According to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2013 Renter Survey,” renters continue to hold homeownership in high esteem, and it remains a goal for the majority of them. Nearly three-quarters of renters rated homeownership as “important,” and more than half of renters (52 percent) said they plan to buy a home in the future.
Most renters (44 percent) who expressed the desire to own instead of rent were only renting out of financial necessity and the majority plan to buy in the next three years or longer.
More than four out of every 10 renters (41 percent) indicated they plan to purchase in the same county where they currently reside, and 14 percent plan to buy in the same neighborhood. Currently, about half (51 percent) of all renters live in an apartment, with the remainder residing in a single-family home, a townhouse, or a condominium.
Remember, whether you rent or whether you buy, you pay for the space you occupy. The payment may just be your landlord's and not yours! Who do you know looking to buy or sell? Contact:
David Demangos www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams! 10 Star Service in a 5 Star World
*Sellers who keep their homes on the market at this time are very motivated. *You have less competition from other buyers than you would in the spring. *Lenders, agents and others have more time to work with you. *Interest rates are typically lower than in the spring Who do you know looking to buy or sell San Diego Real Estate? Contact: David Demangos Global Property Specialist 858.232.8410 www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
Winter is coming and many homebuyers would pay more for a house with a fireplace, as much as $1,400. Here are great ways to enhance your fireplace gestalt.
Devoting some space to firewood storage near your hearth adds ambiance — and helps keep a supply of dry wood on hand. It also saves you from having to trek outside on chilly nights to retrieve wood. Burning dry firewood helps reduce creosote build-up in your chimney, lessening the risk of flue fires. Need help with ideas? Contact:
David Demangos www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams! 10 Star Service in a 5 Star World
Did you know home buyer optimism is way up? Watch the top 5 reasons to buy a home during the holidays! Who do you know looking to buy or sell? Contact:
Anxiety is an autonomic nervous system response that is hard-wired into every human being. It’s part of our instinctive reaction to sensing a danger or threat in the wild - and the wild world of real estate is no exception. Buying a home doesn’t involve an actual, physical threat like the lions or tigers or bears, and yet during the home buying process, it’s not bizarre to feel like your dream home, your precious financial resources, your vision of your family’s future or your best interests are being threatened.
If you’re experiencing low-grade anxiety around your first home purchase, that’s probably a sign that you take it seriously and that you understand the importance of the matter. But if your anxiety is rising to the level that it causes panic or paralysis, those reactions actually pose a bigger threat to your smart decision-making than any actual threat you’ll encounter in the wilds of the real estate market.
Here is a short list of truths about real estate that can soothe your first-time buyer anxiety down to a level at which it won’t foul up your decisions or your vision. 1. It’s only takes one. House hunting is daunting, just think of the sheer magnitude of the numbers involved: all the specs and characteristics of a home, all the decisions you have to make, all the documents you have to provide just to get pre-approved, all the homes on the market, and all the buyers you might have to bid against. But here’s a soothing number you can focus on: one. You only need to find one house that fits with your family, your future and your finances. And millions and millions of homebuyers before you have been able to do just that. The challenge ahead of you is the highly do-able task of narrowing down all of those numbers to the one, the just right fit. If you find a home you love, but the sellers want dramatically more for it than you can afford or it turns out to have some fatal flaw, it’s not a panic-worthy disaster: it’s just not the one.
Just SOLD! Another happy 1st time home buyer couple are moving into their brand new Del Sur home here in San Diego. This home compliments their active lifestyle. Now they get to enjoy expansive amenities including swimming pools, children's parks, hilly trails and community events.
Know anybody looking to buy, sell or invest? Call:
1. Because the movie Halloween (1978) was on such a tight budget, they had to use the cheapest mask they could find for the character Michael Meyers, which turned out to be a William Shatner Star Trek mask. Shatner initially didn’t know the mask was in his likeness, but when he found out years later, he said he was honored.
2. The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
3. Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.
