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Dec. 5, 2018

Don’t Miss Out on These Great Holiday Events

What are your favorite holiday traditions? My family and I love to go and see The Young Americans perform at La Mirada Theatre; it really helps to put us in the Christmas spirit each year. If you’re looking for some great festivities to enjoy this winter season, check out our list or follow us on our social media pages for upcoming events that are guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit throughout December. Maybe you’ll find a new tradition you can look forward to every year like we do.

Long Beach Holiday Events:

Rancho Los Alamitos Open House - December 12-14
Bixby Knolls Holiday Party - December 14
Retro Row Open House
Rose Park Tree Lighting
A Baroque Christmas - December 8-9
David Benoit’s Charlie Brown Christmas at the Carpenter Center - December 15
Long Beach Ballet Presents “The Nutcracker” - December 15, 16
Naples Holiday Boat Parade - December 8

Click here for more holiday events in the Long Beach area!

LA Holiday Events:

CHILL At The Queen Mary - Open now-January 7th.
Holidays at Disneyland
Drive Through Christmas Tree Lane!
58th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration - December 24th, 2018
Holiday Light Festival Train Ride - Now through December 23, 2017, and from December 26 – December 28, 2017.
WINTER WONDERLAND & SANTA HOUSE - THE GROVE - Now through Dec. 24

Click here for more holiday events in LA!

Orange County Holiday Events:

Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony - December 5, 2018
Winter Wonderland - December 1, 2018
Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - December 19-23, 2018
Crystal Cove Tree Lighting & Holiday Bazaar - December 1, 2018
Moreno’s Restaurant 6th Annual Christmas Boutique - Sunday, December 2, 2018
Annual Holiday Wassail Concert  - December 7 & 8

Click here for more holiday events in Orange County!

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Nov. 21, 2018

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving


Friends,

The 2018 holiday season has officially begun! We hope you are as excited as we are.

We’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude to all of you this Thanksgiving. We have met some truly wonderful people, and we’re proud to have helped so many reach their real estate goals over the years.

We wouldn’t be where we are today without all of your support. Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner with all of your family and friends—that’s what we plan to do!

In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any real estate questions. We would be happy to help you.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Tim Majka

Imagine Realty

Serving the greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and Long Beach area.

 

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Oct. 4, 2018

Join Us at Our October Seller's Seminar

 

To RSVP visit www.imaginerealty.com/events

If you are thinking of possibly selling or making a move, I have an exciting announcement to share with you.

The process of selling your home and navigating today’s changing real estate market can be challenging, so if you’re thinking of selling your home or investment property now or in the future, we have an upcoming home seller seminar that’s just for you.

This seminar is happening on October 24 at the Seal Beach Winery from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It’s free to attend, and you’ll also have the opportunity to sample some great complimentary wine.

We’ll give you the tools, tips, and information you need to make the best decision with one of your biggest investments.

“If you’ve been considering selling your home or investment property, now is a great time.”

We’ll also share the steps you need to take to sell your home for the most money and talk about you and your agent’s role in making the sale happen. Additionally, we’ll discuss the current market, share our marketing strategies, and show you how to outshine the competition and make your home look its best before listing it.

Seal Beach Winery is located at 3387 West Cerritos Avenue, Los Alamitos, California. We look forward to seeing you there!

To RSVP visit www.imaginerealty.com/events

If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to speak to you.

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Sept. 19, 2018

What's the First Step in Buying a Home? Meeting With a Lender

 

One of the first things we recommend when you’re considering a real estate purchase is to get in touch with a lender. Doing so will be a critical first step in ensuring your success throughout the rest of the process.

To illustrate why, I recently brought on Steve Hankla from Doorway Home Loans—a mortgage expert with 34 years of experience—to discuss some tips for people about to embark on a home buying journey.

Steve’s first tip to all homebuyers was to get pre-approved early on. This will set you up with a clear understanding of your financial circumstances and allow you to proceed with confidence in your home search.

“Lenders like Steve can identify and resolve certain details of your financial health that may otherwise go unnoticed.”

During the pre-approval process, lenders like Steve look at three key areas of your finances: credit, income, and assets. When Steve receives these components from clients, he is able to give them a fully-underwritten pre-approval letter. Being pre-approved allows you to assert offers that are extremely solid, which, in turn, allows you to compete with cash buyers.

