Grren Tip Of The Week - 9/23/2010

Consider wood chips, nutshells, gravel, or other materials for your patios, walkways, and paths. These porous materials allow water to seep back into the earth, preventing runoff, erosion, and water pollution.

Housing Affordability At High Level

Housing affordability remained near its highest level nationwide for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to the most-recent National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).
The HOI indicated that 72.3 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the second quarter of 2010 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400.

Re-Using Moving Boxes

If you are preparing to move, you need boxes. If you recently moved, then you need someone to haul those pesky boxes.Shareabox.com does both, connecting people and boxes. Share a Box was created by two green-minded REALTORS® who believe every box is begging to be used again, again, and again. Visit http://www.shareabox.com/ for more details

Saving Energy

Turning off the lights saves energy, but unplugging unused appliances, cell phone chargers, and lights saves more, because these devices draw energy even when plugged in.

Staying Green Through Your Move - What To Do With Your Old Mattress

Used mattresses are the bane of a landfill's existence. They take up a lot of space, give off noxious gases as they decompose, and their springs can damage the machinery used to flatten them.So what if, for a small fee, you could have your old mattress picked up by an environmentally friendly charity, which would then tear it apart and find new uses for about 90 percent of the materials?

The recycling process involves stripping the mattress down to its individual components — the quilted topper, the polyurethane foam, the steel springs, the wooden frame and a rough-hewn interior pad that feels as if it is made of horsehair. Those components, in turn, can be baled and sold for use in everything from carpet pads to garden mulch to car engines.

6-Month Personal Finance Poll

Slightly more than one-third of Americans (37 percent) expect to see their personal finances improve in the next six months versus less than half (46 percent) who expect to hold onto what they currently have and 16 percent who expect to lose money.

Differences In House-Hunting Priorities

Survey reveals differences in house-hunting priorities for men, womenA recently released survey by ZipRealty found men often seek luxurious bathrooms, guest bedrooms, dining rooms, and views in homes, whereas women most-often desire home offices when searching for a home to purchase.

Green Tip Of The Week - 7/12/2010

If your latest listing or rental property is stuffed to the rafters with clutter, call Junk King. The firm will haul away furniture, yard waste, abandoned automobile parts, and scrap metal. The expanding franchise is based in the Bay Area and has a reputation for recycling 60 percent of the waste it removes from properties. Find them at www.junk-king.com.

Flora Diulio – 10/24/1924 – 7/24/2010 – It is will great sadness that we announce the passing of Bob’s mom after a short illness. Mom led a full life, leaving behind 5 children, 10 grandchildren , 2 great-grandchildren, 2 sisters along with several nieces & nephews. She will be greatly missed. Our time the last couple of weeks has been spent with family but we are back to work now.

Home Prices Expected To Rise in CA

Based on C.A.R.’s forecast, the median home price in California is expected to rise 9.1 percent this year compared with last year,

Need A Lender?

Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac says the average rate sank to 4.72 percent, down from 4.79 percent last week. It was just above the record of 4.71 set last December.

Call Scott @ 866-750-2885, ext 218 for loan information.

Green Tip Of The Week - 6/10/2010

Natural deterrents to ants include dry Cream of Wheat, which they cannot digest and is lethal to them, as well as powdered borax mixed with maple syrup (don’t use the latter if you have children or pets). If the aim simply is to deter, but not kill, then sprinkle the substances they don’t like to cross, such as ground black pepper, chalk, or cinnamon, near doors.See 1001 All-Natural Secrets to Pest-Free Property by Myles H. Bader for more natural solutions.

Recovery On The Way ??

The recovery has finally begun in the nation’s two largest metro areas, New York and Los Angeles, according to the latest Adversity Index data from Moody’s Economy.com and msnbc.com.

The Use of Bear Vs. Bull In The Stock Market

The terms "Bull" and "Bear" are used because of the way those animals attack. Bulls attack using an upward thrusting motion with their horns, and Bears attack by moving their powerful claws in a downward motion. So an upward market is termed a Bull market, while a downward market is called a Bear market.

Luxury Market Comeback

After a near-disastrous 2009, the luxury market appears to be making a comeback, driven by growing buyer confidence, improved financing conditions, and more-realistic seller pricing.

Green Tip Of The Week - 6/3/2010

Install a pool or spa cover and save 30 gallons of water daily instead of losing the water to evaporation and filter backwash.

Green Tip Of The Week - 5/26/2010

Blu-ray discs hold five times more content than traditional compact discs and are composed of 50 percent paper, allowing them to be shredded and making them easier to dispose of than traditional discs.

