Huntington Beach Real Estate | MacLean Realty Group

What Is All This Talk About Pocket Listings?

Robert MacLean — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:04:31 +0000

I have recently been seeing a lot of posts by agents stating that they have “pocket listings” and the home can only be shown by them. What would be the advantage to the seller to “hide” the fact that the house is for sale? Does the agent just want to double-end the sale (they want both the selling and buying commission). In my opinion this is a complete breach in the fiduciary duty that the listing agent/broker has to the seller. Their duty is to get the highest price possible to the seller. How does the seller know if that is the highest possible price that would be offered on their property if the open market hasn’t been told about it? Also, how do you get the highest possible price for the seller at the same time trying to get the lowest possible price for the buyer. There is a little conflict of duty here. My suggestion to the agents that are practicing this. Market the property with quality marketing and advertising. Create as much interest as possible. Let the open market see the property by putting it on the MLS, internet websites like Realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia etc. Then let the open market decide the highest value for the home. What are are your thoughts?

The Year My Mom and Dad Bought Our House

Robert MacLean — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:14:56 +0000

It was 1971 and my mom, dad, and brother were living in a 2 bedroom house in Temple City (near Pasadena). Then I came along. The house all of sudden got a little cramped. They went around looking for a bigger place. They come across a home around the corner that was just perfect. It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath home on a half an acre. It has a huge park like back yard with a 1 bed, 1 bath home in the back with its own garage and workshop. They were really nervous about the price of the home. But they decided to go for it. Can you guess what they paid? Can you believe it was $19,000 and the interest rate was 7.48%. That was a whopping $132.59/mo payment! My mom still lives in and owns the house today. That back house really came in handy. When were going through some tough financial times they were able to rent out the back house to cover the mortgage payment. Can you guess what that house is worth today? My best guesstimate is that is is worth $750k! I know my parents never dreamed that would happen. They were just looking for a place to take care of their kids. Check out the chart and see what housing has done over the past 40 years in California.

2730 Canal Street, Orange CA 92865

Robert MacLean — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:15:20 +0000

Brand New on the Market

2730 North Canal Street, Orange, CA 92865 (MLS # OC13023854)

(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

Price	$519,900
Beds	4
Baths	2 full, 1 half
Home size	2,187 sq ft
Lot Size	6,180 sq ft
Days on Market	55;

STANDARD SALE. Beautiful turn key huge 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home with room for everybody. As you walk through the front door you see a spacious Living Room with a cozy fireplace and vaulted cathedral ceiling. A formal Dining Room for your entertaining. Newer tiles throughout the downstairs and newer carpet upstairs. Full Kitchen renovation has elegant cherry wood cabinets with crown molding, self-closing drawer slides, pull out spice rack, lazy susan in corner cabinet, granite counters, double kitchen sink, recessed lights. Kitchen and breakfast nook opens up to large family room overlooking the gorgeous backyard perfect for entertaining and bbqs. Indoor laundry and direct garage access from inside the house. Double pane vinyl windows and sliding patio door. All 3 bathrooms are upgraded with beautiful vanities. Huge master bedroom with spacious walk in closet. Large sized secondary bedrooms with full closets and plenty of storage. New sod and sprinklers in front and backyards. Terra-cotta tiles on the patio. Mature fruit trees. RV parking. Easy access to 91 and 55 fwys. No HOA.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Last Updated	4/11/2013	Tract	Unknown (Other (OTHR))
Year Built	1978	Community	Orange & Garden Grove, E Of Harbor, N Of 22 Fwy
Garage Spaces	2.0	County	Orange
Total Parking	4

