Thursday, February 23, 2006

Buying A Home…Investment or Emotion?

Hi! We have exciting news that we couldn't wait to share with you! Industry experts are reporting that right now, we as a people are optimistic about the future, and our confidence is reflected in the ongoing health of the residential real estate market. What this means is that this is a perfect time to be buying or selling a home.

Other relevant news is that the mortgage industry is working hard to make more services available online. They are gearing up to deliver one-stop shopping for their real estate industry clients by making property assessment, flood, title and closing products available online. We're excited by how this will allow us to give even better service to you.

Robert J. Bruss, nationally recognized Real Estate attorney and syndicated columnist, in his article "12 Ways To Earn Your First Profit When You Buy" says, "Treat every real estate purchase, especially houses, as an investment rather than an emotional purchase. ...it is very difficult to buy your personal residence without becoming emotionally involved. But the smartest homebuyers treat home purchases as both a place to live and a long-term investment."

We are pleased to be able to share our experience with our clients. We have developed expertise in finding sound investment properties that can also feel like home. Our clients have found it helpful to have someone to guide them in their process of buying and selling homes.

We would like to be your REALTORS for life. To do this, we have to be at the top of our profession. We believe that you will find this to be the case. As always, if we can answer any real estate questions for you, we would be happy to have you call or e-mail.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

New Efficiency Regulations Impact Homeowners

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) initiated new regulations, in January, regarding air conditioning. Manufacturers rate this type of equipment and others, such as heat pumps, on their efficiency using what's known as SEER ratings, Seasonal-Energy-Efficiency-Ratio.

For several years, the minimum efficiency standard has been 10 SEER. On Jan. 23,2006, the law changed to require 13 SEER equipment impacting the heating, ventilation and air conditioning market across the country. The new standard requires manufacturers to cease production of A/C components rated less than 13 SEER.

While no one can predict how long existing systems may remain in use, manufacturers are now prohibited by law to build A/C components rated less than 13 SEER. The law will ultimately result in a phase-out of less efficient machines altogether.

One result of 13 SEER is the increased size of the new units. They are almost twice as large as 10 SEER units are. They take up more space in warehouses and delivery trucks, and may require more than one person to carry and install. That means additional work hours and more cost to both contractors and, ultimately, consumers.

Homeowners will face another very real problem when the industry depletes the existing supply of less efficient components now that building them is illegal.

An A/C system includes two units that work together: one outside and one inside. If the outside unit of a less efficient system breaks down and there are no compatible parts left to repair it, there may be no other option than to upgrade the entire unit to 13 SEER, at considerable expense.

Since the indoor unit must be compatible with the one outdoors to meet manufacturer efficiency guidelines, it will also require additional work.

It is understandable, that homeowners will be frustrated when they face a possible system upgrade instead of the standard repair they were expecting.

Another issue is the Home Warranties many homeowners have in effect, as the warranty may not address 13 SEER mandated upgrades. So, check with your warranty company. It is probably a good idea to talk with your homeowner insurance company also.

American Home Shield, one of the country’s largest home warranty companys is offering an upgrade to get 13 SEER coverage now for just $30. The AHS resource center can be reached at 800-735-4663 and online at www.13SEERsolutions.com.

To learn more about 13 SEER efficiency guidelines, check out www.energy.gov. You can read the actual 13 SEER legislation and find out about the history of the new mandates.

Contact the U.S. Department of Energy for more legislative information and questions by mail at 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585 or by phone at 800-DIAL-DOE.

Good luck and give us a call if we can help in anyway!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Benefits of Using a Tech Savvy Agent to Sell Your Home

Buyers for real estate have become more tech savvy and, according to most reports, over 75% of buyers will look for property on the internet before contacting an agent.
Will your home be found on the Internet?

Every agent will put a sign in your yard. Additionally, they may advertise your home in the newspaper or home magazine and hold open houses, or they will depend on their broker to pay for the advertising. This alone will not attract the total pool of potential buyers for your home. With today’s educated internet buyers, it takes more than that to get your home sold for top dollar.

In fact, the ONLY thing that most agents will do is put your home on MLS (Multiple Listing Service), as that is where agents put their property listings. Don’t assume they know what they are doing when they list it there or that your home will be found there by other agents!

The MLS alone doesn't sell properties. The MLS only makes the information about your home available. An agent looking for property needs to be able to find your home among the thousands of homes for sale on any given day. Since many times a search is conducted using specific criteria (i.e.: school, area, minimum square footage, view, etc), an MLS listing is only as good as the information the agent puts into the MLS. If you choose an agent who doesn't fill EVERYTHING in, your home won't even be an option in many cases.

Do you want to put one of your biggest investments in the hands of an agent who doesn’t know that half of the homes listed on MLS may be missing information? Even if all the fields completed on the MLS, you may still get missed by an agent who pre-determines what homes to show.

Don't rely on just the MLS to sell your home! You need to put your home in front of every potential buyer in the marketplace every day until the day you sell.

So, what can a tech savvy agent do for you? If there are 3 buyers in the marketplace looking for a home just like yours, a tech savvy agent markets to find ALL 3 of them. They don’t depend on a sign in your yard or just holding an open house with the hopes that a buyer walks in and writes an offer. What happened to the other potential buyers that may be looking for a home likes yours? Is it possible that they would pay more?