3543 Lillian Street - Riverside

3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Home For Sale

The home is super clean and ready to move in to. Bring your fussiest buyers and make an offer. This 3 bedroom home is perfect for the young family - the family room offers added space. The home is up to date with paint and 2 year old carpet along with travertine tile in the kitchen and dining room. The efficient kitchen opens to the family eating area. Hardwood flooring welcomes you to the home in the entry. Inside laundry adds to the convenience of this well organized home with plenty of storage areas. The tree lined street is inviting and cool in the summer. The large back yard has plenty of grassy area for play along with a brink patio for entertaining. This is a family oriented neighborhood known for its schools and friendliness. The home is freeway close.

Green Tip Of The Week - 5/18/2010

RadioShack’s online electronics trade-in program allows customers to exchange used, portable electronics for a RadioShack gift card. Accepted items include GPS devices, MP3 players, notebooks, and game consoles. Visit http://radioshack.cexchange.com/online/home/index.rails to learn the trade-in value and download the prepaid shipping labels. Gift cards arrive within 10 to 14 days.

Curb Your Spending Until Escrow Closes

Home buyers waiting for a mortgage loan to fund are advised to be conservative when it comes to buying new furniture, appliances, or the like for the house they are purchasing. It has become standard practice for lenders to check borrowers’ credit scores in the weeks leading up to the closing, sometimes even the day prior to closing. Large purchases can use up a considerable proportion of a borrower’s total credit limit, which can lead to a drop in the borrower’s FICO score and possibly change the terms of the loan.

Stay In Your Home 5 Years and Sell For A Profit

Although home buyers should not focus solely on future home price appreciation, according to data collected by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) over the last 40 years, homeowners who purchase a median-priced house, live in it for at least five years, and sell it at the then-current median price, have averaged an annual rate of return of more than 11 percent.

Owning A Home Has Benefits

Owning a home has significant tax benefits, including deductions for property taxes and loan interest. Homeowners also can enjoy building equity and creating a means of forced savings as they pay down the principal on the home.

Credit Reports Need To Be Up To Date

Although the difference between monthly rent and monthly mortgage payments is at its lowest level in nearly 20 years, more stringent lending standards have made the home-buying process more challenging. Home buyers can prepare by ensuring their credit reports are up to date and saving for a down payment of at least 20 percent. Borrowers putting down less than 20 percent likely will have to purchase private mortgage insurance.

More Profitable To Purchase Than Rent?

The analysis of 45 metro areas found the difference between the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home and the median rent has declined to $256. In some areas, the difference is as low as $100, according to the study. The last time the price gap was that close was in 1993, when it decreased to $264.

Green Tip Of The Week - 5/10/2010

What happens to all the latex paint dropped off at hazardous waste centers? It’s recycled and resold at local paint distributors, such as Dunn-Edwards and Kelly-Moore. Recycled paint sells for less, but the quality and viscosity is augmented by blending it with virgin materials. For more information and a complete list of distributors, visithttp://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ConDemo/Paint/.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States. To all the Mothers, Grandmothers and future Mothers - have a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday !!!

Interest in purchasing real estate as an investment has more than tripled in the past year, according to a survey conducted by Move, Inc. Nearly 17 percent of potential home buyers said they plan to purchase a home in the near future as an investment compared with 5.6 percent in March 2009, according to the survey.

Gree Tip Of The Week - 5/3/2010

Text messaging and e-mailing from a cell phone or hand-held device uses about 30 percent less electricity per message than sending an e-mail from a computer.

Open Houses - 5/1/2010 & 5/2/2010

Saturday, 5/1/2010 19301 Surfdale, Huntington Beach 92648
1:00 - 4:00 pm 5 Bedroomn/4 Bathrooms/ 3,000 s/f Home With Pool
$1,225,000.00

Sunday, 5/2/2010 9115 Gardenia Ave., Fountain Valley 92708

1:00 - 4:00 pm 4 Bedroom/2 Bath/1500 s/f Home

$595,000

Tax Credit Expires 4/30/2010

The expiration of the 2010 Home Buyer Tax Credits on April 30 is unlikely to put off Americans looking to purchase homes who believe now is a good time to buy and are confident that home prices will rise according to a survey released by Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc., a Prudential Financial, Inc. company. The survey of 1,000 Americans between the ages of 25-64.

Differece Between Monthly Rents & Mortgage Payments

Affordable home prices and low interest rates have created an ideal time for many buyers to purchase homes, and now a new week-long look at homeownership confirms it. The national study, conducted for The Associated Press, shows that the difference between monthly rents and mortgage payments is at its lowest level in nearly 20 years.

Green Tip Of The Week - 4/26/2010

Next time you’re in the post office, ask the postal clerk for an envelope to recycle your cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, ink jet cartridges, digital cameras, and small electronics. The post office provides this free service, and all you have to do is peel the label of this 6-inch by 5.5-inch envelope and drop in your mail box.

Earth Day

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, we would provide enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, save more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Green Tip Of The Week - 4/19/2010

Commercial car washes are more water efficient than garden hoses. A typical commercial car wash uses 100 gallons less water and, often, professional washes reuse and recycle the rinse water.

