Blog News December 10, 2015

The Best Timeline for Real Estate Listing in Los Angeles, CA

Should you put up your real estate listing in Los Angeles, CA now or wait until spring?

It’s common knowledge in the real estate world that spring and summer are the hottest times for the market. As the mercury rises, so do the number of people wanting to buy and sell. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to wait until 2016 to list your home, though. In fact, there are actually quite a few reasons listing in the winter can benefit you. Here’s why the best time for your real estate listing in Los Angeles, CA to go live is right now.

To start, people always need to buy. By listing right now, you can capitalize on the people whose leases end at the year’s end and want to have a home locked down before they need to move out. You’ll grab the people who just got a major holiday bonus at work and finally have enough for their down payment. You’ll attract buyers who finished their year-end finances and realized renting just doesn’t make sense for them anymore.

What’s more, you’ll not only be able to make it on the radar for these buyers, you’ll likely be one of their limited options. Most people will wait until spring to list their homes, so listing now helps you avoid the bulk of the competition. Don’t worry about your curb appeal; just do what you can. People understand how seasons work and know that by buying now, they’re getting a home that will only look better throughout the rest of the year!

I know that selling your Los Angeles home is a major decision, and I believe you deserve to have guidance so you can do it on the right timeline at the right price. For that kind of service, contact me, Betsy Dittman. I’ll be your luxury real estate agent, helping you list at the right time, optimize your listing, and ultimately find the right buyer with the right offer.

Blog News November 13, 2015

Mortgage Advice: Should You Refinance?

These are a few good reasons to refinance your mortgage.  

Your mortgage is probably one of your biggest monthly expenses, so refinancing is tempting. It could help you save money each month, get a lower interest rate to save over the life of your loan, and free up money for other, more fun pursuits. Not everyone should refinance, though. Should you?

There are a few great reasons for working on your mortgage. Here’s my mortgage advice on when you should refinance.

  • You can get a lower rate. Keep in mind that when you refinance, you’ll have to pay closing costs all over again. It’s worth it to take those on if you can save 2 percent on your interest rate. Talk to your lender and see how much you could shave off your rate before you commit to refinancing.
  • You can slash your loan life. Even if you can’t minimize your monthly payment, shortening the duration of your loan is well worth it. Just think, if you could be free of your mortgage payments in 10 years instead of 12, that gives you two extra years of cash to put towards home improvements, retirement, or fun!
  • You need to pull our equity. If you have debts other than your mortgage that are weighing on your family, refinancing can be a great way to free up the equity you’ve built in your home to pay off those outstanding amounts.

Instead of working on your mortgage, you could simply sell your house and buy another one that better suits you. To learn how selling your Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Fernando or Conejo Valley, or Beverly Hills home could help you get into the right house with the right mortgage, contact me, Betsy Dittman. As a real estate expert, I’m more than happy to offer my advice to you.