Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Quick Fixes for Your Common Household Problems It may seem like there’s always something going on as a homeowner, from silencing a squeaky hinge to unclogging a temperamental toilet. But many household problems can be easily fixed without calling a repair service. A can of WD-40, a toilet plunger and a bottle of vinegar are great basics to keep on hand for easing sticky fittings, clearing the toilet and making short work of common stains. Here are some simple fixes for common home problems that even the non-handy can handle: Squeaky Floorboard Banish that annoying squeak by sprinkling a little talcum powder over the noisy area and brushing it into the cracks. Stained Tub Removed stubborn stains by combining equal amounts of cream of tartar and baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Rub the mixture into the stain with your fingers or a soft cloth. Let sit for a half hour, th...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 6 Small and Easy Steps to Improve Your Credit Score The best way to improve your credit score is simple, but not always that easy: Reduce your debt. Paying off your credit cards, or at least paying them down substantially, will not only increase your credit score, but having less debt will probably be more satisfying than a great credit score. And not using your credit cards anymore and paying off the balances is easier said than done. But there are smaller, easier steps that can improve a credit score. Here are six: Set payment reminders:  Making credit payments on time is one of the best ways to improve your credit score. Set payment reminders on your phone or whatever calendar you use, and check if your bank offers online reminders through email or text messages. Don’t open new accounts:  If you have a short credit history, then opening a lot of credit accounts too rapidly wi...

information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 3 Things to Do Instead of Watching TV Is your evening couch potato routine with your partner growing stale? It can be hard to find the energy to connect after a long day of work, but while watching television may be a good way to turn your brain off, it certainly doesn’t help with connecting. Below are several easy, inexpensive ways to connect with your loved one in the evening. Play a board game.  There’s nothing better than a little healthy competition to add some excitement to a relationship. If you’re not a board game fan, pick up some cards instead and let the fun begin. Color together.  Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. By setting your mind to a singular task, you often end up in a calm, almost meditative state. You may also find yourself engaging in deeper conversation as pressure is removed by the task at hand. Tackle a creative project.  If you and y...

Whether you like to or not, buying and selling a home involves negotiation at all stages of the process.   It is not like the retail world where once you decide to purchase, you pay the price.   It is easily the most expensive purchase or sale that most people experience and emotions get involved that could affect the negotiations adversely. The word "home" by itself conjures up emotions and selling a home you've lived in for a while could even complicate things more.   A real estate professional can separate their emotions from the process to be able to help the one they are representing. The price of the home, the type of financing and concessions, closing costs, personal property, closing dates and possession are just a few of the many things that can be negotiated in a contract.   Since the seller wants to get the most for their house and the buyer wants to pay the least, their objectives are diametrically opposed. Even after the contract is signed, removin...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties The Best Breeds for First-Time Homeowners If you’re a first-time homeowner, the odds are good you will soon be ready for the fun and responsibility of owning your first dog. If you’re looking for a pet that suits you and your lifestyle, the pooch experts at Petbreeds.com suggest breeds that are low maintenance, shed minimally, are easily trainable, and get along well with kids and other dogs: Labrador retriever.  There’s a reason these dogs are among the most popular breeds in the country. Known to be loyal, intelligent, obedient, and easy to train, they are deservedly a top choice, especially if you have, or plan to have children. German short-haired pointer.  These favorites are also low maintenance dogs that are easy to train. However, they’re also very active and require a lot of exercise to stay healthy, so they’re a good choice for active owners. Intelligent and playful co...

According to the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), the percentage of respondents who said it is a good time to buy a home increased from 52% to 61% in June - a great sign for the housing market. DM me if you’re ready to buy or sell a home in this hot summer real estate season.

A recent study from Fannie Mae shows that both buyers and sellers think it's an increasingly good time to make a move. Let’s connect to take your plans forward this year.

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Aging in Place: Safety Tips to Help Make It Possible One third of American homes today house residents over the age of 60, and 90 percent of those residents would prefer to stay in their homes as they age for as long as humanly possible, a study by the National Institute on Aging shows. With more Americans living well into old age, that may seem like a tall order. But planning ahead can make aging in place more achievable for you or your loved ones. The National Institute on Aging and Senior Living Magazine offer practical tips for making any home safer as we age: Fix walkways.  This is the time to repair cracked or uneven areas of the walkway that could prove hazardous. Improve lighting . Install point lighting at the front door and motion-sensor lights focused on the stairwell to make entering the home and climbing the stairs safer. Add railings.  Speaking of stairs, if you do...

Two Reasons We Won’t See a Rush of Foreclosures This Fall The concern of more foreclosures based on those that are out of work is one that we need to understand fully. There are two reasons we won’t see a rush of foreclosures this fall: forbearance extension options and strong homeowner equity. 1. Forbearance Extension Forbearance, according to the  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  ( CFPB ), is  “ when your mortgage servicer or lender allows you to temporarily pay your mortgage at a lower payment or pause paying your mortgage.”  This   is an option for those who need immediate relief. In today’s economy, the CFPB has given homeowners a way to extend their forbearance, which will greatly assist those families who need it at this critical time. Under the CARES Act, the CFPB  notes :   “If you experience financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, you have a right to request and obtain a forbearance for up to 180 days. You also have the right...

