Los Angeles has a nickname and that nickname is "The City of Angels." It is commonly referred to as "LA" and is the largest city in California and in the United States it is the second largest city. The residents are often called "Angelenos" In Forbes Magazine named Los Angels as "The world's eighth most economical powerful city."
Los Angeles airport is the area where many foreign travels arrive for the first time to America and a place where new beginnings start. Los Angeles is a great place to start your beginning also in one of its many beautiful communities. As a former Real Estate Broker from the greater Los Angeles area, I can tell you a great deal about Los Angeles. Los Angels is a huge city with many good areas and many bad. Los Angeles has its slums like all cities and it has its beauty such as Rodeo Drive in Hollywood.
There are many beautiful malls and many very delicious restaurants. To understand Los Angeles the best, you need to see the map of the city. Here is the google map for Los Angeles:
http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&om=1&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104511996100170886231.00000111d6ec170ebb74e
As you drive into Los Angels on on I-5 you will come in to many lovely areas. You will pass through Glendale and Pasadena, which are extremely beautiful communities just right outside of the city.
Pasadena is extremely expensive, but if you can afford it, a sleepy setting with many Victorian Homes. The lots are huge and yes there are many foreclosures available there. A good short sale seeker's dream.
As you come into downtown Los Angeles, it is full of shops and main districts. There are many cheap areas and Los Angeles has its shares of low price range homes. So the best areas in Los Angeles are in the outlying areas. If your desire is to live in downtown Los Angeles then they have many condos available.
As a local Realtor, I sold many homes in Downey, Tarzana, and areas close to Van Nuys are real nice. All the areas close to the Santa Monica pier and town are very beautiful and lets not leave out Venice. Many want to live in Los Angeles but they have choices of being within a few minutes away and living in beautiful areas.
West Los Angeles is a very nice community and is medium priced. It has a lot of older homes and very quaint. West Los Angeles is a multi-neighborhood with many Asian and Middle Eastern type restaurants. Many people drive to West Los Angeles just for the shopping. It is easily accessible and a nice trip.
All of Los Angeles is extremely busy, as one of the largest cities in California and many travelers from around the world using the air port as a port of entry. The airport is huge and has many terminals. It is easily accessible and is close to many Denny's Restaurants. While at Denny's restaurants, try their famous waffles and ice cream brunch.
Of course Los Angeles is most famous for its neighbors, Hollywood, Brentwood and Beverly Hills. The absolute famous Rodeo Drive with all the million dollar stores for the rich and famous. There are some great misconceptions about Hollywood and Beverly HIlls. There are portions of the cities that are extremely beautiful and there are parts that are slums. So yes, there are streets of the celebrities, but you can also have a zip code in a reasonably priced neighborhood.
Living in Los Angeles is both a privilege and an honor and a place where we hope you come real soon. The money, job opportunity , weather and scenery are all beckoning you to visit us right now.
As a former wife of a military Sargent, I can tell you how to make your moving easy. It is something that you do get use to, but it takes organization, patience and rank. Yes, that is right, the higher the rank is, the better the treatment is. I remember when my husband was a private and the kind of treatment we received compared to complete satisfaction when he was a Sargent. I will give you some of the easiest ways to move.
Tips From an Expert Mover:
1. Preparation is the key. Visiting the office to request movers is the first step. You must complete all the paperwork and then you are assigned a date that they are suppose to pack you. The packers will come and pack one day and then the next day, they will remove all the boxes and furniture.
2. Kindness is the second key. If you want the best and the easiest, move then make sure you are "sweeter than pie." Keep in mind, their main concern is the military man, so the wife needs to be cooperative. Needless to say, many times they will break the appointment, not show up at all and yes, not do what they promised.
When anyone is moving overseas, they have a limit on the amount of pounds the government will pay for, depending on rank. So the furniture and boxes must be packed in huge crates.
