Real Estate Information

Share It's getting close to Halloween, and families are slowly but surely decorating their Inland Empire homes.  The spirit of the season is in the air, the air is getting cooler, children are planning their costumes, and pumpkins are going up for sale. It's time to pick out our perfect pumpkins and get ready to carve them! Here are some tips to help you make yours amazing!

Pumpkin Picking Tips

• Make sure your pumpkin has a stem; it won't last very long if it doesn't.
• Find a pumpkin with a flat bottom so it won't roll.
• Look for one with no holes or soft spots, because it'll rot.
• Choose a light-colored pumpkin for easier carving, or a dark-colored pumpkin for a longer lasting decoration. 

Pumpkin Pattern Tips

On the steps of Inland Empire homes everywhere, pumpkin faces sprout fangs and witches ride their brooms.  Here are a few things to consider when choosing a pumpkin pattern:

• Keep in mind who'll be doing the carving.  Smaller children generally have a harder time with detailed carvings. 
• Use carving patterns as large as the pumpkin you're working with.
• Draw elaborate designs out on paper first.  You can't erase a cut.
• Remember that you have to leave space between the cuts.  The pumpkin needs to stay in one piece. 

Pumpkin Carving Tips

• Wash the pumpkin and let it dry, before carving.
• Use good carving tools - or a sharp knife and a small serrated knife - for the more elaborate designs.
• Start at the center of your design and work outwards.
• Apply petroleum jelly to the cut edges after you're done to help the pumpkin last longer. 

Pumpkin Leftovers

Once you're done carving, you'll have a lot of leftover pumpkin.  Instead of throwing it in the trash try roasting the pumpkin seeds for a great snack, or using the flesh for a delicious pumpkin pie. 

Soon, children will be visiting Inland Empire homes in mass, and with these tips on pumpkins, patterns and carving (and a good stash of candy, of course), you can have them oohing and aahing with delight.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share The “Home for Sale in the Inland Empire” sign in your yard has been up for quite awhile. Are you somehow missing Morse Code signals floating through the air that might give you the magic equation?  Are you afraid the house won’t sell until hell freezes over?  Are you looking desperately for signs of frost?

Well, even with the ever-pervasive issues currently making a mess of the economy in general and the real estate industry specifically, it’s still possible to replace that “Home for Sale in the Inland Empire” sign with a “SOLD” sign.  You just have to figure out why it’s not selling, and fix it.

I know; it’s easier said than done.  If you knew what the problem was, you’d already have fixed it.  So here, you’ll find the top three reasons a house won’t sell until pigs fly:

1. Price is the number one deal breaker.

Price and value are the two things you need to wrap your thoughts around.  As well, it’s not about what you consider good price and value for a home, but what the buyer considers a good deal.

You can’t beat the competition by simply lowering the price.  You have to compel the buyer with the “Goldilocks” price.  This price says, “It’s not cheap, so you aren’t getting a fixer-upper.  It’s not expensive, because it’s less than others are.  It’s just right, because you can afford it and it’s beautiful.”

2. Home selling is a beauty contest.

Real estate agents say curb appeal and many potential clients roll their eyes. It’s as if we’ve said it so much that it’s become a myth of epical proportions.  I assure you, curb appeal is very, very real.Cut down on your furniture, keep moving boxes.  Less is more!

Let a buyer pull up to a house with chipped paint and rusted hardware, and that’s one less buyer to worry about.  The first impression is everything, and a poor impression never goes away.

3. People don’t want to see your stuff.

Whether your “stuff” is an old, favorite easy chair with rips and springs poking out or a closet full to bursting, it’s a turn off to buyers.  They don’t want to see what the home looks like with your footprint on it; they want to see what it would look like with their footprint on it.

Cut down on your furniture, keeping the best (though not necessarily more comfortable) pieces for show. Pack up your knick-knacks, bric-a-brac and family photos. Take half your clothes out of the closets and pack them away in moving boxes. Less is more!

If you’re having problems with getting your home for sale in the Inland Empire and off the market, don’t panic.  Clear your head and see what you’ve missed!

If you’re ready to sell your home, I can help.  Call me at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty. 

Share The fall holidays are just around the corner, starting with the scariest day of the year – Halloween. You may have always enjoyed Halloween in the past, but the most frightening thought now might be, “I have an Inland Empire home for sale! I can’t do Halloween right now!”

Sure, sure. Right, right.

Take a deep breath. Don’t panic. First, if the idea of Halloween or autumn decorations this year (versus before you had an Inland Empire home for sale) freaks you out, you need the break anyway.  Secondly, it’s the perfect opportunity to sell your house.  Holiday decorations can help buyers imagine the decorations they might use for a warm, inviting atmosphere.

There is, however, a difference between decorating before you put your home on the market and decorating now.  For example, don’t go overboard.  You want potential buyers to enjoy a relaxing stroll through the house, not scream when the skeleton falls out of the closet.

