Santa Clarita Valley Real Estate Podcast with Brandon Montemayor

A 90-Day Recap of Our Santa Clarita Valley Market

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 23 May 2019 13:20:00 -0700

What happened in our market these last 90 days?
Find out with this quick market update.

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Today we’re going to take a look at what’s going on in the Santa Clarita Valley area real estate market. While data relating to pending and active listings can give us a decent idea of current trends, the best way to get a feel for our market is by examining the homes that have actually sold.

In the last 90 days, we’ve had 921 properties sell in our area. Of those properties, 625 were single-family homes, while the remaining 296 were condos, townhomes, or manufactured dwellings.

Here is the full breakdown of homes sold by area:

Canyon Country - 216
Castaic - 78
Newhall - 96
Saugus - 204
Stevenson Ranch - 43
Valencia - 283
“Santa Clarita” - 1 (This home was actually in Canyon County, but was listed otherwise).

“

The best way to get a feel for our market
is by examining the homes that have actually sold.

”

Looking at how these 921 properties broke down between price points, it’s clear that some ranges see more activity than others. Here is the full breakdown of homes sold per price point:

$300,000 and below - 48 homes
$300,000 to $450,000 - 220 homes
$450,000 to $600,000 - 334 homes
$600,000 to $750,000 - 219 homes
$750,000 to $900,000 - 64 homes
$900,000 to $1 million - 13 homes
$1 million and up - 23 homes

If you have any other questions or would like more information about what this data means for you and your real estate goals, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

8 Simple Steps a Future Home Seller Can Take Now

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:05:00 -0700

These eight easy, preparatory tips are sure to put any
future seller’s home in prime market condition.

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There’s a portion of sellers out there who know they want to list their home, but aren’t ready just yet. These same sellers wonder, though, what precursory steps they can take to ensure that they’re in good shape when the time to hit the market comes.

If this is true for your situation, here are eight easy steps you can take:

1. Have us come out to the house. We’ll draw up a very specific, specialized plan for you and your home so that you’re not spending time on items that won’t bring the value you might otherwise expect. Even if you’re five years away from your move, we’re always happy to come out and offer our opinion on what it’ll take to get your home market-ready.

2. Raise your home’s curb appeal. Think like a buyer who’s stepping onto your property for the first time—what would you want to see if you were them? Maybe you need to do away with some of those dead spots in your lawn, add some colorful flowers, remove an old tree stump or a shabby-looking chair. Whatever the case may be, this is a good place to start.

3. Declutter the interior of your home. Create a smooth, easy walkway for future buyers to come through. An environment where a buyer has to squeeze through tight or cluttered spaces won’t bode well for your sale, and wide open spaces tend to show better.

4. Repaint walls that may have an “extreme” color. Paint over lurid-colored walls with a more neutral option, and while you’re at it, touch up any nicks in the baseboards or on the walls. These sorts of things are the normal wear-and-tear of a lived-in home, but should be dealt with before your home goes to market.

“

We’re always happy to come out and offer our opinion
on what it’ll take to get your home market-ready.

”

5. Put your home to the “smell test.” This may be a bit of a hit to the pride, but it’s important to have an unbiased, third-party come into your home and give you an honest opinion. They’ll pick up things you probably wouldn’t—pet odors, the lingering smells of your cooking, etc., can all affect the salability of your home. Knowing this up front could determine your course of action when it comes to painting or recarpeting as well.

6. Perform a deep-cleaning. Whether it’s getting up to your high windows or dusting off shutters at harder-to-reach points, it’s a good idea to thoroughly clean these areas so that your home shows well and gets through the inspection with flying colors.

7. Start to hide valuables. You should begin to box up and put away valuable belongings if you won’t be using them in the next year or so. This way, you’ll know these items are in safekeeping when buyers are walking through your home.

8. Begin the staging process. Bulky, large furniture might be great for your current living situation, but when it’s “show-time,” they might make the room feel smaller and more cluttered. Because of this, it’s best to take early steps to remove some of these items, widen the open space, and create a great flow.

We’d love to come out to your property and work with you to lay out a plan for your future sale. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Homeowners: Are Solar Panels a Good Idea?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:56:00 -0700

Solar power is a popular topic lately. Today I’ll examine whether or not
installing solar panels on your home is a good idea.

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When talking about whether or not adding solar panels to your home is a good idea, there are two main points to think about.

First, ask yourself, “Do you plan on living in your home for a short period, or are you planning to live there long-term?”

For people who are looking to live in their home long-term, solar is a great idea.

If you’re only considering a short-term stay in that property, it really comes down to whether you can afford to put solar panels on the house and purchase it.