Beyond that, top lenders like Steve can also work with you to improve certain aspects of your financial situation in order to boost your chances as a buyer. Polishing up your credit, for example, can significantly impact your success.

Trying to make such improvements without professional guidance, meanwhile, could actually damage your chances as a buyer. For instance, did you know that paying off collection accounts may actually lower your score? This and other factors can take the average buyer by surprise, so it’s no wonder why an early pre-approval is so crucial to your overall success.

Lenders like Steve can identify and resolve certain details of your financial health that may otherwise go unnoticed. Earning the best deal during your home purchase requires a lot of intricate strategizing, and this is exactly why working with a professional lender is a must.

To reach Steve directly and find out more about today’s topic, you can give him a call at (714) 470-5626 or by emailing him at steve@gotoloanpro.com.

And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call at (800) 309-1528. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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June 21, 2018

Community Event: Shred Day on 7/14/2018

Do you have documents / statements / papers that need to be shredded? Come on by on July 14th between 9am - 1pm and we will have shredding trucks at 3030 Old Ranch Pkwy, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This is a free community event!  Come early!  Once the trucks are filled, the event will be over. 
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Oct. 19, 2017

3 Reasons This Fall Is The Perfect Time To Sell Your Home

Contrary to conventional belief, selling your home in the fall can actually be a great idea. A lot of folks think that summer is the best time to list, but today I’d like to give you three reasons why this fall may be an even better time to sell.

1.) Housing inventory is low. Across the nation, the inventory is about half of what it was 10 years ago. This is also true here in Southern California. As a result, sellers have very little competition.

2.) Interest rates will increase. The Fed is expected to raise the interest rate once more this year, and three times more in 2018. This year, prices have risen as well. Throughout Southern California, we’ve seen them increase by about  9%. The rise in price coupled with a higher interest rate is going to make homes a lot less affordable for buyers in the future.

“Fall buyers are very serious and very competitive.”

3.) Fall is a good time to sell. The buyers on the market right now are very serious. These buyers have probably been looking for homes throughout spring and summer. After all that time on the market, they’re still looking now because they either couldn’t find the right home previously or because they’ve been unable to get their offers accepted. Because of this, these buyers have realized they need to be much more competitive. December is actually as strong a month for volume, as are June and July. As a seller, you can know that fall buyers are very serious and very competitive.

If you have any other questions, would like more information, or want to talk to my team and I about selling your home, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

 

Posted in 3 Reasons to Consider Selling Your Home
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Sept. 28, 2017

5 Ways to Surge Ahead Of Competitors in this Hot Market


For homebuyers looking to buy a home in this market, it’s an exciting time—the market is really hot and homes are selling quickly.

But it can also be pretty frustrating. When they do find that perfect home, they may all of a sudden find out that there are multiple buyers that are also interested in that same property.

“Chances are, if it’s your dream home, it’s also someone else’s dream home.”

So, how can you make your offer stand out in the crowd?

1. Submit a large earnest money deposit. By going that route, it really shows the seller that you’re serious about purchasing their home. It also shows that you’re serious about closing on that purchase.

2. Show the sellers that you’re qualified. In this climate, in most cases, there are multiple offers on a property. In our area, the average days on market has dropped to just 13 days, which is really amazing. Be sure that you have a pre-approval letter from your lender. Nowadays, if you can get your pre-approval reviewed by an underwriter, it really can strengthen your offer as well.

3. Give the sellers more time to move. Sellers may need a little time between the closing of escrows, so let them know up front that you’re willing to give them two or three days to comfortably move into their new home.

4. Shorten or waive some of your contingencies. The standard contract gives you 17 days after your offer has been accepted to do the inspections and appraisals and give the property your due diligence. If you’re willing to shorten that period and/or shorten the 21-day period of your loan contingency, that can also make your offer stand out.

5. Write your best offer. The market is very competitive right now, so don’t look forward to doing a lot of negotiating back and forth. As far as your offer goes, lean toward making your best offer up front. This lets the seller know that you’re genuinely interested in their property, and certainly will put you in a stronger position.

Chances are, if it’s your dream home, it’s also someone else’s dream home, which is a recipe for a multiple-offer situation. Be sure to keep these tips in mind in order to strengthen the position you hold in a competitive real estate market.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in this hot market, go ahead and give us a call at 1-800-309-1528 or reach out to us on our website (www.imaginerealty.com). Let’s find your dream home.

