Team Green Realty Blog

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sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:11:00 +0000

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TEAM GREEN Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:38:00 +0000

Team Green Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Glendale, CA, March 29, 2010 — Team Green with Keller Williams has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

“As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results,” said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it’s extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases.”

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

If you are in need of assistance in either buying or selling a short sale or foreclosed property, please call us today at 818.588.6476. All consultations are free and strictly confidential.

New California Hmebuyer Tax Credit Signed Into Law!!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:25:00 +0000

New California Homebuyer Tax Credit

Yesterday Gov. Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 183, the Homebuyer Tax Credit legislation, into law.

AB 183 will provide $200 million for home buyer tax credits, allocating $100 million for qualified first-time home buyers of existing homes and $100 million for purchasers of new, or previously unoccupied, homes. The eligible taxpayer who purchases a qualified personal residence on and after May 1, 2010, and on or before Dec. 31, 2010, or who purchases a qualified principal residence on and after Dec. 31, 2010, and before Aug. 1, 2011, pursuant to an enforceable contract executed on or before Dec. 31, 2010, will be able to take the allowed tax credit. The credit is equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000, in equal installments over three consecutive years. Under AB 183, purchasers will be required to live in the home for at least two years or forfeit the credit (i.e., repay it to the state).

The positive impact of the federal home buyer tax credit is clear. Nearly 40 percent of first-time home buyers said they would not have purchased a home if the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers was not offered, according to C.A.R. research conducted last year.

The state’s previous home buyer tax credit program was so successful that it ran out of tax credits by the end of June 2009, eight months before it was set to expire and just as housing markets appeared to be turning a corner. Unlike last year’s legislation, AB 183 adds a tax credit for the purchase of an existing home by a first-time home buyer.

AB 183 will significantly contribute to the effort to stimulate jobs-creation within California's housing market by helping to incentivize first-time home buyers to purchase homes that have been abandoned, foreclosed upon and returned to the lender, or have been sitting on the market for extended periods of time. It is these homes that will require substantial rehabilitation by the new owners, which will in turn generate a tremendous increase in jobs and accessory purchases connected to home improvement activities.

If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Offers That Stick

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Offers That Stick

The phenomenon of multiple offers, a situation in which multiple buyers submit bids for a house and end up competing for it, has returned as of several months ago. It was prevalent in the strong market a couple of years ago and, now, the dropping prices, some sweet deals on distressed properties, relatively low interest rates, and an $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time buyers and a $6,500 credit for repeat buyers, have caused our local markets to heat up again. In fact, California practitioners report an explosion of competitive bidding, and in some places supply actually is shrinking and prices are ticking up. The result is that some buyers who are anxious and able to enter the market still are losing out.

For example, some of our clients have bid on—and lost out on—more than half a dozen properties. Wondering how to prepare? Keep in mind:

• Competent advice: Seek REALTORS® like Team Green who can explain how competitive a market is, and where you fit with it, and who are able to prepare you for the process—and potential disappointments—ahead. Most importantly, take their advice and study the comparable properties with them to ensure you understand the market.

• Investor competition: You may be competing with investors delivering contingency-free, all-cash offers. Be prepared to deliver your best offer, if need be. Also, get prequalified for loans, have all paperwork in order, and know precisely how high you can afford to bid.

• No automatic low balls: Despite market challenges, don’t automatically make offers dramatically below asking prices. If you’ve been eyeing a property that has seen multiple price reductions and you’re ready to jump, others likely have been doing the same. It makes for stiff competition. Some think that if an asking price is $325,000, they can get that house for $250,000. That’s not the case. Study neighborhood comparable properties that are for sale and that have sold and consult with your REALTOR® to develop strong, realistic offers.

• Buy less: Just one reason to look at property below your means is that you’ll have money in reserve to bid up if you need to.

• Short sales: The process can be tedious and lengthy. Short sale acceptance dates can run two weeks to six months. Negotiating short sales can be tricky, so be certain your agent is experienced in the process. And know whether you have the stomach for such a route. Team Green has certified short sale and foreclosure experts to help you with these special purchases. Make sure that if you decide to choose someone other than Team Green to represent you, that they are experts in the process.

• Bank-owned property: Again, you may be competing with investors. Work with your agent to determine properties’ worth. Make your offer as attractive as possible. That may entail offering a larger down payment, not requesting closing cost assistance, or agreeing to a shorter timeline. The more you have your ducks in a row before making an offer, the more sellers will see you’re ready, willing, and able to complete the transaction.