Decorating your home for Halloween doesn’t have to be scary (unless, of course, you want it to be). Here are some great tips from Realtor.com Front Yard Pumpkins and mums add a classic seasonal touch with minimal effort. They can welcome guests at the foot of a driveway, line a walkway to the front door or gather around a tree. The tree itself could sport eyes, cut from felt and held aloft with environmentally friendly adhesives. Front Door Classy or ghastly? The options run amok. Amazon sells bloody on paper, but why not make your own? A roll of kids’ mural paper from any craft store, some red acrylic paint, a bit of soap for those dirty feet afterward, and before you can say “wrap the body in a rug,” there are telltale prints leading to your door. Or stick with simple. Hang a witch’s hat on the front door as you would a wreath. Sit the kids down with scissors, black felt and a stencil, and create a colony of bats. Paint Chinese paper lanterns like jack-o’-lanterns and hang them from the eaves — no scooping innards or tossing rotting (gourd) flesh. Living Room Tossing a sheet with eye holes over a kid’s head and calling them a ghost may be a cliched holiday cop-out, but the same idea can feel almost fresh on furniture. White sheets covering the furniture can lend an air of mystery to a room, as guests (or inhabitants) ponder what goes on underneath. And don’t underestimate the power of low light. If your circuits are on dimmers, you’re ahead of the game, but even candlelight or a well-placed dim bulb can throw unexpectedly fun shadows. Fireplace Burn the evidence — but not all of it. Dirt piled where the logs go can host fake bones peeking through. Perhaps there’s mulch left from summer planting? Put it to good use. While it is possible to make your own plaster bone mold and how about a handful of red glass votives in the fireplace can add a ghoulish air. Dining Room For a creeptastic look, think red and black. Yard-sale candlesticks, the more dented the better, covered in high-gloss black spray paint can hold red candles. They’ll give off an eerie glow atop a red tablecloth. Sprinkle plastic bugs around the plates and drape gauze or cheesecloth between the candles and across the table. Watch your guests shudder.
More than half of home buyers are open to buying a haunted house, according to realtor.com’s 2013 Haunted Housing Report. Also, 35 percent of the nearly 1,400 people who took the survey say they have lived in a haunted home.
Today realtor.com released the results of its Haunted Housing Report, which ran on realtor.com from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 and explored consumer sentiments around haunted real estate. Survey results reveal consumer thresholds for purchasing haunted houses for sale, past experiences with spooky homes, popular “warning signs” of a haunted home, expected discounts when buying haunted houses for sale and intolerable scary occurrences.
“When purchasing a home, buyers want to know what they are getting into and that includes anything potentially spooky,” said Alison Schwartz, vice president of corporate communications for Move Inc., which operates realtor.com. “Our data reveals that while the majority of consumers are open to purchasing a haunted home, many buyers conduct research on a home’s history to be aware of any weird incidences. Additionally, realtor.com data finds that while some respondents are willing to purchase a haunted home at a discounted price, many say levitating objects, ghost sightings and objects moving from one place to another would deter them from purchasing a home.”
Who do you know looking for a haunted house, I'm not scared! Contact:
Home buyer optimism is way up! In a sign of an improving housing market, California home buyers are more optimistic about the housing market now than they were three years ago, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
More home buyers this year believe that home prices will rise, with 25 percent saying prices will rise in one year; 41 percent saying they will rise in five years; and nearly three-fourths of buyers (73 percent) believing home prices will rise in 10 years. This compares to only eight percent, 35 percent, and 60 percent, respectively, in 2009, when the question was first asked. The survey also found that the mortgage interest deduction is extremely important to home buyers across all income levels and age groups, with 79 percent of all home buyers saying that the mortgage interest and property tax deductions are “extremely important” in their decision to purchase a home. When broken out by income levels, the findings were similar across all income levels, with 80 percent of those earning less than $100,000 annually; 78 percent earning between $100,000-$199,999, and 81 percent earning more than $200,000 annually saying the deductions were “extremely important” in their buying decision, respectively. When broken out by age group, the deductions were equally important to Generation Y, Generation X, and baby boomers, with 76 percent, 82 percent, and 80 percent indicating that mortgage interest and property tax deductions were “extremely important,” respectively, when deciding to buy a home. “It’s clear that home buyers at all income levels and ages value the tax deductions associated with purchasing a home,” said C.A.R. President Don Faught. “The mortgage interest deduction plays an important role in buyers’ monthly budgeting. Without this tax advantage, housing affordability would be negatively impacted and potentially price out many would-be buyers.” Who do you know looking to buy in San Diego? Contact:
