Rancho Santa Fe Homes For Sale & Real Estate

11 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Appraisal

If you're looking to sell or refinance your home in the Rancho Santa Fe real estate market, you know that a home appraisal is a necessary step in the process. While the value of your home may not be what it once was, it is important for homeowners to be realistic when it comes to getting their home appraised.

As a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I know how vital it is to list your home at the right price. Price is, after all, only a part of marketing...but it is crucial, and having an appraisal done is the first step toward making the right pricing decision.

Here are 11 ways to prepare for a home appraisal:

1. The appraiser will need approximately 30 minutes to one hour to complete the inspection phase of the appraisal process, which includes: exterior photos of the front and rear of the home and a photo of the street in front of the property; measurements of the exterior of the home, garage and any outbuildings; a walk-through inspection of all rooms and levels of the interior of the home, including the basement.
2. Get organized. Put together a checklist that will help you get ready for your appraisal.
3. Be flexible when scheduling the appointment.
4. Have a copy of your home's blueprint to help verify measurements and lot size.
5. Provide a list of improvements made to the property since the purchase. Improvements that should be noted include adding a pool, patio, updating your kitchen or bathroom, and any room additions, etc.
6. Allow your appraiser access to the entire property, including access to any crawl space or attic areas.
7. Keep in mind that a clean home makes a good impression. Be sure to trim the lawn, clean the pool and garage, repair cracked windows or torn screens, check for leaky faucets and secure gutters and down spouts before your appraisal.
8. Point out any amenities that may not be obvious to the appraiser: sprinkler systems, patios, pools, security systems, built-in pool vacuum, etc.
9. Provide a copy of last year's tax assessment information.
10. Know what year the house was built and when improvements were made.
11. The first thing appraisers look for is comparables, so be prepared and have a list of recent sales of similar properties in the immediate neighborhood.

Following these steps will go a long way toward making the home appraisal process a bit easier. For more information on home appraisals and preparing your home for sale in the Rancho Santa Fe area, please contact us -and feel free to forward these tips to any family and friends with a home sale in their future.

Now continues to be a unique buying opportunity for investors and move-up buyers in Rancho Santa Fe CA.  To find Rancho Santa Fe's next great real estate value call the Dalzell Group at (858) 755-7740 for a private consultation.

Click Here: To search for Rancho Santa Fe homes for sale:

Prudential California Realty

PO Box 8001

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Phone: (858) 755-7740

Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Buyers: Do You Know What Impacts Your Credit Score? Take This Quiz and Find Out

According to credit experts, 42% of U.S. consumers have credit scores between 550 and 699. As a result, these consumers typically don't qualify for preferred interest rates and, depending on their overall credit profile, they may not even qualify for certain loans and credit cards.

As a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I, along with my team, have worked with many clients throughout my years in the business and have seen first-hand how credit scores can wreak havoc on securing a favorable mortgage. Most clients we work with don't have a clear picture of what impacts their credit profile and, more importantly, don't know what steps they can take to help improve it. We find this short quiz, from credit consultants ApprovalGuard.com, to be immensely helpful when it comes to understanding how your credit profile works. Take a few minutes to see if your credit knowledge is up to par.

1. To have the best credit-profile impact, what is the maximum amount of your monthly credit line that should be used?
a) 70%
b) 30%
c) 50%

2. What is the number-one contributing factor to a good credit score?
a) Length of credit history
b) Amounts you owe
c) Payment history

3. If you pay 2% each month on your credit card (typical minimum payment), when will you pay off a $3,000 balance at 10% interest?
a) 18 years
b) 6 years
c) 3 years

4. After paying off a high-interest credit card, you should:
a) Continue using it occasionally
b) Close the account
c) Use the full amount of available credit every month

5. Applying for credit cards in order to just receive a free sign-up gift (t-shirts, mugs, etc.) has no impact on my credit profile?
True or False

6. Rewards points on credit cards are a good deal when:
a) I get cash back
b) I get free airline tickets
c) I carry no balance each month

7. To have a credit score, I must have at least one creditor reporting activity on my credit report for:
a) 12 months
b) 8 months
c) 6 months

