San Diego Real Estate News and Market Conditions

Do I Need My Own Home Inspector?

Before a home is sold, it’s almost always inspected. This isn’t actually a legal requirement. However, not having an inspection done can be a huge risk for a potential homebuyer.  

Though home inspections are most valuable for buyers, sellers can benefit from them as well. 

Advantages for Buyers 

If you’re looking to buy a home, the advantages of an inspection are pretty obvious. It’ll confirm the value of a home and/or flag issues, repair needs, and even safety concerns. Simply put, home inspections are in your best interest. After all, you’re the one who will be living there once the deal is finalized. 

It’s possible that the cost of the home can be reduced after an inspection. Or you could have the current owner…

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Using Your Home for Airbnb

Launched in 2009, Airbnb flipped the world of renting, hotels, and travel upside-down. The concept was almost criminally simple. People who are traveling need places to stay, but either don’t want to pay for a hotel, or they can’t find an open room. Meanwhile, residents in popular travel spots often have an extra room or guest house that’s largely unused. 

Airbnb was the perfect way to connect these two parties, providing home owners with a new way to make some extra money. 

If you have an extra home (or even a spare room), you may have considered putting your place on Airbnb. It can certainly be lucrative. Especially if you live in a well-travelled to location like San Diego. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. 

It Takes…

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Sell or Rent: Which is Right for My Home?

If you’re a home owner who is looking to move, selling your current house probably seems like the obvious choice. It should take care of your existing mortgage. It may even give you a nice chunk of money for a down payment or renovations for the new home. 

For many homeowners, it’s a great option. But it’s not the only option. Depending on your situation, it might not even be the best option. 

The alternative to selling your home is renting it. This can provide you with a constant stream of cash rather than one lump sum. With a little paperwork and advertising, you could take your first step into the world of property management. 

Before you decide on either option, you need to consider a few things. 

Is Your…

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Selling Home Process – How it Works

So you bought a home, and while it was great for a season, you’re ready to sell it. But how exactly do you sell a home? 

As you might imagine, selling a home is a little different from buying one. Sure, a few parts are the same, but the responsibilities are flopped. To complicate things further, you’re probably looking to buy a new home to move into. 

How can you possibly navigate all of this? 

A Real Estate Agent Can Help 

While you can technically sell your home without an agent, they make the process much easier. They’ll get your house listed properly on the full market, they assist with advertising, they’ll help negotiate deals, and more. 

It’s in the best interest of an agent to get your home sold…

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2017 Resolution: Buying a New Home

A new year means new goals. With 2017 just weeks away, many of us our planning our resolutions for the new year. While New Year’s resolutions are very common, completing those resolutions is not. 

But that doesn’t have to be the case. You just need a plan. 

If one of your resolutions for 2017 happens to be buying a home, we can help with the planning. That way, by this time next year, you’ll be sitting in a wonderful new home. 

Check Your Credit 

Your credit is going to be a big factor in your homebuying process. It will determine how big of a mortgage you can take on, what kind of down payment you’ll need, what your interest rates will be like, and more. 

In order to plan your finances and search for homes,…

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Home Buyer’s Remorse: Is it Real? How Can it Be Avoided?

Closing on a house should be one of the most exciting times of your life. Yes, there’s lots to do: moving, unpacking, decorating.

But you’ve made it! You found a new place to call home.

Occasionally, though, things go wrong. A few weeks into the new digs, and you’re filled with doubt. You wonder if you made a huge mistake, and now, you’re stuck with an unwanted building that cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You have home buyer’s remorse.

It’s not so different from any other type of buyer’s remorse, except buying a home is a much bigger obligation, and you can’t exactly return it. The best thing to do is avoid it altogether. But before we get into that, let’s look at the most common causes of buyer’s remorse.

Common Causes for…

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Housing Trends for 2017

New Years is on the same day every year, and yet, it always seems to sneak up on us. With 2017 just around the corner, many have already started to form plans and goals for the upcoming year. One of the items on your to-do list just might be to buy a house. 

If so, you should know what’s in store. There’s always a degree of unpredictability in the market, and things are different depending on where you live, but here’s where the signs seem to be pointing. We’ll let you decide the best course of action from there. 

Expect Home Values to Rise…Slowly 

According to expert analysis, the value of homes should continue to rise just as it has in the past few years. This should be great news for those looking to sell in the near…

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What to Do Before Talking to a Realtor

A skilled real estate agent, or realtor, can be very helpful when it comes to home buying. They know the market. They have access to the most up-to-date listings. They understand the different pieces of the process. 

And they know the various signs of both good and bad houses. 

They are professional home buyers, and with one at your side, you can efficiently find the perfect home for you and your family. 

But Before You Talk to a Realtor… 

There are a few things you can do on your own. You certainly don’t have to do any of these things before talking to an agent. A good real estate agent can guide you through the process from start to finish regardless of your previous planning. 

For those who want the…

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Advantages of Buying a New Home

There’s a lot of mystery involved with buying a previously owned home. Even more so than, say, buying a used car. Even with thorough inspections, surprises could await. Maintenance could have been poorly done. A previous repair job might have looked nice when it was completed, but it’s actually on the verge of falling apart. Things like mold or foundation cracks could be hiding. 

To remove some of this mystery, many home buyers turn to purchasing a newly constructed home. What’s so great about a brand new home? Many things. 

Fewer Surprises, Repairs, and Maintenance 

Unlike a previously owned home, you generally know exactly what you’ll get with a new home. Just like with buying a car, it’s very unlikely something will…

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The Difficulties of Being a Landlord – Is it Worth It?

Owning and renting a property sounds like a pretty great deal. You get a renter, they pay you money, and it’s smooth sailing from there. It’s a like a second paycheck you don’t have to really work for. 

Except there’s a lot more to it than that.  

While some are able to balance the landlord life with their other work, many find themselves overwhelmed. There are a number of things that can pop up and cause problems, but these are some of the most common difficulties you will face as a landlord: 

Finding Renters 

Your property is mostly just a money vacuum until you have tenants. Finding “someone” to rent it isn’t too difficult. Finding a qualified, trust worthy tenant on the other hand, takes some work. You’ll need to…

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