Posts by greentree

We, as human beings by nature, have always been dependent on extended family–a notion we’re beginning to move back to.  A growing share of American households have three of more generations of the same family living under the same roof.  Typical situations include grandparents who need extra help, young adults moving home after college and of course, mortgage paying parents. Extended families are increasingly motivated to live together are a way to deal with housing affordability (or lack of).  Combine that with cultural and social forces and you get a whole new set of criteria and needs for buying a new home.

Ask yourself if this situation is long-term or short term.  If your debt-saddled millennial is moving back in because they can’t afford a home of their own just yet, the situation is likely to be short term.  When adult parents move in with their children–for health reasons, say–the situation is likely to be without an end date.  Then it may be worth moving into a more suitable home or making the renovations to your existing home to make it more comfortable for everyone living there.

The key to making all adults in a home feel comfortable is to insure that everyone has a place to retreat to that’s all their own.  There’s a lot of Home TV about knocking down walls and making open concept living spaces, but that may not make sense for multi-generational homes.  Many new home builders have optional bedroom quarters downstairs, even casitas, which make for great in-law suites with ensuite baths.  For long-term situations, consider flexible spaces.  An upstairs loft can be a play room for toddlers now, and an additional bedroom conversion for a grandparent 10 years from now.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding the outlets here in San Clemente, and in the months since their opening, the buzz hasn’t really died down.  Personally, we’ve been a few times, and were happy with the experience.

The outlets on their own are beautiful, they’re set near the shores of San Clemente and are true to the local architecture that San Clemente is famous for.  The spaces are wide, the parking is vast, and it’s a pretty easy in and a pretty easy out, not to mention the ocean views.

Those of us living in town often would have to travel a bit of ways to do any shopping at major retail stores, but the added convenience of having those retail stores is as much a benefit as it is impact.  Opponents of the malls recall San Clemente’s origins, as a quaint beach town set at the southern most part of Orange County.

When we look at the economics of the malls, there is no denying the potential for revenue in San Clemente from sales tax.  The city has cited projects that would be funded by the tax revenue, including upkeep of Vista Hermosa Sports Park.

The outlets have more than 70 retail locations throughout phase one sitting on 52 acres.  We went to three, and made purchases at all three we visited.  Every shop we visited had no lines, no crowds and was hosting some type of sale.  We went on a Tuesday.

While the argument could be made that the shops are gaining momentum, and once the restaurants open, we’ll see more traffic being pulled from Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano, but we can’t help wondering how much steady tax revenue could the shops actually generate, even if everyone in San Clemente made a purchase once a day.  Just a few days ago, the San Clemente City Managers office released the expected sales tax revenue to be about $300,000, down from the projected $835,000.  Don’t be alarmed, the forecast was based on the outlets opening in June, and didn’t officially open until November.

When Ruby’s opens, we’ll be some of the first to take the family down for some burgers and a walk around.  Until then, we’re curious how things will shape up, and what others are saying about the outlets in our prized town of San Clemente.

Have some opinions about the Outlet at San Clemente? We’d love to hear them!

Many of us dream of the perfect home, clutter free and serene, with no fingerprints on the fridge, no dust on the shelves and no GI Joes hidden between the couch cushions.  We dream of waking up to fresh sunshine, sipping coffee in our pristine kitchens and casually getting ready for work in our color organized closets.  The reality is that’s just not reality.  We have lives, we live in our homes day-in and day-out, we have busy days and slow days.  This image of perfection is one sold to us in magazines, commercials and movies and here is the first step to tackling your clutter in 2016 and getting your home organized: depart with that image of perfection, and instead, take on the mentality of simple living.  Ask yourself, “What do I need?” Everyone will have a different response to their needs based on their lifestyle, but that’s the beauty of it.

Once you commit to taking on a simple living mindset, start by tackling one room at a time.

1. Your Bedroom Closet. Most of the items you take out of your closet will probably be spewed out into the bedroom.  Starting here will give you a clean canvas to work with when it comes time to working on the bedroom.  When it comes to clothes, aside from seasonal items, if you haven’t work it in 6 months, you probably aren’t going to start now. Most of us have attachments to clothes and other personal items in our closets, but asking yourself what you really need will help narrow it down.

2. The Bedroom.  The bedroom is your sacred place to retreat to at the end of the day.  It’s the room you’ll have your last thoughts before going to sleep, and first thoughts when waking up.  Decluttering your bedroom will not only make it easier to manage the other rooms of your home, but set the tone for doing so.

3. The Garage.  When you start moving to other areas of the house, you’re going to need space in the garage for the items you’ll be storing.  Decluttering isn’t moving your stuff from one room in the house to another, it’s an actual sweep of things you don’t need and are bogging you down.

