July 31, 2015 • www.myvalleynews.com • Valley News
B-9
Real Estate / Home & Garden
Buyers should be prepared or be left behind Do you keep getting overbid because you are asking for a 60-day escrow? Maybe you want the seller to contribute three percent toward your closing costs plus pay for a home warranty. The truth is there are many variables to every offer and typically lots of competition. You need to be working with an agent whom you trust so that you can trust your agents’ advice and harness his expertise. Consider each setback and learn from the experience – don’t become a victim of repetition.
John Occhi and Mike Mason Real Estate Columnists The buying season is in full swing – odds are that if you are going to buy a Temecula-Murrieta home this year, you’ll buy by September. Sure, you’ve been getting your financial affairs in order and you’ve been up at night searching the Internet and browsing again first thing each morning at all of the available homes for sale, but are you really ready to jump in and do what it takes? Think of finding and purchasing a new home as a marathon. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s not going to be easy. Just like in a 26.2 mile marathon most of the preparation must me achieving a mental attitude that you are in it for the long run. Don’t give up and don’t look for shortcuts; be persistent and be consistent. Looking for a deal or a home? Many buyers will wear themselves out searching for “the right home” to fall in love with only to lose their dream by insisting on submitting a lowball offer. What’s sad is that many buyers will repeat the process several times before they realize this may not be the best tactic if they want to move before school starts in the fall. Smarter buyers, with a local agent who is in tune with the market, will know and understand the current market trends and know what homes are selling for in each specific neighborhood you are shopping in. Current market conditions do not support the notion that low-ball offers will gain any respect from this year’s sellers who are still hoping for a repeat of last year’s buying frenzy that saw
multiple offers and a nearly 25 percent increase in value. Do yourself a favor and prepare reasonable fair market offers – use current and reliable data to structure your offers and don’t rely on your need to negotiate the best deal. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be There will be homes that you really want. You’ve analyzed all of the data with your real estate agent. You structure the cleanest best offer and then you submit it. At this point, if you are going to maintain a healthy mental attitude, you have to let go of the outcome. If the home you are fighting for is supposed to be yours and you have
this type of positive mental attitude then the success will be that much sweeter and the loss much easier to deal with if you find yourself back on the street looking for that perfect home again! Are your priorities in alignment with buying a home? It’s a tough question; your instinct is, of course! If that’s the case, when your agent notified you that a home was available that meets every want and need on your list and is within budget in the desired neighborhood, did you drop what you were doing to go look at it or did you ask to schedule a showing for Saturday afternoon after junior’s little league game?
TV buyers are in fantasyland If you ever watch any of the multiple television shows on the process of buying real estate you may be gaining some insight but trust me – this is not real. First off, it is near impossible to look at three houses and one of them becomes perfect. It’s going to take much more than this. Second, the couple who doesn’t know what they want really need to decide and not rely on their agent to figure it out for them. How many couples have you seen on TV where one wants to live in an urban environment and the other out in the country – all for $900 a month? Well, you need to work this out with your partner (or yourself) long before you ever cross your first threshold. Determine what you want, what you need, where you want to be and a realistic budget. Open escrow – finish line in sight Sure, you found the perfect home and have an accepted offer for a price you like, but it’s not yours yet and you still have a lot of work to get done if you are going to close on time or at all (always remember, not every escrow closes).
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The 2016 Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors Board of Directors were inducted on Friday, July 17, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino Ballroom.
