Megan’s Message

Pre-Marketing Inspections and Selling Your Home

Happy New Year, Ken-Tal! The 2022 holiday season was full of much needed love, laughter, celebrations, and cheer in spite of the roller coaster of an economic ride we have all been on for the last two years. So many of us are anxious to see what 2023 brings, but only time (and the Fed) will tell.

If you are considering putting your home on the market, chances are that you have started to make a list of some repairs and Þne tuning you notice as you walk room to room. While its incredibly important to pay special attention to the way your home presents visually (is it sparkling clean? Is the furniture appropriately placed and proportioned? Is the landscaping refreshed? Do all the primary components function properly without being held together by a rubber band and some chewing gum?), it is equally impactful to collect and provide information regarding the physical components of the property in effort to set your future negotiations up for success.

Spring Events

Holiday Toy Drive organized by Megan Beauvais & Associates

March 2023

What the heck is happening in San Diego real estate?! Are

Art Exhibition homes even selling? Can I even get a loan right now? These are some of the questions I get on a daily basis in the midst of our COVID19 shelter in place period.

Many home buyers and sellers will try to time the market perfectly. I can’t tell you how many people I have heard relay to me recently that they are going to wait until the market crashes to buy. Having worked in the real estate industry for 25+ years, I can attest to the fact that we never know whether we were at an all-time “high” or “low” until we are on the other side of it. It is true that, as a home seller, one would have done much better if selling 6-9 months ago rather than right now. It is also true that as a home buyer, one would have benefitted from half the interest rate being charged now. The fact remains that people still need to move, and need housing, which will continue to push the movement in the real estate market in a forward direction, particularly in areas that benefit from vast and varied work sectors and suffer from a lack of sufficient housing units, such as our beloved San Diego.

My advice is this:

Meet your neighbor Wendy Reynolds

We had such a great time at the Art Exhibition featuring Vira Ustianska. If you missed our Open House, do not worry ViraÕs paintings will be displayed at my ofÞce until the end of March.

and benefit thanks to their service!), and if you are borrowing $701,500 or less, which puts you in the conventional financing category, many lenders will still allow you to put as little as 5% down. All loans and all lenders are not created equal, nor are their financing programs. Contact me for a referral to a trustworthy lender that can provide you the information you need to get started in your research.

The worst thing that (often) happens during the escrow process is that a buyer falls in love with a home, only to Þnd out through the course of their inspection process that the sewer line leaks, the roof needs major repairs, the foundation has shifted, or the electrical panel is a Þre hazard…or all of the above. In this case, the buyer will often request that the seller either make the necessary corrections or offer a credit/price reduction reßective of the cost for said repairs. This can be quite costly to a seller and, more times than not, result in a cancellation of escrow, forcing the seller to solicit a new buyer and disclose to them all the information they just learned about. You can probably guess what happens from there with regards to price.

Our Ken Tal Holiday Toy Drive was a total success, we were able to collect over 65 toys with the help of my clients and our community! Special thanks to those who participated in the Toy Drive donations! These gifts really do make a difference in the lives of our community’s youth that would otherwise receive nothing for the holidays. This year was our first year partnering up with the YMCA & Toys for Tots for their annual toy drive, I look forward to next year, my goal will be to collect over 100 toys! Want to know what distribution day looked like at the Y? Visit https://www.instagram.com/ ymcasandiego/ to view their Holiday Party Toys for Tots Event!

Thank you to our neighbors for your support! We were so honored to be able to put this event on, and showcase ViraÕs work.

The 8th Annual Holiday Lights Bike Ride

If you would like to explore buying and/ or selling in this ever changing market, give me a call at 619.944.2798 or email me at Megan@MeganB.com. I’d be happy to discuss with you what sets my service apart from the rest!

If you are considering buying a home this year, think LONG TERM. Gone are the days when you can count on making a profit within a 2 year time frame and then move on/up. This has always been the advice I gave to my clients, even prior to pandemic times and remains as such. 10 years from now, chances are you will be glad you paid that extra $10-$20k that the seller dug their heels in for. With that time frame in mind, consider the longevity the home offers. Is this a space your family can grow in, will you be able to be comfortable here for 7-10 years?

I am here to tell you that indeed, homes are selling and people are getting loans. It’s still a bit early to see any price adjustment trends as we tend to measure that trend over a 3–6 month time frame and we just don’t have that hindsight as of yet. But I can tell you that I am still consistently seeing multiple offers on properties in San Diego, particularly in the $1.2 million range and below with both my buyer and seller clients. Of course, this depends on the location and overall presentation, but with an already very limited set of housing inventory for buyers out there to choose from, it’s even tighter now. Those that can still qualify for a loan are able to take advantage of the still low rates and achieve their dream of homeownership, moving up, or downsizing.

