Fair Oaks and Carmichael Homes

What to look for in a home

Peter Scott — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:18:15 +0000

Now that you’ve figured out WHY you’re looking for a home, it’s time to understand WHAT to look for in a home. Obviously, what people like in a home is extremely personal (some people love pools, others hate them!). So I’m not going to try to tell you what I like, I’m going to show what important things I look at to judge a home and weed out the good homes form the bad. Here’s the top 10 things that I look for:

Location, location, location (duh!)
What does the home back up to?
How do the neighbors’ homes look?
How’s the roof look?
Are the windows single or double pane?
Is the siding stucco or wood (or something else)?
How old is the Heating & Air system?
Is the lot graded so water flows away from the home (water causes 80% of damage in a home)
Is the layout pleasant?
Is the kitchen original or updated?

This should give you a good checklist when you’re looking at homes.

Oh yeah, you’ll need a badass Realtor too! I know it’s scary to reach through that fancy computer monitor of yours and talk to someone, but you really should contact me so you can have a good agent on your side. Just go the contact page and shoot me a quick email. Mmmkay?

Will It Happen Here?

Peter Scott — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:08:59 +0000

I saw this article about Phoenix in the Sacramento Bee today. Their real estate market is starting to recover and prices have actually increased and they are expecting a 9% increase in values for 2012. Interesting, I thought.

While Sacramento is not Phoenix, we aren’t that much different. Both markets were hit hard and hit early in the housing market collapse and it should be those we went down first to recover first.

Right now Sacramento (not to mention Fair Oaks and Carmichael) home prices are mostly stagnant. Some segments of the market are stable, while other niches are declining and others are increasing. Inventory is low and there is a strong demand for good houses which should help with the whole supply and demand rule.

I’m not making any predictions, but maybe we’ll be out of this mess soon enough. Nonetheless, prices are still low and interest rates are ridiculously low (about 3.75!) so you can’t go wrong buying a home now. If you wan’t to chat about homes just click on the contact page above!

-Pete

Look at a House Through a Realtor’s Eye

Peter Scott — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:32:13 +0000

As you can imagine, I’ve looked at thousands of homes. I thought you might find interesting to know what I look at when I check out a home. Here’s a quick list of important things that I look for in a house:

Location, location, location (duh!)
What does the home back up to
How do the neighbors’ homes look?
How’s the roof look?
Are the windows single or double pane?
Is the siding stucco or wood (or something else)
How old is the Heating & Air system?
Is the lot graded so water flows away from the home (water causes 80% of damage in a home)
Is the layout pleasant?
Is the kitchen original or updated

Obviously, a house comes down to personal taste, but these are always standout items that are important in ANY home.

Oh, by the way. I’ve got my eye on a couple of new listings that I thing are great. If you’d like to know about these hot new home just send me an email or leave a comment!

What About Liens?

Peter Scott — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:30:22 +0000

A client of mine currently in escrow on a bank owned home recently called and asked me about liens on the property. Liens are security interest on a property that can remain with a property until paid off or the house is sold. Mortgages are liens and liens can be secured by the IRS, the state, utilities and contractors and other entities for non payment. So if there is a lien on the property it is certainly a concern to a home buyer. I told my client that we have reviewed the preliminary title report and that any recorded lien would show up there and that the title insurance would protect him from any liens not listed on the report. Thankfully the only thing showing was the regular county taxes.

Also, most liens have to be paid off when the house is sold (county taxes certainly do) and so he didn’t have much to worry about there. There can be exceptions. But it depends on the situation. It most cases all liens are paid off so the buyer doesn’t have much to worry about.

Any questions? Post a comment!

Do You Have Any Idea Why You’re Doing This?

Peter Scott — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:26:13 +0000

Well, do you? A lot of people buying homes in Fair Oaks & Carmichael never give a thought to why they
want a house and that often interreges me. As consumers, we just know that we
want something. Whether it’s good for us or not, whether we need it or not, it doesn’t
matter. We just want.

For most people buying a home is an emotional thing. They want a home to call their own, a place to put down
roots and a place for their kids to grow up safely. So think about it for a few
minutes because they “why” is just as important as the “what.” Knowing your “why”
will help you find your “what.”

I’m an expert in Fair Oaks and Carmichael homes (not mention many other parts of Sacto) and I help people
figure out their “whys” and “what” on a daily basis. I have time right now for
a few more select clients. I might be the right Broker to help you purchase a
home, I might not be, but I’m willing to pay you for your time to find out –
fill out the form below to chat with me over a cup of coffee to see if we’re a
fit and give you a $10 Starbucks Gift card for your time. No pressure, no sales
pitch, just an honest conversation about your “why” and your “what.”

