Author: Igor Nastaskin
Community Event Saves Lives
16th Annual Torrance Relay for Life April 21-22 at South High The statistics remain grim – cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2018 there will be an estimated 1,735,350 new cancer cases diagnosed and 609,640 cancer deaths in the United States. Which is why it’s more important than ever for communities to come together for The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Help the Hollywood Riviera and its surrounding neighborhoods save lives by joining forces the weekend of April 21-22 for the annual Torrance Relay for Life at South High School. Relay for Life is the world’s largest grassroots fundraising event, with participants and volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries. The event raises funds for the American Cancer Society with the help of teams of volunteers who commit to having at least one team member walking on a track at all times over a 24 hour period because cancer never sleeps. Relay For Life honors cancer survivors, pays tribute to those who have lost their lives to the disease, and raises money to fight cancer. With the support of thousands of volunteers, Relay for Live fundraisers assist the American Cancer Society in saving more than 500 lives a day. The Torrance Relay for Life raised more than $202,000 for the American Cancer Society last year, and this year’s goal is to raise $210,000. The Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club continues its tradition of fielding a team, with Igor Nastaskin serving as team captain for the 13th consecutive year. Please consider joining the Riviera Sportsman’s Club’s Relay team if you’d like to get involved (women and men are welcome). The team raised more than $13,500 for the American Cancer Society last year, and hopes to exceed that amount this year. Relay for Life began in 1985 with the vision of Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington. In an effort to raise funds for his local American Cancer Society, Dr Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at the University of Puget Sound, logging in more than 83 miles. Nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family and patients cheered him on as he walked, while others donated $25 to walk 30 minutes with him. Ultimately, he raised $27,000 to fight cancer. The following year, Dr Klatt organized 19 teams to take part in the first team relay event, and a total of $33,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society. Today, Dr. Klatt’s vision is a fundraising phenomenon. Highlights of the Relay for Life are the opening ceremony Saturday, April 21 at 9 am followed by a survivors’ lap at 9:30 am. At 8 pm Saturday, a Luminaria Ceremony will honor survivors as well as those who lost their battle with cancer. The luminarias burn through the night to light the path for those walking to fight back against cancer. You can purchase and decorate your luminaria at the event on Saturday. Entertainment is provided throughout the event, which concludes Sunday at 9:00 am with a closing ceremony. To sign up for the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team, or to donate funds to the American Cancer Society for the fundraiser, please contact Igor at 310-892-6016 or [email protected]. Donations are accepted until August 31, 2018. Your gift is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent allowed by law. American Cancer Society’s support for survivors and patients, please call them 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. We hope to see you at South High the weekend of April 21-22 as we pull together as a community to fight back against cancer.
Six Surprising Ways Home Staging Could Sabotage Your Sale
Home staging can be great when it comes to helping prospective buyers imagine themselves in your space. On the other spectrum, staging also can go wrong. Here, Realtor.com points out some mistakes that are easy to make when beautifying your home for the market. 1. Overdesigning The goal of home staging is to help buyers visualize what the house could look like once they are settled. The trick is to subtly emit that feeling. Keep it simple with furnishings, some decor and textiles to add softness. Don’t cover every nook and cranny, even if you think it’ll look amazing. 2. Displaying fake everything Making a home feel lived in without actually being lived in is tricky. But if your home stager suggests a nice bowl of fake fruit or anything inflatable, run quickly in the other direction. Keep it real, and forget the artificial bananas and silk leaf palm trees. 3. Not staging to scale You might think that you need to use smaller, lightweight items to create the illusion of spaciousness. Sometimes that tactic can actually dwarf a home, experts say. Instead, make sure your furniture and accessories match the room in scale and proportion. Buyers should walk in and feel like there’s room for the family to grow and for entertaining. If the furniture used for staging is too small, the entire space will give the feeling that there’s not enough room in the house. The same goes for accessories. If they’re disproportional to the space, the entire room can seem visually cluttered. 4. Staging your entire home in one aesthetic Buyers are trying to envision themselves—and everything they already own—in the space. To help them get there, feel free to showcase eclectic furniture that proves to buyers their mismatched furniture also will go great in the house. When in doubt, however, opt for traditional pieces: light-colored sofas, tables with clean lines and timeless accessories. 5. Keeping doors closed Sometimes an entire floor can be missed by potential buyers because a door was closed. The buyer might assume that the door was a closet rather than a staircase to the basement or upper floor. Before your real estate agent shows your house, do a final walk-through and make sure everything is open and ready to go. 6. Going too neutral There’s nothing wrong with a classic color scheme, but if you keep everything ivory and beige, it won’t make your house stand out from the pack. We’re not saying you should go crazy with the color. Your home should have a bit of unique appeal with some pops of color and different rooms.