A leased solar panel tends to cause homebuyers some uncertainty; they don’t typically like to take on other people's leases. Mind you, we’ve sold a ton of homes with solar leases, some within a few months after the selling process, but if you want to appeal to most homebuyers, a solar lease isn’t the way to go.

“

For people who are looking to live in their
home long-term, solar is a great idea.

”

It’s much easier to sell a house where the solar panels are owned by the homeowner. There are no additional payments, and it provides immediate savings in terms of utilities if you didn’t have to invest in the system.

Now if you’re planning to stay in your home long-term and are considering purchasing solar panels, you need to think about your income. Do you have a relatively fixed income? How much money do you have in your savings?

If you’re on a fixed income, have some money in your savings, and you can afford to make an investment in your house, solar panels will help you save on your electric bill over time by bringing it down to almost nothing.

If you don’t have a ton of money in your savings but you do have a consistent income, a lease is a great idea. During the hotter summer months out here in Santa Clarita where temperatures get into the 100s, solar panels will help you save big time.

For any questions you have about solar panels, the logistics of having them installed, and/or the savings they’ll provide you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to have an in-depth discussion with you.

Your March Santa Clarita Valley Market Update

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:06:00 -0700

What’s the latest in our Santa Clarita Valley market? Find out today.

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Over the last 10 years, our market has experienced extreme highs and extreme lows. Around 2007, it hit a peak and subsequently crashed, but it went back up a few years later. That upward momentum continued until around last year, when things began to flatten out.

Now, the market is forecasted to stay steady for one to two years. We’ll experience normal levels of appreciation between 2% and 4%, and there are two factors that indicate this: Inventory is still fairly low, though it’s growing in some areas, and so are interest rates. Since neither of these factors will change overnight, we can expect a consistent market for a while.

If you want to talk about buying or selling a home, have any questions, or need more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Our Market’s Performance So Far in 2019

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:51:00 -0800

If you’re curious about what market conditions are like in the early stages of 2019,
my latest market update will tell you all you need to know.

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It’s time to look at how our market is performing so far in the early part of 2019.

Let’s get right to it: As of now, our active inventory is at 557 homes throughout Santa Clarita Valley and 361 home sales are either pending or in escrow. Year to date, there has been a total of 288 closings.

As you can tell, our market is experiencing a general upturn, with more homes in escrow than what was true of the same time last year. However, active listings haven’t budged much from where they were a year ago.

“

The marriage of amazingly low rates and
our active listings leveling off is encouraging
for the strength and stability of our current market.

”

Interest rates have been tempered as well. In fact, we’ve seen some conventional loans as low as 4.5% as well as FHA and VA loans situated at 4.125%.

The marriage of amazingly low rates and our active listings leveling off—which means homes are still selling well—is encouraging for the strength and stability of our current market. This is to say that there are still moves to be made and plenty of opportunities to secure the best deal possible.

If you have any questions related to our real estate market and how it affects your personal situation, don’t hesitate to reach out. Put us to work for you!

Our Team Has Moved & Our Current Market Is Doing the Same

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 10:02:00 -0800

Our team has moved offices! Hear more about this and the
latest information regarding our current market in today’s message.

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Now that we’ve transitioned into 2019, we’re happy to announce that our team has also transitioned into a new office! Don’t worry, though—we have no plans to leave RE/MAX Santa Clarita. We have a great relationship with the company and an amazing support staff and system to serve our clients’ needs at the highest level.

The move wasn’t drastic by any means: We’re still on the same road between Lyons Avenue and Calgrove Boulevard, right off the 5 Freeway. We’ve gone from that white building into the big, brick building across from In-N-Out and the hotels nearby.

We look forward to doing some client events at our new location in the future, as well as bringing you more videos that’ll acquaint you with the new space and introduce you to everyone who’s hard at work to protect your real estate investments!

If you happen to be in the area and need anything from us, we’d love for you to drop in, say hello, and let us know how we can help.

“

We’re happy to announce that
our team has transitioned into a new office!

”

For a moment, let’s turn our attention to the 2019 market and how it’s performing so far:

Though it was slow going as we entered the new year, our market has again begun to pick up speed. We’re seeing multiple-offer situations spring up, interest rates are staying at historic lows, and correctly priced homes are still selling for top dollar.

With the right amount of patience, some persistence, and a game plan, you can take advantage of what our market has to offer right now, and we’re here to assist you with that.

For help with any and all of your real estate needs, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We look forward to an awesome 2019 and to talking to you soon.

The Ultimate Holiday Home Maintenance Checklist

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 4 Dec 2018 14:18:00 -0800

Are you taking proper care of your home? Follow this home maintenance checklist
to make sure that your property stays in the best shape possible.