If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Tax Breaks 101: New Deductions and Credits to Stimulate Economy

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:38:00 +0000

Tax Breaks 101: New Deductions and Credits to Stimulate Economy

This may be the tax season where even die-hard do-it-yourselfers break down and hire a preparer or at the very least invest in some tax software.

Taxes are more complicated than usual with all the new deductions and credits created last year to stimulate the economy. And in some instances, Congress went back to revise and expand the tax breaks. The popular home buyer credit, for instance, is on its third version.

“You can’t just sit down with last year’s return and make sure you fill in the same lines and think you got everything coming to you,” says Harris Abrams, a senior tax analyst with Thomson Reuter’s Tax & Accounting.

Fortunately, many of the new tax breaks are credits, which are better than a deduction because they reduce your bottom-line tax bill dollar-for-dollar. So before you fill out your return, here’s a refresher on some of the key tax breaks this season:

Donations to Haiti
If you made a charitable donation for earthquake relief in Haiti, you can deduct it on your 2009 itemized return instead of waiting until next year. This applies to cash gifts—not clothes or other property—made by check, text message or credit cards before March 1, 2010. As usual, donations must go to qualified charities, and you’ll need a receipt. For donations made via text message, a phone bill with the name of the charity and details of the gift will suffice.

Making work pay credit
This credit is worth up to $400 a year for singles and $800 for joint filers within certain income limits. It was designed to put money quickly into consumers’ hands by having employers reduce the amount of taxes withheld in paychecks.

Even though you got some or all of the money last year, you will need to fill out the new Schedule M if filing a Form 1040 or 1040A to officially claim the credit.

That said, more than 15 million taxpayers are in for an ugly surprise, according to an estimate by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Their refunds may be reduced or they might owe more in taxes because their employers wound up taking out too little for taxes. This can happen to workers with multiple jobs, two-income couples or dependents with wages, says Melissa Labant, technical manager for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Something similar can happen to workers with multiple employers reducing withholdings, Labant says. And dependents don’t qualify for the credit, so they may have to make up for a shortfall in tax withholdings, she says. The Making Work Pay credit is in effect for this year, too. If you didn’t have enough taxes withheld last year, adjust your W-4 now so your employer increases your tax withholdings.

Home buyer credit
Originally, the $8,000 credit was only for first-time home buyers. Now, long-time homeowners can get a credit of up to $6,500 if they bought a new principal residence after Nov. 6 and lived in their old homes for at least five years in a row in the past eight years. The income limits for eligibility also were raised late last year and the deadline extended. You now must have a house under contract by the end of April, and close the deal by the end of June, and you can claim the credit on your 2009 return. But you won’t be able to file a return electronically when claiming the credit. Blame all the fraudulent home buyer claims last year—that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. To fight fraud, the IRS requires that you file a paper return and submit proof that you bought a house. If you’re claiming the $6,500 credit, you’ll need to document that you meet the five-year residency requirement. The IRS will start processing these paper returns in mid-February, and the earliest refunds will go out toward the end of March. If you don’t provide full and accurate information, count on your refund taking longer.

Car sales tax deduction
If you bought a new car, motorcycle or mobile home between Feb. 17 and the end of 2009, you may be able to deduct the sales tax paid on the first $49,500 of the purchase price. You don’t have to itemize to get this deduction. The tax break starts phasing out once income hits $125,000 for singles and $250,000 for joint filers.

Energy credits
Congress expanded these for energy-conscious homeowners. For 2009 and this year, claim a credit worth up to 30% of the cost—not to exceed $1,500 over the two years—of adding energy-efficient windows, doors, heaters, air conditioners, water heaters and heating systems. Add a solar water heater, wind turbine, geothermal heat pump, solar electric systems, and the credit is worth 30% of the cost with no dollar limit.

Help for the unemployed
For 2009 only, you won’t have to pay income taxes on the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received. Also worth noting is the recent expansion of the COBRA subsidy, although this isn’t a tax break. Uncle Sam has been paying 65% of the health insurance premiums for unemployed workers buying coverage under COBRA, the federal law that allows ex-employees to remain on an old employer’s health plan for up to 18 months. This subsidy was recently expanded by six months so unemployed workers can receive assistance for a total of 15 months. It applies to workers who lost their jobs from Sept. 1, 2008, through the end of next month.

Education credit
The $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit for higher education improves upon the old Hope Scholarship credit. “For most people, it’s going to be the credit of choice in the education area,” says Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst with CCH, publisher of tax information. The Opportunity credit covers the first $2,000 spent on tuition, fees, books and required materials, and 25% of the next $2,000 in expenses. You can claim it in any of the first four years of college. And 40% of the credit is refundable, so if you don’t owe any taxes you can get as much as $1,000 back in a refund. The credit begins to disappear once income reaches $80,000 for singles and $160,000 for joint filers.

