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April Hay (OC Homes Realty) Real Estate Sales Representative

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April Hay
location_on Mission Viejo, CA — OC Homes Realty
Get to Know April Hay

 http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com  

BUYERS!
We have a common goal: Making you a homeowner. Let's make it happen!
Ensuring you exceptional service at every step of your home buying process.

Search listings from the convenience of your home. Be the first to get new listings that match your criteria. Get real estate market watch updates for listings in your area. "For Buyers" - Your source for the latest tips, checklists and free reports. Personal Consultation - Vast experience and knowledge you can rely on. Financial advice - Loans, Mortgages, interest and tax benefits. Community information and Utilities.

Find a knowledgeable agent who knows how to get the job done, get a good deal and is responsive to all your real estate needs. Providing you prompt service, personal guidance and professional competence from contract to settlement.

SELLERS!
Allow me to list your home for a quick sale. As a Mission Viejo real estate specialist, I know what it takes to sell your home. I bring expert knowledge, valuable experience blended with the latest technology, a well-defined marketing plan, a cohesive network, energy, enthusiasm and the excitement of a job well done.

Detailed Home Evaluation Report and advice on the best price to list your home. Vast Exposure for your listing. Virtual tours to distinguish your listing. "For Sellers" - Your source for the latest tips, checklists and free reports. Personal Consultation - Vast experience and knowledge you can rely on. Relocating - Everything you need to know about the neighborhood and transferring utilities.

If you are planning to place your Orange County home on the market, browse my website for valuable information on preparing your home for sale, pricing your home right, marketing it effectively and the home inspection processes.

I am passionate about my job, love my Mission Viejo neighborhood and keep up with the latest trends and strategies so that I can pass them on to my clients.

Your satisfaction is my success!


You can find great local Mission Viejo, California real estate information on Localism.com April Hay is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.   FIRST TIME BUYERS

Unlike many Mission Viejo Realtors, I enjoy working with first-time buyers. I love the excitement of seeing a young couple move into their first new home.  I enjoy explaining the process and taking the extra time required to help first time buyers through all the steps of buying a Mission Viejo home. Here are some tips first time homeowners should remember when they start looking for a Mission Viejo home:  

1. Get pre-approved for your mortgage before you choose a Mission Viejo house. Dont just talk to the bank or get pre-qualified online. Get Pre Approved! Your lender should be able to tell you about all your mortgage options, including first-time home buying programs which may save you money or make it easier for you to get approved. If you have not already worked with a lender, ask your Realtor for a referral to one. Good Realtors gravitate toward lenders who are efficient, professional and who can get the job done as it makes their job easier.  I do not recommend using a Realtor who also functions as a loan officer. Selling real estate and making loans are two separate careers.  Those who try to do both are compromising somewhere.  Always use full-time professionals for each task. When first-time home buying--or whenever you are buying a home--two things need to be approved by your lender. One is your ability to pay and the other is the house you want to purchase. Your mortgage lender approves you by verifying your credit scores, your income, your source of down payment, etc. The Mission Viejo home you buy gets approved by your lender through having an appraisal done. Most lenders can usually go ahead and request all of the items needed to verify your credit worthiness before you choose your Mission Viejo home.

Once the lender has completed your approval process, he will then be able to issue a loan commitment letter stating that you are approved for a loan, provided the Mission Viejo house appraises for the selling price and it passes any lender required inspections.

A benefit of getting your credit report first is that you will know if there are any mistakes  or other items that need to be corrected. Waiting to find out you have an incorrect credit glitch may take as much as eight weeks to fix. If this happens just when you find the perfect Mission Viejo house, you could lose out on the purchase because of delays caused by a problem credit report.

The main reason to get pre-approved is that it gives you a great bargaining position when negotiating with a seller. Your lender can provide you or your Realtor a commitment letter stating that the lender has committed to make you a loan in an amount consistent with the terms of your offer. (Provided you actually qualify up to the amount of your offer of course.) Your Realtor will then present the commitment letter along with your offer to the seller. When you make your offer this way, you will be making a "good as cash" offer. The seller will feel more confident that your offer will go through to a closed deal.  Many homebuyers are able to buy their house for less using this strategy.

