Are you getting a lot of "lookers" but no "takers"? A lot of showings but no offers (or mostly low ball offers)? Your home probably needs the help of a Professional Home Stager. Preparing a home for sale is a lot like getting ready for a first date. When preparing for a date you may ask yourself "Do I look good?", "Do I smell good?" "Will he/she like me?" "Could this lead to a long term relationship?" It is the same with putting a home on the market. Ask yourself: Have I done everything I can possibly do to get a potential buyer to like the home enough to lead to a long term relationship (aka a sale)? Does my home look good? Does it smell good?   Santa Monica kitchen after staging by Moving Mountains Design Home Staging           As with dating, sometimes it takes an objective   observe... 06/21/2008

The third thing to consider in your purchase of a Pasadena home are the mortgage rates.  Rising or falling mortgage rates can affect your payments similar to rising or falling prices.  Even if prices drop 5% more in Pasadena, rises in mortgage rates could make that cheaper house more expensive to pay for.  Since 2005 mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have fluctuated between a low of 5.48% on January 24 of 2008 and a high of 6.80% on July 20, 2006 according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey®.  As of the writing of this post, interest rates have risen to 6.42% as of June 19, 2008 for loans under $419,000 up from 6.09% two weeks earlier for.  So what effect does this have on your monthly payments?  Well, the median home price in Pasadena this week is $673,879 accor... 06/20/2008

Amazing Open House Weekend with buyers. I met some of the best, happiest group of people in a long time. Buyers seem to be a bit more ready and better informed than I have seen in the past. Lots of first time buyers who seem to not be sure of where they stand. What a great time I have in preparing them for the journey. This is where I excel. 06/16/2008

Pasadena is centrally located just north of downtown Los Angeles and remains one of the most highly sought after places to live in Southern California. Sometimes everything really does come up roses!   May YTD # Units Sold 87 335 Dollar Value  $  71,513,600  $  257,334,240 Average List Price  $       851,873  $         799,428 Average Sold Price  $       821,995  $         768,162 Average Market Time 74 79 Average Square Feet 1,859 1,726 Average Price Per Sq. Ft. $442 $445 % of List Price 96.49% 96.09% 06/16/2008

I will check in a couple of times each week to update you on the greater Pasadena area residential real estate market - what's selling, what's not, which areas are holding their value, which are falling.  If you have a specific question or topic you would like me to address, please e-mail me at kcantwell@coldwellbanker.com.  Thanks for visiting and check back in soon to learn more about real estate in Pasadena, San Marino, South Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre and more! 06/16/2008

I know wine goes well with a lot of things like cheese, crackers, fruit, dark chocolate, love . . . it's just that I didn't know it went well with a nice chat about seller financing. And actually, the more wine you drink, the better the conversation gets and the more brilliant you feel . . . that nice fuzzy feeling of, "Wow, we've really shared a nice connection here . . ." Last night I attended a wine tasting event put on by the PFAR Charitable Foundation (Pasadena-Foothill Association of Realtors). The evening couldn't have been more beautiful as we watched the day fade over the Brookside Golf Course from the back yard of one of Pasadena's highly desirable homes. I was all dressed up, and if I hadn't spent the evening sinking into the lawn with my stiletto heels, I'd have almost felt ... 06/13/2008

I started reading the Book if you only had 30 days to live. For just one moment in this busy, overworked real estate market stop and take a breather. Ask Yourself, if I had only 30 days to live what would I want to do. For me it was spending time with family, writing my book on God's Miracles and enjoying every moment to the fullest. I know I would not be worrying about my Bank Of America screw up on my credit, paying bills or dealing with difficult clients and agents.  Life is too short to sweat the small stuff..What would you do for your last 30 days?? I love this article I recieved via unkown email: "A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items infront of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large andempty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill... 06/13/2008

