San Diego Real Estate Cafe by Krista Lombardi
How to Find Out if There is a Lot of Crime Before You Buy Your Home
The list of questions every buyer asks about the various properties during a house hunt can change with each person. Color of granite? How much landscaping? Where can I put the doggy door?
Agents in San Diego are prohibited from discussing this and will refer you to law enforcement sites. As buyers, we assume that neighborhoods are either “good” or “bad.” The truth unfortunately is never black and white. Looking at details a little closer helps, which in turn allows us to make smarter decisions about which home we buy and how we live in it, once we buy it.
Here is a quick list of the right questions to ask about crime before buying a home.
1. What sorts of crimes happen in the area? Where and when do they happen? Crime truly happens everywhere. But the details of crime patterns vary widely in various neighborhoods especially San Diego because we have such diverse pockets within one zip code and the next. Some areas may have more stay at home workers or entrepreneurs and more break ins during the night and other areas may have day time workers and more day time crime.
This sort of information can be highly useful to a buyer-to-be, as it can help you make decisions not just about whether or not to buy, but also about whether to park your car outside (or not), whether to get an alarm and where in a given neighborhood you might prefer your home to be (interior cul-de-sac vs. thoroughfare in the same area).
Are the Foreclosures Playing Hide and Seek?
“House hunters looking for bargain properties in the new year
will probably be disappointed.” – Los Angeles Times
A new report by CoreLogic shows that shadow inventory fell 12.3%
from the year prior to stand at 2.6 million units nationwide. Split among 50 states that does not
constitute a large number.
The housing recovery that began last year was dominated by tight inventory and strong demand from cash
investors and buyers capitalizing on record interest rates.
Those factors have pushed up prices in recent months.
According to CoreLogic
analysts, the strong demand from investors means that the current shadow supply is unlikely to drag
down the market in 2013.
Would You Name Your Home Ugly Betty?
It happens sometimes, it’s not intentional, I mean let’s say that you inherited an old house in a distant location and want to put it on the market. You may not have the time, resources or energy to make it perfect and just want a quick sale.
Or, maybe you had renters at your property who did substantial damage and you don’t have the money to make necessary renovations.
Fear not. Just because the house needs work doesn’t mean you can’t sell it.
Many homebuyers today are shopping for deals and want to see the potential in your home. In that case, leave brochures for new cabinets in the kitchen, color palates around the bedrooms and even create computerized images of what updates could look like.
In addition, secure bids from licensed contractors on necessary fixes and provide them to your potential buyers. People may overestimate the cost of a new roof, shower stall or drywall repair and fresh paint. Estimates will bring the home into clearer perspective.
Would You Like to Buy This House?
I thought I would share this morning’s great find while looking through properties for my clients. Out of 4 photos, this was one of them, and possibly one of the worst I’ve seen in awhile. Would you buy this house?
Top 7 Things To Do In San Diego This Week
The brave die never, though they sleep in dust:
Their courage nerves a thousand living men.
~Minot J. Savage
Happy Memorial Day!!
1. Sunday, May 27- Memorial Day Pool Party with DJ Dan
Fortune’s Holiday Pool Party series is back again for 2012 and building off the amazing energy of last summer! We’ll be celebrating all our holiday Sundays six stories high on the Ivy Rooftop at the Andaz Hotel again this year. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 7 Things To Do In North County This Week
I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and… I believe in miracles. ~Audrey Hepburn
Happy Memorial Day!
Every weekend (weather permitting) COAL Gallery member artists display their paintings, glass work, photography, and sculpture at Art on the Green. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 7 Things To Do In San Diego This Week
Everything in creation has its appointed painter or poet and remains in bondage like the princess in the fairy tale ’til its appropriate liberator comes to set it free. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Come see Northparks Art Festival
1. Sunday, May 20- Northpark Festival of The Arts
Come sing, dance and revel in the streets alongside 35,000 people in the historic North Park neighborhood at the 16th Annual North Park Festival of Arts on Sunday, May 20, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM along University Avenue! Read the rest of this entry »
Top 7 Things To Do In North County This Week
Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. ~Oscar Wilde
1. Sunday, May 20- Watercolor in the Garden
Embrace the day exploring botanical details with watercolor, collage, and ink journaling style. This workshop taught by Helen Shafer Garcia, will focus on combinations of drawing and painting botanical elements with thoughtful descriptive words. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 7 Things To Do in San Diego This Week
My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. ~ George Washington
1. Sunday, May 13- Brunch on the Bay
Treat Mom to Brunch at Baleen
Treat mom to a better brunch – not some stuffy ballroom buffet. Make merry with the family matriarch with a San Diego Mother’s Day brunch on the bay featuring an artful a la carte menu by Chef Jessie Lee Williams. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 7 Things To Do In North County This Week
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. ~J. B. Priestly
Happy Mothers Day!!
1.Sunday, May 13- Mothers Day Brunch
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will be hosting a Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the three-course brunch being served on this special day, Mom will also receive a complimentary $25 Dining Card to enjoy on a future occasion. Read the rest of this entry »
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Recent Posts
- Happy Easter
- How to Find Out if There is a Lot of Crime Before You Buy Your Home
- Are the Foreclosures Playing Hide and Seek?
- Find Out If You Owe More Taxes Than You Thought on Your Real Estate
- Would You Name Your Home Ugly Betty?
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