Archive for the 'Moving Tips & Advice' Category
What Should I Look for in a Neighborhood?
Posted by Pam & Joanna | Leave A Comment »
Some neighborhoods speak loud and clear at first glance; the quality of life is apparent in the streets, parks, buildings, homes and yards.
You get a feel for it (either for or against) just by looking.
A real estate agent can, of course, fill you in on community details not so obvious at first glance:
- Where schools, supermarkets, libraries, hospitals, places of worship, fire and police stations are located.
- What zoning regulations apply.
- What community services are available.
- What construction plans are in the offing.
- What shifts in transportation facilities are occurring.
- How home values have been affected by foreclosures.
- What taxes prevail.For a more intimate impression,you should walk around a neighborhood that looks attractive to you. Visit the schools your children will attend to confirm district boundaries and comparisons with other other schools.
Talk with local people (ask about commuting schedules and costs), in shops (chat about where the best stores are), in parks (get folks talking about recreational programs), in front yards (ask what they like and dislike about the neighborhood).
You might take photos as you tour different locales. They’ll help you later when you want to keep different streets and homes seperate in your mind. Also take notes to later compare, especially addresses and prices.
Inspecting a neighborhood is as necessary as inspecting the home you may buy. An old real estate maxim says. “The best time to think about selling your home is when you’re buying it.” That’s because location will be a prime factor influencing future buyers when it comes time to sell your home.
Information provided by California Title Company and contributed to this article.
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Related Posts: Buyers, Moving Tips & Advice, Uncategorized
The Forgotten Victims of Foreclosure
Posted by Traci Hansen | Leave A Comment »
With the rising number of foreclosures around the nation and right in our own neighborhoods, our sympathies go to the families that will leave their homes behind and out of desperation move on.
The question I pose is, what about the pets? The number of family pets that are left behind is staggering. The family pet, once part of the family, is now abandoned and trapped in an empty home, with minimal or no food and water.
The people to arrive first to a foreclosed home i.e. the junk haulers, Realtors, bank inspectors, and neighbors typically do not have the authority to remove the animals. Once the Humane Society has been called, it can take several days to respond to the foreclosed house due to the volume of other cases.
One of the Humane Society employees, who has personally responded to about 1,000 foreclosure calls last year, tells of finding the animals chained up, or running loose in the house. The Humane Society does not keep numbers on how many animals are found in foreclosed homes. The pets are simply listed as abandoned. Animal cruelty charges are rare in foreclosed cases because it’s hard to prove malice involved in leaving the pet behind.
The before mentioned Humane Society employee has found 15 dead animals in foreclosed homes and has filed charges in each of those cases. When he found a boxer tied to a tree in the backyard next to a pile of trash, no charges were filed. And nothing was done to the owners of a yellow lab who left the dog chained to a water faucet.
He states, “Once the family has been tracked down the first thing they tell you is, ‘Man we loved our dog, but we just couldn’t take him with us,’” Personally, there is no reasoning that I can wrap my head around to justify leaving your beloved pet behind. And if the family is moving into a place that does not accommodate pets, then why not drop them off at a shelter? At least that gives them a chance, even though the numbers are climbing at the shelters and due to overpopulation almost half of incoming animals are euthanized.
A majority of the pets found are in poor health, some can be rehabilitated, but approximately 15 percent are euthanized. As more families are forced from their homes, the fallout is painfully clear at the animal shelters nationwide. Experts say a dog will become dehydrated within 24 hours without water and could die in extreme heat within a few days. Like humans, dogs and cats can go for a long time without food but will quickly die without water.
How Can You Help Save Abandoned Pets?
In most states, by law, pets are personal property, which means they have little or no rights. Personal property left behind by home owners are subject to seizure by the lender that has taken the home back in foreclosure, but most REO lenders don’t want to take care of pets. Some laws do not allow for forfeiture of personal property until a certain period of time has passed, so lenders are prevented from removing pets, and often discourage others from intervening.
- If you know that a home in your neighborhood is being foreclosed upon, why not ask the occupants if they have made plans for their pets?
- Some homeowners might willingly turn over their pets to an animal welfare agency that specializes in rescuing stray and abandoned pets, if they knew where to take their pets.
- Leave animal rescue literature with the owners; it’s better to offend and apologize than to do nothing.
- After the owners have moved, check on the home to see if any pets were left behind or tied up in the back yard.