 The second thing to consider is YOUR OWN FINANCIAL SITUATION.  The "right time" is different depending on whether you're a middle-income first time home buyer or someone with higher income and equity already in your home.  For first time buyers this is a great market because sellers will be more likely to accommodate weaknesses in your offer because they're just glad to be getting an offer.  If you've got a low down payment, if you want the seller to pay some closing costs, or even if you want to do a lease-option (a rent-to-own arrangement) sellers will be far more likely to consider your offer now than they would 3 years ago when most homes were getting multiple strong offers quickly.  For this reason, first time home buyers should aim to make their offer before the low point in pric... 06/11/2008

The content of this article holds the key to what so many have searched before. The text is not based upon speculation, not based on here-say, but rather predicated on market fact. Everyone has an opinion on the housing market. But when does fact supersede opinion/ And although the secret is a widely know belief, has it been proved beyond a reasonable doubt? . The key to selling your house in this current market will soon be revealed. The basis for a successful property transfer was discovered in less than an hour. Not merely by accident like rubber and the telephone, but by proving a theory. There must be a correlation somewhere between why some experience success while others repeat failure. Selling houses is not rocket science. There is no magic bullet, no formula that has been passe... 06/09/2008

Usually, when a buyer purchases a Pasadena home, one of the first things that their Pasadena real estate agent will recommend that they do will be a home inspection. A common home inspection usually takes anywhere from 3 to 5 hours depending on the size of the home and after the inspection, a buyer will receive a pretty complete report identifying both small and large items. The home inspection also takes place in the first week or ten days of the escrow AFTER an offer on your home has been accepted.  The buyer will review the list of items on the inspection report and will submit a list to you the seller of items/conditions that they will want you to repair, replace or give the buyer credit for.  This is a perfect opportunity to re-negotiate the price of the home for many a savvy buyer... 06/06/2008

If you are buying Pasadena real estate, there is a good chance the property will be inspected by a city employee. A 6 page form will be completetd entitled “Housing Inspection Report”. Responsibility of the report and its findings can be negotiated through the purchase agreement. In other words who assumes the responsibility, the buyer or seller? The report includes the following: Building & Structural Weather Protection Fire Detection/Protection, Exits & Safety Natural Light & Ventilation Heating and Mechanical Plumbing Pool Safety, Environmental Health & Sanitation Use & Parking The back page of the report speaks to Landmark and Historic Districts and also the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance. The Intent of the Report Most of the issues identified as “minor” violation can be easily ad... 06/04/2008

On May 28th the Huntington Art Gallery will re-open after a $20 million renovation. Enjoy the Art Gallery along with the Huntington Library and Botanic Garden…a real Los Angeles treasure To receive more information about events in Los Angeles, click here to subscribe http://losangelesrealestatetalk.com/whats-rss/   To read the original article, click here:  A $20 Million Renovation! 06/04/2008

Jacarada is everywhere in City of Pasadena. Driving down streets of Pasadena, like Del Mar Blvd., and navigating through the residential neighborhood, you cannot take your eyes off the beautiful Jacaranda. I want to share the great photgraphs of this tree with beautiful blue/purple flowers; a sub-tropical tree native to South America. 05/30/2008

I am seeing several homes under/at $350,000 in Pasadena and Altadena. Pasadena - There are 11 condo/townhomes Lowest price - $225,000  736 N. Garfield #104 (2bd, 2ba) Highest price - $349,000  592 N. Mar Vista #2  (2bd, 2ba) Pasadena - There are 27 single family homes Lowest price - $275,000  168 Grandview St.  (2bd, 2ba) Highest price - $350,000  329 Stanton Ave.   (3bd, 1ba) Altadena - There are 2 condo/townhomes $ 284,900  2104 Raymond #10 (2bd, 2ba) $295,000   840 E. Mendocino #A6   (2bd,2ba) Altadena - There are 11 single family homes Lowest price - $284,900  617 Devirian Place  (2bd, 1ba) *worth checking out, large lot Highest price - $349,900 2350 Olive Ave.  (3bd, 2ba) Banked owned or short sales are some of the lower priced homes coming up in the market. *information provided f... 05/30/2008

