Sacramento Real Estate Video Blog with Heidi Phong

Buyer Advice From Lending Expert Nick Street

2017-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Nick Street, the branch manager at Mountain West Financial, is back to go over some lending advice for homebuyers.

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Today we’re back with Nick Street, the branch manager at Mountain West Financial, to go over some important advice for homebuyers. You can check out the first part of our conversation here.

There is a large percentage of first-time buyers in our current market. Nick says that there are many loan programs available for first-time buyers, but some are shrinking and some are changing. What’s available today might not be available tomorrow.

The best thing you can do is meet with a loan officer to go over your specific situation so that you can find the program that is best for you. You still need to have good credit, a job, and verifiable income. Some programs even give you a low down payment option, but keep in mind that it’s always best to have access to some funds when buying a home, as there are definitely costs that come with the transaction.

It’s incredibly important that you find a lender you are comfortable with before you start looking at homes. You need to know what your options are and what your buying power is. Some people start looking at homes in a certain price range only to discover that they cannot afford to buy those homes. That can make the home search process frustrating, as you are constantly comparing the homes you can afford to the homes you want in that other, higher price bracket. Knowing your buying power helps you set realistic expectations for your home search.

Make sure you talk to a lender before you start looking at homes.

On the other hand, some buyers may get approved at that higher number but they don’t want to buy in that price range. If you look at your own budget and set a more comfortable number, that is perfectly fine. No one understands your financing better than you do, so it’s really important that you talk to your lender and develop a plan that is based on your wants, needs, and goals.

If you have any other lending questions for Nick, you can reach him at 916-262-7631 or email him at Nick.Street@MWFInc.com. As always, if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you!

Part 1 of Our Sit Down With Nick Street

2017-03-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

We recently sat down with Nick Street of Mountain West Financial. Here’s what the mortgage expert had to say about the current interest rates.

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I recently sat down with Nick Street, a branch manager with Mountain West Financial. We had a great conversation about mortgages, interest rates, and more. For part one of our conversation, we talked about the current state of interest rates and what the future holds for them.

Nick has been in the mortgage industry since 2004, so he has a wealth of knowledge to share. One of the things he has taken notice of in the last few years is that many people aren’t aware that interest rates are affected by how our economy is doing. When the economy is suffering, rates are going to be pushed down. When our economy is doing well, like it is right now, you will start to see rates increase.

Interest rates greatly affect buying power in this market. If you’re approved for a $300,000 home right now with current interest rates, you would only be able to afford a $270,000 home if rates went up by just 1%.

Interest rates have a big impact on buying power.

Right now is actually a great time to buy for a number of reasons. For one, interest rates remain historically low. While it’s true they aren’t as low as they were last summer, when you look at historical data it’s clear that rates are still just about as low as they ever have been. Our market specifically gives buyers a lot of advantages that renters don’t have. Sacramento is a fairly affordable market as well.

In part two, we’ll talk more with Nick about all things mortgage. If you have any questions for Nick, you can reach him at 916.262.7631 or at Nick.Street@MWFInc.com. If you have any questions for us in the meantime, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why Christopher is Confident in Heidi Phong Real Estate

2017-03-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

“We got fantastic results working with Heidi and Billy. Not only did the process go smoothly but we ended up with a payout on the home we sold that was greater than the listing and in fact greater than the initial offer. So they went back, they did what they promised they would do. They marketed the place in a way that made it stand out and they negotiated a deal that was really better than was expected. I really think the personal attention that Billy and Heidi provided to us was above and beyond. They were there for us to explain their strategy and the factors that were going into the strategy every step of the way. Even down to the point of providing us with marketing information to explain to us how they were going to list our home, why they were listing it the price they were, how they were going to market it. This kind of attention they are providing you gives you a level of confidence in the whole process and in their skills, frankly, which gives you comfort and confidence that they are going to deliver for you. And even before you see the results. And once you see the results, they’ve proven that they are delivering for you with the results. But it’s important to have the kind of confidence and comfort in your agent as you’re getting involved in the process because it’s a scary notion. It’s a life changing event when you’re selling a home and here are these people that you’ve just met and you only know on a professional level. But when they come in and go above and beyond and provide you with an explanation about how the process works and how they’re executing their part of the arrangement, their part of the deal, it settles you down. It makes you feel confident that they’ve got your best interests at heart and that they’re doing a good job.”

