About Los Angeles County, CA

Thinking of Selling Your Long Beach Home? It Ought to Be In Pictures!

02-12-12

Shannon Jones - Long Beach Area Real Estate

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Office: (562) 896-2456

Mobile: (562) 335-1965

If you're thinking of selling your Long Beach home and trying to choose an agent, there are a number of factors to consider. Track record, experience, and communication skills are important. But so is the agent's marketing plan and the quality of their marketing - particularly the photos.

Most home buyers begin their home search on the Internet and the first exposure they will probably have to your home is the pictures that the agent provides to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). It's very important that there be lots of pictures -- and that the pictures are of good quality.

In the age of digital cameras, some agents will still enter listings into the MLS without any photos, indicating that photos will be coming later. What that means is that for many buyers, the first exposure to the home is without any photos. Many home buyers won't even consider your home if there are no phtos. The buyers assume there are no photos because the house is ugly or the seller doesn't want them to see it.

Sometimes there are very few photos. Again, buyers assume that's because the house doesn't have any features worth showing.

If you're interviewing agents, ask them who will be taking photos of your home and how many photos there will be. More is better.

Quality also matters. Look at the photos the agent uses in their printed marketing (flyers and postcards) as well as the MLS. Is this the way you want your home to presented?

dining room Check out this photo that was just posted in the MLS for a Long Beach home priced at just under $1 million.

The description makes this home sound lovely. The photo makes it look dark and outdated.

Is that because the home is dark and outdated? Hard to say.

Here's another photo of the same house:

living room

Ideally, the photos would be well lit, crisp and clear. A virtual tour or multiple views of the same space from different angle also appeal to buyers.

Check out the photos of the kitchen of a Long Beach home I currently have listed:

Kitchen View 1 Kitchen View 2

Note that buyers can get a good sense of the space with these kitchen shots -- not only how it relates to the rest of the home, but also how it relates to the space outside it. The shots are well lit and inviting.

Who you hire to sell your Long Beach home really does matter. Make sure that whoever you choose will represent you and your home as well as possible.

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A Never Ending Supply of Doors

02-12-12

Norma Toering Palos Verdes Homes in Los Angeles Area

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Office: (310) 831-0800

Mobile: (310) 493-8333

As a Palos Verdes real estate agent I spend much time opening and closing doors. Yesterday, as we waited for buyers to arrive at the final walk-through inspection, a car stopped and the would-be buyers asked if they could see the house my son was in the process of unlocking.

"I'm sorry, it's sold." Josh replied. as our buyers arrived.

"Do you have anymore?" The disappointed prospective buyers inquired.

I walked to the curb and told them of course there are other homes for sale in the neighborhood. After exchanging contact information, they drove away but only after thanking me profusely. They were driving through their first choice neighborhood and felt extremely fortunate to see an agent out there working in the field of their dreams.

Similar scenes have played many times in my real estate career. It's true, when one door closes, or is sold, another one opens, or at least comes on the market. I always advise buyers not to fret over the one that got away. Another one is coming on the market soon. Sometimes it takes months (dare, I say years) but there will be another house that fulfills their requirements of a dream house. At the moment they may think they will never fall in love again, but they will.

As I prepare to pass the keys to one buyer this week, another buyer is anxious to begin the house hunting journey.

And so the process of opening and closing doors continues. I suppose my fascination with doors when I travel relates to my love of helping clients find just the right one for them.

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The Value of a Palos Verdes View

02-12-12

Norma Toering Palos Verdes Homes in Los Angeles Area

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Office: (310) 831-0800

Mobile: (310) 493-8333

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is the value of a view. This is one of the great puzzles of selling view homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We have a plethora of views. There are varying degrees of views, there are up close and personal views and there are some homes with pastoral views (some buyers consider this a non-view when compared with a panoramic view). What’s an agent to do when asked to place a value on a view?

The Views of Palos Verdes:

The Queen’s Necklace view is one of the most sought after on the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula. Many residents of Palos Verdes Estates are fortunate to enjoy this amazing sight from the comfort and convenience of their home. It is a combination of Pacific Ocean meeting the encircling lights of the Beach Cities and beyond all the way to Malibu. Toss in snow capped mountain in the background on a clear day and few would disagree this is a million dollar view.

The Blue Pacific and Catalina Island is another very popular view in Palos Verdes. A drive along Palos Verdes South will soon reveal why Lowe’s chose to build one of the most spectacular resorts in Southern California overlooking this view. Terranea will open this summer and the views are incredible and inspiring. Donald Trump’s golf course is located nearby and enjoys the same view.

City lights is an undeniably romantic view. The lights of the Los Angeles Basin and Los Angeles Harbor sparkle throughout the night and twinkle like millions of strands of holiday lights. Palos Verdes is affectionately referred to as “The Hill” by locals and nowhere is this more evident than when you are looking down at the glittering lights of the night.

Other views include coastline, whitewater, bluffs, hills. parks and so much more. Some are from atop “The Hill” and others are so close you can almost dip your toes in the water or hear the surf. There is no doubt views add value to Palos Verdes Property. It also adds beauty, serenity and joy. Those intangibles may be one of the greatest gifts of owning view property on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

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The Palos Verdes Ocean View Collection

02-12-12

Norma Toering Palos Verdes Homes in Los Angeles Area

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Office: (310) 831-0800

Mobile: (310) 493-8333

Palos Verdes luxury homes are plentiful. There is no shortage of ocean view properties due to miles of coastline and the hilly topography. After all, Palos Verdes is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean. Naturally, the variety of water view homes vary from unobstructed panoramic to peek-a-boo views. Generally speaking, the value of the view increases along with its breadth and depth. Degrees matter when it comes to assessing the value of your Palos Verdes view.

Many luxury home buyers in Palos, and the surrounding beach cities, want to see the Pacific Ocean they pay a premium to live near. Coastal properties cost more due to their proximity to the water, and a water view adds value to a property. When purchasing a home in Palos Verdes it is a smart idea to have your “value supporting” exit strategy in place when you enter. You can’t add a view later. The savvy Palos Verdes buyer knows in an area famous for its jaw-dropping views it is a wise idea to make sure there is one in your back yard (most desired) or out your front windows.

Next week I will show ocean view properties to a client with a short list of must haves, and view is number one on the list. There is flexibility on style, condition, location and price, but they are not about to budge on buying an Palos Verdes home with a water view.

Neither should you.

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