Is Now the Time to Seek Out an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Loan?
Since 2009, annual mortgage rates have been below 5 percent, and demand for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) has been in the single digits. Ellie Mae reports that ARMs comprised just 5.6 percent of the marketplace in December 2017, up from 3.9 percent in November 2016. Why the new interest in ARM loans? There are few financial products that are easier to understand or a better deal for borrowers than the fixed-rate mortgage, where you lock in a mortgage rate for as long as 30 years and don’t have to worry about inflation and higher mortgage rates. Here, The Mortgage Reports suggests three questions to ask when you’re considering an ARM. 1. What’s the current ARM/Fixed spread? When you’re shopping for a mortgage, the difference in mortgage rates between an ARM and a fixed-rate mortgage is known as the “spread.” The spread is your incentive for using an ARM rather than a fixed. The bigger the spread, the more attractive the ARM. For example, if you’re choosing between a 10-year ARM and a 30-year fixed, and the difference in mortgage rate is 12.5 basis points (0.125 percent), you may feel that there’s little reason to accept the risk of an adjustable-rate loan. However, if the spread widened to 50 basis points (0.50 percent) or more, you may start to change your mind. In general, the shorter your ARM’s initial teaser period, the lower its starting mortgage rate. A seven-year adjustable will have a lower starting mortgage rate than a 10-year adjustable; and a five-year adjustable will have the lower starting mortgage rate than a 7-year adjustable. The savings of an ARM can be substantial while it’s in its teaser period. After the ARM enters its adjustment period, however, savings can reduce or evaporate. 2. What’s your time frame in the house? Another factor that determines whether you should consider an ARM is the length of time you plan to live in your home; and, the number of years until you might conceivably attempt a home loan refinance. According to the National Association of REALTORS, homeowners typically own property for about seven years before selling. Older homeowners tend to own for a few years longer, while younger and first-time home buyers tend to own for a few years less. This statistic, which is based on decades of data, suggests that many U.S. home buyers would be better suited to an ARM than a fixed. This is because a large majority of homeowners sell their home before their hypothetical ARM would ever begin to adjust. So, if you don’t consider your next home to be your “forever home,” see what kind of money you might save with an ARM. 3. Is your mortgage a jumbo loan? A jumbo loan, by definition, is a mortgage loan that exceeds the loan size limits for an area. Loan limits vary by region, ranging from $453,100 to $679,650. If you want to borrow more than your area’s loan limit allows, there are mortgages still available to you. However, the fixed-rate pricing tends to deteriorate. The difference in mortgage rates between a fixed-rate loan within loan limits and one that’s outside of loan limits can be as high as 150 basis points (1.50 percent). For ARMs, however, jumbo loans can get inexpensive. It’s not uncommon to see jumbo ARM mortgage rates beat jumbo fixed-rate mortgage rates by 250 basis points (2.50 percent) or more. That’s a pretty big incentive to go with an ARM.