The Benefits of Hiring a Buyer’s Agent

2017-03-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Should you hire a buyer’s agent when purchasing a home? The answer is yes for a few reasons.

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Why do you need to hire an agent when buying a home? There are actually a few reasons you’ll want representation when making that big of a purchase.

First, the agent won’t cost you anything. Your agent’s commission actually comes from the seller as payment for bringing the buyer to the property. The bottom line is that you don’t pay a dime to have a buyer’s agent on your side.

An agent will show you all the homes you want to see.

Next, a buyer’s agent knows exactly how to negotiate the transaction. Things might come up that need to be negotiated such as repairs you want to be done before closing or complications with the appraisal. You’ll want someone on your side who you are confident can handle those situations for you.

An agent can also show you all the homes you want to see. This means you won’t have to rely on open houses and drive-bys.

Lastly, you want the transaction to be smooth, exciting, and fun. An agent will do all the heavy lifting for you so you can enjoy the process of buying your first home!

If you have any other questions or if you are looking to buy or sell a home, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Thuc’s Record Making Sale with Heidi Phong Real Estate

2017-03-01T11:33:00.001-08:00

“Well the results were extremely surprising. I knew the market was hot but I didn’t expect to get what I got and I think it’s due in large part to the agents I picked, Heidi and Billy. They really negotiated and marketed the house well. For my floor plan and model I got the highest selling price ever, so that was awesome. Their responsiveness is top notch, first of all. They answered all of my questions, they responded to every email and text I sent them. As far as going above and beyond that, I know they marketed the property in every place imaginable, they conducted the open house very well from what I saw. Yeah, a just overall great experience.”

The 10 Steps of Buying a Home

2017-02-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

If you want to have a successful home purchase, educating yourself on these 10 steps will help you prepare.

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If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should know the transaction will be a little bit more complicated than your average purchase. Today I’ll give you the steps of buying a home so you can be better prepared to jump into the market:

1. Consult a real estate agent. Make sure the agent you hire knows your wants, needs, and time frame.

2. Apply for a loan. By doing this, you’ll see how much you can get approved for and what sort of rate you’ll get. You want to make sure the monthly payment will be comfortable for your family.

3. Look at the available homes that match your criteria. This step is when you’ll determine exactly what sort of home and neighborhood you want to be in.

4. Submit an offer. Once you have found your dream home, your agent will submit an offer and negotiate your terms.

5. Do your due diligence. Once your offer is accepted, you’ll need to do a variety of home inspections. An appraiser will also come out during this step to make sure the home is selling at fair market value.

6. Send your loan package into the underwriters to get approved for your loan.

Do your due diligence.

7. Do a final walkthrough. You’ll want to make sure all the repairs have been done that the seller agreed to do. It’s your last chance to verify the condition of the property.

8. Sign the documents.

9. Pay the down payment and closing costs.

10. Get the keys!

If you have any other questions about buying a home, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How HP Real Estate Helped Jennifer Through the Home Buying Process

2017-02-13T14:19:00.002-08:00

“It was really good working with them. Our real estate agent Chia Vang, he was really good, very professional. Whenever we had a question, he was always there to answer them. He was really quick with his response. And for us, because we work during the day until 5, Chia knew that we were getting nervous during the house search and so he worked with our schedule. When we would email him he would respond right away, call he would always answer, text message he would reply back very soon. We were fairly young, it’s our first time purchasing a home, we didn’t know the process to it and so, like example, when we really liked a house, and we told him we were interested in it he helped us through the process and he explained to us exactly what was going to happen. And then when we saw a few things wrong with the house that needed to be fixed he made sure to tell us, don’t worry I’ll make sure that the seller will address it and I’ll make sure to address it with the seller’s agent. We were very happy because we got a new roof. They didn’t just fix the roof, the shingles were replaced three times so they put in a brand new roof. Things around the house that we saw were fixed right away. When we did notice [something] after the final walk-through Chia was able to push for the seller to give us money towards our closing costs so I was very happy with that. Chia, our Realtor, is actually my cousin. He’s like my older brother. One thing that’s really special about him is that he never let family come into it. He didn’t push me to do things just because he was my cousin. I remember asking him about, I think the house inspection, I was like should we do all of it or what do you think? And he was just like, this is what I suggest, but I would never tell what to do exactly. This is the outcome if you do it this way or if you don’t. That was one thing I really appreciated from him was when I didn’t know something he would explain it to me from both perspectives and I was like, alright, that gives we a better understanding of what we need to do for the house.”

