In this modern day and age, companies like Yelp have made a business out of Reviews. As a consumer, reviews are often used to feel out a company you are considering using and are looking to do some research on. As a business, we love good reviews. But to have such a thing as a good review, means we have to have such a thing as a bad review. No one likes bad reviews, except the person who put it there as a tool of negativity for (usually) self gain. If you have been in business for 10+ years, and your business is a sensitive one-as if you provide people a place to live-you are bound to have some reviews. Home is where the heart is, many people say and the heart is the source of emotion. We ourselves have more people that like us than don't like us-but they don't often leave reviews. If you called and spoke to them though, they would be happy to tell you about what it was like to be a tenant with us. But where there is good, there can also be bad. Not many people know ...

Now that you have your first home, let’s get on trend and make it a green home. When I say Green home, it is not an old school building made of glass growing plants-I mean make your home you live in every day healthy both physically and fiscally as well as sustainable. Not only do you at home reap benefits, everyone doing their part to be green helps Earth out. What are some fears about going green? Here are five: Green is just a bunch of hype. Green is too expensive a lifestyle change. Green is too difficult a lifestyle change. Green will not benefit me personally. Green will not really make a difference. What is the reality of these fears? Conserving energy and natural resources is more than a hype. Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling will save you money over time. Changing habits to think and do greener create ease and simplicity in your life. Everyone caring benefits everyone. Everyone doing their part plays to the bigger picture of a healthier world being successful. It is import...

Welcome to the world of home ownership, besides feeling like you signed your life away-how does it feel? You may find yourself feeling pride of ownership, because you now in fact own something. But with great power comes great responsibility-home maintenance. One of the best resources for you, even after the transaction, is going to be your real estate agent. Chances are, if you need a specific kind of vendor-they have one they trust and can refer you to. Home maintenance falls into two categories: Keep it clean and keep an eye on it. Review the maintenance needs for your home once you are settled in plan for regular service. If you notice something different, investigate it and fix it. A small problem not treated turns into a massively more expensive problem when ignored. Be sure to also read your home warranty, some of the repairs that come up may be covered. Also, have reserves set up for “Life Happens” situations. Finally, the most important part, Housewarming Party! Nothing w...

So by now, you have found your house and have reached an initial agreement with the seller. To close the deal though, you must remove contingencies. But how do you feel comfortable enough to remove them? You do due diligence. If you discover a reason you should not be purchasing this house in doing due diligence, you are saving yourself a lot of heartache and money and removing yourself from the transaction while you are still able to. One of your first major inquiries will be for: homeowners insurance and property inspections. While this may cause another round of negotiations-these steps are to protect you the buyer. In regards to your home owners insurance policy, here are some things to think about: 1.       How much coverage do you need? 2.       Replacement cost or actual cash value? 3.       What the named and unnamed perils? 4.       Do you need personal property ins...

Can you say open house? I can. So many open houses! So many people walking through all of your potential houses! Before we figure out what houses to look at, we need to figure out what is important to find in your home. What do you value most? 1.       What do I want my neighborhood to be like? What do I want my home to be close to? 2.       How much space do I need? What do I need space for? 3.       What is most important-location or size? 4.       Would I be interested in a flipper Upper? 5.       How important is appreciation? 6.       How important is neighborhood stability? 7.       Would I be interested in a condo? 8.       Would I be interested in new home construction? 9.       What features do I need? What amenities do I want? ...

Now that we have made the decision to buy your first home, scary I know-time to find a real estate agent to help you do it! What does a real estate agent do for you exactly? They are your market consultant, home guide, your liaison for other partners in the home buying process, negotiator, and the closer. They wear a lot of hats, for this reason it is a very good idea to have conversation with them and get to know them as a person and as a professional. Here are some great questions to ask them: 1.       Why did you become a real estate agent? 2.       Why should I work with you? 3.       What do you do better than other real estate agents? 4.       What process will you use to help me find the right home for me? 5.       What are some mistakes that you think people make when buying their first home? 6.       What are ...

A person’s firsts are so iconic-your first car, your first kiss, and especially your first home. It is the most memorable and equally terrifying experience for buyers. You can ask any buyer, even if the process is the same for buying each house there is no time quite like the first time. One of the biggest reasons to purchase your first home is to start building your wealth. What are some fears about buying your first home? I can’t afford to buy a home right now. I should wait until the real estate market gets better. I don’t have the money for the down payment. I can’t buy a home because my credit is not good. I can’t afford to buy my dream home. I should wait to buy a home until I get married. Buying a home seems way to complicated. You can’t afford to not buy a home right now. If you don’t own-you rent right…and you will pay less owning a home monthly than renting with tax savings. There is never a wrong time to buy the right home. Real estate is a long term investment and tryi...

Last time we spoke of ways to improve your Curb Appeal, and yet we so barely touched on Yards that I felt taht it deserved its own blog. So here we are, getting ready to help our yard. Here are a couple of things you can do to help your yard and curb appeal: 1) Design It Right Look at the yard you are working with and optimize it for its existing curves. Focus on areas where you see lots of lights and rain gather for plants and avoiding wind. 2) Amend Your Soil If you want healthy plants, you have to start with healthy soil. Be sure to use compost to help your soil retain water absorption and help in warm weather. 3) Group Plants Together Based on the plants you have/want, and their needs, group plants accordingly to help give them and your yard the best chance of shining. 4) Incorporate Native Plants There is a massive movement towards minimizing water use, and a great way to do that is to use plants that are native to the area and are used to conditions such as rain f...

