Susan's Blog

Hiring Contractors Before Listing Homes

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:50:46 -0500

As we all know, in this market, it can be tough to sell a home. In any market, however, it is often necessary to enlist the help of contractors to make needed repairs or modifications before the home goes on the market. There are plenty of "nightmare" stories out there about unfinished projects or unethical handymen, which is why references are important. It's also important for your protection to know how to check the license of any contractor in the state of California. Just go to www.csib.ca.gov. You will find a link toward the bottom of the page in the center saying "Check the Status." Just type in the name of the contractor or his/her license number (sometimes found on their business card). Make sure they match to save yourself a host of problems. And remember, networking with a trusted group is the best place to begin when getting started with a project.

Mother's Day Weekend

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:36:54 -0500

Looking for something to do this weekend? How about a Chocolate Festival for Mom? Celebrate on May 10 at Quail Botanical Gardens (qbgardens.org) in Encinitas (San Diego County). The gardens are beautiful, covering over 30 acres, and it's a short trip from Orange County. There will be cooking demonstrations by local chefs, entertainment, treats and gifts to purchase, and of course, chocolate tastings. There's also an interactive children's garden called Seeds of Wonder, just in case the little ones get bored. I have a hunch, though, that everyone will be fascinated by the fountains of molten chocolate and all the treats to taste. Call (760) 436-3036 to find more information, and have fun!

Taste of Rancho

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:13:15 -0500

Lots of us locals have enjoyed the annual Taste of Newport, which is always a rousing success. Well, we've got something new in OC this year: The First Annual Taste of Rancho. This Saturday, April 19 from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. at the Civic Plaza in Rancho Santa Margarita you can stop by and check it out. Admission is free and Taste Tickets are just $1. Local restaurants will be participating in the celebration, with booths offering sampling of their menus. Prices for the menu items will range from $2 - $8. After you've enjoyed sampling the wide variety of foods available, stick around for the concert presented by Rotary del Sol www.rotarydelsol.com

But wait. There's more. Go Green Expo will offer an educational showcase with info on products and services offered locally that promote a greener lifestyle. An e-waste drop off site will be available from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. to make it convenient for you to recycle your unwanted electronic hardware and at the same time benefit the Bell Tower Foundation. You can find more info about e-waste at http://www.carecyclers.com. Residents from Ranch and all neighboring cities are invited. Hope to see you there.

Market stats in Irvine and Orange County

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:17:59 -0600

Every Monday at our office meeting we (100 + agents in our Irvine office) share our experiences from the prior week and get a feel for what’s happening in our market. We talk about activity at the weekend open houses, what buyers are saying, feedback we’re getting from sellers, and then we review the actual numbers. This week we added some additional stats. I’ll start with Irvine, where our office is located. There are almost 898 homes currently on the market in Irvine. What surprised us is that over 30 percent of those homes are currently vacant. For these 898 active listings we also looked at the number of homes in foreclosures (only 5), REO listings (23), NODs (19), and short sales (99). That means short sales in the City of Irvine comprise 11% of the total active listings. . When we looked at the numbers for all of Orange County, here’s what we found. Of the 15,370 active listings, 30 percent are vacant (just as in Irvine). The biggest difference is in the number of short sales—2,868 or almost 19 percent. Here are the rest of the numbers for homes currently on the market in Orange County: REOs 824 or 5.4%, Foreclosures 187 or 1.2%, NOD Listings 546 or 3.6%. It looks like Irvine as a whole is in better shape than Orange County as a whole, particularly with regard to short sales (only 11% in Irvine versus almost 19% for the County). The fact that the numbers for short sales all over are significantly higher than the numbers of foreclosures, REOs, etc., seems to indicate that banks are eager to negotiate with sellers and take a loss rather than following through with the entire foreclosure process. Interesting—and it makes sense. What’s hard to handle, however, is the difficulties we experience in trying to close a transaction with a property currently being sold as a short sale. The delays, lack of communication, disorganization, paperwork and time it takes to close most short sales make the process complex and difficult for all parties. I’m hoping this will change as everyone involved becomes more familiar with the process and the banks find a way to streamline the process.

Coops in Orange County, California

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:33:16 -0600

When selling residential in Orange County, it is most common to work with homes and condominiums. On occasion, however, we have the opportunity to help our clients purchase or sell coops—technically “stock cooperatives.” Here in Orange County, coops are most commonly found in Laguna Woods. Formerly known as Leisure World, the City of Laguna Woods was incorporated in 1999, as it joined its neighboring cities in protesting the plans for a potential international airport nearby. (The concern was a detrimental effect on property values as well as a negative impact on quality of life.) They were successful in their efforts. The City itself is amazing, with an incredible amount of amenities to offer its residents, who must be at least 55 years old (with certain exceptions). Within its gated borders lie roughly four miles of wooded greenbelts, mature trees, and views of the nearby mountains. The social and recreational activities are endless. Just a few include swimming, golf, tennis, private theater, stables, five clubhouses and literally hundreds of clubs from which to choose. Laguna Woods is comprised of both condominiums and coops, with the majority of the initial construction in The Village being coops. Driving through the city, you’ll be unable to distinguish between the two. In a legal sense the difference is the actual form of ownership. Coops are considered “personal property,” and owners do not hold deeds. Instead, they hold shares of stock in a corporation. Each shareholder has the right to reside in the property, subject to certain restrictions. While condos have associations that govern rules and regulations, coops have a board of directors. The most notable restrictions are found in occupancy requirements (leasing your coop is discouraged and limited) and the financing required differs from the rules governing condos. While the monthly dues is typically higher than that of condos, residents of coops appreciate the convenience of having the maintenance, including replacement of appliances and fixtures, handled by the board---at no expense to the resident. Call me for more details and specific requirements of purchasing a home in Laguna Woods. One thing is certain: With prices starting in the $100,000 range (that’s not a typo!), you can’t beat the value when purchasing in Laguna Woods. Nothing else in Orange County comes close

Luxuriously Upgraded Home - Awaiting New Owners - Laguna Hills

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:42:07 -0600

WOW! From the moment you walk in you will be speechless by the extensive and luxurious upgrades in this incredible remodeled home! Single level living at its best! This is in a much sought after location in the popular gated community of Falcon Hill, located next to Nellie Gail Ranch! The home sits on a private lush lot at the end of a cul-de-sac!