3. Clean before they come. When the packers come, they will bring many packers and they will pack literally everything in sight. So if you have dirty paper towels in the kitchen, they will be packed. Dirty glasses, trash, broken glasses and yes, even dirty underwear. As a bit of warning, be prepared with what you want them to take.
4. Have someone there to help you. It is literally impossible for one person to watch all the movers. So have several friends come and help you. You need someone in the kitchen, one in the bedroom and another friend or relative in the living room. Talk nicely to the packers and make sure they are taking care with your valuables and that each box is marked carefully and placed on the inventory.
5. The day they arrive to pick up the boxes and furniture, make sure furniture pads are placed properly around the furniture and that books are packed at the bottom of the pile and dished on top. Make sure pictures and mirrors are in boxes and sealed and not just wrapped. Note that everything is included on the inventory and count each box.
Transitioning to Your New Home:
No matter how you try, it is impossible for the both of you to travel on the same day. It was a lot easier for us to plan to travel separate. I would leave around a month early to go and look for a new home. By the time my husband arrived, I had a home and all the furniture was placed in the new home.
It worked out much better this way. I also had time to find a job and get settled with the children and all. The husband very rarely wants to be involved in such chores anyway. So he is delighted when the wife takes care of everything.
Military Housing:
If you choose to live in military housing, then going early will not work. The husband must check into the base and be a member of his unit before they will assign housing. So there is no need for the two to arrive separately.
When the packers arrive at the new location with your boxes, they will give you an inventory list. This list needs to be checked thoroughly by you as they unload each box. It is great with Military movers as they will unpack everything for you. They will also lay the rugs and carpets and place the furniture.
Make sure you follow the rules of Military Housing, no furniture of curtains too close to the heaters. The inspectors will come later to see if you comply with the placement of everything.
If anything is broken or missing, you need to note it on the inventory sheet. You may make a claim for any damage, but things are not so easily replaced, such as pictures and mementos. In the end, moving is made very simple, by being careful and examining all steps of the process.
To many people want to run and buy foreclosures before they know what they are doing. Buying foreclosures can be a way to make money and it could be a way to lose your life savings, so be careful before buying foreclosed homes. This article will give you some legitimate ways to find foreclosed homes and what to watch out for.
First consider many things here and please understand the differences. Short Sales are usually homes in foreclosure, but not foreclosed homes. You can buy a short sale, but at slightly less than market price. There is no way for an investor to make money buying short sales, as they must appraise. The banks will not sell the home for less than what they could get elsewhere. They will choose to let the home foreclose and place it back on the market theirself.
A foreclosed home is one where the owner has already lost the home and it is being auctioned on the court steps or available through many sources. A foreclosed home may still have the owner inside the home and you may have to evict the owner. A foreclosed home is not open for inspection, so the most you get to see if by a drive-by. Now, if you are buying a bank foreclosed home, they have already evicted the tenant and have raised the price to accommodate cost involved in the transaction.
The best buy is on the steps of the courthouse, but you must take the responsibility for the repairs, evicting the tenants and even paying off the 2nd and 3rd mortgage. So it is necessary to hire an attorney to protect yourself. When purchasing a foreclosure on the steps of the courthouse, you need to have a fairly large down payment ready to give them on the spot and your financing already set up.
The funds must be in the form of a cashier's check. If the second is owed money, they will be on the steps also and you must agree to pay them, so purchasing a foreclosure is not all that easy. You need to have searched the title prior to the sale to look for all liens to protect yourself.
Where can you purchase foreclosures:
1. Contact a reputable Broker. Especially in todays market, there are tons of Brokers or Realtors working foreclosed properties. They will have a list of all available foreclosures and can help you protect your savings and yourself.
2. HUD homes for sale. You must go through a Broker to buy a HUD home, but you can search the listings yourself. You cannot bid yourself. You must be represented. HUD homes generally go on the high end, but have low down payments and quick financing.
http://www.hud.gov/homes/homesforsale.cfm
3. You can contact any Bank and ask to speak to the REO department. This is also called the loss mitigation department in some banks. Ask for a list of properties for sale and they will help you. They may want the loan with their bank, but that is no problem if you are qualified.
