Got your Mission Viejo home for sale on the market today? 

Here are some basic Must Do’s when buyers are coming to call.

1. Always leave your house as neat as a pin, ready for the perfect buyer, EXPECTING that they will come while you are gone.  Take a look around before you leave to make sure everything is set.  Even take three minutes to make fresh vacuum tracks in the living room carpet to show you really put some effort into making the house shine.  Leave on strategic lights.  Set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature.  Leave the whole house stereo system on classical music. 

This sets your intent with the Universe that you truly want to attract the perfect buyer for your home, if you’re into that kind of thing.  Even if you aren’t into Universal Energy or the Force – at least check the house every time you leave so you don’t have to worry about whether or not the kids left their dirty underwear on the bathroom floor.

2. Always LEAVE your house if you are home when a buyer is expected.  As in physically go away from the house.  Even if you work from home and you’re on a super important international conference call.  Don’t even think about walking behind the buyers with your Bluetooth headset on, barking instructions and strategies to your associates in China or London.  And all the kids home doing homework?  They’ve got to go, too.  EVERYONE leaves when buyers come to look.  Don’t be your own anti-sales strategy.  It is terribly uncomfortable for buyers to try on your home while you’re still in it.  Quite a buzz kill. 

The one exception to the above fundamental law of home selling is the napping baby/toddler/grandparent.  At least tuck all ya’ll away in the nap room.  And put several photos of the room on the door with a note that says “Sleeping Baby” and a picture of the little tyke fast asleep in his crib.  Everybody loves baby pictures.  The more emotion you conjure up for the buyer,  the better chance the perfect buyer will fall in love with your house and make a great offer.

Keeping your fingers crossed never hurts either.

Just Keeping it Real here in Mission Viejo Real Estate. 

I’m Leslie.  Gall me. Text Me.  Facebook me.  949-678-3373.

Be Ready When Mission Viejo Home Buyers Come ‘a Looking at Your House is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

Ring in the new year with a resolution to pick a new question on the Mission Viejo Real Estate Market.

Please. I beg you. If I hear “How’s the Market?” one more time, I’m likely to puke up my eggnog. I’m done with the snappy comeback “it depends.” Seriously? “How’s the Market?” What’s wrong with this question? It’s way too broad, that’s what. Here’s why:

1. What kind of home?

Condo or single family home? Fixer or Turnkey? Short Sale, Standard Sale, or REO?

2. Where?

For goodness sakes, you all know that location, location, location is so important. What Orange County city/community/neighborhood? On the beach? On a golf course? Backing to a freeway or busy street?

3. What features?

Remodeled or original condition? Huge lot? Pool? View? Office? Close to schools? HOA? Mello Roos?

4. What condition?

Trashed or upgraded? Abandoned or lovingly maintained? Funky add on or former model?

5. Who are you?

A buyer? A seller? An investor? A home owner trying to figure out how far underwater you are?

So if you want to know about standard sale turnkey single family homes for sale in Mission Viejo with a pool and a view because you’re looking for a place to raise your family and you have way too much going on to even think about remodeling the kitchen or putting in the pool yourself and you want to avoid Mello Roos assessments, that’s a great question!

On behalf of all Orange County Realtors, help us help you. Fill in a little more detail. Please. I beg you again.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

A New Year – A New Question on Mission Viejo Real Estate is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

But if I just bought a home in Mission Viejo, I’d re-key.  Not so much the key to your heart, but when talking about the keys to your new kingdom, get new ones.  And the door locks to go with them.  The same day your Mission Viejo Realtor hands you the old keys to your new home.  Here’s why.

If you bought your Mission Viejo home from an Equity Seller, a real person or family, they probably had all kinds of keys to the house out in the universe.  The kids and grand kids all have house keys.  A couple of neighbors of course have keys, just in case they need to get into the house while the former owners were on vacation and an emergency had arisen.  (You’ve heard about tsunamis, tornados, and lightening-induced wild fires, right?)  The maid service has a key, hopefully the reproduction of which has not gone viral at the first indication that the house was to be sold.  The babysitter has a key for sure, and maybe her boyfriend.  Maybe even the dog sitter, the plant tender, the pool guy and the gardener.  And the one hidden somewhere – in such plain sight that anyone could find it.  So I’d be going not very far out on that proverbial limb to say there are probably an average of 10 keys to your Mission Viejo house in someone else’s hands the day you move in.  Feeling a bit insecure?

If you bought your home from a Short Sale seller, it’s pretty much the same story.  While the names have been changed to protect the innocent, all the family, friends, neighbors, and household servicers are likely to have a key.  To the lock that protects you and your family and your family’s stuff.