Three good sized bedrooms
Custom window treatments
Travertine floors
Stainless steel appliances
Gourmet kitchen
Private master bath with his & her vanities & a stunning wall of glass blocks
Built-in BBQ & spa in back yard

The current owner is a designer and no detail has been overlooked! You will see more upgrades than you can imagine! This home is in pristine condition!!

More details and photos at www.SusanGaffney.com 24642 Devonport Circle, Laguna Hills, MLS s513145

Do You Need To Get Organized?

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:31 -0600

If you are like me it is always your plan to get more organized! Well, I have found some good tips that seem to be making things a little easier for me! I pick one tip/task and work on it steadily until it is complete and a habit! Then I pick another and so on! Give it a try and let me know what works for you!

1. Write down your plan - writing something down makes it more real! Post it where you can see it, maybe make a couple of copies and put them in very obvious places around your home, in your car, at your desk! Spread out your plan, don't try to do it all in one month!

2. Set up the 3-box system - get 3 boxes and label them "Keep" "Good-bye!!" "Not Sure Yet" or you could do 4 boxes and have the fourth one say "Donate".
Pick a room or a closet - take your 3 (4) boxes and put things in them as you clean up the space. When you are done, seal up the "Not Sure Yet" box, and store it on a shelf with date on it, if a year has passed and you haven't opened the box DON'T open it, just take it to the trash!

3. Cleanest Closet Award - this can be a family activity, and gets you some help with this project. When you are cleaning out a closet the key is what is used the most??? Assign everyone a closet and a time frame, see who does the best job in cleaning out their space - they get to pick what's for dinner one night!
If you reach for something once a week, it should be stored on shelves at a height between your shoulders and your knees!
Consider adding baskets to the shelves to utilize the space better and make it easier to find small items that tend to get lost!   Use baskets on the floor too!
Consider adding a "contents page" to the door or on one shelf to easily identify what is where in this closet.
4. Toss It Day - assign one day each month to go thru the fridge and cabinets looking for expired or not used items.   Don't forget your medicine chest and under bathroom sinks!   If you find something & you can't remember the last time you used it, toss it! You will gain space! What about those clothes in your closet?? That could be a once a year job, if you haven't worn it in a year, donate it (remember to log it for a tax deduction)!
5. Laundry - this can be the most dreaded chore, with a few simple changes maybe you won't dread it as much!
Keep a shoe box or plastic container by the washer, put things you find in pockets or in the dryer in there. It can be your Laundry Lost & Found box.
Create a sorting system - either in each bedroom, or in the laundry room. When clothes are taken off (or put in the laundry room) everyone is responsible for sorting their own.
Give each family member their own clean clothes basket, once laundry is down drying it can be folded and sorted right into each persons basket, they have to retrieve their own basket of clean clothes to be put away.

Do You Need To Get Organized?

Susan Gaffney (RE/MAX Premier Realty) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:20:25 -0600

1. Write down your plan - writing something down makes it more real! Post it where you can see it, maybe make a couple of copies and put them in very obvious places around your home, in your car, at your desk! Spread out your plan, don't try to do it all in one month!

2. Set up the 3-box system - get 3 boxes and label them "Keep" "Good-bye!!" "Not Sure Yet" or you could do 4 boxes and have the fourth one say "Donate".
Pick a room or a closet - take your 3 (4) boxes and put things in them as you clean up the space. When you are done, seal up the "Not Sure Yet" box, and store it on a shelf with date on it, if a year has passed and you haven't opened the box DON'T open it, just take it to the trash!

3. Cleanest Closet Award - this can be a family activity, and gets you some help with this project. When you are cleaning out a closet the key is what is used the most??? Assign everyone a closet and a time frame, see who does the best job in cleaning out their space - they get to pick what's for dinner one night!
If you reach for something once a week, it should be stored on shelves at a height between your shoulders and your knees!
Consider adding baskets to the shelves to utilize the space better and make it easier to find small items that tend to get lost!   Use baskets on the floor too!
Consider adding a "contents page" to the door or on one shelf to easily identify what is where in this closet.
4. Toss It Day - assign one day each month to go thru the fridge and cabinets looking for expired or not used items.   Don't forget your medicine chest and under bathroom sinks!   If you find something & you can't remember the last time you used it, toss it! You will gain space! What about those clothes in your closet?? That could be a once a year job, if you haven't worn it in a year, donate it (remember to log it for a tax deduction)!
5. Laundry - this can be the most dreaded chore, with a few simple changes maybe you won't dread it as much!
Keep a shoe box or plastic container by the washer, put things you find in pockets or in the dryer in there. It can be your Laundry Lost & Found box.
Create a sorting system - either in each bedroom, or in the laundry room. When clothes are taken off (or put in the laundry room) everyone is responsible for sorting their own.
Give each family member their own clean clothes basket, once laundry is down drying it can be folded and sorted right into each persons basket, they have to retrieve their own basket of clean clothes to be put away.