8. Credit bureaus that manage your personal credit report data and credit scores are a:
a) Government entity
b) Non-profit agency
c) Regular business corporation

9. Banks and credit card companies think you are creditworthy by how many credit offers you receive by mail?
True or False

10. Credit scores are used by lenders mainly to:
a) Tell how I compare to other consumers
b) Tell if I make my payments on time
c) Predict the likeliness that I will repay my loan on time

Answers: 1 - c, 2 - c, 3 - a, 4 - a, 5 - False, 6 - c, 7 - c, 8 - c, 9 - False, 10 - c

If you find you answered more than half of these questions wrong, you're not alone, says ApprovalGuard, whose surveys reveal that the majority of consumers do not know the answers to these and similar types of questions. The good news is it's not too late. With a good understanding and proper guidance of how credit works, consumers can learn how to effectively manage their personal credit profile. For more information, please e-mail our team, and please feel free to forward this quiz to others.

Now continues to be a unique buying opportunity for investors and move-up buyers in Rancho Santa Fe.  To find Rancho Santa Fe's next great real estate value call the Dalzell Group at (858) 755-7740 for a private consultation.

Prudential California Realty

PO Box 8001

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Phone: (858) 755-7740

Your #1 source for Rancho Santa Fe real estate market updates and luxury homes for sale. We follow the trends of both existing Rancho Santa Fe homes for sale and recent Rancho Santa Fe real estate that enters into escrow. Our goal is to help provide you direction and analysis of the current conditions and future trends.

July 23, 2010...

Below is a snapshot of this week's activity with Rancho Santa Fe Homes For Sale:

Rancho Santa Fe MLS Listings on the Market:

The Bottom Line - The activity over the past week for Rancho Santa Fe real estate for sale has picked up with 6 new Rancho Santa Fe homes going into escrow.  An overview of the Rancho Santa Fe real estate market shows that prices are fluctuating in a slight upward trend, and market times for Rancho Santa Fe homes have been inching down, though the inventory continues to rise. Prices will not continue rising until some of the excess inventory is sold so expect there to remain excellent values for Rancho Santa Fe buyers in the months ahead.  Good news in the last week is that the jumbo mortgage market has made strides towards loosening as we first noted about a month ago.

As we take a look at the recent closed transactions in the Rancho Santa Fe CA real estate market, we see that buyers continue to target newer gated communities like Santaluz homes and west end locations of the Covenant and Fairbanks Ranch homes, like the highest priced sale this past week.  Of the closed sales we see that they were at various price points ranging from $800,000 to over $4.2 million, a good sign of the diverse range of buyers out there.  Of the 15 Rancho Santa Fe CA homes that sold this last week just one of the sales was a bank owned foreclosure.

Click here: Search ALL Rancho Santa Fe Homes for Sale

Rancho Santa Fe MLS Listings NEW in Escrow/Pending This Week:   

Rancho Santa Fe Homes SOLD This Week:

To find out how much your home is worth contact the Dalzell Group for a FREE home value report.

Prudential California Realty

PO Box 8001

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Phone: (858) 755-7740

A real estate agent may not be able to provide you with the best home in the world but they still have the ability to grant you many of your home buying desires. The first step in obtaining your dream home is to develop an image in your mind. You should be able to clearly picture what you want and need in your home. Rancho Santa Fe homes for sale offers these following characteristic that makes it stand out.

Rancho Santa Fe CA homes for sale is located strategically in such a way that it provides easy access to work places and recreational areas. Location is lauded as the most important factor when it comes to salability and pricing of home.

The neighborhood your home is located is also a very important factor. If you are looking for a family home, then you need to research the local schools. If you prefer something quieter, or a home located on a cul-de-sac, Rancho Santa Fe has it all.

Do you prefer large, open floor plans and modern architecture? Are you a fan of cozy and functional Country style plans? A Tudor style home is exemplified by tall, narrow windows with small panes and a reminiscence of Medieval looks. Victorian style homes, on the other hand, feature elaborate details on the exterior and interior of the home. The models of Rancho Santa Fe Homes for Sale are diverse enough to suit your tastes.

Click here: Search ALL Rancho Santa Fe CA Homes for Sale

Prudential California Realty

PO Box 8001

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Phone: (858) 755-7740