Location, Location, Location.Growing up that is the one thing that we have always been told is the most important thing from buying a home to opening a business.What about selling a home?When selling a home the two most important things are: Marketing, and Price. If I can prove to you that I am marketing your home, and doing a good job at doing that, Then It must mean the price is too high.There are many ways of marketing, advertising in the newspaper, advertising on the web ( many ways to do that, My web site, Active Rain, craigslist, Many more) dropping fliers at the neighbors house, Broker opens, Open houses, Toll free numbers with an extension, Fliers to other Real Estate Offices. It goes on, and on.I want to talk about something different, something that most Realtors don`t use, an... 07/15/2007

  How do lease options work and what are the benefits?   A lease option is an agreement (contract) between the buyer and the owner of the property. The buyer will lease the property from the owner. After an agreed upon amount of time the buyer can exercise the option to buy the house at a predetermined price, or He can decide not to buy the house. And walk away. In this contract a portion of your rent would apply as a down payment toward the purchase, if the option is exercised.The contract will also spell out who is responsible for what. If, and when maintenance and repairs need to be done. Usually the person buying the home is responsible for maintenance since they are living in the home, and because they will be owning it one day. As the seller, some of the benefits of a lease option... 07/09/2007

When is the best time to buy?In all honesty it really depends on you. What could be a bad time for one person, can be the best time for another. In my opinion the bottom line is that if you are buying, and planning on holding on to that property for a long time, Being 10 years are longer, than it is always a great time to buy. If it is going to be shorter than that here are some questions you should ask yourself.•1.       Can I use the tax break that comes with home ownership? (the mortgage interest deductions)•2.       Do I prefer to be an owner instead of a renter?•3.       Is it going to be a big deal to me if values do drop while I own this home? (Keep in mind, as long as you are able to afford the mortgage, does it really matter if values dip a little? It only matters when you're r... 07/07/2007

 By asking for the right price from the start, you will avoid the many dangers of overpricing. How do you determine the right price?       1.  Recent home sales       2.  Demand for homes in your area       3.  Prices of similar homes on the market, and how long have they been on the market       4.  Size of the house       5.  Size of the lot       6.  Special features       7.  Landscaping        8.  The kitchen (is it tile, or granite, what type of condition are the cabinets in)       9.  Is the house freshly painted?      10.  these are just a few examples Here are some of the dangers of over pricing•1.      Scaring away the buyer- Buyers that can afford your home may not show up to see it. Why would they waste their time on an over price home? •2.     You're going to help sell the ... 07/07/2007

Northridge Ca. is located in L.A. County, in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. It is freeway close. The Ronald Regan freeway (118) runs right through, and The San Diego freeway (405) is a short 3 miles away. The Northridge Fashion center (Northridge Mall) is located Between Plummer to the North, Nordhoff to the South, Shirley to the West, and Tampa to the East. It is anchored by Sears, JCPenney`s, Macy`s, and Pacific theaters.Northridge is also home to one of the best university In California. California State University California (CSUN). It sits on 356 acres, and has a community of over 34,000 students.  CSUN is centrally located in the valley. Lassen St. to the North, Nordhoff St to the South, Zelzah Ave. to the east, and Darby to the West.Northridge is very ethnically diverse. W... 07/06/2007

Entertainment in Northridge? Believe it or not there is a place in Northridge that you can go to be entertained for a few hours. What is this place, and where is it Located. Well it is a hidden secret located at CSUN (California State University Northridge) It is known as the department of theaters it is located at the south west side of the campus, at Lindley, and Nordhoff. Each year the drama department puts on four to seven productions in their three theaters. The shows are very entertaining, and reasonably priced. So when looking for something to do why not have a nice night out at the theater, while supporting those that are hoping to have a future career as an actor 07/04/2007

   Do you ever wonder What those weird acronyms in a real estate listing means. This shorthand which is mostly adopted by sellers to help save money in advertising. Here are some abbreviations and the meaning of each.* assum. fin. -- assumable financing * gar -- garage (garden is usually abbreviated "gard")* expansion pot'l -- may be extra space on the lot, or possibly vertical potential for a top floor or room addition. Verify actual potential by checking local zoning restrictions prior to purchase.* fab pentrm -- fabulous pentroom, a room on top, underneath the roof, that sometimes has views* FDR -- formal dining room (not the former president)* frplc, fplc, FP -- fireplace* grmet kit -- gourmet kitchen* HDW, HWF, Hdwd -- hardwood floors * hi ceils -- high ceilings* large E-2 plan -- ... 07/03/2007

 Here is a question that I have been ask more than once, and thought that I would share it.We are getting ready to close escrow on our house; however the last payment is due a few days before we close. What should we do? Do we pay it, or let escrow pay it.There are a couple of different ways to handle this situation.No matter what you do the bank will be paid in full before you close escrow?Keep in mind that the most important thing is to make sure you do not go over 30 days late. That is because if you do it will hurt your credit score. If you go past 15 days late, than you will have to pay a late fee to the bank. The best thing to do is just pay it. If by any chance your payment does not get there in time, escrow will pay it out of your proceeds, but the bank will write you a refund c... 07/01/2007

 What can you do if an appraisal comes back too low? Imagine you get an offer on your home after going back, and forth you finally agree on a contract with a buyer. So far everything is going smooth. Until you get to the appraisal. You now hit a little turbulence. The appraisal comes back, and it is too low. You're starting to get nervous that this deal is going to fall through. What can you do? How can you save this deal? Here are four suggestions on what you can do to help save this deal •1.     Talk to the Appraiser - Find out why he came up with what he did. Maybe he over looked something, or didn`t have all the proper information. It is possible, that maybe he made a typo, or maybe he never saw the permit for the addition that you did. He might not have all the proper information. ... 07/01/2007

How to hire a contractorWhile hiring contractors recommended by friends is usually the best way to go. never hire a contractor without first checking him or her out. In California you can call the contractors State license board at  1-800-321-CSLB (2752) or go to http://www.cslb.gov/ to find out if there are any outstanding complaints against that license holder. They are located at:               Contractors State License Board9821 Business Park DriveSacramento, CA 95827If you are satisfied with the answers you find there, interview the contractor. Ask Them what kind of worker's compensation insurance they carry and get policy # and insurance company phone numbers so you can verify the information. If they are not covered, you could be liable for any work-related injury incurred during... 06/24/2007

APPLE COMPUTER ROCKS HARD!Apple haters might want to stop reading. You're not going to like this post. I'll let you know when you can return. I wrote a post back in February that contained a short blurb about how the Apple Store in King Of Prussia, PA treated me. The Kindness Of Strangers focused on an Internet friendship I had developed with Neal Baldwin. But it could just as easily have been about the kindness of the Apple Store employees who were also strangers. These people kept a store open past closing for me. I wrote, "I can't even describe how amazing the Apple Store folks were. The paperwork was waiting for me when I ran in, out of breath." I was blown away by their willingness to go the extra mile. Today, the Apple Store in Northridge, CA took it to a whole new level.I purchas... 06/06/2007