Living in Long Beach, CA, I am not exposed to as many grand homes as those Realtors in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Manhattan Beach, Santa Barbara, Rancho Palos Verdes or other select parts of Southern California. Don't get me wrong, our city has a great number of places, on the water, and inland that hold you breathless.
To me, Long Beach is a hidden gem -- a secret place situated between Los Angeles and Orange County that provides a lifestyle that is a mixture of bustling east coast and laid back west coast.
Naples, Belmont Shore, Park Estates, Lakewood Country Club and Virgina Country club are places that most resemble the lifestyle synonymous with what everyone perceives as California luxury. It is, but at a fraction of the cost of other areas.
In the past 10 years, a great many of the homes in this area have been remodelled or totally rebuilt to reflect the changing face of expectation in luxury. After doing a little digging, I've uncovered a number observations about the upper-tier housing market in Long Beach -- that align very closely with other areas in the whole of California:
- Professional Landscaping is a must
- Upgraded the kitchen. In the luxury market there is a great number of homes in Long Beach that have "Designer" kitchens
- Wine cellars are becoming more popular as available room, especially in Naples, Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights is becoming more of a premium
- Wet Bars are starting to make a come back
- In-ground swimming pools with spas have long been popular and are even making a splash in smaller lots in Belmont Heights
- Installed Security systems are the norm rather than the exception
- Surround sound systems with the latest wireless capabilities
I can only speak for myself, but luxury in Long Beach is more than design. Add taste, style, convenience, flowing floorplans and timeless individuality and what you see will be incredible.
Any chance you get to view a home that peaks your interest. Do it!
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Dave HarbisonLong Beach REALTOR®Main Street Realtors (562)618-9770---
Long Beach Realtor® / Real Estate AgentLong Beach Homes for Sale, Condos and Investment PropertiesLong Beach Relocation Expert---
Labels: Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, Dave, Long Beach Real Estate, Luxury Homes, Naples, Park Estates, Real Estate, Realtor, Virginia Country Club
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 10:02 AM
Well, the new year always kicks off a new season of Open Houses. As a Realtor for a number of years, I always enjoy people stopping by and looking at the great homes I hold open. Most of them are not in the market to buy the home, but enjoy seeing what their neighbor's home looks like, what improvements have been made, what improvements need to be made and how it compares to their home.
The point is, going to an open house serves a lot of purposes. I think most of all, it is to get a feel for the vision you may have for your dream home. Whether you plan on moving into it sometime soon or already live there, an Open House is a place where your mind can wander pick up unique things that will work in your home
So many people ask interesting questions that help me dig deeper into the history of the home, its features and architecture.
In a way, we're extremely lucky here in Southern California. The rich history and architecture coupled with great weather allow our little peice of the world to evolve in a powerfully unique way.
When you pass by an Open House. Take the time to stop in. You never know what great ideas are behind those doors.
Labels: Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, Dave, Long Beach, Open House, Real Estate, Realtor, Seal Beach
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 7:18 PM
Today, there are more homes on the market that would be considered "Distress sales" - the majority of which are short sale or a bank owned properties. In California, properties are sold "As Is"... And believe me, many need work. The questions you need to ask yourself as a buyer should drive you to a clear conclusion as to whether you should consider presenting an offer. Here is a list of, what I like call, "areas of clarity" that may help you gain peace-of-mind during the highly stressful and anxious home search experience:
1. Can you envision the end result?
2. What are the priorities of your purchase and how does the home rank? (Location, neighborhood, access, size, lot size, bedrooms, bathrooms, curb appeal, potential etc...)
3. What do you need to do to make the home "live-able"...to your standards?
4. What projects take priority and what things can be done down the road?
5. Is the list price at market value or quite a bit above or below?
6. Is there any "wiggle-room" or flexibility in the list price?
If there is anything I have learned in my years in Real Estate -- One family's "teardown" home is another's castle. If it feels right, 9 times out of 10, it is right!!
Labels: Bank Owned, Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, Long Beach, Park Estates, Real Estate, Realtor, Short Sale
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 9:05 PM
Over the past 18 months, many people I've run into (that know I'm a Realtor) tell me they're afraid to buy a home now. With the economy taking a dive and home prices continuing to fall, it doesn't make sense to invest in a declining investment. Far fewer buyers are seeing a bright light at the end of a long tunnel. Yet, they are the ones who look at "these times" as the opportunity of a lifetime.
Right now, you're negotiating power is stronger than it ever has been. As the market begins to turn, that position diminishes. Now, it is still not beyond reasonable for you to ask for price reductions, closing costs and even improvements. And guess what, an extremely motivated seller is very likely to work with your demands.
I can identify many more reasons for buying a home now. In the interest of time, I've included my top 4 reasons:
1. Affordability is better than ever
NAR's (National Association of Realtors) housing affordability index as of December 2008, clearly communicates that homes are more affordable now than at any other point since the group started the index in 1970. In simplist terms, the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income falls greatly in your favor.
2. Inventory is "busting" at the seams
After the past 7 years, of little inventory and multiple offers, we've realized a huge number of homes on the market and ready to sell. Like most of the United States, Southern California real Estate Time on Market has grown to months rather than days or weeks. Housing are taking a lot longer to sell, creating loads of inventory. Another factor, Foreclosures and distressed properties, have added tremendously to the inventory and have been a driving force for declining home prices to nearly 2001 levels in many places in Southern California.
Today, it is nearly impossible to time the bottom of the housing market, and even if you do, chances of making a HUGE profit is slim at best. As we climb out of this recession, many markets will not see the huge home-price gains they saw a few years ago.
3. Mortgage rates are extremely low
It's not just the price of the home that will affect affordability, mortgage terms will also effect your monthly payments. These days, rates are very attractive for conforming loas, those that can be purchased by mortgage agencies -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These daysthe current limit is $417,000, although that can rise to as high as $729,750 depending on various factors of the sale.
4. You can get a federal tax credit
There's now a federal credit line of up to $8,000 for home buyers who haven't owned a home in at least 3 years. Unlike the previous credit, this money doesn't have to be paid back. The extra cash will come in handy: The average first-time home buyer spends about $6,000 in the first 6 months of owning a home. Should you wait?
No. Waiting for further federal developments may zap a buyer's negotiating power, as more people get back in to the market and competition returns. The bottom line is this -- The more Washington gives, the demand for such products will increase.
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Dave HarbisonLong Beach REALTOR®
Coldwell Banker Coastal Alliance
(562) 494-4600 ext 2281
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Long Beach Realtor® / Real Estate AgentLong Beach Homes for Sale, Condos and Investment PropertiesLong Beach Relocation Expert---
Labels: Buy, Coldwell Banker Coastal Alliance, Homes, Real Estate, Realtor, Sell
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 10:05 PM