TEMECULA—The 2016 Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors Board of Directors were inducted on Friday, July 17, at the Pechanga Resort & Casino Ballroom by President-Elect, Pat “Ziggy” Zicarelli. The new directors are President Adam A. Ruiz, PresidentElect Michael Perciful, CFO Lisa Neugebauer, Past President Linda Hofstatter and Directors Howard Dellsite, Joe McGowan, David Hale, Denyse Wilson, Mike Mason, Wendy Whitelaw and Terry Ryan. Newly inducted were Frank Galante, Debbie Kosum and Barbara Baker. Special guests included city of Temecula Councilwoman Maryann Edwards who’s also the Western Office director for Senator Jeff Stone, 28th District. She sang the national anthem directly following the Presentation of the Colors by Boy Scout Troop 384. Addressing a group of over 400 at the annual event were WCR State Chapter President Linda Lee and CRMLS CEO Art Carter. During the evening, Hofstatter received awards and proclamations from Lake Elsinore’s Mayor Steve Manos, Temecula’s Mayor Jeff Comerchero, Murrieta’s Mayor Harry Ramos and Stone. “I am both a resident and an investor in this area,” Stone said. “You have a friend in Sacramento.” In addition, receiving recognition by SRCAR’s Vice President and Government Affairs Director Gene Wunderlich were over 50 members who donated to the Realtor Action Fund for 2015. The fund helps support real estate-friendly initiatives locally, statewide and nationally. These funds are instrumental in protecting the rights of our members in their efforts to earn a living in an industry that praises
the American dream of home ownership. The State Chapter President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Linda Lee, addressed the crowd of over 400. She stated that “leadership is not what you do, but what you inspire and encourage others to do.” Art Carter, CEO of CRMLS, gave a presentation on some of the updates and changes to the Multiple Listing Service. The CRMLS provides 47 products to its members. “One of the greatest contributions you can make is to give of your time,” Zicarelli said. “Make a difference every day!” SRCAR Awards for Realtor of the year were presented by Neugebauer (Rancon Real Estate) and Ryan (Century 21 McDaniel & Assoc.) to Walter Wilson (Walter Wilson Realty) and to Sarah Crane (Vogler Feigen Realty). A newly added award was presented by Jenna Garza, 2015 YPN President, to Ruiz (1st Action Real Estate) for Southwest Riverside County Young Professional Network Member of the Year. Receiving Affiliate of the Year recognition were Patty Sather (First American Title) and Danny Guterriez (First American Title). These awards were presented by Shelly Moore (Escrow Leaders). The Partner of the Year award was given to Roland Behny (Logo Media Group) and presented by Paul Bandong (Valley News). CEO, Connie Lynch, offered special recognition to Carol Rounsley (Tarbell Lake Elsinore) as a thank you for opening her office for the newly added Lake Elsinore caravans. Currently, SRCAR prepares for eight real estate caravans per month in the following areas: Murrieta/Temecula, Menifee, Hemet/ San Jacinto and Lake Elsinore.
Mason is the broker/owner of Mason Real Estate Cal. BRE: 01483044, board of director of Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors and traveling state director of the California Association of Realtors. Occhi is a semi-retired Temecula real estate agent who’s pursuing his dreams and passions traveling the country in an RV on the American Wine Trail. Follow his RV wine adventures at www. TheAmericanWineTrail.com. For free information regarding available homes for sale and/or other real estate matters, contact Mason at Mike@GoTakeAction. com or (951) 296-8887.
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SRCAR hosts annual celebration A highlight of the evening was the presentation of Scholarship Award Certificates to local high school seniors from all areas served throughout Southwest Riverside County. Fifteen of the 21 recipients attended the SRCAR annual dinner celebration. SRCAR proudly continues the tradition of awarding $500 scholarships to deserving scholars. “I challenge you to get involved,” Ruiz said. “Tap someone on the shoulder and invite them, too!” The SRCAR is a real estate trade association located in Murrieta and has a membership base of over 4,300 real estate professionals who live and work in Southwest Riverside County. For additional information, contact SRCAR at (951) 894-2571 or email SRCAR@SRCAR.ORG.
Escrow can be anticlimactic after all of the energy that went into finding your new abode but you can’t slow down now – stay focused and do what needs to be done. This includes showing up for all of the inspections, when they are scheduled; work closely with your lender, providing all of the necessary documentation (yes, there will be hoops to jump through) they need – when they ask for it; and remain flexible because there will be unforeseen things that will happen that will require your prompt attention and you better be prepared to give it. No one wants to see all of yours and your agents’ hard work and the thought of losing your dream home slip between the cracks. If you and everyone around you can stay focused on the end game, jumping through the hoops as they mysteriously appear and give your home hunting experience the highest priority in your life until it’s over, the odds are definitely in your favor of being settled into your new home before you know it.
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