estate agent without really having to pay for it yourself. The policies can vary greatly from state to state and company to company, which is why you should always check any paperwork or contracts that are provided to you to ensure this is the case. When you are interviewing agents, make certain to ask about any type of fees as well.

A lot of real estate agents out there may work with both buyers and sellers, although most specialize in working with either the buyer or the seller. If you are buying a home, make sure that the agent you choose has prior experience of working with buyers and transactions that involve no money down. This way, you can count on your agent to be there when you need him the most - especially if you don’t have a down payment.

If you are interviewing a real estate agent and he or she isn’t familiar with down payment assistance programs, you shouldn’t hire their services. Agents who aren’t familiar with these types of programs generally aren’t on the level, or they may lack the experience necessary to help you purchase the home of your dreams.

You can also make a list of real estate agents that you can interview based on referrals from friends, lenders, and even family. Lender referrals are normally a great choice as most lenders have worked with their recommendations in the past and both are already familiar with each other. Choosing a lenders referral can also prevent you from encountering any obstacles or surprises.

When you interview a real estate agent, make sure that you have the agent explain his fees. This way, you’ll know exactly how much he will be getting from the purchase. You should also find out how much experience he has in the field, and how long he has been working with real estate. You can also ask about sample contracts as well. If you are buying a home, you should make sure that the agent works with buyers. If you happen to be selling your home, then you’ll want to make sure that the agent works with sellers. Agents that are dedicated to one or the other are the best to choose, as they will have more experience than agents who work with both buyers and sellers.

Find a real estate agent is an easy task - providing you know what to look for. If you take things one step at a time and carefully make a decision, chances are that you’ll end up with an agent who has the experience you want. You should always be careful when you choose, and never rush the process. Real estate agents are easy to find, although finding one who fits your needs and has your budget in mind is a little tougher to locate. When you make that final decision, you should always choose an agent who has your best interest in mind - and isn’t just after the money.

Increasing Seller's Real Estate Value

Understand first of all that there IS a difference between price and value. Price is the amount you are asking for the property. Value is buyer perceived, and this perception of value is influenced by many factors such as location, features, condition, comparison to other purchase option, etc. By attending to details that can have a positive impact on the value, sellers can significantly increase their chance of attracting qualified buyers willing to pay the asking price.

Some tips to achieve a positive impact on value are:

• Perceived size impacts value, even more so than actual square footage. Open floor plans make a room feel bigger than larger spaces with smaller rooms. Showing property that is furniture free, or at reduced clutter, helps to make the space feel bigger.
• Vacancy increases sale-ability. Property is easier to show and easier to sell, and quicker to take possession of when it is vacant at the time it is offered for sale. Evidence of problems to take possession of the property -- such as encroachments, or tenants who wont allow buyer tours -- negatively impact value. Vacancy also helps the buyer walk through the property imagining ownership. Sellers should remove personal trinkets and family pictures as well as being conveniently absent during a buyer tour.
• Cosmetics are important.
  • Fresh paint will always add more value than it costs.
  • Clean or new carpet/flooring adds more value than it costs.
  • Landscaping adds more value than it costs. At the very minimum, make the entrance area neat.
  • If you can, add some colorful flowers and new sod.
• Take care of the obvious! The spot on the ceiling from the roof leak takes thousands of dollars from the perceived value and the offer price.
• Condition affects value. Do a seller's home inspection to identify and fix the problem BEFORE closing. No point holding up your check a few extra days; plus a failed buyer's inspection could cost you the sale. Buyers will often bargain down your asking price to accomodate for property condition and repairs.
• If you can, remodel/update the kitchen and master bathroom. These two areas have a big impact on home buying decisions.
• Strategic renovations impact value and your bottom line. Don't spend more money to renovate the place than you can recapture in value on the sales price.

LP: $1,490,000

Bedrooms:	5
Baths:	4.50/
Built:	1985
Square Feet:	4,000

Property Description:
Beautiful Custom Built In Prestigious Gated Community. Massive Granite Thru-Out, Granite Kitchen Counter Top & All Granite Tops On Cabinets And Flooring, Two Master Suite W/ Own Balcony, Canyon View, High Ceiling, Tile Roof, Fully Landscape. Land Is Still Potential For More...
Features:
Association Club House,Association Pool,Association Tennis,Canyon View,Custom Built,Direct Garage Access,Double Door Entry,Gated Community Guard,Home Warranty Plan,Lot Over 40,000 Sqft,Main Floor Master Bedroom

Real Estate Pricing Checklist

You are anxious to get that sign up, but hold on! Before you set the price on your house, take a look at what's going on. Not only your perspective of things, but from the current mood of the market. The market is not sympathetic to "you need" or "must have" pricing methods. The time spent here may save certain headaches and disappointment that lay ahead if utilizing these strategies in determining your home's current value. The home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it in an open market. So please take some time and review the following strategies.

What is your Mindset

A seller's biggest advantage is time, because the more time you have, the more you can prepare and do your homework. However, if you're in a rush to sell, you're at the mercy of the buyer; you won't have the luxury of preparing or waiting for an ideal one.

