Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Winter has come! Well, San Diego does do winter. The Ice Rinks are here - At the Hotel del Coronado and at Liberty Station - Ice Skate under our winter sun and with a view of the sea.  I'm looking forward to at least one nice holiday parade and a windshield tour of Christmas Lights, cocoa and a fire in the fireplace. May you enjoy some time to rest and take in the spirit of the season with me.    If you know anyone who might be interested in receiving this event calendar every month, please have them sign up at this  link.   December - Ponder this - “ Winter is a season of recovery and preparation. ”- Paul Theroux  - Paul Theroux is best known as a slow travel writer - inspiring us to move through the world via train rather than by plane. We go on adventures to live. - Sometimes it’s amazing and sometimes it spirals into a mess. But, we go on… winter is when we can recover and prepare for the next test of our spirit. Make some tea and recover before plannin...

Sellers offer concessions as an incentive to encourage buyers to purchase their home.  The concessions, paid for by the seller, benefit the buyer in ways that may be more appealing than possibly, being able to purchase the home for a lower price. In some situations, buyers have good income, credit, and even the down payment to purchase a home but not necessarily enough cash reserves to pay their closing costs.  Another possibility is that there could be a feature in the home that the buyer wants replaced but can't afford to do it themselves.  If the seller agrees to make that improvement, it could cause the buyer to act favorably. Concessions could include paying the buyer's closing costs, buying down the interest rate, or any possible combination of physical improvements or upgrades to the property. Sellers, occasionally, question why they should provide concessions to a buyer.  It should be obvious; it improves the marketability of the home.  With ...

Kitchen Trends That Are Going Out of Fashion Most of us spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing meals and cleaning up. In many cases, we spend so much time in our familiar kitchen space that we don’t pay much attention to what it looks like. But the trends, they are a-changin’. Today’s kitchens are sleek and practical. Design experts list seven kitchen looks that are quickly going out of style: Short backsplashes . Backsplashes that reach up to six to eight inches above the countertop are sorely outdated. If you’re up for a remodel, take the backsplash all the way up to the upper cabinets to make your kitchen feel bigger and cleaner.   Distressed wood cabinets.  Once the darling of country-style kitchens, the clunky distressed wood of yesteryear is giving way to natural wood or white finishes. Over the stove microwaves.  When microwaves came into fashion, homeowners put them over the stove to save counter space. But today’s families want necessities accessible for t...

The real estate market has held steady in San Diego despite all the doom and gloom reporting around rising interest rates. In fact, the average value of homes in San Diego is on the rise again! This might be a result of the shortage of homes for sale. This shortage is considered seasonal. But, if you're looking to sell, now is the time to do it! I'm including October's and September's reports at the bottom here, so you can see the changes. If you know anyone who might be interested in receiving this market update every month, please have them sign up at this link. Ponder This- "Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance," Eckhart Tolle - Before we can yearn for more - we need to be happy with everything we already have. I’m very grateful for my family, friends, and clients. Thank you! I am always here for my clients and their friends and family. Your trusted real estate agent, Hope Leitner Hope Open...

There are a lot of professionals involved in the homebuying process.   And when these people can function as a team, the buyer is much more likely to end up where they want to be...in their new home. The lender is an integral part of the team unless you are going to be paying cash.   Trust is very important when selecting this person because they are going to qualify you for the mortgage you need.   The interest rate and fees should be fair based on your credit, income, and the market.   You'll want someone who can close at the rate and terms that were quoted.   In a rising market, you may want to consider locking in the rate so that it doesn't go up before you close. The appraiser is hired indirectly by the lender to determine the value of the home as part of the loan approval process.   During the financial crisis of 2008, a process was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and the Consumer Protection Act to limit direct contact ...

Think that it's not possible to buy a house with rising interest rates? Think twice! Plus, Inheritance is one way people enter the Real Estate market. But inheritance can be tricky when siblings are involved.  This newsletter has some insight into both of these topics. I love hearing from everyone on this email list. I am here to support you whatever your real estate needs might be.     Ponder This-  "Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance," Eckhart Tolle  - Before we can yearn for more - we need to be happy with everything we already have. I’m very grateful for my family, friends, and clients. Thank you!    As always, I am here for you, your family, and friends.   Hope Leitner, CRS, CalDRE #01874321 Hope Opens Doors HOMEOWNERS, HOME BUYERS, DIY, TRENDS   Get Ready to Buy a Home in 2023   Inflation, home prices and interest rates were higher in 2022 than they’ve been in years, b...

Social Security was established, on August 14, 1935, to take care of the country's elderly in their retirement years.   Today, about 65 million or 1/6 of Americans collect benefits and the average monthly retirement amount received in January 2022 was $1,614 per month or about $19,370 per year. This annual Social Security benefits exceed the 2022 Federal poverty level of $13,590 for individuals and $18, 310 for a family of two but from a practical level, it is nowhere near enough to be comfortable in your "Golden Years." Every adult in the work force, can go to SSA.gov to find out what to expect to receive based on their planned retirement age.   Since it probably won't be the amount you need to retire comfortably, at least you'll know how short you'll be so that you can devise an investment plan. There's a quick formula to estimate the investable assets needed by retirement to generate a certain income.   The target annual income is divided ...

Buying a home is a powerful decision, and it remains a key part of the American Dream. In fact, the   2022 Consumer Insights Report  from   Mynd   found the majority of people polled still view homeownership as a key life achievement. Let's explore just a few of the reasons why so many Americans continue to value homeownership. The Financial Benefits of Owning a Home One possible reason homeownership is viewed so highly is because owning a home is a significant  wealth-building tool , and it provides meaningful  financial stability  over renting by locking in your monthly housing payments for the length of your home loan. An article from  Forbes  explains: Understanding the potential benefits of homeownership helps individuals see the value of owning property instead of renting. . . . household wealth among homeowners is a whopping  1,469% higher on average compared to renters, excluding home equity, making the allure of homeownership ev...

The real estate market has held steady, with slight declines due to the season and increasing interest rates. For those looking for a change, the market is actually quite normal right now - not a buyers' market - not a sellers' market - but a steady market.       I'm including August and September's reports at the bottom here, so you can see the changes.    If you know anyone who might be interested in receiving this market update every month, please have them sign up at this  link.   October - Ponder This - “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau -  We are all moving through life in our own good time. Some people jump on change to make it happen! Other people contemplate their options. Are you contemplating a change?   I am always here for my cl...

Managing an asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is a responsibility that requires attention to details such as timely payment of the mortgage, home repairs and maintenance, upkeep, and oversight on financial issues including taxes, insurance, and other things. Depending on how long you've been a homeowner, you may have faced some of the decisions common to homeownership.   Occasionally, there could be something new that you haven't had to deal with in the past.   This is where having resource you can rely on becomes valuable. During the buying or selling process, it is natural to turn to your agent for information and advice but during those periods in between where do you go for counsel?   Sure, you can turn to the Internet but that may not be the best place to get advice for your situation. We encourage you to think of us as your "source of real estate information"; someone you're comfortable to ask a question and confident that you'l...