Valley Vista Blog

     Just because the residential real estate market is struggling doesn't mean there are not opportunities for sellers, buyers and borrowers.  Interest rates are extremely low and a refinance might save you lots of money.  Changing loan programs could also provide substantial savings for you.  Valley Vista mortgage services can help you with this decision.

     While you may prefer to sell you might want to consider renting your home until the market improves.  Valley Vista property management services can assist you renting your home and maintaining value until you wish to sell.  When that time comes Valley Vista Inc. can represent you in the sale of your home.

    If you need to sell your home but have no equity Valley Vista Inc. can assist you in a short sale.  A short sale is generally more favorable to your credit history than a foreclosure.

     If you are a buyer there is no better time to buy.  Opportunities are there if you are qualified to obtain a loan or have all cash.  Short sales and foreclosures have created real buying opportunities.  The agents at Valley Vista Inc. are extremely knowledgeable about buying short sales and foreclosures.

   Finally if you interested in SF Bay area real estate from San Jose (and south) to San Francisco and north we have a close affiliation with Santa Clara Propeties centered in the Palo Alto area.  If you are relocating from the Bay Area or need to move to the bay area call David Kucera at 559-217-2020 or 650-619-2822.  David is a broker with Santa Clara Propeties and Valley Vista Inc.

   Thus for all your real estate needs in Fresno/Clovis and SF Bay contact us at Valley Vista Inc. 559-294-7667.  There is no obligation to talk and discuss your particular housing concerns.

Valley Vista is holding a canned food drive through the month of October. Come by and drop off some of those extra cans that have been sitting in your pantry since last Thanksgiving. We will be donating them to valley shelters to help out those in need. Tis the season to start giving back!

Come by Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm

1486 Tollhouse Rd. #105

Clovis, CA 93611

We are coming upon the biggest day of the year for the retailers… and plumbers!!

    Well, it used to be the biggest day in property management for clogged sinks and drains.

    Turkey with all the trimmings and preparation lead to a fury of garbage disposal service requests as well as the kitchen drain without a disposal!

    Hydronic water heaters trying to service overnight guests, running full force to try to re-heat the water after each shower and calls of “no hot water!” after the dishwasher ran could send management into a tizzy.

    In speaking with Andrea of Premier Plumbing, it seems that today’s homeowners are better educated in how to properly operate the garbage disposal and dispose of wet garbage properly. But there have definitely been some interesting stories over the years. She tells of the displeased cook who shoved a whole turkey down the disposal, bones and all. And another time of candle wax being poured down a drain to cool and set.

    She also stated that the efforts the City of Fresno are making to inform people on the right way to dispose of things is helping considerably.

    Thanksgiving and holiday hosts can avoid a tenant charge or homeowner’s bill by following the tips below:

· Never pour fats or cooking oils down drains. They pour out of the pan, but they solidify in pipes. Instead, pour the oil or fat in an empty tin can, wipe the residual grease from with paper towels and throw in trash.

· Never put turkey, duck or chicken skins, celery, onions, fruit & potato peels down the garbage disposal. They cannot bet ground down enough to run through the pipes.

· Always keep the disposal running with the water turned on when you put food into it and don’t wait until it's full to turn it on.

· To avoid your house guests feeling at a loss to dispose of things properly, keep a waist basket in the bathroom for Q-tips, dipey wipes, cotton balls, or face pads to keep them from being tempted to flush down the toilet.

· Address slow drains and other problems before the holiday with your property management company, and before guests arrive. In holiday emergencies, never hesitate asking if there is a holiday service fee or surcharge.

Happy Thanksgiving from our families to you and yours!

    Different agents will tell you a variety of things about selling your home to stay on the market, that it may bring in only the more serious buyers, some will tell you the market will slow down completely with little activity, BUT - this is not always true. There may be less people looking to buy, however, the ones who are looking are more serious. There may be less property visits during the cold months but the ones who are willing to drag their realtor out in the winter must be pretty serious. Another point might be that with less inventory on the market during this time of year you may experience less competition.

    During the spring there are going to be a lot more homes to compete against. Some agents will tell you the market stays the same and may actually pick up a bit before year end. Other agents may advise you to go off the market and then re-activate with a fresh listing right after the new year hoping to create fresh interest.

Sellers might think they won’t really be able to enjoy the holiday season but I have a number of the tips below that can actually help this be the most enjoyable holiday season!

Remember, that you can not sell what potential buyers can not see.

