June 2017 - James Harvey Realty

Something About July 1st

Why is July 1st a significant day for the real estate market? Because it is exactly 45 days prior to kids going back to school again. So, what? In other words, anybody with a family with children who need to start school in August needs to close escrow and either sell or buy a house (or both) by then. Typically, what happens this time of the year is a flurry of activity during July and August. However, after August, the market starts to cool very quickly. By October and November, we see that the decline in sales occurs even more rapidly and it feels like, “Who turned the lights out?”

Another reason why July 1st is an important date for sellers is because, depending on the competition, your motivation to sell your house can directly affect your “bottom line” (i.e. how much you will net from selling the home). Given how long your house has been on the market for sale, or whether you are just coming on the market, you have to price your house aggressively (lower than the competition) in order to sell it within the next 45-60 days. If you are one of those sellers who has been on the market longer than 45 days and has had no offers, now is the time to rethink your strategy. The dream price that you have been asking has turned out that the highest bidder for your property is you.

What should you do as a seller? If you are just coming on the market, you need to call me for a professional 30-minutes consultation at no charge. I will provide you with a list of points that you need to consider given the current market situation. If you have been on the market with another real estate agent, it is the time for a reality check. My advice, pull up all of the houses for sale in your category – your competition. Forget about the competition currently in escrow and the price they are in escrow for, and lower your asking price to a number that makes your house far more desirable than any of your competitors.

For buyers, July 1st is significant because, the same as for sellers, to get the kids in school, start a new job close to the new location, and get settled by then, this is the time to re-evaluate your position. If you have been trying to buy a house within the last 45 days, you, too, need a reality check. In most cases, what you can afford or are willing to spend and what you want to buy, does not exist.

You need to either be willing to spend more money or lower your expectations. In the next 45-60 days, most of the really good-priced houses are going to get sold. That is why during October, when the market has slowed down, the market is still full of fantasyland buyers and sellers. Those people, who are truly motivated to buy or sell by the end of the year, will do so in the last week of October and the first two weeks of November (the holiday season is coming). In December, we still have some activity, but the volume of sales usually drops drastically by about 50%. This is the time to think about family and generating new year’s’ resolutions, not to track the real estate market. January 1st is always a start of a new year.

So, if you are thinking about real estate and are in the position of a seller or buyer, you are looking for the right person to give you the best advice based on experience and paying attention to the market, call me: James Harvey, (714)-612-9535. My advice could save your thousands!

Home Decor – Trends For The Summer of 2017

Bright Green

Cheery, Bright Green will be painted on many a wall in the coming summer days. It will be used in fashion, home décor and commercial design for 2017. Greenery is meant to represent refreshment and revitalization – something everyone needs in our complex social and political environment.

Butterflies

Butterflies are now considered a happy pattern in homes. Butterflies are known to be symbols of grace and optimism. The butterfly is no longer limited to children, so bring our your inner child and start decorating with butterflies in different rooms. There is even a turquoise wallpaper with butterflies emerging as a new choice for summer homes in 2017.

Mixed Patterns

Now mix-matching patterns is the trend. No longer is this considered to be too busy. Pattern lovers, go crazy! This trend was spotted in New York Fashion Week in the Fall of 2016, and a lot of runway fashion greatly influences home decor

Faux Finishes

You never thought you’d lived to see the day that faux would actually be trendy, but here it is! Homeowners and designers are getting faux materials for a budget-friendly alternative to authentic materials. Sometimes even the faux materials are more reliable than their authentic counterparts. Faux wood ceiling beams can’t rot or bow like real wood. Engineered Quartz can withstand heat and acidic foods better than Carrara Marble. Faux Leather Counters, Faux Foliage, and manufactured gray floors are all becoming trends.

Texture

With everything being smooth, sleek and flat, designers want to add texture to rooms. There is a lot of material manipulation such as pleating and folding in velvets and cottons. There are also beautiful, big stitches made out of luxurious yarns. Along with texture, comfort is focused upon with faux fur, mohair, and other soft materials emerging for 2017

Navy

Navy is emerging as the new Black. It is modern, yet traditional and pairs well with almost any color scheme. It will bring mystery to a space without making it feel small like black tends to do.

Artisanal

There has been a multitude of DIY projects from Pinterest and Etsy, but now the trend is Artisanal. Artists that can demonstrate amazing craftsmanship with materials that you need skill to work with in order to make a piece of art are selling more than the quick and easy DIY projects. Glass Blowing, Woodworking and porcelain are emerging over chunks of recycled materials.

