Real Estate Tips

Roseville Real Estate or Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach

Where to live, Roseville or Redondo Beach real estate? My good friend Melissa is selling her house in Roseville and looking for a house to buy in Redondo Beach. Going from her birthplace in Northern California to Southern California is a big move. People move for so many reasons. In this case, So Cal is where her adult sons live so it makes total sense for her to live in close proximity to family.

With the ocean breeze sailing through the air one has to wonder, what’s not to like? It is going to be a huge change but sounds like an exhilarating one. After retirement from a job, a moving to a beach town is what most people only dream about.

She is so excited; but what about the total sticker shock? Seeing housing prices ranging from $500 to $750 per square foot in the beach cities, is it worth it? The price you pay for perpetual 72-degree weather, ocean breeze blowing through your hair and beautiful white sand beaches to walk barefoot sounds like heaven to me.

There is little need for air conditioning in your home or in your car as the weather is so good. More than 70 percent of the homes built are constructed with no central AC. Utilities will not be as costly as Sacramento when we routinely experience July and August temps, which can reach 105+ degrees.

The first step for a Redondo move is to sell her home. In Roseville, she has a large two-story with a big back yard. This type of property could require a price tag in the multi-millions. So scaling down is a must for affordability. Most of the properties in the ocean city are townhomes ranging from 3 to 6 units in a row. Price tags upwards of $1,000,000. High-cost HOAs are common and most are built 3 stories high (3 staircases) to enjoy the ocean views.

Stay tuned because once she moves down there, she’s invited me to be her first house guest. The ocean is a great place for a Sacramento Realtor to visit, but I wouldn’t want to move for many reasons. “Home sweet home” means different things to people. Living in Roseville real estate or moving to Redondo Beach is an EZ choice for Melissa.

Our passion at Weintraub & Wallace Realtors is to help our clients achieve their dreams of home and lifestyle. If you’re looking for a change, call us to buy or sell. We partner with RE/MAX Gold Real Estate. Call us today to start your journey at 916-233-6759.

— JaCi Wallace

JaCi Wallace
Weintraub & Wallace

Making Repairs that Payoff When Selling

Repairs that payoff

Making repairs that payoff when selling is a very important conversation to have with your Realtor. This article below was written by Elizabeth over a decade ago and is a topic that we have with sellers on a daily basis. Enjoy.

–JaCi Wallace

A seller who is putting his home on the market next week needed to get his home in shape to sell, but he had a few marks on his kitchen wall that required repair. He had tried to match the wall color in the kitchen, but could not find a good match. As a result, he ended up with two big splotches of brownish shades on his brown wall. He wanted to leave it that way. He was tired of making repairs and spending money to fix up his home before selling it.

Even though I explained to him that a buyer who is handing over more than a half-million dollars for his home will want it turnkey and ready to move into, the seller was adamant that he was not going to repaint the kitchen. As a compromise, he is painting one wall a darker shade of brown. Because in a buyer’s market, if a buyer can easily spot defects in a home, the buyer is likely to pass it by in favor of a home that needs no work. Buyers are looking for reasons to eliminate homes from their home buying lists.

Read more about Repairs Before Selling.

Making repairs that payoff when selling could net a seller a higher profit so for sound professional tips about what to repair, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold, at 916-233-6759.

Elizabeth Weintraub

Elizabeth Weintraub
Weintraub & Wallace

Should Everybody Buy Flood Insurance?

buy flood insurance

This is a timeless article written by Elizabeth for another publication over a decade ago. Should everyone buy flood insurance? Well, with the crazy weather patterns we are having across the country, flood insurance seems a great idea, so, ENJOY.

— JaCi Wallace

“Actually, just about everybody should buy flood insurance because it can flood almost anywhere. For example, floods can happen when rivers overflow, it rains for days on end or when a dam breaks. And flood insurance is so inexpensive to buy, compared to what fixing flood damage can cost.