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
10 Star Service in a 5 Star World...
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Keep on gardening during Fall? Although summer blooms have faded, there’s no reason not to have color throughout the fall. If you’re looking to plant something now, there are several options from pansies and mums to kale and ornamental grasses. Check with your local garden center or nursery to see which varieties are best for your region. If you have cool-season grass, an application of slow-release organic fertilizer will provide your lawn with the strength it needs to make it through winter. Yes, the weather has cooled and your grass is no longer suffering in the same way it did over the summer, but it still needs a good drink weekly to keep it moist. Keep mowing as well but lower the mowing height a bit (to about 2 inches) so you are cutting the grass a little shorter than usual. Do this until you notice growth has stopped, and the lawn has reached dormancy.
If you need a great gardener in San Diego, reach out and I will refer one your way.
October
is "Fire Safety Month", so this is the perfect time to make sure your
home and family are safe. New homes are now required to be constructed
with an interconnected alarm system but with Kidde’s radio-connected
alarm, owners of homes built before 1993 can enjoy the same safety
benefits. And, smoke detectors are essential. Regardless of whether they
are hardwired, interconnected or battery-powered, you should have smoke
detectors
on every level of your home, particularly in the kitchen, hallways near
bedrooms and basement.
Purchasing a fire extinguisher is one of the
best investments a homeowner can make. Should you ever need to use it,
just remember the acronym PASS: Pull the pin to release the handle, aim
the extinguisher at the base of the fire, squeeze the trigger, and sweep
the discharge stream at the base of the fire.
October 3, 2013 - With home prices and household formations rising and household balance sheets healing, the ongoing housing recovery is expected to gain momentum next year even as several challenges remain, according to economists who participated in yesterday’s National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Fall 2013 Construction Forecast Webinar.
“The cards are in play for a decent and fairly strong recovery in 2014 and particularly in 2015,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “From the standpoint of GDP growth, housing has been a plus, growing at two, three and four times the rate of the rest of the economy in recent quarters.”
Helping to spur the housing rebound was a double-digit increase in home prices over the past year, driven in part by tight inventories of new and existing homes for sale and gradual gains in employment.
“We expect to see price increases moderate in the next few years as we see additional inventory on the market and investors back away as the bargains disappear,” said Crowe.
TRULIA REPORTS ASKING HOME PRICES SLOW DOWN IN HOTTEST HOUSING MARKETS
Despite Jumping 11.5 Percent Year-over-Year Nationally, Asking Prices Are Slowing in 68 of the 100 Major U.S. Metros Including Oakland, Sacramento, Orange County, and Los Angeles
SAN FRANCISCO, October 3, 2013 – Trulia, Inc. (NYSE: TRLA), a leading online marketplace for home buyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals, today released the latest findings from the Trulia Price Monitor and the Trulia Rent Monitor. These indices are the earliest leading indicators available of trends in home prices and rents. Based on for-sale homes and rentals listed on Trulia, the monitors take into account changes in the mix of listed homes and reflect trends in prices and rents for similar homes in similar neighborhoods through September 30, 2013. For the full report and methodology, see here. Asking Home Prices Slowing down Despite Rising in September Nationally, asking home prices rose 3.0 percent quarter-over-quarter (Q-o-Q) in September – the smallest Q-o-Q change since February. However, the downward trend is harder to spot in the more volatile monthly changes and smoothed out yearly changes. Asking prices rose 2.0 percent month-over-month (M-o-M) and 11.5 percent year-over-year (Y-o-Y), but year-over-year changes should start to shrink in the coming months. At the metro level, 89 of the 100 largest metros had Q-o-Q price increases in September, down from 97 in June.
