This Month in Real Estate Novemebr 2011

15 11 2011





GreenRealEstateSD: Sept. update….. Were Back!!

12 09 2011

Alright guys we are back online here at GreenRealEstateSD.com. We took a little hiatus these last couple week due to some other projects going on but we are back baby! Looking towards 2012 we have some cool new ideas and themes we are going to look into, like a bi monthly Green evaluation by Dr. Green, getting up to date of new green technologies and home retro fits and touching base with Green leaders to see what is new. As always we are your source for anything Green in Real Estate.





What Makes it a Craftsman Home?

22 08 2011

What makes a home a Craftsman? There are many different styles and looks but only a few main ingredients that make it a true craftsman. A true cra-ftsman home comes only from the design and plans from Gustav Stickley between 1858-1942 only a house originating from plans published by Stickley through his magazine, The Craftsman, can be a true Craftsman Home. He published descriptions and drawings of homes in this magazine beginning in 1901. In the January 1904 issue, he featured the first official Craftsman Home and announced that henceforth the magazine would feature at least one house a month, and subscribers could send away for a set of plans for one house from the series per year, free of charge.

The Craftsman plans offered the average American family a house that was a home, based on the bedrock virtues of beauty, simplicity, utility and organic harmony. Stickley believed that the “nesting instinct” was “the most deep seated impulse” of humankind. Stickley designed at least 241 plans for Craftsman homes. There are several time periods that different craftsman styles are noted for:

The Experimental period is 1900-1903

The First Mission period, 1904-1907

The Mature period, 1909-1915

The Final Mission period, 1916 

Each of these time periods reflect different style renderings accordingly. We see alot of these homes with built in window seating, china cabinets, box beam ceilings, chunkier massive art nouveau influence, leaded glass, very arts and crafts. Many of the homes seen today exemplify heavy use of woods and architectural detail. The majority have a boxed effect and focus around a fireplace or inglenook. I have seen a great use of mission and art nouveau influence on the properties we observe in the Northwest. You might want to do a google search under “defining a craftsman style” and see what else you can learn as well as see different period examples. Hope this helps. Please visit the website below for more in depth information into Gustav Stickley and his original plans for Craftsman homes. You will see it was part of a marketing ploy to sell the whole package ie; furniture, accessories, and home as a larger luxurious product.

A great website I found has pre drawn plans for people that would like to build a craftsman home check it out: CLICK HERE

 





Being an Agent in Today’s Market

9 08 2011

As a relatively new Real Estate Consultant, about a year, I have gone through many ups and downs in these turbulent times. I started in this game in arguably one of the hardest economic times in the last 50 years. Housing prices are down, people are going into foreclosure, unemployment is hoovering around 10%….. times are hard. Real Estate is the backbone of our country ‘s economy; when the housing market is up times are good, people have jobs, the is a country is thriving. Conversely when they are down, our present situation happens.

I guess when I got into this field of work I was following in my fathers footsteps. I saw him work his ways up to become one of the South Bays premier agents. When the financial crisis began I guess I just turned a blind eye to what was happening to his career and to the houseing market. Regardless I decided to join in and see what difference I could make. I fail to ask my father and the people around me what they thought. I’m glad I didn’t.

The older agents in this market are freaking out do to fact that the older techniques of selling are just not working as efficiently as they use to. Failing to understand the benefits of social media, the internet and the new wave of technologically savy first time home buyers has pushed these poor older agents into a corner and they are struggling to fight their way out.

On the flip side you have agents like me. Fresh, new, bright eyed…..and we are getting beat up too. The market is still bad for everyone no matter who you are, although there is a major difference. When they say an old dog cant learn new tricks, I am a puppy in this world. I have no preconceived notions about what this market should be. Although it has extremely tough to find clients in this market, the fact that I am learning about Real Estate during this crazy economic downturn is only going to pay dividends when every thing turns around. The key is survival until those days come.

As a young new agent in this market I need to utilize the tools that are available and second nature to me. Social Media, The Internet and Technology. We are currently in a time that is un parralelled in history in regards to communication. The fact that I can let 500 people know” I am doing a open house this sunday com by” with a click of my mouse is amazing. One on One communication on a global scale is making our world smaller with every click.

Although this market is horrible and working in Real Estate is a constant test of my personal fortitude, I am excited and eager to push on and continue learning. My message to other agents in my same shoes is, hang in there, evolve with technology and never stop…. you will make it.





This Month in Real Estate: August 2011

9 08 2011





Holding an Open House: Are you doing the best you can?

1 08 2011


When you, as the agent, hold an open house there are a couple of crucial things you can do to ensure high quality traffic during your showing. Here are some tips to increase your open house’s potential.