Features

Bedroom Features	All Bedrooms Up
Buyer Financing	Conventional
Common Walls	Detached/No Common Walls
Cooling Type	None
Fireplace Rooms	Living Room
Garage Spaces Total	2.0
Heating Type	Forced Air
Land Lease Type	Fee
Legal Disclosures	No Property Assessments (N)
Levels	Ground Level (N), Two Level
Listing Status	Closed
Listing Terms	Cash, Cash To New Loan, Conventional, Fannie Mae, FHA Loan, Freddie Mac, VA Loan
ListingAgreement	Exclusive Right To Sell/Lease
Lot Description	Back Yard, Front Yard, Landscaped, Lawn, Sidewalks
Lot Size Source	Public Records
Parking Features	Driveway, Driveway - Concrete, Interior Access (N)
Parking Type	Boat, Garage, Garage - Side Entry (N), Garage - Single Door (N), Garage Is Attached, RV Access
Pool Descriptions	No Pool
Sewer	In Street (N)
Sold Terms	Standard Sale
SpecialConditions	Standard Sale
Square Footage Source	Public Records
View	No View
Water	Public, Water District
Will Consider Lease YN	N
Year Built Source	Assessor

Location

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

(view all details for MLS #OC13023854)

FHA Premiums Going Up Again on April 1st, 2013

Robert MacLean — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:00:21 +0000

On April 1st, 2013 the FHA premium is going up from 1.25% to 1.35%. Let’s say you have a loan of $400k, 30 year fixed at 4%. That means your monthly mortgage insurance is going to go from $417/mo to $450/mo. Then on 6/3/2013 the requirement for having mortgage insurance changes to throughout the life of the loan. It used to be only 5 years and 22% equity. Let’s say in the same example your paid the MI for the 5 years which would be $25,164. Then you had the equity so you asked for it to be removed. Congrats no more monthly MI. Now let’s say you had to keep it throughout the life of the loan. You have paid $86,673. That is an extra $61,509 that you are going to pay. There are other alternatives. There is a 5% conventional that has a little higher interest rate but no monthly MI. Your monthly mortgage payments are going to be much less. Plus you will not have to worry about trying to refi in the future knowing that the interest rates are going to be much higher 5 years from now.

Huntington Beach Homes for Sale

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 29. See more Huntington Beach Homes $600 - $750k.
(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

$719,000 : 19882 Potomac Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,151 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$625,000 : 19552 Brookline Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,651 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$699,000 : 19645 Surfbreaker Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 1 full, 3 part baths

Home size: 2,268 sq ft

Lot size: 2,178 sqft
$699,900 : 9771 La Cresta Circle, Huntington Beach

3 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 5,663 sqft
$650,000 : 5141 Stallion Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 6,534 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Top 10 Legal Mistakes Homes Buyers Make

Robert MacLean — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:40:45 +0000

1) Simply writing an offer without proof of being able to purchase will not allow a seller to make a decision on your offer. Make sure you also have proof of funds and an approval letter from a lender.

2) There are many things that you can do when writing an offer to make it stand out from the other offers. Knowing how to package the offer will make all the difference in whether your offer will be considered, countered, or accepted.

3) Be careful that your offer is not “shopped” around by the listing agent to try and get a higher offer.

4) Being proactive when writing offers is very important in this market of low inventory. Sometimes it is necessary to write offers on multiple properties. Knowing how to write the offer so that you are not committed to buying the multiple properties is the key.

5) You always want to make sure that the seller actually has the authority to sell the home. Otherwise you are wasting your time.

6) There are key dates to when you must perform by. The biggest ones are the inspections, disclosures, and loan. Due diligence is of utmost importance to get these done in time or you risk losing the home.

7) Always obtain all the sellers disclosures. If there is a yes to any of the questions, there needs to be an explanation attached, signed, and dated.

8) Due your due diligence in getting the home inspected and pull any permits from the city.

9) Make sure you run the numbers that you can afford the home. Beyond the payment of principal and interest there are: taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, etc that can add up.

10) Buy a home warranty just in case the water heater, air conditioner, etc fails a couple of months after owning the home. File the claim with the warranty company immediately.

