Well, perception is everything. We got to talking about it and it turns out there was only a few new homes for sale in his Golden Hills Fullerton neighborhood. One home had went off and right back on the market (so not really new), one I had already showed to three buyers and one was a short sale that was immediately placed on hold. It turns out that there were tons of open house signs out and that added to the perception that there were lots of new listings to choose from. Whew, I did have all my ducks in a row.

How interesting it is to hear the view from a Fullerton homeowner on the housing market and how it is completely different from what I am experiencing. He felt there might be lots of folks thinking of selling (that could worry a home owner) when in actuality, Fullerton is experiencing about a 40% decrease in housing inventory from this time last year!  I am constantly on the hunt for Fullerton homes to sell to my qualified buyers. I am almost obsessed with turning over rocks to find homes for sale in Downtown or Golden Hills Fullerton! I know it could sound like I am exagerating but look for yourself.  The attached graph says it all.

In December 2010, there were:  507 Homes for sale, 84 in escrow and 83 closed

Flash forward to December 2011, there were:  305 HOMES FOR SALE, 99 in escrow and 71 closed

The year showed a decline in inventory every month starting in February.  The same is true for all of Orange County housing. 

Prices held pretty steadily. I might have to do a three year look back next. I am curious to hear your take on the situation? As A buyer, a seller or just observer.  How do you feel about the Fullerton Real Estate market?

Darling Dowtown Fullerton Vintage Home

Selling homes in Fullerton; I love it!  But selling homes int he  Downtown Fullerton and Golden Hills neighborhoods are really among my favorite. Why?  It’s not just the uniqueness of these beautiful vintage homes, but because of the people in them. These vintage homes have seen generations of families grow-it’s the stories within the walls that add to the charm of Fullerton’s vintage neighborhoods.  I don’t know many other towns that have the sense of community and colorful history that we do.

I know It can be hard for people to leave these neighborhoods and because I sell so many homes here, buyers have come to know that I am the local expert. I currently have FOUR families that would love to call Downtown Fullerton or Golden Hills  home. The buyers for these neighborhoods are equally special because they appreciate these homes the way the sellers do. Selling a vintage Fullerton home is not like selling any other Fullerton home.

There are so many other intricacies that come with selling vintage Fullerton homes. The biggest problem we are seeing right now is with appraisal value cuts. It is not unusual to have an appraiser come in from out of the area who might not understand how special our Golden Hills and Downtown Fullerton neighborhoods are and how to properly appraise the homes in them. They sometimes need a little help in understanding what other homes to compare them to. It is easy for them to choose the wrong one and the value is shot. A good agent that understands these vintage Fullerton homes will know how to provide the correct data for an appraiser.

I am grateful for my business in 2011. I had the privilege of helping neighborhood folks sell their homes for top dollar and help them move on to the next chapter of their life. My team is growing to ensure that both buyers and sellers receive outstanding customer service and that no detail is overlooked; you deserve the BEST!

If you are thinking of selling, I would appreciate the privilege of speaking with you and I probably even have a buyer waiting for your home!  If you would like to hear from some of your neighbors that I have helped,  please check out my reviews on Yelp.com or contact me and I will put you in touch with some of them!

I have buyers NOW, so don’t wait until spring when everyone else decides to sell too! Right now inventory is low and buyers have waited, they area ready to buy now.

As I was thinking of the questions that I would want to ask a realtor, so many came to mind. I have compiled a list but I am sure that this is going to be a work in process as I think of other things. But here is my initial list to get you started.

1.  Are You a Full Time Professional?  There are so many part timers right now and to be honest, I am not sure how they do it.  In this volatile market you need someone that is dedicated to selling real estate and getting you the most money for your home while being available to you when you need them!

2.  How Long Have You Been in The Business and How Many Homes Did You Sell Last Year? A newer agent is not necessarily a bad agent; they can be really gung-ho to do a great job for you (but make sure they have a team or mentor).  Ask for a print out of last years sales. They can print directly from the Multiple Listing Service. You also want to see if they sold anything in your neighborhood. If you are live in Downtown Fullerton, you want to make sure that the realtor has sold Downtown Fullerton real estate. Every neighborhood has it’s intricacies and your Realtor(r) should know what they are.

3. Do You Have a Team? If the agent showed you a print out that he/she sold 25 homes last year, I would hope they aren’t trying to go it alone! Ask for their team members names and how you might reach them. If they do not have a team, who is their “back up” should something happen.

4.  How Will You Market My Home? I mean let’s face it, in this age of technology, I would hope they would do more than put a sign in the yard. Do they hire a professional photographer? Do they offer any staging services? Where will they advertise? Do they have buyers for your home or neighborhood? Again, if your home is in a Downtown Fullerton neighborhood and the agent tells you that he or she specializes in selling Downtown Fullerton real estate, I would think he or she might have some buyers for the area.  The online marketing opportunities are endless so make sure they know how to utilize them. Over 90% of buyers start looking on line. Will your home be featured? (I could go on and on about marketing but I think you get it).

5. Ask What The Realtor Thinks of your Home.  What do they think some of the draw backs might be? What features do they they think will really help sell it?  What should be done to ready the house?  This can be a tough question. No one wants to tell you what might be “wrong” with your house but a good Realtor will tell you. They are not going to sugar coat things. If they are paying attention, they will notice things that might turn buyers off or things that can be fixed or changed.  If they can’t be a straight shooter (without hurting your feelings) then are they just always going to tell you what you want to hear?

I am realizing that I have a lot of questions and sub-questions so I am thinking we might need a part three!

90% of buyers start their home search on line. So, should you start here too if you plan on selling? Maybe but, personally, I feel the most important thing to do is find a LOCAL and reputable agent. So how do you go about doing that?