2. When first-time Mission Viejo home buying, always use a Realtor. Some of the biggest problems that occur in buying a home are the result of buyers not getting the professional advice they need. If you think you will save money by not using a Realtor you probably wont. Look for an agent who specializes in first-time home buying, and ask for references from previous buyer clients. Using a Buyers agent will usually be at no extra cost to you because the seller pays the total commission. Make sure your agent fully explains how they will be compensated before you enter into an arrangement with them. When you find a good agent, let her know that you want to be represented by her. She can have you sign a form that establishes your relatationship with her. It will let her know you are serious about using her services and that she is expected to work very hard for you.  The form basically states that if she is instrumental in finding a house that your decide to purchase, you will purchase it through her.

3. Always hire a professional home inspector when buying your Mission Viejo home. A professional home inspector will know what to check and be able to document the problems to show the seller. Your Realtor should be able to give you the name of several home inspectors to consider when buying Mission Viejo homes.

4.  To obtain a concise, well-organized home buying guide that will teach you about more fantastic money saving strategies, contact April Hay  

  MISSION VIEJO HOMES WITH CURB APPEAL YOU'VE SEEN Mission Viejo homes with curb appeal. They look like everything is beautiful and is in its correct place. For some Mission Viejo homes, curb appeal comes naturally because of the way the house is set on the lot. But true curb appeal requires more than just where the house sits.   Other things that add to the curb appeal of Mission Viejo homes are: The yard looks meticulously manicured, the curbs are not scuffed with black tire marks, the numbers on the curb are clearly painted, the gutters and sidewalks are swept and clean, there are no cobwebs or dust on the front of the house or the front porch, the windows are sparkling clean and you can see portions of the inside of the house through open curtains. The garage door is down, and no cars are parked on the driveway. The house has been painted within the past few years, and special attention to the front door area has been taken, with new door handles and a new doorbell button. The front door has a fresh coat of semigloss. If the house has shutters, they are freshly painted, too.   Most Mission Viejo homes can have curb appeal. Regular maintenance and gardening are the biggest factors contributing to curb appeal. The biggest turn-offs are: dirty exterior, peeling paint, oil stains and old cars in the driveway, basketball hoops in the street, skateboard ramps in front of the house, garage doors left open, plant overgrowth, dirty walkways with toys strewn along them, too many potted plants on the porch, rusty/tarnished hardware on the front doors, closed drapes at every window, torn window screens. You can see how inexpensive it is to get good curb appeal. Clean, Clean, Clean. Unclutter. Stash the toys and sports gear. Paint a little. Replace a few worn items. And clean some more.   Those who have Mission Viejo homes with curb appeal can get a higher price for their homes. If you would like more information about selling your Mission Viejo home, call April Hay, (949) 525-1575    AROUND THE HOUSE HANDY TIP FOR PAINT BRUSH CLEANUP Have you even stood over the sink, washing out your paint brush, and it seemed like the paint just kept on coming out of the bristles. You rub it and paint gets all over your hands. It's a mess! When I painted my Mission Viejo home recently, I discovered a way to clean brushes fast.

First, wipe as much of the paint as possible on the wall you are painting. Take the brush to the sink and wet it. Pour a large amount of baking soda on the brush and work it through the bristles thoroughly. Rinse the brush and you will see most of the paint come out of the brush. Pour another dose of backing soda onto the bristles and handle and work it into a paste. Let it remain on the brush for a minute and then rinse. The brush is clean and there is no paint remaining on your fingers. Let the brush dry. The next time you paint  one of your Mission Viejo homes, the bristles will be soft and ready for the job!

I have owned older Mission Viejo homes for the past 25 years have always dreaded painting. Discovering this technique of brush cleanup really makes the job a lot easier. The manager of the store in Mission Viejo where I purchased the paint had never heard of my technique, so I am assuming it is something new. If not, then maybe it's one you haven't heard about. I like it because you don't need to waste as much water and it's environmentally safe.

When painting my Mission Viejo homes, I found that the cleanup of the paint tray also was made easier using baking soda. I like to use the plastic trays that are a little smaller than the big metal ones. They have hooks that attach to the ladder I use as a paint stand.

As money gets tighter due to increased fuel prices, painting your own Mission Viejo home may become more popular. Owners of Orange County homes are really feeling the sting of higher fuel prices, so do-it-yourself projects may become more of a necessity than ever. Make your Mission Viejo homes look beautiful with a new coat of paint. Lift your spirits with a lighter, brighter shade. Mission Viejo homes that are freshly painted sell for more.

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Selling real estate is my full-time occupation. I specialize in selling Mission Viejo homes and providing the highest level of service and communication to my clients. Call April Hay 949-525-1575.