Over 600! But, Only By One!

It's been over a month since I noted the sales activity in my home town of Santa Clarita and our surrounding communities.

We currently have 601 active listings. Acton to the East, Stevenson Ranch to the West, Newhall on the Southern border and Castaic up high in the North. Of course, all our sweet neighborhoods in between as well.

601 includes homes, condos, townhouses. That's it. And, like this building....that is up from a month ago...but not by much.

And, if it weren't for the closed in 30 day number at 380 and the number 583 representing currently how many homes are in escrow....we'd be okay. But, with only 601, and closing over 300 every month....that's only a 2 month supply....still.....

So, give us some more listings to sell you darn Sellers with equity. We want them, buyers want them....we need them!

Barn Doors - Obviously Not Just For Horses Anymore!

I just happen to be getting a lot of clients talking about Barn Doors, installing Barn Doors, and sharing their Barn Doors (pictures of) with me!

So, I googled more barn doors and wanted to share with you!

I'd love to put one in. Can't quite figure out where to do it. Thought about my hallway entrance, but since most of the time it would be open...I didn't really have a large bare wall for it to 'rest' without having to remove my pretty mirror....but, it would go really well in our home, and it would help with the noise when hubby is watching TV late at night and I'm sleeping!

See? Isn't this spot just screaming for a Barn Door?

But, what made me chuckle is the picture of the true barn door! See the horse? Those are the old barn doors that people used to have in homes. I had one in my WLA house, a 1/2 & 1/2 type door. Loved it. I think THOSE were called Barn, or Dutch doors? Can't remember.

But, these new style barn doors can be made in so many different styles. I have a friend that put them up on a huge wall...just so it looked like there was a window behind it! Very cool.

If you're considering installing one, take a look at these.....some different ideas.....not your typical Barn Doors....and a more standard one too!

What cha think??

Trader Joe's....Whole Foods....There Goes The Neighborhood!

Actually, they apparently help neighborhood homes appreciate in value quicker than before either of those stores moved in!

And, when compared to Dunkin Donuts? Well, it's a good thing DD is trying a re-branding to just Dunkin.....LOL

Anywhohow....good ole Zillow did the market research and determined that when Whole Foods or Trader Joe's moves into a neighborhood, the homes become more expensive.

They weren't sure if those retailers were just great at picking up & coming locations, or if having them there drew more interest to the communities they opened in.

I can tell you, from experience, I get buyers that frequently say "Oh, I can walk to yada-yada" if we buy this home.....they never say that about a donut chain!

I'm curious what my readers think?

To Do An Open House Or Not To Do An Open House?

Read an article this morning about the guy that was arrested for a brutal stabbing to death of a Real Estate agent in Texas 10 years ago.

This blog isn't about him.

I did so many open houses when I was first in the business, 15 years ago. And, a lot of newbies do open houses as well. Great way to meet prospective clients.

For me, if I do one now, it's mostly to get more exposure. You never know when a buyer will walk into the open house on one of your listings.

Who knows, maybe their agent just said it wasn't the right house for them but their buyer noticed it was open...so went to visit.

I don't care if a buyer that comes to my open houses is working with an agent or not. The idea is to get my listing sold!

But, back on the murder!

When I do an open house alone....I never follow a client upstairs. I'm not going to get trapped up there!

If an odd looking duck walks in...women follow your gut on this one...someone that just gives off a weird vibe...I stay near the front door.

I always keep my keys with me too. Remember the old 'Keys Between Your Knuckles'? that your momma taught you?

Yep, my keys in my pocket with them in between my knuckles!

And, never, ever, put your back to an open house guest. Because, you just never know.

Note to my Sellers.....be sure to hide all valuables....particularly the upstairs ones. AND, always check doors and windows for being locked...I've heard rumor of open houses being set up for robbery later. 

Yes, I will do your Open House...but I will protect myself first and foremost. Second.....I will sell your home any way I can.....and live to close the escrow for you.

Fannie DTI to Raise to 50%

I read the article a few weeks ago. But waited to see if it was really happening.

Fannie Mae, biggest money for home mortgages, is raising the Debt-To-Income ratio to 50%.

Yes, from 45 to 50% on July 29th.

Debt-To-Income ratios are one of the calculations used in determining a borrowers ability to repay a mortgage.  How much monthly debt vs. how much monthly income. In other words, can they afford that new mortgage payment on their current salary and still have money left over to spend for daily life?

Well, Fannie Mae has researched and decided that some people can definitely handle that higher DTI ratio. Not everyone, but some. Their justification is it will help more people get into homes.

It's not just DTI though, as two different articles remind us, it's also down payment. They both pointed at the Millennials as the group they were targeting to help buy their first home. And, one distinctly made me laugh when it noted that Millennials are accused of overspending on 'avocado toast' (hey that stuff is tasty!), that they don't have the savings for a down payment anyways so how would the increased DTI really help them get into a home.

And, of course, the other talk swirling is will this lead to another housing bust due to mortgages being given to those that can't repay....this was the final line comment that I smirked at:

At least lenders bother to verify income, demand a down-payment, and check the DTI ratio. There's a big difference between asking the maximum standard for ability to pay and basically not measuring one's ability to pay at all. 

"Nextdoor" Neighborhood Site to Launch Real Estate Ads

I'm a Realtor and I don't even like this.

I belong to one in my community and I noticed an Open House posted on it. Hmmmm, well I do have an open house scheduled this weekend but I just don't want to annoy my neighbors.

I figure, honestly, if they are interested....they are already looking online at Realtor.com, Zillow, Redfin, Trulia....so many sites to find a home for sale and when they are being hosted open. Heck, I even post mine on Twitter & Facebook....which many of my associates do as well.

I like Nextdoor to help my neighbors, with finding dogs, locating packages, offering a referral for a dry cleaner...that kind of thing. If someone is sharing a thief noted on the security camera. Those are important. Maybe a garage sale.

But a House for Sale? An Open House? I just don't like it. And, it's just about the money. Realtors paying for a 'lead', paying for a prime spot on the feed. It's just about money.

I do believe that getting my listings in front of as many eyes as possible is absolutely valuable. Don't get me wrong on that. But, this Nextdoor site was set up to help neighbors, not to sell homes.

If me, a 15 year veteran Realtor doesn't want to see homes for sale on my neighborhoods Nextdoor site, how do the rest of you feel? I think a bunch of us will stop using it, and then there goes the great reason it was set up to begin with. Neighbors networking with and helping each other.

Nope, It's Not A Car Model!

It's the number of active listings today in Santa Clarita Valley

 & our surrounding communities.

Yep, as of July 11, 2017 @ 8:18 am we have 595 active listings in SCV. Acton to the East, Stevenson Ranch to the West. Newhall to the South, Castaic to the North....and everything in between.

Yes, it includes townhouses, condos, and single family homes!

610 currently in escrow. 397 closed escrow in the last 30 days.

I did this count on June 2nd, and active was 543. We have 10% more inventory.

Questions about our market or what your home is worth? Just give me a jingle!