As a 20-year veteran real estate professional, I believe my job is to solve a problem before it arises. Proactive in nature, I Þnd it incredibly empowering and advantageous for a seller to learn about and disclose "the good, the bad, and the ugly" at the onset of the offer discussions. By having a few essential inspections conducted in advance, sellers can often take the opportunity to make some impactful repairs prior to going to market, and/or simply provide the information to prospective buyers so that they can make an informed offer. While the goal is to eliminate the eventual re-negotiation that takes place once a buyer has conducted inspections, this is not always the case. This practice will, however, deÞnitely minimize the Þnancial impact of any renegotiation that is certain to take place.

If you are a home seller, get ready to rumble! Buyers have more negotiability these days, but that doesn’t mean you are getting the short end of the stick. Likely, you are still benefitting from a significant profit, albeit not what it would ave been in the spring of 2022. Remember that selling a property and buying a property is most successful when there is a win on both sides. Prepare yourself for this and be strategic - both in your pricing and in your preparations. It is imperative to set your property apart from the others. You can do so by following the advice of a real estate professional regarding premarketing suggestions (paint, repairs, inspections, and staging for example).

Loans can be a little tricky these days for a primary residence and trickier still for an investment property. For a primary residence loan, with many (but not all) lenders, you should count on having at least 20% down if you are needing to borrow $701,501 or higher as this puts you in the “jumbo loan” category. Most lenders are still processing VA loans up to $1 million $0 down (always an incredible opportunity

If you have been considering buying and/or selling real estate, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss what my proven strategies can do for you in 2023. Contact me at Megan@MeganB.com or 619.944.2798!

Our spotlight this month is on Wendy Reynolds of Talmadge. A San Diego native, Reynolds grew up in Clairemont, went to Mission Bay High School and attended San Diego State for college, “GO AZTECS!” Along the way Reynolds moved to San Francisco and after 20 years in the Bay Area, she decided she needed a change and made the move back to her hometown of San Diego. After going to area open houses, she came across Talmadge. According to Reynolds, “I loved the friendly neighborhood vibe and all the planned activities. I haven’t seen a neighborhood quite like Talmadge.”

April 15th 5th Annual Spring Walkabout 2-5pm promise

We had an amazing turnout at our Kensington Annual Holiday Lights Bike Ride! Despite the morning showers we still had around 200 riders and skies were cleared during the full and family rides! Congratulations to our House Deocration Winners at 4119 Palisades, 5341 Marlborough, & 4207 Hilldale, our team of judges voted these house as best decorated along our route, thank you to everyone who decoreated their beautiful homes it was hard narrowing it down to just 3. Special thanks to our community for coming out and joining us, hope you had a great time! This annual event is organized by the Kensington Talmadge Business Association, for more information visit KenTalBiz.org.

The Kensington Talmadge Business Association is hosting their 5th Annual Spring Walkabout.

Visit businesses, get freebies, win prizes, and have fun! Start the Kensington Library, then explore Adams Ave from the 15 to Vista St.

I often get asked by seller clients if the practice of providing these inspections up front will hurt them. My reply is always the same….the buyers are going to Þnd out this information at some point. WouldÕt you rather be in front of the Ò8 ballÓ rather than behind it? Unless you prefer to have negative surprises resulting in Þnancial loss rather than gain, or if you prefer to set up your buyer and yourself for disappointment, I urge all sellers to take my advice. By providing a few inspections to your future buyer, you are paving the pathway to success for your sale.

If you’d like to learn more about what types of inspections should take place, or simply wish to discuss other strategies I employ to help my sellers keep more money rather than give it to their buyers, please give me a call at 619-944-2798. IÕd be happy to help you navigate through this ever changing real estate market.

May this year prove to be prosperous and joyful! I look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood!

The Annual Talmadge Caroling at the Circle

Megan’s Moving Box Exchange

Our Moving Box Exchange is here to stay! It’s been a year since I started this exchange, and it has been a huge success.

Give me call to schedule an appointment to drop off your ßattened boxes, or to pick up a few for your move.

Let’s continue doing our part in creating less waste for our planet!

In May of 2019, Reynolds made Talmadge her home. A graphic designer for 25 years, she has owned her own design business, Olive Design for 20 years and is currently freelancing. Ultimately, she is looking for a permanent employee position (hint, hint). You can find her online portfolio at wendyreynolds.myportfolio. com. In her free time, Reynolds loves hiking, mountain biking, print making, art shows and happy hour. Her passions include travel, photography and she loves her adorable dog, Diego. If you see them out in the neighborhood, be sure to say hello! Happy to have you here, Wendy!

Follow along at: kentalbiz.org/walkabout.

Another one for the books! The Annual Caroling at the Circle is one of my favorite neighborhood events in Talmadge, I love putting this event together for our community. had this year, it was a great time catching up with Friends & Neighbors, we laughed and we even sang some Hanukkah songs to kick off the first night of the festival of lights! Special thanks to all the Talmadge neighbors who decorated the traffic circle so beautifully, and to Tom Barb, who makes a terrific Saint Nick! Hope to see you December 2023!