Do not disclose your timetable to anyone, except your agent. If you can't trust your agent don't do business with them. Your agent has a duty of confidentiality to you per your written contract and will only disclose information you as the seller give permission to disclose. A rushed seller means a bargain for the buyer and savvy buyers can smell panic a mile away. If you're planning on selling in the next 6 to 12 months, you have lots of time to prepare.

As odd as it sounds, sometimes people sabotage their own intentions by being too greedy. Don't do it! As you really start looking at homes on the market, you will develop a sense about what is priced low, high, or just right. Doing your homework here will help you truly understand home values and you will be able to set a reasonable price -- a price that buyers know is just right.

Tracking neighborhood values - You need to become somewhat of a snoop because you need to learn more about your neighborhood than you ever thought possible.

Knowing When Your Ready To Buy

All across the United States, there are millions of people looking to a buy home - either now or in the future. Over the last few years, lower interest rates have come along, making it more affordable than ever to buy a home. When most people stop and give it some thought - buying a home makes a lot more sense than renting a home or an apartment.

In order to buy a house, you’ll need to start saving your money and have enough for the closing costs and a down payment. Your down payment will normally need to be around 15% of the price or the value of the property - whichever is lower. To be on the safe side, you should always try to have 20% to put down. If you aren’t able to put 20% down, you’ll need to buy some private mortgage insurance, which will cost you more in terms of your monthly payment.

In most cases, the closing costs will run you around 5% of the property price. Before you purchase the home, you should always get an estimate. An estimate won’t be the exact price, although it will be really close. You should always plan to save up a bit more money than you need, just to be on the safe side. It’s always best to have more than enough than not enough.

You’ll know your ready to buy a home when you know exactly how much you can afford, and you’re willing to stick with your plan. When you buy a home and get your monthly mortgage payment, it shouldn’t be any more than 25% of your total monthly income. Although there are lenders out there who will say that you can afford to pay more, you should never let them talk you into doing so - but stick to your budget instead.

Keep in mind that there is always more money involved with a home other than the mortgage payment. You also have to pay for utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and maintenance. Owning and caring for a home requires a lot of responsibility. If you’ve never owned a home before, it can take a bit of time to get used to.

Before you fill out any applications, you should always look over your credit report and check for any errors. Although you may think you don’t, you can easily get an error on your credit report and not even realize it. If you have an error on your credit report, it can cost you a lot of money in interest rates. An error will decrease your credit score, which will put you in a higher interest bracket and ultimately cost you a lot more money in the end. Therefore, you should always know your credit before you approach a lender.

If you check your credit report early enough, you may leave yourself enough time to fix any problems and get your credit back on track. Rebuilding credit can take time though, sometimes even years. You should always plan ahead - and give yourself plenty of time to fix your credit.

Buying a home will require a bit of commitment on your behalf. You should always strive to get the best possible deals, which means knowing your credit and where you stand. This way, you can get the best interest rates. You don’t want to buy a home with bad credit, simply because you’ll pay a lot more money for the home. If you take the time to fix any credit problems and save up some money - you’ll be able to get a much better home for your money.

Buying Your Dream Home

Even though it’s not easy for everyone to buy a home, it is in fact easier than ever to get a home these days with most lending agencies and banks being more liberal than ever with providing home loans and mortgages. Even if you don’t have a lot of capital or a lot of money to put down, you can still get the home of your dreams at a very affordable price.

A lot of us think that buying a home is a tough process, needing a large down payment, although this isn’t always the case. Buying a home largely depends on your budget. If you put a down payment on your home purchase, it will go towards your overall purchase. The more money you put down on a home when you purchase, the lower your monthly payments will be.

Those of us who don’t own a home live in rental houses and apartments. This can be a worthwhile solution, although your still paying money towards your housing that you could instead be putting towards a home of your own. Owning a home is a dream for many of us, especially when it comes to that dream home that we all hope to own one day. Apartments and homes are great to rent - although most these days will cost you just as much as a mortgage payment - which doesn’t make any sense at all.

Instead, you can easily convert your rental payments into monthly installments towards your own home. All across the United States, you can find of lot of banks and lenders that offer easy to get loans for purchasing your own home or real estate property at low interest rates. With a lot interest rate, you can get the home of your dreams and enjoy low monthly payments.

Keep in mind, you need to choose a loan plan that’s best for you. You can go through bank, through a lender, or use a service online. There are many different ways that you can go, although real estate agents seem to be the most common now days. Good real estate agents will be more than willing to help you get a great deal on the home, at prices that are right for you. Anytime you buy a house, you should always plan ahead, get yourself a real estate agent, and then pursue your dream home.

If you plan your budget and take things one step at a time, you’ll be closer than you think to the home of your dreams. If you choose to keep renting and pay money toward something you don’t own - the home of your dreams will continue to slip away. Take action now and stop renting - find the home of your dreams and put your money towards owning it instead.

Good Luck!