Homes for Sale in Huntington Beach

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 44. See more Huntington Beach Homes $750k to $1mil.
(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

$809,000 : 19575 Oakdale Lane, Huntington Beach

2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,200 sq ft

Lot size: 1,956 sqft
$995,000 : 19552 Summer Breeze Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 1,864 sq ft

Lot size: 6,534 sqft
$829,000 : 19271 Surfwave Drive, Huntington Beach

2 beds, 1 full, 2 part baths

Home size: 2,030 sq ft

Lot size: 1,198 sqft
$829,000 : 8401 Reilly Drive, Huntington Beach

3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 1,980 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$795,000 : 19341 Coralwood Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 3,034 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

How Is My Credit Affected After A Short Sale?

Robert MacLean — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:25:07 +0000

Top 10 Legal Mistakes Home Sellers Make

Robert MacLean — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:28:08 +0000

When selling your home there are many things that can cost you 10′s of thousands of dollars not to mention liabilities of disclosure. Here are some of the most important ones to consider.

1) Just because a buyer has offered the highest price does not mean that it will net you the highest amount in your pocket. In this market of rising prices appraisals have become an issue. Asking a buyer to remove their appraisal contingency means that they are going to buy the house at the offered price regardless of what the appraisal comes in at.

2) The timing and dates on when are where to sign on the multiple offers is extremely important. By not clicking a box could cause you to commit to selling your home to multiple buyers or accepting a lower offer.

3) There is balance act here that comes into play. You want to have a back-up offer in case the first buyer can not perform. At the same time you don’t want to lose out on the ability to get a higher offer.

4) Asking for an earnest money deposit of at least 3% of the purchase price shows that the buyer is serious and if they were to back out after removing all the contingencies the seller could retain that deposit.

5) You don’t want to go in and out of escrow. Don’t take the buyers word that they have the money, verify all bank statements that they are current and there is liquid assets in the accounts.

6) Nobody wants to go to court. Always disclose all facts that affect the value of the home (flight patterns, noises from dogs, trains etc).

7) You want to disclose anything that could pertain to the value of the home. You don’t your lack of disclosure to come rear its ugly head after escrow closes.

8) Don’t make it about he said she said. Always get everything in writing, signed, and dated.

9) You want the buyer at some point (17 days is the default) to remove any all contingencies. You do not want the buyer to be able to cancel escrow in the 11th hour and for you to not get compensation for it.

10) If you want to keep anything in the house that is bolted down or could be considered part of the home, (plants, tv’s, window coverings) write it up in the counter offer that they are not to be included with the sale of the home.

Huntington Beach Homes for Sale

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 29. See more Huntington Beach Homes $600 - $750k.
(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

$719,000 : 19882 Potomac Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,151 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$625,000 : 19552 Brookline Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,651 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$699,000 : 19645 Surfbreaker Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 1 full, 3 part baths

Home size: 2,268 sq ft

Lot size: 2,178 sqft
$699,900 : 9771 La Cresta Circle, Huntington Beach

3 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 5,663 sqft
$650,000 : 5141 Stallion Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 6,534 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Lowering Your Property Taxes In Orange County

Robert MacLean — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:23:58 +0000

Has your property value dropped and are you still paying the property taxes on the old value? Here is how you go about lowering your property taxes. The Office of the Assessors Website and the PDF Form to fill out.

If the market value of the property on January 1, 2012, was lower than your Proposition 13 assessed value, you may receive a temporary reduction in taxable value for the upcoming year.
You will be notified of the results of this review on your Property Value Notice in July 2012. If you disagree with the value on your Notice, you may file an appeal with the Clerk of the Board. The filing period is July 2, 2012 to September 15, 2012.
Please provide Comparable Market Data Information – Comparable Sales or listings of similar properties in your area. Include any additional information on a separate sheet that you feel is relevant to the above comparable properties. Sale date no later than 3/31/2012.

Let me know if you need the printout of the comparable sales for your area.

May 2012 Huntington Beach Housing Report

Robert MacLean — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:41:55 +0000

I get to work this morning and I look at the real estate news like I normally do. I start to read about the current interest rates and I have to take a double take. 30 year fixed at 3.625% and a 15 year fixed at 2.75%, that can’t be right can it? It sure is. The lowest since they started tracking rates in the 50′s. For a loan amount of $400k that is only a payment of $1,824 principal and interest. This is cheaper than rent. You need to ask yourself how can I take advantage of this? Buy something and rent it out and have a positive cash flow. Sell you current home and buy your dream home. Buy your first home. Whatever it is take the money and run.

