March 31, 2011 · 11:54 am

Checklist For Buyers

Buying a home is up there with one of the most important decisions you will make. It goes beyond picking out the cutest house on the block, or dreaming of the parties you could throw in that to die for backyard. Even the most experienced buyers can still find this process to be difficult.

It is important to be organized here! This will keep you focused and help you weed out the homes that aren’t right for you and the fam. You may try to convince yourself that you can make the 1 bathroom Willow Glen bungalow work with your 4 kids, 2 dogs and a husband. ALL because of that insanely amazing fantastic kitchen with the Viking stove… No. no. no.

So that’s why I’ve made you a checklist.

If you are just getting started out in your home searching adventure and don’t know where to start, this will be invaluable information for you to have. Hopefully this will make the buying process less overwhelming and put things more in perspective so you can act accordingly.

#1 What can we afford?

Before searching online or going to open houses, you need to know which driveways you can even afford to pull into. First thing on your list: get pre-approved. You can contact me and I will set you up with my loan officer, who will help you determine what type of financing works best for you and also how much you qualify for. Getting pre-approved will make you look that much better when writing up your offer. It puts you in a stronger negotiating position, not to mention it shows the Seller that you are a serious, committed buyer, capable of buying their property. Very important.

#2 Map it out

Set your goals for the months leading up to your potential move date. Plan on contacting your real estate agent and getting pre-approved 3-4 months in advance. This gives us a few months to find your place.

#3 Start shopping!

Although us agents have access to the multiple listing service, and would be searching & showing you homes on a regular basis (based on your criteria and loan approval amount), you can still look for your self online. This is the best part!! You can view virtual tours, pictures etc. Check out www.CaliforniaMoves.com Even calculate your mortgage payment!

#4 Location, location, location

You will find that this is going to be one of the most important aspects in finding your home. Location determines price, desirability, it’s re-sale value. If you plan on renting the property out at some point, it will have an effect on how long it takes to rent out & what kind of price you will get monthly. So these are all things to be considered.

You should narrow down what neighborhoods you are interested in or willing to live. Most people have a general idea of where they would like to buy. Things like school districts, shopping/dinning, parks & recreational areas near the neighborhood should all be taken into account.

#5 List out your must-haves & be ready to compromise

The dream home in your head might not actually exist in reality – Well at least not in your price range or neighborhood. You may have to compromise & pass on the house with a pool and gorgeous garden , and pick the 4 bedroom you need, plus it’s close enough to your child’s school and activites.

Make a list of about 4-5 things that you cannot live without. NOT 10-20! Let’s be realistic now. Some buyers can get a bit carried away.. I know I did!

#6 Fixing the ugly

Once you find the house you like, you might want to consider the cost of upgrades or remodeling. Factor those into your budget. Is that kitchen something you can live with for a few years until you save up for the renovation cost? Any upgrades you do will contribute to the value and equity of your home. So it’s 100% worth it!

Source: Decor Pad

My #1 Buyer Tip – DO NOT let the seller seduce you with their gorgeous furniture and lavish amazing taste people!

It’s not going to look like that when you actually move in. Well unless you are purchasing the home with furniture included or maybe you do have incredibly lavish amazing furniture. Who knows.

Questions? Contact us today!

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Tagged as before and after, budget, bungalow, buying a home, calculate mortgage, capable of buying, commited buyer, dream home, equity, get preapproved, home search, location, mortgage payment, multiple listing service, neighborhood, real estate agent, realtor, renting, repairing credit, school, shabby chic, tips for buying, when to buy, willow glen

March 22, 2011 · 10:40 pm

The psychotic bliss that is our wedding

So here I am taking one of my “wedding planning breaks” which I have done frequently throughout this wedding planning process. And then I suddenly realize, I literally have done hmmmm maybe about an 1/8 of what I should have done by now!! My problem is that I tend to do a lot of researching, instead of actually completing or even starting projects. Ugh, I am a huge procrastinator.. Anyway, so my wedding is a little over 3 months away. Now that may not sound like that big of a deal, except I still have a lots and lots to do. There are bridesmaid’s dresses to pick out, groomsmen outfits, decor, furniture decisions, a million DIY projects, honeymoon planning.. Not to mention planning out, shopping & getting ready for my Vegas Bachelorette weekend. I’m getting overwhelmed just typing this all out! I won’t bore you with all my wedding drama. It’s a pain, but I know it’ll all be worth it when I get to see the look on his face, when I walk down the aisle to marry my bestfriend.

Check out our Save The Date cards we just sent out – the picture in the top right is of Clayton & I when we very first got engaged! Love him!

Normal photo without the vintage effect:

Just for fun, here are some of my inspirational photos to give you an idea of the overall look of our wedding :

Source: The Ruffled Blog

Source: Style Me Pretty

And of course my baby/ring bearer in his little outfit:

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Tagged as ring bearer, save the date cards, Shabby Chic wedding, wedding inspiration

March 16, 2011 · 10:43 pm

Easy fixes to sell your house fast

Selling your home can be a daunting task. Not to mention getting it sold quick. I have come to realize that most people do not understand why their home sits on the market for days and days. I have compiled some basic tips on what to do in order to make your home more appealing to those buyers!

Interior fixes:

Paint walls a neutral color. Let’s face it, not everyone will like your favorite lime green colored walls.
Replace shower curtains in bathrooms.
Remove clutter from bathroom vanities; personal hygiene items, etc
Remove family photos – buyers want to be able to picture themselves (key word) in your house. Creating more of a blank canvas can help with this.
De-clutter the home. Simplify your furniture.
Key to remember – keep it clean. This is a must.

