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| Attract Potential Buyers to Your House with Curb Appeal |
Curb appeal refers to what house-hunters first see when they visit your
home, or even as they drive through neighborhoods browsing "For Sale" signs. When someone is considering your house as their new home,
first impressions count - make sure it's a good one with these tips:
De-clutter your yard by
removing anything that doesn't serve a practical or decorative purpose.
Gather children's toys, remnants of your last gardening project, and
any other items that don't belong, and place them out of sight. A
cluttered front yard may lead passersby to think the inside of your
home is equally unkempt.
 Tidy up your yard by making sure the
lawn stays well-manicured. Mow it often, and trim shrubs and trees that
may have become overgrown, especially if they get in the way of a full
view of your house. Add mulch to your flower beds for a budget-friendly method of freshening up your yard. You might even add some colorful
annuals to brighten things up.
Try to look at your house
objectively. If your door is painted a bright color that may not appeal
to most potential buyers, consider painting it a more neutral color. Or,
if a few spindles on your front porch are missing, replace them.
Simple, budget-friendly alterations can really make a difference in
making your house look inviting and appealing to potential buyers.
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| How to Choose a Contractor for Home Repairs |
 When you purchase a house, a contingency of the contract may be an
allotment for certain home repairs and updates, negotiated by the
former homeowner and the new one. Depending on the services you
require, you may need to hire a plumber, electrician, or some other
contractor. To ensure you get high-quality work for a reasonable
price, you'll want to do your homework and find an experienced and bonded
contractor. Ideally, ask a friend, coworker, or a new neighbor for a
referral. Ask what kind of project the contractor completed, and if the
price and amount of time it took to complete the project was
reasonable. Getting a referral from someone you know will make it more
likely that you will get a truthful and candid recommendation.
If you don't
have someone who can provide a referral, start by searching the phone
book for contractors from larger, more established companies. Chances
are that if they've been in business for more than a few years, their
work is quality. But just to be on the safe side, after you've narrowed
down a few choices, consult the local chapter of the Better Business
Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce to see if any complaints or issues
have been filed against the companies you're considering.
When
you choose a company to work with, it's reasonable to ask for a list of
references or examples of past projects. You may also verify the
business's insurance coverage and work permits. After all, they will
be in your home -- so take the precautions you need to ensure you've made a
well-informed decision. Finally, a deposit may be required to begin
work, but you shouldn't be expected to pay the balance on services
until the project is complete.
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| Depersonalize Your Home to Encourage Potential Buyers |
 When prospective buyers tour your home, they need to be able to imagine
themselves living in it. However, this can be a challenge when your
family photos adorn the walls, your books clutter the shelves, and your
personal effects are prominently displayed throughout the house.
Depersonalizing your home makes it a clean slate to potential buyers,
allowing them to imagine their own belongings in the spaces left
behind. It may be difficult to disassemble the way your home has looked
for years, but it will prove beneficial in helping to sell your house
as quickly as possible.
The most common source of
personalization in a home is photos. Remove photos of families and
friends throughout the house. Other
decorative objects that personalize a home include: artwork (think
painted family portraits and hand prints of children), diplomas, and
collectibles (porcelain dolls, sports memorabilia, unusual trinkets,
etc.) After depersonalizing your home, if you feel it looks too
barren, consider purchasing some inexpensive, neutral decorations like
generic artwork and vases filled with fresh flowers.
The
key in depersonalizing your home is presenting it as a blank canvas to
potential buyers. Attract them to purchase your home by not bombarding
them with your personal furnishings and adornments.
For more ideas about how to depersonalize your home, you may consider
consulting a Certified Staging Professional or asking your agent for
tips.
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| Finding and Choosing a Foreclosure Property |
 Today foreclosure properties abound, and with the convenience of the
internet, you can find foreclosure properties right from your computer
by searching sites that feature foreclosure listings. Several sites, like
the Fannie Mae-Owned Property Search, HUD Homes, and the IRS Real Estate
and Personal Property Search, allow people
to search foreclosure properties by location, price, and type of property. Besides internet
searches, however, there are many unique approaches to finding a house
in foreclosure, or finding homeowners that are seeking a quick sale to avoid
foreclosure.
To find foreclosed houses or those in danger of
being foreclosed, check the newspaper. House listings that are marked
"for sale by owner" (may be abbreviated "FSBO"), "reduced for quick
sale," or "motivated seller" may indicate the homeowners are desperate
to get out from under their mortgage payments. You may also try driving
through local neighborhoods and looking for houses that appear unkempt,
uninhabited, or just generally in disrepair. If a lawn looks like it
hasn't been mowed in weeks or the house's paint is peeling, it could be
a sign the homeowner doesn't have the money or the means to continue
maintaining their home and may sell it to you at a big savings.
You've
probably seen billboards that say something to the effect of "We buy
houses" around your city. In a similar fashion, consider taking an ad
out in your local paper or the area where you'd like to purchase a home
with your contact information, and a foreclosed property may come to
you!
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| Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure |
| By: Lee Dworshak |
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 Go ahead and Google the word “foreclosure” and you’ll get over 61 million hits. Most will be for “foreclosure help”, or “stop foreclosure”, or “avoid foreclosure.” If you are having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments or if you have received a notice from your lender asking you to contact them, don’t fall for some of the many predatory schemes out there. Below is some good advice direct from the HUD website that should hopefully get you on the right track and save you a lot of money.