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The holiday season is absolutely flying by. Before we know it, we’ll all be left scrambling to find space in our homes for all the gifts we received.

For some of you, this may mean taking a trip up to the attic or down to the basement. Coincidentally, the holiday season is also a perfect time to check on the vital home systems that run from those less-traveled places of your property. There’s no time like the present to get started on your home maintenance checklist.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, click here to see the list we’ve put together. Following the steps on this list will be crucial to keeping your home (and your family) safe and sound.

“

Proper home maintenance will save you
a lot of time, money, and hassle
in the long run.

”

Also, while larger tasks like checking up on your HVAC system, your hot water heater, and other major systems and appliances are important, you also shouldn’t neglect less-involved maintenance items, such as cleaning the gutters, replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors, and changing out your air filters. Proper home maintenance will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle in the long run.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What You Should Do Before Buying a Vacation Home

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Fri, 9 Nov 2018 12:57:00 -0800

It’s never too early to begin planning your vacation home purchase.
Here’s what you need to know, whether you’re buying tomorrow or 10 years from now.

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If you’ve been wanting to buy a vacation home (or a permanent one), today we’re going to teach you everything you’ll need to know. We’ll also show you the top 10 best places to buy, so if you don’t have an idea in mind yet, we can give you some great suggestions. Before you decide to purchase your perfect getaway, here are some things to keep in mind.

The market is great, and people who have bought in the last few years have seen their equity skyrocket. There are a variety of loans available, and many don’t necessarily need huge down payments. Even if it’s something you’re simply thinking about, it’s a good idea to see if you’re qualified and find out what your affordability is like. It’s never too early to start planning.

Do research on the area you’re interested in. Is it a seasonal place or does it see traffic year round? What is the market doing? You want to purchase at the right time. You also want to go in with a plan, whether you’re wanting to purchase immediately or years from now. You can even leverage your home as a rental or Airbnb for when you’re not there. There are many different options that can help you pay for your property instead of having to wait and save.

“

Go in with a plan, whether you’re
wanting to purchase immediately or
years from now.

”

Don’t have an idea of where to buy? Here are the top 10 places to retire:

10. Lakeland, Florida
9. Dallas Fort Worth, Texas
8. San Antonio, Texas
7. Nashville, Tennessee
6. Grand Rapids, Michigan
5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Austin, Texas
3. Sarasota, Florida
2. Fort Meyers, Florida
1. Lancaster, Pennsylvania

If you need help making a plan, figuring out your numbers, or buying your perfect property, feel free to reach out to us. We have some great agents who will put you on the perfect path toward your vacation home goals. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don’t Wait Until Spring: You Can Sell This Winter!

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 12:48:00 -0700

Why wait until spring when you can sell just as well now?
We’ll show you why winter is a great time to list.

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We often have people asking around this season, “Should we sell now or wait until the first of the year?” There are a few points we like to look at to help sellers make that decision. A lot of it also comes down to determining your personal situation and how it plays into what we know about end-of-year statistics.

One thing we know is that there’s less competition toward the end of the year. This means a lot of people do believe they should sell after the new year instead, but it also means that buyers have fewer homes to choose from if you list now. This will ensure your house automatically stands out as a choice for homebuyers.

People are also being relocated or deciding to move. A common moving time is during summer, but another one is around the holidays. Companies tend to move employees before January, allowing families to enroll their children in the second half of the school year. Because there is this time limit, buyers are more motivated and serious in their search around this time. They want to make a quick transition.

“

Your house automatically stands out
as a choice for homebuyers.

”

The holidays are a great time of year to showcase your home. On top of your decorations, you can show the sense of community your neighborhood holds. We go all out here in Santa Clarita during the holidays, so it’s a great time for people to see your home and those around it in fully decorated splendor.

On top of all this, mortgage rates are still low, and you’ll have quicker transactions and transitions when your home is sold. Buyers want to be settled before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s. They’re willing to make great offers and move fast, allowing you to also get to your new residence quickly.

It comes down to what’s best for you and your family, and we’d be more than happy to help you decide what to do. Give us a call and we can walk you through the process. We look forward to hearing from you.

What’s Going on in the Santa Clarita Market Right Now?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 9 Oct 2018 12:51:00 -0700

Our market is shifting, but what does that mean for you? Keep reading to find out.

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We haven’t done a market update in a while, so I wanted to get one to you today about what’s going on right now in our local and national real estate markets.

In Santa Clarita, there are about 690 active homes on the market right now that are available for sale. Over the last 30 days, there have been 262 home sales.

If we look at the numbers over the last few months, we’re beginning to see a pattern of leveling out. We’ve been so used to extreme highs and lows over the past decade, but every sign is showing that the market is balancing out now. This normal, “boring” appreciation between 2% to 4% a year is good news for our market overall.

