Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 170
The California Association of Realtors has been diligently working on finding a way to provide property tax relief to homeowners over 55, the severely disabled and victims of wildfires and natural disasters. The path to Proposition 19 began three years ago, when CAR gathered enough signatures to get CAR sponsored Proposition 5 on the November 2018 ballot. The Legislative Analyst’s Office gave Proposition 5 a very unfavorable title and summary. The title and summary is the l...
Last week I wrote about AB 1253, an Assembly Bill that would raise taxes on the wealthiest residents in California. AB 1253 would affect the tax returns of only 0.5% of those who filed in 2018, according to data compiled by the state Franchise Tax Board. But those taxpayers already account for 40% of all income tax revenue collected that year. The next time someone says the rich don’t pay their fair share, remember this statistic: 0.5% of the residents in California pay 40% o...
As residents approach November’s election, everyone should be aware of the many attempts to add taxes on your income and your property. Make no mistake, every new tax will impact housing. The less income individuals retain, the less an individual can afford to spend. With housing being one of the largest expenditures for an individual or a family, even $100 less in expendable income will impact what a buyer can afford or even if they can purchase at all. It’s so int...
Success is noun that means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose as in “the president had some success in restoring confidence.” It’s synonyms include favorable outcome, successfulness, favorable result, successful outcome, positive result, victory and triumph. The antonym of success is failure. Everyone defines what “success” looks like individually. For some people, it’s the number of zeros in their bank account. For some people, it’s the title they achieve in their care...
Responsibility is a noun that means the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone, such as in “a true leader takes responsibility for their team and helps them achieve goals.” It’s synonyms include authority, control, power, leadership, management, influence and duty. Responsibility. We all have it. In our house, I have the responsibility of caring for the inside of our home. I am responsible for keeping it clean, for doing the lau...
Integrity is a noun that means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness, such as “he is known to be a man of integrity.” It’s synonyms include honesty, uprightness, probity, rectitude, honor, honorableness, upstandingness, good character, principles, ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, nobility, high-mindedness, right-mindedness, noble-mindedness, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness and trust...
Kim Murphy At·ti·tude /ˈadəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun · 1. a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior: "she took a tough attitude toward other people's indulgences" Synonyms: point of view, view, viewpoint, vantage point, frame of mind, way of thinking, way of looking at things, school of thought, outlook, angle, slant, perspective, reaction, stance, standpoint, position, inclination, orientation, approa...
Motivation, a noun, is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way, the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. It is similar to incentive, enthusiasm, inspiration and rational. There are four types of motivation according to “Changing Minds” authors, E.L. Deci and R.M. Ryan. Extrinsic comes from outside of us. We do it because we are impelled to. Intrinsic is done for internal reasons. We do it to align ourselves with a value or...
Is anyone else sick and tired of all the negative? I am. If you are on social media or watch local or cable news, you are probably feeling like I am, which is “not myself.” I am normally an upbeat person, who finds the good in most situations. I think back to my initial response to the sequester we were being required to participate in. I pointed out all the positive aspects of spending more time with your family, your pets and in your home. The time at home provided an opp...
It is an interesting time in real estate. Like everything else, it is in flux. Buyers seem to be cautiously reappearing. Sellers seem to be opening to the idea of showing their homes. When you add the general unrest over the protests and rioting across the nation, it's no wonder things are in flux. Let's go back to basics. There are homes to sell and there are buyers who are buying, so let's talk strategy. I mentioned in my article two weeks ago that many of the buyers are...
I’m writing this May 29, and Fallbrook is open for business. Couples, families, groups are walking up and down the block. So, where are you? The merchants along Main Avenue and throughout town are ready for you to support them again. I know it has been a long time, so maybe you need to be re-introduced. On Main Avenue between Alvarado and Hawthorne, we have four clothing-focused shops. There’s 100 Main, Mimi’s Boutique, Pressed and Blessed Clothing Co. and Caravan. They all o...
Often when we work with clients, we are asked what we believe will happen in the market as it pertains to the price of homes. Buyers are trying to find the bottom of the market, and sellers are trying to find the peak of the market. We remind clients that one job description that we don’t have is “prophet” and we don’t possess a crystal ball. Often there are strong indicators that allow us to project a “trend” in the market, but a comparative market analysis is a picture of...
Things have changed considerably in California since March 19. We’ve all learned the term “social distancing,” and we’ve gotten used to wearing a mask at the same time as we wear our glasses. We’ve learned to walk to the other side of the grocery aisle and to stand back 6 feet while we’re waiting to pay for our purchases. We’ve learned that “takeout” can still be delicious and that “date night” means finding a fun way to do something with your partner that doesn’t involve leav...
