R.O.I.: RETURN ON IMPROVEMENT IN COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE

R.O.I.: RETURN ON IMPROVEMENT IN COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE

If you plan to remodel or update before selling your home, you have to find the balance between what's appropriate and what qualifies as over-improvement.  If you're in a mid-range neighborhood and install granite countertops, you're unlikely to recoup your costs.  But if you're in a higher-end community, laminate may be too little, too late, resulting in a lower sales price.

So what will always work?  Painting, inside or out, is one of the most affordable ways to increase your resale value.  If you've got wood floors underneath carpeting, show them off.  Old light fixtures in the kitchen, bath and hallways should be updated to popular styles with stainless steel or brushed nickel finishes.  And be sure to make a good first impression outdoors with a maintained yard and perhaps a new mailbox, doorknobs and house numbers.

Before you plan your updates, visit some open houses or new home communities where you can see the latest styles, and update your home's features accordingly.  Just remember to keep your improvements clean, neutral and timeless.

Try not to be the last one on your block to remodel or update, because buyers will pass your listing over for one up the road that's already been updated.  Improve your chances for a quicker sale at a higher price by discussing with your agent which improvements provide the greatest return.

Ask about our programs:

Low as 10% down! Owner will pre-pay your mortgae insurance! Save at least $100 per month!

Down payment assistance available up to $12,510 or 3% of loan amount in the form of a grant, does not have to be repaid.

 Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

 

      

(714) 241-4532

1525 Mesa Verde Drive East

Costa Mesa, CA   92626-5221

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

Weichman Realtors To Sponsor Costa Mesa Community Run! Save The Date!

Weichman Realtors To Sponsor Costa Mesa Community Run! Save The Date!

The date for the 2011 Costa Mesa Community Run has been set. The expo will be Friday, April 22, and the run Saturday morning, April 23. The money from this event supports local schools. Weichman Realtors is proud to support and sponsor this event and many others within our town!  For years Larry Weichman and his team of agents have given back to the community- please make this one a must attend!

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

Weichman Realtors to give away flat screen TV today in support of Costa Mesa United!

Check out Weichman Realtors Today on hole 3 at the Mesa Verde  Classic! Weichman Realtors has been tournament sponsors for over 5 years, we are giving away a flat screen TV!

Hope to see everyone today at the golf event to support Costa Mesa United. This is the 5th year in a row our firm has helped support this event, proceeds help fund Costa Mesa Youth Sports and facilities. 

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO FORECLOSURE IN COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO FORCLOSURE IN COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE!

 

 

Due to recent government incentives, short sales are becoming the darling of the distressed-property marketplace.  A short sale keeps owners out of foreclosure, because the lenders allow the homeowners to sell their house for less than they owe.

 

Banks have really sped up the process, hiring large numbers to serve the short sale specialty.  In early 2010, one of the very largest banks had more than doubled the number of short sales it approved, sometimes as quickly as 24 days.  Compare that to last year, when short sales stalled indefinitely or took more than six months to complete.

 

The biggest roadblock to approval was often a second mortgage held by the seller.  Since the primary lender must be paid first, the second lien holder could be left with nothing, and they would basically kill the sale.  But now the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program provides money to primary lenders who share the proceeds with the second lien holders.  HAFA also provides up to $6,000 to those secondary lenders if they release their claim. 

 

Short sales keep borrowers out of foreclosure and reduce the impact on their credit.  While foreclosure can shave 200 points off your score, the penalty for a short sale is only half of that.  Hopefully, a boom in short sales will also bring us closer to ending the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

 

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

 

 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

City of Costa Mesa Council And Commission Recruitment! Need a few good men & women to help out!

 

 

 

November 19, 2010 Costa Mesa, California

–

The City Council of the City of Costa Mesa is currently accepting letters of interest/applications from residents who wish to serve on the City Council, the Planning Commission or the Parks and Recreation Commission. There is a possibility of one (1) vacancy on the City Council. There will also be three (3) appointment opportunities for the Planning Commission and three (3) appointment opportunities for the Parks and Recreation Commission. The City Council will be making the appointments at the January 4, 2011 City Council meeting.