Home
prices are on the Upswing. The annual pace of home sales in July was
17.2 percent higher than it was last year, putting the industry on pace
for the best year in home sales since 2006.
The monthly median
home price in July was $213,500 up 25.1 percent from January to July
2013. For 2013, the average median price YTD for 2013 was $198K. Though
home prices have been increasing year-over-year for 17 consecutive
months, that number still sits below the long-term 4 percent trend line.
Translation? There is still time to recover. Distressed properties are
also impacting the uptick in home prices, namely the absence of them.
David Demangos 858.232.8410 www.DemangosHomes.com
San Diego Real Estate Expert
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dream
When people say they dislike surprises, it’s a little bit like when someone says they don’t like change. Most people actually appreciate change and surprises – so long as the changes are pleasant or they perceive the surprises to be in their favor. It’s really only unpleasant surprises that agitate, irritate and frustrate the average person.
I've found there is actually a pretty short list of unpleasant surprises which threaten to sour your home buying experience. If you can take a core set of actions to minimize the likelihood of this short list occuring, you’ll protect yourself against 90% of the unpleasant surprises and set your home buying experience up for success. Here are a few of those key surprise-prevention tactics that can take your fear of the unknown.
1. Read everything. It sounds basic to advise a home buyer to read their paperwork. It sounds basic, that is, until you’re in the midst of the process and are presented with literally hundreds of pages of documents to sign, sometimes over and over, and sometimes with a high sense of urgency. For example, if you are in a hot market, you might have to make offers on 5 or more homes before you get one that works for you. After the first few, it’s tempting to just start clicking away to sign the offer documents you’ve seen so many times before, without really reading the critical fine print before you send it back to your agent.
While it is socially uncomfortable to feel like people are sitting across the table waiting for you to read things before you sign them, your agent, mortgage broker and escrow officer really and truly do not mind. (And if they do mind, that’s really not your concern – read away anyway.)
Most smart buyers these days know they need a home warranty policy. But without reading what is and isn’t covered, you do yourself a disservice. Many policies offer optional extra coverage for a small fee of items like appliances, pools and air conditioners – which would normally be excluded under a standard policy.
Hot water is a hot issue these days. Home owners are interested in homes that are energy efficient and economical to operate, which are factors that can be dramatically affected by a home's hot water usage. According to the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, water heating is the third-largest expense in most homes, accounting for 14% to 25% of a home's expenses. In some cases, that percentage may even be higher, which means energy-conserving hot water solutions also could result in big cost savings for homeowners in this difficult economy.
Currently, the most popular energy-efficient option for water heating is a tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand system. Unlike a traditional tank that heats a reservoir of water 24 hours a day, a tankless unit activates only as needed. When there is a demand for heated water, cold water travels through the tankless unit, where a gas burner quickly heats it to the preset temperature. (around 120 degrees)
According to www.smarterhotwater.com, a Web site launched by Alabama-based Rheem Manufacturing, the average annual operating cost for a conventional storage is between $230 and $285, nearly twice the cost for a tankless system. (Rheem estimates a tankless hot water heater would cost $165 to $170 annually to operate.)
Given those numbers, the decision to go tankless seems a simple equation; tankless water heaters have proved popular in Europe and Asia. But like many other construction technologies, tankless water heater usage in the United States lags behind the rest of the world.
Cost could be a factor for the low penetration in the U.S. market--tankless heaters cost significantly more than a conventional system. But it also could be a matter of educating the American market about the product. In recent years, manufacturers say awareness has grown significantly, and so has usage, which has seen double-digit increases. The driving force? Consumers. They are mainly the ones driving this demand for tankless water heaters more than builders.
While tankless technology can reduce a home's energy costs by as much as 25% annually compared to a standard 40-gallon tank heater, there are other considerations. Standard storage tanks now qualify for Energy Star certification. And tankless systems may have other issues that negate its energy performance and lower operating costs.
I had a unit installed in my home six years ago and absolutely love it. Check out http://www.ArnettsPlumbing.com for a great installer here in San Diego. If you live outside San Diego, call me and I will refer you to a great installer in your area.