Five Reasons Why Buying a House Is a Much Bigger Commitment Than Marriage
Some couples might not be ready for marriage, but they are happy to join together in buying a house. Here, Realtor.com discusses why purchasing a home is much more of a commitment than walking down the aisle. 1. You can return a ring—but not a house There are almost always clauses that allow at least a 50 percent refund from wedding vendors if someone gets cold feet. There is no such return on a house. It’s just about impossible to “return a home” after you’ve bought it. And that means there’s no wiggle room to change your mind—or, if you do, you’re looking at a much bigger financial loss than some flowers. 2. A house can’t go into counseling Even the best couples can go through difficult times, and when they do, counseling can be a good option. And sure, you can “work on” a house as well—by swapping out a pedestal sink or installing soapstone counters, for example. But the bones of the home will remain. The plumbing will remain. The electrical wiring is hard to change when it’s installed wrong and the house is 100 years old. The size of your lot won’t change, either, unless you buy the lot next door. You have to accept a house for what it is because even if you could change it, you are looking at tens of thousands of dollars to do so. A person can pay $20 for a yoga class or $200 for couples counseling, or do some deep squats for free and vastly improve themselves. That’s a bargain compared with what it takes to change a house. 3. You can’t give a house the cold shoulder When you have a tiff in a marriage, you can blow off steam in different rooms. You can go for a drive and ignore your spouse’s texts while you cool off. Meanwhile, houses can’t be ignored. Turn the heat down at the wrong time, and you could be looking at a burst pipe the next day. Neglect one small trickle of water, and the next thing you know, you have $5,000 in water damage. Absence makes a heart grow fonder in a marriage. But it makes a house grow weaker and more expensive. 4. To ’divorce’ your house, you have to get someone else to buy it first If you get divorced, you divide assets. Putting aside any children that might be involved, your spouse’s problems no longer are your problems. However, a house is your problem, at least until you can find someone willing to take it off your hands. That can be tough when a home inspection reveals an oil tank buried in your front yard that your own home inspector missed, or a faulty chimney you’ll have to fix before this new buyer will even consider getting on board. 5. Houses don’t get better as they get older, they just get worse We all fall apart as we age, of course, but we also get better. We get wiser. We get gray around the temples in a “distinguished” way. Love grows. When houses grow older, they crumble. Their water heaters leak, then stop working entirely. They need new roofs. In general, upkeep of a human requires much less money and emotional energy than the upkeep of a house.
Five Sure-Fire Ways to Get Acquainted with Your New Neighborhood
1. Make the first move It can be intimidating to approach a new next-door neighbor and introduce yourself. However, your new neighbors might be equally hesitant to disturb your family, especially if you seem busy moving boxes and unpacking. So, take the initiative and look for an opportunity when the neighbors don’t look rushed or preoccupied. A wave or hello can open the door without being intrusive, and a simple question about the trash pickup schedule on the block or what local grocery store someone recommends is an easy conversation starter. 2. Be approachable Create chances for others to welcome you by sitting on the front porch and taking leisurely walks. Or just focus on being approachable—slow down on the way to your car every morning and put on a happy face upon returning from work every evening. The same rule applies when you’re out and about in the community. Choose a bar seat instead of a corner table at the local restaurant and take the kids to a nearby playground or park, and always be sure to make eye contact, smile and say hello to those around you. 3. Check out the local haunts Do as the locals do and frequent a local restaurant, farmers market or shop. If you have a dog, dog parks practically require you and your pet to make new friends. Before you know it, one of these local hangouts will become a place where at least a few people know your name. 4. Get involved Meet like-minded people by participating in activities that are meaningful to you. Check with local schools and universities, park districts, recreation commissions, sports organizations and neighbors to find the right fit. Donating your time to community organizations that improve the neighborhood by cleaning up trash, helping other residents or clearing park trails also will help you meet people and get to know the neighborhood. Parents, of course, have many ready-made outlets for making new friends, such as volunteering at the school, getting involved in carpools and hosting playdates or a Halloween party for the kids on the block. 5. Use your network Take advantage of organized programs that can help you meet others in your new community. If you were active in a church or place of worship in your previous home, ask for a referral to a similar establishment. Many employers offer programs that connect newly relocated workers with longtime residents. Most colleges and universities also have local alumni chapters. And don’t forget to mine your online networks. Ask Facebook friends if they know anyone in your new town, or search sites such as Meetup.com to find others with similar interests.