The five-member City Council is the legislative and policy body for the City, charged with providing overall leadership for the City by enacting laws and allocating City resources for programs, services, and activities. The City Council is comprised of the Mayor, who is appointed from among the City Council to serve as the official head of the City and to preside over all Council meetings, and four Council Members. All five are collectively referred to as the "Council." Each Council official is elected "at large" by the public to represent all Costa Mesa residents. Costa Mesa does not have electoral districts. The potential vacant City Council position has two years remaining on an existing four-year term. Interested applicants must be residents of Costa Mesa and qualified electors. A letter of interest is required and a resume is encouraged for anyone interested in being considered for the open City Council seat.

The five-member Planning Commission is empowered to make decisions by the California Government Code. The scope of the Planning Commission’s authority includes the regulation of future growth, development, and beautification of the City with respect to public and private projects. A completed application is required and a resume is encouraged for anyone interested in being considered for the Planning Commission. Applicants must be residents of Costa Mesa and qualified electors.

The five-member Parks and Recreation Commission was established by the City Council in 1990, to consider or act upon issues, programs, user fees, and studies pertaining to parks, recreation facilities and parkways matters, or make recommendations to the City Council as specified in the Costa Mesa Municipal Code. A completed application is required and a resume is encouraged for anyone interested in being considered for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Applicants must be residents of Costa Mesa and qualified electors.

Interested individuals are encouraged to submit the requested information indicating which body they wish to be considered to: Costa Mesa City Council, P.O. Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California 92628-1200, or bring it to City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, City Manager’s Office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, December 17, 2010. The Commission Application Form can be found on the City’s website at

 

http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/docs/commform.pdf

Applicants are advised that their applications must be disclosed to the public upon request. For additional information, please contact the City Manager’s office at (714) 754-5328**

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

DUI This Friday Night in Costa Mesa California! Please do not drink and drive! Call a Cab!

 

 

The Costa Mesa Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on

Friday, October 29, 2010 at Newport Boulevard/Flower Street between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:00

a.m. DUI checkpoints are a proven enforcement tool effective in reducing the number of persons killed

and injured in alcohol involved crashes, as well as being an valuable means for heightening awareness of

the dangers of impaired driving.

Officers will be checking drivers through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and or drug impairments.

Officers will check for proper licensing and will strive to impact motorists just momentarily. If officers

suspect that a driver has been drinking or is impaired, they will conduct a field sobriety test. If you fail,

expect jail, vehicle storage fees, license suspension, insurance rate increases, along with fines, fees, DUI

classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

“Since January 2007, DUI collisions have claimed 7 lives and resulted in 216 injury crashes harming 308

of our friends and neighbors,” said Sergeant Dave Makiyama. “In that same time frame, Costa Mesa

Police Officers arrested 3,609 DUIs.”

Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic

fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures.

DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009, according to federal statistics.

Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31

percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver.

“Everyone in California should be heartened with these figures,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of

the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “But as encouraging as this is, we can’t let up on the efforts

to encourage and support traffic safety. You can help make your community safe; if you see a Drunk

Driver – Call 9-1-1.”

Funding for this and other DUI checkpoints are provided to Costa Mesa Police Department by a grant

from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,

targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.

Supervisor Writing / Approving Release:

 

David Makiyama, Sergeant

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Lic #00573423 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532

Open House 101 in Costa Mesa California Real Estate

No one's going to buy a home without taking a thorough tour, and Open Houses are an easy and convenient way to make the initial rounds.  If you're going to visit one open house, you may as well plan to visit several in the area to get an overall impression and basis for comparison. 

 

While you're “on the circuit,” observe a few points of etiquette.  First and foremost, be sure to ask permission before taking the lens cap off your camera or video recorder.  If the owners are still occupying the home, they may consider it an invasion of their privacy.

 

Even if the owners are not present during the open house, don't voice any criticisms within earshot of anyone around.  Save that discussion for later with your agent, because you never know who might overhear you, like a neighbor or a friend of the sellers.  Of course, pay attention to anything you overhear from other visitors!

 

Also avoid divulging too much information about yourself, like when you have to move or what your price range is.  Even if you've walked into your "dream home," show your best poker face, and don't give the listing agent the benefit of spying your emotions.

 

Open houses are a great starting point, but your best bet is always to have your agent schedule appointments for in-depth home tours.

 

Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,"the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate". Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market. Lic #00573423 

Posted via email from Larry Weichman's Blog (714) 241-4532