Types of Real Estate Sales – Coffee Time with the Realty Goddess

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When you are purchasing a home you will come across many different “types” of sales. Short-Sales, Stand, HUD, Trust, REO…it can be confusing. This broadcast will look into the terms and untangle the mystery.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, I would love the opportunity to earn your business.

Laura Key, REALTOR
Cal BRE 01908085
Laura.A.Key@gmail.com
www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

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Los Angeles FHA Loan Limits

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Business and Economy, buy homes, Buyer, Buyers, buying a home, Buying A Hud Home, Buying a Los Angeles HUD Home, Buying My First Home, California, FHA, Freddie Mac

Homeownership is not out of reach. FHA limits in California are one of the highest in the country.  I have great lenders that can help you reach your real estate goals! Call me to get started on your home ownership goals!!!  Laura Key 310.866.8422

Here are the current limits for Los Angeles (as of Nov 13, 2014) FHA allows 3.5% downpayment over a 15 to 30 year term!

Single Family             $625,500

Duplex                        $800,775

Tri-Plex                      $967,950

Four-Plex                   $1,202,925

Start your home search today!

www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

**Source: https://entp.hud.gov

FHA Limits for Los Angeles Area

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Business and Economy, buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying A Hud Home, Buying My First Home, California, california real estate, Counties, Federal Housing Administration, FHA insured loan, Home Buying, Los Angeles, Owner-occupier, real estate, realty goddess, United States

Homeownership is not out of reach. FHA limits in California are one of the highest in the country.  I have great lenders that can help you reach your real estate goals! Call me to get started on your homeownership goals!!!  Laura Key 310.866.8422

Here are the current limits for Los Angeles (as of August 23, 2013) FHA allows 3.5% downpayment over a 15 to 30 year term!

Single Family             $729,750

Duplex                        $934,200

Tri-Plex                      $1,129,250

Four-Plex                   $1,403,400

Source: FHA.com

IRS Simplifies Home Office Deduction

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Business and Economy, buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying My First Home, California, Home Purchase, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Real Estate, realtor goddess, realty goddess

Working from home can be beneficial! Hope these tips help! Need a home checkup? Call me Laura Key 310.866.8422

The number of home owners who work from home at least one day a week increased nearly 10 percent — from 9.5 million to 13.4 million — between 1999 and 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. However, only 3.4 million home owners claimed deductions for business use of a home in 2010, according to the IRS. 

The IRS recently announced a new safe harbor provision for home office deductions for the 2013 tax year. 

“This allows at-home workers the option to simply take a deduction capped at $1,500 per year based on $5 a square foot for up to 300 square feet,” FOX Business reported. “The requirement that home office space be exclusively used for business and limitations on income earned from that business still applies, and direct business expenses unrelated to the home (advertising, supplies and wages paid to employees, etc.) are fully deductible.”

“The home office deduction is one of the most misunderstood and abused deductions out there,” says Margaret Munro, a tax consultant, about the changes. “If you have a valid home office, you take the deduction because you shouldn’t be paying tax on money that you’re using for your business.”

For more information on the deduction, visit the IRS Web site.

Source: “IRS’ Simpler Home Tax Deduction Cuts Through the Clutter,” FOX Business (July 24, 2013)

Sellers Jack Up Price After Offer is Accepted

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buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying My First Home, California, Contract, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Real Estate, National Association of Realtors, Real estate pricing, realty goddess, Selling My Home

Until a contract is SIGNED it is not accepted!  Be very careful when “words” or a simple “handshake” is used! It might come back to haunt you!  Laura Key 310.866.8422

Some home sellers are accepting a buyer’s offer, even having a contract drawn up, only to ask for a higher price a few days later.

The move called “goalpost-shifting” is becoming more common in competitive markets with limited inventories of homes for sale, The New York Times reports. Some sellers keep the bidding on their homes going even after they’ve said they’ll accept an offer from a buyer. 