Boost your savings
For the first time, you will be able to direct the IRS to use all or part of your refund to buy U.S. Savings Bonds. You can buy up to $5,000 worth of Series I bonds designed as a hedge against inflation. The bonds, sold in multiples of $50, will be mailed to you later. To buy the bonds or have the IRS split your refund among different bank accounts, fill out Form 8888.

If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Senate Approves Tax Credit Extension, Expansion

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Senate Approves Tax Credit Extension, Expansion
The Senate yesterday passed legislation to extend the $8,000 home buyer tax credit to May 1, 2010, for first-time buyers and add a $6,500 tax credit for repeat buyers if they've lived in their home for five of the past eight years. Home prices are capped at $800,000.

The legislation was included in a bill to extend unemployment benefits and is expected to be passed by the House today or tomorrow. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation when it's sent to his desk.

Under the bill, income limits are expanded to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for joint filers. Individuals with incomes up to $145,000 and joint filers with incomes up to $245,000 qualify for reduced credits.

Households who have binding contracts in place by April 30 will be allowed an additional 60 days to complete their transaction. The deadline for members of the military serving out the U.S. for at least 90 days between Jan. 1, 2009, and May 1, 2010, has been extended one year.

Taxpayers can claim the credit on their federal income tax returns. If the credit exceeds their tax bill, the government will issue a check. Taxpayers will be able to claim the credit on their 2009 income tax return for purchases made in 2010.

As you can see, this is a great time to buy or sell real estate. Let us know if we can be of service to you.

If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Team Green Sees RED!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:25:00 +0000

You will notice that TEAM GREEN is sporting a new red logo as of Friday, October 9. Collette and I decided to realign our practice with a different office and made the move to Keller Williams. The decision to leave Belisle Realty was tough from the business side of the house and even more so emotionally. We owe many thanks to the Belisle Family for giving us our start in this business several years ago; particularly Del Belisle and Myles Meeden. They are both gentlemen of the highest caliber and we are proud to call them friends and colleagues.

Our new partnership with Keller Williams has opened several doors for us as agents and for our clients as well. We are excited about this change and the fact that we were able to hit the ground running. Our core beliefs and practices in exceptional client service have not changed despite leaving a smaller, family-owned brokerage for an international brokerage. Those will never falter. Keller Williams upholds the same principles that our team does, making us an excellent match. The fact that Keller Williams is based in Austin, Texas (only 90 miles south of where Stephen was born and raised) had nothing to do with the decision, although it is an interesting coincidence.

Note that our telephone number, 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) has not changed, nor has our web address (www.teamgreenrealty.com) or our email addresses. What has changed is that we are proud to now be serving you from three different locations:

411 North Central Avenue Suite 100, Glendale, CA 91203
1115 Foothill Boulevard, La Canada, CA 91011
401 South First Street, Burbank, CA 91502

In addition we are also proud to announce two new team members; Christina Vergara, Agent Services Coordinator, and Trish De Vera, Transaction Coordinator. They will be assisting the team and our clients with administrative and transactional operations support respectively.

Call, click or email with any questions, or to let us know if we can help you, or someone you care about, with any real estate needs.

Summer Stats!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Our upgrade to the “LA Area Real Estate” iPhone application should be available in the iTunes App Store any day now. The app is free and we welcome your feedback. This new version includes links to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We look forward to trading posts and tweets! We will also make an announcement here on our blog when it is available. If you are an iPhone or iPod Touch user and have not downloaded the application, check it out here: http://www.teamgreenrealty.com/iphone_app.htm. On to business…

The First-Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit specifies that you need to close on a property by December 1st to qualify for the $8,000 credit. If you are planning on taking advantage of this great tax break, you better get moving. The average escrow is 64 days in today’s market. This means that you need to not only find a place, but get it into escrow by October 1st to comfortably make the requirement.

Let’s talk stats:

July and August are traditionally two of our busier months and this year was no exception. Competition is still fierce for buyers, so if you are contemplating a purchase, be prepared to listen to your agent and trust their expertise. Unfortunately we have seen a trail of broken hearts this year as buyers, especially first-timers, enter the market with their own perceptions based on doom and gloom media coverage. They think that they can purchase a mansion for pennies on the dollar. Many of them do not listen to their agent’s advice about our competitive market and end up falling in love and ultimately losing several properties before they “get it.” Houses listed in our area under approximately $800,000 are moving very quickly. There are still plenty of “all cash” and “half cash” buyers in almost every corner of our local market and they have been driving up prices through bidding wars and strong offers for several months now and there is no end in sight. This is a fantastic time to buy as long as you have a great agent who can guide you through the deal and help you strategize. There are plenty of really great deals out there so let your agent and your research guide you.

