Buyers Resources
RESOURCES
For Buyers
Why Select Me to Help you Buy your Home?
- I work tirelessly to help buyers meet their real estate goals. I really listen to my clients, and strive to get to know them and their families to learn what their goals are and what is most important to them.
- I have lived in the Lunada Bay area of Palos Verdes Estates for 35 years and have raised 3 boys there. I have also lived in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. I therefore have a great deal of knowledge about the South Bay and the Palos Verdes Peninsula and their local schools, real estate market, history, and other community information to help your transition to your new home.
- I am among the top producing agents in RE/MAX Estate Properties with more than 17 years of real estate sales experience:
– Member of the RE/MAX Platinum Club and RE/MAX Hall of Fame
– Member of The RE/MAX Collection Luxury Home Division - I have a background in fashion design which provided me with a great sense of color and style in helping you make your new home your own. I also have an extensive network of contractors and other local service providers to make improvements to your home.
- I have the specialized training in several different areas to provide the best service to you possible. I have five specialist certifications; Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Certified Palos Verdes Specialist, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, Certified Distressed Property Expert, and e-pro certification as an internet specialist.
- Please see my testimonials from previous clients to show you how satisfied my clients have been with the level of service I provided to them.
I look forward to getting to know you and your family and helping you find the perfect home.
Purchasing Contract
The California Residential Purchase Agreement (California Association of Realtors form RPA-CA) is a standard form purchase contract There were significant changes made in the revised forms released in 11/14 and 12/15 , with changes in language in many paragraphs. Initial Offer: The initial offer that a buyer makes to acquire a property is made on the RPA-CA standard form Residential Purchase Contract. Some of the important items which must be included in the contract are the following: 1. Purchase Price, Financing, [...]
Escrow & Title
Escrow is the process which facilitates the transfer of title, the funding of a new mortgage, the payoff of an existing mortgage, the issuance of new title insurance, the proper payment of all fees and expenses and the proper pro rations between buyer and seller. The escrow agent acts a third party to insure that all parties to the transaction have met their obligations prior to the recordation of any documents relating to the sale. The escrow agent performs the following [...]
Closing Costs
Closing Costs Paid by Either Buyer or Seller: Allocation of costs associated with ownership of the home: These costs include the following: Property Taxes: Property Taxes in California are placed as a lien on a property July 1st of each year, and are for taxes for the period 7/1 through 6/30. These taxes are due and payable by 12/15 and 4/15 of the taxable year. At closing, property taxes are either allocated to the buyer or seller depending on the date [...]
Home Inspections
General Home Inspection: A home inspection, conducted by a professional home inspection company, is a necessity when purchasing a home, town home, or a condo. This inspection provides comfort to the buyer that the home is in generally good condition, and that the home's main systems are in good operational order, or will disclose to the buyer what repairs may be needed. The inspection report serves as the basis for the home buyers request for repairs to be conducted by the [...]
Income Tax Issues
CAPITAL GAINS ON SALE OF RESIDENCE: The Federal capital gains rate for long-term (property held for more than 1 year) capital gains for the sale of real estate for most tax payers is 15% (See Capital Gains Rates for a discussion of Federal capital gains tax rates, particularly the 28% rate for depreciation recapture). Capital gains in California are taxed at ordinary income tax rates (up to 13.3%). For the sale of a personal residence, if it meets certain requirements (see [...]
Calculation of Property Taxes in the South Bay
Property Taxes in the South Bay of Los Angeles County are computed by the standard 1.0% of the property's assessed valuation (in accordance with Proposition 13, a property's assessed valuation is the original purchase price, plus the cost of improvements, based on the value of permits pulled, plus an increase in valuation of 2% per year) plus additional tax rates for voted bonded indebtedness, plus direct assessments such as school parcel taxes. Copies of building permits are sent to the Assessor. [...]
Residential Home Financing
RESIDENTIAL HOME FINANCING With a fixed rate mortgage (FRM), your monthly payments will be steady. In contrast, with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), your payments will vary over time. Adjustable rate mortgages typically have an initial fixed rate lower than the rate of a comparable fixed rate mortgage. The initial fixed rate period is followed by adjustment intervals. For example, a "3/1 ARM" is fixed at an initial low rate for the first 3 years, and then adjusts every year based [...]
Fico Scores
FICO Scores are a 3 digit score used by credit agencies to rate a potential borrowers credit worthiness. The FICO score was developed by Fair Isaac Company (therefore the acronym FICO) in the 1950's and has been universally adopted by the three main credit rating agencies, Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. FICO scores range from 300 to 850. The credit rating agencies do not disclose how this score is derived, however the following factors are known to affect the score: Payment [...]
Home Warranty
It is common for buyers to request that the sellers provide a home warranty. Standard Home Warranty packages includes protection against breakdowns in numerous systems of the home, including the following: Plumbing System, Plumbing Stoppages, Water Heater, Heating System/Heat Pump, Ductwork, Electrical System, Garage Door Opener, Central Vacuum System, Ceiling Fans, Doorbells, Pest Control, Dishwasher, Garbage Disposal, Built-In Microwave Oven, Range/Oven/Cooktop, Trash Compactor A trade service call fee per repair visit (usually about $55) or the actual cost of service, whichever [...]
Moving Tips 3
Easing the Transition to Your New Home Use the right boxes, and pack them carefully Professional moving companies use only sturdy, reinforced cartons. The boxes you can get at your neighborhood supermarket or liquor store might be free, but they are not nearly as strong or padded, and so can't shield your valuables as well from harm in transit. Use sheets, blankets, pillows and towels to separate pictures and other fragile objects from each other and the sides of the carton. [...]
Construction Costs
How much does it cost to build a home now?The average cost to build a single family residence can range over a considerable amount depending on the custom features, type of construction, etc. An example of this type of fluctuating costs depending on the quality of the work involved can be seen in my page describing home improvements (you can also see the approx. cost of various type of home improvements such as adding a bedroom or bath, a kitchen remodel, [...]
Your Home Value – Zillow.com Debunked
A recent article in Fortune Magazine (2/7/07 edition) talked about the explosive growth in the use of Zillow.com by both buyers and sellers of real estate to estimate the market value of homes in their community The problem is that Zillow.com completely ignores the fact that you simply can not estimate a propertys market value given the limited public information available, such as the age of the home, location, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, or square footage. Many factors such as [...]
Rancho Cala Vista
Once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase "Rancho Cala Vista", one of the largest parcels of land on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. These incredible 27.5 acres are at the highest point of the gated Portuguese Bend community at the end of Plumtree Road in Rancho Palos Verdes. Situated high above the Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, Rancho Cala Vista means "Cove View Ranch". The Portuguese Bend area provides a relaxing sense of times gone by, and streets lined with olive and eucalyptus [...]
Foreclosures
DISTRESSED PROPERTIES - PALOS VERDES AND SOUTH BAY SHORT SALE EXPERT The Certified Property Expert designation demonstrates that I have the specialized knowledge to advise homeowners on how best to deal with home loan delinquency issues, foreclosures, and short sales. If you are facing loan delinquency issues, please feel free to call me to discuss your options. It is important that you work with a Realtor who has experience in these areas as there are many complex issues involved. Some of [...]