Pumpkins

If you decide to decorate for Halloween rather than just an autumn theme, that’s okay.  Pumpkins, used wisely, can draw attention to an area.  However, growling faces are a thing of the past until your house is sold.  Use harmless, happy pumpkin expressions to help build the overall cheerful holiday house-buying mood. 

Candles

Forget about burning candles right now.  The last thing you want is to have a candle fall over during negotiations and set the curtains on fire.  It’s a sure bet the buyers will change their minds.  Consider using flameless candles as a safer alternative.  They’re even available in autumn scents such as Pumpkin Spice and Cinnamon Fusion. 

Colors

You can use autumn colors to warm a room.  A bowl of chrysanthemums and dried leaves will make a special touch in the bathroom, while pumpkin gourds can add warmth to a porch.

Because of the holidays coming up, autumn makes people nostalgic.  For most, it brings thoughts of family and friends, pumpkins and turkey, fun and light-heartedness.  A warm, inviting decorating scheme can further bring out that nostalgia, and get a SOLD sign put in front of your Inland Empire home for sale.

If you’d like to sell your home before the holidays begin, I can help.  Call me at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share The temperature is starting to drop, leaves are beginning to fall and autumn is getting closer.  For those with Inland Empire Homes for sale, this is a good time to make sure all your t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.  Why? 

Fall brings nostalgia for most people across the United States.  Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve, the last part of the year brings the most family-oriented, warm thoughts.  It brings memories of days gone by when families met over turkey or ham around a table, young cousins played together in the yard and, in general, everyone had a wonderful time.  In other words, it brings thoughts of home. 

Often, these thoughts cause a yearning in potential buyers to own one of the Inland Empire homes for sale.  Renters often become homeowners because of these nostalgic feelings.  How can this benefit you? 

Go ahead and decorate.

Don’t hold off just because your house is for sale.  However, be careful not to over decorate.  A few pumpkin gourds can add a warm, homey touch to a porch, but a slew of snarling jack-o’-lanterns can turn a buyer off.  A tasteful Christmas wreath on the door can welcome cheerful potential buyers into your home, but using enough lights on the house to cause a blackout may not be the best idea. 

Run from scary decorations.

When decorating, stay away from cobwebs, fake spiders and skeletons in the closet.  Use other things to enhance the “nostalgic buying” mood, such as plug-in scents in Apple Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice.  Simple bowls of potpourri add an inviting aroma without being overstated.  Whatever you use, it really doesn’t take much to turn your house into a warm, inviting place that potential buyers may want to call home. 

While decorating for the holidays can increase buyer appeal for Inland Empire homes for sale, remember “all things in moderation.”  Although it’s a little early, let me wish you happy holidays for the end of the year season, and good luck! 

If you’re considering selling your home, whether this season or next, I can help. Call me at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share Leaves are starting to change color, nights are getting cooler and pumpkins are appearing on porches of Inland Empire homes.  All signs that fall is here.

That means it’s time to do fall preventative maintenance on all Inland Empire homes.  To help you get started, here’s a quick checklist: 

• Have a professional heating contractor inspect your Inland Empire home’s heating system.  An annual furnace inspection ensures that your heating system is operating at peak efficiency and most importantly that it is running safely.
  
• Replace your furnace filter.  Furnace filters need to be replaced frequently to allow your heating system to operate properly.
  
• Hire a certified chimney sweep clean.  Have him inspect your wood burning stove or fireplace and clean the chimney.
   
• Check your home for water damage.  Look for water stains on the ceilings or leaks under the bathroom and kitchen sinks.  This minor water damage may seem trivial, but can lead to real problems, like a weakened roof or rotten boards.
  
• Prepare your pipes.  Every year, approximately a quarter-million families have their homes ruined due to water pipes that freeze and burst.  Prepare your pipes, both inside and outside, before the cold weather hits.  Caulk around pipes where they enter your Inland Empire home.  Insulate pipes in unheated areas.  If you have a separate valve for outside faucets, shut it off.  If you don't have a separate valve to turn off outside faucets, wrap outside faucets or hose bibs.
  
• Tend your garden tools and equipment.  Run all lawn equipment until the gas is gone.  This removes flammable liquid from your garage.  Drain water from garden hoses and sprinklers.  Clean shovels, hoes, trowels and spades.
  
• Inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.  Replace batteries and clean the alarms if needed.
  
• Examine caulking.  To prevent water from seeping into the sub-floor, inspect and repair the caulking around your bathroom fixtures.  To reduce heat loss, inspect and repair the caulking around doors, windows and outlets.