How to Find Your Ideal School in a New Neighborhood
Schools often are the most important deciding factors for a family seeking out a new neighborhood to call home. While there’s no single solution to finding the right one, there is more to consider than test scores alone. Think commute times, the school’s PTA scene and your child’s classroom experience. Here, Trulia offers six steps to choosing a school that will fit your family. 1. Ask yourself important questions Before beginning the process, it’s key to do a little soul-searching about what matters most to you when it comes to your child’s education. Consider the values you want to come through not just at home, but in a school setting. For example: • What are some places where my child has thrived in the past? • What unifies those experiences? • Do we prefer a traditional or alternative educational style? • How important are extracurricular enrichment opportunities? • What sort of contributions (time or money) are we interested in making as a family? 2. Use your network to gain insight It’s worth a shot to reach out to everyone you know to start doing some research. Post a question on Facebook letting everyone know that you are investigating schools in a certain area, and find out if they have any experience or insight to share. You also can ask your network to share your post so that it gains even more exposure. It could turn out that your uncle’s best friend or your daughter’s soccer coach grew up in your new town and would be able to give an insider’s perspective on a school you’re looking into—or perhaps point you to a school you might not have even considered. 3. Call schools directly for information Once you’ve found a few options in your new neighborhood, reach out to the school by phone using Trulia’s school directory to find contact information. When you reach someone one the line, you’ll have the opportunity to ask more nuanced, personalized questions. You also can request to have school catalogs sent by mail, along with any other printed material available, particularly about how this school or district compares with others in the area. 4. Surf schools’ websites Most schools and school districts have their own websites that include a wealth of information. Spend some time reading newsletters or PTA meeting notes if they’re available. Look into what awards or certifications the schools have recently received. If you’re eager to dive even deeper into the school website, look for downloadable calendars, and sign up for a weekly newsletter, which can offer insight into any events or news at the school. 5. Visit in person, if possible Although it seems logical to visit during school hours, that may not be possible. You could be 1,000 miles away—or a school might have restrictions on visiting hours for prospective families. If you’re local, ask about coming in after school hours to see classrooms and common areas. Look at the art in the hallways and any posters around the school to try to get a feel for the school’s values, teacher engagement and the administration’s priorities. Whether you encounter the crossing guard or the person at the front desk, engage people in conversation to ask them any questions you may have. If you get the chance, ask to meet with the principal. You also might want to find out how teachers are evaluated. Here are some other questions to ask: • What is the school’s approach to discipline and homework? • What does current parent involvement look like? • What are the rates of teacher turnover? • How is information shared with parents? • How does the school support children with any unique academic, social, or developmental needs? 6. Read reviews Parent reviews from sites such as GreatSchools.org and SchoolDigger.com provide helpful additional insights. Families of children currently enrolled often share important details about items such as class sizes, current events, and what the school does well and what they believe needs work in real time.
