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Are you selling your home? Or do you have your home on the market and no offers have appeared yet? Read on to find out how you can add some curb appeal to your home and even maybe, just maybe add a little more value to your home.
The way your house looks from the street can impact its value. It can also shorten the time it takes to sell your home. Advice from real estate agents, appraisers, home stagers, landscape designers and home inspectors suggested the following as the projects which would add most curb appeal and perhaps some value when selling your home.
1. Paint the house.
Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from our real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation. If you’re under two years remaining life on the paint work, paint the exterior because it tends to show wear badly. Just make sure you stay within the range of accepted colors for your market. A house that’s painted a wildly different color from its competition will be marked down in value by appraisers.
2. Have the House washed.
Before you make the investment in a paint job, though, take a good look at the house. If it’s got mildew or general grunge, just washing the house could make a world of difference. Pressure washing – a job to be left to the professionals, makes the house look “bright and clean in addition to getting rid of unsightly things like cobwebs, which may not be seen from the yard but will detract from the homes cleanliness when seen up close.
The cost to have a professional cleaning should be a few hundred dollars – a fraction of the cost of having the house painted.
3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.
Cut down overgrown bushes and shrubs and replace with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish brown bark. Cost will be minimal. You also don’t want any bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if needed, add some sod.
4. Add a splash of color.
It could be a flower bed of annuals by the mailbox, a paint job for the front door, or a brightly colored bench or an Adironack chair. You can buy a cute bench at Home depot for $99. Spray paint it bright red or blue and set it in the yard or on the front porch. This won’t add extra points from an appraiser for a brightly colored bench but it may help to sell the home faster than the one down the street.
5. Add a fancy mailbox and house numbers.
An upscale mail box and architectural house numbers or an address plaque can give your house a distinctive look that stands out from everyone else on the block. A good mailbox might cost $40-$50. Architectural house numbers may run as high as a few hundred dollars.
So try some of these ideas and see if they won’t just help you sell your home!
For more information on how we will help you to sell your home:
CALL PAM AND JOANNA
PAM PARTON: 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY: 760-580-1630
Content by courtesy of House Logics, Realtor.com
6 reasons to reduce the price of your home
Has your home just been sitting on the market with no offers?
That could happen for a number of reasons that are outside of your control. Like a unique home layout, or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage. However, there is one factor you can control: your home price.
These six signs maybe telling you it’s time to lower your price.
1. You’re drawing few lookers – you got the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports that there have been few buyers calling about and asking to view your home than there have been for other homes in your area, this might be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.
2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have received no offers – if you’ve had 30 sets of potential buyers come through your home and not a single one has made an offer, something is off. What are other agents telling other agents about your home? An overly high price may be discouraging buyers from making an offer.
3. Your home’s been on the market longer than similar homes – Ask your realtor about the average number of days it takes to sell a home in your market. Buyers can begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with it, which can delay a sale even further. At least consider lowering your asking price.
4. You have a deadline – If you’ve got to sell your house soon because of a job transfer, or you’ve already purchased another home, it may be necessary to generate buyer interest by dropping your price so your home is priced a little lower than comparable homes in your area. Remember its not how much money you need that determines the sale price of your home, it’s how much money a buyer is willing to spend.
5. You can’t make upgrades – Maybe you’re out of cash and don’t have the funds to put fresh paint on the walls, clean the carpets, and add curb appeal. But the feedback your agent is reporting from buyers is that your home isn’t as well appointed as similarly priced homes. When your home has been on the market longer than comparable homes in better condition, it’s time to accept that buyers expect to pay less for a home that doesn’t show as well as others.
6. The competiton has changed – If weeks go by with no offers, continue to check the competition. What have comparable homes sold for and what’s still on the market? What new listings have been added since you’ve listed your home for sale? If comparable home sales or new listings show your price is too steep, consider a price reduction.
Content courtesy of Home Logic, Realtor.com.
CALL PAM AND JOANNA TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW WE WILL YOU SELL YOUR HOME.
PAM PARTON: 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY: 760-580-1630
14243 Ridge Oak Place, Valley Center, CA 92082
This home is one of a kind – you will see no other like it in Valley Center. This custom European design and unique decoration with magificent panoramic views will leave you breathless. Located in one of the most prestigous communities of Beautiful Valley Center, Ridge Ranch Estates.
Enter into the grand entry with 17ft soaring ceilings. An elegant and romantic master bedroom suite with fireplace and forever views leads into a oversize master bath with highly upgraded fixtures and fabulous Valentina tiles througout. Contemporary chefs kitchen with bosch appliances and flamboyant cabinets.
Contemporary Chefs Kitchen
3873 sq ft of absolute luxury on 4.73 acres is a home not to be missed – so come by and get a guided tour of this unforgettable masterpiece.
Priced @ $995,000 – $1,150,000.
FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS CALL
PAM AND JOANNA.
PAM PARTON: 760-580-1615
JOANNA: 760-580-1630
Welcome Home To Del Sur
Northwest elegance with Southern California Appeal give a distinctive personality to this attractive Cabrillo home. With the highest standards of taste and carefully selected upgrades this home FEELS like HOME the moment you walk in.
4 Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths, (1 bedroom and bath on the entry level), 2771 square feet, built in 2009 with quality GREEN standards including a tankless water heater.
Open Living and Dining area with french doors to private couryard. Distressed wood floors add warmth and character.
Oversized kitchen for the gourmet cook. Spacious master suite with a charming built in window seat.
We invite you to take your own private tour through this lovely Del Sur Home, CLICK HERE.
For more information or to make an appointment to view this property,
CALL
Joanna Woolley or Pam Parton
760-580-1630 or 760-580-1615
There is no better place to be than San Diego County for your 4th of July celebrations and fireworks displays. 
You may love the excitement of a large crowd or prefer a more quiet and intimate hilltop retreat to view any of the many piro-technic events offered throughout the county.
Where ever you decide to go, please be safe and have a Happy Independence day!
9:00 p.m. BIG BAY BOOM 2010
The Big Bay Boom July 4th Fireworks Show over San Diego Bay will be a 17 minute visual sensation. Fireworks will be fired off of four barges placed strategiacally around the bay off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, North Embarcadero, Seaport Village and the Coronado Ferry Landing as well as the Imperial Beach Pier. Be sure to find your spot because over 850,000 people are expected to line up along the Big Bay to catch a glimpse.
The live simulcast will be on 105.7 The Walrus FM radio. If you want to just put your feet up on the table and watch from your leather sofa, grab the remote, turn up the volume, and tune into San Diego FOX 5 HD and Cox 4 HD.
Catch the Trolley: Closest stop is at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego or Seaport Village.
Free Shuttles: Shuttles will begin departing from designated areas at 5:30 p.m. and will be taking people back to their cars right after the fireworks show.
Point Loma: Corner of Carleton Street and Rosecrans Street in Point Loma, adjacent to West Marine. Only street parking is available at this location . The shuttle will drop passengers off in front of the gazebo on Shelter Island. The pick up location after the show will also be at the gazebo.
Port of San Diego: Port of San Diego building (3165 Pacific Highway) will have Sundance Buses at the Port of San Diego Administration building, 3165 Pacific Highway and at the Ports employee lot directly across the street on the southwest corner of Pacific Highway and Sassafras Street. Parking is free at this location. Passengers will be dropped off at Harbor Island Park.
9:00 p.m. San Diego County Fair 4th of July
Closing out the San Diego County Fair with a big bang is part of the tradition. Fried food and fireworks are a great combination!
Viewing Note: Solana Circle Drive, between Via De La Valle and Nardo Avenue will be close to all vehicular traffic for a safe and orderly viewing of the fireworks display at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. All of Solana Circle Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic at 8:00 p.m. on July 4, 2010, and will re-open at approximately 10:00p.m. Please call Deputy Fier Chief Dismas Abelman at 858-720-2402 for more information.
9:30 p.m. SeaWorld
SeaWorld lights up the sky every night during summer but the big bad July 4th displays the big daddy of the year. This is a special patriotic fireworks presentation.
8:30 p.m. Legoland
You can watch fireworks at Legoland on July 4th and every Saturday in July at 8:30 p.m. But on July 4th, the day will be highlighted with all things Red, White and Boom!
9:00 p.m. La Jolla Cove Fireworks
This is a 25 year tradition in La Jolla. There has been some environmental issues threatening this event but organizers are determined to make it happen.
7:30 p.m. Summer Pops on the Embarcadero
Summer Pops 2010 will ring in the national celebration of independence with a lot of pomp and circumstance, courtesy of pops conductor and popular entertainer, Marvin Hamlisch. Marvin and the Pops will celebrate the 4th withba patriotic performance packed with Broadway hits, marches and as always appreciated in San Diego, a salute to our military. After the musical performances, fireworks will be displayed over the bay each night of the holiday weekend.
9:00 p.m. Coronado
Lets face it, no place in San Diego is more patriotic than Coronado. Coronado paints the town red, white and blue for July 4th. The 62nd Annual independence Day Parade will be on Saturday, July 3. On July 4th the 35th Annual Independence Day 15K Run/Walk at Tidelands Park will be at 7;00 a.m. The fireworks over Glorietta and San Diego Bay will be on July 4th at 9:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m. Escondido
Its an all day affair of patriotic pastimes and family fun at Escondido Grape Day Park.
9:00 p.m. Mira Mesa
The community of Mira Mesa kicks off the day with the 36th Annual 4th of July Parade at 1:00 p.m. followed by fireworks at 9:00 p.m.