How Do Pre-Approvals Determine Your Purchasing Power?

2017-02-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

The pre-approval process is crucial in determining your buying power. Here’s how it works.

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Why is a pre-approval so important? What all goes into the pre-approval process?

First off, you need to get pre-approved so you know what kind of home you are able to buy. Your pre-approval number is generally referred to as your purchasing power.

How does your lender calculate this amount? By going through your credit, looking at your income, and determining your debt-to-income ratio, your lender will help you determine what mortgage payment you’re comfortable making.

The interest rate you qualify for is a big factor in determining your purchasing power. For example, if you qualified for an interest rate of 3.25%, your mortgage payment for a $250,000 home would be roughly $1,088 per month. If you don’t qualify for that 3.25% rate and instead qualify for a rate as high as 4.75%, your mortgage payment for that same $250,000 home would increase to $1,300 per month.

The interest rate you qualify for plays a big role in your purchasing power.

See why it’s so important to know what interest rate you’re able to qualify for and lock in? That extra $212 could mean a lot. By saying yes to that increased payment, you’re saying no to eating out more often with your family. A higher mortgage rate means more sacrifices.

Many times, I have to explain this process to my clients in more detail, so if you want to dive further into this subject matter, don’t hesitate to ask your own loan officer. They’ll be able to give you the answers you need before buying your first home.

If you have any questions or are looking to buy or sell a home, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help!

How the MLS and Lockboxes Help You Buy and Sell a Home

2017-01-27T13:15:00.001-08:00

How is an agent able to show homes to their clients that they don't have as their own listings? I've received this question a lot lately, so I wanted to explain how it works and how we use the MLS.

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Lately, I've had a lot of buyers wondering how I'm able to show them homes that I don't personally have listed. If my picture isn't on the 'for sale' sign, how can I show the home?

When a homeowner decides to sell their home with the help of an agent, they're working with a listing agent. The listing agent puts the home on a service called the MLS (multiple listing service), which basically advertises that home to every agent who has access to the MLS. Why would you want your home advertised to these agents, though? When a home is put on the market, there's a certain commission that's agreed upon by the seller to pay the listing agent and the agent who brings them a willing buyer. The agent who brings a buyer is known as a buyer's agent.

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Lockboxes let any agent show a home to their buyer, no matter who the listing agent is.

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The Realtor who shows the home represents the buyer's side of the transaction, whereas the listing agent represents the seller's side of the transaction. Every agent who has access to the MLS also has access to a lockbox, which they can log into for access to the keys to the home. Every time a buyer's agent logs into a lockbox, their ID and license verification get sent to the seller to notify them who is looking at their home and how much traffic is coming in.

This will give sellers an idea of whether their home is priced right and attractive to buyers. So that's how we're able to show homes to our clients that aren't our listings.

I hope this helps you understand the MLS and how showings work, no matter who the listing agent is. If you have any other questions or you're looking to buy or sell a Sacramento home, give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to help you!

How HP Real Estate Helped De

2017-01-10T14:53:00.002-08:00

“It was great. We ended up with the house we wanted and we got it for a price and interest rate that we thought was good. Very prompt in responding to all inquiry and questions. Very knowledgeable, have a good amount of resources and people to refer to with other questions, for something he needed to figure out, he was quick with it, prompt.”

Wishing You a Safe and Happy Holiday Season

2016-12-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today's video is dedicated to you. Thanks for all your support in 2016 and beyond.

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With 2016 coming to a close, we just wanted to reach out today to wish you a happy holiday season as we head into the new chapter of 2017. Thank you so much for your support, your love, and your trust in us to serve you in buying or selling a home.

We not only met but exceeded our goals this year and we couldn't have done it without your support.

"We couldn't have done it without you!"

We hope you and your family have a warm and safe holiday season. We look forward to serving you in the future.

As always, if you have any questions or you're looking to buy or sell a home in Sacramento, we're always here to help!