Raw White

Chalky White and Bone White gets back to the basics. It also looks handmade, which coincides with the Artisanal pieces popping up in trendy homes. It looks clean, sterile, unearthed, natural and organic.

Appliances and Rooms that Fold up

The “Less is More” concept is what designers are going for to preserve square footage. Those studios that have the bed folding up into the wall is now the trend. There are so many new retractable and transformable pieces available for your home such as tables and range hoods.

Inspections: What To Look For In Orange County, C.A.

Inspections can bring forth some surprises to the sellers and the buyers. It is always a good practice for a seller to get a pre-inspection from a licensed inspector before listing their home to prevent any major surprises but that does not guarantee that there will not be any. Inspectors are hired by the buyers after a home goes under contract. It is not always required but most lending companies do require the buyer to get one. The most important thing to realize is that they are not looking at cosmetic issues with the home.

The foundation is the first thing the inspector will look at. The home might be on a slab or have a crawl space. The inspector is making sure that the home has a safe foundation. It is not uncommon for an inspector to find minor cracks or damage to a home’s foundation. They will let you know of any issues on the report and might suggest an expert to look at the home.

Electrical outlets and power are included in the inspection. Inspectors in Orange County, C.A. are looking for the outlets to be a certain height away from the floor, sink basins, and counter tops. They will also look at spacing between the outlets and if there is a safety mechanism or not. This is one of the many reasons it is always good to have a licensed electrician work on your home if you ever need any electrical work done. Specific codes have to be followed that a homeowner might not think about.

Inspectors will also look at the plumbing of the home and the water systems. They are not plumbers but they will take a look for any obvious signs of leaks or issues. They are looking for plumbing structure, functionality, and any leaks that might be present. If there are any problems, they might suggest a plumbing contractor to look at the issues.

The inspector is going to go on the roof. They are looking at the condition, for damage, and for anything that would cause issues or leaks to be present. They are not looking at the wear and tear that normally comes with a roof. If the tiles are faded that is not a problem as long as they are still doing what they are meant to do.

Built in appliances will be inspected and the non-built in appliances if they are included in the contract. Again, this is just for obvious signs. Not the normal wear and tear on the appliance. Water heaters, air conditioners, and other things connected to the home will be looked over but only for obvious signs of problems.

The inspector might even put a liability disclaimer on their inspection that they are not experts in plumbing, electrical, or HVAC systems. If you have concern over specific areas of the home, have a professional in that area take a look.

Home inspections are always stressful for both sellers and buyers. Keep a calm attitude. Your Realtor can help you through the process and can normally find solutions to any issues that might come up with the home. They can also help you negotiate repairs on the home. Turn to your listing or buyers agent for guidance.

Things To Do – Huntington Beach, C.A.

Have fun on the beach!

You will never get bored with all the activities Huntington Beach has to offer:

Whale and Dolphin Watching
Hornblower Cruises and Events
Volleyball
Biking on the Beach
Water Activities & Boating
Horseback Riding
Segway
Disc Golf
Golf
Surfing
Beach Bonfire

After doing one or two of the many activities, you may find yourself hungry. Luckily, Huntington Beach offers many snack shops right on the beach:

Bacon MANia – They had you at Bacon. Who doesn’t love Bacon? OC’s most popular food truck allows you to indulge in comfort food favorites like a B.L.T. and loaded fries or even bacon brownie bites and bacon cheese strips!

Dwight’s Beach Concessions – Options include fish and chips, fries, burgers, and everything in between. They are most famous for cheese strips…tortilla chips covered with cheddar cheese and sauce for dipping.

Kokomo’s Surfside Grill – Breakfast includes burritos, combos, omelets, and even pancakes! Lunch or snacks include sandwich melts, salads, quesadillas, and many different sides. Desserts include ice cream sundaes or Hawaiian shaved ice!

Zack’s HB – Get beach fun, rentals, and food all in this shop. They serve burgers, taquitos, and tacos, but also have a kebabs or falafels.

To Start the Day, you can get a breakfast burrito at Sugar Shack Café. Indulge in a sweeter breakfast at Bread Crumb Ohana Café. There are a variety of coffee shops with choices ranging from simple to extravagant – AoSA Coffee, Philz Coffee or Primo’s Coffee will satisfy your morning coffee craving.

