Jeffrey Simons - Orange County Real Estate Consultant

Dear Friends,

Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.

It may or may not be a sign of these economic times, but according to experts, home robberies are on the rise. Reading or hearing about these events on the news is almost a daily event, yet most of us think “That couldn’t happen to me,” and fail to take basic, preventive measures.

I’ve prepared a free report, Protect Your Home From Burglars, that I’d like to send to you to help keep you, your family, and your home safe. The report includes information about doors, windows and alarm systems, plus some general, common-sense tips. If you’d like a copy of this report for yourself, family members and friends, just take out your cell phone, look up my number (714.746.8103), call me, and I’ll mail or email the report to you and anyone else you request.

P.S. Renters are just as vulnerable to home robberies as homeowners. Who’s the next renter you know who could benefit from this free report? We can help them! Be sure to give me a call so I can send this report to you to pass along.

You may have already read or seen in the news or mass media about ‘strategic defaults’ as a possible foreclosure-avoidance option. Of the millions of homeowners in distress, more than 70% of homeowners proceed without seeking assistance or getting the facts about their situation.

I’ve prepared a free report to explain the consequences of strategic defaults and foreclosure—and the benefits of a short sale—when underwater on your mortgage. You will learn the advantages and disadvantages to all your options. Simply click here: http://www.helpingochomeowners.com and download this report, email it or share it with someone you know and care about.

I sincerely hope you’ll take advantage of this information and feel free to pass it along to anyone you know in need. Getting the right information is the key to getting back on track. Please feel comfortable giving me a call or sending me an email any time with your questions or concerns.

I’m here to help you, your family and friends any way that I can.

Dear Friends,

Here’s a quick note to let you know how I can help you or anyone you feel comfortable introducing me to.

Every January, it seems like people make a New Year’s resolution to buy a home, and often they don’t know where to start. That’s why we’re offering our free report, How to Buy a House with Little (or No) Money Down, to educate first-time home buyers about the home buying process.

The next time you’re in a conversation with a friend, family member or neighbor and they mention they want to buy their first home, would you stop, take out your cell phone, look up my number 714.746.8103 and call me immediately? I’ll send you my free report so you can give it to them.

Jeffrey Simons, Your Personal Real Estate Consultant For Life
Prudential California Realty, 714.746.8103

P.S. This free report is perfect for people who have just started talking about buying, even if they’re buying several months from now.

  Click here to visit the website for more information.

Thank you for checking in… please check out this great new lease listing in Rancho Yorba.  It’s listed for lease at $2250.00/month on a 1 year lease with a $2250.00 security deposit and a $100.00 pet deposit.

Click on the photo above for more information and additional photos.

According to the Southern California Multiple Listing Service, 16,462 families purchased a home this year despite all the issues you hear in the media, and this doesn’t take into consideration New Home Sales, For Sale By Owners and there 4280 Homes currently in Escrow!

What does that really mean?  It means that if you are thinking about buying or selling in this market, there is a part of society that is in complete agreement with you!  Guess what else?  Over 1,000,000 people made their house payment on time this month!  I know can you believe it?  Families all over Southern California are paying their bills!

Regardless of what you see in the media, there are good things happening all around you…  again, what are you choosing to look at?

As you may or may not know… We are constantly being bombarded with all forms of media which permeate fear and concern!!! Why? This is what sells!

You can choose to feel overwhelmed, and see everything from a negative… the real estate market continues to move downward, the stock market is falling, the dollar is weakening, blah, blah, blah… or you can choose see the opportunity that is all around you and surround yourself with like minded people that see and feel the same way.  You like me, know that there is an incredible change taking place!  Interest rates are down, inventory is still up, and there are motivated sellers all around you! I believe that Warren Buffet said it best… “when everyone else is moving in one direction, go the other”.  Now this may not be the exact quote or comment; however it proves a good point! Don’t necessarily be one of the heard, if the heard is not making decisions that make sense you… break free… look in another direction.

