Alicia Mendoza

I love efficiency.

So when it comes time for my real estate clients to sign piles of paperwork as part of buying or selling a home, I like to offer the option of using electronic signatures for my clients.

That means no more printing, figuring out where to sign exactly, and faxing back the forms. That means no more wasted paper. That means no more "PC LOAD LETTER" errors on your fax machine (isn't that right, Michael Bolton?).

We still spend time going over the contracts and disclosures - that part doesn't go away (and shouldn't!). But now my clients can sign a time-sensitive counter offer right on their Android phone (or iPhone, Blackberry, etc.). We can put together an offer and get it packaged and submitted to a listing agent within a half hour, all while you're out to lunch (assuming of course that you already know what you're signing!). And sometimes being the first to get an offer in can make all the difference for a buyer.

Even those who are self-proclaimed "non-techy" folks can do this. One of my past clients was out of town, and we had to sign several disclosures during that time. No sweat - as long as they had an internet connection, an email account, and a computer that they could use to get to the secure site online, they were able to review and electronically sign everything in a snap. They kept telling me that they were not computer-savvy, but apparently that myth was de-bunked because they did it without any trouble...and in record time.

I currently use the service called DocuSign and love it. Not only can I save time, I also can save a tree in the process. Sweet.

For more info on electronic signatures or other real estate tech tools and services, feel free to contact me.

Being a homeowner means handling your own home maintenance. That includes pest control. That means battling the ants that like to visit most Orange County households at certain times throughout the year.

Even if you live in a community that does exterior spraying every so often, that usually isn't thorough enough to keep those unwanted house guests from entering your home.

Over the past couple of months, my own house was invaded by ants. What a true inconvenience, to say the least! They got into my pantry and forced me to clean it out. They marched around one of my windows facing the backyard. Took me a couple of hours to get rid of all of them in the pantry. Took another hour to find their source of entry into my house and kill them off there. I later found their trail in my backyard - they were marching in from the street behind my house.

In talking with several of my neighbors, it turns out just about all of them use a pest control service.

I've been resisting using one of these services for the past few years since I felt that I could just buy an insect spray at The Home Depot or Lowe's for less than $20 and spray the perimeter of my house every 3 months myself. For some people, that's perfectly fine. But once my son became a part of our household, I decided that I wanted a safer product used in and around my home.

I finally bit the bullet and signed up for regular pest control service earlier this month. While doing so, I thought about my past clients and homebuyers out there who are planning to buy their own homes soon. Wouldn't it be nice for them to NOT be surprised by an ant infestation in the coming year?

Note to homebuyers: Don't forget to factor in "pest control service" into your home maintenance checklist.

Don't have a home maintenance checklist yet? See below for one to help you get started:

If you have your own tips about pest control in your home and/or recommendations of a good pest control service in Orange County, please feel free to contact me and/or leave a comment below.

Here's to having an ant-free year!

Are you paying too much in property taxes? If you're not sure whether you are getting your Homeowners' Exemption, that may be the case.

For Orange County homeowners, you may qualify for a Homeowners' Exemption if the following four items are true for you:

* You own the property

* It was your principal residence on January 1st at 12:01 am this past year

* You don't already have a Homeowners' Exemption for another property

* You submitted a completed application to the Orange County Tax Assessor

If you owned your home as of 1/1/2010 and occupied it as your principal residence on that particular date, you may qualify for a Homeowners' Exemption that would exempt $7,000 of your property's value (per Assessor) from taxation.

What if you owned your home this year but AFTER 1/1/2010? Don't worry. You can still qualify for the exemption, but it won't apply until the next property tax year (tax years run from July 1 thru June 30).

How do you know if you're getting the Homeowners' Exemption already? You'll be able to see it on your property tax bill mailed to you each year (usually around October), or you can view it online. If you need a quick tutorial on how to look it up online, see one of my previous blog posts here.

What if you owned your home BEFORE 1/1/2010 but are NOT getting the Homeowners' Exemption? If you think you qualify for the Homeowners' Exemption, you'll need to call the Orange County Tax Assessor's office at 714-834-3821 to get more info on submitting an application.

NOTE: New homeowners are automatically mailed exemption applications shortly after closing escrow. Whenever you buy a new home, you may get a lot of (junk) mail from companies that claim that they can file for your Homeowners' Exemption for a fee. DON'T BUY INTO THIS! There is NO application fee to do this. Make sure to look out for this form from the Orange County Tax Assessor -- it'll have the Assessor's seal on it and won't ask for any payment from you to submit the application (aside from postage).

Keep in mind that it's not a savings of $7,000, but rather a reduction of your property's taxable value. While it may not calculate to much after applying your property tax rate to it, it's still better than nothing and worth the few minutes to ensure you're getting the exemption, in my humble opinion.

For more info on the Homeowners' Exemption, looking up your property tax info online, or other homeowner tips, feel free to contact me.

One of my favorite places in Irvine is the Irvine Spectrum shopping center. I've watched this outdoor mega-mall grow from just a few stores near the Edwards Cinemas theaters about 15 years ago to this amazing attraction for people of all ages. As a mom, it's also a great way for me to do some major walking outdoors with my little one, who is completely in awe of all there is to see and hear.

And boy, they sure go all out during the holidays! I went there this past Black Friday to check out the ambiance (I was able to refrain from any impulse shopping!) and get into the holiday spirit.

Just like in previous years, there are beautiful decorations everywhere! Christmas music is playing on the speakers that are placed around all the shops. Especially on Black Friday and weekends in general, there are plenty of families hanging out and walking around. The carousel is packed, the snack shops are busy with folks gobbling up funnel cakes, soft pretzels, or crepes (from the Crepemaker, home of the hand-held crepe!). And of course, there is an outdoor ice skating rink where children and adults can skate to popular holiday tunes...with palm trees and the big ferris wheel lingering in the background! Classic southern California right there.

And there are tons of stores to shop at, including Macy's, Nordstrom, Target, Urban Outfitters, Old Navy, just to name a few big name places. Not to mention, you have plenty of eating places to choose from, ranging from fast food places to nicer sit-down restaurants.

I'm so glad that we have a place like this essentially in our own backyard here in OC. And during the holidays, it's a great spot to visit with your family, friends, or just by yourself to help you stay in that wonderful holiday spirit.

Looking for more interesting places to visit in Irvine and around Orange County? Feel free to contact me or leave a comment to share your own personal experience.

The model homes for Ainsley Park at Columbus Grove in Tustin will be opening soon! Check out this video below for more info.

Ainsley Park is the final neighborhood of brand new homes to be built at Columbus Grove on the Tustin side. It will consist of 84 attached paired homes, 6 phases for build-out, with prices starting just under $460,000. Built by William Lyon Homes, there will be 4 floor plans to choose from, all of which are two stories with a minimum of 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a 2-car private garage. These homes will range from 1,659 sq ft to 2,364 sq ft.

Phase 1 is already selling out fast! To get in on these homes now and for some additional incentives, contact me ASAP.

** ALSO, I WILL BE HOLDING A SPECIAL MODEL HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2010. CONTACT ME for more details and to reserve your space today! Best of all...it's FREE! **

Thanks and hope to see you at Ainsley Park soon!