Long Beach, CA

FREE e-Waste & Document Shredding Event to Benefit Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA.

SAVE THE DATE!

MARCH 24, 2012

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Wilson High School

4400 E. 10th St.

Long Beach, CA.

Follow the Signs!

EVERYONE WINS! YOU, THE PLANET & WILSON HIGH!!

Help our environment while protecting yourself from identity theft and getting rid of all those old file boxes storing sensitive paperwork (tax docs, old bank & credit card info, business docs, etc.) that are cluttering up your home, garage and office!! Please Paper Only!! No cardboard, newspaper or other items.

**We are not asking the usual fundraiser charge of 1 box shredded free & $5 per additional box, however, this is a fundraiser & any monetary donations are welcome & go to benefit Wilson Students!!!**

FREE e-WASTE RECYCLING, SAFE & PROPER DISPOSAL OF:

Televisions

Computers

Computer Monitors

Printers

Scanners

Circuit Boards

Computer Peripherals including - cables, copiers & fax machines

VHS/CD/DVD Players

Telephones

Cell Phones

Audio-Visual Devices

Boom-Boxes

Rechargeable Batteries

Most electronic products working or not...

Please note: All items must be in a safe to handle condition, we are unable to accept broken glass, florescent tubes/lamps, large appliances like washers/dryers refrigerators etc. Non-rechargeable batteries, hazardous or toxic materials or substances. REMEMBER TO REMOVE YOUR DATA STORAGE DEVICES OR ERASE BUSINESS / PERSONAL INFO FROM DATA STORAGE PRIOR TO RECYCLING.

If you are a business with a large donation & are interested in pick-up or you want to donate & are interested in pick-up or you want to donate before 3/24/2012 and want to credit Wilson, Contact:

Omni Technics, Inc. (562) 627-1910 OR www.ca-recycle.com/wilson

WATCH THE HUGE SERGEANT SHREDDER TRUCK SHRED DOCUMENTS AT THE RATE OF 8,000 POUNDS PER HOUR!!! IT'S EASY! BONDED SHREDDING SPECIALISTS WILL BE THERE TO ASSIST!!

Event will take place at the Parking Lot by Blair Field located on Park Ave. Across from Wilson High School.

4400 E. 10th Street Long Beach, CA. -- Corner of 10th & Park -- Follow the Signs!!

For more information including e-waste donation receipts, visit Wilson PTA Page on Schoolloop (lbwilson.schoolloop.com) or call Linda Sopo at (562) 201-1027

View Larger Map

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?

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:

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:

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.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, more than fifty couples are expected to attend the Seventh Annual Long Beach Father/Daughter Dance, hosted by Justin Rudd and his nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (C.A.T.).  The dance will take place Sunday, February 12^th, from 4:30 until 6:30pm, in the hall of Bayshore Community Church, located in Belmont Shore, 5100 The Toledo (at Nieto Avenue). Open to all area residents, the semi-formal evening is for fathers and daughters of all ages who will enjoy classic dance party music provided by DJ Dawn Becker, and Happy Tails to You is providing the trophies for the event.  Familiar dance tunes on the playlist include hits like "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Hokey Pokey," and "Conga," as well as tunes by Mylie Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and other pre-teen and teen musical sensations.  Moms will provide yummy home-baked goodies, and participants will enjoy other delicious treats provided by C.A.T. The evening will be complete with decorations, old-fashioned refreshments, wholesome music, girls in dresses, dads in ties, fathers giving corsages, and daughters learning how a gentleman treats a lady -- all to benefit great environmental, youth and animal welfare programs in our Long Beach.  When asked about his expectations, organizer Rudd said, "We expect this year’s attendance to be the largest ever.” The girls will have an opportunity to have a prom-style photograph with their fathers, taken by Lei Wang and Justin Rudd, available online from a link after the dance.  Additionally, prizes will be awarded throughout the evening to winners of various dance contests, with awards sponsored by Happy Tails to You. Fathers and Grandfathers will treat their daughters and granddaughter to a night of dancing to a wide variety of party classics.  There are no age limits, so young and old are welcome to join the fun.  Girls are also welcome to invite Uncles, Guardians, or any adult relative.  Moms are welcome to watch from the back of the room at the dance during the last five minutes ONLY (6:25pm). Entry fee is $30 per couple, but here is a link for a $20 discount: http://conta.cc/AuIpJs

If you're wondering about home price trends in Long Beach or surrounding neighborhoods, we've got exciting news for you. Our Market Insider report will provide information on real estate trends as well as school reports, crime statistics, and more.