The New York Times describes a recent incident where a buyer offered $912,000 for a condo that was originally listed for $800,000, which had attracted more than a dozen offers. The seller accepted the buyer’s offer and a contract was written. However, a few days later the seller notified the buyer that the price had increased to $995,000. The buyer refused to increase his offer, and lost out on the unit. The seller ended up selling to another buyer who offered $1.1 million. 

The practice is controversial, but The New York Times quotes brokers who note that buyers are learning a tough lesson: Until signatures are on a contract, a deal isn’t done. Also, they note the buyer is generally given the opportunity to increase their offer. However, other agents say it’s a greedy move on sellers’ part and that once sellers give their word, they should honor it. 

“It’s surprising how ugly it’s getting,” says Robert Frankel, a real estate lawyer who frequently handles closings. “If you don’t hear back about a contract in two days, there are usually some shenanigans going on.”

Source: DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013

The Real Estate World is moving and shaking, make sure you have an expert to help you during these times.  Call Laura today! 310.866.8422

5 Home Inspection Red Flags

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buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying A Hud Home, Buying My First Home, California, Home Buying, Home Improvement, Home Inspection, Inspection, Los Angeles, Money Pit, real estate, realty goddess, Red flag

Inspection is always a good way to see the bones of your new home! Do not ever skimp on inspection!  Laura Key 310.866.8422

A home inspection is a buyer’s opportunity to see if any problems lurk that may prove expensive to fix later. Home inspections nearly always uncover something in a home to watch for or minor repairs needed. But what repairs should buyers especially be alarmed about that could possibly send them back to the negotiation table? Tom Kraeutler of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated radio show on home improvement, points out some of the following home inspection red flags:

1. Termites and pests: The sooner termites are detected, and steps can be taken to get rid of them, the better.
2. Drainage issues: A home that has poor drainage can have wood rot and wet basements and crawlspaces, which can then lead to major mold growth.
3. Mold: Pervasive mold growth may indicate an issue with improper ventilation issues and can also cause health issues to those living in the home.
4. Faulty foundations: A cracked or crumbling foundation could be a very expensive repair.
5. Wiring issues: Outdated wiring or overloaded circuits can pose a fire hazard. 

Source: DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013

Call me today! Let’s get you started on making your home dreams come true! Laura Key 310.866.8422

Higher Home Prices Cool Buying Frenzy

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Business and Economy, buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying My First Home, California, california real estate, goddess, Hollywood, Home Buying, Home Purchase, Housing Bubble, housing market, investments, Investors, Los Angeles Real Estate, Property management, realty goddess, returns on investment, Selling My Home, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Is all this frenzy creating a mini-housing bubble? What are your thoughts on this housing market?  Laura Key 310.866.8422

The recent rise in home prices has more investors concerned that it will be increasingly difficult to turn a profit from their rental investments. Nearly half of U.S. real estate investors say they expect to purchase fewer rental homes in the next year, according to a recent survey conducted by polling firm ORC International.

Just 10 months ago, the percentage of investors who said they intend to buy fewer homes stood at 30 percent—compared to 48 percent today. Only about 20 percent of the investors surveyed say they plan to buy more homes in the next year—a drop from the 39 percent who reported they intend to buy more homes last August.

More than half of the investors surveyed who own rental properties say they plan to hold them for at least five years or more, and 33 percent plan to hold them for 10 years or more. 

“Higher prices are reducing returns on investment and investors are responding by cutting back on their purchasing plans until conditions sort out,” says Chris Clothier, a partner in MemphisInvest.com and Premier Property Management Group. “Fewer foreclosures, rising property values, and competition from hedge funds are making it tough to find good ideals on distressed sales. On the other hand, investors are planning to hold onto their rental properties for at least eight to 10 years and realize the benefits of rising rents and low vacancy rates. Cash flow is much more important than appreciation.”

Source: ORC International

Laura Key, CBS News, Buyer’s Agent, Selling Agent, 

Thinking of Selling? I have buyers who are pre-approved and ready!  They are looking in several areas of Los Angeles county!

New House – New Yard – Got Plans?