Why Is Buying Financially Smarter Than Renting?

2016-11-28T11:28:00.003-08:00

Owning a home doesn't just give you a place to live; it's also a great investment. Allow me to explain why today.

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Owning a home doesn't just provide you and your family with a place to live; it's also a great investment. Today, I wanted to share three reasons why:

1. A mortgage is fixed, but rent is not. It depends on the landlord as to how much, but your rent will go up over time. A mortgage payment will stay the same throughout the lifetime of your loan.

2. A mortgage acts as a forced savings account. Down the road, as you pay your mortgage and reduce the balance on your loan, you also increase your equity in the mortgage. If an emergency occurs or you want to make upgrades to your home, you can pull equity out of your mortgage because it acts like a savings account from the beginning.

"A mortgage acts as a forced savings account."

3. You can rent out your home if you need to move, and they can pay down your mortgage. You can even potentially earn income from that renter.

These are just three reasons why owning a home is beneficial to your finances. If you're looking for more reasons or you're ready to buy or sell a house, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd love to help you out!

Is It Still a Good Time to Buy?

2016-11-28T11:28:00.002-08:00

Interest rates have risen since the election, but if you bought a home now, you’d still lock in a lower rate than your parents ever could.

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Today, I have good news and bad news that I want to share with you.

The bad news? Since the election, interest rates have gone up. Sadly, they’re no longer hovering around their all-time low average of 3%. The good news? It’s still a good time to buy. Why?

To answer that, let’s turn back the clock a little bit. In the 1970s, interest rates were averaging around 8%. In the 80s, that average rose to 12%. Then, in the 90s, it shrunk back down to 8%. In the 2000s, it shrunk down a little further to 6%.

"You can still lock in an ultra-low rate by buying now."

Now that we’re almost into 2017, our interest rates are averaging 4%. So, as you see, even as they’ve risen, they’re still incredibly low from a historical perspective. You may have missed out on the apex, but we can’t go back in time. Compared to previous decades, our rates are still historically low, so if you wanted to buy a home, you’d still be locking in a better rate than your parents ever could have.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone or email. I hope to hear from you soon!

Why Is Owning a Home More Beneficial in the Long Run?

2016-11-28T11:28:00.001-08:00

There are three reasons why owning a home is better than renting one, and they’re not just about the money.

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One of my clients recently ask me, “Should I buy now and own a home, or should I keep renting and save for a bigger down payment?”

This is an important question. Everybody’s situation is a little bit different, but if you find that you’re asking yourself the same question, I can tell you that there are three reasons you should stop renting and go ahead and buy.

The first reason is that when you write rent checks to a landlord, you’re paying them—not you. You’re not building any equity for yourself—you’re building equity for your landlord. If you’re renting to try and save for a bigger down payment and prevent PMI being added onto your mortgage, you’re not doing yourself any favors. In all that time, you could’ve been lowering your mortgage and building equity for yourself.

The second reason is that when you own a home, you can do whatever you want to it. When you rent, if you want to change anything substantial about the property, you need permission from the landlord. Even if the landlord does give you permission, you’re only upgrading their property—not yours.

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Owning a home means building long-term equity.

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The third reason is if you do buy a home and the experience is too overwhelming, after five years, you have the option of turning the property into a rental home and becoming a landlord, yourself.

Do you want to be able to do whatever you want to the house you’re living in? Do you want to be able to pay yourself first and build equity in the long run? Do you want the freedom to be able to become a landlord in the future? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you probably have your answer.

If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you!

How HP Real Estate Got Alex the House He Wanted

2016-11-23T10:53:00.001-08:00

“Well I got the house that we really wanted after a process that was very competitive for the buyer of course. But yeah, very happy with the results. Chia ended up coming through, so very thankful that he was able to help us get the house that we wanted. The lender that I was using, the first lender, was actually charging me more than was expected and my agent Chia was able to get me over to, he looked at my documents and he was able to get me switched over to a lender to get me a better deal and he was able to get me to do that in a timely fashion where we were able to pull it off and we did this after a couple of weeks of working with the first lender so he did everything that was essential to make it work and in a timely fashion once again. He was there from the very beginning, throughout the whole process, very encouraging, he really helped out with that. If he had not gone through with the new lender, getting me a better deal, which saved me a lot of money, thousands of dollars then we would have lost the house that we wanted. “

The Most Important Parts of the Home Inspection

2016-10-27T08:06:00.001-07:00

There are three aspects of a home inspection that anyone buying a home needs to understand.