“

There is opportunity for everyone in this market.

”

We don’t exactly know how long this is going to last, but because our low inventory is gradually increasing and interest rates are bumping up slowly, we’re in a very equal and balanced market.

In any shifting market like this, there is opportunity for everyone. Whether you’re looking to move up, move down, invest, or buy your first home, there’s opportunity out here as long as you know where to look.

If you have any questions for us about how you can take advantage of this market, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Exempt Yourself From Paying Capital Gains on Equity

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 10:02:00 -0700

Today I am explaining the requirements for a capital gain exemption and a 1031 exchange.

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In this market, where properties carry a lot of equity, it is important to know everything you can about real estate investments. To help you out, I want to talk about capital gain exemption rules and 1031 exchanges with you today.

To start with, I will explain how capital gain exemptions work.

If you have lived at least two of the last five years in your current home, any equity you have built during that time can be claimed as tax-exempt gains. For married couples selling their home, this amount can go up to $500,000. A single person, on the other hand, can claim up to $250,000. You can even qualify for this exemption if you rented out your home for three of the years, as long as you currently live in the residence.

“

If you have already made a capital gain exemption,
you can still qualify if you have lived in your
current home for two of the last five years.

”

So, if you're thinking about selling, this exemption can save you a lot of money.

And through a 1031 exchange, you can defer all capital gain taxes if you are thinking about selling your current investment property to reinvest the funds into a new one. Of course, this exchange doesn’t apply to primary residences. It must be done with investment properties.

If you have any questions about this, or if you are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Why Price Reductions Aren’t the Beginning of an Overall Trend

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 12:20:00 -0700

Though we’ve seen some price reductions in our market, prices aren’t dropping overall.
Here’s why.

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We’ve seen a lot of price reductions lately in our Santa Clarita area, but does that mean the market’s leveling downward as a whole? We don’t believe so, and here’s why.

Most of these price reductions happened with listings whose sellers tried pricing their homes just ahead of the pace of the market while it was at an incline. For example, during this time, one of these sellers might’ve priced their home at $525,000 if they saw that the last home in their neighborhood sold at $500,000 and they thought theirs was better.

“

Most of these price reductions happened with
listings whose sellers tried pricing their homes
just ahead of the pace of the market.

”

As our market’s leveled out a bit, the excess demand for standing inventory has also leveled out. Now when we see that $525,000 home selling at—say—$510,000, what might look like an overall trend is actually the case of a seller reducing their price to a point that it should have been at all along.

If you have any more questions about our Santa Clarita market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

A Closer Look at the Santa Clarita Real Estate Market

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Wed, 1 Aug 2018 13:51:00 -0700

The Santa Clarita real estate market is starting to change. Here’s what you need to know.

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We’ve been seeing some changes lately in the market, so today we wanted to highlight a few things that you need to pay attention to, both in Santa Clarita and in the nationwide market.

Inventory is starting to rebuild, which we haven’t seen in a long time in Santa Clarita. Over the last five to eight years, we were hovering in the range of 300 to 500 homes as far as inventory was concerned. Right now, we have about 650 active homes on the market. At the same time, 330 homes have sold in the last 30 days, so the market is still healthy and normal.

As our inventory rebuilds, and should interest rates continue to tick up, this will knock out purchasing power for certain buyers. At this point, there’s only one thing for sellers in the market to do: be more competitive. In most cases, if the buyer pool starts to thin out, sellers need to be more competitive. Homes just aren’t selling as quickly as they have been.

“

Homes that are priced right are still selling
quickly and with multiple offers.

”

In addition to this, we are seeing homes that are upgraded and priced right moving quickly and often selling with multiple offers. A lot of “experts” are saying that the market is going to start pulling back in the next year, while others are saying that we have another five to seven years of growth because of the economy.

At this point, we won’t know if the market has pulled back or not until three months after it has happened. What we do know is that it’s always important to have a game plan in place. Whether that is using the equity in your home to invest, possibly moving out of the area, upsizing, downsizing, and what options you have and what upgrades you can do.

No matter what your situations is, we’d love to work with you to develop a game plan. There’s no reason to panic right now, but it’s always important to have a contingency plan. If you have any other questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email anytime. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Can You Trust a Zestimate?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 11:10:00 -0700

Though popular, Zillow and similar real estate websites can’t really provide you the same, accurate information that a Realtor can. Here’s why.

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Are home valuation tools like Zillow’s Zestimate accurate? Can you count on that information when determining how much equity you have, what your home’s value is, and what’s going on in the neighborhood?

