We help to educate our buyers on market conditions and on all information of their desired areas. Schools, malls, theaters, activities , golf courses etc.- whatever knowledge is needed we will provide. We make the home buying experience pleasurable as well as informative, and whether it takes three "rides in the car" or twenty until you find your home it will always be an informative as well as enjoyable experience!-

Benefits of owning a home - Need more reasons for buying a home?

• Growing equity - As a fairly general rule, homes appreciate about five percent a year, and that growth helps the value of the investment.
• Tax savings - The interest on your mortgage and your property taxes are both tax deductible; the government is essentially subsidizing your home purchase. Income taxes paid are less due to the IRS interest rate deduction.
• Pride of ownership - The American Dream is to own your own home some day. Each family or individual has their own tastes and desires to repaint, carpet and remodel to suit their lifestyle.
• Security - Owners of homes feel more secure in their expectations that they have equity and a consistent monthly housing expense that is not subject to changes by a landlord.
• Consistent investment - putting money into equity in a home is a way that many families and individuals create a net worth - in effect a savings account for their future.
• Lifestyle improvement - A home provides additional space for the kids, yard, storage, hobbies and more. Many families purchase homes to give their kids the enjoyment of playing in their own yard, hosting parties for their friends, and growing up in a secure nuturing environment that they can call their own.

Preparing for home ownership - What steps need to be taken so you can get serious about buying a home?

• Pay down debt - If you have credit card debt, or personal loans, it is probably desirable to pay them down or pay them off completely. If you are purchasing a vehicle, pay it off as well. Put off any new purchases until after you have purchased your home.
• Save for a down payment - You may be able to get better loan rates and qualify easier if you have a good percentage of the purchase price to place as a down payment. 5 to 20% down is a common range.
• Fix your credit - If you have credit problems that will affect the house you can purchase. Get a copy of your credit report and fix any incorrect items appearing on it. Know your credit and manage it far enough in advance of a home purchase to be able to make improvements and changes and have those show up as a more favorable credit rating by the time you apply for the loan.
• Assemble the necessary documents for approval - Collect pay stubs, bank statements and any other documents which will prove who you are, and what your financial status is.
• Get prequalified for a loan - Before you shop for a home, shop for a loan. Compare fixed versus variable interest rates, and different lengths of the mortgage term.
• Employment status - it is best to purchase your home before changing jobs if possible, as lenders look at stability and history for loan approval.

"How much house can I afford?" - Most buyers ask themselves this question at one time or another.

• Income - How much do you earn? As a rule of thumb multiply your annual income by a factor of 3.5 to get a general idea for most people. This varys according to many factors. Click on the link below for a more accurate calcluation tool.
• Future income - How much money will you earn 5 years from now? How about 15 years from now? Create a long term and exit strategy for your real estate investment in your home.
• Down payment - What percentage of downpayment can you afford? If you can put down 50% of a homes value, you can afford to purchase a more expensive property. If you can barely scrape up 3% as a downpayment you need to be cautious about getting in over your head.
• Long term strategy - Some home buyers use a longer term strategy of trading up every few years until they are able to afford the type of home they really want.
  

How to locate your home - How do you go about finding the right property? It is one of the biggest decisions in your life.

• Explore your area choices - The first step is to decide what general area you prefer. Do a preliminary investigation of the quality of the neighborhood, crime rates, schools, freeway access, shopping and other factors.
• Determine house or condo - Next decide if you prefer a single family dwelling (house)or an attached unit (condo).
• Determine price range - Evaluate how much you can afford. This depends on many factors, including your income, how much you can afford to put down, and your credit rating. This can most effectively be determined by talking to a local lender.
• Create wish list - Build a profile of your ideal house as a starting point, and then begin to make it more practical and consistent with the area you have chosen.
• Get professional help - Enlist the help of a real estate professional. A few home buyers waste time looking through classified ads and looking at properties that just don't match up with their needs. The right agent can speed things up and help you to get into just the right home in the shortest possible time.

Cycles in home pricing - Prices fluxuate .. should you wait to purchase, or is it smarter to make a move now?

• Prices go up and down - As with the rest of the US economy there are uptrends and downturns, depending on the state of events at any given point. However, in the long run, most financial experts would agree that especially in California, eventually they will go up, creating opportunity for property equity.
• Prices have recently gone down in some areas - Oceanside, Chula Vista and areas which are not coastal have seen property values drop. Areas outside North County seem to be affected more by this phenomenon.
• Prices have recently gone up in other areas - Within the greater San Diego area, North County and most coastal areas have remained virtually the same price or have experienced modest increases.
• Causes of price fluxuation - Interest rates, unemployment, demand, the economy in general, new housing starts.
  

Determine offer price - What's the best way to negotiate price?

• How to determine your offer - As you are thinking about your offer to purchase a home, look at the condition of the home, what other homes have sold for in that area recently, how many other people are making offers, and how badly you want the home.
• Looking up comparable sales - The county recorders office records the sales of homes about six to eight weeks after the sale. You may also be able to get this information more quickly from the MLS service or your real estate agent.
  
• What's too low - If you make an offer which is too low you run the risk of losing out to a higher offer and or alienating the seller.
• What's too high - Most buyer's are unlikely to make an offer that is too high, but in some cases people just fall in love with a certain house and offer over the market value. The danger here is that if they pay too much, and the home does not appreciate past that amount, they could lose money at the point they decide to sell in the future.
• Negotiable costs - In addition to the offer on the home price, buyers may choose to ask the seller to cover some of the other costs associated with the transaction as a bargaining tool.

Financing affects offer price - What does financing have to do with your offer on a house? Plenty.

• What you can afford to pay determines what you can offer - it is the bottom line.
• Circumstances of the sale - In a distressed property, the seller may be in a hurry or the property itself might need work.
• Asking price - The asking price is a starting point, not necessarily where things will end up.
• Condition of the property - There are three kinds of conditions - average, greatly improved, and in definite need of attention. These affect your offer price and terms.
• Current market conditions - Comparable home sales, the local economy and other factors affect your offer.
• Improvements to the property - If there are special additions and features which are attractive to you, this may justify a better offer.
• Get your agents advice - Be sure to do a reality check with your agent as a test, and as a way to verify everything is ready.
  Review your offer strategy one last time to see if it really makes sense
• Your offer should reflect enough "room" for negotiating a couple of thousand dollars if necessary.