Here’s where it gets a really creepy. Did you buy a Mission Viejo REO?  Well, thankfully the bank re-keyed the main locks on your house the minute they got that asset on their books.  Or as soon as the occupants moved out.  But here’s the fine print.  Most banks use the same master key for every single one of their properties.  The same key for every single home.  And there are usually two keys for every lock they replace.  I did a little back of the envelope scenario.  Average of three locks changed per home and they provide two keys per lock. Twenty-four thousand seven hundred and three – 24,703 – REO homes have been re-keyed in Orange County since January 1, 2004.  That’s 148,218 keys.  Even if there are 15 – 20 master keys, that’s a heck of a lot of exposure if you are living in an un-re-keyed REO home in Orange County today.  It really only takes about an hour to re-key three locks with the same new key and costs under $150.00.  Re-key.  Please.  Call Peter Bau at 949-395-2000 for more information on your re-key options.

Call me if you want more information on re-keying or any other topic – 949-678-3373.

To Re-Key or Not to Re-Key Your Mission Viejo Home – The Decision is Up to You is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

While the men keep drinking … the defending champs strategize….any bets?
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Highland Park Condos Listed for Sale in Mission Viejo

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Mission Viejo Homes for Sale – All Highland Park Condos is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

There’s One Number at the Root of Advanced Math for Today’s Mission Viejo Home Sellers and Home Buyers

There are multiple terms that mean the same thing in Mission Viejo Real Estate, just like the Governator has more nicknames now than he did before he spilled the beans about his other child(ren.)  Bank Owned and REO = same thing.  Equity Seller, Non-Distressed Sale, and Standard Sale = same thing.  So the most important number in the Mission Viejo Real Estate game today goes by many names.  Comps, CMA, Current Market Value, Recent Closed Comps, and Recent Closed Sales = same thing.  The operative words here being recent (as in within the last three months,) closed sale (as in actually traded hands for a verifiable price, ) and comparable (as in similar to your home in size, style, location, condition, and emotional appeal.) And it is equally important to  both Mission Viejo Home Sellers and Mission Viejo Home Buyers.  The one number that you’ll both have to agree on if you’re going to put a deal together.

For home sellers, you’ll be plowing your way through numbers like your expected net proceeds at different potential sales prices, capital gains limits (if you’re lucky,) your remaining loan balance, your required repair costs, and your moving costs.  For home buyers, you’ve got the size of the loan you can qualify for, the amount of your down payment, monthly payments at different potential interest rates, property tax payments, and closing costs.  Oh, and the cost of your appraisal and home inspection(s.)

Thing is, in all this quagmire of money going back and forth, the number that sits right in the middle of the whole deal is the current market value of the home you are selling or buying based on recently closed comparable sales.  It will be a barometer for buyers – the way they’ll know what price to offer on your home.  And a gauge for home sellers to know how to counter that low ball offer or figure out that you’d better take it while you can.  And you’re all looking at the recent closed sales and adding and subtracting for similarities and differences between what has sold recently and the deal you are trying to put together.

Are sellers likely to think their home is better than the recent sales and therefore obviously worth more?  Are buyers likely to discount the color of the granite and the quality of the new cabinets to justify a lower value than the one up the street?  Of course.  That’s why they call it negotiating.  But if you come back to the comps, you’re much more likely to make a deal. Or know when it’s time to say Hasta La Vista, Baby. Next.

Call me if you want to see what the comps say about your Mission Viejo home.  Or any other great Orange County home.  Leslie 949-678-3373

Mission Viejo Home Sellers and Home Buyers Have to Know the Comps is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

The fire department is working on it!  No houses are involved.

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385 New Hampshire in Gated Granada Park – off Kraemer and Chapman – Open Saturday May 28 from 1 – 4 PM and Sunday May 29 from 1 – 4

4 Bedroom 3 Bath 2335 Sq Ft Single Family Home – 2 car attached garage, community pool, spa, and tennis courts.  Get in for a sneak peek before it hits the market! Be the first offer in!   Or sign up below for a private tour.

Placentia Open House – REO Sneak Preview is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

Looking for a Condo in Mission Viejo?  Check Out These Highland Park Homes for Sale

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Mission Viejo Condos for Sale – All Highland Park Listings is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale

Homes for Sale in Mission Viejo Greystone Tract in Califia

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Mission Viejo Real Estate – Homes for Sale in Califia Greystone Tract is a post from: Mission Viejo Real Estate-Mission Viejo Homes For Sale