Friday, August 30, 2019

Looming Recession & Housing

A Recession Does Not Equal a Housing Crisis 

A Recession Does Not Equal a Housing Crisis [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights:

  • There is plenty of talk in the media about a pending economic slowdown.
  • The good news is, home values actually increased in 3 of the last 5 U.S. recessions, and decreased by less than 2% in the 4th.
  • Many experts predict a potential recession is on the horizon. However, housing will not be the trigger, and home values will still continue to appreciate. It will not be a repeat of the crash in the 2008 housing market.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Those Phenomenal Interest Rates Doing This?

Inventory in Santa Clarita has dropped 10% in less than a month. You'd think those incredible interest rates had something to do with it?

We have 516 in escrow, and 374 closed in the last 30 days.....since those numbers are virtually the same as when I reported at the beginning of the month...I'd say not due to interest rates. 656 Active homes for sale including Acton, Agua Dulce, Canyon Country, Saugus, Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic, Newhall, & Val Verde.
                                     
The hottest selling season is over for now. Less Sellers interested in trying to make a move now that school is back in session.

I've got a buyer that I've been working with for a few months. We're looking for 'the one'. The one that makes them want to sell their million dollar home to buy a single story.  We saw one that was close this week, but we discussed the luxury market in SCV and are still thinking about the replacement property but knowing that this may not be a great time to list theirs for sale.

I'm just keeping you informed. Inventory in the infamous 'normal market' we say should be around 1000 active listings. I've seen very few 'normal' markets in the last 17 years!

So, with these little tid-bits of information, I'm just keeping you in the loop as I see it. Inventory is down a bit, hasn't been normal in almost two decades IMHO, and yet.....if you want to buy or sell there's always a way to make it happen...just when you need/want to.

Questions about Real Estate in Southern California? Just holler ~ Lauren@KeepYourWitz.com 

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Realtor Life ~ Seeing New Home Ideas

Before I was a Realtor, I used to go to new home construction tracks for ideas. I actually did do a flooring pattern in my first Valencia home based upon a home site I saw in Bridgeport Valencia!

Once I got licensed it became more of looking for flaws in properties. Buyers always are looking at the pretty, but I have to be the infamous 'voice of reason' and make sure they aren't missing anything.

You know, where the tower of power is in relationship to this home. Why there is a mis-matched ceiling finish. Is the big green electrical box okay to put bushes around it to disguise. Is the staircase safe for little ones. How about noticing a direct access garage for a single woman vs. walking in the rain with her groceries...maybe in the dark...late at night. I'm always peeking around for something wrong. I don't want my clients to be awfully surprised when they move in.

But, one of the drawbacks of being a homeowner AND a Realtor is I see so many awesome ideas for my personal residence! Most I can refrain myself from doing, but some are pretty irresistible.


Neither my husband nor I are super handy or creative, so we have to pay for most any improvement. And, because I am very frugal, a lot of the awesome ideas disappear from my head because of my wallet protectiveness!

But, what I see in one house often helps me give ideas to buyers in another house. 'Hey, I saw this awesome way to brighten your kitchen'. or 'Hey, how about you consider putting this over there because I saw it in another home and it looked incredible'.

Experience is great for contracts, negotiations, knowing when a love letter with a fresh baked loaf of bread picture in it may help get an offer accepted. It's also great to work with an experienced Realtor because we have seen so many houses! And, with that, comes some great ideas to pass along to a new homeowner!

Friday, August 16, 2019

I Absolutely, Positively, Have The Heart of a Teacher!

Buying a Home: Do You Know the Lingo? 

Buying a Home? Do You Know the Lingo? [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights:

  • Buying a home can be intimidating if you’re not familiar with the terms used throughout the process.
  • To point you in the right direction, here’s a list of some of the most common language you’ll hear when buying a home.
  • The best way to ensure your home-buying process is a positive one is to find a real estate professional who will guide you through every aspect of the transaction with ‘the heart of a teacher.’

Friday, August 9, 2019

You Can Make Any House A Home

Well, any house that you own...you can make it a home.

Wonders of home ownership. You can change paint, carpet, walls, windows, backyard landscaping. You can change sinks, wall tile, curtains, lighting fixtures. You can basically do whatever you want.