For our sellers you can expect reasonably fast sales as long as your agent does their homework and helps you price your home competitively. There is plenty of competition so pricing is everything. You should expect a fair amount of activity and you will need an experienced agent to help you determine which offer is the strongest. Remember that the strongest offer is not always the one with the highest price. There are many other factors at play as well. Find a great agent and trust their advice. If you don’t already have one, give us a call. We’ll be happy to serve you.

Overall houses in the Los Angeles area sold faster in August than any other month this year except for June. Our average days on market (how long it took to sell) was 64! That’s a great number. In the Northeast San Fernando Valley the average DOM was only 50 days…wow! That’s some of the best news we’ve had all year.

On the flip side of that, our numbers for August show a general slowing after steady improvement all year. The decrease in overall prices in our area, combined with the increasing accessibility of credit has kept the market very active all year. It is difficult to say exactly how much of the increase in sales during the summer months was just seasonal activity or if we can expect a steady volume of sales into next year. Hopefully the soon-to-expire first time buyer tax credit will keep the summer momentum up.

Totals-Greater Los Angeles Area

Individual Locales

As you can see, this is a great time to buy or sell real estate. Let us know if we can be of service to you.

If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.LVTMGRN (818.588.6476) or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

May Statistics

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:51:00 +0000

The “LA Area Real Estate” iPhone application that we published has been a great hit. We have received such a great response by new and existing clients that we are actually working on an upgrade. Look for that on our website or the iTunes App Store in the coming weeks. We will also announce it here when it is ready. If you are an iPhone or iPOD Touch user and have not downloaded the application, check it here: http://www.teamgreenrealty.com/iphone_app.htm.

On to business…

The First-Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit specifies that you need to close on a property by December 1st to qualify for the credit. If you are planning on taking advantage of this great tax break, you better get moving. The average escrow is 45-60 days in today’s market. This means that you need to not only find a place, but get it into escrow by October 1st to comfortably make the requirement.

The rest of this entry will focus on May stats.

Overall fewer houses are on the market compared to last month. Combine that with the fact that more are selling each month and we see that the overall inventory is decreasing. As many of you already know, spring and summer are the busiest high seasons in real estate. These are great indicators that our local market is picking up.

One of the things that I see when I look at these statistics is that there are far fewer expired listings in the market this month. That, combined with our increase in sales and shortened average days on market is a very clear indicator that houses are moving. Glendale continues to be one of our fastest moving local markets with the lowest average days on market of any other area at 64 days.Much of our improving market can be attributed to the credit market loosening even further. Loans are reasonably easy to get these days and there are loans available for as little as 3.5% down (VA loans can still be had for no money down).

Totals-Greater Los Angeles Area

Here is an Overall View of This Month’s Stats

Individual Locales

As you can see, this is a great time to buy or sell real estate. Let us know if we can be of service to you.
If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

State of the Union

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:27:00 +0000

As many of you know, the members of Team Green are huge iPhone fans. In fact, we are so impressed with this technology that we have decided to publish our very own iPhone application. It will be available in Apple’s iTunes App Store shortly. Check back here to find out when it is available for download. This application will allow you to quickly communicate with our team, including using the built-in GPS to share the location of a property you like, as well as find properties for sale in the LA area. We are very excited about it. Keeping up with five children, business contacts, and friends is a tall order in today’s information age. We enjoy leveraging a device that can do just about anything you ask of it. We like to think of it as simplifying our lives, although, I will admit that we are borderline technophiles…on to business…

Positive signs that our local real estate market is improving have been around for months. Now that the media is finally picking up on these facts, word is finally getting out that prices have stabilized, and even increased in some areas. Things are finally improving. Our team has been busier in the last two months than I can remember in a quite a while and we are very happy about it. Since our phones have been ringing off the hook and our email inboxes have been filling up, we thought that this blog entry would focus on the most common information that everyone seems to want to know these days.

The current market has shown us that prices in most areas have either stabilized or started to climb. This is fantastic for property owners and sellers because it means that overall values, and thus equity, continue to improve. Helping this trend is that the current number of sold homes in Los Angeles County contains fewer foreclosures and short sales so they are having less of an impact on current sale prices. Also supporting is the fact that the overall number of sales is up, yet there are fewer overall properties on the market. In other words, the current inventory is declining. To boot, houses sold faster last month than previous months. The average “days on market” was 52 for the Glendale area during the month of April.