4. The Kitchen.  (You’ll be tempted to start here, with the reasoning that it’s the most used room in the house.) Break the kitchen up into zones: beverage zone, cooking zone, washing zone, serving zone, etc.  Having the items associated with these zones will make it easier to decide where things go and keep you from running all over the kitchen to get items you need.  Clear out the pantry of anything expired and wipe down the shelves in the fridge for a dose of freshness.

5. The Backyard/Patio.  There’s a reason people love ocean and mountain views.  These views are uncluttered and bring a sense of calm to the inside of the house.  You won’t be able to settle down if the view from your windows puts that “Oh, I have to do that” in your mind.

6. The Family Room.  If you are always looking for the remote, it’s because the remote doesn’t have a place it belongs to.  If there are always toys in the room, it’s because the toys don’t have a place they belong to.  Family rooms often function as a plethora of spaces, and rightfully so, but this makes it hard to ask yourself what you need for this room.  Be honest about how you and your family actually use the room.  If most weekends you find yourselves eating in front of the TV, embrace it with some floor cushions around the coffee table.

Once you’ve tackled these rooms in this order, you’ll feel empowered and free to move to other areas of the house.    Most of us tend to think “I’ll do it later,” but procrastination comes at a cost.  Try thinking of every thing you own in terms of time.  The more stuff you have, the more time it will take you to clean it, store it, maintain it, etc.  In the process, don’t loose sight of the goal: to be settled in your home.  Happiness is not dependent on order, but with order comes a sense of calm, control, and gives you more time to do the things you want to do.

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the rise, if any, to interest rates and a pending slowdown in the real estate market.  When we think about this in the historical perspective, we’ve had about 15 years of abnormal trends.  A slowdown isn’t necessarily an indication of a problem but rather a return to normalcy.

The real estate market is largely reactionary, and 2016 is bound to give us a lot of reactions.  We may react to higher interest rates with easier lending practices, or to higher rental rates with home purchases, or even affordability of new construction given last years poor performance of high-priced new homes.

Alternative Ways to Determine Credit Worthiness 

The new Credit Score Competition Act of 2015 introduced Thursday to the House of Representatives would would let Fannie Mae and Freddie consider other credit-scoring models other than the FICO credit score currently used when determining what loans to purchase.  For borrowers who lack traditional forms of credit, this could level the playing field and make it easier for them to buy a home.  Potential homebuyers without a FICO score or with a FICO score below 620 are deemed ineligible for a mortgage that can be backed by Fannie or Freddie.  This new bill could lend alternatives to FICO score, that would take into account something as simple as whether borrowers paid their rent on time, or paid their utility bills on time.  Alternative factors to establish credit worthiness in 2016 could broaden the market to include a new demographic that was once frozen out of it.

More First-Time Buyers

We’re predicting first-time buyers to make up a bigger share of the market than they did this year.  Slowing price growth and easier access to loans could welcome potential buyers, buyers that have been holding off on taking the plunge over the last few years for various reasons. Rental rates are skyrocketing, and the cost of renting is only slated to rise.  Many have rents that exceed 30 percent of the income of renting households, making a home purchase as the more affordable option.  More first-time home buyers include young adults between 25 and 34, who made up 2 billion sales in 2015 and are expected to be a major buying pool in 2016.

More Affordable New Construction 

 New home construction was one of the hardest hit sectors after the fall of the housing market.  Faced with higher land costs, limited labor, and concerns about demand, developers scaled back nearly 80 percent of their product.  As such, builders shifted to constructing more higher-priced homes.  In 2016, we’re likely to see a shift to more affordable product, catering to entry-level buyers, and we’re already seeing a decline in new-home prices.  We’re also likely to see a larger inventory of new-homes, which are expected to rise by 23 percent.  This broader scope of inventory could coincide with healthy sales of new-homes.

 The one constant that will remain in the new year is our commitment to quality care and expert service.  Contact one of our agents to find out what GreenTree Properties can do for you in 2016.

One of the biggest phrases we hear, and say, when we’re showing homes is, “It just needs new carpet.” Yes, it’s true.  It just needs new carpet.  Replacing carpet is mostly non-issue when it comes to buying a home.  It’s fairly easy to rip out the old carpet and install the new–but what most fail to realize is the complexity of carpet.  So often we get new home owners asking us our thoughts on carpet, so we’re giving our guide here:

Ask yourself a few questions: 

Is it carpet for a high- or low-traffic area? Is it a well-used space where the kids and the dog hang out, or for a room used on occasion? This will help you determine the durability of material you need or if you need a texture or pattern to hide mishaps.  High- or low-pile? Typically, carpets with high pile are more plush and comfortable, while carpets with low pile wear better.

