How to Avoid Being Taken Advantage of When Selling Your House

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Sometimes, a seller wants to show their own home to a potential buyer or a buyer’s agent, or at least be present when it’s being shown. This is generally not a good idea, but it happens, and I want to talk about the things you should never say to that buyer or that buyer’s agent.

It’s important to know that they’re going to ask you questions. They might be innocent questions, or they might be fishing for information. If it’s a very savvy agent, they could be trying to get information from you. They might use this information to give their buyer an advantage in the negotiating process when they submit the purchase agreement. They could ask you things like:

• What’s the current sales price?
• What’s the length of time the home’s been up for sale?
• Why are you selling?
• What are your neighbors’ houses selling for?
• Have you made any price reductions?
• What’s wrong with the home?
• How many offers have you received?
• How quickly would you like to close?

The buyer’s agent will already know the answer to some of these questions even if they do ask. If the buyer is the one asking, however, they may not know and they may be innocent questions.

Either way, you must be careful, because anything that you say can be held against you once that first purchase agreement appears. The best thing to say for yourself is, “Please ask my agent.”

Let them work it out. That’s what you’re paying them to do - negotiate on your behalf in such a way that will benefit you. You certainly don’t want to say anything that could put you at a disadvantage or give the buyer or their agent any indication of your eagerness or motivation to sell.

Just remember: mum’s the word. Don’t engage too frankly in any discussions that have anything to do with the price, marketing, or condition of the house. Sharing sensitive information regarding these matters could potentially compromise your negotiating position.

Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of how to act if you happen to be showing your own house or at least present during the showings. Feel free to shoot me an email or give me call if you have any questions!

Two Wildcards in the California Real Estate Market

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We’ve had a pretty good year so far in 2016, with 11 of the hottest housing markets in the nation here in California despite the fact that we’ve got low inventory. That obviously helps sellers by driving the prices up, but it also makes things a bit harder for buyers.

We’ve had a pretty strong spring, and by all accounts, that’s going to continue into the summer based on the predictions we’re hearing. There are, however, two wildcards that could affect that. One is a potential interest rate increase this June when the Fed meets, and if that happens it could drive mortgage rates up. Those rates are still very low right now.

The second is the election in November. As I mentioned earlier this year, the housing market slows down around election time because people are a little uncertain about who is going to take office and what their policies are going to be. It’s not a political issue, it’s just that people become cautious.

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The housing market slows down around election time.

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Those are the two things that could be wildcards as we head into the fall. If you’re a seller, there’s still time to get your home on the market for the summer and take advantage of the strong activity we’ve had up to this point. We had a really good April and May in most markets in California. For buyers, interest rates are still historically low, and there’s still time to capitalize. 

If you’re thinking about buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me for advice or a valuation. I’d love to work with you in this hot market!

How Justin Bevins is excellent to work with and just good at what he does.

“Justin Bevins is just good at what he does. He is an excellent agent/broker and he’s thorough. He is so wonderful with his customer service skills and I think that is a huge plus in this industry. He is just number one, just number one. He communicates with his clients so thoroughly, hits them up with figures at the beginning of the transaction so they know what to expect. His clients are never surprised. He does nothing but communicate with his clients. Never once, do I feel like I am obligated to discuss anything with regards to a transaction or feel like I have to. He is an excellent communicator with all of his clients . I never once have I never heard one complaint. They are all extremely happy when he is representing them”

-Erica De Los Reyes

How Justin Bevins is great under pressure and stays in contact with his clients.

“Most real estate agents I deal with tend to be  panicky and not understand that things happen, but Justin’s very even keel.  And you know, when in the process of a mortgage transaction sometimes things happen that cause problems or cause delays, you know just not always like you have planned it and Justin doesn’t ever seem to panic. He always seems cool,  calm and collected. He seems actually  to become friends with his clients not just see them as a transaction or the next commission. Just seems to actually become friends and most of his clients that I work with him continue to stay in contact with him and that seems to be pretty unique.”

-Taylor Loop

New Safety Requirements for Southwest Riverside County Homeowners

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Today we’ll talk about requirements for carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and water heater bracing. 

