Rents have increased significantly this year. The latest National Rent Report from Apartmentlist.com shows rents are rising at a rate much higher than the three years leading up to the pandemic: “Since January of this year, the national median rent has increased by a staggering 16.4%. To put that in context, rent growth from January to September averaged just 3.4% in the pre-pandemic years from 2017-2019.” Looking back, we can see rents rising isn’t new. The median rental price has increased consistently over the past 33 years (see graph below): If you’re thinking of renting for anothe ..read more

In the real estate world, one of the hottest topics of conversation is the shortage of available homes not only in California, but in many other states.  What Does Housing Shortage Mean? It means that there are many more potential home buyers who want to take advantage of the current low mortgage rates, than there are homes for sale.  As a seller, this shortage of homes is good for you. Your house will get attention, and it will likely receive more offers.  Although many people think this shortage was caused by the pandemic, the truth is, the low supply of homes was years in t ..read more

If you’re thinking about selling your house in 2022, you truly have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at your fingertips. When selling anything, you always hope for strong demand for the item coupled with a limited supply. That maximizes your leverage when you’re negotiating the sale. Home sellers are in that exact situation right now. Here’s why. Demand Is Very Strong (Many Homebuyers) According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 6.18 million homes were sold in 2021. This was the largest number of home sales in 15 years. Demand isn’t exp ..read more

Are you thinking about selling your house on your own? Then, you should be aware that this will not be that simple. Known as For Sale By Owner (FSBO), the process takes a lot of time and involves a wide range of activities such as reviewing legal documents, doing some market research, dealing with potential buyers and negotiating with them. We are not saying that it is something impossible for you to do, but selling your house on your own demands not only time but a lot of expertise. Let´s take a look at some of the things you will have to consider (and do efficiently) if you want to ..read more

Since the pandemic began, people in California and all around our nation have reevaluated the meaning of the word home. That’s led some renters to realize the many benefits of homeownership, including the feelings of security and stability and the financial benefits that come with rising home equity. At the same time, many current homeowners have decided their house in Los Angeles no longer meets their needs, so they moved into homes with more space inside and out, including a home office for remote work in areas such as Downey or Whittier, CA. However, not every purchaser has been able to ..read more

Want to Sell Your House? Price It Right! Due to the high demand and the low number of available homes for sale in Los Angeles County, we are going through what seems to be a perfect time for sellers. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reveals through its latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey some numbers that can help us understand the situation. According to it, homes in the US generally sell within 17 days, while last year they needed 26. In addition, there tend to be five offers per home sold and more than half of them are over the asking price. All this leads to an expecte ..read more

Even in a hot sellers’ market like today’s in which homes are selling so quickly, it’s still important to make a good first impression on potential buyers. Taking the time upfront to prep your house appropriately can bring in the greatest return on your investment. Here are four simple tips to make sure you maximize the sale of your house this fall. 1. Price It Right One of the first things buyers will notice is the price of your house. That’s why it’s important to price it right. Your goal in pricing your house is to draw attention from competing buyers and let bidding wars push the fin ..read more

As rent prices continue to soar, many renters want to know what they can do to get ready to become a homeowner for the first time. According to recent data from ApartmentList.com: “The first half of 2021 has seen the fastest growth in rent prices since the start of our estimates in 2017. Our national rent index has increased by 11.4 percent since January . . . .” Those rising rental costs may make it seem impossible to prepare for homeownership if you’re a renter. But the truth is, there are ways you can – and should – prepare to purchase your first home. Here’s some expert advice ..read more

It is no secret that homeowners are the big winners in the current real estate market. In fact, we are in a prolonged an intense sellers market due to the low inventory and the high demand of houses in California. As a result, residential home values are skyrocketing since last year, and we can predict that the competition among buyers will continue to drive the prices up. But what happens with affordability in the current housing market? Many have started to question it, emphasizing the fact that homes are today less affordable than they were last year. A report from Black Knight shows the ..read more

Prices are shooting up, and new data suggests they’ll keep climbing at a breakneck pace. Apartment List, a rental website, shared a report back in June that said:  “The median apartment rent in the US rose 9.2% through the first six months of 2021.” Let’s see some real numbers to better understand the current situation: while rents usually have a monthly fluctuation of less than 1%, during May and June 2021 rentals increased over 3% from month to month. So, if you are renting now and feel worried about the rising prices, it may be a good time for you to consider buying a home in Los A ..read more