How is the Real Estate Market doing?

I hear that question all the time.  What does the question really mean? 

Do you truly care about what's going on in Phoenix, if you live in Pasadena, CA?  Do you care about how the market is doing in Pasadena, if you live in San Marino, CA?

As a real estate broker, the answer is yes... I care.  As a seller or buyer, I couldn't care less.

I just sold my house.  It is located in San Gabriel, but has San Marino schools.  The first thing I did when I was thinking of selling my house, is to learn what was going on on my street.  How many homes were on the market now?  Who will be my competition?

I wanted to know which 7 to 10 homes will I be competing against.  I got into the car and visited all the homes.  I knew how much they were priced at, how long they've been on the market and what kind of upgrades they had.

Now I knew my market and could price my home correctly to sell.

The market in my mind was the 1/4 mile radius around my home, preferrably homes with San Marino schools. 

This market research, along with getting prepared by following a few simple steps like:

• Getting a Physical Inspection - which allowed me to anticipate issues up front and address them prior to listing my home.
• Curbside appeal - the exterior was painted and a landscape artist was invited to stage the front and side of the home.
• Staging - my stager extraordinaire, Nickie Rothwell of Staged2Sell, used both my existing furniture and brought in additional furniture and accessories to make the home stand out.
• Marketing - well... that's my forte - here's a quick sample of the personal home website, Realtor.com Featured Homes, numerous blogging platforms, emails to top agents in the neighborhood and targetted buyer mailings, amongst other things.

... helped me sell my San Gabriel home in less than a week. 

So... how is your real estate market doing?

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For information about Pasadena, please visit the following links:

• Pasadena Real Estate Guide and FREE Multiple Listing Search (Everything you need to know to buy or sell a home in Pasadena)
• Everything you ever wanted to know about Pasadena and more! (Important Information)
• Looking for condos near Pasadena?  How about Monterey Hills?(Great little gem of an area where you can still get great deals on condos and townhomes)
• Pasadena's Old Town - Restaurant Row
• Pasadena's DMV - On Line Service:  No more standing in lines for you!
• Pasadena Occupancy Requirements:  What you need to know before you move in or out of Pasadena, CA.
• South Lake Avenue Area Information
• What are the costs associated with buying a condo or townhome in Pasadena?

For more information about San Marino, please visit the following posts:

• About San Marino
• Lacy Park - our hidden treasure!

Other interesting information:

• Top 10 Seller Mistakes
• Thinking of Selling Your Home - What should your Agent be doing?
• Pasadena Realtor Tells All:  Seller Beware!
• Heard the Buzz about Staging?  What is it?
• FICO Scores and VantageScore
• Save Thousands of Dollars in Taxes

If you need help with buying or selling a home in the Pasadena, San Marino or surrounding areas, please give Irina Netchaev a call at 626.627.7107 or email her at Irina@Irina4RealEstate.com