We hear questions like these regarding those online tools all the time. The truth is, if you’re just trying to get a general idea of the neighborhood values, a Zestimate might get you close. However, I’ve seen many instances in which Zestimates price a home $50,000 to $100,000 higher or lower than they ought to have per the market.

Zestimates and their like determine the value of your home based on an algorithm that incorporates the information of comparable home sales in the area. It can’t take into account the fact that, say, your community is gated, or if it’s located in a tract that borders another tract; one low sale in a neighboring tract can throw your Zestimate off completely.

Additionally, Zillow can’t analyze what’s inside of your home, so it can’t take into account any upgrades and improvements you’ve done that might affect your value. It also doesn’t factor in the condition of the properties surrounding your home. If your home is a model match for the one next door, but yours has been upgraded where the other hasn’t, the Zestimate won’t be able to see the difference.

“

Zillow can’t analyze what’s inside of your home, so it can’t take into account any upgrades and improvements you’ve done that might affect your value.

”

Finally, these online valuation tools won’t consider the amount of inventory in your area. Many markets like ours are lacking in inventory, which causes prices to push in a positive direction, especially for homes with the right upgrades.

If the numbers you get back from the Zestimate seem too good to be true, chances are that the numbers are off. That’s where you reach out to a real estate professional like us. We are more than happy to pull some basic numbers and give you a much more accurate ballpark estimate of your home’s value. We can also come out to your house to take a peek and factor in your current or future upgrades to determine the eventual price your home could get.

If you need assistance from us or have any questions, please feel free to lean on us and make our team your No. 1 resource. We’d be glad to help you.

How to Get the Most From Your Future Home Sale

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 4 Jun 2018 11:12:00 -0700

What can you do to get the most money out of your home when it comes time to sell? Here’s my advice to future home sellers.

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You’re thinking about selling your home in the next two to five years—what should you be doing between now and then to ensure that you get the most value out of your home as possible when it comes time to sell?

We have many ways to approach this problem. We are more than happy to come out to your house and discuss value-adding upgrades and upgrades that will be a poor investment. Having an agent’s help in that area will itself prove invaluable, since not every home will have same upgrades to boost its worth.

We can also send you our blank home inspection list. If you can start checking projects and repairs off that list sooner than later, it will save you a lot of time and stress when it comes time to list your home.

“

It’s not a bad idea to get the serious projects taken care of while you have time to space them out.

”

Additionally, we can connect you with a home inspector if you’d like a pre-inspection. With a pre-inspection, you can find out what things are likely to pop up during the official inspection, which also allows you to address problems before you actually get to the transaction.

If something were to come up during the transaction, you potentially run the risk of holding it up, lowering your net profits, or even cancelling it altogether, depending on what the issue is. Issues with safety and home integrity are going to be the most unattractive features for buyers to see. It’s not a bad idea to get the serious projects taken care of while you have time to space them out.

If you have any questions about value-adding upgrades and getting your home ready for the process of listing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll be glad to come out and take a look and create a plan for you to move forward toward your goal of selling your home for the most money possible.

Santa Clarita Valley Market Update for Spring 2018

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 22 May 2018 09:27:00 -0700

We have a quick market update for you today. Here is what you should know about the current state of Santa Clarita Valley real estate.

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It is starting to heat up out there in the Santa Clarita Valley. Summer is around the corner, and so is the peak buying season for our real estate market. We haven’t given you a market update in a while, so I wanted to give you a quick update on the latest numbers and where we’re at.

Inventory is something you’ve probably been hearing about a lot. Over the last few years, we have been hovering at very low levels. We are nowhere near where a balanced market should be. Right now, we have 452 active listings on the market to go along with 517 pending sales.

Over the last 30 days, we have had 317 closed home sales. Anything over 300 is a great number. The interesting thing about our inventory is that of the 452 homes, 252 of them have been on the market for less than 30 days. More than half of our inventory is fairly new. At the same time, 96 homes have been on the market for more than 60 days.

“

We have seen 317 closed home sales over the last 30 days.

”

Another factor we need to consider is interest rates. Even though they are creeping up, our low inventory and high demand brings a lot of opportunity to the market for buyers, sellers, and investors.

If you want to know more about the market and where we see it heading over the next year, give us a call or send us an email. We watch these things closely and would be happy to chat with you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Is It a Good Idea to Add Solar Panels to Your Home?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 09:56:00 -0700

Many people are curious as to whether solar panels add any dollar value to a property, so let’s explore this question today.

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People often ask my team and I, “Do solar panels add to a home’s value?” Alongside this question, people also often ask us whether it’s better to purchase or lease.