National housing is down 14% . . . how does Pasadena fare? Here's the data for zip code 91107: Wow! There were 63% fewer closed real estate transactions in March of 2008, than March of 2007! Holy cow! That's quite a lot, isn't it? But the interesting thing to note is that prices were UP, not DOWN!!! Average home sales were up 9%, and the median home price was up 5%. OK, so you had to wait a little longer (63 average DOM), but prices are still going UP instead of DOWN. Just fewer people are risking it, I guess. Priced well, homes are getting multiple offers and selling within a couple of months. Not bad. The government is currently offering some great incentives, so if you're thinking of buying, don't wait! 05/29/2008

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend . . . how national home prices fared we won’t know for a bit, but we did get some numbers for March. Prices have fallen over 14% from last year, reports the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index“ There are very few silver linings that one can see in the data,” says David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s index committee. “Most of the nation appears to remain on a downward path.” In the index’s 10 major metropolitan areas, prices fell 2.4% from February to March and 15% year over year. As per usual, Las Vegas was the ugly duckling - prices down 26% in the last year. Additionally, new home sales plunged 42% in April, year over year, but were actually up 3% from March: the first new home sales up-tick in six months. So what happened over the same time period ... 05/27/2008

To continue with my series of FHA posts, today, we're going to look at advantages and disadvantages of getting an FHA loan.     ADVANTAGES:    LOW CASH OUTLAY - Pasadena buyers can get an FHA loan for as much as 97% of Pasadena home purchase price.  Only 3% down, not a bad deal. FHA LOANS ARE FULLY ASSUMABLE.  Yes, you read it correctly.  These loans are assumable as long as the new buyer qualifies and is not an investor. FHA LOANS DO NOT HAVE A PREPAYMENT PENALTY.  FHA loans do not have penalties for paying off all or part of the loan before the scheduled term. This feature also gives the FHA buyer the opportunity to refinance the loan to lower interest rates if rates decline (with some additional costs involved in refinancing). DISADVANTAGES:  READ HERE 05/24/2008

Yesterday, I outlined FHA NON Allowable expenses for a seller to be aware of when considering an offer from a buyer using FHA financing. READ MORE:  What Pasadena Sellers need to know about FHA Loans - Part I Today, I wanted to provide both the Pasadena sellers and Pasadena buyers with a list of items that FHA ALLOWS buyers to pay for.  So, with no further ado, here it is: BASE Escrow Fees Title Insurance ALTA FHA Appraisal Compliance Inspection Fee 1% loan Origination Fee FHA MIP premium READ MORE HERE 05/23/2008

FHA loans have been in the news recently due to the increase in the FHA mortgage limits, up to $729,750 for single family homes and the fact that buyers can get an FHA loan with a much smaller down payment - as low as 3% down. READ MORE:  Distressed markets and FNMA announcement       If you are a Pasadena home seller, it is critical to be aware of the following:       Pasadena home buyer with less than 20% down in almost all instances will need PMI insurance (Property Mortgage Insurance.)  PMI rates are going up quickly and making it more expensive for home buyers which in turn makes the home that they want to purchase NOT affordable.  Most home buyers are not aware of these changes in the lending/mortgage industry until they are already in escrow.  FHA Buyer will have to get MIP (Mor... 05/22/2008

Or, are you just listening to the white noise? As I was getting ready to go to work this morning, I overheard a news report that my husband was watching about the real estate market.  What struck me as odd was not that it was yet another "chicken little" report about the downfall of the Los Angeles real estate values.  Let's face it, there's nothing like fear to get viewership. No... what struck me as odd was that immediately after that dreaded real estate "for sale" sign, there was an image of a No Vacancy sign and a discussion about the difficulty renters are having finding good housing at a reasonable price. So let's see... the prices are going down and the rents are going up, does anyone see an opportunity here?  Savvy investors do. It's common sense, isn't it?  There's an opportuni... 05/20/2008