Dates to remember

Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters – July 7-August 31

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – August 5-7

Eat Drink SF – August 25-28

Grilled Salmon

1 ½ lbs salmon fillets
Lemon pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture. Seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
While on vacation…

Planning a summer trip? Don’t leave your empty home vulnerable to intruders. Take these extra steps to keep your home safe:

Don’t break the pattern. Disrupting your daily routines alerts burglars you’re away. Maintain typical patterns by investing in light timers, hiring a lawn service or arranging a house sitter.
Stop! Put a temporary stop on your mail and newspaper deliveries. The hold-mail service is free and you can make the request online.
Burglars “like” social media too. Posting your whereabouts on social media tells the public your place is empty and vulnerable. Wait until your return before posting vacation photos.
Shhh… Remember to turn off your alarm clock and turn down the ringer on your house phone before you leave. Audible alerts like continuously beeping alarm clocks and ringing phones can draw attention to your absence.
Neighborly love. Tell a neighbor when you leave town so they can keep an eye on your property and put up your garbage bins. If you’re good friends, ask if they will occasionally park in your driveway or rotate the cars parked in front of your house. Don’t forget to return the favor!
Lock up and disconnect. Lock all windows and doors. Be sure all external doors have deadbolts and place metal or wooden rods in sliding door tracks so they can’t be forced open. Disconnect the power to your garage door so it can’t be opened by a universal opener.
Global Positioning Savvy. A car left in long term parking with a GPS on the dash is an advertisement that your house is unguarded — and you’re providing a map to it! Once you get to the airport, hide your GPS, lock the keyboard or set “Home” to a local business and not your empty home.
Have a great trip! If you find your getaways are frequent, maybe it’s time for a move to a more permanent paradise.  Give me a call if you’re thinking about listing your house!

5 Reasons to Sell This Summer

As the temperature rises, buyers are coming out ready to purchase their dream homes. The summer is a great time to list your home for sale. Here are five reasons why: 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase... and are in the market right now! Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market. 2. There Is Less Competition Now According to NAR's latest Existing Home Sales Report, the supply of homes for sale is still under the 6-month supply that is needed for a normal housing market at 4.7-months. This means, in most areas, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers in that market. This is good news for home prices. However, additional inventory is about to come to market. There is a pent-up desire for many homeowners to move, as they were unable to sell over the last few years because of a negative equity situation. Homeowners are now seeing a return to positive equity as real estate values have increased over the last two years. Many of these homes will be coming to the market this summer. Also, as builders regain confidence in the market, new construction of single-family homes is projected to continue to increase over the next two years, reaching historic levels by 2017. The choices buyers have will continue to increase. Don't wait until all this other inventory of homes comes to market before you sell. 3. The Process Will Be Quicker Fannie Mae just announced that they anticipate an acceleration in home sales that will surpass 2007's pace by late summer. As the market heats up, banks will be inundated with loan inquiries causing closing-time lines to lengthen. Selling now will make the process quicker & simpler. 4. There Will Never Be a Better Time to Move Up If you are moving up to a larger, more expensive home, consider doing it now. Prices are projected to appreciate by 5.3% over the next year, according to CoreLogic. If you are moving to a higher-priced home, it will wind up costing you more in raw dollars (both in down payment and mortgage payment) if you wait. You can also lock-in your 30-year housing expense with an interest rate below 4% right now. Rates are projected to increase by nearly a full percentage point in the next 12 months. 5. It's Time to Move On with Your Life Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and determine whether it is worth waiting. Is money more important than being with family? Is money more important than your health? Is money more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should? Only you know the answers to the questions above. You have the power to take control of the situation by putting your home on the market. Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire. That is what is truly important.

Cultivating Trust

Thinking of Selling? 5 Reasons You Shouldn't FSBO

 In today's market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers. Here are the top five reasons:

1. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With

Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale By Owner:

• The buyer who wants the best deal possible
• The buyer's agent who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
• The buyer's attorney (in some parts of the country)
• The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
• The appraiser if there is a question of value

2. Exposure to Prospective Purchasers

Recent studies have shown that 88% of buyers search online for a home. That is in comparison to only 21% looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you?

3. Results Come from the Internet

Where did buyers find the home they actually purchased?

• 44% on the internet
• 33% from a Real Estate Agent
• 9% from a yard sign
• 1% from newspapers

The days of selling your house by just putting up a sign and putting it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong internet strategy is crucial.

4. FSBOing Has Become More And More Difficult

The paperwork involved in selling and buying a home has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 8% over the last 20+ years.

The 8% share represents the lowest recorded figure since NAR began collecting data in 1981.

