Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

The seller can put a price on the home but the value is ultimately, determined by the buyer. Individually, a buyer could pay over market value because they love the location, or the elevation of the home or the proximity to something that is important to them.    The shortage of available homes resulting in increased competition among buyers could drive the value higher. Most experts agree initially pricing it properly will generally result in the highest sales price.  If a home starts out too high, it could actually sell for a lower price after it has been on the market for a while.    It gives the impression that there must be something "wrong" with the house because it didn't sell immediately.    So, how does a seller determine what price to put on the home?    It has nothing to do with what the seller needs to get out of it.    Nor does the price the seller paid for it make any difference now.    Even if the seller made considerable improvements, they may no

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 5 Financial Tips for First-Time Parents So a babe is on the way? Congrats! Along with the chaos of, well, everything that is to come, your finances are about to experience an upheaval, as well. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it will cost upwards of $245,000 to raise a child born in 2013 to the age of 18—and this does not include college. Feeling that bank account burn already? Below are five tips for rocking your budget as a new mom or dad. 1. Tweak the budget.  Your new little one is going to cost a pretty penny. From hospital costs to diapers and child care, budgetary stress is an added strain on you as a new mom or dad. Look for any unnecessaries you can slash to make room for more baby dollars. The more prepared you are, the better. 2. Track your spending.  Don’t just make that budget and set it aside. Set a monthly meeting with your spouse to look

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Add Red to a Room Love the color red but not sure how to add this bold shade to your space? Below are a few tips. Art.  Adding a bright red painting, sculpture or oversized piece of pottery to your space can give it a color pop without overwhelming. Do the door.  A red front door is more than just eye catching—if you practice feng shui, a red door is said to draw Chi into you home. Fixtures.  A red hanging light, paper lantern or globe fixture can brighten up a space in more ways than one. Furniture.  If a room is decorated in neutrals, adding a red sofa or armchair can add vibrancy without overwhelming. Flowers.  Not quite ready for any permanent red changes to your home? No sweat. A bouquet of red roses, anthurium, or chrysanthemums can have the same impact.

Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft Checking your credit report consistently for fraudulent activity may not be enough to protect your personal information and thus your credit score. What will help are three tools that are common in the credit world: fraud alerts, security freezes and credit locks. Fraud Alert This is a free alert you can place with one of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. Once the alert is placed with one bureau, it will pass on to the other two. A fraud alert is a notice put on your credit report, warning prospective lenders that you’re the victim of identity theft. Lenders who see this warning should take extra steps to verify your identity before giving credit to someone claiming to be you. For example, a bank may try to contact you in various ways to verify your identity before approving you for

According to the FNMA Mortgage Lender Sentiment Study for the second quarter of 2020, 52% of participants said during the past three months, they have tightened credit standards for mortgages that can be purchased by government sponsored enterprises, GSE, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  64% reported they had also tightened standards for non-GSE eligible mortgages. 61% had tightened standards for government-backed mortgages such as FHA, VA, and USDA loans.  While these programs have minimum standards set for the borrower, lenders can impose stricter requirements for them to specifically make the loan. As reported in the second quarter 2020 survey "After years of stability, this quarter, the majority of lenders reported tightening credit standards. Across all loan types, the net share of lenders reporting easing credit standards for both the prior three months and the next three months significantly decreased, reaching survey lows." It is expected that lenders wil

The seller can put a price on the home but the value is ultimately, determined by the buyer. Individually, a buyer could pay over market value because they love the location, or the elevation of the home or the proximity to something that is important to them.   The shortage of available homes resulting in increased competition among buyers could drive the value higher. Most experts agree initially pricing it properly will generally result in the highest sales price.  If a home starts out too high, it could actually sell for a lower price after it has been on the market for a while.   It gives the impression that there must be something "wrong" with the house because it didn't sell immediately.    So, how does a seller determine what price to put on the home?   It has nothing to do with what the seller needs to get out of it.   Nor does the price the seller paid for it make any difference now.   Even if the seller made considerable improvements, they may not affect th