San Diego’s jobless rate is currently at 25% according to the San Diego Association of Governments. That number is expected to grow until the “stay at home” mandate is lifted, and people are able to return to work. To put some perspective on this number, consider that in 2008 because of the Great Recession, the jobless rate was 11.1%, and we thought that was disastrous. Do you recall the fallout in real estate because of an 11.1% jobless rate? I do. Thousands of people lost...
Do not get me wrong, there are many parts of the all-encompassing technology apps that truly make me uncomfortable. And if I really considered the overriding exposure to any data transmitted via the cloud, I would be opposed to all of it. However, given the current California “stay at home” mandate, everyone has had to adapt, and adapt we have. Normally, this time of year, I am in Sacramento for the California Association of Realtors legislative meetings. Association mem...
We have been sheltering in place for six weeks, and there appears to be two kinds of reactions. One is one of acceptance of the new “normal,” and the other is one of rejection to the imposed restrictions. I love reading all the impassioned opinions on each side. No matter which side you are on, the fact is life is currently vastly different from what it was six weeks ago. So, in an effort to keep things positive, here are two approaches to the new “normal” for real estate....
On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (also known as the CARES Act) into law. A provision of the CARES Act allows borrowers with federally backed mortgages to request temporary loan forbearance for up to 180 days. Borrowers also have the right to apply for an extension of another 180 days of forbearance. Borrowers who wish to take advantage of the short-term payment hiatus must provide documentation to their...
It’s now week four, and for better or for worse, we are all “sheltering in place.” I’m sure many of you are wondering why I would say “for better or for worse,” and here is why. Not being a scientist, I have nothing to add to the discussion of the health implications of COVID-19. I, like you, read many articles on the subject and find a diverse perspective within the medical and social sciences community. The leaders in the U.S., and California, have adopted the “shelter in...
On March 28, commercial and residential real estate was added to the list of essential businesses in California. For many homeowners and potential home buyers there was a joint sigh of relief. For sellers, who had already listed their homes for sale, it meant they could continue to move forward with their goal. Selling a home is much more than just deciding one day to post a sign in your yard and hope for the best. Sellers arrive at the decision either because a life...
It is difficult writing a column with so much changing day by day, week by week. It is a very surreal life we’ve been asked to live. Fallbrook, like the entire state, has been asked to stay at home. Many Fallbrook residents are retired or semi-retired, so the change may not feel dramatic. But I’m betting that even if you fit that category, you are accustomed to volunteering or participating with one of the many nonprofits or special interest groups in Fallbrook. This sta...
Home: a place where you live, love and learn. You have things around you that are special and have meaning, but most of all you are surrounded by people you love, respect and care for, and who love, respect and care for you. During my lifetime, home has always been a special place. Events have occurred over my lifetime that made “my home” more than just a place to come to after school or work. When JFK was assassinated, when family members died, when I witnessed a hor...
California is experiencing the single longest economic growth period in its history. The housing values in Fallbrook have been steadily climbing since the first quarter of 2009. The last few years have seen 2% increments, but values have continued to rise. As a seller, the current value of your home has met or exceeded where it was in 2005-2006. Homes priced above $750,000 experienced the largest sales increase ever reported. Most sellers who contact the office are moving out...
My husband Chris and I traveled to Dallas last weekend. What a town! We always stay near the centrally located Arts District so we can walk everywhere. The Arts District is like Balboa Park, with both visual and performing arts sharing the 68 acres and 19 contiguous blocks. The Dallas Arts District unifies culture and commerce with integrated and exemplary artistic, residential, cultural, educational, recreational, religious and commercial life. The art in public places unite...
For nearly as long as I’ve been writing my column, the topic of the shortage of affordable workforce housing has been a key issue in real estate. There are many programs that address affordable housing, so people at the lowest of income levels or those on state subsidies can secure housing. But affordable workforce housing is an even bigger problem within California. It doesn’t matter which region a person lives in, the housing available close to employment is generally not...
Last week I had the opportunity to be part of a group to discuss signage in Fallbrook. It seems to be that whenever we’re in an election cycle, the proliferation of signs, seems to be overwhelming, almost to the point of annoying. Although Fallbrook has sign guidelines, political signs are exempt from those guidelines. This year, because of California’s early primary, we will probably be looking at the current signs, plus additional signage, up and through November. Tha...