• Use the decorations that have held up well while packed away from year to year. Tired and old or out of date items may only look like more clutter rather than a statement to celebrate the season
•  A house can look truly beautiful, warm, and inviting during the holidays. One very strong buyer desire is to be “in” the new home by Christmas
• Put lights around the realtor sign in the front yard or at the main gate too!
• Never block or cover up important selling features such as fireplace mantels, stair cases, stain glass windows, etc
• Try polishing and/or dropping a bit of white fluorescent glitter on pumpkins, gourds & colored corns to heighten the celebratory season in November
• Bake pies & cool pies on the countertop the days you have a showings in November
• After Thanksgiving, try using more splashes of red than green as red is an emotionally appealing color
• Use your best ornaments on the tree in December, carefully placing the lights, garland & tinsel for an organized appearance. Color co-ordinate rather than bringing everything from every year past into play.
• Be sure the Menorah is polished up and clean up any wax droppings as they might occur
• Just this year, keep your hand made children’s ornaments in the box to avoid too much of a personal touch in the home (your agent may have asked you to remove personal family photos & to de-clutter the home)
• Consider grabbing a couple of the table top trees & mini tree ornaments for different rooms, or in the kitchen, dining room or master bedroom, or some Menorah shaped lighting
• Use greenery garlands such as evergreen or rosemary for a more “sensory enhanced” tour, but change them as they dry out. This is especially great if you don’t use a real tree, or don’t put a tree up until closer to Christmas or Christmas Eve
• If you do use real garlands & a real tree, be sure to vacuum the droppings up before each showing!
• This is the perfect opportunity to show off your home, so DO NOT think you can not have parties during the season if your house is on the market. You can show your house to a large group of people all at once. Don't just invite a few people over, host the Christmas party. Your friends and work associates might not be in the market to buy a home, but they do know someone or of someone that’s in the market!
• Be sure to keep your realtor’s cards out in a corner of the kitchen or near the phone – and if your realtor uses holiday ads or takes MLS pictures of the house in full blown Holiday decorum, be sure to remind him/her to switch it out after the holidays are over … its fun when its timely …
• Bake Bake Bake and let the aroma fill the house right before you have a showing- (this welcomes them into the house) but don’t forget to turn the oven off before you leave
• Set a plate of cookies on the counter, next to festive paper napkins for guests or simmer spicy apple cider on the stove, and set out cups for guests (this invites them to spend a little bit more time in your house)
• Wipe the cabinets down with orange scented wood cleaner or use orange oil which will renew their original luster and leave behind that warm citrusy scent in the kitchen
• Wipe the countertops down with orange scented cleaner just before you leave
• Put out large bowls of fall & winter fruits - polished apples, bright oranges, giant pomegranates
• Heading into the New Year Celebration, if you celebrate Kwanzaa be sure each of the different colored waxes are cleaned up during the seven days should any drip the tabletop

When you get ready to list your house, you will need to find an agent that suits you as well as is skilled to get your house offers. When looking for the agent that fits your needs, you will want to consider a lot of things such as his/her availability, responsiveness and listening capability.

A good agent that listens to what you are saying will be the one that cares about you as people not as just a commission, and will apply your input appropriately when speaking to buyers' agents.

Here are my 8 best known reasons for hiring an agent to represent you when listing your home for sale.

 1. Education & Experience

You will find you don’t need know everything about selling your home if you hire a real estate professional.  

2. Agents will spot the tire-kickers

Agents can spot a serious buyer and weed out the people that just want to look or may have their home listed and want to see the competition. Many agents are now requiring qualified buyers to have approved lending. Qualified buyers have immediate access to agents, who have access to available real estate on the MLS. (A website agents and brokers use to list the homes and update them as to new listings that are represented.) This way, networking agents have a ‘pool’ of purchasers to show your home to and you need not be concerned that your home information reaches every buyer that is qualified and looking.  
 

3. Market Information & Knowledge

Agents either possess intimate knowledge or they know where to find information about your neighborhood. They can identify comparables and hand that information to you. There may be a home in your area that was listed for $450,000, but an agent will know specific details and very valuable information you wouldn’t normally have access to without an agent.  

4. Professional Networking

Real estate agents network with other agents who have clients that are looking for homes that come onto the market within a specific price range, area or that are a certain size. They also network with other industry professionals that provide services that you will need to buy or sell.  

5. Negotiation & Client Confidentiality

Agents negotiate well because they are skilled and can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction. It's part of their job description. Good agents are professionals who present their client's case in the best light and agree to hold client information confidential from competing interests.  

6. Knowledgeable Handling of Paperwork

Most real estate files average thicknesses from one to three inches of paper. One tiny mistake or omission could land you in court or cost you thousands.  

7. After Closing

Good agents are willing and ready to assist you after closing. Worthy and honest agents don't forget about you once the deal is done.  

8. Client and Agent Relationships are an Investment for Future Business

A good agent will be there for you when you need to hire an agent again so relationship maintenance after closing is a good agent’s foundation for clientele.  

A good agent will also establish relationships with escrow officers and title companies that are informed, experienced and trustworthy as well. It should be comforting to know that your agent will bring your escrow to a person they have worked with before, as this lets you know they will communicate accurately and quickly with each other, keeping your escrow moving along through to closing.

My Last 2 Cents...

One thing is very important to know as a seller in the market. That is to TRUST your agent. Don't think that if you stay in the house during showings and involve yourself with buyers directly that this will enable you to cut your agent's commission once you go into escrow. If your agent is licensed, then he or she is trustworthy, will work for you and give you the best advice to make the best informed decision. Remember that holding out for more money can get in the way of sometimes making the best possible decision. You may not get the full asking price, but you may be able to go all the way to closing escrow. It may come down to one real question... do you really want to sell and move on?  

For 2010, the IRS has extended the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers and has made the credit available to existing homeowners. The credit is $8,000 for first-time home buyers and $6,500 for existing homeowners. You may claim the credit on either your 2009 or 2010 tax return.

In order to qualify for either tax credit, you must enter into contract to purchase a home by April 30, 2010 and close escrow by June 30, 2010. To qualify as a first-time home buyer, you cannot have owned a primary residence within three years leading up to the purchase. To qualify as an existing homeowner, you must have owned and occupied the same home as a primary residence for at least five consecutive years of the previous eight years leading up to the purchase.

The new law also raises the income limits for both classes of buyers so that more people can qualify. The maximum tax credit is available if you have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $125k single/$225k joint. For those with MAGI up to $145k single/$245k joint, a reduced credit is available. Another restriction is that the purchase price of the home must be less than $800k. Apparently the IRS has decided that entry-level buyers in many areas of California do not deserve a tax credit!

For more information, you can visit the official IRS website at: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=215791,00.html or call the Valley Vista Inc office at (559) 294-7667.

Stay tuned for Part 2: State!