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Robert Foust |North Orange County | Fullerton Real Estate | Brea Real Estate

First Time Buyers - Caution on advice

First time buyers are in need of really special handling. Not only do you need to train them on the transaction of real estate but also on the advice they get. I know that people are well intentioned but, come on people - let's get informed opinions. First time buyers get advice from friends, family, co-workers, and of course the Internet (newspapers too). We need to get out in front of all of this advise, quiz our clients on what they have heard or are hearing -- and then give them the informed facts. Way too many clients have come to us with really bad plans or strategies, only to shocked when we set the record straight. We now confront "potential advisers/opinions" immediately so that our clients are forewarned and not so susceptible to bad information and opinions. We really have to watch out for opinions of people who have not bought property in years or even never at all.

Google Page Rank - Is it updated and accurate?

I have heard that Google page rank is no longer active or pertinent. Does anyone know the true facts?Has Google stopped ranking pages or has it de-emphasized the metric? I would hate to be making decisions that count on page rank if something has changed. I use the page rank metric to see how valuable any links to my site might be. I am sure that many of us do the same thing. Didn't Yahoo have a similar rating at one time? Is it gone too? Thanks for any input, Bob

FHA 3% Down - May Increase Soon

Buyers may be in for a surprise about the down payment needed by FHA soon. Rumor has it that they (The FHA) will be increasing the down payment required to 3.5% from the existing 3%. Not much of a change but every little bit of down can have drastic effects on the buyers. Even this small increase may disqualify some who are really stretching to make a deal. Hopefully this will not be a tactic to be used more in the future - this does not help our business -- but knowledge of this might just push the hot buttons for the "on the fence" buyers. Reluctant buyers can jump in now, or pay more later.

"CRAFTSMAN HOMES" - Not So Well Understood

Craftsman homes -- easily identified, right? Maybe not. Lately I have seen several homes on the MLS categorized as Craftsman. Only to be shocked when I pulled up the listing with pictures -- What were they thinking? Three of these homes were mid-century, after the war (WWII) housing boom tract homes. Not even close to Craftsman style. Attached here, just a click away, Craftsman Homes , is an in depth article on these homes in California. Hopefully others will read about and understand this unique and popular architectural style. These homes are very popular in California now, and are especially sought after in well kept neighborhoods. In Fullerton, especially near Downtown Fullerton , these homes sell quickly and command top dollar. The young as well as the semi-seniors love the custom features and unique character of these old homes.

Personal Touch On Counter Offers

Recent success, i.e. opening of escrows, has reminded me how important the personal touch is in negotiating the real estate transaction. Twice in the last week I have utilized the phone versus using the fax to communicate with the other agent on properties. We all used to do this, but we seem to have gotten away from the personal touch by blindly sending faxes back and forth. Faxes are very impersonal, and very easy for the other side to misunderstand and relegate to the paperwork pile, instead of addressing immediately and seeking common ground. The polite and informative phone call can accomplish a lot:prepare the agent for the forthcoming offer/fax, solicit cooperation and understanding, focus the negotiation on priorities of each side, avoid return counters that do not address the concerns of the other side, and establish a line of communications. I have found that fax communications are seldom "soft" and are usually in need of way more explanation than is provided. The fax is just too easy to misinterpret and leaves the other side "cold". Call first -- talk softly -- explain your clients position -- and probe for the main desires of his/her client. We have to remember that we are sales agents (selling) and person to person works much better than filling out the forms and faxing. It really works, try it.