The good news does not stop there. Did you know that most first-time home buyer programs define a first-time buyer as simply someone who has not owned a house in the last three years…even if they have owned property before? This is opens the door (pun intended) for many potential buyers to take advantage of several programs including tax breaks and down payment assistance. Add to this the fact that the credit market has generally loosened and financing is available, plus loans are readily available with as little as 3.5% down (VA loans can still be had for no money down) and we have a great recipe for both buyers and sellers. As you can see, we are happy that the media has finally helped us by spreading the word that it is a great time to buy, sell or refinance a home. It is also a great time to buy investment properties, including second, or vacation homes.

Totals-Greater Los Angeles Area

Here is how 2009 is Faring

Individual Locales

As you can see, this is a great time to buy or sell real estate. Let us know if we can be of service to you. If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home. Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us.

We look forward to hearing from you. Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

March Statistics

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Spring is in the air. The weather is finally warmer, and the busiest season of the year as fast approaching. Personally and professionally speaking, spring and summer account for our most intense months of the year. It is a time for backyard barbeques, spending the day at the beach, watching the kids play softball, or rumbling through the mountains on the Harley. Whatever your favorite spring and summer activities are, it is time to get out there and have a good time. Now that we have put Old Man Winter to bed, hopefully for seven or eight months, on to business…

Spring also typically brings about a time of renewed vigor and, along with summer, is the busiest of all seasons for real estate. While we have witnessed new excitement in our local market in real time over the last few weeks, this is starting to become evident on paper as well. More on this below where we review March statistics. Speaking of papers, the front page of the Los Angeles Times a couple of weeks ago suggested that the Southland has finally reached the bottom. They are finally jumping on the Team Green bandwagon!

Our local market has stabilized and we are seeing fewer price drops. In fact, some of our buyers have even seen prices increase on some of the properties they have been tracking. The other goods news is that we are seeing properties that are in good shape and priced well flying off the shelves. These are all great signs. Have we actually hit the bottom? It is very hard to say, but I will tell you that if we are not already there, we see extremely compelling evidence that we are very close to it. Here is a summary of the most notable stats for March.

Totals-Greater Los Angeles Area

There were more sales by far in March than any other month this year. I am excited to report that there were over 350 more properties sold in March than February. On top of that Short Sales and REOs accounted for 15% less of overall sales in March than in February. This is all great news because we decreased our overall inventory and are bringing our local market back into balance. The shorter month’s supply and higher absorption rate are positive factors that are helping to right our local markets. Short Sales and REOs are also having less of an impact on pricing as we are getting them sold and off of the market. For those of you looking to take advantage of great deals on pre-foreclosures and foreclosures you need to act fast. Competition is tough and we have seen the better properties flying of the shelf in less than a week with multiple offers.

Individual Locales

As you can see, this is a great time to buy or sell real estate. Let us know if we can be of service to you.

For our Sellers: Determining the value of a home is still somewhat tricky, but the good news is that properties are moving. If you owe more than you think your home is worth and you want to find out whether or not a short sale is the right answer for you, give us a call. Our team has solid experience and we are here to help. If you are considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home.

For our Buyers: Now is an outstanding time to purchase real estate. Interest rates are still incredibly low and prices are fantastic. Pre-qualifying for a loan is more important than ever before. While loans are easier to get than they have been in the past, properties are moving fast. This means that once you find that perfect property, you will need to act fast. Pre-qualifying will also save you headache and heartache by helping you determine how much house you can truly afford. We are happy to help you with this process.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

February Market Statistics

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:24:00 +0000

March madness is upon us and so is spring. It is time for spring-cleaning and revitalization of many areas of our lives. The economy is still a bit sluggish, but there are a few positive signs around, despite what the media has to say. Sometimes I think that if it were left to them, things would never get better. Regardless of what happens, we are thankful to be in a position to help our friends and clients with their real estate needs. We have good news with this month’s statistics that might cheer you up, so without further adieu…on to business…

February came and went quickly and we have some compelling new statistics to show for it. Overall, the greater Los Angeles area did pretty well. More new houses came on the market in February than in January and more sold! One number that I was very happy to see decrease was the number of expired listings, as well as the monthly supply. These are fabulous signs that prove things are improving in our area. I am also proud to say that the average days on market (the time it takes to sell a house) decreased by over a week.

Totals-Greater Los Angeles Area

Individual Locales

As you can see, REOs (Bank Owned Properties) and Short Sales are still accounting for more than half of all sales. This is a great time to buy real estate and if you have a need to sell, it takes a great agent to get the job done because it requires more work than in previous years. Our team is up for the challenge, so let us know if we can assist you.