California Will Not Tax Forgiven Mortgage Debt

Governor Schwarzenegger on Monday signed SB 401 (Wolk) into law providing distressed homeowners with state tax exemption on debt forgiven in a short sale, foreclosure, or loan modification. Effective immediately, this bill generally aligns California's tax treatment of mortgage debt relief income with federal law. For debt forgiven on a loan secured by a qualified principal residence, borrowers now will be exempt both from federal and state income tax consequences. The tax exemptions apply, with certain restrictions, to debts discharged from 2009 through 2012

Green Tip Of The Week - 4/11/2010

Who needs a decorative pail on the counter to collect compost—and odors—when you can use a castoff container, such as a margarine container or a cardboard milk carton? Put the container in your freezer, add kitchen scraps until full, dispose scraps (and milk carton) on the compost pile, and repeat. No odors.

A recent study of more than 22,000 homeowners who bought their homes within the last nine years found that current homeowners plan to be “more practical” in their next purchase, focusing on livable space rather than unnecessary upgrades.

New State Tax Credit For Home Buyers

An eligible taxpayer who closes escrow on a qualified principal residence between May 1, 2010 and December, 31, 2010, or who closes escrow on a qualified principal residence after December 31, 2010 who has been in a contract dated before December 31, 2010 will be able to take the allowed tax credit.
This credit is equal to the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000, taken in equal installments over three consecutive years. Under AB 183 purchasers will be required to live in the home as their principal residence for at least two years or forfeit the credit (i.e. repay it to the state).
Call us with any questions - 714-595-2812

What Is A "Short Sale"?

In a short sale, the lender allows a homeowner to sell a house for less than, or short of, what is owed on a mortgage. Owners seek short sales to lessen the credit damage that comes with a foreclosure. But because of the time it takes to complete a "Short Sale" it is anything but Short !

Spring Market - 4/2/2010

Along with Spring the demand for Orange County housing has arrived - but with inventory down we are experiencing multiple offers and many homes selling above the asking price - especially in the market under $1 million. The current market problem? Lack of Inventory !!

Green Tip Of The Week - 3/12/2010

Poison oak, ivy, and sumac are spreading thanks to global warming, but your liquor cabinet holds an effective treatment: Vodka. Turns out, 100-proof vodka can be used as an analgesia, clothes whitener, chrome cleaner.

Green Tip Of The Week - 3/4/2010

Fill an old pillowcase with compost-ready materials from your kitchen, tie the top with string, submerge the pillowcase for 24 hours in a five-gallon bucket filled with water. Spread the nutrient-drenched contents on your garden the next day and use the watery brine to water other plants.

Green Tip Of The Week - 2/18/2010

Power optimizing computer settings can save energy and money. From the start menu, click on "settings" and then "control panel." To power optimize a PC, double click on "power management." Under "power schemes," choose "always on" from the drop-down list. Then, find two more drop-down lists, labeled "turn off monitor" and "turn off hard disks," and input the desired time for each.

Green Tip Of The Week - 2/4/2010

Only 10 to 15 percent of the energy your washing machine uses is for actually washing your clothes. The majority of the energy goes toward heating the water. Throw cold water on your clothes and you save on your utility bill.

Green Tip Of The Week - 1/28/2010

State adopts greenest building codesDubbed Calgreen, the greenest building code in the nation will take effect January 2011 in California and will require builders to install plumbing that cuts indoor water use, diverts 50 percent of construction waste from landfills to recycling, and uses low-pollutant paints, carpets, and floorings among other provisions. Click here for complete details.

Green Tip Of The Week - 1/21/2010

Paperboard is a thicker form of paper used in consumer packaging. Examples include cereal containers, tissue boxes, drink boxes, detergent packaging, and shoe boxes. Paperboard is recyclable--often at curbside--if the plastic liner has been removed and it has not been stained with cooking oil or water. While paperboard often is coated with kaolin clay to improve its printing surface, it’s still recyclable.

Green Tip Of The Week - 1/14/2010

What happens to all the latex paint that is dropped off at hazard waste centers? It’s recycled and is being resold at your local paint distributors, Dunn-Edwards and Kelly-Moore, for instance. Recycled paint sells for less, but the quality and viscosity is augmented by blending it with virgin materials. For more information and a complete list of distributors, visithttp://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ConDemo/Paint/.

Just Sold - Sycamore Creek Home

3,268 Sq Ft Executive Home

• Spectacular Views
• Master Suite with Fireplace
• 5 Bedrooms
• 5 Bathrooms
• Large 9,500 Sq Ft Lot
• Gourmet Kitchen
• Loft Area For Added Living Space
• Formal Living & Dining Room
• Spacious Family Room
• 2 Air Conditioning Units
• Mountain Views Enjoyed From Every Room