Author: Igor Nastaskin
How to Review a Seller’s Disclosure Report
Double-checking a seller’s disclosure report can save you heartache and money. But if you don’t read disclosures regularly, that means you could miss something important. Follow these tips from Trulia.com to spot potential red flags. How old is your roof? Roofs can last anywhere from 10 and 50 years, while tar-and-gravel roofs usually last 10 to 20 years. The popular composition shingle roofs usually last about 20 years, and the clay roofs on Spanish- and Mediterranean-style homes can last for more than 50 years. Crawl space vs. cement slab Crawl spaces are more accessible, which makes it easier to make repairs or upgrades. But adequate ventilation is important; otherwise, you might be dealing with mold. And all ventilation areas should be covered with screens to keep out wildlife. On the other hand, cement slabs can help you avoid mold or wildlife issues. But if tree roots or soil damages the slabs, it may cost you. Slabs also need to be removed to repair broken or leaking pipes. Plumbing and pipes Replacing your plumbing is a major expense. Note the age and type of your pipes. Brass, copper and galvanized steel can last 80 to 100 years. But polybutylene or lead pipes can mean trouble. These materials need to be replaced. The HVAC and water heater Gas water heaters usually last 10 years, while electric cones last for about 15. If the disclosure shows the water heater is that age or older, consider that it probably needs replacing. Even if the HVAC is working, an older system will run 40 percent less efficient than a new system, costing you much more on your monthly bill. Cracks in the wall Cracks could mean there is structural damage. Call in a structural engineer to look for foundation issues. A thorough inspection should be all you need to know whether you’re dealing with normal settling issues or something more ominous. Animal damage If the report is marked “yes” for animal damage, make sure it’s being dealt with properly. When you’re looking to buy, a few pest traps won’t suffice. You should probably interpret the seller’s claims of “handling it” to mean sealing the house properly to prevent the animals from entering in the first place, or hiring an exterminator. You also should ask for a termite guarantee. Additional explanations or further disclosure Be sure you don’t just glance over the “additional comments” part. Some items that could appear in this section include pending liens, restrictions or easements. Those could be deal breakers. Pending liens can tie up the property for some time, and restrictions or easements limit what you can do with the home. Disclosures don’t necessarily tell all Go with your gut and take note of suspicions along the way. Your next step is to look for things that don’t seem right, like a wall out of place, stucco that has been disturbed or unusual additions. It’s a good idea to get a CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange), which tells you a home’s history, such as prior damage. Most home insurance companies put claims in the CLUE database.
The 10 Best Cities for NFL Fans
Where should die-hard football fans live? Which NFL city has the most locations for game watching, bars for gathering with friends and stores for buying sports gear? To find out, Trulia.com ranked all 31 cities that are home to an NFL team, taking into account the number of sports bars, real estate agents and sportswear establishments. Here, the top 10 cities — and their median home sale prices— for football followers. New York Median sales price: $1.2 million Los Angeles Median sales price: $695,000 Chicago Median sales price: $274,000 San Diego Median sales price: $515,000 San Francisco Median sales price: $1.1 million Houston Median sales price: $427,871 Seattle Median sales price: $560,000 Philadelphia Median sales price: $179,750 Denver Median sales price: $354,000 Phoenix Median sales price: $208,000
Hollywood Riviera Residents Love this Park to the Moon and Back
While there are many wonderful parks in Torrance, only one has panoramic views from the ocean to the mountains – plus its own rocketship. Los Arboles “Rocketship” Park is a Hollywood Riviera jewel loved by young and old alike for more than fifty years. Located on 6.3 acres at 5101 Calle de Ricardo (donated by developer H. Kessel), groundbreaking on the park took place in 1960 and the park opened four years later. Rocketship Park was built shortly after the Soviet Sputnik satellite was launched and spacecraft was on the minds of Americans nationwide, especially in the aerospace-heavy South Bay. With the post-World War II baby boom on, city organizers were creating parks throughout the area. With Riviera Elementary situated adjacent to the park, children and parents were delighted with the new addition to the community. The Riviera Garden Club quickly donated its services to maintain and improve the park. In addition to its 28-foot high rocketship, which was purchased from a catalog of playground equipment, the original park included a space slide, a model of Saturn, miniature jet planes, a submarine, and later an orbiter and lunar lander. The beloved rocketship almost came to a crashing end in 1992 when the city of Torrance deemed it a safety concern and took it down. After a community outcry, the rocketship was refurbished and reinstalled a few months later. More modern equipment was also installed at the time, and a historical landmark plaque was placed on one of the rocket’s fins. Rocketship Park was updated this summer with new play areas for ages 2 to 5 years and 5 to 12 years. The updated park includes lunar monkey bars, swings, climbing pieces and a teeter totter. And of course, the rocketship and moon lander. The park also includes a picnic area and has handicap access. Take a trip up the four-level spaceship and enjoy views spanning from the Getty Center to the Hollywood sign to Griffith Park Observatory. You’ll be experiencing just one of the many things that make our community so special. Click Here to read Igor’s full Newsletter on Scribd.com –http://www.scribd.com/LiveInHollywdRiviera
South Bay Real Estate Market Concerns You May Have
There are any number of concerns a real estate owner, or potential buyer, may have when considering if this is the best time to become involved with a real estate transaction in the South Bay. That’s why it’’s important to have an informed, local real estate agent that can give you the information you need about particular neighborhoods. For instance, I am an expert on the Redondo Beach/Torrance Riviera Village neighborhood. I have my fingers on the pulse of the local market and always check numbers so I can advise my clients accordingly. Recently you may have heard that “the market has slowed down,” meaning that home values have stopped rising so rapidly and buyers aren’t as frenzied as they may have been last year to grab South Bay property. This is good news for buyers, even if it isn’t what sellers think they want to hear. Buyers have more options when it comes to properties and are going to be more sensitive to too-high listing prices. At the same time, as a buyer, it is important to note that the market hasn’t slowed down enough to offer prices below the listing price in the Beach Cities. Buyer expectations, as well as sellers’, must be realistic. There are also more homes to choose from in the South Bay, for buyers. Buyers may fear that there is “limited inventory,” but inventory is actually going up. Demand from buyers is still there, so the home values do continue to rise, albeit not as rapidly as they did in 2013. Another aspect of the real estate selling process that may seem daunting at the moment is getting an accurate appraisal in a fluctuating market. As a seller, you may fear that an appraisal would not reflect rapidly changing market conditions. As an experienced real estate agent with local knowledge, I can be the buffer against an inaccurate appraisal. Last, rising interest rates may make buying real estate inopportune right now. But did you know that interest rates are lower they have been since 2013 right this moment? Interest rates have not risen as rapidly as was previously predicted and, in fact, buyers now enjoy a historically low interest rate. Whatever your real estate transaction concern, let me advise you. Keep your agents local so you can get the absolute best listing price, appraisal, and purchase price for your South Bay neighborhood.
