Blog - Heidi Carter

Uncategorized

Rising Rates – What Does it Mean for You?

A common comment we have been hearing from buyers – “rates are going up…so I am waiting for home prices to come down”. So far over the first quarter of 2018 we haven’t seen these hopes come to fruition. Rather, both interest rates and home prices have continued to inch their way up. Mortgage rates […]
Uncategorized

WHICH DOWN PAYMENT STRATEGY IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

You’ve most likely heard the rule: Save for a 20-percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long-term goal. It also helps you get favorable rates from lenders. But there can actually […]
Buying and Selling, DIY

PRIORITY TASKS FOR YOUR MOVE IN

Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first. Change the locks Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can […]
Buying and Selling

23673 Gold Strike Circle

Come and tour this tranquil and peaceful home in Gavilan Springs Ranch! This beautiful, turnkey home is situated on almost 2 acres of useable land. It is a country charmer with outdoor recreational opportunities of biking, walking and quiet equestrian trails. This elegant single story home has 4 large bedrooms, 2 full baths and encompasses […]

Uncategorized Rising Rates – What Does it Mean for You? A common comment we have been hearing from buyers – “rates are going up…so I am waiting for home prices to come down”. So far over the first quarter of 2018 we haven’t seen these hopes come to fruition. Rather, both interest rates and home prices have continued to inch their way up. Mortgage rates […]

Uncategorized WHICH DOWN PAYMENT STRATEGY IS RIGHT FOR YOU? You’ve most likely heard the rule: Save for a 20-percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long-term goal. It also helps you get favorable rates from lenders. But there can actually […]

Buying and Selling PRIORITY TASKS FOR YOUR MOVE IN Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first. Change the locks Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can […]

Buying and Selling 23673 Gold Strike Circle Come and tour this tranquil and peaceful home in Gavilan Springs Ranch! This beautiful, turnkey home is situated on almost 2 acres of useable land. It is a country charmer with outdoor recreational opportunities of biking, walking and quiet equestrian trails. This elegant single story home has 4 large bedrooms, 2 full baths and encompasses […]

Uncategorized 9 Options to Remove, Hide or Play Down a Popcorn Ceiling Don’t love your popcorn ceiling? You’re not the only one stuck with some unwanted stucco overhead. There are many options for moving on from it, but not all of them are equally effective — or equally easy. To help you decide how to address your popcorn problem, here are some top ways to remove, cover […]

Uncategorized The Trump effect. How will it impact the US economy and housing? The American people have spoken and they have elected Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States. Change was clearly demanded, and change is what we will have. The election was a shock for many, especially on the West Coast where we have not been overly affected by the long-term loss in […]

Uncategorized Southern California Real Estate Market Update ECONOMIC OVERVIEW Over the past 12 months (through August 2016), the markets covered by this report added 273,200 new jobs and the total number of people claiming unemployment insurance dropped by over 100,000. With these shifts toward full employment, the area’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.2% to 5.1% during the past year. Some might […]

Uncategorized Should I Move or Remodel? There are a number of things that can trigger the decision to remodel or move to a new home. Perhaps you have outgrown your current space, you might be tired of struggling with ancient plumbing or wiring systems, or maybe your home just feels out of date. The question is: Should you stay or should […]

Buying and Selling No Time Like The Present Thinking about buying your first home, or perhaps upgrading from your current place? Thanks to the current economic climate and game-changing technology in the housing market, now is the perfect time to take the plunge. Low interest rates Lenders are giving buyers mortgage rates that are extremely enticing—you can get a mortgage below 4.0%. There’s […]

Uncategorized Kitchen Renovations 8 Ways Your Kitchen Renovations Could Break Your Budget When you begin planning a kitchen renovation project, you may have no idea how much your ideal vision might cost. The answer will likely depend on several factors, including the size of your space, what you will do to it, and your budget. In the […]

Buying and Selling Six Key Factors That Affect the Sales Price of Your Home Pricing a home for sale is not nearly as simple as most people think. You can’t base the price on what the house down the street sold for. You can’t depend on tax assessments. Even automatic valuation methods (AVMs), while useful for a rough estimate of value, are unreliable for purposes of pricing a […]

Buying and Selling Why So Many Americans Are Either Upsizing or Downsizing According to two recent surveys that took industry watchers by surprise, many family homeowners are putting frugality aside and upsizing to new houses that average as large as 2,480 square feet (an increase of as much as 13 percent from the year before), and sometimes exceed 3,500 square feet in size. Meanwhile, millions of […]