For our Sellers: Determining the value of a home continues to be an art form that takes a true professional to master. Many factors affect your home’s value, including your motivation. REOs and Short Sales in your immediate area can affect your market value. For those of you considering selling, visit our free offers page by clicking here to get a free evaluation of your home.

For our Buyers: Now is an outstanding time to purchase real estate. Interest rates are still incredibly low and prices are fantastic. Make sure to pre-qualify for a loan BEFORE house shopping. This will save you headache and heartache. We are happy to help you with this process.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

How the New Stimulus Plan Affects You

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:34:00 +0000

For those of you on the mailing list, we hope that you enjoyed the Valentine’s edition of our newsletter. For everyone else, we hope that your Valentine’s Day was wonderful and as full of love as ours was.

We have received several phone calls and emails regarding President Obama’s new stimulus plan and how it affects homeowners. While some details may change in the near future, here are the facts as they stand today.

Earlier today, President Obama unveiled the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, which will offer assistance to as many as 9 million homeowners, while attempting to prevent the destructive impact of foreclosures on families and communities. The plan contains three main components, and only applies to primary residences. The loans referenced in the plan cannot exceed Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae conforming loan limits. I have outlined the plan in greater detail below.

The first component is directed toward homeowners suffering from falling housing prices who still have equity in their homes, but no longer have the 20 percent equity needed to refinance. Under the plan, homeowners who have conforming loans owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be allowed to refinance their homes, even if they do not have 20 percent equity left in the house. The U.S. Treasury Dept. estimates that about 5 million homeowners will be helped by this portion of the program.

The second component, known as the Homeowner Stability Initiative, is designed to assist homeowners who are “underwater” on their mortgages. The $75 billion initiative will bring together lenders, servicers, and the government so that all stakeholders share in the cost of the modification. Primary mortgages would be reduced to monthly payments that do not exceed a 38 percent debt-to-income ratio, with the costs of doing so borne by the lender. The government and lender then would split the costs of further reducing the monthly payments until they were at a 31 percent debt-to income ratio. An important aspect of the initiative is that homeowners do not have to be delinquent to participate.

The Homeowner Stability Initiative also will create incentives for servicers, mortgage holders, and homeowners. Servicers would receive an up-front fee of $1,000 for every eligible modification meeting the initiative’s guidelines. Guidelines are scheduled to be released by March 4. Mortgage holders will receive an incentive payment of $1,500, and servicers $500, for modifications made on loans that are current but at risk of imminent default.

The final aspect of the Homeowner Stability Initiative is creating clear and consistent guidelines for loan modifications. The Obama Administration plans to work with federal agencies, banking and credit union regulators, and the private sector in order to develop loan modification guidelines that can be implemented across the entire mortgage market. While adoption of the guidelines will be voluntary for the private sector, all financial institutions receiving Financial Stability Plan assistance going forward will be required to implement the loan modification guidelines.

The government estimates that between 3 and 4 million homeowners will benefit from the Homeowner Stability Initiative component of the plan.

The third component of The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan is supporting low mortgage rates by strengthening Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Treasury Dept. plans to increase their Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from its current $100 billion in both entities to $200 billion in each. The Treasury Dept. also will continue to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-back securities in order to help promote stability and liquidity in the marketplace. Additionally, the Treasury Dept. will increase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s portfolios by $50 billion, for a total of $900 billion. The Obama Administration will work with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support state housing finance agencies in serving home buyers, such as CalHFA. Funding for this will not come from TARP money but from the Housing and Economic Recovery Act.

While some of the details still are being developed, such as the modification guidelines, the Obama Administration plans on using programs and funding already allocated for The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan and will need little legislative approval for programs under the plan.

We’ll keep you updated on the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan as more details and information become available to us.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

January Market Stats and More!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:10:00 +0000

What a year 2009 is shaping up to be!

Collette and I are very excited about 2009 and have been extremely busy the last few weeks fulfilling our ongoing education requirements in an effort to serve you better. We have made a firm commitment to keeping our skills as sharp as possible so that we can provide the best possible service to all of our clients.

We toured Glendale Water and Power’s reservoir construction project at the Chevy Chase Country Club last night with several other residents, including Larry Varnes from the Chevy Chase Estate Association. Larry is the Co-President of the organization, which is the oldest homeowner’s association in California. It was nice to see a large turnout of residents in our own backyard in a community forum. We wish that all communities were as involved and active in their own fates. For those of you that are interested in the association, here is the link to their website: http://www.chevychaseestates.us/. For those of you interested in reading more about the reservoir projects, including links to online construction cameras: http://www.glendalereservoir.com/.