9:00 Poway
Big old fashioned 4th of July event all day at Old PowayPark 14134 Midland Road followed by fireworks at Poway High School.
9:00 p.m. Spirit of the Fourth in Rancho Bernardo
Rancho Bernardo kicks off July 4th at the athletic fields at Bernardo Heights Middle School.
9:00 p.m. Ramona
July 4th Ramona Community Fireworks and Family Picnic (pending funding). Please call 760-789-1311 to check on this events status. The evening event will take place at Olive Peirce Middle School on Sunday, July 4th from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The fireworks show will be synchronized to patriotic music broadcast over radio station KYXY 96.5 FM.
9:00 p.m. San Marcos
The patriotic celebration starts at 6:00 p.m. with music and fun for all in Bradley Park.
9:00 Santee
Santee Salutes from 3:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Town Center Community Park West Ball fields, followed by fierworks at 9:00 p.m.
HAVE FUN, BE SAFE, RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND HAVE A WONDERFUL 4TH OF JULY!!
contribution of content by San Diego News Network.
The best approach for avoiding foreclosure-related scams can be described as two words: GET TOUGH. Being easy-going may work in social settings, but its all wrong when you’re facing foreclosure.
HOW TO AVOID FORECLOSURE SCAMS
Scam artists will intentionally seek you out. They hope to take advantage of you when you are distressed about possibly loosing your home or unable to deal with the complicated issues surrounding foreclosure.
As one homeowner who fell victim to a foreclosure-rescue scam said, “When you’re down and out you will believe anything.” As difficult as it is to face foreclosure, it will be a lot worse if you get mixed up with unscrupulous people. So get tough by vigilantly watching out for scams. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Appearing to be legitimate: Outwardly, scam artists do not appear or act dastardly. On the contrary, scam artists may look nice and clean-cut, and they may seem to be kind and trustworthy men and women. Scam artists often engage in “affinity marketing” which means they attempt to lure people by belonging to, or pretending to belong to, the same racial, religious, social or other group as their victims.
- Asking for money upfront before providing any service: One of the tell-tale signs of a possible scam is when someone makes a promise or representation, but asks you for money upfront before delivering on that promise. If you pay a scam artist, you are unlikely to see either your money or that scam artist again.
- Making unqualified promises: To lure you out of your money and home, a scam artist will often say whatever it is you want to hear in a very convincing manner. If you’re facing foreclosure, the scam artist is likely to assure you that he or she can stop it, fix it, or make the problem go away. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
- Lacking credentials: With certain exceptions, someone who charges you a fee to negotiate with your lender on your behalf must be licensed with the California Department of Real Estate. You can do a quick “License Status Check” at www.dre.ca.gov You should also conduct further investigations before doing business with someone, such as checking public records, the Better Business Bureau, and the Internet, asking for and verifying references, and going to the business address to see if it actually exists.
- Asking for you to do something immediately without delay: Scam artists will push you to make quick decisions, often by making up fake deadlines. They don’t want you to have a chance to mull things over, go over the paperwork, or discuss their scheme with your family, friends, lender, real estate agent, or anyone else.
- Asking for your signature: Whenever you sign a document, make sure you know what you are signing. Do not sign unless you have a chance to read and review the document. Do not sign if a document has blank lines left. Do not let someone con you by saying something in the document does’nt matter or does’nt mean what it says.
- Asking you to do something improper or illegal: Scam artists may ask you to participate in something improper or illegal. Proposing something a little improper may make their promises of stopping foreclosure more believable to fraudulent scheme. Do not compromise your position by getting involved in anything underhanded.
- Brushing aside your questions: To help smoke out the bad guys, ask a lot of questions, even if you know the answers. Be leery of doing business with someone who brushes aside your questions or gives the wrong answers. Indeed, an excellent way to protect yourself against scams is to learn as much as you can about foreclosure-related matters. Because scam artists prey upon ignorance, the more you know about foreclosures, the less likely you’ll be duped!
If you have any foreclosure related questions give us a call. If we do not have an answer we will refer you to some who does.
PAM PARTON 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY 760-580-1630
Current Market Trends Escondido, CA 92025, 92026, 92027, 92029
Escondido Real Estate Trends
So… I bet you are all waiting with baited breath to learn what is going on in beautiful Escondido, California Real Estate Market. Well you have come to the right place to get the up to the minute report.
Escondido continues a positive trend upward in all areas. The last look at this market was in our report Escondido H0mes Sold February and March 2010.
In that report we looked at 2 months rather than the typical 1 month cycle as we are here, and we are still seeing stronger numbers through just 1 month as apposed to 2.
This month shows an increase in both ACTIVE listings as well as SOLD listings…that means there is some movin and shakin going on. The active listings increased from 369 early in the year to 432 currently. Sold listings increased from 127 to 142 in May.
