One thing (of many) that makes Fullerton a great place to live is the open enrollment option within the district.   However the window is short and it is open right now.  From January 3, 2012 through January 20, 2012 the Fullerton Joint Union High School District will accept your application and you will be notified at the end of February of your student’s acceptance.

For more information and the application, visit:  http://www.fjuhsd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=141381&type=d&pREC_ID=274910.

Fullerton has such nice people, a great downtown, vintage homes, wonderful neighborhoods and great schools. The open enrollment program is an added bonus for Fullerton homeowners and residents who want to send their kids to a particular school that might not be within their residential boundaries. If you have questions on Fullerton home buying, Fullerton schools or any other information, I am happy to answer your questions!

Happy New Year!  Wow, the time sure flew.  As I look back, I am happy and also a little guilty in saying that 2011 was a good year for me. Guilty because I feel bad that so many friends were eager to see it over.

I have so much to be thankful for and though there were some rough spots in 2011, especially for some dear friends, I really can't complain.  I helped so many folks realize the dream of home ownership, while helping others sell homes to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Late 2009, I brought on an agent on to my team and am happy to say that between the two of us, we closed a lot of Fullerton homes and sold a lot of real estate in the North Orange County area. It was my best year yet and I have so many people to thank from my amazing family, my buyer's agent Kelly, my amazing lenders and vendors; it really does take a village!  These are challenging times and selling and actually bringing a home to closing is no easy task so THANK YOU to all that helped!

So for 2012? Well, I am not one for resolutions, but I have decided to take on a 30 day challenge. Today is day two and I am off to a great start.  Here is what I am going to do for the next 30 days:

1. Wake up at 6:00 am (weekends too).
2. Walk my dog early every day so that we both get exercise OR do some other exercise – every day.
3. Write an article/blog or something to post online – every day for 30 days (I have two blogs so I will alternate between the two)

My other blog is www.cristaldrake.com if you would like to read yesterday's article, which elaborates a bit more.

It is nothing crazy.  I am in a pivotal point in my business and in order to maintain my sanity and sell as many homes or more than last year, it is going to take some organization.  I figure that I can do anything for 30 days.

I would love to hear what YOU are up to for the new year.  It is brand new and so full of possibilities!  If your new year includes anything help with such as being a support for your goal or answering any questions about buying or selling a home, I would be honored to help.

Happy New Year!

Feeling frustrated because your Fullerton home is upside down and you can’t take advantage of these record low interest rates but your watching everyone one else around you catch a break? There is a chance that you CAN take advantage; read on!

HARP Refinance Program Expanded
Borrowers who are current on their home loans may be able to refinance for lower interest rates, even if they are seriously upside down. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that it will broaden the scope of the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) by removing the current 125 percent loan-to-value cap for fixed-rate mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other program enhancements include, among other things, reducing certain fees, eliminating the need for a new property appraisal if the FHFA has a reliable automated valuation model (AVM) estimate, and extending HARP until the end of 2013. New federal guidelines for the HARP changes should be released to mortgage lenders and servicers by November 15.

The basic eligibility requirements for an enhanced HARP loan are as follows:

Existing mortgage loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. To check whether you havea Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, go to http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/get-assistance/loan-look-up/Pages/default.aspx.
Existing mortgage loan must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before June 1, 2009.
Existing mortgage loan cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously (except for Fannie Mae loans refinanced between March and May 2009).
Current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be more than 80%.
Existing mortgage loan must be current, with no late payments in the past six months, and no more than one late payment in the past 12 months.
More information is available from FHFA at http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/22721/HARP_release_102411_Final.pdf.

As a local Fullerton real estate professional, I have some trusted lenders that are very familiar with this program and helping folks refinance. Contact me and I will happily point you in the right direction!  Even if you don't qualify for a refinance, there are still other options. Most importantly, you are not alone.

I am sorry that I have been out of the loop here for a while but I was away! I hope you don’t mind that this article will be a little more personal than usual but I just had to share that I was fortunate enough to travel to Brazil! This wasn’t just a vacation but a home build through Habitat for Humanity and we built three little homes!

This was such an amazing, emotional and rewarding experience. For me, it just brought to light what a privilege home ownership (among other things) really is. Somewhere along the way I think we sort of forgot about this.