First: Most agents out there hold open house’s on the weekend to try and lure people who normally work during the week. This is normal practice and relatively effective. If you decide that the weekend is for you, first look at the neighborhood and find a time that suits everyones schedule. If its Sunday don’t hold the showing from 9-12 cause most people will be in church or just getting up. Instead maybe shoot for a 1-4 showing to catch the people after lunch while there out and about.

If you really want to get tricky think about holding a open house during the week at dusk say 6-8. This approach allows the home to glow in the night’s sky. Turn all the lights on and invest in exterior lights to help highlight exterior features like trees, exterior building accents or walkways. Most showings only focus on highlighting the interior of a home why not turn that model on its head and make the home stand out in the night time neighborhood.

Second: When showing a home always clean up first. The week leading up to the open house have the tenant, owner or current occupant clean the house of all personal items (ie: photos, dvd’s, any countertop items). The reason you do this is to allow any prospective buyers to mentally move into a home and make it their own. If they see family pictures, tooth brushes, shoes, etc. it ruins the illusion that this could be their home. Ideally you want to make the home look as though it is a furnished home but no one lives there.

Third: When it comes time for the showing, make sure to turn on all the lights in the home. Next open the windows, light a candle and turn on some light music. Make the environment seem inviting, well lit and clean. You want people to walk in and say wow I can see my self living here. When a home is closed up and dark it feels unwelcoming and smaller. You do not want people focusing on the pile of clothing in the corner or the dirty dishes in the sink instead of the amazing view and the huge backyard.

Fourth: Even though this is number 4 don’t think that this is the least important. During the first open house listen to the comments of people viewing the home. Find out what they like and dislike. A buyer who is turned off on the first go around is the best thing you could ask for. Take their gripes and dislikes and fix them! Don’t live in the disillusion that your home is perfect, in most cases it is not. Listen to what is bothering people when they view it and address those issues. This step will be one of the most costly steps, but sometimes the most important. Remember though, you are in the business of selling this home not remodeling it. Pick your battles and only fix what you think will help bring value to the home. Examples of these good fixes may be, paint, new appliances, re arranging furniture, adding extra lamps and lighting, new linens and window coverings and light landscaping etc. What not to fix unless you want to do a full remodel would include, full kitchen remodel, adding a pool, new windows, floors.

Hope this helps when you do your next open house. If you leave this blog with nothing else remember that when you are trying to sell a home first walk through as though you were the buyer and ask your self….would I buy this place and if not why not.

 





SandiCor’s Fusion MLS Keeps Making my Life Better

26 07 2011

So SandiCor (San Diego’s MLS system) has just rolled out the new phase of their MAC friendly MLS, Fusion. Fusion is still in its infancy but to all those savvy MAC users out there, fusion comes as a welcomed new comer. Before Fusion hit the net, any MAC user had to either accept that only PC’s could use SandiCor or they had to by parallel programs to run windows on their MAC. As a seasoned MAC user the thought of having to use a PC to do simple searches and CMA’s was to much to digest.

The newest version of Fusion comes with the capability to do CMA’s (competitive market analysis), add edit properties, advanced searches and a ton more. The CMA ability is the biggest thing for me. I had to jump onto the company computer to do those before…… not fun. I don’t know if this is the last phase they are pushing out there or if there are more to come, either way fusion has made my life a whole lot easier and I want to acknowledge it. If there was face book thumbs up for Fusion ” Pat Tugend would LIKE IT”.





Fresh Start: New Book by Jesse Ibanez from The GreenHouse Group

25 07 2011

My partner just published his first book and I wanted to share it with you.