I challenge you to consider making a change in your thinking, in your actions and in your vision, and I will look forward to seeing you grow exponentially!

Well as you may or may not know… Kristina and I have been blessed with a new baby boy!  On April 16th, Kristina gave birth to Matthew William Simons born at 8:38 a.m. weighing in at 7lbs. and he was 20″ long.  April has come and gone and May is already flying bye… I will be back to the writing board in no time… In the meantime, check out my son.

Birth, death, marriage, divorce. Throw in new careers and lost jobs, and you’ve got the reasons most of us fail miserably at timing the real estate market. We sell and buy because life — not market conditions — drives the decision.

It’s how you manage the deal that dictates whether you’ll give up too much of your profit in a fire sale or forsake future profit by paying too much — especially now that the housing market has taken a chilly turn. In the fourth quarter of 2007, the median home price in the U.S. fell 5.8% over the same period 12 months prior, according to the National Association of Realtors. And 13% fewer homes were sold last year than the year before.

Below, we have tips for both buyers and sellers to help you strengthen your hand in these rough times, no matter what side of the transaction you’re on. (Hint: It wouldn’t hurt to read both sections so you know the other team’s strategy, too.) Plus, you can sharpen your skills and test your knowledge with our

Buyer tips

Buyers definitely have the upper hand in a cool market. You can press your advantage to negotiate the best price possible. However, bear in mind that today’s credit crunch has lenders tightening their belts, so you’ll need to make the right moves to get a good deal on a mortgage. Also, dust off those negotiating skills that went unused during the seller’s market of the past few years.

Seller tips

A cool market means it may take you longer to sell your home, and you might not get as much money as you’d like. Those are two tough pills to swallow. But if you make the right moves, you can increase your odds of striking a good deal and getting the most from your sale.

• Pick the right agent. You want somebody who is going to market the place, not some slacker who talks you into setting a low-ball price and then waits for a bargain hunter to trip over the house on the MLS. Your best bet is to find someone who was in the business during the last downturn. That’s a survivor who knows how to sell when others can’t. Interview several agents.

• Pin down marketing specifics when interviewing agents. Despite the rise of Web sites, such as Realtor.com and brokers’ own sites, many sales still turn on old-fashioned techniques, such as classified ads in newspapers and local real estate magazines, open houses and yard signs (with a box full of detailed fliers for the drive-by crowd). When markets slow, these staples matter more than they do when things are sizzling.

• Shop the market yourself to get a feel for prices. Ask your agent to show you listings that are competing with your own.

• Buy down the interest rate. It’s not a sales price that people are buying — it’s the mortgage payment. And buying down the buyer’s interest rate is a smart way to attract buyers without giving up your profits. For example, lowering the buyer’s interest rate from 6.5% to 5.5% on a $150,000 loan reduces the monthly payment by almost $100 per month.

  The buy-down would cost you about 4.75% of the loan amount, or $7,125 in this example. Alternatively, if you lowered your sale price by that amount, the buyer would save only $45 a month. You can also offer to buy down the interest rate for the first year or two for less money. Either way, you’re allowing buyers to get more home than they would have otherwise been able to afford.

• Dress up the house. Agents call it staging: Haul out the oversize furniture; get rid of clutter; break out the touch-up paint; polish the glass; buff brass fixtures; eradicate smells. "Things you were willing to live with are not necessarily something you want a buyer to see," says Kevin Cook, president of the Cottage Realty Ltd. in Berthoud, Colo.

• Hire an inspector. Most buyers make their purchases contingent on a home inspection. But hiring your own inspector before placing your house on the market can help you indentify things to fix ahead of time and make your home more attractive to the buyer. For example, you’ll find out if your roof needs replacement or if any electrical or plumbing work should be done.

Great content… Great Advise…  Who do you know that currently owns a home, and has adult children living with them?  With the comeback of FHA financing and the temporary changes in the Maximum Loan Limits… it may be a great time to help them purchase their own home, co-mortgage and enjoy the benefits of having your own place!    Imagine the possibilities.  Have a great day!