- Don’t ignore the letters from your lender
- Contact your lender immediately
- Contact a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency
- Toll FREE (800) 569-4287
- TTY (800) 877-8339
If you are unable to make your mortgage payment:
1. Don’t ignore the problem. The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house.
2. Contact your lender as soon as you realize that you have a problem. Lenders do not want your house. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.
3. Open and respond to all mail from your lender. The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notice of pending legal action. Your failure to open the mail will not be an excuse in foreclosure court.
4. Know your mortgage rights. Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can’t make your payments. Learn about the foreclosure laws and time-frames in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the State Government Housing Office.
5. Understand foreclosure prevention options. Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found on the Internet at portal.hud.gov/portal/page?_pageid=33,717348&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL .
6. Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds free or very low cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender if you need this assistance. Find a HUD-approved housing counselor near you or call (800) 569-4287 or TTY (800) 877-8339.
7. Prioritize your spending. After healthcare, keeping your house should be your first priority. Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment. Look for optional expenses-cable TV, memberships, entertainment-that you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other “unsecured” debt until you have paid your mortgage.
8. Use your assets. Do you have assets-a second car, jewelry, a whole life insurance policy-that you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income? Even if these efforts don’t significantly increase your available cash or your income, they demonstrate to your lender that you are willing to make sacrifices to keep your home.
9. Avoid foreclosure prevention companies. You don’t need to pay fees for foreclosure prevention help-use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month’s mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or a HUD approved housing counselor will provide free if you contact them.
10. Don’t lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams! If any firm claims they can stop your foreclosure immediately if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home! Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional, or a HUD approved housing counselor.
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| San Pedro Residents Dedicate South Shores Sign |
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A dedication ceremony was held Saturday January 17th for a new hardscape South Shores welcoming sign in the triangle median at Western Avenue and 25th Street in San Pedro.
This is the second entry sign constructed in the neighborhood with grants to the South Shores Homeowners' Association by the city of Los Angeles' Department of Neighborhood Beautification.
The hardscape is of minimalist design with the letters spelling out "SOUTH SHORES" in the association's logo.
They are made of stainless steel. The first hardscape was installed earlier this decade at Paseo del Mar and Western Avenue.
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NO BONES ABOUT IT!
SUPERIOR SERVICE - SUPERIOR RESULTS! |
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Feburary 2009
In This Issue:
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Catherine Bennison's
South Bay
Real Estate Newsletter
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Catherine & Winston
Direct: (310) 707-2162
Cell: (310) 748-7889
Fax: (310) 519-1882
E-Mail: CBennison@KW.com
Website: www.CatherineBennison.com
This Month in Real Estate
Click to View Video HERE
Get A FREE Analysis of Your Market Area
MLS Market Snapshot
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Tips for Buying Forclosure Property
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Open House Tips - Fine Living Network
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Choosing the Right Neighborhood
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Depending on your needs and interests, some neighborhoods are better
than others, and this is an important consideration when shopping for your next home. Here are some things to keep in mind when evaluating neighborhoods:
Schools-
If you have children or are planning to in the near future, the
proximity and success of the nearest school should be a consideration
in choosing a neighborhood. Realtors usually provide this information
as part of a property's extended real estate listing. Depending on your
lifestyle and needs, consider the proximity of other locations like
your job, cultural venues (theatres, museums, movie theatres,
amphitheaters), airports, malls, hospitals, parks, and stadiums.
Property
value- Research the average price of houses in the prospective
neighborhood. The higher the value of the homes around yours, the more
your house will be worth, especially if the neighborhood becomes a
highly sought-after, "hot neighborhood" in later years.
Crime
rate- Has it been rising each year in a particular area or is it on the
decline? A diminishing crime rate is obviously more favorable than one
continually on the rise.
Traffic- How much time should you
allocate each day for traffic during your morning and evening commute?
Purchasing a home in a neighborhood outside of a city could save you a
lot of money, but the extra time spent commuting isn't an adequate
trade-off for some buyers.
Community involvement- If community
involvement is important to you, check and see if there is an active
Homeowners' Association in your neighborhood. HOAs generally host
events and sponsor projects in the community that encourage neighbors
to get know one another. Here's a tip: Try driving through the
community on a Saturday afternoon to see how many neighbors are in
their yards, if neighborhood children appear to be playing together,
etc. You could always conduct an impromptu interview, asking a
potential neighbor how they like living in the neighborhood.
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Cruising from The Port of Los Angeles
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San Pedro is the home of The Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center. Major Cruise Lines offer vacation cruises to Baja California , the Mexican Riviera, Alaska , Hawaii,  and other destinations around the world. Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Lines,  Crystal Cruises, the Cunard Line,  the Disney Cruise Line,  the Holland American Line, the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Catalina Express, along with other cruise lines offer frequent sailings that make San Pedro the busiest passenger port of call on the United States West Coast. Carnival Cruise Lines departs from Long Beach, California. San Pedro remains the easy and economical place to stay before and after your cruise. Find your your San Pedro Hotel discount deal here.
Visit the SanPedro.com Cruise Ships In Port Calendar - San Pedro for a month by month listing of ships in port at the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center, San Pedro, CA.
REAL ESTATE NEWS
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