Want more home maintenance tips like these?  Subscribe to my blog now.  It’s free, fast and easy.  Or, email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com , and I’ll set up your free subscription for you.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share If you’re looking for an Inland Empire home for sale and you’ve never bought a home before, you might think, “This won’t take much time.”  Typically, just the opposite is true.   Buying a home frequently takes quite a bit of time. 

Of course, the whole home buying process will go much faster (and smoother) if you do things the right way.  If you’re a first time buyer looking for an Inland Empire home for sale, take some lessons from the pros.  The following tips will help make the buying process fly: 

1.)  Weigh the Benefits - Before you actually go house hunting, weigh the pros and cons of buying a home.  Can you really afford it?  Is it a good idea, or are you caving under pressure from family, friends, your doctor and the next-door neighbor? 

Make sure that you’ve actually considered the alternatives and decided home ownership is the best move for you.  In my experience, homebuyers who are sure they’re ready to buy not only enjoy the process more, but also are more likely to enjoy the home they buy. 

2.)  Define What You’re Looking For - Before you walk out the door to look at homes, figure out your goals.  How do you do this?  Begin on the internet.  Between virtual home tours, online listings, photographs and aerial shots, you’ll be able to build a much stronger idea of the type of home and neighborhood in which you want to live.  

Once you go through this process, you’ll have clearly defined goals you can then pass on to the buyer’s agent you hire.  You are now halfway to home ownership! 

3.)  Lay Off the Sugar - Before going to look at houses, lay off the sugars. Research shows sugar can inhibit your short-term memory.  You want to be able to remember the homes you’ve seen.  

Having said that, your agent probably won’t show you 15 or 20 homes in a day. At the most, you might see 8 or 9. You see, a good agent pays attention to the goals you told him or her on the first day.  The only homes you need to see are those that fit your goals. 

4.)  See Your Favorites Before Buying – Okay, you’ve looked at 14 homes, and you’re torn between houses 2, 5 and 6.  Since you’re only buying one house, you want to make sure you get the home you want.  Therefore, before signing or making any kind of commitment, look over the ones you like the most again. You’ll see things you may have missed before, which will help narrow the choice down to one. 

Buying an Inland Empire home for sale is one of the biggest steps you’ll ever take.  It’s a big investment, and the process can be time consuming.  However, following the above steps can make owning the home of your dreams less of a hassle and more of a dream come true! 

If you’re looking for a professional buyer’s agent who can help you find the home of your dreams, give me a call at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com .

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share The point of having your home for sale in the Inland Empire is to… well, sell it, isn’t it?  I mean, it makes logical sense, right?  Yet, too often, home sellers seem to think that selling is as easy as “hire agent, put sign in front, sold.” 

This attitude, especially in a slow real estate market, has left many a seller empty-handed.  They say “no” when they should have said “yes.”  They have all these reasons why they won’t “A, B or C,” rather than just doing “A, B or C” for their home for sale in the Inland Empire. 

What am I talking about?  Well, here are just a few of those “don’t say no” things: 

buyer Incentives

Listen – a slow market or not, you do have competition.  What does this mean? You may have the best house on the block, but if your neighbor’s house has higher perceived value, yours will be left sitting there. 

By offering buyer incentives such as a home warranty plan, pre-paid homeowner association fees or credit toward the closing costs, you’re giving the buyer more perceived value.  Let’s face it; buyers want the best bang for their buck. 

Home Showings

When an agent calls and asks if they can show your home, say YES!  It doesn’t matter if they want to show it in five minutes or five hours, your answer should be yes.  If your home doesn’t get seen, it won’t get sold.  That person you said “no” to might have been your ideal buyer. 

Virtual Tours

Buyers like to be able to view a potential home online first. The best way for them to do this is with a virtual real estate tour, looking at the home with a 360-degree view.  Because this is such a quickly growing trend (some buyers ignore listings without them), you can’t afford to pass it up. 

If you have a home for sale in the Inland Empire and it’s been on the market for a while, you may have said “no” to too many things.  Take some time to look at what you can do to market your home better.  These pointers may very well make all the difference! 

If you’re trying to market your home and need a professional, I can help.  Call me at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Today’s slow real estate market is a hard place to sell Inland Empire homes. However, the fact remains that homes are still being bought and sold.  buyers are out there; you just have to attract them to your home. 

Here are a few tips for getting Inland Empire homes sold in a slow real estate market:

Prepare for the Sale

Your home needs to stand out from the rest. Give it a lot of sparkle and shine: 

• Make minor repairs:  Patch holes, fix faucets and replace cracked tiles.
  
• Clean inside and out:  No cobwebs, dirty carpets, worn rugs or smelly odors.
  
• Check your curb appeal:  Mow the lawn, plant flowers, trim bushes, etc.
  
• Remove clutter and de-personalize:  If it isn’t essential, pack it up or get rid of it.
  
• Straighten your cabinets and closets:  Buyers will open them; make sure they’re nice and neat.

