It is hard to beat Rossmoor as a community...quite streets, pride of ownership, THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICT in the state...it is no wonder so many families dream of living in Rossmoor! Now your dream can come true buy purchasing this fantastic single family home in the heart of Rossmoor.

This single family home is one of the largest on the market for the money, and it's one of the most upgraded, too. So, this home is a great value all around!

11286 Foster Road, Rossmoor, CA 90720
MLS#P753126

4 Bedrooms (2 of them are master suites with private bathrooms)
3 Bathrooms
THE BEST kitchen in Rossmoor! (Check out the photos!)
A Family Room with a Fireplace
A Formal Living Room with a Fireplace
A Formal Dining Room with a Wine Cooler
A Laundry Room
Tons of storage, which is rare in these homes
2-Car Garage with a long driveway
A Backyard big enough for a pool

List Price: $899,000
Square Footage: 2,560
Lot: 7,920

This Rossmoor home has been extensively remodeled. The owners put over $100,000 in the kitchen alone! Plus they added square footage, upgraded the electrical to today's standards, upgraded the roof, put in Brazilian cherry and Italian marble floors, professional-grade appliances...there is too much to mention...you will be over whelmed so just come and see for yourself!

This home located at 11286 Foster Road is just one house from Rossmoor Park, a fantastic community park with tennis, ball fields, playgrounds and lush trees. Rossmoor is the kind of place where your kids can ride their bikes and scooters on their own after school, couples walk the dog before dinner, people smile and say "HI." It's amazing how many people grew up in Rossmoor and never leave.

This is a MUST SEE home if you are seriously looking for a "forever" home that's large enough to grow with your family with a classic style that's timeless.

Call me for a private viewing or contact your agent TODAY!

Shari Posey
Prudential California Realty
(562) 375-1417
shariposey@hotmail.com

11286 Foster Road
Rossmoor, CA

FOR MORE PHOTOS--CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR THE VIRTUAL TOUR...
http://albums.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?i=1&db=1&pw=5OlaUdFW&a_id=4997470&s_id=5595505

Fall...that time of the year when the leaves turn brilliant red before dying, the air becomes crisp before freezing and real estate sales slow before going into hibernation until after New Years. I've got an open house today and I'm sure I will hear the fall chorus sung by buyers over and over again today..."We are waiting until January to buy."

"We are waiting until January to buy." That is the reason many real estate agents take off on vacation in the fall and why all agents LOVE January. January is HOT and has been for me during every type of economic cycle. New Years means bonuses, engagements, nice monetary gifts for down payments and personal resolutions. But if you are a potential buyer think about this situation for a minute...Why would you want to jump into the market when everyone else is planning the same thing? As a buyer you should want less competition; not more. Don't be a sheep and follow the crowd!

At this very moment there are many sellers who must sell now because they are in financial trouble, have a growing family, have health concerns, got relocated for their job, etc. With fewer serious buyers in the market, you will have a much better chance of negotiating a good price now then when you might be the only offer on the table.

If you are a buyer who is waiting until the New Year to buy why not try an experiment...while you are getting a feel for the market (we know you are looking because you are trolling Realtor.com and our open houses in great numbers), if you find a home that you love why not just write an offer for less that you would expect to pay and see what happens. I'm not talking about ridiculous low ball offers; I'm talking about an offer that is 5% less than what you expect to pay. I know your fears..."What if prices go down? What if the economy gets worse? What about the shadow inventory?" Seriously, everyone thinks these same thoughts every season of the year. Get over it. If you really want to buy a home, just negotiate a deal that relieves those legitimate fears. And, the fall is an easier time to get that offer accepted than when there are more buyers in the market.

Take a break from Christmas shopping and holiday planning, and hunt down a home you love and make an offer now. You might find an awesome deal from a very motivated seller who needs to sell before the market picks up in January.

If you need help finding a home, give me a call today before everyone else jumps in the market...Shari Posey, Prudential California Realty, (562) 375-1417

More than ever I am noticing that I am getting a lot of very positive feedback from the agents who show my listings and from agents on broker caravan tours BUT no offers. Hummmm....