All Homes in Huntington Beach

We are still experiencing a shortage of inventory in the entry level price range of homes in just about every city in Southern California. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a home in Anaheim Hills or Huntington Beach. Multiple offers on anything decent and sold in a couple of days. If you are looking to buy something be prepared and ready to go. Have your loan in place and all your documents in line.

Here is a quick snapshot of what’s going on in Huntington Beach right now. If you would like me to prepare a report for you for the city or price range of where you are looking to buy or sell just send me a quick email and I will prepare one for you.

Huntington Beach Real Estate Listings

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 29. See more Huntington Beach Homes $600 - $750k.
(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

$719,000 : 19882 Potomac Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,151 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$625,000 : 19552 Brookline Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,651 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$699,000 : 19645 Surfbreaker Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 1 full, 3 part baths

Home size: 2,268 sq ft

Lot size: 2,178 sqft
$699,900 : 9771 La Cresta Circle, Huntington Beach

3 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 5,663 sqft
$650,000 : 5141 Stallion Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 6,534 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Huntington Beach Housing Report – Have We Passed The Bottom?

Robert MacLean — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:12:04 +0000

The housing market in Huntington Beach, like most cities, has been in a constant flux of change over the past year. Let’s take a look at the changes and what is currently going on in the housing market. Currently we do not have a problem of houses selling we have a problem of not enough inventory of houses to sell. What do the numbers show us?

This chart is for all home types (single family and condos) with no price limit in the city of Huntington Beach.

All of Huntington Beach

In the past 14 months: we have had a 49% reduction in inventory of active homes for sale, a 138% increase in pending sales, and a 75% increase in homes sold.

We have gone from 8.1 months of inventory to 2.4 months of inventory. That is a 70% drop in available months of inventory. That means if nothing else came on the market we would completely run out of house for sale in 2.4 months!

Homes for Sale under $700k

If we look at house prices under $700k it get a little more dramatic. In the past 14 months: we have had a 58% reduction in inventory of active homes for sale, a 151% increase in pending sales, a 102% increase in homes sold, and just 1.5 months of inventory. To compare, in a normal or neutral market we would have about 3 months of inventory of homes.

Affordability

Why is this happening? Well we just finished talking about supply the other thing would be affordability. Let us look at what a payment would be since 1999.

This Chart is from the April 2012 Edition of Orange County Realtor and an article by Steve Thomas

That is a 37% drop in price since 2006 and a 39% drop in interest rate. We have not seen housing payments this cheap since somewhere between 1999 and 2000.

Conclusion

If you are a seller it might be the right time for you to put your home up for sale. If you are a buyer be very prepared, have your loan completely in place, and be ready to go up against many other buyers with multiple offers on many of the homes.

Even with all these numbers, remember they are just numbers. Hopefully they give you a snapshot of what is going on right now. But, what is right for you is based on what your wants and needs are. You want to raise you children in a particular school district, you want to be able to control (and have a fixed) living expense, you want the pride of owning your own home, you want to downsize because you do not need all the space anymore, you want to upsize and have more space, you want a manageable commute to work, etc.

What are your thoughts?

Huntington Beach Real Estate Listings for Sale

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 29. See more Huntington Beach Homes $600 - $750k.
(all data current as of 5/19/2013)

$719,000 : 19882 Potomac Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

Home size: 2,151 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$625,000 : 19552 Brookline Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,651 sq ft

Lot size: 6,098 sqft
$699,000 : 19645 Surfbreaker Lane, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 1 full, 3 part baths

Home size: 2,268 sq ft

Lot size: 2,178 sqft
$699,900 : 9771 La Cresta Circle, Huntington Beach

3 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 5,663 sqft
$650,000 : 5141 Stallion Circle, Huntington Beach

4 beds, 2 full baths

Home size: 1,640 sq ft

Lot size: 6,534 sqft

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.