Stage Your Home

Hire a professional home stager or read informational home staging articles on doing it yourself.  Here are a few quick tips: 

• Carefully choose your window coverings.
  
• Tie new bathroom towels with ribbons for a “finished” bathroom look.
  
• Use color psychology.
  
• Bring in plants.

Use Good Marketing Techniques

A strong marketing campaign is a must.  A few techniques you want to be sure you or your agent includes in your marketing campaign are: 

• Take photographs with good lighting that show off the positive aspects of your home.
  
• Create a virtual tour that showcases both the inside and outside of your home.
  
• Display the photos and virtual tour on as many real estate websites as possible.

Selling Inland Empire homes isn’t a quick or easy endeavor.  Especially now, aggressive marketers are the winners.  Taking the time to clean and stage your home, as well as create a wide-reaching marketing campaign, can get that for sale sign taken down for good. 

If you’d like to sell your home, let me create a strong, wide-reaching marketing campaign to get your home sold.   Give me a call today at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com .

 Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share According to RealtyTrac, 1 in 70 homes have received foreclosures notices since January, 2010 – a total of 1.7 million houses in the U.S. Was your Inland Empire home one of them? In previous blogs, we’ve covered several ways to avoid Foreclosure, but a rising trend has brought another possibility to the forefront.

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, many individuals are surviving the economic blues by expanding their households. By the end of 2008, more than 16%, or 49 million, of Americans lived in a household with more than one generation. Although the statistics aren’t back yet for 2009 -2010, experts expect the numbers to be even higher.

These Americans aren’t all young college graduates moving back in with mom and dad, either. Parents have moved in with children, children with parents – somehow, even siblings have managed to live together in relative harmony. This trend spans across the board from single parents to elderly grandparents. According to the report, approximately one in five adults ages 25 to 34 and 65 + live in a multi-generational home.

 Are you suggesting I let family members move in?

Actually, yes I am.  Now, depending on your family dynamics, I realize this might be the equivalent of inviting World War III to your doorstep.  However, if you face losing your Inland Empire home to foreclosure, you might at least stop to consider the possibilities. For instance: 

• More working people in the household means more ability to pay the mortgage and stop the foreclosure.
  
• With more family members, you have a stronger family influence on children living in the home.
  
• With more people, responsibility is shared more.  You won't need to do everything on your own.

No, it’s not an ideal situation.  However, if you’ve said, “I’d do anything to keep my home,” did you mean it?  Does the definition of “anything” include family World War III?  Could you sit down with your family members, work out a set of compromises and live in harmony?  If you’ve tried everything else, this may be your best bet for avoiding foreclosure on your Inland Empire home. 

You never know; you may even come to like it. 

If you’re looking for a home to support a multi-generational household, I can help.  Call me at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.

Share While those who own Inland Empire Homes for sale are worried about the real estate market, some buyers are getting good deals.  However, there are plenty of people on both sides of the market with a case of cold feet.

For instance, some with Inland Empire homes for sale took them off the market. Others, who’ve thought of selling, haven’t.  

The same can be said for buyers.  Many potential homebuyers change their minds or still worry over that age-old question of, “Should I or shouldn’t I?” 

Two Cases of Cold Feet 

A 26-year old with a steady job, good paycheck and good credit, sums it up for many potential buyers.  “My job’s steady and my credit is good.  I keep watching the houses that go up for sale, thinking I could go ahead and buy, but then the ‘what if’s’ pop into my head.  I don’t want to miss this opportunity to get a great deal and lock in a low interest rate, but there are so many unknowns…”  

A former seller shares why he took his home off the market.  “My wife and I decided to sell and went through the process of hiring an agent.  The agent suggested having someone come in and redecorate the house.  While we were looking for another place, we kept coming back to this beautiful home and started remembering what we really liked about it in the first place.” 

He went on to say, “We also started thinking about all the things we no longer had to deal with.  We own this home, but if we bought another one, we’d have to take out a mortgage.  Our house started looking better and better.  Turns out we didn’t need to move; we just needed to redecorate.” 

Should I or Shouldn’t I? 

Should you buy a home?  Should you sell the home you own?  Only you can really answer that question.  For the buyers, however, if you can afford a home of your own but are holding off for lower prices, you could end up missing out. Home prices and mortgage rates are already at all-time lows; this may be as good as it gets. 

For sellers, consider why you want to sell your home.  Is it too small?  Too big? Would remodeling turn it back into your dream home?  Or – do you really need to sell your home for some reason? 

Putting your Inland Empire home up for sale or buying a new home should never be a spontaneous decision.  Before you do either, take stock of your finances and reasons. 

If you’d like to sell your home or find a home to buy, I can help.  Call me today at (909) 938-9568 or email me at Randy@TeamCharlton.com for more information.

Brought to you by Randy Charlton of Keller Williams Realty.