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Back Yard, BBQ, buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying My First Home, California, Entertainment, Home Buying, Home Sweet Home, Real estate pricing, Selling My Home

What would you do with your new yard? Call me and let’s get you started! Laura Key 310.866.8422

Condominiums – Should You Consider Purchasing One

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Apartment, Business and Economy, buy homes, Buyer, buying a home, Buying A Hud Home, Buying My First Home, California, Condominium, Home Buying, Home Improvement, Homeowner association, laura key, Lodging, Los Angeles Real Estate, market value, Property, real estate, realty goddess

Condominiums tend fall into the love them or hate them position for buyers

Condominiums are all about communal living, which can be good or bad depending upon your personal views. This type of communal living doesn’t refer to the failed experiments of the sixties wherein hippies packed into a structure and shared everything. Instead, the modern condominium community is all about sharing common spaces as well as rules, rules and more rules.

Condominiums come in all shapes and forms. Condos can be found in a single high rise building in a downtown area or in an apartment complex type of layout in a planned community. The structure isn’t the determining point. Instead, the issue is how the properties are owned.

Unlike a stand alone home, the property lines on a condominium are the walls of the structure. Essentially, you own everything inside the condominium as your individual property. Everything outside the condominium is owned jointly with the people who own the other units. These areas are known as common areas and are subject to group rule.

Every condominium has a homeowners association in one form or another. The association has rules set out by the original developer regarding landscaping and so on. Members of the community are then elected to the board of the association, whereupon the immediately become a focal point of aggravation from individual owners and often wonder why they took the thankless job.

The problem with the association and condos in general is the issue of uniformity. If you desire to change the exterior of your condominium in some way, you must comply with the rules of the association. This means you cannot paint your property a different color, do landscaping and so on. For some people, this isn’t a problem, but others are frustrated they can’t express themselves.

When deciding whether a condominium is a good option for your next purchase, you need to carefully weigh the restrictions of a particular association. If you consider yourself an individual and want to show it, a condominium is probably a very poor choice for you.

Laura Key, BRE 01908085

310.866.8422

Laura.A.Key@gmail.com

http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

 

Clean Home, Easy Sale

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Business and Economy, Buyer, Home, Home staging, Los Angeles Real Estate, Pack rat, Personal Organization, real estate, Real estate broker, realty goddess, Self storage, sell homes, Selling My Home

One of the biggest problems people run into when selling their home is the process of preparing it for sale. The best way to begin this process is to take a quick walk through your home then call me for an appointment! Laura Key 310.866.8422

One of the biggest problems people run into when selling their home is the process of preparing it for sale. Many homes are simply places where we keep the accumulated treasures of the years. Are you a clutter-bug, a pack-rat? It’s OK, we all are to some degree. When preparing a home for sale, we need to be mindful of our “stuff.” The best way to begin this process is to take a quick walk through your home. Make a list of everything that you have not used in the past 3 months, 6 months? Now, and here is the hard part. Get rid of it. Seem a bit extreme? It might, but things that you have not used in half a year are not likely to get used in the future. Remember we are trying to get rid of some stuff so that people can see the house, not what’s in it.

There is a common line of thought that home buyers want to see the “personality” of the homes current owners. This is not true. Buyers want to be able to see their belongings in the home. They want to put their personality into it to see if they could see themselves living there. A backlog of your stuff will get in the way of them doing this. Go through every room in turn and remove the clutter! This includes the closets, shelves and cupboards. Also remove excess furniture if the room seems too crowded. Here is another important thing to remember, don’t put all this stuff in the garage! Buyers will go through the garage like any other room in your home. Hire a storage locker if it is really necessary. Aside from that, use this as an opportunity to rid yourself of those things that you never use.

The minimalist approach is a good thing to utilize when showing your home. The lack of personal effects will make it easier for buyers to place themselves in your home. This will also make the moving process easier on you. With less things to pack when moving day comes, you can dedicate more time to creating your perfect space in your new home.

Laura Key, BRE 01908085

310.866.8422

Laura.A.Key@gmail.com

http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com