How much are you willing to spend? Purchase the best carpeting you can afford.  You’ll only be hurting yourself in the long run when you have to replace it sooner than you expected.

Consider your material options: 

Natural fibers: Choosing this material is a great way protect indoor air quality.  Synthetic fibers, or man-made fibers, tend to let out a small amount of off-gas.  Natural fibers typically wear well, though can be more expensive than synthetics.  Be careful, inexpensive, or poorly made natural fiber carpets can fade if placed in rooms with sunlight streaming through doors or windows.

Silk-wool blend: There’s a reason wool has been used for centuries–it’s durable.  Silk is soft and luxurious for under the feet, though it’s also expensive.  Blend the two, and you get the durability of the wool mixed with beautiful color and vibrancy of silk.

Sisal: The natural irregularity of sisal carpet can add warmth, texture and interest to a living space.  With heavy spills, it can be difficult to clean, making it the less ideal choice in a space with active children.

Sea grass: Is popular for it’s textured variances and basketweave patterns.  It’s usually less expensive than sisal but still not the easiest to clean.

Synthetic fibers: Most carpeting is made of synthetics and comes in every color under the sun coupled with an equally vast array of patterns.  Synthetic carpet can also be produced to look like natural fiber-carpets, giving you the best of both worlds with it’s durability and aesthetic appeal.

Nylon: This is probably the material we recommend most for areas with high traffic and active children.  This synthetic material is one of the most resilient and easily cleaned materials, though is typically the most expensive of the synthetics.

Polyester: Soft, partially resilient to stains, and comes in every color imaginable.  It’s less resilient than some of the others, meaning it can become matted over time.

Padding: Consider the padding in terms of density.  Most carpet manufacturers use a 40-ounce lining material.  Depending on your needs, you may need to consider other density options or soundproofing, especially if the carpet is going on a floor other than the first or ground floor.

Look for carpet manufacturers that have their own installers, rather than subcontractors.  This means the manufacturer will be accountable for the quality of the work that is being done.

Costs: The cost of carpet varies depending on the quality of material and local costs of labor for removing and/or installing carpet.

Basic wool can run you $6 to $12 per square foot for material.  Typically, the higher the pile, the higher the price.  Add a couple dollars per square foot for carpeting with more complex patterns.

Add $1-$2 per square foot for padding, and an additional $1-$2 per square foot for installation.

Expect lead times to be about four to six weeks from the date of deposit to the date of installation.  If it’s in stock, lead times could be as short as a week.

Someone with a keen eye and sense of vision can certainly be drawn to an older home–the chance to make it all their own, the adventure of renovations and the grand reveal when it’s all done.  It’s important to consider the old-house problems, and to have an idea of what these might cost to repair.  Some are minor and painless, others can be dangerous and costly.  Consider a few items we look at when showing older homes:

Foundation Issues 

Is the floor uneven and buckling? Are the doors and windows sticky and failing to latch? Are there cracks in the drywall? By executing a quick exterior check, you may be able to spot signs of possible foundation issues.  Hairline cracks in the concrete or in driveways are not usually indicative of a major problem, but only an inspection by a structural engineer can tell you for sure.  Repairs to the foundation can be as simple as $1,000 with a few days work but can run substantially more.

Bad Roof

This one goes without saying, but water damage is poison to a home, so the soundness of a roof is critical.  Replacing the roof may be high on your list of priorities after buying an older home, and rightfully so.  Water stains on ceilings and walls aren’t always signs of roofing problems but could rather be signs of plumbing or window leaks.  A quick inspection of the roof shingles or tiles can reveal any problems.

Outdated Features 

Popcorn ceiling served a great purpose back in the day.  Today? Not so much.  Removing popcorn can be a pricey job, and significantly longer and pricier should the popcorn contain asbestos.  Other updates, such as paint, can be relatively easy and painless so long as there isn’t lead based paints on the walls.  Updating cabinets, plumbing and electrical can all run costs to modernize, as do cosmetic changes to surface materials.

Drainage 

You want the water to drain away from the house.  Back in the old days, perimeter drainage wasn’t nearly what it is today.  Issues don’t usually arise in a few years, but if you’re looking at a 50 year old house where water can accumulate for long periods of time, you could be looking at a major problem.  The drainage of older homes is likely pretty insufficient by today’s standards.  Check the gutters and downspouts for perimeter drainage, if any.  These issues can also cause mold.  Mold isn’t always so visible, it can be hidden in the walls and in attics.  If you smell something funny, consider a thorough inspection by a professional.

The draw of an older home can be hard to resist.  Getting a thorough inspection and getting repairs done right will not only help you sleep at night, but ensure the home’s positive future.  As always, if you’re thinking of buying a new home, let us know, and we can help you sort out the issues and generate a plan that works.