On to business…

You will recall that our last post indicated that December was the best month of 2008 for our local real estate market. As a reminder, here is last month’s graphic:

We have more good news to report - January was also a great month! Here are the details:

All of the numbers are climbing except for one important number: the “average days on market.” This number represents the average number of days that a house sits on the market before being sold. The fact that this number dropped represents that houses sold faster in January than the previous month.

Overall, these are good numbers, but we do have one concern and that is the large spike in new listings for January. Typically, we would see an increase in new listings in January as many homeowners delay putting their home on the market over the holidays. With that said, the increase was more than 100%, making January (going into February) a great time to buy. For sellers, the good news is that the average days on market fell by nearly two weeks!

Several of you called or emailed us and asked if we would break down our statistics by area, so here are those numbers. Note that they will be included in all future stats. We will be reintroducing the line graphs at the end of February when we have like data to compare to January.

If you have any questions, or would like to see specific statistics for your area, please let us know. We are also happy to provide you with a free evaluation of your home. To take advantage of this, as well as other freebies, click here.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

End of Year Post - Goodbye 2008!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Happy New Year from the Team Green Family!

Collette and I are still new to blogging, but we did not want to pass on the opportunity to submit one last entry before 2008 is a memory. This past year was one of great change for us and we have enjoyed being able to share it with each of you. We are confident that 2009 will be even better and are anxious to find out what is in store for all of us. As far as we are concerned it cannot get much better thanks to our terrific family, outstanding clients (um, yeah, we mean you) and the loving mentorship we get from Del and Trish, our managing brokers. In addition, a shout out to the makers of the game called “Rock Band” for the Wii, to which we owe many hours of blissful delight since Christmas morning. I think I have actually racked up more hours on it than the kids have. I still owe Collette a lamp for the one I kicked over during an outrageous guitar solo. Collette is a terrific singer by the way; I guess there is a little rock star inside of us all. On to business…

In reviewing today’s mortgage interest rates, we noted that the 30 year fixed rate is 5.1%. Wow! Add that great rate to the fact that the credit market has loosened up a bit and we have a recipe for success for both buyers and sellers! If you have been holding off or waiting for the perfect time to buy, it does not get much better than this.

As for market stats, here is a summary of activity for December.

Click here for the market summary.
Click here for a graph of active listings.
Click here for a graph of expired and sold listings.

The first thing that stands out for me when reviewing these numbers is that December was the 4^th busiest month of 2008 in terms of home sales in our area. Not bad considering it was also the peak of holiday season. We also saw the number of active homes on the market rise again in December, confirming our previous post about why some families move during the holidays versus waiting or trying to “time” the market. The drop in new homes on the market, as well as the rise in number of expired listings is par for the holiday season.

This month’s stats include the percentage of “Short Sales” and “Real Estate Owned” or “REO” properties (Bank Owned) contributing to active and sold listing is also telling. The way these statistics read for December is that 44% of all active listings were either short sales or REO properties. Short sales and REOs accounted for 63% of all sales for the month. Now is definitely the time to snatch up a short sale or foreclosed property for your primary residence, or as your first venture into investment properties. If you want to learn more about your investment options in this market, please use the link below to contact us, or simply give us a call.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Happy New Year!

Holiday Post

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Happy Holidays from the Team Green Family!

I woke up before the rest of the house this morning to carve out a few minutes to write this entry. Our beautiful Southern California sunrise was hidden behind fog and rain early today. This is not unusual this time of year, but it is definitely not our normal weather pattern. We really are spoiled by fantastic weather in Los Angeles.

The cold air and the Christmas decorations throughout the house made me a little homesick for Central Texas and the various family traditions I observed while growing up there. One of my all-time favorites was all of our immediate family staying the night at my grandparent’s house on Christmas Eve. Opening Christmas presents on Christmas morning was always a treat, but I can still smell the blueberry muffins that Grandma made for us every year. As I checked on our five beautiful daughters (all still fast asleep) I can only dream that I am providing them with the same types of fond memories and that they will cherish the rest of their lives. If how deeply they are sleeping, or how loud some of them are snoring, is any indication, Collette and I are doing a great job. I am using every ounce of willpower I can muster not to post snoring videos here. A blog can be a powerful tool and, like Spiderman says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Now on to business…

A good friend and client of ours asked us a few days ago what our holiday plans consisted of. She was surprised to hear that we had some work-related tasks to do around the holidays. It is true that the real estate business slows slightly during the holidays, but not as much as you might think. We get the same types of shocked and amazed looks when we meet new people and they find out that we are real estate agents in today’s market. We usually get the sympathetic, head tilted to the side, “oh wow, you guys must be really hurting for business in this market” response. This usually gets a smile out of us and usually the same response. Depending on the circumstances of the conversation, it normally goes something like this…