Anyone who currently owns a home that is thinking of selling may be wondering, what can I do to increase the appeal of my home? One suggestion I would say is: Curb Appeal. First Impressions are truly invaluable, and completely created by Curb Appeal. So what do you need to do to improve it? 1) Wash The Exterior A house could have good bones, but the exterior may show the years of the home. Give the home a clean look by using a pressure washer and getting rid of any Dirt or Cobwebs that may have gathered there over the years. Windows, Rain Gutters, and Garage Door cleanings helps wonders as well. 2) Paint A fresh coat of paint goes a long way in giving the front of your home a clean new look. Be sure to paint the home in a trending color, and to paint any trim and shutters. Be sure to have a professional do it, or do it right and help the paint to last a while. 3) Repair or Replace The Roof Have your Roof cleaned if it is in good shape, otherwise if it is not in good shape- ...

As a Real Estate Agent, I look to provide value at any given time in the relationship between me, the agent, and you, my client. Real Estate is a relationship based industry, utilizing not only the cooperative nature of the business between agents - but also that of vendors used during the process of buying or selling a home. After a sale has happened, I will tell you to contact me if you, or someone you know has a question about Real Estate. This is called a Referral. But here, I am asking, what value do I have for your referrals? Why should you call me after the transaction? 1) Relationships Are More Valuable Than The Transactions One can assign a certain value to a transaction, a single paycheck. But a good relationship with a client has so much more value than that. One of my favorite things to do is to see a client grow from a starter home to an investment home as they build wealth. Not only is it continued business, but growth of the client's life. 2) Balls In Your Cour...

Credit scores can be a scary or enlightening thing, and if yours is not in a good place you may think you don't need to improve it because you don't plan on buying anything large right? Life changes from day to day, and you would be surprised the things you end up doing or wanting to later in life that you did not before, and may find yourself unable to do so, because of things like credit. Here are some reasons to improve your credit: 1) Lower Interest Rate on Loans and Credit Cards Credit is a snapshot of risk, if you have lower credit then you are more of a risk. So to cover themselves in order to do business with you, businesses' will have to charge you a higher interest rate. It is always in your best interest and money saving efforts to have better credit when applying for things like Mortgage Loans. 2) Leverage to Negotiate Lower Credit Card Interest Rates In some cases, you should not ask for things if they are not offered. However, if you have good credit a...

Last week we spoke about how to improve your Credit Score. Once you are doing that, you will find you have to change a lot of your habits. While you are changing your habits, this is a great time to add some other positive habits regarding your credit: 1) Check Your Credit Report Some banks and sites will allow you to check your credit as often as you would like, but everyone is entitled to free copy of their credit report from annualcreditreport.com that is a compilation of all three credit scores. Review it, and store it on hand as many people who ask to run credit may be able to avoid doing so if they can read the report. If you see anything that should not be there, talk to the credit agency. 2) Set Up Automatic Payments If you are on top of paying your bills, make sure that there is either a system in place that never fails or set up automatic payments and make a note to check your bank account weekly or monthly and make sure the payments go through. 3) Don't Open T...

If you or someone you know is thinking about buying or selling real estate, one of the first questions to come up is: Is my credit good enough? Now, there are many options for loans even with bad credit or no credit, but if you are looking to improve your credit score as you look for the perfect property to purchase, here are some ways to do it: 1) Always Pay Your Bills On Time Everyone has bills, and paying them consistently will add positive points to your overall credit score and profile. 2) Keep Your Balances Low Every now and again, credit issuers will report your balances to credit agencies, this is how a credit reporting agency will know about your balances. In anticipation of this, it is suggested to keep balances at low if you are going to have a balance at all. 3) Maintain A Credit Utilization Ratio of Less Than 30% What this means is, if between all of your credit being borrowed, let's say total is $10,000, you should be borrowing less than 30% of your total....

Recently attended the 2018 Financial Tactics Brunch , which asked that you listen/watch the 2017 brunch stream-able on Amazon Prime. 2017 started with an introduction from Bruce Norris of The Norris Group -touching on how the most important word in Real Estate is: Timing . Next up was Karen with uDirect IRA ; speaking about how self-directed IRA’s work. After was Matt and Amanda with Keystone CPA ; speaking about what you can deduct and possible changes that were to come up with the 2018 tax code change. Next speaker was Harry with Barth Calderon ; speaking about asset protection. Last to speak was Bill with Exeter 1031 Exchange ; speaking on some of the nuance’s of 1031 exchanges. Lastly was a panel, made up of all the above speakers-starting with Bruce Norris leading the Q&A, eventually leading to the audience asking questions. 2018 Financial Tactics Brunch Held at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa-now for its 8th year-The brunch started with complimentary breakfast and ...

Welcome to the Blog of The Results Real Estate Group-where We Get The Results! Our former site and blog had been hosted with our previous brokerage, and since recently switching, we are hosting the next stage of our blog here on Blogger! What is The Results Real Estate Group? It is a Family/Husband & Wife team that was started in January of 2012. Our real estate team, whose name honors someone very influential to the starting member of the team; works with Buyers, Sellers, Leasing, and Investors in Orange County as well as knowledgeable in working with Foreign clientele. The starting member,Gene, is a 10 year veteran of the real estate industry and a Broker Associate at Realty Pro 100(sm). The newest member, Ashlie, is the Marketing and Operations of the team working on her licensing currently. What can you expect from this blog? You can expect monthly or bi-monthly blogs about all things Real Estate: Buying, Selling, Investing, and Leasing! Feel free to contact us directly if ...