And, then, there's the capital gain exclusion of up to $250,000 for a single taxpayer and up to $500,000 for a married filing jointly.

The appeal to buyers to purchase directly with a seller is anticipation of saving money which is usually the same reason the seller has for not using an agent.

The National Association of REALTORS® just released the Market Recovery Survey of a random sampling to close to 100,000 members conducted June 24-26, 2020.   The following statements are the members' opinion on various aspects of the recovery to the Covid-19 pandemic as it relates to real estate. In response to the safety of buyers, sellers and agents, REALTORS® are expecting within the next year to have increased demand for the following technologies used to market properties: 67% - Zoom or other video technology to communicate with clients 66% - virtual tours 63% - live virtual tours conducted by agent using video 60% - virtual open houses Nine out of ten respondents indicated that some of the buyers have returned to the market or never left the market.   Agents currently working with buyers report that slightly more than half of buyer's timeline has remained the same with about the same level of urgency.   27% believe the buyers...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Make Your Home's Entryway Pop The entrance of your home says a lot about your character, from interior design to overall aesthetics. Below are some helpful tips for making sure your space wows you and your guests every time. Kill the clutter.  Clutter is a huge no-no in your entryway, as it impacts the entire vibe of your space from the moment you set foot in the door. However, this can be hard, as the entryway is the space you dump your keys, mail, boots and coat. To remedy this, make sure you have designated, tucked away spaces for everything you store at the entrance of your home. Hooks for coats, baskets for mail and a covered bin for shoes can all work wonders. Add a statement.  Placing a beloved piece of art or furniture in the mouth of your home is a great way to appreciate it every time you enter, and can offer a fantastic conversation starter be...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Money Matters for Millennial Parents As a young parent, you may just be learning about all the responsibilities parenthood requires. When it comes to financial planning, setting your sight on the future can help immensely. Demolish debt.  Slaying your own debt will positively impact your family’s financial future. While it may take years to pay off those student loans or credit card debt, creating a plan can help. Tackle your lowest balance first to gain momentum then take on the next smallest. Additionally, pay attention to higher interest rates that are costing you a lot of money. Build a budget.  Creating a budget doesn’t have to be hard. There are many budgeting apps available on the market to help you track your expenses, or you can try the trusty envelope system with monthly allowances for groceries, entertainment, utilities, etc. Build an emergency fun...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Solving Student Loan Challenges When it comes to student loans, dealing with the lender can be more difficult than repaying the loan. That’s one of the top complaints by consumers in a  report  of the student loan ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). For federal student loans, more than twice as many consumers (71 percent) reported difficulties dealing with their lender or service than the 28 percent who complained to the CFPB that they were struggling to repay their loan. Two percent of complaints were about a problem with a credit report or credit score. Accessing Protections Federal law provides protections for federal student loans. Many are designed to help borrowers avoid delinquency and default during economic distress, such as a job loss. Servicing loan breakdowns “can delay, deter or deny access to federal benefits and prote...

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Get the Best Mortgage Refinance Rates If you can find a lower mortgage rate than the one you already have, then refinancing a mortgage can make sense. Here are some of the best ways to get a low rate: Raise Your Credit Score For a conventional loan, borrowers with a credit score of 740 or more will usually get the best interest rates. Having a minimum credit score of 620 will often lead to a higher rate. Raising your credit score can help. Some methods take longer than others, but improving your score is one of the best moves to make when refinancing a mortgage. Start by paying your bills on time, which has the biggest impact on a credit score. You can also improve your credit utilization, meaning using less of the credit available to you on your credit cards. For example, if you have three credit cards with a total credit limit of $10,000, but all of the card ...

For the 7th year running, Americans have ranked real estate as a top long-term investment. Let's connect to discuss your real estate plans for this year.

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties The Pros of Buying a Home Warranty For $600 or so a year, plus a service fee of around $75 every time you ask for repair, a home warranty can be an inexpensive way to have peace of mind as a new homeowner. Home warranties cover breakdowns in a home, from HVAC systems to appliances. A broken water heater can be repaired within hours, but if it can’t be fixed, a home warranty can pay for a new one to be installed. For homeowners with an older house, they may want more things covered than a newer home would need—such as older appliances—and will likely pay more for it. If you just bought new appliances and have a manufacturer’s warranty for a year or more, you won’t need this coverage. You may be able to exclude new appliances from a home warranty to cut down on costs. Things that can be covered by a home warranty include ductwork, electrical, plumbing, dishwashers, refr...

If the volatility of the stock market concerns you, it is worth looking into investing in something you're probably more familiar with.

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Negotiate a Clean Credit Report A late payment on a credit bill or other debt such as a mortgage can have a significant impact on your credit score. And the higher your credit score is to begin with, the more it can fall after a late payment. Paying your bills on time is the best way to avoid this. If you don’t make your payments and your account is turned over to a collections agency, you won’t be able to get that account current again. Late payments can stay on a credit report for seven years. Before it gets to that point, there are four ways to remove late payments from your credit report so that your score isn’t affected: Ask for a Goodwill Adjustment Creditors can remove a late payment as a “goodwill adjustment” if you write a forgiveness letter explaining why you were late and asking that they forgive it and adjust your credit report. You’ll likely be s...