Five Ways to Come Out on Top if You’re Buying a Home in 2018
Buying a house can be difficult, especially when the rules keep changing. When it comes to purchasing a home, the methods that worked in the past now no longer apply. Today, there are new tax codes, tougher competition and more that will require you to be on top of your game. To help you prepare, Realtor.com offers five tips to buying a house in 2018. 1. Know the new tax codes Recent tax reforms shouldn’t keep you from purchasing your dream home, you just need to be aware of all of the nuances and how it will affect you. In 2018, homeowners can deduct mortgage interest on loans up to $750,0000, down from $1 million. However, keep in mind that Realtor.com data shows that the median list price for a home is only $270,000. So, this change is expected to affect just 1.3 percent of new mortgages. 2. Prepare for competition With housing stock at record lows nationwide and multiple offers also returning in many areas, one trend that is emerging is all-cash buyers who are offering full price or more and waiving appraisals and contingencies. In January 2017, 23 percent of all home purchases were made with all cash with no mortgage, according to the National Association of Realtor’s Confidence Index Survey Report, and some experts say that number will increase this year. These buyers are particularly appealing to home sellers because they don’t have to secure financing. But don’t fear. One way to get the edge over all-cash buyers is to write a personal letter to the seller about yourself and your family. This could steer sellers in your direction, especially if it means choosing you over a buyer who might tear down the home and turn it into a new development. Another strategy is to ask sellers about their own goals in the sale, and then help meet those goals. For example, if you offer to close in a few months, you could stand out by being flexible. 3. Get street-wise about what you read online Although it’s normal to peruse real estate listings online, never believe everything you see. Always be suspicious of real estate “offers” that could be attempts to steal your identity or scam you out of money. Some classic red flags? Offers that sound too urgent; listings asking for personal information such as your Social Security number; and home sellers or listing agents who are “out of the country” or otherwise unavailable. Also be cautious of incoming emails. According to data from the FBI, criminals attempted to divert nearly $1 billion into their pockets in 2017, up from $19 million in 2016. This crime usually begins when hackers send you an e-mail that appears to be from your real estate agent or a title company. So, if you receive a message requesting information you hadn’t previously agreed upon, or asking for a quick change in plans, call the person or company involved to be sure. 4. Be cautious of home staging During the past several years, more sellers have chosen to incorporate some level of staging into their homes by bringing in or taking out furniture, storing clutter, hanging new wall art and removing personal items. Almost one-third of buyers are more willing to overlook property faults in a staged home, according to a survey by the NAR. A staged home can help you visualize yourself living there, but don’t let it deter you from checking on the basics. For example, that farmhouse sink might be lovely to look at, but a leaky faucet or slow drain could portend plumbing problems you should not ignore. Perfect rugs or a fresh coat of paint might be covering stains or water damage. Don’t be shy about lifting, moving, and testing whatever you need to in order to know a house is in good shape—and if something big isn’t up to par, ask the seller for repair credits or to lower the home’s price. 5. Consider a fixer-upper There is more competition and demand for already renovated or move-in ready homes. Yet there is a way to turn this to your advantage: Keep your eyes open for fixer-uppers. After all, the lower price plus the cost of renovations usually adds up to less than the price of a completely renovated home. Keep in mind that the best fixer-uppers require renovations that are merely cosmetic, meaning they don’t involve major components of the house such as the foundation or structure. Cosmetic work might consist of a kitchen or bathroom remodel, new floors or siding repair. Hire a contractor to come through and give an estimate on the cost of the work so you can crunch the numbers.
Busting Some Common Home-Buying Myths
Busting Some Common Home-Buying Myths Dreaming of buying your first home? Here, Realtor.com dispels a few common home-buying myths and offers some tips to help you purchase the house of your dreams. Myth No. 1: “I’m too young to worry about buying a house right now; there’s plenty of time” The fact is, 40 percent of all homebuyers are 34 years old and younger and 65 percent are first-time buyers. Perhaps you’re thinking of getting married, starting a family or just tired of your current home? The market has been getting more competitive, and planning for a purchase now — even if it’s still a couple years down the road—will help you in the long run. Take time now to look at your budget and begin to explore communities that appeal to your lifestyle. Make sure to think about your hobbies, interests, lifestyle and family needs. When you’ve narrowed down your wish list, call an experienced real estate agent who knows the market and trending neighborhoods and can make every step of the home-buying process easier. Myth No. 2: “I need to get my finances looking perfect first” Begin saving aggressively as early as possible. Putting away some extra cash on top of your rental payment each month also can be great practice for the real feel of a monthly mortgage. Consider setting up smaller, weekly automatic bank transfers to make the saving process easier without feeling like your wallet is taking a significant hit. Use a home affordability calculator to help determine what price range you can afford in the area you would like to buy. Enter details about your income, monthly debt and down payment to identify homes within your price range. You also can find a lender online who can help you get pre-qualified quickly. Myth No. 3 “I’m saving money by renting” It may appear that renting is a lower-cost solution, but an analysis of median rents in 2017 shows that rents are rising in 78 percent of counties in the U.S. year-over-year. To better understand the financial impact of buying vs. renting over time, try using a rent vs. buy calculator.