Unfortunately, solar panels do not appear to make an impact when it comes to adding a dollar value to your home. Appraisers have found that, because there are so many kinds of solar panels and so many means by which a person might purchase or lease them, the potential for added value is difficult to assess.

That being said, the presence of solar panels, whether they were purchased or leased, may increase the overall appeal of your home in the eyes of certain buyers. Solar panels that have been purchased outright are more likely to be usable as a bargaining chip in the transaction. Leased units, on the other hand, tend to prompt more hesitance from potential buyers.

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While they may not add dollar value, solar panels may increase the overall appeal of your home.

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So the bottom line is this: If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next few years, let us know and we can discuss whether adding solar panels to your property is the right choice for you.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Protect Your Home From Burglars

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 09:14:00 -0700

How can you protect your home from burglars? I have six tips to help you today.

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There is a burglary about every 20 seconds in the United States. Today, I have a few tips to help you prevent your home from becoming a target.

There are six main things that burglars don’t want you to know:

1. Burglaries don’t always happen at night. That’s what we see in the movies, but the majority of burglaries happen between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. The last thing the criminal wants to do is run into you. Protecting yourself in the middle of the day is most important.

2. They know when you’re not home thanks to social media. If you’re on Facebook or Twitter, don’t post exactly where you are if you are out of the house or on vacation. They recently caught a burglar who hit 33 different homes. He simply watched his targets on social media and looked at the location when they posted a picture to determine whether the family was home or not. Be careful when posting photos, and don’t make a status update about your week-long vacation.

3. They don’t like your security practices. If there is an easily identifiable alarm system for your home, then your home is 300% less likely to be targeted. Floodlights, leaving a car in the driveway, leaving a TV on, and turning on the lights inside all help deter burglars.

4. Great targets advertise their weapon supply. Is there a bumper sticker on your car that says you own a weapon? There are a lot of burglars out there who are incentivized to steal weapons because they can sell them for a lot of money. Advertising your weapons can actually make you more of a target rather than deterring burglaries.

5. Shrubs and architecture make great hiding spots. If you have big shrubs in front of your house that someone can hide behind to get into your house, that’s not good. The more open your landscaping is, the less likely it is for someone to try to break into your home because a neighbor might spot them from the street. If you do want to plant something in front of your window, make sure that it’s something thorny that they won’t want to jump through to get to your home.

6. Don’t leave your valuables out in the open. A lot of the time, these criminals look through the windows to see if there are any laptops or stuff that’s easily accessible for them to go after. Put your valuables away. I also recommend hiding family calendars because those can advertise where you are going to be.

Don’t advertise your location on social media.

I hope you found these tips helpful. I have something else to offer you today—one of my mentors and coaches, Steve Scanlon, just published his second book, “Still the Lizard.” It is an amazing read that explains what the lizard brain is and how it works.

If you want a free copy, be the first one to email me with the four traits of the lizard brain. (Hint: The answer can be found at www.rewireinc.com.)

As always, if you have any other real estate questions for me, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

A Few Money Saving Tips for Homeowners

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 13:13:00 -0800

Saving money is easy as a homeowner. Here are seven tips that will help you save instantly.

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Today I’d like to give you a few tips for saving money around the house. These tips might seem silly or simple at first, but they can save you a lot of money over time and they’re often overlooked by sellers:

1. Make the switch to energy-efficient lighting. A standard incandescent lightbulb costs around $180 in electricity to operate each month. If you’re using a CFL or LED light, however, that’s only going to cost you $30 or $40. That’s $100+ in savings each month, and if you add up the totals for the life of the bulbs, the sum is enormous.

2. Fix leaky faucets right away. Even if a leaky faucet only drips one drop per second, that adds up to over 3,000 gallons in a year. By fixing those leaky faucets immediately, you can save a lot on your water bill.

3. Change your air filter regularly. When you let your filter get clogged up, it works overtime to compensate. That leaves you with dirtier air and a higher utility bill. Make sure your filter is changed every few months.

4. Custom temperatures. Whether it’s with a smart thermostat or an old-school programmable one, being able to set custom temperatures in your home for when you’re not there will save you thousands over the years.

5. Overwatering your yard. This will not only keep your water bills sky-high, but it could also cause damage to your lawn as well.

6. Pay attention to the water heater temperature. During warmer months, you can drop the temperature in your heater down a little bit to save you a bit more without affecting anything else.

7. Poorly sealed windows. If a window or door is letting in a draft, make sure you get it sealed with some caulk or weatherstripping to keep things insulated and keep your energy costs down.

These are just a few great ways to save money over time as a homeowner. If you have any questions for me or want any more tips, don’t hesitate to reach out and give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

What Should You Do If Your Property Taxes Are Too High?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:21:00 -0800

Tax season is officially here, and I want to go over a few important things you should know about property taxes.