Wonders of renting. You can pay someone else's mortgage. I know, that's pretty harsh, right?

But, it is oh so true.

Now, onto any house a home per the subject line...

A house is, for ease sake, 4 walls, right? It's a roof over your head. A hot shower. A place to BBQ carne asada. Right to all of those things? Yes.

But, when you rent, that's all it is, just a house to satisfy those necessities.

A home, on the other hand, is where you raise your family. Where you arrange your creative zone. A place to show off the new bathroom fixtures you installed all by yourself. A place where you can attach a sweet patio cover in your very own (and owned by you) backyard.


 A place where you can bring your friends and feel proud.

I am a landlord, and I am a believer in the absolute value of real estate, and I truly am in love with my own home. It's not perfect, we've done a lot to it. We couldn't have if we were just renting it. We've changed flooring, window coverings, installed solar panels, painted the whole house. New light fixtures, faucets, I honestly can't remember everything we've done. Everything we've been able to do because we own it. 

It's the house we bought, that we turned into our home, in a neighborhood that we wanted to live in, where we'd feel proud to have our friends (and my clients) come visit.

Is your house a home?



Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Millionaire to Millennials: The Costly Mistake of Not Buying Now

Millionaire to Millennials: The Costly Mistake of Not Buying Now

Millionaire to Millennials: The Costly Mistake of Not Buying Now | MyKCM

On his personal website, self-made millionaire David Bach makes a striking statement:
 “Not prioritizing homeownership is the single biggest mistake millennials are making.” 
He further stated, “Buying a home is an escalator to wealth.”
Bach explains:
“Young adults in particular aren’t hopping on this escalator, and it’s a costly mistake…If millennials don’t buy a home, their chances of actually having any wealth in this country are little to none.”
He then elaborates on the game of homeownership:
“Start by crunching the numbers…actually do the math...This way, you’re really clear on your goals and you won’t just say to yourself, ‘I’ll never afford this!'
A good rule of thumb is to make sure your total monthly housing payment doesn’t consume more than 30 percent of your take-home pay.”
Bach concludes by saying,
“Oftentimes, buying your first home means you’re not buying your dream home…You’re just getting into the market.”

Bottom Line

Whenever a well-respected millionaire gives investment advice, listeners usually clamor to hear it. This millionaire shares some simple and straightforward insights: “The fact is, you aren’t really in the game of building wealth until you own some real estate.”

Who is David Bach?

Bach is a self-made millionaire who has written nine consecutive New York Times bestsellers. His book, “The Automatic Millionaire,” spent 31 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. He is one of the only business authors in history to have four books simultaneously on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and USA Today bestseller lists.
He has been a contributor to NBC’s Today Show, appearing more than 100 times, as well as a regular on ABC, CBS, Fox, CNBC, CNN, Yahoo, The View, and PBS. He has also been profiled in many major publications, including the New York Times, BusinessWeek, USA Today, People, Reader’s Digest, Time, Financial Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Working Woman, Glamour, Family Circle, Redbook, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Investors’ Business Daily, and Forbes.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Santa Clarita Home Sales Activity August 2, 2019

Our new normal seems to be about 700 homes available for sale. So our new normal means we have about 2.5 months of inventory. So, our new normal means you really need to price your home correctly if you don't want to sit on the market....IMHO....with almost 2 decades of experience. #NewNormal

Today, including Acton, Agua Dulce, Canyon Country, Saugus, Valencia, Newhall, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic, Val Verde....we currently have 729 homes available for sale. Townhouses. Condos. Single Family Homes.

(Who knew this was a fancy schmancy ping pong paddle?? )

We have 526 in escrow. Meaning 526 parties have agreed to a sales price and are working through inspections, loan stuff, and hoping everything works out for all parties.

Closed escrow in the last 30 days, a little higher than normal...372. That's so nice, right?

With all of this said, interest rates are low, inventory is climbing. 
What's keeping you on the fence?


It costs you nothing to have a conversation with me. 
Costs you nothing to chat with a lender.
Costs you zero to help decide which side of the fence you should land in.
Here to help....always.