The agents tell me, 'The house is awesome!' and 'The price is on-target.' and 'You'll have no trouble selling pretty quickly.' Then there is always that BUT...it's their buyer's second choice or their buyer isn't in a hurry to buy yet, or the master closet is too small, etc.

Quite often I have agents write down what they think the home value is on the back of their business cards during the caravan and then I share them with the sellers. Most of the time, I'm within 5% although sometimes up to 10% off if the seller is "testing the market."  Yet even on the listings that are within 5% of the agents' suggested list/sales price, 30 days will pass and there are no offers.

As agents I think we are a bit desensitized to the market. We preview active listings to help price a home and try to list our new listing at no more than what's on the market and preferably for less money. But we have to remember that those active listings haven't sold yet. Also, we have to remember that sold listings are history and may not reflect today's market, even if the sold listing is only a month or two old (remember there was an escrow period and marketing period as well.)

Most importantly, we have to look at the market from the buyers' standpoint...most are worried the market will go down so they want to feel they have some padding in the sales price if that happens. Low interest rates are enough to bring them out to look at a home but a good value is what is going to make them put their pen to paper and bring their money to the table.

I came up with an idea to have open house attendees write what they think of a home's value on a card and/or fill out a short questionnaire at the end of an open house so I can show first-hand buyer feedback to the seller.

Any thoughts on this??

This is a great house for sale in the Poly area of Long Beach, CA . Best of all, it's an approved short sale so there's no wait. The house is spacious and the lot is huge...6,750 sq. ft.!!

The Spanish-style house for sale in Long Beach has been remodeled with care. It has a spacious living room, formal dining room and big kitchen, perfect for entertaining, as well as two large bedrooms. The home also has an inside laundry room and exterior bonus storage room attached to the home.
Check this out...the house for sale has a HUGE lot (6,750 sq. ft!) with 2 patios and is landscaped with an eco-friendly lawn, and avocado, lemon & appricot trees. There is tons of parking for several cars and an RV. The home for sale is located on a nice street in a quiet neighborhood in Long Beach.

 This is a wonderful & affordable home perfect for a first-time buyer. (Hurry & buy before FHA mortgage insurance rates go up in October!!)

List Price: $225,000
2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom
Total Square Footage: 1,156
Lot Size--6,750 sq. ft.

Address: 1960 Myrtle Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90810

If you would like to view this home for sale in Long Beach, please call me ASAP--Shari Posey, Prudential California Realty (562) 375-1417

This is a GORGEOUS single family home located in Long Beach, California in the fantastic zip code 90808 in the neighborhood South of Conant!

Warm & inviting, and remodeled like a magazine! The floor plan is open & spacious with hardwood floors. The home has a formal living room AND huge family room with vaulted wood-beamed ceilings and a beautiful fireplace that is the center-piece of the home.

The kitchen has granite counters, stylish cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Both bathrooms have been updated with designer vanities and decorative tile. The master suite is extra large with plenty of room for a king-size bed and a seating area. The family room opens up to a fantastic backyard and patio--lots of space for entertaining on this 8,400 sq. foot lot!! It is an oasis landscaped with roses, a fountain and a beautiful shade tree. (There's even a dog run.)

If you are looking for a single family home in Long Beach (90808!) that's truly move-in ready--THIS IS IT!

3249 Rutgers Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808
MLS #P750388

List price: $559,000
3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms
1,559 Sq. Ft.
8,400 Sq. Ft. LOT

I'll be hosting an OPEN HOUSE this Sat. 9/4 & Sun. 9/5 1-4 p.m. Or call me at (562) 375-1417 to set up a private viewing appointment. Come and see this fantastic home!

Wow! This single family home in Long Beach, less than 2 miles to the beach is only $239,000!!

This home is priced like a condo...but it's a detached single family home with a nice front yard and a small charming backyard.

This Long Beach home features...

--2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. (BOTH bathrooms are fully permitted).

--A small office/den off the living room.