Seafood

When going to the beach, of course Seafood is the food to eat! It is always so fresh and delicious at restaurants on the beach. Huntington Beach has a variety of fresh seafood served up in the most creative ways:

Duke’s by the pier – Hawaiian Seafood.
Bear Flag Fish Co. at Pacific City – Tacos, Burritos, Cocktails, Sandwiches, Salads and even Sushi.
Fish Camp – Customizable Preparations and Fresh Oysters on the half shell.
Ways & Means Oyster House – Best Seafood Assortment – along with Inventive Small Plates.
Slapfish – Best Lobster Roll with your choice of sauce, including “Awesome Sauce” and “Jersey.”
SeaSalt Woodfire Grill – Smoked Meats and Finishing Sea Salts
Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking – Cajun Creole

Farmers Market

The Surf City Nights Certified Farmers Market – Every Tuesday on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach from 5-9 pm, it offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers, local honey, gourmet salt, olive oils and vinegar’s, baked goods, and dried fruit and nuts.

Shoppers

On The Pier and Main Street are souvenir shops. There are plenty of shopping centers like:

Bella Terra
5 Points Plaza
Huntington Harbour Place

In Sunset Beach, there are locally-owned and operated unique shops and boutiques such as:

Katin Surf Shop – custom surf trunks high-quality canvas, shorts, hybrid trunks, shirts and tees…plus boards, wetsuits, fins and accessories.

Cleobella – Bohemian women’s handbags, clothing, home goods and accessories.

Beach Music – Vintage and new guitars, supplies and quality used musical equipment.

Antiques of the Sea – Nautical and marine antiques and collectibles.

The Zone – surf shop, beach boutique and art store.

Nightowls:

The day isn’t done with the sun goes down head to these places for a good time:

The Bungalow Oceanfront Lounge or Hotel Bar
Main Street Wine Company
SeaLegs Wine Bar
Don The Beachcomber’s Tropical Tiki Bar

An especially great place to enjoy a dessert combined with a night cap is 25 Degrees that makes creamy adult milkshake. Craving dessert and a night cap? Try Bella Terra for an outdoor movie, eateries, live entertainments and shops.

Outdoorsy Types & Nature Lovers:

Huntington Beach has a Nature Center – Shipley Nature Center!

Donald D. Shipley was the Mayor of Huntington Beach. He opened the nature center in 1974 in order to show what Huntington Beach looked like before the city development.

Shipley Nature Center has 18 acres of wildlife, plant life and trails. Tours are available, and it hosts programs and events. Just check the calendar.

Benefits of Using a Listing Agent In Orange County

Are you a full-time real estate agent? If the answer is no, than you should probably not try to sell your own home without an agent to represent you. Real estate is a full-time job and the people that do it for a living with the experience to guide you through the home selling process should be the ones to handle it with you. There is a lot more to what an agent does for you than putting a sign in the front yard and putting your home on the market in your local listing service.

Orange County, California has seen home prices on the rise this year! That is great news especially if you own a home there. Finding your homes value can be a tricky processes. It takes years of experience to do a proper comparable market analysis to see what your home’s value today. A listing agent can run the numbers of sales and purchases in your neighborhood and area for the right listing price based on what the specifics of your home are. It is more than just knowing what the house down the street sold for. A listing agent can get to the value by looking at things that your home has other homes don’t. Pricing a home right the first time when you go on the market is vital to getting solid and qualified offers in. A real estate agent can also give you expert advice on how to stage your home for showings!

Getting good offers from qualified buyers is crucial! You will get higher offers from buyers when you use a listing agent in Orange County. Buyers have buyers agents too. Those agents don’t like to work with for sale by owners and it comes down to representation. They would rather work with another seasoned agent on the selling side. They might not even know your home is for sale at all. You want these buyers agents to bring their buyers. It is a fact that homes listed with an agent get more showings and more offers to chose from.

You will speed up the sale of your home by using a listing agent in Orange County. There is tons of paperwork, inspections, and other processes that a listing agent handles everyday. By using a listing agent, you are letting them handle these things for you, and they know how to speed up these things and get them done in a timely manner. You will get a great offer, get your home under contract, and get to the closing table a lot faster by using an agent.

Some people avoid using a listing agent because they think they will profit more from not having to pay commissions on the sale of their home. This could not be any further from the truth. You actually come out of the sale with better results by using a listing agent. You get higher offers from buyers, your home priced right for the market in Orange County, and you will get to the closing table faster. The benefits of using a listing agent that is experienced in the area are enormous!