4. You can contact the US Marshall's Office. These homes were taken because of drugs, firearms or alcohol and they have a list available for sale.
http://www.usdoj.gov/marshals/assets/nsl.htm
5. You can contact the VA. They have many homes for sale and some homes for as little as $1 down if you qualify.
http://www.homesales.gov/homesales/mainAction.do
6. The IRS has foreclosures also. These homes have been repossessed due to tax liens. You can get a list of properties from them also.
http://www.treas.gov/auctions/irs/cat_Real7.htm
As you can see, there are many safe places to buy foreclosures. If you are a learned investor and know how to do the foreclosed property route on the court steps, then those are your best buys, but if not, try some of these links to protect yourself.
For sale by owners have now been given luxury online sites to sell their homes for no money or small fees. It is a new concept that has been developed lately and it is a very smart concept. But, still the problem is, what do you do once you have a buyer who wants to buy your property? With no knowledge of how to write a contract or how to finance a loan, maybe there should be an air of caution here.
Advertise your home here for "FREE" with no fees and no Realtor's commissions. Does this type of advertising grab your attention? It should, as it is an unheard of ideal until recently. Many sellers are actually thinking of advertising at these websites, as evidence by the great numbers of listings that are there. What are the pros and the cons of this kind of transaction?
Pros for selling your home on the web:
1. There is no Realtor's commissions, so that may help you in getting more for your home or reducing the price by the amount you would of paid a Realtor.
2. Independence. You can advertise as you like and hold open house when you like. No more late night showings and no more last minute open homes.
3. First hand knowledge of everything happening in the transaction.
4. Now you must do all the work, but that is okay, cause you are getting all the money, right?
These sites are making their money somehow. Nothing is for free. The majority of the people calling you from this listing will be Realtors and Mortgage Brokers. Both of them looking for business. The odds of you selling your home on-line is small and then after you do get someone to whom you think wants to purchase the home, how do you write up the contract?
Cons against this type of selling without a Realtor:
1. Without a Realtor, no contracts and no help. Realtors are worth their weight in gold. One mistake on a contract can cost you thousands of dollars. Most of the time, the Realtor can get a buyer to pay more for the home and costing you no more in money than if you sold the home yourself and received less money.
2. Who will finance the home? You have no experience in banking and have no clout or knowledge on how to close a deal. Which bank will you use and how will you pressure any bank to help you with the appraisal. Many times the deal will fall through strictly because the loan needs help in closing.
Now the banks are refusing class A buyers. 1 out of 6 qualified buyers are being refuses and especially buyers with income under $50,000, In a recent article, they stated that 25% of all buyers who made less than $50,000 are being turned down for loans. What about the appraisal and how can you fight a low-ball appraisal?
3. Which escrow and title do you choose? A smooth investor could and may take advantage of your inexperience. A ethical escrow company will protect your interest. An unethical company will charge you huge fees and look after the buyer only.
4. One of the major concerns should be, is who is coming to see your home. Realtors will screen buyers and be present with them when they visit you. A person calling up over the Internet could be the "Boston Strangler."
There are many dangers involved in dealing with the internet, sometimes a person will get lucky and find someone who will pay cash and buy your home, but the odds are around 1 percent. In the end 80% of all "For Sale by Owners" end up with a Realtor after he has spent a few thousand dollars on advertising and signs. They are extremely frustrated and usually are thrilled to have anyone help them.
Your alternative could be to hire a Real Estate Attorney that charges $400 an hour. If you really want to do this yourself, then go to the local Board of Realtors and ask for a reputable escrow and title company. Ask them for help in getting some forms. They will be more than glad to sell you some contracts.
You can go to some sites that teach you how to fill out the forms, but you do not know anything about contingencies or necessary clauses that belong in the contract. What about arbitration? Do you agree to arbitrate? Do you want to give a home warranty plan and how much is the net sheet? So many questions, that will make you think long and hard about trying a "For Sale by Owner" sale.