David Demangos
Keller Williams Realty
Realtor® BRE# 01905183
Website: www.DemangosHomes.com
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Home prices are on the Upswing. The annual pace of home sales in July was 17.2 percent higher than it was last year, putting the industry on pace for the best year in home sales since 2006.
The monthly median home price in July was $213,500 up 25.1 percent from January to July 2013. For 2013, the average median price YTD for 2013 was $198K. Though home prices have been increasing year-over-year for 17 consecutive months, that number still sits below the long-term 4 percent trend line.
Translation? There is still time to recover. Distressed properties are also impacting the uptick in home prices, namely the absence of them. For more information, contact:
David Demangos 858.232.8410 www.DemangosHomes.com
San Diego Real Estate Expert
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
This infographic says it all. Remember, whether you rent or whether you buy, you pay for the space you occupy. Looking to buy or sell a home in San Diego? Contact:
David Demangos
858.232.8410 www.DemangosHomes.com
San Diego Real Estate Expert
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
Our team helped another 1st time home buyer purchase a turn key home in Mira Mesa. He was tired of "wasting money renting" and decided to buy instead. Remember, whether you rent or whether you buy, you pay for the space you occupy!
For a free consultation to see if now is the time to buy a home contact:
David Demangos
858.232.8410 www.DemangosHomes.com
San Diego Real Estate Expert
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
All ethnic groups surveyed are optimistic about the next generation of homeowners. They also believe their children will have a home of their own before the age they did.
Each group views home ownership as a lifelong goal. Results also show that many will have their parents, grandparents, or other extended family members living with them at some point.
Part of the way "Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill you Real Estate Dreams" is by video recording virtual tours for out of town buyers. This is a live example of how I am assisting a client living in Northern CA, and buying in Southern CA, San Diego.
Who do you know that wants to relocate to San Diego? We are ready to help, just call...
David Demangos Keller Williams Realty Realtor® BRE# 01905183
P.S. I have lived in San Diego for 43 years and have a vast knowledge of the area. When you hear of anybody looking to buy, sell or invest in Real Estate, please call me with their name and number. Your referrals will be handled with the most professional care in the business.
I found this amazing on two fronts. Studies show that aquariums sooth peoples’ nerves. Studies show that aquariums can lower blood pressure and calm hyper-active children. There are even reports of doctors recommending the purchase for a patient to cope with an illness. They also add a beautiful look to most homes so if you're selling a home, this can help in the staging, potentially raising the perceived value.
Mortgage rates climbed again after giving borrowers a short reprieve last week. The
seesawing is likely to continue at least until the Federal Reserve meets
later this month.
The
benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.72 percent from 4.62
percent last week, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of
large lenders.
Potential
homebuyers worry that higher rates and rising home prices will make
homeownership unaffordable. Many of those who previously owned a home
but lost it to foreclosure or short sale -- because of income reduction
or a job loss -- also are trying to beat the clock.
For a free consultation to see if now is the time to buy a home contact:
David Demangos 858.232.8410 www.DemangosHomes.com San Diego Real Estate Expert Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams
Decorating your home for Halloween doesn’t have to be scary (unless, of course, you want it to be). Here are some great tips from Realtor.com
October 3, 2013 - With home prices and household formations rising and household balance sheets healing, the ongoing housing recovery is expected to gain momentum next year even as several challenges remain, according to economists who participated in yesterday’s National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Fall 2013 Construction Forecast Webinar. 
858.232.8410 
When people say they dislike surprises, it’s a little bit like when someone says they don’t like change. Most people actually appreciate change and surprises – so long as the changes are pleasant or they perceive the surprises to be in their favor. It’s really only unpleasant surprises that agitate, irritate and frustrate the average person.
Home prices are on the Upswing. The annual pace of home sales in July was 17.2 percent higher than it was last year, putting the industry on pace for the best year in home sales since 2006. 
Mortgage rates climbed again after giving borrowers a short reprieve last week. The
seesawing is likely to continue at least until the Federal Reserve meets
later this month.