Another Satisfied Customer in Tujunga

Another Satisfied Customer in Tujunga

Okay, so I am happy to report that my home for sale in Tujunga just closed.  When I listed it, I told the seller it would sell for $550,000 but we should put it a tad bit higher so the buyer thinks they are getting a deal.  We marked it up to $555,000.  

Low and behold, it did sell for exactly $550,000 and appraised, too!  Of course, that's what you get when you have a listing agent who knows how to price.  Apparently, I am getting good at that - pricing.  The last four homes I have sold have been within a day or two of listing.  The longest one on the market was this Tujunga beauty.  That's because there was a death (natural causes) in the property last year.  Even the spectacular views couldn't help the time frame on this one.

(Yes, it was a cloudy day in SoCAL)

And so I am here to gladly report that the home closed, the buyers are all moved in and doing some remodeling.  And my seller, well, he moved to the place of his dreams - Palm Springs!

So if you happen to be thinking of selling your home, please don't hesitate to call me for a free home evaluation.  I will be more than happy to answer any questions and help you get top dollar for your home.

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana - wherever the need arisis!

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor

License # 01767321

A Realtor you can Trust!

(626) 824-8927 Cell

LindaKMayer@live.com

Linda's Website

Reliable Senior Help, Part 1 Reverse Mortgage - New and Improved

Reliable Senior Help, Part 1

Reverse Mortgage - New and Improved

Okay, so I am going to break apart the myths surrounding Reverse Mortgages and this is the first in a series.  Out with the old and in with the new!  In this series I will address issues such as, "I heard that the bank owns your house if you have a Reverse Mortgage" and, "I want to leave something for my heirs".  I will also address why it is important that there is no qualifying especially in a Reverse For Purchase.

What is a Reverse Mortgage? 

A Reverse Mortgage is a way for seniors, 62 or older, to take a portion of their equity from the home to use in any way they see fit.

For instance, if someone you know has trouble paying their bills each month.  Possibly the can no longer make their mortgage payment.  Maybe they want to take their family on a cruise around the world. And then again, maybe they need help with health care expenses or simply in-home care expenses.

So, how can I get the money out in a Reverse Mortgage?

There are three ways to take part of the equity out of your home!  First, you can receive monthly payments. Secondly you can receive a lump sum. And thirdly you can get a line of credit. There is also a Reverse For Purchase which is amazing for people wishing to relocate or downsize.

I belong to a national group of Realtors.  So if you are relocating to be near a family member, or just to a new place, I can refer you to someone to help you navigate the process in that area.  And then you will always know you have an honest and reliable Realtor wherever you go!

How do I know if I qualify for a Reverse Mortgage?

There is technically no qualifying.  All you have to do is be 62 years or older and have equity in your home.

Does this matter to you?  Yes!  We have all heard the stories about how the investors with cash offers are buying up all the properties and people with loans are having to write many, many offers.  Because there is no qualifying, a Reverse for Purchase is just like a cash offer!  This puts you as the buyer at the top of the list and hopefully your first offer will be accepted!

How do I know how much money I can get from a Reverse Mortgage?

The amount of money you can get from a Reverse Mortgage depends on two things; Your age and the amount of equity you have in your home.

Why do you care about me as a senior?  You aren't even close to my age.

I grew up with a father who was nearly 30 years older than my mother.  When I was born, he was already almost 59 years old.  And because of this, I grew up with many seniors and am comfortable with them.  Not only that, because my dad was older, I knew from a very young age about the people trying to take advantage of seniors.  I feel protective of them.  I would want EVERY senior I deal with to have honest and reliable dealings and have the all information to make an informed decision about what is best for them and their family. 

Sometimes, a Reverse Mortgage is not the best thing for you or your family member.  This will be discovered as the questions about what you are trying to accomplish come to light.  Sometimes there are better options.  And as in the case of my parents, they worked hard for what they have.  Isn't it time that they were properly taken care of?

A bit of advice, always go to someone you know and trust.  Again, with the amount of schemers trying to take advantage of seniors and their heirs at this time, you can never be too careful.  I always try to be a resource for many issues that are problems with seniors.  And always, I try to be A Realtor You Can Trust. 