1.  Yes, you can go on-line, you want a technology savvy agent afterall. You can try a “Google” search but it could take you a long time to narrow it down if you enter something like Fullerton real estate, Placentia real estate or Brea real estate.

2. Try going “hyper local” if you live in a neighborhood like Downtown Fullerton or Golden Hills Fullerton, that will help you narrow it down your search. You can evern be more specific by searching by street such as Jacaranda house for sale, Malvern St. house for Sale, Amerige St. house for sale. Warning – you might get a lot of randomness here so only try this if the neighborhood isn’t working.

3.  Ask your previous neighbors if you are still in contact with the realtor that sold their home.  Were they happy with the agent they used?

4. Signs and Marketing? Who has listings in your area? Drive around. Has that same person left you marketing materials. Do they send you invitations to open houses?  Have you met them. Most Fullerton Neighborhoods should have a dominant real estate agent.

5. Who do you know that sells real estate in the area? Tread cauciously. Just because you know them and they are a nice person, you want to make sure that they are knowlegable and know your neighborhood.

4. Once you have narrowed it down to a few, CHECK THEM OUT. Let’s face it, not all agents are created equally.

• First place to check them out is:  www.dre.ca.gov, plug in their license number (legally it must be listed on their marketing) but if not, you can plug in their name. From here you can find out how long they have been licensed and if they have any violations.
• Check out their testimonials/Reveiws:  This is tough because pretty much anyone can post anything they want online butI have found that www.Yelp.com is fast becoming a great resource. You can real real testimonials. Yelp has crazy filters so they work hard to make sure that the reviews aren’t made up.
• Check to see if they are members of local organizations like the local Chamber. If you have a Fullerton home to sell, definitely check out www.fullertonchamber.com. You can even call the nice folks at the Fullerton Chamber and ask them about the Fullerton real estate agent.

Ok, so they past the first test and look like they might be worth considering.  What should you do next?  This, we are going to save for part two.  Be sure to check back.

For more frequently asked questions, visit:  http://www.fjuhsd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=141381&type=d&pREC_ID=274910 where you may also obtain the application and request additional information.

Fullerton has great people, neighborhoods and schools and the open enrollment program is an added bonus for Fullerton homeowners and residents who want to send their kids to a particular school. If you have questions on Fullerton home buying or any other information, I am happy to answer your questions!

First off, I am so thankful that I was able to help so many folks realize their dream of becoming homeowners. It is a huge milestone in a person’s life and I feel privileged to be such an integral part. I also helped some folks get out from the burden of having homes they could not afford and to help others move off and start new chapters in their lives. It was bittersweet. Just when you get to know someone through listing their home, off they go.

My family is healthy, and I had some other amazing expericences. So here we are in 2012. What’s in store for us now? So many possibilties! Though I am not one for resolutions, I did decide to take on a 30 day challenge and what better way to stick with it than to share it? For the next 30 days I will:
1. Wake up at 6:00 am (weekends too).
2. Walk my dog early every day so that we both get exercise OR do some other exercise – every day.
3. Write an article/blog or something to post online – every day for 30 days.

Why? Well, I figure if I can do all three, EVERY DAY, I will feel a little healthier, be more productive and create a little more on-line exposure. I use to write all the time and when my business really started growing, I didn’t have the time and got away from writing.

So there you have it and here is my first article. I hope that your year is off to a perfect start and that 2012 brings you amazing possiblities. If they include buying or selling a home; I would be honored to be of service and be part of your 2012.

Happy New Year!

A special thanks to Chill and Relax for helping out by letting us put a collection basket in their downtown Fullerton location, that really helped with the drop offs!

Happily, I can report that because of the amazing support of so many awesome folks, we were able to donate to the WTLC:

690 pairs of socks
$80 in cash (I figured we had so many socks they could probably use the money towards something else)
A stockpile of toiletries
About two dozen warm scarves
About six pairs of baby shoes
One belt
(There might be a song in there somewhere)

So many women and children will have new socks to keep their feet toasty because of a last minute request and the generous support of you all. It just goes to show that with many hands, the load is light and even a $1.00 pair of socks can make a difference.

Thank you again and Merry Christmas!

Prudential CA Realty
2415 E. Imperial Hwy
Brea, CA 92821
M-F 8:30 to 5:30

Chill and Relax Foot Spa
124 W. Wilshire Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832
Tue-Sun 10:00 to 7:00

*Baby socks, mamma socks and everything in between (for women & children)
*Drop off by Thursday December 15, 2011
*We are also accepting linens, towels and regular sized shampoo & conditioner
*In Lieu of socks, you can make a $2.00 donation & we will shop for your socks

I will match you pair for pair up to the first 50 pairs. Please contact me with any questions or to arrange a pick up if needed.

Thank you for your support and for more information about the WTLC,
please visit www.WTLC.Org

The house sold in 2005 for $820,000 to a buyer who paid 6.5% interest for a monthly payment of: $5,239.

The same model just sold in 2011 for $595,000 at 3.94% interest rate. These buyers monthly payment will be: $3,049.39.

Based on this information, you could buy the same home and have a payment lower than it would have been in 1987? That was 24 years ago! This is a true story of a house that was bought and sold by the parents of someone I know. I didn’t take time to break down the down payments; I was just going by the numbers he sent.

Fullerton home prices are roughly back to 2003 levels and with the rates today your payment would be less than it would in 1987!!?? It really gives you something to think about!

Thank you Clay at ihavebuyers.com for your numbers! I think one of my homes might have a similar sales sequence and I might look up the numbers

We really appreciate your help…my goal is to fill my husband’s truck and can’t do it alone. Thank you so much!

We Need Your Help for the WTLC