Here is what I am talking about:

Exterior:

Repair any paint that is chipping
Mow lawn, trim shrubs, sweep porch – the basics
Remove any clutter; kids toys, shoes, etc
An inexpensive way to spruce up your porch is by adding some potted plants. It really does make a huge difference. Honestly, even adding a nice door mat can really add to that first impression.
Replace to mailbox, add or replace the house numbers.

These may sound like small insignificant things, but they really do make that difference!

Feel free to email us or comment on this post with any questions you have about selling your home. RemaxAdler@gmail.com

Re-arranging

To be honest, this past week has been pretty insane. Juggling 2 jobs, dealing with the massive learning curve that comes along with becoming a new Agent…. learning everything I need to know to get started & become successful has been crazy to say the least. Not to mention keeping the house clean, working out (my wedding is coming up quick people!!) getting laundry done & keeping the fiance happy with preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for him every single day UGHH I swear he thinks I am wonder woman! We’re talking about a guy that needs me to text him directions on how to microwave a quesadilla ! Haha well not that bad, but seriously.. it’s pretty bad

So this week has been all about re-vamping my schedule and being more efficient with my time. This will definitely help me to be less stressed AND get everything done that I have to get done – YAY!

The re-vamped schedule:

7-10am – Admin/marketing job (I do this from my home office; major plus)

10:30-12:30pm – workout time

1-2:20pm – work on Real Estate stuff; blog, marketing, etc

2:30pm-6:30/7pm – Nanny job

7pm – 10pm – make dinner, eat, cleanup, figure out what my next blog post will be (not as easy as you might think) , researching market conditions & whatever else.

10pm- till whenever – TV time!! This is when we like to watch The Bachelor, Real Housewives, American Idol, Grey’s Anatomy.. you know, all the good stuff. And yes the Fianc (my nickname for my Fiance) likes The Bachelor, Oprah & Real Housewives! I got lucky with him haha

My biggest downfall with keeping the schedule in was planning out the weekly dinners…… OH MY GOD I literally can only think of about 5 meals MAX! So we pretty much eat the same stuff every week! Tacos, burgers, speghetti made 100 different ways.. those are a few of our go-to meals. So, a couple of weeks ago I decided I would make all the meals on Sunday and then freeze/fridge them so that all we had to do was pop them in the microwave/oven each night & voila.

So.. that worked for about 1 week. Now I’m thinking about incorporating maybe just a couple “made ahead of time meals” into the meal plan, instead of making all 5.

So, tonight I’m making his all-time-fav meal. You must try this recipe. Every single time I make this everyone raves about it! Another good thing about this meal is that it lasts for about a week and is really healthy too.

Stuffed Pasta Shell Amazing-ness:

: Heaven on earth

: Yummm

Source: http://www.traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Recipe Giada de Laurentiis – FoodNetwork.com

ENJOY!! Let me know what you think 😀

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February 17, 2011 · 1:34 pm

Let the games begin!

As you can imagine, this industry can be a tad bit overwhelming when you first start out.. It makes me so happy that everyone has been so supportive. Friends, family & fellow Realtors.. Thank you!

This cutie came in for me the other day – exciting!

This Monday was the first meeting with the other new agents, which was held at my office – Coldwell Banker Willow Glen. It was definitely relieving and somewhat comforting to meet other new agents in the exact same boat as myself. Although the meeting was short.. only about 45 minutes, I walked away feeling enlightened & super motivated. My Broker gave me a little “homework”; practice filling out SEVEN purchase contracts…. Talk about overwhelm central!! Let’s just say I freaked out a little bit. Yes, I used to deal with these on a daily basis (when i worked with my Mom) and I do know how to read them. It’s just… the reality of actually having to write up a contract yourself and having your client potentially asking all sorts of questions about the contract, verbiage, etc – Yikes.

Luckily, I have my Mommy! We went out to lunch yesterday & she helped me with all my questions. She pretended to be my buyer and I wrote up the contract. My considerations seemed so insignificant after our little lunch date 😀

OH! I am hosting my first Open House this Saturday!! Open houses are probably the single most effective way to meet buyers & possibly gain new business; aside from friends and family of course. So, I am really looking forward to this.

I’ll keep you posted!

Do what you love

A little back story: The beginning of 2010 marked a sort of turning point for me. I had been struggling with the fact that I really wasn’t happy with my job choice. I was completely unhappy with where I was career wise. I wanted something more. At the time I was helping my fiance’ with sales for the company he works for, and I have to say I was pretty good! He loved it, and so did everyone else at the company. Something was definitely missing though.

I decided to start a career in Real Estate because it truly is something I cannot get enough of.. It’s hard to explain exactly why I love the industry so much. I know it has something to do with the fact that; the sky is the limit when it comes to your career. If you can dream it, you can have it… It just takes a lot of hard work and dedication. I know all of this mainly because, for as far back as I can remember, my mother was and still is an extremely successful Realtor. I loved the fact that she made her own hours, was her own boss and had an incredibly fulfilling job, all while helping people achieve their dreams of home ownership.

As I got older, it seemed only normal that I would go to work for my mom, as her assistant . We developed an incredible team dynamic during that time. That lasted for 7 1/2 years.. So there is definitely no lack experience in this field for me. Now I have the license to back it up.

As for other new & exciting things; I am getting married this July! My fiance and love of my life have been together since we were teenagers. Literally almost a decade! So this is very exciting for us, to finally be tying the knot.