With millions of existing homes sold every year, the National Association of Realtors has a significant pool of data to work with. One of the various surveys they conduct relates to how buyers find homes they ultimately purchase. Another way to look at this information is which efforts home sellers (and their agents) use are most likely to find a buyer. The NAR identified seven ways buyers find homes. Knowing which are the most important, and where efforts are best focused might surprise you (and your agent)!
Architectural Wonder With Indoor Waterfall & Pool
About – 1876 Sefton Place Tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac, the understated exterior only hints at the spectacular interior that lies within. Designed by renowned San Diego architect, Rob Wellington Quigley, this awe-inspiring home showcases captivating, bright and open spaces. Spanning several levels, the interior is focused on a stunning waterfall which cascades into … Read more
Understanding Real Estate Agent Commissions – What Sellers and Buyers Should Know
Last year I received a question from someone curious about real estate agent commissions in San Diego. They were partly asking what typical commissions are, and partly expressing disappointment in what they agreed to pay an agent who they felt wasn’t doing much to market their home. Commissions are also a topic that regularly come up when I meet with clients who are potentially listing their homes. Even experienced home buyers and sellers often have misconceptions about real estate agent commissions. If you are potentially selling a property, it is vital to have a good understanding of how commissions are usually structured. Understanding commissions can be useful for buyers as well. While some of the information is specific to San Diego, much of the information in this article is relevant throughout the US. I will answer the questions about what “typical” real estate agent commissions are, some common misconceptions about commissions, and why you paradoxically can sometimes net MORE on a sale when paying a HIGHER commission.
Going Minimal – Tips to Declutter for Real Estate and for Your Life
Sometimes tips for selling a property turn out to be valuable in our daily lives as well. For many, that’s very true of decluttering. One common mistake sellers make when listing their home is to try to sell it in the same condition they currently live in. While that may work well for a highly organized, minimalist seller, it is not a great strategy for about 99.9% of the rest of us. Most of us live with too much stuff! When a buyer walks into a cluttered home, it can be an instant turn-off. Some homeowners see trying to declutter as a chore. In fact, doing a great job decluttering can not only feel extremely liberating, it can also be financially rewarding with a quick sale and a strong sales price. Read on, and I will help get you started with optimizing your real estate sale and maybe your sanity in the same process.
Stunning Contemporary Remodel in Scripps Highlands
11574 Aspendell Drive Perched high on the hills of Scripps Highlands in Scripps Ranch, San Diego, 11574 Aspendell offers captivating, panoramic views from the mountains to the ocean. A spectacular six figure remodel has made an already desirable property absolutely stunning. Light and bright open spaces & high-end finishes throughout. Upstairs master suite features an … Read more
Starting & Stopping Utility Services in San Diego
One sometimes overlooked step in real estate transactions is starting and stopping (or transferring) your San Diego utilities. While some sellers sometimes elect to discontinue non-essential utilities like cable or satellite service beforehand, it is generally advisable to leave essential utilities like electric/gas and water service in place until close of escrow. Aside from basic … Read more
Gorgeous Whispering Palms Condo in Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Fe Living without the Rancho Santa Fe price tag! This single level condo in Whispering Palms has a bright, spacious floor plan, complete with vaulted ceilings. Granite countertops adorn the kitchen as well as both bathrooms. Beautiful travertine flooring flows throughout the home. Two large, private patio spaces and sliding glass doors make … Read more
San Diego Home Search With Email and Text Alerts
Whether you have no intention of moving and just want to keep an eye on sales in your neighborhood, or you’re a buyer actively looking for the perfect home, having an automated San Diego home search working for you is a very valuable tool. While most agents use the default search service that comes with … Read more
Home Staging Tips, Costs, Benefits and a Video Walk-through
Staging frequently comes up in my communications with clients listing their homes. The question varies, but it’s usually something along the lines of “Is it worth it to stage my home?” The answer varies depending on the needs and situation of each client (and the state of their home), however I can broadly say that professionally staging a home provides some of the best ROI (Return on Investment) out of what you might do to a home prior to sale. While there is a small percentage of buyers that can readily imagine a home in it’s ideally-decorated state, most of us lack that specific imagination – it’s very hard to do. For that same reason, it’s often tough to visualize how a property comes across to potential buyers staged vs unstaged. And, what about the idea that a home shows best (and appears more spacious) when there’s nothing in the home? Recently, I came across the perfect opportunity to highlight the difference professional staging can make and to share a few home staging tips. I cover many of the benefits to staging, along with common misconceptions in this article, and in the accompanying video where I do a walk-through of two similar properties, one unstaged, the other professionally staged.
Home Selling Tips – Why Access is So Important
Recently there were two homes for sale on the same street in a nearby coastal community here in San Diego. The owners of each took very different approaches to providing access to potential buyers, and the results were pretty stunning. More on that below. When you list a home, as a seller you typically have a lot of control over how you want the property shown. Let me give you an insider’s perspective on what access is, what it looks like in the real world, and its impact on how quickly your home sells and at what sales price.
San Diego Home Prices by Neighborhood
Like much of California, San Diego is known for having high home prices. What many home-buyers don’t realize is how much variation exists in San Diego home prices from neighborhood to neighborhood. While some neighborhoods see median home prices double or even triple that of the median for San Diego County, there are still desirable neighborhoods below the median price as well. I put together several useful graphs to help shed a little light on some of the more popular neighborhoods in San Diego and how their prices compare. The graphs cover three to five years to give a better sense of how pricing has been trending. Since markets can change, particularly in specific neighborhoods, the graphs are all programmed to provide the latest data regardless of whether you read them today or two years from today. I encourage you to come back to this page anytime you’d like the most current information.
Mission Hills Neighborhood Guide
Mission Hills Real Estate is highly desired given that the neighborhood is one of the oldest and most preserved areas of San Diego. With charming craftsman-style homes, safe and secure neighborhoods, and good schools, it tops the list as one of the best areas to live in San Diego. Mission Hills is close to just … Read more