- Call your local Humane Society to find out how you can help to rescue abandoned pets.
- Call a local real estate agent and ask the neighborhood specialist to inspect the home for abandoned pets. Most will gladly oblige at no obligation.
- In some states, animal cruelty is against the law, If you suspect animal cruelty, call the police.
- If you find a dehydrated pet, provide a small amount of water under supervision—some pets can become so thirsty and weak that they can drown in a water bowl—then call a vet before administering food.
Because if you don’t speak up for these helpless animals, WHO WILL??????
If this blog has moved you in some way, please take a look at the nopawsleftbehind.org website… It is a nonprofit that helps the pet owners find shelters. Please take a look and see how you can become proactive and help the forgotten victims of foreclosure.
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Related Posts: Community Service, Education, Foreclosures, Homeowners, Leucadia, Moving Tips & Advice, Real Estate News, San Diego, Sellers, Short Sales, The Daily News, Uncategorized
Seven Money Saving Tips For Moving
Posted by Rich Johnson | Leave A Comment »
You are planning a move. Maybe it’s voluntary; maybe not. Nevertheless, you are planning to move and you need to sell your present home. You want a fair profit. Your goal is to get as much money out of the sale of your home as you can, to recoup some of the time and investment you’ve put into it over the years. But you also realize you don’t have a lot of time. You need a relatively quick sale.
That’s the dilemma.
How do you decide how much to ask for your house in order to secure a fair profit and generate a quick sale at the same time - with the least amount of headache and hassle? 
Take heart. It’s possible.
Regardless of the market - be it hot or cold; regardless of the season - be it summer or winter; and regardless of the fact the house down the street has been sitting on the market forever without any takers - you can accomplish the goal of selling your home fast and at a fair price if you follow a few simple principles.
1. Think of the building you are preparing to sell as a house - not your home. You must detach yourself emotionally from the sale of your property and view it as just another commodity for sale on the open market. It is no more and no less a residential property for sale to a buyer who is ready, willing, and able to purchase it.
2. Realize what you think your house is worth has absolutely no merit. Being a commodity on the open market, a house is only worth what other people are willing to pay for that particular style of house, in that particular area, and at this particular time.
3. Determine prices of comparable houses. A lender always hires a professional appraiser to evaluate the value of a house before underwriting a loan. The most important factor an appraiser uses in determining the value of a house is the reliable data gathered from comparing the selling price of similar properties in style, size, location, and relative time frame - usually 30 to 60 days.
4. Hire an appraiser to give you a documented opinion as to your house’s value. Realize, however, the appraisal you receive is only the appraiser’s professional opinion based on reliable market data - but it is only an opinion. Only a buyer willing to put money in your pocket can tell you what your house is actually worth. And be aware that appraisals are often too high - appraisers are more likely to 
overstate the value of a house rather than understate it.
5. Ask a broker for help. Another way to help determine what your house is fairly worth is to ask a real estate agent. Many agents offer a free “comparative market analysis” in the hope you will list your house with them. Get the broker’s opinions in writing and obtain at least three appraisals from different brokers. This will protect you from a common but tragic practice of telling you what you want to hear. In the trade it is called “buying the listing” and it happens with appalling frequency.
6. Learn the asking prices of similar houses for sale. While actual sales prices of recently sold houses are the best source of information, knowing the asking prices of houses still on the market will give an idea of the top range of market values in your area.
7. Gain an overall view of the local housing market. Is the market hot or cold? Is it a buyer’s market or seller’s market? It is also helpful to know the total inventory of houses currently on the market in relation to the number of houses currently pending sale. For instance if 356 houses are for sale and 42 houses are pending sale, the ratio is 1:8. This means there is one buyer per eight houses for sale. Called a “Total Market Analysis,” this data can be the most powerful information you can gather to best position your house for a fast, profitable sale.
(Bonus) Price your own home. Given all the above data you should now be in a position to determine an asking price for your house which will ensure a fair profit and a fast sale. The trick is to price your home a little below current asking prices and a little higher than actual selling prices. The actual price you choose would best be determined by a total market analysis and would ensure a lot of buyer activity as well as providing you a fair, over market profit. It’s like having your cake and eating it too!
With the right information, you can price your house to sell for the most money, in the shortest amount of time, and with the least amount of hassle. Simply follow the seven basic principles and you are well on your way to a fast, profitable sale.
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