If you have more questions or need help with a loved one, please don't hesitate to contact me.  No question is too small, and I am never too busy to help you out.

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor

License # 01767321

A Realtor you can Trust!

(626) 824-8927 Cell

LindaKMayer@live.com

Linda's Website

Why Is Now The Time To SELL Your Home In La Verne, CA?

Why Is Now The Time To SELL Your Home In La Verne, CA?

Okay, so for the past few years, it has definitely been a "buyers market".  But with the low, low inventory right now, we are back to the times of bidding wars when things were moving and shaking.  Case in point; the last seven days of movement in La Verne, CA.

Last week, there were a total of 7 new listings and when you compare that to the 7 sold homes you can see that there aren't going to be many homes on the market for very long.  

What does this mean to you if you want to sell?  This means that your home can be sold in a short period of time and many times will sell for more than the asking price.  Naturally, this doesn't mean that you can price your home high and expect the same results.  But that's another whole blog.

There were two price changes, usually this means lowering of the asking price and two more have gone into back-up status.  Back-up status means that the home has an accepted offer but for some reason they are preparing in case the buyer backs out, or for some other reason like a short sale waiting on the bank's response.

When you figure in the four that went pending (into escrow), that's a whole lot more properties than came on the market this week.  

So, in recap, 4 pending, 7 sold, and 2 into back-up for a total of 13 homes off the market.  When you compare that to the measly 7 that came into the market, you can easily see why this is a great time to get top dollar for your home.

If you are thinking of selling, or buying for that matter, please always contact a local expert for the area so they know how to advise you.  All real estate is local down to the neighborhood still and so you need someone who knows what's what.  I stay on top of the cities I serve (such as La Verne, CA) as you can see and will be more than happy to help you with your real estate needs whether that be to answer any question you may have or give you a free home valuation. And ALWAYS go with a Realtor you can trust!

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

Are we Obligated to Disclose here in California?

Are we Obligated to Disclose here in California?

Okay, so I was reading an article about this poor woman who moved her girls to the state of Pennsylvania from California after her husband passed away.  She was looking for a fresh start in a new place and make some new memories.

She purchased a home for a little over $600,000 and expected everything to be okay.  But when talking with a neighbor, she discovered that the year before they moved in there was a bloody massacre in which a husband killed his wife and then himself.  Of course she was shocked and surprised.  And naturally she is suing because of the lack of disclosure.  Pennsylvania law actually doesn't call for disclosure of this nature.

Now, let me put your mind at ease.  When you purchase a California home, disclosures are obligated by law.  We have to disclosure if anyone died in the property for the past three years and most people disclose everything they have knowledge about.

Are you obligated to disclosure in your state?

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.
Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com

La Verne State of the City Luncheon 2013

La Verne State of the City Luncheon 2013

The 2013 La Verne State of the City Luncheon will be hosted on January 31 by theLa Verne Chamber of Commerce and the La Verne Rotary Club.  It will be held at the Meeting House at Hillcrest Manor in La Verne, CA.  

This year's address wil be by La Verne Mayor, Don Kendrick. It will include La Verne's past successes as well as touch on future plans for programs and services in the city.

The luncheon will be a Tuscan buffet.  Registration will begin at 11:30 AM with the luncheon beginning at 11:45AM and the program at 12:30PM.  This event is public.  La Verne residents interested in information about their city must make reservations.  If you wish to attend you can get tickets by calling Hillcrest Manor at (909) 593-4917 ext 0 no later than this Friday, January 25.

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com

Bank of America's New Guidelines for Short Sales

Bank of America's New Guidelines for Short Sales

I see so very many posts right now about short sale information.  At the beginning of this year, I saw a slow down on approvals from everyone on short sales.  So my prediction and opinion I was relating to my clients was that the banks are going to slow down on approvals and move to the foreclosure option.

My opinion was based on the fact that when this whole mess began and Obama 'bailed out' the banks, he gave them a deadline for getting rid of bad debt (homes behind in their mortgage payments).  The deaadline was December 31, 2013.  Since short sales take quite a bit of time and many have a few false starts which also delays the process, it only made sense that the banks would have to start foreclosing instead of dealing with the short sale process.

