Where Are All The Front Porches?

When I was a kid we visited my grandfather in Brooklyn. He had a porch. We talked with the neighbors from that porch. We yelled across the street. We saw the people playing.

My mom's house has a porch. My sisters boyfriend used to climb in her window from that porch. My mom sat and watched the people from the porch. I kissed many a boyfriend goodnight on that porch.

My first house in Valencia I was determined to create a front porch. We put up a little fence, some redwood chairs, a little table. But, it never quite had the ambiance I was looking for. Didn't have any shade, and no one wanted to sit out there with me either!

I don't see many porches in the Santa Clarita valley. But, enjoyed seeing one yesterday. Went to go visit an old friend that is getting ready to sell their home. I was tickled pink to see a real wrap-around porch on this home.

Needless to say...it's not a new track house. It's a custom home with some spectacular touches....and I fell in love. Right from the start of that front porch.

Any of you got a beaut of a front porch?
I love these!

This is kinda what I saw yesterday....LOVE.

This is like my moms when I was growing up.

This is huge and is screened in.

I like this one too, not love, but definitely 2nd runner up!

Real Estate Lying....Bad All Around!

It's from an article that was stuck in my email from about 3 weeks ago!

But, since I abhor lying and can generally tell when someone is lying, in blue below is what a broker out of New York says are the 5 most common lies Realtors tell their clients & he posted it on that Reddit site.

The one that I have to agree with is number 5. When I see listings that are sold without MLS exposure...in house, in a network group, any way that does not give it full exposure...I strongly agree that the listing agent has done a disservice to their client.

The rest.....nah, I don't think that is really happening too much here in our sweet So. Cal market....do you?????

1. They know the value of your property.

The reddit user claimed brokers do not do any real analysis, and simply enter square footage, income and expenses into a software program to determine the value of the property.

2. They are experts in the market, with many transactions to their name.

While some brokers may have years of experience, others just starting out will bulk up their expertise by claiming their company’s transactions as their own, even if they had nothing to do with it.

3. A large brokerage devotes more resources to advertising your property.

The former broker says the opposite is actually true, and large brokerages typically have a more formulaic approach to marketing their properties.

4. The listing price they give you reflects their opinion of the market value.

Even after submitting the info through their software, brokers may not always give the best price opinion since, if they quote a higher list price, they are more likely to win over the seller, the reddit user explained.

5. Decent brokers need an exclusive listing in order to market your property properly. It benefits you because it allows them to create an auction for your property.

Simply put – this is not true. In fact, the user explained exclusives provide very few benefits to the owners, and only weak brokers who lack investor relationships need an exclusive to conduct business.

Caught Up Reading & Reverse Mortgages

Boy oh boy did I have a lot of reading to do this morning! But, one article reminded me of something some may need to consider. So many people are concerned about affording retirement. It's sure on the forefront of our minds these days & I'm still planning on helping people in & out of homes for at least another decade.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that we own a rental property and are planning on turning our current principle residence into another rental when ready to retire.

As self-employed people we have to create our own retirement. No one to count on but ourselves.

When we retire, our two properties will be debt free.....well, that's the plan. They will provide us the income we are used to, at least close to used to!

But, for some....consider the Reverse Mortgage to help fund your retirement. Your home is generally your largest asset, you likely will have zero or a very small mortgage balance when you do finally retire.

I know, you don't want to leave a debt for your children. Please, don't forget about how hard you've worked for yourself.

Investigate the Reverse Mortgage with a qualified professional. It's a difficult loan, but basically it's based upon (gulp) your life expectancy and the value of your home now and anticipated to be then. Lots of calculations. But, wouldn't it be nice for the home that you've paid for all these years....to pay you? There are definitely Pro's & Con's, so be sure to have it explained to you in detail. And, if you have questions, ask them.

Just my two cents.