Santa Monica Beach is one of the Most Visited Beaches across the US.  Santa Monica is a wonderful place to visit with it's amazing weather, world class shopping, and World Famous Santa Monica Pier.  Santa Monica features 3.5 miles of Southern California beaches and over 300 days of sunshine, the Santa Monica Beach is a prime piece of California coastline and a welcome retreat for vacationers and locals alike with a range of activities for everyone. Many people that visit Santa Monica love it so much they desire to buy their dream home here or vacation property.  Here are some current Santa Monica homes for sale.    http://santamonica-realestateagent.com/idx/city/santa-monica/   While visiting Santa Monica Beach, do some shopping on the popular 3rd Street Promenade and the New Santa Mon... 02/19/2011

Santa Monica is the top growth city in the United States, according to a new report released by U-Haul. The company's U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, released Wednesday, reflects the top growth areas across the country, in terms of families that moved over the course of the past year. "The report, reflective of growth patterns in the United States during 2010, was compiled based on nationwide trends in cities of all sizes and reflects communities with more than 5,000 families moving in or out of the area," John "J.T." Taylor, president of U-Haul's Phoenix Operations, said in a statement. "Growth cities were then determined by calculating the percentage of inbound moves vs. outbound moves for each area." According to the report—which was compiled using more than 1.4 million one-... 02/17/2011

Here is a broad overview of the short sale process: This is Question #2 in a series of the most frequently asked questions in a short sale.  Our clients want to know what is expected of them and the timeline.  We have created a general overview of each step.  Step 1 Prepare package for each lender.-complete short sale bank forms-provide documentation,    Federal Tax Returns all pages, last 2 returns   2 Most recent bank statements, all pages   2 Most recent pay stubs   Financial Hardship Letter Of Explanation   Copy of mortgage statement for each lender Step 2 Marketing and Listing of PropertyReceive Offer Step 3  Present Offer with entire short sale package to lenders Step 4 Coordinate bank approval with lendersBank appraisals Step 5 Buyer to open escrow and complete loan The timeline ... 02/09/2011

Santa Monica Pier in California (End of Route 66) Santa Monica Pier in California (End of Route 66) If anyone has been wondering were Vegas Bob has been he has been traveling in a Southern California. I started my road trip in Hollywood for several hours snapping photographs and shooting video. From Hollywood I headed over to Santa Monica Pier which is called the (End of Route 66) as you can see in the video. I captured some wonderful video footage in the day and the evening with the lights from the carnival rides. Please stay tuned because I will be plugging California for days to come! I am in Santa Barbara California right now and the temperature is around 72 degrees and just plain beautiful! I lived in Goleta California which is a little beach town only minutes from  Santa Barbara ... 02/09/2011

Many home sellers have been contemplating whether now is a good time to sell their home or if they should wait longer, we wanted to share a recent article that was published in the Los Angeles Times about how NOW is a good time to sell your home.Sell now, avoid (some) regret later.That was Steve Harney's advice recently to a roomful of real estate agents. Harney is a housing industry consultant who told the assembled agents of John Greene Realtor in Ill., that they should tell clients who have been sitting on the fence about selling that the time is now — if they want to sidestep more marketplace competition in a few months.Or, as he put it, the cork in the dam is about to pop.That "cork" is banks' indecisiveness. The "water" behind the dam is their stockpile of foreclosed homes, which ... 02/06/2011

What is My Property Worth? What is my current Home Value?  Many home owners contemplating selling or refinancing their current home are not quite sure what their home is valued at.  This information is vital to either selling your home quickly or when refinancing it.   We wanted to share some free resources for finding out what your property is currently worth with you, we have provided website links that provide home values for free below. There is a free home value online website that allows home owners nationwide to find out what their home is currently worth and what their current home value is.     Here is the website: http://santamonica-realestateagent.com/how-much-is-my-home-worth/It is very easy to use, Just enter all your home property information such as home address, bedroom... 02/06/2011