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Today I wanted to discuss three important aspects of home inspections.

The first thing to remember is that you as a buyer will have to pay for the home inspection. You don't want the seller to pay for the inspection because if they do, they will choose the inspector. As a result, the inspector will look out for the seller’s best interests instead of yours. You want the inspector to be working for you so that he or she can give you an unbiased opinion of the home.

Secondly, you will get some recommendations for inspectors from the agent that is helping you buy the home, but you're not obligated to choose any of them. Feel free to do your own research on a home inspector that fits your needs.

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You want to be able to choose your own inspector.

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Finally, don't expect the home inspection report to be very detailed; it will only cover the basics. An inspector is not going to break down walls and look at plumbing or wires. They will only cover the cosmetics of the home to make sure it looks decent, that the water is turned on, the gas works, the power outlets work, and whether the roof looks good. We still recommend having a roofing professional come out to do a detailed roof inspection to find out whether it's certifiable.

Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of what to expect when it comes to home inspections. Remember that you can be present during the inspection. That way, the inspector can address any specific concerns you have.

If you have any more questions about home inspections or you're thinking about buying or selling a home in the Sacramento area, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you out!

3 Reasons to Get Pre-Approved

2016-10-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

When you're getting ready to buy a home, don't skip the mortgage pre-approval. Getting this verification from a lender will help you know what you can afford and show sellers that you're a serious buyer.

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There are three reasons to get pre-approved for a mortgage before you shop for a home:

1. You'll know what you can afford. People will come to me wanting to look at homes in a certain price range and then proceed to get pre-approved. Many times, these buyers end up qualifying for more than they thought and have more options for buying a home. You won't have to cap yourself because you'll know what you can afford.

2. You won't know what interest rates will be until you lock them in. If you look for a home first and then get pre-approved, you won't have a good idea of what your payment is. You might find out that payments are more than you can afford on a monthly basis, and we have to reduce the purchase price. Interest affects more than just the price, so you want to lock in your rate before shopping.

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Getting pre-approved tells you exactly what you can afford.

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3. You can provide the seller with the pre-approval letter. This is huge if you find yourself up against other offers. If you don't have a pre-approval letter and the offer you're competing against does, the seller will most likely go with the offer with the pre-approval. Why? All the lender information is there to verify that the buyer has the necessary funds. Sometimes sellers who go under contract with buyers who aren't pre-approved will cancel the deal within a week when they find out about their pre-approval status.

Don't underestimate any of these three points about getting pre-approved for a loan before you look at homes. If you have any questions about the pre-approval process or you're thinking about buying a home in Sacramento, give us a call or send us an email. We'd be happy to help!

3 Tips for Winning a Multiple Offer Situation

2016-09-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

As a buyer, if you find yourself in a multiple offer situation, there are three strategies you can use to help you come away with the home.

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There are three strategies that you as a buyer can utilize to win a multiple offer situation.

The first is shortening the contingency period in your offer. A contingency period in a normal offer is anywhere from 17 to 21 days. Your offer may look stronger if you shorten up your contingency period to perhaps 15 or 10 days.

This makes you appear to be more serious about your offer. The seller might be willing to take your offer over other offers that are higher just because your contingency period and your terms make more sense for them.

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Shorten the contingency period in your offer.

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The second strategy you can use is writing a personal letter to the seller letting them know why they should choose your offer over everyone else’s. That letter could mean the world to them because it makes your offer more personal.

The third strategy is to include your lender’s information in your offer. This includes their cell number, email, and the name of their company. In this case, if the seller is looking to do their due diligence on the offer to make sure that you’re approved or have the amount ready for the down payment, they have all the information they need in order to do so.

If you’re looking to buy our sell a home, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. Just give us a call or send us an email, and we’d be happy to help you.