5. You Net More Money When Using an Agent

Many homeowners believe that they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real estate agent's commission. The seller and buyer can't both save the commission. Studies have shown that the typical house sold by the homeowner sells for $210,000, while the typical house sold by an agent sells for $249,000. This doesn't mean that an agent can get $39,000 more for your home as studies have shown that people are more likely to FSBO in markets with lower price points. However, it does show that selling on your own might not make sense.

Bottom Line

Before you decide to take on the challenges of selling your house on your own, sit with a real estate professional in your marketplace and see what they have to offer.

Internet Scams to be Aware of.

There is no question cybercrime is on the upswing. WHY these people who either try to hack our various accounts, steal our credit card or personal information, or install malware or spyware on our devices for nefarious purposes it is either deviousness or just robbery for money. Anyway make passwords ten characters or longer with numbers and symbols and capital letters, change them often, put them everywhere including your phone to avoid theft problems.

But as an FYI here are nine internet scams to keep you top of mind of these people trying to irritate your daily life:

1. Fake prizes, sweepstakes, gifts, lottery scams. There is no free pizza. Think if something is too good to be true, and you are not even a customer of the business or wanted to be on their email list, just hit delete.
2. Phishing/Spoofing emails. It looks like something came from Bank of America or Chase, but HEY you do not even have an account there despite their nice logo and signature block. DELETE. No one will ask for your passwords or social security number that is legitimate.
3. Fake arrest warrant, court appearance, or government prosecution scam. The FBI may show up at your door but they won't be sending you "emails" scaring you. Delete again.
4. Click-Bait scams. They lure you with celebrity news, images, fake media footage, the cute cat video. Click in NO links or images. Again delete. They want to load viruses.
5. Fake email addresses. They are CLOSE to legitimate but off a few letters or adding in some dots. LOOK at the details closely even if you are not a good detailed person.
6. Fake emails. They have poor spelling, poor capitlization, poor grammar. Probably overseas originators. Delete.
7. Social Engineering manipulation. The troublemakers READ around on you and try to guess your answers to security questions for online accounts. Don't divulge anything that is privileged information to any "friends" and be aware of the type of profile you are showing to the world. Don't click on all those personality tests on Facebook.
8. Spear phishing. This is "targeted" within one company phishing. Like human resources wants you to validate your internal password, or needs to verify you social security number with your company's logo in the email. It is fake hitting everyone in the organization. Whaling targets top executives across industries and surprisingly a lot have fallen for giving up sensitive information.
9. Craig's List Scams. Used like for work at home ideas where you become a transfer agent using your bank accounts to money launder and transfer money through. You're winning cause you are promised to get a cut of the money but this is ILLEGAL and is used heavily with wire fraud. Do not deal with people you do not know. Craig's list people also counterfeit organization's checks for small under $2,000 amounts that the FBI does not want to deal with, so know WHO you are dealing with.

In summary, be cautious of any requests for sensitive information via email. Pay attention to site's URL and emails closely. Gmail and Hotmail are hacked the most so you might want other email providers. Hold your cursor over links to ensure the URL is correct. Deploy security patches in a timely manner. Create strong passwords and never give them out.

A Renters-'s Dilemma

Landscaping Solutions

Landscape designers transform difficult properties into beautiful landscapes. Here's a short list of common landscaping problems and how your landscape designer will overcome them.

1. Working with Small Yards

Landscape designers combine eye-catching landscaping with space-conscious designs. Curves and tiered levels add more depth and points of interest without swallowing up your valuable space. It’s important to plan ahead with your landscape designer as you choose plants. Plant small trees instead of large ones and hide your fence with flowering vines instead of big shrubs.

2. Avoid High Maintenance Landscapes

Landscape designers often encourage homeowners to avoid high-maintenance landscapes. High maintenance usually ends up in homeowner neglect. Instead, most designers suggest planting low-maintenance species that are native to your area. With the large variety of low-maintenance plants available to homeowners today, you can have a yard that requires almost no upkeep. Low-maintenance yards also require less water. In this time of environmental concern, designing a landscape that conserves resources is always a plus.

3. Refurbish Rather than Replace Your Yard

Landscape designers always recommend that you re-use as much of your existing yard as possible — even when undertaking a large landscaping renovation. Skilled designers generally help homeowners decide which plants to leave in place and which to remove. Any designer will tell you that refurbishing your yard — instead of replacing everything — saves you time and money.

4. Landscaping Solutions for Busy Streets and Intersections

A busy street or intersection presents a different set of challenges for your landscape design. A buffer of fast-growing, dense shrubbery can make a world of difference when it comes to providing privacy. A small, enclosed garden is another way to close off your backyard to outside noise.