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Tax season is here, so I want to discuss a few things about property taxes and what to do when you have some questions on those.

If you plan on buying anything or getting a loan in the next couple of years, how you file today or in the next few months will have a huge impact on what you qualify for on future loans.

People write off a lot of items. Whether you are a business owner or you have the ability to write income down or defer things, make sure you give us a call if you are thinking about buying an investment property or primary residence. We have to make sure that you have enough income on there to qualify for whatever home you are looking to purchase.

There are a few other things you should know with regard to property taxes.

July 1 is the beginning of the tax year for property taxes. October 1 is when tax bills are mailed. The first installment is due November 1. December 10 is the final due date you have to make if you don’t want to pay any penalties.

If your property tax bill is too high, we can help you challenge it.

Then, the second installment is due February 1. April 10 is the last day for you to pay the second installment without penalties.

Then, June 30 is the end of the tax year, and everything starts back over on July 1.

If you get a property tax bill and you believe that it’s too high, let us know. We can help you challenge that.

If your property tax bill is too low, then keep that to yourself!

If you believe that your bank is supposed to pay your property taxes because you pay impounds, and that number seems to be off or there’s not enough in the escrow account to cover it, keep an eye on that stuff. This is especially important in the first few years of homeownership because the bank can go way off and end up having to assess you additional fees or bump your payment later on.

If you have any other questions about property taxes, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you.

How Does the Santa Clarita Market Look as 2017 Draws to a Close?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 2 Jan 2018 09:09:00 -0800

As 2017 draws to a close, now is a great time to check in on the Santa Clarita real estate market. How do the latest numbers look?

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We are charging into the end of the year. There is just a month left in 2017, so I wanted to share some of the latest numbers from the Santa Clarita real estate market, as well as a few exciting things for you to look forward to.

Inventory is going a little crazy right now. That said, we are seeing a bit of a slowdown in the market as we head into the holidays.

Typically, the market slows down around the holidays, picks up in mid-January or early February, and then slows down again for a bit when school lets out. Then the market is hot all through summer, slows down when kids go back to school, picks up again for a bit, and slows down during the holidays again.

We didn’t see the cycles in our market a few years ago since there were so many foreclosures and short sales, but in the last couple of years, we have started to see those typical market cycles. That is good news.

Although things have slowed down a bit for now, there are still some good options out there.

There are 375 active homes in Santa Clarita as of the filming of this video. That is a really low number considering that we are closing 325 to 350 homes each month. As a result, we probably have one month of inventory available. At best, we have six weeks. This means that if no new homes came on the market, we would sell out in a month or six weeks.

There are 580 pending sales in escrow right now, and 223 homes have closed so far this month.

Now, let’s break down those active listings:

90 active listings in Valencia
21 active listings in Stevenson Ranch
39 active listings in Newhall
120 active listings in all of Canyon Country
There are just under 30 active listings in Castaic
70 active listings in Saugus

Something to consider is that 223 of those active homes have been on the market for 60 days or less, which means about 150 of them have been on the market for over 150 days. If you’re curious how these numbers impact your personal situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

We have about one month of inventory—six weeks at most.

Now, there are two exciting things I want to share with you.

First, we’re rolling out a new website in the next couple of weeks. You will get a notification once it’s ready. We are so excited about the new features on this site. We’ll even have password-protected areas for our VIP clients, friends, and family members.

Next, we are adding to our client appreciation program in 2018. Right now, we own popcorn machines, tables, chairs—anything that you might use or rent for a party, which you can borrow from us for free. We want to add at least one item to our party supply each month as we roll into 2018.

We have more exciting news for you in the future, but we just have to finalize a few things first. If you have any ideas on which items we should add to our party inventory, please let us know.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you. Happy Holidays!

Where Are the Best Holiday Lights in Santa Clarita?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:46:00 -0800

One of the best things about the holidays is all the pretty lights. Here are just a few places where homeowners are taking things to a whole new level.

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It’s almost Christmas. Can you believe it? We are looking forward to serving you in the new year, but before we get there we want you to know about some great holiday lights around town. Each of these places is right here in Santa Clarita, so you and your family can pack up in the car and check them out for yourselves:

Cotton Blossom Lane, Royal Oaks Rd., and Stevenson Ranch. These streets are all next to one another and they boast over 55,000 lights for you to see. Pretty much any street in this area off of Hope Parkway or Hemingway is great.

27841 Crown Circle. This is an eight-house courtyard where the whole community gets together to put on an amazing light display. They even pass out hot chocolate for the people passing through!

