Archive for September, 2018
Real Estate and your Divorce in OC – Protect Yourself!
A Divorce team on YOUR side
Going through a divorce is a stressful life event that unfortunately happens to about 72% of us here in Orange County, which is 22% over the national average. It is much more common than we think, and we are never prepared for it because we think we will be together forever. You probably know someone going through one right now. We hope it never happens to you or anyone else we know and love, but if it does we want you to know what you can do to make it easier. Divorce can also be one of the most lonely times for people, losing your best friend that you were going to spend the rest of your life with is far from easy. In order to make the process a little more easy, you need to find yourself a support system and a team that can help you through all of the legal parts that come with.
Who should be on your team?
Divorce Attorney
The last thing you want to think about our deal with during a divorce is what legal matters need to be settled. Having a good divorce attorney in your corner is key to helping it be an easy transition. If you don’t feel like doing research on divorce attorney’s don’t worry, we know the best one. Elisabeth Donovan is a member of our LeTip group that we see every week and we think she would be a great asset to your team. She is a certified divorce financial analyst and divorce attorney so she is at a higher level than other attorneys. She is experienced in separation and divorce, child custody and child support. She is passionate and aggressive, we’d want her on our team if we were in the same situation.
Lender
When going through a divorce homeownership and our credit can take a hit. You want a good lender on your side who will make sure you are able to purchase a home again. Derek Beisner is always one of your favorite lenders who also has his divorce designation. When one spouse says; ‘I’ll just keep the house,’ Derek makes sure not only they can afford it, but the spouse leaving can also afford to go off on their own and obtain financing. This is a critical step most divorcing couples forget to handle in mediation, and it usually ends up in one party being forced to sell or foreclose within 6 months to 1 year. We won’t let this happen to you.
Title
Sometimes debt gets so high in a separated household that second loans and Home Equity Lines of credit get taken out. Are you aware of everything that owed on your home, and every debt that’s connected to each of you? We have Mike with Team Langgle at your service to do a deep title search on all your assets, AND each party’s social security number, so nothing pesky pops up later. It’s important to know these things when you are dividing your assets equally!
Realtor
You know us and we weren’t going to leave your real estate agent off of your team. Having your trusted agent in your pocket during this time is so important. Whether you need to work with them to help you both sell your current home or you just need help finding your new home for your new chapter – having a real estate agent you trust and enjoy working with is key. We at the AskAngie team have the heart to help people going through a divorce. We’re not just trying to just sell your home we’re going to research and protect you to ensure you have a right size residence. Yes, sometimes that means sales, but frequently we just help put your ducks in order FOR FREE with no obligations. We work in conjunction with attorneys like Elisabeth to make sure every property concern is covered.
Insurance
Did you know insurance usually goes up on a property after a divorce? Or even worse, some properties are uninsurable due to new guidelines? Charley Hulsey with Pacific Partners Ins Agency can check your home(s) to make sure prices aren’t going up and you don’t get stuck in a pickle later with any insurance issues. If you’ve had too many claims recently, you could be in this boat. Be careful and let us confirm every single one of your bases is covered.
Credit Repair
Divorce can ruin one or both parties credit, and you’re going to NEED good credit to start your next chapter right! Sean Bruce with Executive Fix has flexible 3-18 month programs to help you boost your score back up and bounce back better than ever. Little things can make a big difference with your credit, and you have lots of big things to focus on. Sean cleans up your credit while you’re putting the other pieces back together.
Tax Advice
You may be moving to a new tax bracket or selling your home and paying Capital Gains. Irene Mack, CPA knows everything about the new tax laws and can help you understand what your new tax obligations will be. If you have back taxes owed, she can also assist to set you up with a payment plan. Having any outstanding tax obligations during the years that you were married can fall upon you both for years to come, and Irene can help you resolve that so you don’t have lingering issues.
Trust Advice
Are you breaking up or changing a trust? Rebecca Rainwater of Rainwater Family Mediation, LLC, is an experienced mediator and attorney who can assist you in preparing a trust to protect your assets and properties. She offers a personalized approach to each case and will work with you to create a plan that meets your unique needs.