Look at our parents and grandparents. They got married, saved up and bought a home. There didn’t have fancy loans, their rates were high and they wondered how they would ever pay off a $22,000 mortgage! But they did it. And hopefully today they have a home that is paid in full and an amazing investment on their hands.

I know this market feels scary and uneasy. Stocks all over the board people are worried. Then you look at the interest rates; we have never seen them so low!  IT is a roller coaster to say the least.

Real Estate is a long term investment. You need a place to live anyway, right? You can pay rent for 30 years and have nothing to show, but if you purchase a house and can keep making that mortgage then in 30 years, it’s yours. Through all the ups and downs your home probably will have substantially increased in value.  Somehow we started only looking at short tearm appreciation and loss. I wish I could find the chart that shows real estate over the last 10 years. WE ARE STILL UP (at least Fullerton Real Estate is and so is Southern California for that matter) considerably.

This is America! Sure the market is rough but if you want to see a really bad housing market, there are many places in this world where it is so much worse. I am feeling pretty grateful and I appreciate the opportunity to share with you!

If you are interested in hearing more about Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village the local real estate market, I would love to share!

I hope you enjoy a few photos from my trip!

First timers - I love them! They are excited and starry eyed....about buying their first home. I work with so many first time buyers and last week when I started receiving more email inquiries than usual, I figured it would be a good idea to put a little "Where to Start" article together.

The first place you should start is by talking to a lender (you thought I was going to say Realtor® didn't you?). You really need to find out what your buying power is. Most first timers are a little shocked when they look at all the numbers, the down payment, the monthly payment, mortgage insurance, taxes, etc...

There are also some other important numbers, your fico scores (credit grade) and income. It could be that you might have a late payment showing up or might need to save up a little more money before you start looking and a good lender will help you figure all this out.

Concurrent to shopping for a mortgage professional, you should also be searching for a real estate agent. Your Realtor® should be:

• A full time, hard-working professional
• Fully aware of market local conditions and available financingAssociated with a reputable real estate firm
• Willing to tell you the truth and not whatever it takes to sell the home.Associated with a strong team of lenders, inspection companies and other real estate service professionals.

So many first timers are looking for that sweet little Downtown Fullerton starter home or a house in a Fullerton neighborhood with great schools. Unfortunately for buyers, living in Fullerton does come at a premium so knowing what you can afford and finding a local, assertive Realtor® that can help you navigate through the process will make all the difference in the world.

Buying a house is a scary and exciting process. It is most likely the largest investment of your life so who you choose to help you along the way is critical.

So where do you find the all knowing and oh so important real estate agent and lender?
1. The number one way is by referral! Talk to the folks that you trust to see who they trust. 2. Choose a local expert - if they are the local expert with a good reputation then they know about the homes that are coming on the market before they hit the market! This is huge when we are seeing multiple offers in the starter price range in nice Fullerton neighborhoods.
3. Yelp Them!
For more information on the buying process, a lender referral or a free "Home Buyer's Guide", please contact me. I am happy to help.

For more information on how to research your potential real estate agent, please go to:  http://cristaldrake.com/?p=262

Dear Fullerton,

I owe you an apology. 

I should have warned you.  I should have been running around with my hair on fire.  I should have been shouting from the rooftops.  But I was afraid you would think I was just another real estate agent trying to make a sale. 

After all, it is my solemn obligation, my duty to you and to our community to sound the alarm when things happen that will affect your well being.  In this case, my neglect may have cost you dearly.  Let me explain...

If you would have bought a house in November with a loan of $400,000, your payment would be $1,949.07 per mo. That's a savings of $198.22 PER MONTH based on the same loan with today's interest rates.

If you had sold your home in November, you would not be up against the wave of inventory and shadow inventory that the banks and experts are predicting will hit the market and further drive down prices.   You could have scored the interest rate of the CENTURY if you had purchased!  For years, you would be able to hold friends spellbound at parties as you tell of your unbelievable interest rate.

If you've ever wished you could be one of those lucky people who happen to catch a passing opportunity, or win the lottery, or even if you are just curious... contact a Realtor®.  Of course, I'm available!

Don't make me set my hair on fire!!