About Castaic's Hillcrest

This super sharp, single story, 3bd/2ba, Castaic cul-de-sac home with nearly 1,400 sq. ft. is in move-in condition. With a tile entry, upgraded carpet, new blinds is super neat and clean.

This home also has wonderful curb appeal, a two car garage w/ cabinets, private yard w/ covered patio, corner lot w/ views is just waiting for the right family to move right on in.

With easy access to freeways and local shopping, this Castaic home is also just minutes from Castaic Lake as well as Pyramid Lake where boating, swimming, fishing and camping are favorite pastimes for residents and visitors.

Only a few miles from town is the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park, which is a favorite destination for kids and families.

The best part about this home in the city of Castaic? This incredible home is eligible for 100% financing through the USDA loan program. For appox. $2,000 (PITI) a month, you could own this little piece of the country just outside of the city, which is actually less than what you would pay for a 3bd apartment in this same area. This wonderful home is definitely the best bang for your buck here in Los Angeles County.

The USDA Rural Guaranteed program extends 100% financing opportunities to help low-medium income residents purchase homes with no down payment required and no monthly mortgage insurance. This program is only available in designated USDA eligible areas.

The USDA eligible areas for Los Angeles County are as follows:

Los Angeles County: The areas surrounding Highway 126 west of Interstate 5 as well as the areas north of Highway 118 west of Interstate 5. Other areas include the areas surrounding Highway 14 in the Antelope Valley, areas north of Interstate 210 in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys as well as the areas surrounding Angeles Crest Highway.

Eligible Cities Include: Acton, Castaic, Frazier Park, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock, Val Verde and some parts of Santa Clarita, Newhall, Valencia, Canyon Country, Palmdale, Quartz Hill, Lancaster as well as parts of San Fernando & San Gabriel valleys that are north of Interstate 210.

There are income limit guidelines that applicants must qualify for to be eligible to apply. These income limits are based on 115% of the median income for that county as well as family size. In Los Angeles County the income limits range from 66k to 125k a year depending on the size of your household.

Right now, there are dozens of properties in Los Angeles County that are eligible for a USDA Rural Guarantee home loan. Some of these properties are not REO's or short sales but actual equity sales with really motivated sellers and are NOT like all the other run-down, dilapidated dumps you've been seeing. Some have been remodeled and/or upgraded like this property.

Today's real estate market can be really scary, which is why it's important to get as much information as possible before starting your search. Finding out more about affordable home loan options and getting pre-approved is an absolute must.

The pre-approval process is not a simple process and it's because it can get really complicated and convoluted that borrowers today need affordable loan options that are best suited for their own needs.

That's what I'm here for and I would love to be able to assist you in your search for an affordable home loan here in Los Angeles County. Applications for this program can only be submitted by approved lenders, for more information on the USDA Rural program guidelines and eligibility, please feel free to contact me, Donne Knudsen at donne4loans@earthlink.net or at 805.5278554.

You can see from any national average from National Association of Realtors or even our more local California Association of Realtors that Open houses do not sell homes very often. In fact you could even say it is rare.

I can compare this with citation issuance when I was that hated motor cop. If we were to write X amount of citations per day per Motor officer, the impact was not from those independent citations. I guess there might have been a slight impact per person. But the majority of the impact came from the other people driving by while the officer was citing the other traffic violators. (I must explain that I always gave the benefit of the doubt to everyone I pulled over and if they "got it" they "got let go")

So I would say Open Houses do not sell houses, but to get to have your signs out there where people can see them on these Special Occasions, That makes it worth it - At least as long as you can afford to buy more signs - keep reading please.

I love setting out the Open House Signs - Especially when I return to find them missing, broken, vandalized, or kicked out in the street and ran over by about 1000 cars. I like to find flags missing as well. I don't go cheap with the signs - I go full bore with the 11 pounders that have the 8.5 X 11 space for a landscape flyer to tape on the sign so everyone can know where the address is. I also have those Flyers printed on card stock and inserted into plastic covers so I can re-use them at future Open Houses, keeping in mind, as long as I have a stock pile of Open House Signs.

Last week I had a sign layed down and a City of Los Angeles Ordnance, regarding proper open house sign placement, taped to the top. It explained where they are to be placed and when and how long they can remain. It even went into the dimensions and showed detailed drawings of straight streets and corners so there would not be any confusion. The open house was conducted on a Saturday that time, I am not entirely sure if it was a city employee that placed it or a resident. But who ever it was, I took no offence, I love to be armed with the "right" way so I can complain if I was right but told I was wrong from someone that does not know the truth.

Today, I was setting up one of the last three signs and placing an open house sign at a corner on a 14' sidewalk next to the street. This was Castaic not Los Angeles, a bit more relaxed, but in Los Angeles I have never had a sign vandalized - Castiac, well that is another story... The sign I was placing was in front of another for sale home in the same tract. The owner was coming out front and yelled to me asking what I was doing? I told him I had an open house up the street, he told me that I could not place my open house sign on the Public Property next to the street that was in front of his home. I asked why not, he told me that he did not want my open house to be confused with his house being for sale. I told him it might help get his house noticed even more and when they come to my open house they might ask and I would be able to inform the prospective buyers.

He then said, "you can't place that sign anywhere around my house!" I walked across the street and placed it on the edge of the side walk. It is not nearly as visible from people turning onto the street, but it will suffice I am sure. I blogged the open house and advertised it so I know if people are looking where to visit open houses in Castiac California - they will find mine.

Here is where I need your help. I know, legally the owner of the home that was for sale with an other agent, dosen't have a leg to stand on as long as I am placing my open house sign on public property. That much I understand. But why would that have to be a competition thing? Why do we have to have the exercises in seeing who's is bigger?

I still operate with the thought as I am in the business of putting sellers in touch with buyers, no matter who is representing who. Am I wrong for thinking that way. I mean as long as I have one or the other, that is my job right - to put them together???

Let me know and thanks for being! - CONNOR with HONOR