The holidays can be a pretty darn busy time of year. The public has it in their heads that people only buy and sell real estate, or move for that matter, when nothing else is going on, or when the market prices have peaked. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Quickly think back to all of the times when you have had friends or family tell you that they were moving. How many of those times did they say that they were moving because the market prices had peaked, or because they were trying to time the market? I will bet you that those types of responses are rare; at least for a primary residence, (income property is another story). The truth is that most people move because they need to and not necessarily because they want to. The most common reasons include:

· moving for work reasons
· they need a larger residence
· they want an upgrade to their primary residence
· they need a smaller residence with less square footage to maintain
· they want to downsize their primary residence to save money

As for when they move, we find that people are constantly moving for one reason or another. The list of reasons seems endless. The same holds true for those thinking about putting their house on the market during the holidays. One of the most interesting things about working in real estate is that each client’s situation is different and it is fun to be a part of their solution for whatever challenges lie ahead for them, whether it is moving for a new job, or expanding their family and needing more room. Whatever your situation is, we are here to help; that is what we do.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, please do not hesitate to call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Happy Holidays!

Inaugural Post!

sgreen@teamgreenrealty.com (Team Green) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:54:00 +0000

Welcome to the inaugural post of Team Green Realty’s blog. We have a newly redesigned site that we hope you will enjoy and find useful. We will be posting information about real estate to this site often, to include our local Los Angeles area market conditions. We will also be posting a little bit of ourselves here as well and invite you to join in on our discussions at any time. If you prefer, you can receive an email each time the blog is updated by using the links on this page to subscribe. There are also links on this page to email our blog to your friends and colleagues.

We are here for you, so please do not hesitate to ask questions or jump in at any time.

We would like to start with this month’s market snapshot for Burbank and the San Fernando Valley. Here are this month’s basic numbers compared to previous months this year. We will be including the Glendale and Pasadena areas in future statistics and discussions.

Click Here for Overall Stats
Click Here for Total Active Listing Stats
Click Here for Sold, New and Expired Listing Stats

So what does all of this mean? Well, that is an excellent question and I am very glad you asked. We will start with the easy stuff first.

As you can see, the total number of active listings declined in November. This is partially due to a drop in new listings for the month and a slight increase in expired listings. Expired listings are those listings that were contracted to a listing agent to sell within a given time period, however, they did not sell within that specified time; therefore the listing has expired.

This decline in total available houses on the market in these areas is not necessarily a bad thing. There are a few aspects of our local market that have been driving prices down:

A high number of short-sales and foreclosures available, which tend to drive down the value of neighboring properties
A high number of total inventory

While the total numbers of sales throughout this year look pretty good, they have not been able to keep pace with the total amount of active listings (or inventory) available. This is reflected in the monthly absorbtion rate. This rate is basically the total number of homes sold that month, divided by the total number of homes available. We use this figure to estimate how many month’s supply of homes are on the market, or in other words, how long would it take to sell all of the current inventory.

The basic law of supply and demand is that when homes are readily available prices tend to drop. As we see the monthly absorption drop, prices should start to stabilize and then potentially rise. What does this mean for you?

Buyers: In many areas prices have already started to slowly stabilize and, based on where were sitting, it is an excellent time to buy a home. It is still a buyer’s market and there is plenty of inventory for buyers, including plenty of foreclosures and short sales to choose from and save money. Loans are easier to get approved than in past months as the credit market has loosened somewhat. It is still not as easy as it once was, but the interest rates are phenomenal and VA loans with no money down and less than stellar credit are available. FHA loans with as little as 3.5% down are available with reasonable credit. In short, this is a terrific time to buy! If you have the time and patience to wait our a short sale or foreclosure, you can save even more money.

Sellers: Unless you are selling your home and moving to a different market, or not purchasing another home, I have good news for you. If you want to make a move, our standard logic applies when staying within one market. “If you sell high, you will buy high and if you sell low, you will buy low.” So while prices may be down and you may not make as much on your existing home, the good news is that your new home will be cheaper as well. Also note that the average days on market, or in other words, the average time it will take to sell your house, has increased slightly to 88 days. This means that if you want to sell your home quickly, reasonable pricing and solid appeal to buyers are your best assets in addition to agents who will actively market your property…agents like us.

Buying or selling, if you are ready to make a move, please do not hesitate to call us at 818.568.8402, or click here to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Still not sold on us? See what our clients are saying about us by clicking here.

Happy Holidays!