Essex Place. This is right off of Hillsborough Parkway. This amazing street is also known as Reindeer Lane. You’ll see Santa’s reindeer scattered throughout the displays. Keep an eye out for Rudolph and his shiny nose!

Homestead Place. This street in Saugus Canyon has a special place in my heart because it’s the home to some of our favorite clients, the Ang family. You’ll see lights strung back and forth between the houses and some really amazing decorations.

Wakefield Court. This is also in Saugus Canyon and affectionately known as the “Wakefield Winter Wonderland.” This is quite possibly the most popular street in Santa Clarita as far as Christmas lights are concerned.

We encourage you to check out all of these places.

We hope you take the time to enjoy a few of these places this holiday season. If you have any questions for us or any real estate needs in the new year, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

Advice for Dealing With Lowball Offers

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Mon, 4 Dec 2017 13:26:00 -0800

How should you deal with lowball offers? Here’s our advice.

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I wanted to dive into a topic today that we’ve been getting asked about a lot lately: lowball offers. Dealing with them can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s our advice for how to handle them.

We all know lowball offers can be frustrating. However, the first thing you need to remember when you get a lowball offer is to not take it personally. Of course you have pride in your home and there’s no way you’ll accept an offer that’s $50,000 less than asking price, but you don't have to shout that from the rooftop. Just because someone makes a lowball offer doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Set your emotions aside and look at it as a business transaction. That’s a huge step in the right direction.

After we’ve taken emotion out of the situation, we need to embrace the counteroffer when it comes to lowball offers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a lowball offer, made a counteroffer that was just under list price, and had the offer accepted.

Always come back with a counter.

A lot of times, people simply don’t offer full price out of principle. You always have the option to come back with a counteroffer of your own, so you should always do it. In our opinion, it’s always best to put the ball back in their court. You’ll find out really quick if they are serious or not.

If you have any questions for us in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Are Your Affairs in Order?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 13:33:00 -0700

We’ve prepared a short checklist in order to help you and your family manage your property in the event of an emergency.

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No one wants to think about worst-case scenarios, or what will happen to our affairs should we be unable to tend to them. That said, with a little forethought and preparation, you can ensure your affairs will be taken care of should the need arise for someone to step in and tend to them.

With all of this in mind, we have prepared a short list of things you should look after in order to insure your affairs are in order, and to make maintaining your properties easier for your family in the event you are unable.

1. Is your house in a trust? If you want to get your home into a trust, refer back to one of our earlier videos for more information.

2. Make a comprehensive list of your account information. On an Excel spreadsheet, or even on a piece of paper, you should make a list of your bank accounts, along with passwords. Include information that you may take for granted, but if someone else had to manage your property, they may need to know (who your utilities are serviced through, for example, and their relevant account numbers and passwords).

3. You may consider including all of your billing information (insurance, phone, cable, internet, etc.) and all relevant account information your friends, family, or other guardian will need to maintain your property in the event of an emergency.

We’d like to send you more information regarding our guide for your personal checklist or answer any questions you may have. Please contact us at (661) 510-2789 or online at Brandon@BringingYouHomesSCV.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

What Does a Recent Change in the Lending World Mean for You?

cassidy@getvyral.com (Brandon Montemayor) — Tue, 3 Oct 2017 14:18:00 -0700

What’s been going on in the world of lending? Well, a recent change has just opened up a whole new pool of buyers on the market. Here’s what that means for you.

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Today I want to bring you a few updates from the world of lending.

In Santa Clarita, we’re starting to see condos and townhomes with new FHA approval. Properties along these lines that weren’t previously approved are now a great opportunity for sellers. If you’re sitting on one of these properties, know that a whole pool of FHA buyers has just opened up to you.

For one example, a condo complex in the heart of Valencia proper called Sienna Villas has not been FHA approved in the past and now is. There are many other properties this applies to, as well.

Ultimately, this change is good news for buyers and sellers alike. The FHA loan is a great option for buyers, so that means there will be a lot of buyers out there making use of this program. As you know, more buyers means more competition. Nevertheless, buyers working with the right agent can absolutely find great deals.

Working with quality professionals in general will make a big difference in your experience no matter your specific real estate needs or circumstances. I’ve heard far too often from clients who were unhappy with their experiences working with someone.

We can help you lay out a game plan for your real estate future.

That’s exactly why my team and I are happy to offer recommendations of professionals within our network. We’d be happy to help you meet the right professionals before you work with them.

We offer these services to you because we know that the market can be a difficult place to navigate. If you’re thinking of making a move, let us connect you with some of our world-class lenders.

Even if you’ve been told “no” in the past, our lenders will work with you to figure out your options. We can help you lay out a game plan for your real estate future. Even if the plan is to keep your current home, we can still help.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.