Posted in Buyer Tips: 5 Ways To Beat Competing Offers
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Aug. 16, 2017

Selling A Home After the Loss of a Loved One


When settling the estate of a recently deceased loved one, there are three key steps you need to take.

In the unfortunate event of the loss of a loved one, what steps do you need to take to handle their estate?

According to Reba Birmingham of Long Beach Law, since it’s possible you might not be thinking clearly at the time of said loved one’s death, the first step is to capture documents that might be important later and throw them into a folder. This includes bank and stock statements and any deeds that might be lying around the house.

After that, you have to wait. You have to grieve—there will be family members to notify and a memorial to put on. These things take time. It also takes time to get the death certificate, which is the key to opening up some of those bank accounts and insurance claims.

“SEE AN ATTORNEY THAT PRACTICES REGULARLY IN ESTATE PLANNING AND TRUST ADMINISTRATION OR PROBATE.”

Next, see a professional. See an attorney that regularly practices in estate planning and trust administration or probate.

If you have any questions for Reba, you can call her at 562-621-6300 or visit her firm’s website at LongBeachLaw.com. If you have any questions for me, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

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June 14, 2017

3 Reasons To Consider Selling Now

3 Reasons to Consider Selling Now


Our market conditions are ripe for those looking to move into a new home. You can sell quickly and profitably, and buy while interest rates are low.

If you’ve been thinking about selling your home, three recent developments make this an ideal time to do so. 

1. Mortgage rates have stabilized. They were at 3.4% last July, then shot up to 4.3% right after the election in November. Since then, the rates have stabilized and are still very low (historically speaking).

2. Job numbers are up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 225,000 new jobs were created in February. Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen 2.3 million jobs created. Business is doing well, consumer confidence is high, and it all bodes well for the future of the housing market. 

IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BUY AND TO SELL.

3. Housing inventory is extremely low. February saw an almost 18% drop in the number of homes for sale. Since October 2008, we have consistently seen a steady decline in inventory. In fact, we’ve had 100 consecutive months of decreased inventory.

What does all this mean for you? Well if you’re thinking about selling, right now is the perfect time. You can sell very quickly in this market. Last year, homes were taking an average of 43 days to sell. While that’s still a great number, homes are selling in an average of just 30 days right now. With such low inventory, you can expect to get a great price for your home sale. 

It’s also a good time to buy with interest rates staying low and steady. This market is a win-win situation if you’re looking to make a move. If you or somebody you know is interested in buying or selling soon and taking advantage of this market, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted in 3 Reasons to Consider Selling Your Home
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May 9, 2017

Home Buyer & Seller Tip: How to Buy and Sell Your Home At The Same Time

 


Selling a home while trying to buy a new one can be a major obstacle. Luckily, there are two options that will keep you from having to pay two mortgages or move twice.

If you are looking to sell your current home and purchase a new one, there are a couple of options that will ensure you don't have to pay two mortgages at the same time or have to move twice. 

The first option is to sell your home contingent upon you purchasing your new home.This lets the buyer know that they will not be able to close on your property until you close on your new home. By doing this, you won’t have to pay two mortgages or move twice, but the buyer of your home won’t have the certainty of a closing date, preventing them from being able to lock in an interest rate. Also, if it takes you awhile to find that new home, the buyer could potentially get cold feet and walk away. 

The second option is to sell your home and negotiate a rent-back. You would close on the sale of your home in the normal 30-45 day time frame, but then negotiate renting back your home from the buyers for anywhere from 30 to 90 days or longer if need be. That gives you time to make sure you find and are happy with the new home that you’re purchasing. It also gives the buyer the certainty of a closing date so they can lock in their interest rate.

A RENT-BACK WOULD GIVE YOU THE TIME YOU NEED TO FIND YOUR NEW DREAM HOME.

Like the first option, this option keeps you from paying two mortgages or moving twice, but it also eliminates uncertainty for the buyers. It makes you a stronger buyer, as you know your property will close. 

If you’d like to see which option would work best for you or you are looking to buy or sell a home, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help.
Posted in Home Buyer & Seller Tip: How to Buy and Sell Your Home At The Same Time
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