Customizing Your Experience
Customer relations are the core of my business; if you are not happy, I have not done my job. I understand that every client is different and will have very different needs, and I am prepared to do my job in the way that you need me to. Because of my need to make you happy as a customer, I try to do all I can to stay competitive and genuinely helpful as a South Bay real estate agent. For instance, I stay up to date on the latest technology. Do you want to text me some questions? To watch an online video walk-through tour of a home before you view it in person? Assess the neighborhood and the school ratings? I can help you gather that up-to-the-minute information and I will be available electronically and with digital assets for you to view. In short, convenience is the keyword. It is critical to stay abreast of new things, but that doesn’t mean that good listening and insight isn’t just as important. You have a unique vision for your property, and I need to listen to what that is and to genuinely understand it. Your listing is special; your new property is going to have a profound impact on your life. I expect to be very involved in helping make these transactions run smoothly and to your satisfaction mainly through vigilance and understanding. I try to customize your experience; no two clients have the same needs, so no two clients will have the same experience with me as their agent. To some, I will be the knowledgeable salesman, to others a confidant to navigate the mazes of the current South Bay real estate industry. But no matter what, I will be thinking of how to make your experience the very best one I can.
Are You a ‘Move-up’ Buyer?
Many people in the South Bay realize that we’re now entering a seller’s market. Buyers are clamoring for Riviera Village properties and there just aren’t enough being listed to satisfy the demand. Because of this, prices have steadily risen in 2013 and promise to stay high in 2014 even if more people begin listing properties for sale. You might be realizing that now is the time to sell your home in Redondo Beach because you can get a great price for it and sell it in no time at all. But there’s just one problem: where do you go next? That’s right, inventory is tight, so you will have to look and be one of those buyers in a seller’s market. If you have to sell your property in order to buy a new one, things can get complicated. But there is one thing that can be a great bonus when selling your home in a market like this: you can get a great price and become a ‘move up’ buyer. A ‘move up’ buyer is a buyer that sells one property and then purchases a new home that is bigger, or more luxurious, or in a better neighborhood, and that reflects their increasing prosperity. There is almost no better place in California for looking for a move-up home than the South Bay. Have you always wanted to live on The Strand but were holding onto your current property because property values were low? Have you dreamed about owning a Hermosa townhouse, or a Palos Verdes hillside mansion? Now is the time to get a great price for your current South Bay home and move up into the home you have always wanted. I guarantee that your old home is someone’s idea of a perfect move-up.
Sustainable Redondo Beach
Did you know that Redondo Beach is a “sustainable” neighborhood? It is. A sustainable neighborhood is one that makes the environment, day-to-day quality of life, transportation, energy, and community a priority when making building, budget, and zoning decisions. Redondo Beach makes a concerted effort to conserve resources to increase future livability. This is a big deal: many cities don’t seek to be sustainable or don’t have the budget to make it a main concern. The City of Redondo Beach has created a three-year Strategic Plan that is all about sustainable development: building and design that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”Redondo Beach is very concerned about future generations and what their lives will be like here. Mostly, the city seeks to ensure that the coastline above all is not compromised by destructive development. You can actually read the Redondo Beach Sustainable Development Strategic Plan. Like Hermosa Beach, Redondo has a “Green Task Force” to educate the city and locals on better environmental management.
The Modern Californian Beach House
There is a new architecture book that has recently been published that has some really amazing photos of local Redondo Beach and South Bay homes and stunning examples of beach architecture. If you appreciate our local architecture and design, or you love someone who does, this could be the perfect gift or addition to your personal real estate library. The Modern Californian Beach House from Images Publishing Group is written by local South Bay architect Pal Killen with San Francisco-based architectural photographer Russell Abraham. Killen documents some of his most loved modern designs (he’s been creating them in our area since 1984) and the pictures are stunning. Beach Cities newspaper The Easy Reader calls the book “an intersection of modernism, regionalism, and humor.” You can read the review here. With so many local architectural landmarks and such distinctive design styles, The Beach Cities are probably some of the most fun places in California to explore architecturally. We have so much history and such an array of architecture that fits all of our laid-back, sunny, and lucky lifestyle