Title Insurance – Only In America The prevalence of title insurance is unique to the United States due to our system of recording real property transactions, liens, and encumbrances. In most countries, the government guarantees the validity of real property transactions. No such guarantee exists in the United States. Instead, in very American fashion, insurance…
Appraisals – The Bank’s Safety Net Obtaining an appraisal is part of any real estate transaction that involves a conventional or conforming loan. The purpose of the appraisal is twofold: (1) it protects the buyer from overpaying for a property and (2) it protects the bank from lending in excess of its expected loan-to-value appraisal….
Reserve Study – What It Is And Why You Need One Any home buyer considering a property subject to a homeowners’ association (HOA) should be concerned about whether the HOA has sufficient “reserves”. Reserves are a HOA’s savings or rainy day fund. The reserves can be used to fund unexpected expenses or expenses above and…
Rent or Buy – The Verdict Is In Purchasers of property, particularly first time home buyers, often face the question of whether they should rent or buy. Historically, rent was thought of as a cheaper alternative to purchasing a home and paying a monthly mortgage. However, recent drops in median sale price of homes as…
Pocket Listings – Sellers Beware What Is A Pocket Listing? Pocket listings refer to listing agreements that agents obtain with a seller that do not require that the listing be placed into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). In other words, it is a listing that an agent keeps in his or her “pocket” rather than advertising publicly. Pocket…
Santa Monica Real Estate – A Diverse Beach Paradise Santa Monica is one of the most coveted markets in Los Angeles for both renters and buyers. While it is often considered one of the wealthier areas in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Mapping Los Angeles project the median income for the area…
Eliminating The Mortgage Interest Deduction: Mission Impossible Over the past several years, faced with significant government spending deficits and debt, debate has arisen over whether the mortgage interest deduction should be eliminated or phased out as a means to generate income for the federal government. While there is disagreement over whom the deduction benefits and whether…
Palms Mar Vista Real Estate – Opportunity Awaits With the resurgence of the economy, the Palms Mar Vista real estate market has recently flourished, with many first time home buyers and new families identifying the area as an affordable alternative to the more expensive Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, Cheviot Hills, and Marina Del Rey…
Six Tips For First Time Home Buyers Many of our clients are first time home buyers who need some guidance with where to start and what to expect with the process of searching for a home. Predictably, the process involves much more than simply picking a home and paying for it, but it can be…
Is Now A Good Time To Buy / Sell? Let’s cut through the pleasantries and get to the unfortunate truth – nobody really knows the answer to the question “is now a good time to buy or sell my home”. This remains true regardless of when “now” is. Any person who answers the question with a straightforward…