James Harvey’s Team has the experience to help you every step of the way. Call us at 714-612-9535 today!

Top 5 Ways To Add Value To Your Home

Your home is an investment. Whether you live there for a few years and sell it or you live there your whole life and pass it on to family later, it’s an investment. You do not have to remodel your home in a short time frame or spend a lot of money to add value to it. There are things that you can slowly do over time or quick weekend fixes that can pay off in the long run.

Planning is the first step to successfully adding value over time. If you are on a budget, like most people are, plan and figure out how much money and time you can invest each month. There might be some minor things or major things that you want to do. You can plan for both and it will make the process more simple. Home improvement should never stop as the years pass. Even if you are just fixing up one room a year, it still adds value over time and increases the return on your investment and hard work. On to the fun stuff!

Open your home up and create livable space in the home. If you have an older home with the separated den and kitchen, consider making a great room. Unnecessary walls and built-in barriers can make a home feel smaller than it is. By de-cluttering the home and opening up space you are keeping the home modern. Most buyers today want the open floor plans and predictions of future trends are moving in the same direction.

Shine a little light in your home. Add windows where you can if this is something in your budget, and if you can’t add windows, add light. Go to your local home improvement store and check out the lighting fixtures. There are all kinds of options for any room in your home. Overhead lighting is easier on the eyes than lamps or fan lights. It can seem more similar to sunlight when it is out of the eye range and over the head.

Maintenance is not that fun but it is necessary for the value of your home to increase over time. Plumbing leaks, minor cosmetic repairs, bathroom updating and maintenance, carpet replacement or cleaning, and wood floor care are all examples of things that should be maintained over time. If you have ever sold a home before than you know that inspectors look at all of these things and put things in an inspection report for the buyers. You can avoid costly repairs later by staying on top of the little things over time.

What is going on outside? Having a nice landscape outside your home is just as important as what is in it. People tend to forget about and neglect things like the trees outside but they will be looked at by potential buyers. Tree care can be expensive and it is a preventable cost by having tree experts in your area come out and do an assessment of what your trees need to be healthy. A healthy yard and bushes or flowers is always a plus for buyers. Make sure to keep weeds, overgrown bushes, and other plants pulled away from the home. They can be mold and pest producers if left to grow wild.

Keeping up with modern times and going green in your home will add value to future buyers with the Earth on their minds. Solar power is a big trend and can save you big bucks on your power bill while increasing your homes value. Some areas have solar programs to help people go green. Do your research in your area to find out what is available to you. You might even get a going green tax credit!

Because Experience Matters

Out of all the transactions that people make in their lifetime, their home is the single most emotionally invested one. The ups and downs of selling or buying a home are enough to make people feel confused and uncertain about the process. The process of going from contract to the closing is not as easy as agents sometimes make it look. Having an agent that knows what they are doing is key to a successful closing.Most Brokers would agree that for every 5 closings that they have, there are 5 new issues that come up. Every contract and closing has a different dynamic to it and it takes an experienced Broker to navigate this issues as they arise. You need an agent that can give you well educated advice on what the proper actions to take are. Real Estate wisdom is something that only comes with experience and time tested proven strategies for getting the best results from any situation. There are contract details, inspections, appraisals, and the closing to set up. At the center of the transaction is the real estate broker directing their clients on what to do in each situation. Would you want someone that is experienced or not experienced doing this? Experienced of course!

Some people chose a friend of a friend as an agent to represent them without looking into that person’s background of transaction history. This sounds crazy right? Well, it is crazy. An agent is supposed to give your input and exceptional direction so how can they do this if they have only had a few closings under their belt. They can’t and that is the issue. When you are interviewing an agent, the first question should always be related to how much experience they have in real estate.

How do you spot an experienced agent? Look for the most common signs of a seasoned broker. They do real estate for a living and full-time. Never hire an agent that sells a few homes a year outside their normal job. If real estate comes second in their life, so will your transaction. Look on their website and the internet for awards or client testimonials on the agent. You can learn a lot about someone by just doing a little research.

Selling or buying a home is something that takes knowledge and skills from a broker that does it every day and can tackle the issues for you as they come up. James Harvey has been a Top Producer in Orange County since 1998. James knows how to get the best results for his clients by using both traditional and new age techniques, combined with sharp negotiating skills. He is the Realtor that you want on your side. Call James Harvey’s Team at 714-612-9535.