How Heidi Made Samantha Feel like her Needs Were Priority

2016-06-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

“I’m actually from New York and California was very unfamiliar to me and when I first came here I was actually referred to Heidi Phong Real Estate Team, one of the things, as soon as I came into her office and I saw her bright smile, welcoming, I felt very fortunate because she’s this young but successful career woman but she’s also got this great personality, very similar to mine actually. The way she presented her company, the values she talked to me about her company, for me customer service is very important and I really felt that she felt, she made me feel [like I was] priority. She knew what I wanted. I told her what my criteria were, she tried to meet every part of it. Throughout the entire time she and her team, they were very patient with me. I’m somebody who, I want to buy a house, I want to go see this house. They really, really accommodated me around my schedule, even at night time I would still text Heidi and say Heidi what’s the status of this property? And she’s very good at it, she’s always updating me. She’s on top of her game. Very, very respectful and always fighting on behalf of me as her buyer. So I really respect that from her. The good thing is I saw a house I wanted, it was like a dream house to me, she closed in 15 days. She even got me a discount, she got me lower than the listing price, so I’m very, very happy. “

Why Do You Need a Listing Appointment to Help Sell Your Sacramento Home?

2016-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

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What happens on a listing appointment? Typically, sellers who contact us have a general idea of what the house is worth. Thanks to different sites like Zillow and Redfin, you can get a good approximation of what the home is worth. So why have us walk through the house?

First, we give our professional opinion. We let you know exactly what to do to net the most money for your home and sell it the fastest.

We also tell you what not to do. We have saved sellers thousands of dollars by letting them know what mistakes to avoid. Not long ago, a seller contacted us and we went on a listing appointment. He talked about renovating his entire kitchen and redoing a bathroom. We advised him to hold off on those major repairs and recommended some smaller fixes instead. Not only did he not have to invest all that time and money on renovating his kitchen, he also got $20,000 more than he expected thanks to our advice.

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WE'LL TELL YOU HOW TO NET THE MOST MONEY FROM YOUR HOME SALE.

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After the walk through, we send you a listing agreement. From there, we take professional photographs of your home. We have a great, unique marketing system that allows us to get multiple offers for our sellers.

At our listing appointments, we cover everything from A to Z. We have contractors and vendors available to help with the necessary repairs that will sell your home for top dollar.

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

How Is the Sacramento Real Estate Market Really Doing?

2016-05-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

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Recently, I had a buyer consultation with a client, and she asked, “How is the real estate market doing?”

Right now, Sacramento has about 1.3 months of housing inventory available. To put that in perspective, a balanced market has four to six months of inventory. Anything below that is considered a seller’s market.

With only a little over a month of inventory available, houses that are priced correctly are flying off the market in as little as 10 days. Demand is incredibly high right now, and if a buyer finds the right home, they are moving quickly to make sure they get it.

Part of the reason why demand is so high is because interest rates are at an all-time low. The buyer I spoke with was able to get a 30-year fixed rate of 3.6% by working with our preferred lender. If you’re like me and you have a 5% interest rate on your home, now is a good time to look into refinancing your mortgage. Even though it’s a strong seller’s market, it’s a strong borrower’s market as well.

The second quarter of 2016 is even better than the first. Since this is such a strong seller’s market, a lot of our properties are getting multiple offers. Recently, we listed a property at $429,000. The property got eight offers and closed at $452,000. The appraiser warned us that the property wouldn’t appraise, but it did!

In April, we closed 27 transactions, which is almost a deal a day. As you can see, the Sacramento market is booming. If you have any questions, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How to See Sacramento Listings Online in Real Time

2016-05-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Selling your Elk Grove Home? Click here for a free home value report
Buying an Elk Grove Home? Click here to search homes for sale

What’s the best way to find your dream home online in Sacramento? You’ve probably visited at least one of the three real estate giants online in Zillow, Trulia or Redfin, which make up almost 80% of online real estate market. The problem is, the listings are often outdated.

Have you or anyone you know found a home you really loved online, only to find that it sold weeks or even months ago?

For this very reason, we have a website called www.HeidiPhongHomes.com where you find not only the most relevant info for your house, you’ll do it for free.

Us Realtors have access to what’s called the MLS, which is where all new business goes. Agents use it to find houses for their clients - and while you won’t have access to the MLS, our website pulls data from the MLS nearly in real time. Everything is fresh and current, which means no outdated listings like you run into with Zillow, Trulia and Redfin.

