Christian's Blog

  What a year we had for 2021 in the speed of the real estate market and appreciation of home values! Is 2022 going to be as exciting? In this blog I am going over my predictions for the housing market for the year 2022, then providing how I achieved those predictions, which include the state of the economy and the stats of the housing market. You can also watch my predictions here My Prediction Here is my prediction: I expect most areas to see a slight uptick in their home values, not as much as in 2021 and there to be an  increase in the volume of home sales. I expect there to be less competition per home, because of the number of homes for sale, which will spread the buyers making offers per home. It should still be a sellers market(meaning homes being sold on average of 6 months or less).  Interest rates will rise throughout the year and I expect to see the biggest increase in interest rates around summer, not exceeding 4%. Overview of how I got to that prediction In ...

  If you are thinking of selling your home in order to buy another and find this process difficult, you are not alone. In my experience working with sellers, this obstacle is a common issue. In this article I will first go over various traditional ways to sell, then buy a home. Then I will go over a revolutionary way my sellers are buying stress-free.  In all traditional sell and then buy programs, you would need to have your home ready for the sale, then move on to the next. Here is what that process looks like. In order to sell a home for top dollar, it is ideal to depersonalize and declutter and stage the home. To do so, the sellers need to store away their personal belongings, ideally in a storage unit, not in the vicinity of the property they plan to sell. Other measures that can be taken to make top dollar is moving out of the property, so the buyers can have the impression of being ready to move-in home. If the seller would like to save money in the short term, they can...

  It's September 2021, and we are in a seller's market in every part of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, many homebuyers do not get their offer accepted and become frustrated and feel defeated after submitting so many offers. This article will go over what offers are being accepted today and the strategies and tools used today to get offers accepted. Let's first start with the biggest myth I constantly hear about buying a home. One of the most common myths out there is that I need all-cash, or at least 20% of the purchase price, to get my offer accepted, and 3%-5% down is not good enough to get an offer accepted today. Yes, it is indeed easier to get an offer accepted when you have more money to prove you can afford the purchase, but it is also true that sellers are taking deals with less money for other reasons. Let's first go over why sellers decide to go with someone who has less money than what you can do to stand out. So let's get to it! Sellers don't care as mu...

  For most, your home is the most significant investment you will ever have. To make sure you get the most money for your home, let's go over what to avoid when selling your home. Avoid accepting the first offer that comes your way. In today's market, there is an abundance of homebuyers, making it a seller's market. Therefore, it is essential to list your house on the Multiple Listing Service(MLS). The MLS will syndicate your home listing to hundreds of websites, where 97% of buyers find homes. Other forms of advertisements, like speaking to realtors who have buyers, yard signs, chatting with neighbors, running online ads, can also increase the likelihood of more buyers finding your home listing. Keep personal objects in the home hidden; less clutter can mean more money in your pocket.  When a home buyer is looking for their next home, it is vital to make it easy for them to envision themselves living in the house. Personal photos, religious objects, political propaganda, o...

  It was like any other day; as a Realtor in California, I was making my phone calls and asking for referrals from friends and family they know who may need my services to sell or buy real estate. On my third call-in for the day, a client let me know, "I have a friend named Suzy in Menifee who is thinking of selling." I was excited about the referral. I showed my appreciation to my client, and she let her friend know I would be giving her a call, so I did it later that day. Once I spoke to Suzy, we hit it off. We talked about how she owned a home in Eagle Rock, CA about a decade ago and sold it to move to Menifee, CA as she got closer to retirement. Her idea was to sell her current home and move south to Murrieta, CA. After asking her what she was looking for in her next home, it became clear that she was looking for the same house she currently lived in with some upgrades. She insisted on listing her home and finding her a home to buy. So I agreed to a listing appointment fo...

  Homes are selling for historically high prices in May 2021 Homes are selling for historically high prices in May 2021. With house prices on the rise, the average home appreciation in Los Angeles has significantly in a year. For example, in the last 12 months, the average sales price per square footage for a single-family house in Los Angeles was $746 a square foot. In May, the average square footage rose to $777. That is a 4.2% increase for May alone! The number of days until sold has also dropped from 36 to 21, respectively. We find that homes sell for more (on average 5% over list price) and faster and expect this trend to continue for some time.  Click here for the market report. As a homeowner, here are some ways you can benefit from the appreciation value of your house. Selling the house and gaining appreciation. If you are paying for private mortgage insurance on your house, consult with a lender if refinancing is an option to remove the PMI cost based on your hom...