And now, Bank of America has been the first to start this practice.  You can see from the guidelines below that this is what they intend.

I also predict that home values have gone up due to a sharp decline in foreclosures and short sales when the banks stopped for the holidays.  Since the prices have gone up, many sellers have taken advantage and are now starting to list their homes for sale. With the rise in homeowners selling and the rise in foreclosures, one can see that with supply and demand being what they are, the prices should drop slightly during the year.

Hopefully you can see, that this year, NOW is the perfect time to buy.  Before the interest rates start to rise, before the prices get all out of hand again. 

And if you are thinking of moving, definitely pick a local expert and someone you can trust.  I will be more than happy to answer your questions or help you with your real estate needs.

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com
Linda's Website

Up Close and Personal - Digging Deep in January 2013 Or, What a CRAZY Year 2013 Was For Me!

Up Close and Personal - Digging Deep in January 2013

Or, What a CRAZY Year 2013 Was For Me!

Okay, so most of you who read my blog know that the craziness started in May of 2012 when I had an impacted wisdom tooth.  I was down for the count for about a month, when low and behold, I broke my heel.  Ya, if you've ever tried to think while taking Oxycodone, you know I was down for quite a few weeks.  Thank God I didn't have to have surgery!  So here I was thinking maybe this is God's was of telling to to slow down or stop and smell the roses...    

 

I was just getting back into the swing of things when, low and behold, our house sold and we had to get ready to move.  Moving is stressful at any time, but this was a short sale which was very disconcerting for my husband. And during this time, BofA starting selling books of loans and short sales were being canceled.  Now, again, if you have read my blog, you know that my husband has to have a security clearance for his job and a foreclosure could be disastrous.  So, once again thanking God, we made it through the crazy process and it was time to move.

The move was originally supposed to take place at the end of September but was moved to the middle of October as things progressed.  That was fine except that my mother was supposed to have knee replacement surgery the first week of October.  "That's okay, I can handle it", I thought.  I can get her taken care of and then complete the move afterwards.

HA!  Funny!  I love my mother so very much, as most of you know.  And I am the only child, so her care falls on me and my children.  So immediately after the surgery, things started to go wrong.  She had a TIA (mini-stroke) 2 days after surgery, which left her a bit dazed and confused.  And they were having trouble with things such as her salt and potassium levels.  This meant another couple of days in the hospital to get things stabilized.  Finally, after surgery on Monday, she was transferred to rehab on Friday evening.

The rehab that had a bed for her was a really good one that I had heard of and I just knew they would take good care of her there.  This was also the same weekend that we had the UHAUL truck and were doing the biggest portion of our move.  So on Saturday, I went to visit her around 10:30 in the morning on one leg of my trip from one home to the other.

At that time, she told me that earlier she had had pains and trouble breathing.  She said she was better, that they had come in and moved her body position around and she just had a little bit of chest pain.  So I left as she was better.  Around 3PM, I spoke with her and she said she was still hurting but guessed it was due to the positioning of her body still.  About 6:30PM, my aunt had talked to her and she was crying because her chest hurt so bad and they rehab "wouldn't help" her.  She was very distressed.  She then called me crying.  She said they told her she was just upset because of the move and wouldn't help her.  I told her to hang up and tell them to call 911 right away.

Like 20 minutes later, a man called my cell from the rehab asking my "permission" to take her to the hospital... REALLY???? Like they need my permission!  He acted like I was crazy for giving it, as if she needed it!  She has a mind as sharp as a tack!

I can't believe they wasted so much time and let her lay there and have a heart attack!  Crazy!  Needless to say, she was in the hospital for a couple of weeks and then went to a friend's house to recuperate.

It was like five weeks of craziness, what with the move and all.  And real estate?  HA, that's a good one! But in the end, God is amazing and protected her from a situation that could have been much worse.  And I made it through and even got my house in order to have my husband's company Christmas party and our family Christmas Day!

Happy New Year to all, and now, I'm back in the real estate saddle once again!

(Momma, Christmas 2012)

Serving the 210 Corridor - the cities of Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Pomona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana.

Warmest Regards,
Linda K. Mayer, Realtor
License # 01767321
A Realtor you can Trust!
(626) 824-8927 Cell
LindaKMayer@live.com