A couple of years ago, California passed a law stating that carbon monoxide detectors are required in your home. If your home has an attached garage for your vehicle or you have any fossil fuel burning appliances like a gas furnace or heating oil stove, those things can emit carbon monoxide. 

You need a carbon monoxide detector on each floor near the bedrooms in your home. This is required even if you’re not selling your home. If you have outlets in the hallway, just purchase the plug-in version of these detectors. Mount them low to the ground because carbon monoxide is a heavy gas.

If you have a newer home, you probably have a smoke detector in every bedroom and in all of the common areas. If you have an older home, you might not have smoke detectors in the bedrooms. Frequently on real estate transactions and re-fi's, appraisers and lenders now require smoke detectors to be in each bedroom.

California passed a law recently that if you purchase a battery-operated smoke alarm, it has to have a non-replaceable, non-removable, ten-year battery. Some people take the batteries out when they start beeping and forget to replace them. This way, you are always protected. 

Finally, water heater bracing has not changed much. Under the law, the water heater must be properly strapped. If you have a gas water heater, it’s very important to have the water heater strapped in. If that water heater fell over, not only would you have a lot of water damage on your hands, but you would also have to deal with a gas leak.

Buyers and Sellers Should Be on the Alert for This Scam

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Today, we’re going to talk about a scam that has been happening more frequently during real estate transactions. We’re seeing it show up a lot in Southern California.

Hackers will break into an email address to try to get information on a recent real estate transaction. Typically, they look for the closing date and the real estate agent’s email address. After creating a similar email address that may be off by one number or letter, they then send a message to the buyer asking for funds to be distributed to a specific account.

Usually, these hackers say that this account is for closing funds, or that the wiring instructions have changed. They make it look like a legitimate email from the agent. The money doesn’t go to escrow or to the settlement company like it’s supposed to. Instead, it goes to the hacker.

You have to be very careful about this. There are a couple things you should keep in mind. First, always use basic security with your email accounts. Change the password often, use difficult passwords, and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Secondly, keep in mind that wiring instructions will come from your escrow or title company, not your agent.

You usually get wiring instructions when you sit down to sign your closing paperwork, so if you get a random email during the transaction about wiring funds, that should be a red flag. Don’t reply to the email and don’t wire any funds. Instead, call your agent or the title company to confirm that they legitimately sent you that message.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How Justin Bevins got a higher price for our property and delivered on all expectations, 100%.

"I actually thought we got outstanding results. He priced the property effectively. He was very proactive, very responsive. It's interesting because we interviewed three different brokers. When we thought about putting the property on the market, he actually said, "I think we can get a higher price for this property," and he actually delivered on that, and we sold in a relatively short period of time. From my standpoint, I'm extremely satisfied. He actually set really high expectations for himself and told us all the things he was going to do. The impressive part is actually he delivered on everything he said he was going to do. From the interesting marketing ideas, and getting the property out on the market and used social media, other activities and different things he was going to do with other brokers, etcetera. Everything he said he was going to do, which was kinda a lot, he did it, which was a lot. I thought, if he does half of everything he's going to do, that's great," and he actually delivered a 100% on it."

-Jim Sides

How to Avoid the Probate Process for Real Estate in California

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Today I have Karl Kooser with me to talk about the Transfer Upon Death Deed. It’s a new law to make the succession of real estate to your heirs a little easier.

This new law came about at the beginning of the year, and it essentially allows people to designate beneficiaries to acquire their property upon death. This helps to avoid probate, which can get messy. It also eliminates the need for a trust to be created, and this deed is revocable. So, if someone decides they don’t want to transfer their property in a certain way before they die, they can go back and make those changes.

How can you go about doing this? You can contact Karl Kooser or go to the county recorder’s office and they will direct you where to go.

If you have any questions for me or Karl, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Legal Disclaimer - AB 139 directs the California Law Revision Commission to study the effect of the TOD deed as established by the bill and to report back to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2020. It is specifically to study whether the deed is working effectively, whether it has been used to perpetuate financial abuse, whether it needs changes, and whether it should be continued.