By Jodi Summers 35 -104 -273 -283 – Hike! Santa Monica has four zip codes ranked on Forbes list of the 500 Most Expensive Zip Codes in the United States. It’s good to live in Santa Monica. Forbes had Altos Research to rank the median asking prices for single-family homes and condominiums in the more than 20,000 ZIP codes where it gathers data to find the 500 most expensive. Altos weighted the median home cost based on the mix of homes in the market. More than half of those zip codes were in California. Improbably, the calculation came up with 91008 as the most expensive zip code. That’s Duarte, CA, in case you didn’t see the TV show. Duarte is a Los Angeles bedroom community, geographically isolated from population centers to the east and south due to the San Gabriel River and rock quar... 02/06/2011

Cleaned out my closets and gave my old clothes away to someone who can use them - Pay It Forward It didn't make too much sense to me to have clothes in my closet that just sit there that I hardly every wear. After I thought about it, I'm sure there are plenty of people that could be wearing these clothes, so I went through my entire closet and now have a huge load of clothes to give away. I'm going to donate them to a worthy cause.   Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale   01/30/2011

How Much is My Home Worth?   Many home owners contemplating selling or refinancing their current home are not quite sure what their home is valued at.  This information is vital to either selling your home quickly or when refinancing it.   There is a free service online that allows home owners nationwide to find out what their home is currently worth and valued at.   Here is the website: http://instanthomelink.com/homevalues Just enter all your home property information such as home address, bedrooms, baths, and contact information.  This is one of the best home valuations services available online and it's completely free. If you are thinking of selling your home, here are some tips to help increase the value of your home when it sells. 1.  Contact a Local Realtor to Walk-Through your... 01/27/2011

Is Now a Good Time To Sell My Home?Many people have been asking this question recently and we wanted to address whether this is a good time to sell your home or not.When trying to decide if now is a good time to sell your current home, there are a few things to consider:1.  Where do you plan to move? Will you be moving locally or relocating to another area? 2.  Are you buying another home or planning to rent?  If you are planning on buying, this is one of the best times to buy in many years, home price and current interest rates are extremely favorable.  Many people would like to search for homes first, you can search homes for sale online for free here:http://santamonica-realestateagent.com/3.  How much is your home currently worth and how much will you net from the sale of your home. ... 01/27/2011

I wanted to share with you the most frequently asked questions a buyer has when purchasing a short sale. This is the first article in a series of five. Question #1: Buyers want to know who pays the closing costs in a short sale? As a buyer you want to ask your agent this question before you write an offer. The best time to ask it is during your first meeting. In a short sale all terms, conditions and closing costs are subject to lender approval. Sounds pretty vague, right? Let me tell you what closing costs you should ask for when writing a contract. Then I will tell you what they actually pay. Buyer should ask the Seller to pay: Sellers escrow fees Sellers title insurance Property taxes-including any back taxes County taxes City Required Reports Retrofitting Natural Hazard Disclosure T... 01/25/2011

Ever parked your car in a large mall like Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, gone shopping, and then come back to realize that you have forgotten when you left it? Santa Monica Place has installed the first camera-based "Find Your Car" system in the country. How does it work? You punch your license plate number into the touch screen of a kiosk. A photo comes of up your car's location. Park Assist is the company who developed the "Find Your Car" system along with the red and green lights above parking spaces, showing which ones available. These are also present at The Grove and Westfield Century City. The system has proved quite helpful and lowered the number of times a mall security person has to drive around a distraught shopper looking for their car. There is concern about the priva... 01/24/2011

  Spend a relaxing and enjoyable weekend at the Cadillac Hotel in Venice, California! The Cadillac Hotel is located near Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier. There you can enjoy all the wonderful amenities the hotel has to offer and more! The Cadillac Hotel was built in 1914 and is popular to this day, among the royals of Hollywood. This historical hotel was also the home away from home for Charlie Chaplin! This amazing Art Deco hotel can be enjoyed by anyone who loves the beach and the sun. For more information regarding the Cadillac Hotel please visit the link below: http://www.thecadillachotel.com/history.html What a great way to escape the hustle and bustle! CHEERS 01/20/2011