For example, I lived in a coastal home that fell into the ocean in 1981. Nobody expected the home to collapse, but a freak winter storm raised waves that shot ten feet over my house. Further, that home was located in a protected cove that had never been flooded before.

I also owned a home in the heart of Minneapolis that flooded from heavy rains. Kids were surfing down Nicollet Avenue. A few weeks later, hail the size of baseballs cut holes in the siding, tore the screen windows and severely damaged the roof. You just don’t know what could happen!

Read more about Buying Flood Insurance.

So if you have decided to buy flood insurance, this article might help reinforce your idea. You might also review replacement coverage in your homeowner’s policy. Further, if you are looking for a property inside or outside of the FEMA flood zone area, just call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold, at 916-233-6759.”

–Elizabeth Weintraub

elizabeth weintraub
Weintraub & Wallace

A Realtor Shows You Property Are You Committed To Her?

Realtor Shows you Property

If a Realtor shows you property are you committed to using her? Well, it depends. An interesting scenario happened today. Last week I met an agent and his buyers, at my Ranch listing in Elk Grove. There were several people and they seemed interested. I could tell the agent had not met the buyers before as he shook hands and said happy to meet you.

Yesterday a Realtor called me about setting up an appointment to see the Ranch. She said the buyers had already seen the property. I asked her if they had seen it at an open house? She said, “well no” and then dodged the question moving to another comment about the property. Next, I asked for the buyer’s names for security reasons at the seller’s request.

Today, I met the agent and the buyers at the Ranch and low and behold it was the same buyers from last week. Only this time, they were with a different Realtor. Actually, there were two Realtors today a husband and a wife. No mention from anyone about the previous Realtor.

If the first Agent who showed them the property had a signed exclusive Buyer Broker agreement, then he may very well be entitled to a commission. If not, as less than a week had passed in between the showings, he may be able to obtain commission based on procuring cause. There are no guarantees of course on payment to an agent as there is not an automatic solution.

If you have a Realtor show you property then hopefully you have done your research. Always be prepared to hire the Realtor that meets your expectations. They will be guiding you regarding the largest financial purchase in your lifetime. Agents should always consider the use of a Buyer Broker Agreement. This form keeps everyone on the same page and spells out the consequences should a buyer decide to switch agents.

I don’t know if this situation today was lack of education as perhaps the first agent didn’t explain how Realtors work. If he didn’t tell you that he was not a non-profit before a showing, then a buyer may assume Realtors like running around burning gas and time. Doesn’t everyone work with no expectation of being paid? Of course, some agents may not deserve to be paid. Before you hire an agent do your research. This is a critical step in the buying process.

Before hiring a Realtor, discuss a Buyer Broker agreement. Share your expectations with a Realtor before going to see a property. This could save you a potentially problematic issue later. You may end up owing a fee that would be most often paid by the seller so it is in your best interest to interview Agents before looking at property. Always hire the best Realtor in your area.

If you call Weintraub and Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold, at 916-233-6759, we will explain the buying process. When a Realtor shows you property, we fully explain the commitment of both buyer and Realtor. Our exclusive buyer’s agents review with you what services to expect and we over deliver and out 5-star reviews online, prove it. We represent your interests. Call us today.

— JaCi Wallace

JaCi Wallace
Weintraub & Wallace

Rural Real Estate Pricing Is Anything But Cookie Cutter.

Rural Real Estate

Rural real estate pricing is anything but cookie cutter. There is a wide range of pricing as the country property is mostly custom homes. There is an HOA in one rural real estate subdivision in south county, that feels like a neighborhood. Lot size can vary greatly. There is little price difference between 5-10 acres.

The size of the main home and the number of additional residences and outbuildings has an influence on the final price. Set up for animals on a property has a direct impact on buyers. There is an extensive amount of work and analysis to price properly.

If you want to list or buy real estate call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold, at 916-233-6759.

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