Unless the Legislature acts otherwise, the bill will sunset on January 1, 2021; but that would not invalidate any revocable TOD deed executed before that date.

How Justin Bevins went above and beyond to sell our rental property while we were out of state!

"We have always been very happy working with Justin. He always comes through with whatever he tells you. He does fulfill whatever obligation he has made, we're very happy to be acquainted with him and be recipients of his wonderful service that he provides. He went way above the call of duty when he was working with some rental property that we had, making sure that it was ready that everything was in place. He worked with us during that time since we're out of state. He made sure that everything was taken care of. He really is a wonderful person to work with."

-Sharon Hyrkas

Where Are Interest Rates Headed in 2016?

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Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Value Report

Today we are going to talk a little bit about interest rate projections for 2016, and where the market is headed. At the end of January 2016, the mortgage interest rates are lower than they were in December. Yes, we did have a federal funds rate increase, but it didn’t have very much of an impact on rates overall. Economic turmoil and the plunging stock market has caused rates to remain low.

If you are a buyer, now is a great time to make your move. If you’re just thinking about buying or waiting to buy, it may cost you. If you were to go out today and get a 30-year fixed rate mortgage on a $350,000 home, you would be looking at a mortgage payment of about $1,630 per month.

If rates go up just 1%, that same 30-year mortgage on that same $350,000 home would now cost you $1,836 per month. That’s a $200 per month increase, and you’ll end up paying $2,000 extra every year on the mortgage, and $72,000 extra over the course of the loan.

If you’ve been on the fence about buying, now is a great time to take the leap off and get a deal done. Prices and rates are low right now, but we’re not sure how much longer that will last. If you have any questions for us, we would be glad to answer them. Just give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

When's the Best Time to List Your Home in 2016?

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By all accounts, 2015 was a good year for real estate. The National Association of Realtors just came out with the figures, and home prices are up 8% here in the West. In 2016, we can expect home prices to go up again, but probably only by 4 to 5%. When is the best time of year to put your home on the market in 2016? The answer is right now. Here's why.

1. There are a lot of buyers in the market, and not many homes for sale.
   Homes typically exit the market over the holidays, and most don't return until late spring or early summer. Inventory is currently low, and buyers aren't able to find the right house. If you're a seller, now is the time to list, because fewer homes on the market means less competition for you!
2. Interest rates are historically low. In fact, right now they are lower than they were at the end of 2015! Low interest rates gives buyers more purchasing power. For example, with a $1,600 monthly payment, a buyer can afford a $350,000 house right now. If rates go up 1%, like they're projected to, that same $1,600 a month will only get them a $310,000 house. If purchasing power goes down later in the year, that will hamper sales. Right now, buyers are trying to purchase before rates go up.
3. It's an election year. During election years, housing tends to slow down the closer we get to November. People wonder who will win, what policies will change, and how will the new President shape the economy? Most buyers take a wait-and-see approach, so you don't want your home to be sitting on the market at the end of December.

As you can see, now is a great time to list your home. If you have any questions about today's video or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How we helped Steven Williams sell his home by going above and beyond.

“The results were good. He listed a property for me and I was really happy with the follow through. We ended up having to relist the home twice because the first buyers fell out of escrow and didn’t close, so potentially he had to do twice as much work to close the transaction one time. He had to work twice as hard for just one commission check!”

-Steven Williams, Home Seller

How we helped Michelle Cleary get a great deal on her new home

“Justin was really helpful. We really liked working with him. We were house hunting for 6 months or maybe more and we just met him at an open house. He listened to all of our crazy offers and he put them in for us. And we ended up getting a really good deal on our house. He was very helpful to us. One thing that was really nice in general was our house was kind of a lengthy process because the sellers had a lot of issues and things that came up throughout it so we were actually in escrow for several months in the end and it was a normal sale so that was kind of difficult. But he was always there on top of things and constantly updating me even to the very last thing of getting the garage door opener and the mail keys from the previous owners; he was on top of it! So in general he went above and beyond for us.”

-Michelle Cleary, Home Buyer