5. Landscape Designers are Worth Every Penny

These landscaping solutions are just a taste of what a good landscape designer can provide your property. Whether you're looking for a total landscape renovation or just a quick update, a professional designer will help you find the perfect design for your home and budget.

5 Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional

Whether you are buying or selling a home, it can be quite an adventurous journey. You need an experienced Real Estate Professional to lead you to your ultimate goal. In this world of instant gratification and internet searches, many sellers think that they can For Sale by Owner or FSBO. The 5 Reasons You NEED a Real Estate Professional in your corner haven't changed, but have rather been strengthened due to the projections of higher mortgage interest rates & home prices as the market continues to recover. 1. What do you do with all this paperwork? Each state has different regulations regarding the contracts required for a successful sale, and these regulations are constantly changing. A true Real Estate Professional is an expert in their market and can guide you through the stacks of paperwork necessary to make your dream a reality. 2. Ok, so you found your dream house, now what? According to the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, there are over 230 possible actions that need to take place during every successful real estate transaction. Don't you want someone who has been there before, someone who knows what these actions, are to make sure that you acquire your dream? 3. Are you a good negotiator? So maybe you're not convinced that you need an agent to sell your home. However, after looking at the list of parties that you need to be prepared to negotiate with, you'll realize the value in selecting a Real Estate Professional. From the buyer (who wants the best deal possible) to the home inspection companies, to the appraiser, there are at least 11 different people that you will have to be knowledgeable with and answer to, during the process. 4. What is the home you're buying/selling really worth? It is important for your home to be priced correctly from the start to attract the right buyers and shorten the time that it's on the market. You need someone who is not emotionally connected to your home to give you the truth as to your home's value. According to the National Association of REALTORS, "the typical FSBO home sold for $208,700 compared to $235,000 among agent-assisted home sales." Get the most out of your transaction by hiring a professional. 5. Do you know what's really going on in the market? There is so much information out there on the news and the internet about home sales, prices, and mortgage rates; how do you know what's going on specifically in your area? Who do you turn to in order to competitively price your home correctly at the beginning of the selling process? How do you know what to offer on your dream home without paying too much, or offending the seller with a low-ball offer? Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, advises: "When getting help with money, whether it's insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman." Hiring an agent who has their finger on the pulse of the market will make your buying/selling experience an educated one. You need someone who is going to tell you the truth, not just what they think you want to hear. Bottom Line You wouldn't replace the engine in your car without a trusted mechanic. Why would you make one of the most important financial decisions of your life without hiring a Real Estate Professional?

Sell NOW Before Competition Hits the Market

In their current edition of the Home Price Expectation Survey released last week, Pulsenomics asked this question of the 100+ economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists they surveyed: "In your opinion, what is the primary driver of recent home value growth in the U.S.?" Here are the top four reasons given by those surveyed:  As we have stated before, the current lack of inventory in most housing markets has caused home appreciation to increase at greater percentages than historical averages. This means that this is a great time to sell your home as supply is low and demand is high. However, things may be about to change... The fortuitous situation sellers see themselves in may soon change for three reasons: As more homeowners realize their equity situation has dramatically improved over the last four years, they will be more likely to put their homes on the market. With the residential real estate sector outperforming a sluggish economy, more home builders will be looking to add new construction inventory to a depleted supply of housing stock. Many banks are just now foreclosing on loans that have been delinquent since the housing bust. These houses will also be coming to market. According to Daren Blomquist, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, in the Q2 2016 U.S. Residential Property Vacancy and Zombie Foreclosure Report: "Lenders have been taking advantage of the strong seller's market to dispose of lingering foreclosure inventory." Bottom Line In most housing markets, don't wait for this additional competition to hit the market. If you are considering selling your house, now may be the time.

How Does Housing Help Build Family Wealth?

 As the economy continues to improve, more and more Americans are seeing their personal financial situations also improving. Instead of just getting by, many are now beginning to save and find other ways to build their net worth. One way to dramatically increase their family wealth is through the acquisition of real estate. For example, let's assume a young couple purchased and closed on a $250,000 home in January. What will that home be worth five years down the road? Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists every quarter. They ask them to project how residential prices will appreciate over the next five years. According to their latest survey, here is how much value that $250,000 house will gain in the coming years.  Over a five-year period, that homeowner can build their home equity to over $40,000. And, in many cases, home equity is large portion of a family's overall net worth.

Bottom Line

If you are looking to better your family's long-term financial situation, buying your dream home might be a great option.