Financial Advice
Need to change up your investments? Update your beneficiaries? Have fresh eyes take a look to make sure you are making the most out of what you’ve saved? Barbara Loos has been with Prudential for years and will take a look at your current investments with no obligations and let you know if she thinks you’re in a good place or she sees opportunity for bigger gains. Don’t lose sight of your long term plans during this difficult time.
Mobile Notary
With all the documents flying you’re probably going to need a notary, a few times. Nicki Walsh is so kind, caring, and compassionate, you’ll want her to help you with all your paperwork signings. She can come to you or meet you at the place of your choice.
Fix up crew
If you’re selling, renting, or even keeping your home but find out repairs are needed, we’ve got everyone you need to help you from Ken with Beacon Carpet & grout cleaning, to John with Reddel Draperies. Or maybe you don’t need anything ‘fixed’, but you can’t stand looking at the exact same house. Gina Lauren can come help you transform your space with her interior design expertise.
Clutter crew
Oh, and we also have the fasttrack number to Salvation Army. Most people call and it’s 2 weeks out and a 4 hour window…not us. We call and set an appointment TIME where they come and pick up EVERYTHING regardless of condition. It’s all part of our RCS-D designation relationships to bring you one less worry.
Emotional support
Obviously this is such a hard time with so much change. We’ve got you covered on that end too, with referrals for many therapists, help groups, churches, & holistic help practitioners to keep you operating at your best mentally. The more people you can have on your team to share the heavy load during this time will make your life easier and less stressful. Go ahead, lean on us!
Next Steps
Together with your team you will be able to mastermind the next steps of your life and where the new chapter will begin. Your divorce attorney will make sure you get everything you want and need throughout the divorce process. Then your lender and the rest of the team will make sure your credit, savings, and mindset stays strong so that you are able to buy again sooner than later. Lastly, your Realtor will help you find the perfect new pad for your next chapter, and you’ll be well on your way to your best life!
If you need more recommendations/advice or are currently going through a divorce and need our team to be your support system contact Angie at 949-338-7408.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )ADUs making you profit in OC
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Anyone else notice how California keeps getting more crowded and more expensive? It is just too beautiful to leave so ADUs are great ways for adding much needed space here. They can be known as in-law suites, secondary units, guest house and more. These are more affordable for California residents because they don’t require purchasing more land or structured parking. Adding a living space above your garage, a basement apartment, or a tiny home in the backyard are great ways to add extra living space to your home. They also have the opportunity for homeowners to make a profit by adding space. Legally adding these spaces onto your home makes it the same property as the main house. They can not be bought or sold separately. The placement of the ADU may be based on criteria such as adequacy of water and sewer services and the impact of traffic flow and public safety. Some of the restrictions that may come up are parking, height, setback, lot coverage, landscape, and maximum size of that unit. Also if any of the homes are listed in the California Register of Historic Places that can change what you are allowed to do when it comes to adding and ADU.
How to make a profit with your ADU
Did you know the average rent in Orange County is currently $2,500 a month? What would having that amount of money extra in your pocket do for your budget? New law changes as of January 1st, 2018 allowed for home owners to turn their single family residence into a duplex or multi family home in order to rent out one half to make a profit and provide more housing for California residents. The unit can only be rented, and not sold. This is such a great way for homeowners to make some money. Adding on to your home or remodeling to make a separate living space may sound like a hefty project with time and money, but with the rent prices increasing in OC all the time, we think it would be very worth it.
Real Life Scenarios
We spoke to a San Juan Capistrano retiree who decided to do just this in order to make some extra money while being retired. She bought a pre-fabbed ADU for around $60,000 and is renting it for around $2,500 a month. By doing this it will be paid off in around 3 years so she will be pocketing all of that rent money every month. What a perfect way for a retired person to make some extra vacation money or start saving for grandkids to go to college!
If you want more information on how you can add an ADU to your property and what you could rent it for, fill out the form below.
Owning vs Renting in OC
Are you struggling with the increase in rent here in OC?