  Spend the weekend at the College Hill Bed and Breakfast in Santa Monica, California! College Hill B&B is an adorable townhouse located on Berkeley Street in Santa Monica. The bed and breakfast is close to all you could ever ask for in a weekend getaway! You can go to the beach, do some shopping and dine all in one place. The College Hill B&B provides a delectable continental breakfast for your morning pleasure! For more information regarding the College Hill B&B please visit the link below: http://www.selectbedandbreakfasts.com/spot_best_bed_and_breakfast_College_Hill_Bed_and_Breakfast_Santa_Monica_CA_90922.aspx Sounds like a great weekend getaway to me! CHEERS   01/20/2011

Where should you live in Santa Monica? You know you want to live in Santa Monica, but in a city of 8.3 square miles, and several diverse neighborhoods, you are not sure where to look. There are several distinct areas of Santa Monica each with its own advantage and price ranges. From upscale condos on Santa Monica Beach to high end homes, and plenty of opportunities to lease in between. Living in Santa Monica offers something for everyone. The Santa Monica housing market report below covers 2010 sales and divided by zip code. Santa Monica Zip Code Map View Santa Monica by Zip Code in a larger map The Santa Monica zip code boundaries below are roughly described: Santa Monica zip code 90401 Wilshire Blvd. to the north to Pico Blvd to. in the south. Bordering the ocean to the west and angl... 01/16/2011

In California we have Proposition 60 and 90, where homeowners age 55 or older can transfer their property tax base from their existing home to another.  What?!! That's exactly what I said.  How cool is that?  I have met many local residents that have lived in their home for 30, 40, or 50 years.  This Propositions is a significant advantage for a homeowner looking to downsize their home and expenses.  Since most of us are going to live to be 90 or 100.  55 is young and it's a good idea to plan ahead.  To take advantage of this tax opportunity you would sell your primary residence then find a replacement.  Your taxes would stay the same as the year you purchased your original home.  So, let's use a homeowner I recently met in Santa Monica.  He purchased his home in 1972 for $90,000.  His ... 01/12/2011

There is a new Senate Bill, SB 931. The Sentate passed it late 2010 then our Governor passed it, effective January 1, 2011.  "Purchase Money" loans and "Refinance" loans are viewed the same, no deficiency will be pursued in a short sale. This is such great news for homeowners that are in the process or considering a short sale.  In California homeowners with "Purchase Money" loans of homes that are 1-4 units that have been occupied as their primary residence are protected.  Since we are a non-recourse state. However, homeowners that did refinance were not always covered.  The banks were not clear with some people whether they were going to pursue the deficiency aftrer the short sale.  That is not the situation anymore for homeowners that have refinanced, no more worries or sleepless nig... 01/10/2011

Hi, It's always a good idea to spend some time reviewing the past year. Especially blog topics. Here are our Top 3 Blog Topics for 2010: #1 Free Outdoor Summers Concerts #2 You Must Know What Assets Are Safe When Doing A Short Sale #3 Reaching Out To Seller's FSBO's In reviewing these blog posts I have noticed that all 3 are really short and only 1 of them has an image. I'm wondering if it was the title of the blog that readers wanted? However, in reality as a blogger, you don't really know. But, what I have realized in reviewing this last quarter of 2010. Is that it's best to blog about something compelling for us. In doing that we will find our voice so readers know what to expect. In 2011 we are going to blog more and work on adding a mix of video, images and text. We are also open t... 01/09/2011

Welcome to our first open house, click here for more pictures & details: http://kimandkristine.tv/2011/01/stanfordcondo/ New listing for 2011.  In Santa Monica's 90404, on Stanford between Wilshire Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd. More details: 310-737-8173, Kim Search for others in Santa Monica's 90404: http://kimandkristine.tv/idx/zip/90404/   Be the first to see this wonderful condo in Santa Monica, Kim 310-737-8173. 01/09/2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Santa Monica, California, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) January 4, 2011 -- Santa Monica, CA (January 4, 2011) – Members of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, Short Sale Experts Kim & Kristine Halverson are beginning to sell multi-million dollar homes and estates through the short sale process. With extensive training, the real estate sisters are helping other families avoid foreclosure and provide a legal option for sellers who owe more than their home is worth, also known as a short sale or pre-foreclosure: Kim & Kristine are Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource, HAFA Certified, and Prudential Short Sale Specialists. “One thing is for sure, short sales are the dignified way for sellers to release their home when the market is lower than wh... 01/06/2011