The Energy Efficient Mortgage

Peter Scott — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:27:07 +0000

I have a client right now who is buying a great house on a quiet street in Carmichael. They are even buying it from the original owners! How cool is that! The neighborhood is top notch, but the house is dated and mostly original. When I first showed them the house they loved it but were really hoping for a home with dual pane windows. That’s when I told them about the energy efficient mortgage.

The energy efficient mortgage loans you additional money to make upgrades to your home to make it more energy efficient (as the name implies, duh!). Upgrades include: windows, heater/ac, insulation, appliances, etc. The program does an energy audit on the home to see which improvements would best suit the home and then hires the contractors to do the work after you close escrow. The really cool thing is that the added cost to your mortgage payment MUST be outweighed by your monthly utility savings. So if you add $40 to your mortgage every month with these improvements you have to have a guaranteed utilities saving of $50 or more! And to top it off Uncle Sam will give you a $250 rebate after you close! I guess it pays to be green!

You can find the Energy Efficient Mortgage website for more info.

Lastly, if you’re in the market for a home, that needs energy efficient upgrades or not, give me a holler. I’ve got some really hot properties under $260,000!

Rita Was Sick of Paying Rent!

Peter Scott — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:38:13 +0000

I recently had a client named, Rita. Great gal – she’d been out of college for a few years and had a nice job with the state, a small dog and good group of friends. Ever since she left her dorm room she had been renting an apartment in Arden Arcade. But the $1,000 she was paying in rent every month made didn’t sit right with her and she was getting sick of listening to her neighbors all around her watch TV and squabble.

A friend told her that she could actually buy a house for what she was paying in rent and be rid of her noisy neighbors. So she began looking for a home online (just like everyone else in the world does). But she was a bit over whelmed, there were so many houses and she didn’t know what she could afford or even how to go about purchasing a house that she liked.

That same friend referred Rita to me and when we met she had a bunch of print outs of homes she liked. That made me smile. I was able to help her organize her search and set her up for a personalized MLS website. We got her pre-qualified for a loan and educated her on the purchase process.

Now Rita is not only looking at homes but she recently made an offer on a cute 3 bedroom home not too far from the river AND it’s in a quiet neighborhood. She’s pretty excited!

Can you relate to Rita? I’ve helped hundreds of folks make the transition from renter to satisfied homeowner. If you’re ready to take the next step and chat about getting organized to buy a home just fill out the form below and we can set up a meeting.

PS. The first time I met Rita was at a Starbucks and I bought her a cup of coffee so I better off you the same thing. Fill out the form and I’ll either buy you a cup of joe or give you a $5 gift card!

Happy Osama Bin Laden Death Day!

Peter Scott — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:22:14 +0000

Happy Osama Bin Laden Death Day!

While hoped and fought for I think Osama’s death was unexpected for much of the world. And that’s what I wanted to blog about today: the unexpected. When buying or selling a home in Fair Oaks, Carmichael or the greater Sacramento area you need expect the unexpected. There are always surprises! The two main areas of surprise have to do with the home condition or with the buyer’s loan. No home is perfect and the home inspector will ALWAYS find something to call attention to. Even on a brand new home. Also, when you move into your a new home you’re bound to find things, good and bad, that you never noticed before.

If the property passes muster the next big question is the buyer’s loan. Underwriters are ruthless these days and will ask home buyers for a slew of miscellaneous documents. 2008 taxes? Letter from your Mom? It’s all free rain. But sometimes even things that are beyond your control, like the IRS.

While purchasing a home is no doubt worth the hassle (especially with these prices and interest rates), it important to remember the process from the beginning will not all be peaches and cream. That’s why it’s important to work with competent professionals who guide you through the process. Need a good loan guys? Lemme know. Want check out some homes or shoot me some questions about local homes? Email me at scottrealtyconsultants@gmail.com

Secret Fair Oaks Home for Sale!

Peter Scott — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:40:03 +0000

Hey peeps! I’ve got a listing coming up in the next couple weeek and i wanted to give you first dibs! The address is 7927 Amalfi Way in Fair Oaks. The lisitng price will be around $260,000 and it’s in GREAT shape. Its got a $40,000 kitchen update that you will love. Here some quick pics and a video. Email (scottrealtyconsultants@gmail.com) or call me if you want to check it out before it hits the market!

Home Prices for the Last Year in Fair Oaks & Carmichael

Peter Scott — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:06:25 +0000