Much of this flurry of activity has been due to the tax incentives that buyers have been eager to cash in on, but some of it is due to that shadow inventory o f REO homes being released a little at a time. Buyers have more inventory to choose from…but still not too much, just enough to keep them happy.
Another positive increase we are seeing is in the average SOLD price. That figure has gone from $347,158 to currently $361,486.
As we move into the summer season, we should continue to see the typical increase in activity as home buyers make their purchases in time to settle in for the fall season before school starts again.
Overall, the market is looking a lot more balanced than it has in a very long time. This is a good time to be a buyer or a seller.
If you would like specific information on any area in San Diego County or for any Real Estate questions, jut give us a call, we are here to help!
Pam Parton and Joanna Woolley 760-580-1615 or 760-580-1630
Valley Center's Bates Nut Farm
Bates nut farm is located in a picturesque valley deep in the heart of beautiful Valley Center, CA. It has become well known over the years for its special events held throughout the year on the 100 acre ranch. In 1921 Gilbert and Beatrice Bates moved their family to this beautiful spot. Here they raised their family along with a menagerie of different farm animals. Now 80 years later this family farm in Valley Center still provides joy and pleasure for visitors from all around the world. It’s certainly a very casual relaxing enviroment, one where everyone feels welcome. I think just a reminder of simpler times is something many of us like to relate to. A wonderful place to bring the family for a picnic and to feed the farm animals.
Farm antiques and tools line the walls of the Bates store which is filled with tasty treats, such as nuts, fudge,dried fruits and other gourmet delights. Lots of samples are available also if you want to try before you buy! All the nuts are roasted and packaged on the farm to ensure quality and freshness, which is part of the tradition.
Over 5000 sq ft of gifts can be found between the Farmers Daughter and the Bates gift shop. You will have so much fun browsing for that perfect gift -something for everyone.
For over 30 years families have made it an annual tradition to visit Valley Center’s famous pumkin patch in search of that perfect pumpkin.
Valley Center Pumkins
The pumkin patch is the largest, oldest and most famous in San Diego County. Arts and Craft Fairs, Antiques, Collectibles and Craft Markets, Fine Art Fairs and Car Shows are held thoughout the year….For groups of 15 or more you can take advantage of the educational tours;” Nuts for you” and “The Life of a Pumkin”
For more info on this delightful farm in Valley Center
Tel: 760-749-3333
For Information on Real Estate in Valley Center call Pam and Joanna – we live and work here and specialise in Valley Center Real Estate.
PAM PARTON: 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY: 760-580-1630
Quick Tips for San Diego Homeowners on Short Sales and Your Credit
One of the most frequent questions that homeowners want to know is what happens to their credit score as the result of a short-sale. Here are a few points to remember.
1) When you negotiate a short-sale, the homeowner may still owe the difference between the mortgage balance and the discounted sales price. This amount can still be collected via a “Deficiency Judgement” If granted, this judgement may adversely affect the homeowners and their credit report (not unlike other judgements).
2) The best way to avoid the deficiency judgement is to ask the bank to agree to accept “Payment in full without pursuit of any deficiency judgement.”
3) Remember that the difference between the mortgage balance and the short sale may be declared as income on their tax return by means of a “1099.”
In dealing with any short sale, the homeowner should always speak with their accountant and/ or attorney to see how this sale will affect them.
content courtesy of Brian Olenik, Corinthian Title.
Call Pam and Joanna for more information on some great deals in North County San Diego.
PAM PARTON 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY 760-580-1630
The California Energy Commission will be introducing Cash for Appliances, which has been funded from 35.2 billion dollars of federal stimulus funds recieved for the program.
Homeowners do You Want to Make Some Cash
The program will take effect on April 22nd 2010 and continue until the funds are depleted. If you plan on taking advantage of the program you need to act quickly because the Energy Commission estimates that the funds will be depleted by late May. All California Residents are eligible to participate in the program, below are the rebate requirements:
- All California residents are eligible for one rebate only for each appliance.
- Must purchase a new Energy Star qualified appliance, all appliances that qualify will have a Cash for Appliance sticker on them.
- Qualified appliances include:Refrigerators, Washers, or Air Conditioners.
- To recieve the rebate the appliance must replace an older appliance. The old appliance will be required to be recycled.
- Rebate – $200 for Refrigerator, $100 for Washer, and $50 for Air Conditioner, one rebate only for each appliance per resident.
- Program start date – April 22, 2010 ( Earth Day)
- All customers particiapting in the program can drop off appliances at any of the EDCO Transfer stations, or request curbside pickup (pick-up and drop off-fees apply), and they will receive a Cash for Appliance Rebate form.
By removing the old appliances in your home, homeowners should notice a significant savings in energy use, which will help conserve energy throughout the state.
PAM PARTON 760-580-1615 JOANNA WOOLLEY 760-580-1630