In today's world, everything is automated and done through the Internet. Why should the housing market be any different? There are many wonderful Internet sites that give you so much information, It is almost like Realtors will be of little need in the future. The problem with anything on the Internet is security. Always go with a reputable sites, as to be sure who you are talking with about your finances and your future.
According to Business Week, these are the top 5 real estate sites with Realtor.com being the best. It is a site run by the Board of Real Estate and they have the biggest share of the traffic. They have 8.8 percent of the traffic compared to Realtytrac.com that has 3.7 percent of the traffic. This survey was done comparing ten million users on the Internet.
1. Realtor.com - They have the best of all world. They have a huge list of homes, names of every agent in the state, all forms and how to use them and the ability to check on Realtor's status. The Board of Realtors, of course keeps track of all agents and if they have any criminal offenses against them, from ethics charges to manipulating funds.
Their website is very precise and beautifully setup. It is the one place to find out every DRE (Department of Real Estate) regulation concerning finders fees, commissions and complaints. It is peace of mine in a small jar.
2.Realtytrac.com - Is the second largest site. They offer a seven day free trial, which means after the one week period, you must pay to use their site. They do have a large inventory of foreclosures, which is what many are looking for. There are many good things on this site from education to financial assistance in applying for loans.
You will notice their large appeal to the foreclosure market. This is both a marketing ploy and a money maker. People are convinced the best buys are in foreclosures and short sales. The down side to these type of properties is that, they are very time consuming and have to appraise like any other property. When a bank is considering offers, very rarely do they accept "low-ball" figures.
3. Homegain.com - Is the third largest site. Another really great site and one of the best features is "compare Realtors." This is something everyone should do. But, keep in mind the most productive agent does not always mean the best agent. What a fabulous site which is simple and right to the point.
Great marketing tool to let you compare Realtors. How many times do you have the chance to compare one Realtor to the next, but what they fail to tell you is the real information. It is basically impossible to compare a Broker to a brand new agent. A Broker may be extremely busy and not give you the time a new agent might. Maybe the personalities don't match or maybe one agent knows a certain part of town better. When comparing agents first look to who makes you feel comfortable.
4. Rent.com - Is the fourth largest real estate site and it is all about rentals. From homes to town-homes, helping you locate the best area and the best price. A huge website to attract renters. One that is unique in its kind. Speaking to millions of renters and convincing them that now is not the time to buy but to rent instead.
5. Remax.com - Is the only franchise here. They are world known for their expert Realtors. All Realtors must pay to work there and they pay for desk space. They not only have a huge inventory of homes, but also financing. They are very organized, reliable and huge.
Remax Real Estate is in the top ten franchised corporations but they are number one in the amount of traffic they get off the Internet. The reason behind this is service and of course their site and marketing. They are very strong in the field of marketing in both the Internet and in local communities.
Other top rated sites:
The remaining top rated sites include:realestate.yahoo.com, zillow.com, apartments.com, ziprealty.com, move.com, century21.com, homes.com, servicemagic.com, forrent.com, hud.gov, housevalues.com, realestate.msn.com, coldwellbanker.com, apartmentguide.com and lastly is foreclosurestore.com.
Keep in mind that all agencies have the same inventory. It is all localized by the MLS. This is the multiple listing service. Unless the listing is exclusive to the agency, which is a very small percentage of the time, all agencies have the same list. Not all agencies are the same though. There are many Realtors who should not be in the business and some very small companies who have the best Realtors.
Do not judge a Realtor by how many listings they have, judge them by how much service they provide to you. When you ask for a list of properties, is it freely given or do you have to give them a contract.? Do you have to be prequalified before they help you or are they at your beckon call? To purchase a home is free and no company should be charging you. To sell a home, there is a commission to be paid and the commission is negotiable. Never list with the agent with the lowest commission. List with the one who can sell your home.