--Refinished hardwood floors!

--A fireplace in the living room!

--Dual-pane windows and plantation shutters!

--18x18 tiles in the kitchen & bathrooms!

--200 AMP electrical panel!

All for $239,000!!!

For an FHA buyer with 3.5% down and good credit, the month payment is approximately $1,600 per month, which is just about the price for a single family rental in the neighborhood. This truly is one of those rare situations where you can own for just about the same price as renting!

The home is being sold by the son of the original owner. He has upgraded quite a few things but you will probably want to remodeled it the way you like it. It's a great opportunity to buy a single family home near the beach in Long Beach!

The address of this single family home in Long Beach is:
1701 Orizaba--near the traffic circle and just south of Signal Hill

To view this home, please give me a call...Shari Posey at (562) 375-1417.

For more photos of this great single family home in Long Beach, near the beach go to shariposey.com

Downsizing and Rightsizing are the fastest ways to improve your financial situation, if that is what you truly want or need to do.

Downsizing is usually buying a smaller home after the kids are gone and is often done to reduce housing costs and maintenance hassles. It's a no-brainer for many retirees and empty-nesters. But what is "rightsizing?"  Rightsizing is to make a move purely to reduce your housing costs and improve your financial picture quickly.

Rightsizing includes...
   --The same size house in a less-expensive area.
   --A smaller home in the same area.
   --A home that doesn't have all the luxury features of your current home but has the necessities and costs less to own and maintain.
   --A condo instead of a house.
   --A first-time buyer choosing a property that is not much more than their current rent per month yet by owning they will be paying down the mortgage overtime.

Every day I meet people who are stressed about money, living paycheck to paycheck, worried about the future. Other homeowners are doing fine but they are in their late 40s/early 50s and beginning to see the light towards retirement but can't see how it would be possible with 25 more years on their mortgage or because of the home equity loan they took out a few years ago. And I meet buyers who are excited to buy but really have almost no savings beyond 3.5% down.

Both downsizing and rightsizing require a new perspective of looking at your housing "needs" vs. "wants." It requires your number one "need" to be affordability now and for the future. By the way, affordability it is not to be confused with what the bank says you can afford. Affordability is what you can easily pay without stress so you can live a normal life and save for the future. All other things you thought were "needs" are really just "wants". 

So how did I become an expert? Because I've learned the lesson...been there, done that. My husband and I were doing fine but all of a sudden looked at our mortgage on our oceanfront condo and realized we were working so hard we didn't have time to enjoy it and started thinking at 48 years old, how much longer did we want to keep it up. We sold and moved to a condo almost the same size but off the ocean yet within bike-riding distance. We also gave up the pool, hot tub and gym (along with high HOA dues). And we gave up the posh address. Most importantly, we gave up more than half of a mortgage payment and a lot of stress! This may be too personal to share but I'm trying to make a point--by making that move, we instantly saved $2500 per month and that's $30,000 per year! And that savings is not by working harder but just by making one change in our life.

Maybe our situation was extreme but I recently ran the numbers for a past client and by moving from their current house into one slightly smaller (several of their kids have left home since they bought) and in a less-exclusive neighborhood they can cut their mortgage payment by $600 per month or $7,200 per year.

Another client is considering a move so the wife can stay home with the kids. By changing neighborhoods (actually moving to an area with better schools) they can save $700 per month for the same size home.

Both of those examples include the cost of selling and buying into the equation. I live and work in southern California, so maybe other areas of the country would not create such dramatic savings.

IF improving your financial situation is the goal, downsizing and rightsizing are a lot fast way to improve than by clipping coupons and bringing a sack lunch to work.

I read this on the internet today...

A teenager who graduated high school last May will finish college around the same time the market has moved through the shadow inventory of foreclosures built up from the recent financial crisis. That's according to Morgan Stanley. The shadow inventory of homes with delinquent mortgages yet to move through the foreclosure process would take 47 months to clear at the current sales pace, almost four years. (Source: REO Insider Update)

I have had a gut feeling for a long time the situation with shadow inventory is as bad as Morgan Stanley estimates. I scan the NOD filings and I know quite a few people who have just recently stopped paying their mortgage. This will go on for a long, long time.