Book Description: Purchase this Book

If you are reading this now, and find yourself in the all too common situation where: *You owe more on your home than what its worth, *You can no longer afford the payments on the loan(s) you have, and *You don’t know what to do …then you can start feeling comfortable right now. Why? Because, first off: you’re not alone. Second: not knowing what to do is OK because that’s the place to start. Lastly: we’d all be wise to let go of any remaining notions of shame we may be holding onto because, by now, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t been affected by the housing market’s demise in some way. Now, the question remains: what to do about it? Well, if you are like most, then one or all of the following apply: 1) Everything you hear about loan modification, short sales and foreclosures, etc .. sounds like “drunk sailor talk” when all anybody has offered you to drink so far is a warm glass of water. 2) You scour the internet for helpful information and all you seem to find are forums of useless chatter & money hungry schemes that leave you no closer to where you want to be (and sometimes holding a bill). 3) All you want is for someone to explain what your best options are, in a format that could be easily understood by a 7 year old – and not make it so unnecessarily dry and boring in the process. If you can find yourself in these truths, then holding this book is the first step in what will be your eventual resolution. First off, this book is less than 100 pages. Why? Because all you need is 5.2 hours, no matter where you start or what you’re after, to get to where it is that you want to be. You need not be a lawyer to do this (nor will you need to pay for one now that you’re holding this book) and you don’t need a lot of time. You just need the tools, the direction and the confidence to know that these same 4 Steps have helped thousands already. Authors Jesse Ibanez and Cherie Tiscareno have been holding the torch for homeowners in need since the market collapse a half decade ago, and have been effectively illuminating the path of “what to do about it” ever since. Their work as co-founders and leaders of the Hope Against HOPE movement, a not-for-profit aligned with the interests of the thousands of distressed homeowners that they’ve helped, for free, over the years has afforded them the unique perspective of ‘the homeowner’s voice’ throughout this book. They’ve selflessly traveled the state in this endeavor to bring clarity to any homeowners who were motivated enough to listen. And since 2009, they’ve given away their own heartfelt stories of foreclosure and loss in the spirit of a collective repair. Its been said, “you’re always either being part of the growing problem or part of the growing solution”. This experience, alongside the cumulative best efforts from industry insiders of ‘what to do about it’ in their free workshops and 45 page tool kits, spawned their answer to that challenge, which eventually became the watershed event for this book. They realized that a one-hour workshop and tool kit, no matter how valuable, could only take the conversation so far. Once the workshop was over, there was a big piece missing. There was still a need to take homeowners the rest of the way, all the way to their desired outcome. And so was born this work, Fresh Start For Home Owners. We are here in service to your desired outcome. It is our humble offering that it finds you exactly where you are at and will be your trusty companion alongside your journey. Best of luck, and thank you for being part of the growing solution, one family at a time. Jesse & Cherie





Green Agents: Growing Roots in Today’s Market

19 07 2011

If you’re one of the lucky few planning to buy a home next year and trying to live environmentally friendly, now you can find a house through a “green” real estate agent.

Not to be confused with one who’s just earned his or her license, a so-called eco-broker is a real estate pro who has passed a certification course on energy efficiency, indoor air quality and “green” mortgages, among other topics.

“It’s a growing area of study for Realtors,” says Brad Sandler, an agent in San Diego. “In the past, you counted on your real estate agent to know about home values, not energy values. But now the energy footprint of the house is critical to its value.”

So when you find that dream home, your eco-broker can act as a kind of energy consultant to give you ideas on environmentally positive improvements. He or she can also lead you to green homes for sale and help make your current home more marketable with energy-saving recommendations.

“If my clients are looking at a house that has the standard two-inch insulation inside the walls, I tell them how much they can save on their utility bills if they were to increase it and add a programmable thermostat,” says Sandler.

The boost in value from making energy-related improvements can be significant. “Take two identical homes on a street, and one has made some energy-efficient changes and the other hasn’t,” says Tom Severino, a Realtor and environmental engineer in West Chester, Pa. “The home with the improvements might have a monthly utility bill $50 less than its neighbor and be worth an additional 5% to 10% on the market.”





Has the Market Bottomed Out?

9 07 2011

This was a quote from the Secretary at HUD (Housing and Urban Development).

I think it’s very unlikely that we see a significant further decline. I think the real question is when will we start to see sustainable increases? Some think it will be as early as the end of the summer or this fall, others think it will be next year. And I wish I had a crystal ball on that. My sense, though, is in the long run it’s a good time to buy, whether it’s five months away or a year away, to see sustainable increases.

–HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, being interviewed by Candy Crowley, anchor at CNN. Crowley asked Donovan if he believes the market has “bottomed out.”

Its positive thinking and hopefully we will see a substantial upswing in home values. I have been reading quotes like these for a while and we have had a couple of up tics follow closely but a couple down tics in home vaules. Either way its nice to hear hear others being optimistic about our house market. For example…..

Ranked on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being “abysmal” and 9 being “excellent,” San Diego scored 5.63, compared with 5.04 in last year’s report.

Washington ranked first, but its 7.01 score in investment was still below “excellent.”

The top 10 markets and their scores on the 1-9 scale for 2011, ULI says, are:

  1. Washington, 7.01
  2. New York, 6.56
  3. San Francisco, 6.34
  4. Austin, 6.29
  5. Boston, 6.20
  6. Seattle, 6.09
  7. San Jose, 6.08
  8. Houston, 6.02
  9. Los Angeles, 5.84
  10. SAN DIEGO, 5.63