Here is what a tech savvy agent can do for you.

1) Inputs ALL your home data into the MLS and gives you a copy of what a realtor will actually see about your property.

2) Puts multiple pictures and descriptions on the MLS so an agent can preview your home’s best features.

3) Subscribes to and puts your home on Realtor.com for viewing as an “Enhanced” listing with extra descriptions and pictures for a potential buyer to view. By subscribing, an agent will get any email for additional information vs. another agent who may not know your home.

4) Has a website(s) that is "organically" found on the search engines and has placement for key search terms. Is their website ranked by the search engines? They will offer you proof of where their site is found. Being on page 10 of a search engine will not help you in the marketing of your home.

5) Shows you current website statistics on how many people visit their site, what pages are viewed, how they got there, etc. A good website is more than a Cyber Business Card.. it is where potential buyers search for properties and will find your home.

6) Promotes your home on their website with a custom web page and/or web address so your home is showcased on the search engines, ie: 179AvenidaLaCuesta.com/, ViaVina.HartanovTeam.com, or 795AvenidaSalvador.com

7) Uses Pay Per Click on the internet, if needed, so a potential buyer will find your home when searching for a home in your area, ie; Forster Ranch real estate, Forster Ranch homes for sale, Ocean View Homes, Ocean View Real Estate, Luxury Homes in San Clemente, etc.

8) Has a specific follow up system for all those who request any additional information about your home from their website.

9) Uses email to highlight your home to all those who have registered for a home search on their site or to receive new listing information. A tech savvy agent may have 1,000’s of potential buyers in their database.

10) Is a member of a nationally recognized organization that uses cutting edge technology to the fullest in real estate, ie; Allen Hainges CyberStars™ that is an invitation only organization and has only 195 members who are at the top of the technology curve.

11) Has been certified as technology proficient, such as e-PRO (only 1% of realtors nationally) or E-Certified.

12) They use email and rely on it as a principle marketing tool.

13) Responds to email requests for information about your home immediately, while the interest is high and can send links and or virtual tours via email.

14) Gets your home listed on some of the most popular real estate destinations on the web, including HarmonHomes, Yahoo Real Estate, MSN House & Homes, Homeseekers, HomeGain, Homes & Land, etc.

As you can see, the benefits of using a Tech Savvy agent to sell your home will allow your home to be exposed to the maximum number of interested buyers. As a result of internet placement and a technology-driven approach that reaches more buyers in the shortest time you will get the highest possible price for your home with the best possible terms that fit your needs.

Finding the Best Real Estate Professional For You

Finding the right real estate professional requires doing a little research and asking a few questions. After all, your home is probably the most valuable asset and you want to make sure you are hiring the REALTOR who can net you the most money, in the shortest time, with the least hassle to you.

Here are questions to ask during the interview process.

1. What is your marketing strategy?

2. How do you use technology in marketing my home?

3. How will you communicate with me?

4. Are there improvements I can make to my home that will increase it's market value?

5. Will you provide me with a written marketing plan?

6. What credentials and experience do you have?

7. Will you provide me with a Comparative Market Analysis?

8. Do you have any Performance Guarantees?

9. Will you provide me with references of past clients?

10. Why should I list with you rather than another agent?

Also, real estate agents should know what the competition is and how much it will effect your sale.

NEVER choose a realtor on price alone. Remember that a realtor cannot magically raise the selling price of the house. Consider the buyer. The purchaser won't willingly pay too much; it's most likely that he or she will do research on the market and try to find the best product for the best price. The facts simply cannot be changed, no matter which REALTOR you select.

In spite of these unchangeable factors, the REALTOR you select must still be diligent and knowledgable. We are the real estate Team with these qualities.

Here is what our clients have to say about us:

"Drew and Linda work as a team to give you the best service possible from a realtor. They worked with us to sell our home at top dollar in a short and fast paced schedule.

We had a home in Laguna Niguel to sell quickly so we could complete our purchase of a house in the state of WA.With their help we were able to over come several obstacles, get the highest price for our home, and purchase our home in WA on schedule.

They worked as a team and were always available to talk when we called, and returned calls promptly. They are professional’s, people that listen and respond to their clients concerns, request and needs.

You need a professional (realtors) when selling and or helping you purchase your home. There are so many variables (and paper), and deals that need to be played out in real estate that you need a filter and or barterers. A realtor that can help you close a deal, communicate what is important and not important in the final completion of selling your home.

You need Drew and Linda Hartanov on your team. "Frank & Maryetta West Laguna Niguel, CA

Give us a call today, 949-481-3739.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Taxes: What You Can and Cannot Deduct

February has arrived and for many of us that means it is time to work on our dreaded yearly taxes. If you are one of the lucky ones who will receive a refund, "Congratulations!" If not, "Welcome to the club!"

Owning a home should get you closer to being in the "refund club", as one of the benefits of homeownership is the tax deduction. Your mortgage interest and real estate tax payments are both deductible. However, your homeowners insurance is not.

If you bought your home in 2005, many of the expenses you incurred at closing are also tax deductible. The mortgage interest you paid at closing is not included on the year end tax information you receive from your lender, so be sure to include that figure in your interest payments. Or better, yet, give a copy of the HUD you received at closing to your accountant.

More detailed tax information can be found on our website. Just click here. Good luck!