Introducing Market Insider, the FREE report that gives you valuable, customized, and up-to-date information on real estate trends in your local communities. Whether you're buying or selling a home, you'll have access to the data you need to make informed decisions in this ever-changing market.

Create a customized Market Insider report on the areas you care about most, and then sign up to receive FREE monthly updates. Market Insider provides home listing and sale prices, community demographics, school ratings, side-by-side neighborhood comparisons, and more!

Whether you are looking to sell and want local market data, or are thinking about buying and want to explore different homes and neighborhoods, here is a great resource for you!

To view a Market Insider report for your Long Beach neighborhood or another neighborhood that interests you, click here. You can also compare neighborhoods.

Wondering how to interpret the data or want more information, feel free to call us at 562-896-2456 or email Info@ShowMeHome.com

With so much of the current housing inventory now made up of distressed properties, I'm often asked by home buyers in Long Beach and surrounding communities, what's the difference between a short sale and a foreclosure? Doesn't the bank make the decision in both. Not exactly.

Here's a quick guide to who's who and what's what in the world of distressed properties:

Short sales - These are homes that are still owned by Jane and Joe Homeowner, regular people like you and me. Unfortunately, they are "upside down" on their mortgage (or mortgages), meaning that they are "short" on equity. Because of this, they need approval from their lender (or lenders) to sell the home for an amount that would result in paying back less than the full amount of the loan(s). With short sales, the seller has the right to list the home, choose a price, and accept an offer. Their agent then submits a package to the sellers' bank(s) that includes documentation on their financial situation (usually paycheck stubs, tax returns, bank statements, a financial budget worksheet and a letter of hardship). The package will also include listing paperwork, a contract and documentation on the buyer's ability to obtain a loan. The bank will then assess the value of the property, review the package and make a decision on whether to approve the short sale and whether the offered price is acceptable. This process can take several months. I've seen approvals in just a few weeks and have heard of them taking a year or more. Many short sales are never approved. Before my team and I show a short sale property to one of our clients, we do an assessment of the "short sale viability" to determine whether it's a situation our client would want to get involved in.

Sometimes people confuse short sales with foreclosures because short sale listings may (or may not) be in the process of foreclosure. If a Notice of Default or Notice of Trustee Sale has been recorded against the property, then time is of the essence.

Because the homeowner will get no money from a short sale, they will usually be selling the home "as is." As a homebuyer, you'll have the opportunity to do a home inspection and if you don't like what you find, you'll have a chance to back out. But you won't usually get a termite clearance and the seller won't usually do any repairs.

Foreclosures - These are also sometimes called bank-owned or REO properties. They may have even once-upon-a-time been short sales that were unsuccessful. In this case, the bank went through the process of taking the home back because the homeowner didn't pay their mortgage. In the case of bank owned properties, the transaction will be very much like a "regular sale" except that you're dealing with a bank instead of Jane and Joe Homeowner. Banks will almost always sell the property "as is" and they won't be able to disclose much about the properties because they've never lived there. In fact, they are exempt from some disclosures. Banks will frequently shorten the inspection contingency period from the usual 17 days to 7 or 10 days. In addition to the contract, you'll need to sign a bank addendum, which is usually filled with boilerplate legal language designed to protect the bank. The addendums may include terms such as per diem penalties if you're unable to close on time. Remember, you are dealing with a financial institution here and the bank is looking at the bottom line.

Probates - These are not as common in our current market as short sales or foreclosures but we do run across them sometimes. With a probate property, the owner has passed away. "Probate" is the legal process for distributing the assets. Depending on the heirs, the will, and the title, the probate property may either be sold with our without court confirmation. To buy a probate property, your agent will need to use a special probate purchase agreement and it will spell out the terms of whether or not that court confirmation is required. Your agent will check on that for you. If the court confirmation is NOT required, then the process won't be very different for you than a regular sale. You'll just need to keep in mind that again, the property will be sold in its present condition and the estate probably won't be making any repairs. If court confirmation is required, then you'll need to wait for a court date and then go to court to see if anyone comes to "overbid." You'll need to do all of your due diligence, including inspections and loan application/appraisal, prior to going to court because you'll be expected to close quickly once the court approves the sale.

If you have any questions about buying a home in Long Beach or surrounding communities, please give us a call. My team and I would be happy to help you with the process.