If you’re looking for homes in the near future or even just shopping around, you want to visit this website. And as always, if you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell, think of us. We’d love to work with you!

Is Now the Time to Become a Homeowner in Sacramento?

2016-03-21T11:55:00.002-07:00

Selling your Elk Grove Home? Click here for a free home value report
Buying an Elk Grove Home? Click here to search homes for sale

Is it better to own a home or to rent? As a real estate advisor, there really isn’t a straight answer. In fact, to find out what the right answer is for a particular client’s situation, I ask the following questions:

What are your plans for the next 2-5 years? You need to think about your relationships and your job before you make the leap into homeownership. If you may be relocating in coming years, locking in a mortgage may not be the best option.
How much are you paying in rent? If rent is, say, $1,600 a month, you have options out there where you would be paying the same amount of money in monthly mortgage and principal payments.
What are the benefits of homeownership? If you own your home, you can write off some of your expenses when tax season comes around and, historically, home prices increase over time, so owning a home becomes a type of forced savings. With rates at historic lows, owning a home is more affordable than it usually is!
What are the disadvantages of homeownership? When you become a homeowner, you are responsible when things break. If you’re not someone who is willing or able to fix things or find someone who will, homeownership may not be for you.

Whether you should buy or rent really depends on how you react to these questions. Buying is not for everyone, but I know there are many people out there unaware that it’s even an option.

If you want our help determining what might be best for you, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Ideas for Dressing Up Your Home for Spring

2016-03-18T17:22:00.002-07:00

Spring is already in the horizon and very soon we have to get rid of the winter clothes that we have in our closets and replace it with clothes more appropriate with this season of blooming flowers. We should not forget that our homes will be in line with the spring fashion line!

No need to repaint your house. The colors of spring suit well with almost all shades. Throw in some citrus colored accessories in your home. Match it with brightly colored vases and spunky patterned rugs and throw pillows. This will create a casual living room that sings “spring”.

Revamp your bedroom by adding more floral prints. Liven up your plain headboard by adding or just by simply draping over a floral printed fabric. If you have a bare wall in your room, you can make simple spring decoration by cutting out floral prints that goes along well with your room’s color palette. Frame it using simple old picture frames or if you want to buy cheap ones it’s ok. The simplicity will complement the beautiful pattern of your cut outs. Then add a little vase with a real or plastic flower on your beside table. Waking up to these will guarantee you a good mood to start your day.

If you want your walls to have that spring feel, but you don’t want to repaint it. Then use removable wallpaper with spring time vibe. Use little floral patterns or a color that’s light and fresh, like pastel yellow and orange.

You know those ready-made ceiling rosettes? Who says they’re only for ceilings? With a little creativity it could add life and style to your living room. Just paint them with different shades of yellow and hang the discs on the wall. Since they are lightweight, they are pretty easy to hang and they are available at most home centers.

If you have egg cups in your home and you don’t really use it. You may improvise by using these cups as storage for your little office knickknacks, put paper clips, stamps and such. Or you may also put little candies on it and put it on your side tables for visitors.

Flowers are not the only thing that blooms in spring. New leaves also blossom out of those trees and shrubs. So add a simple green centerpiece on your living room table, use a bundle of fern leaves an put it in a vase. It doesn’t have to be flowers all the time.

Spring means good sunlight. Let those rays grace your room by putting up simple sheer panels. It lets the sunlight in and because it’s light, it moves easily with the breeze, making your room look fresher and brighter.

New life, new beginnings, and renewed hope; these are the things that Spring Season gives each and every one of us. So start celebrating spring season in your very own abode.

Get to Know Our Sacramento Agents: Meet Chia

2016-03-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

Selling your Elk Grove Home? Click here for a free home value report
Buying an Elk Grove Home? Click here to search homes for sale

The Heidi Phong Team has been around for 8 years now, helping families buy and sell homes. At the HP team, we are real estate advisors, not real estate salespeople. We’d like to take a moment to introduce one of our agents, Chia Vang.

As a real estate advisor, Chia’s goal is to give you the best advice so you feel confident about your decision. He is a full-time agent who knows how to get the job done. Chia believes that a real estate transaction should be fun, exciting, and simple for his clients.

If you have any questions for Chia, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!