So what do you think??

Should we rip off the bandage and feel the terrible pain but get it over with faster?

OR

Keep practicing Ancient Chinese Water Torture and spread the pain over 47 months?

Long Beach Real Estate Prices Rock!

And the City is Awesome, Too!

It's like deja vu all over again! My last few open houses I have had quite a few couples from Santa Monica, Redondo Beach and Pasadena checking out what Long Beach offers for the money. Ironically, the house I was holding open was purchased by a couple who first house hunted in Pasadena but settled in Long Beach. (By the way, they LOVE the area but need a bigger home so they are moving up, not out.)

I'm hoping this trend is a repeat of what we experienced in 2002-4 when at least half of my buyer clients were relocating to Long Beach because of its affordability.

Why Long Beach? The first attraction is the price. Long Beach is substantially less than areas like Santa Monica and Redondo Beach, yet...WE ARE A BEACH COMMUNITY!

Long Beach is the state's 5th largest city so there is something for everyone. In the heyday I offered Long Beach Real Estate Tours for new buyers, showing them homes for sale with a "sightseeing" tour of the beaches, downtown, funky neighborhoods, country clubs, etc. Almost everyone was shocked Long Beach had so many cool areas, and diverse neighborhoods from multi-million-dollar homes to downtown lofts and Mayberry-style suburbs. The majority of these prospective buyers made the decision to buy a home in Long Beach and are now active members of our great community.

These days with listings online, buyers are more savvy about the city and already have a good idea about where they would like to live in their price range. They come through open houses with their Realtor.com printouts in hand. That's great but at some point a buyer needs to fine tune the search and be careful because Long Beach is the kind of city where if you go a few streets in either direction you are in a different area--different vibe, different schools, and most important, different PRICE RANGE.

Summer is a great time to check out Long Beach--not only homes for sale, but also all the fantastic community events going on almost every day or night of the week. I love this city and I would be happy to give an insider's tour so you don't miss out on the best buyer's market we've had in a long time!

Call me for a personalized Long Beach Real Estate Home & Sightseeing Tour!

Shari Posey, Prudential California Realty
(562) 375-1417

Twice this week past clients express their frustration wondering if they will ever be able to "move up" to a bigger house in a better area. Both clients are in their late 20s/early 30s and want to emulate the way their parents moved up the property ladder during the 1970s through mid-2000. These clients bought their current homes a little after the start of the skyrocketing climb about 5 to 6 years ago and now have growing families...and growing expectations that now is the time for the next step in their lives to a bigger, better home.

I think the past decade warped our sense of what moving up entails.

Whether it is right or wrong, my parents pinched pennies to get their first little 2-bedroom, 1-bath house--the worst house in a good neighborhood. They had home-improvement projects every weekend for years turning the fixer into a charming bungalow. My sister and I shared a room and until baby 3 came along and then it was time to move up. My dad's salary increased so they were able to spend more for a bigger house. These bigger, better moves occurred over a period of 5-10 years in between each of move and significant increases in my dad's salary.

Fast forward to 2001-2008...people are selling homes every two years (or less!), raking in the equity for the next down payment and moving up fast. Not to mention how easy it was to get into a house to begin with. Add HGTV home shows and everything seemed so normal. Of course, we all thought, this is how it works.

Fast forward to today...fortunately these clients had enough down payment that they are not upside down so they can sell but there's no profit and they can't "break even" if they consider the cost to sell. The job market has done little to increase salaries over the past six years so how do these young families move up to the next step??

I think it's really hard to move up in terms of BOTH "bigger" and "better" without a significantly higher payment. BUT because of low interest rates people can take a slightly upward more lateral move EITHER bigger OR better. Now is the time to take advantage of the low interest rates because if they go up a percent--or two--homeowners will be looking at purely lateral moves or just staying in their current home upgrading through expanding the square footage or remodeling.