Most people are having a hard time staying in one place with the increase in rent for current residents every year. The Orange County Register posted that Orange County rent is up $73 a month or 3.8 percent year over year in May of 2018. There is no rent control to help current residents stay closer to their going rate after living there year after year. We have been renters before and understand the struggle of paying so much every month for something that isn’t actually yours. In reality you could be paying around the same amount every month to own a home. Believe us, it feels a lot better to make that payment every month knowing that you own your home. It doesn’t look like the price of rent is going to decrease anytime here in Orange County so now is the time to get yourself your own home.
Benefits of Homeownership
There are so many more benefits to homeownership other than just having something of your own. Most people don’t realize how affordable owning a home really is, down payment options are as low as 3.5% currently. We often think about how expensive it is to own our home, but do we ever consider how expensive it is not too? Throwing all that money away on rent every month adds up to such a high price on something you don’t even get to keep. While owning a home you are building equity which helps you have a better plan for your future. You also save on your taxes if you’re a homeowner so really, owning a home makes you some money every year in equity and tax savings. You are no longer tied to a landlord who can raise your rent or change things on you at the end of any lease and your family has a stable home to live and grow in. However, we think the best part of homeownership is the pride you feel knowing you worked hard for something that is all your own.
Rent vs Own Analysis
To help you more visualize why owning is more beneficial than renting we created a rent vs owning analysis based on a rent of $2500 a month or buying our current home on the market 16555 Sell Circle . Let’s say you had a down payment of around $10,000 and got a loan for $515,000 for the rest of the payment, with a 4.875 interest rate. You pay HOA fees of $360 a month, but you also get a tax benefit from owning a home. This is the amount you’d be SAVING to own instead of renting! Many people think they can’t afford their own home, but they definitely can! We would love to help you put together one of these for your own situation to help you see the difference in your life if you were to buy a home!
If you are interested in seeing your rent vs own analysis or if you’re ready to find your home contact Angie at 949-338-7408!
Tis’ the Season – it’s now an even Market in Orange County
Finally a NORMAL market in OC
If you are have been considering buying, but were reluctant due to the market – the times have changed! For the first time in 7+ years, our market in Orange County is even. This makes it a great time to consider buying, especially because we never know how long it will last. For quite a while it has been a sellers market due to low inventory of houses. This left buyers frustrated due to not being able to find the home they had been dreaming of. Many people were putting multiple offers in on whatever homes were available even if it wasn’t their dream place, just to be turned down because of all the competition in the market. This Spring it quickly started to become a more balanced market where both sellers and buyers had the opportunity to be successful. The active inventory has more than double this year, which is the fastest the market has changed since 2008. This does not necessarily mean it is favoring buyers more than sellers now, but is much more favorable towards buyers than it had previously been which is a huge plus for Orange County and clients who have been wanting to buy for awhile.
Until this Spring, houses were flying off the market at higher than normal prices due to demand, now this is what is sitting on the market due to the change in demand.
Luxury homes are still in demand
Even though it is a much more balanced market at the moment, luxury homes are still being sought out for and there isn’t enough inventory for those luxury buyers. Anything over $1.25 million is needed in the market. Every year luxury demand goes down a little more. So all our luxury owners who are reading this – its your time to make the most money for your home, and possibly upgrade to something even more luxurious 😉
Importance of listening to your Realtor
You all know that we are always advising to find a good real estate agent and sticking with them and their advice, this has not changed. We think it is so important for both buyers and sellers to be properly represented in order to give them the most smooth home purchasing or selling experience. In a balanced market it is almost more important to really listen to your Realtor. We have become so accustomed to the market we have been stuck in that people have a hard to adjusting back to a normal market. In a more balanced market there is no room for error, which is when a Realtor really comes in handy. In a sellers market it is easier to stretch the price because buyers are desperate, but in an even market overpricing leads to failure. It is important to have a Realtor help you decide on upgrades and pricing. Careful and well thought pricing is crucial for the remainder of the year now that it is no longer a sellers market.
If you would like to subscribe to regular market reports, email us at successinweeks@gmail.com. If you are interested in selling or buying a home in the new balanced market, contact Angie at 949-338-7408 so she can help you with all your real estate needs.
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Orange County Real Estate Success 