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IN THE NEWS

 

Agents’ commissions are getting smaller 

By Melissa Wirkus
When you go to buy or sell a home, you either have the option of doing so by yourself, with no representation from a professional in the field; or you can hire a real estate agent to help and guide you through the process.
The choice is completely up to you.
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Expanding homeownership to include all races 

By Melissa Wirkus
Owning a home is the American Dream. Once someone has finally saved up the funds and become financially stable enough to own their little peace of real estate they can finally say, “Hey, I’ve made it.” But rising home prices and tough lending standards have made homeownership something that is far from reality for many.
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The next generation home 

By Justin Hunter
Like most consumer products such as clothing and automobiles, homes too go through generational trends. From bellbottoms to skinny jeans and heavy muscles cars to economical hybrids, some trends end up being fads while others change the face of the respective industry.
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Organizing home office clutter 

By Melissa Wirkus
More and more people are finding that it is not only more convenient, but more profitable to set up shop and work from home.
Whether you are starting your own business or just find that you have more work to do from your regular job that you must bring home with you, it is important that you set up a clean, organized space that is conducive with the work that needs to get done away from a corporate office.
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Unbelievable bargains on homes 

By Melissa Wirkus
The expensive real estate market has been a concern for many potential buyers for years and years. Even as the market begins to slow down from the lightning fast pace we saw just a few years ago, buying a home is still an intangible reality for many.
But there are alternatives out there.
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Buy now or wait? 

By Justin Hunter
There are many questions floating around the minds of anyone engaged in the real estate market but the most prevalent question in the minds of the prospective home buyer is whether they should buy now or wait.
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Boost your home’s value 

By Melissa Wirkus
Whether you are one of the many people looking to sell your home in today’s “buyer’s market,” or just want to spruce it up a little, any sort of remodel or renovation will require a lot of work and planning.
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Where are all the renters going? 

By Justin Hunter
It seemed only fitting that just as the housing booming ended in the United States, the rental boom began. But much like the housing boom, too many rentals were purchased too quickly and rates escalated too high.
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Find a renter and vent; all online 

By Melissa Wirkus
The Internet has taken the real estate world by storm, from Blogs to chat rooms to virtual discussion boards. The way homeowners and real estate agents are conducting business is slowly changing.
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Housing market expected to slowly rebuild in 2007  

By Justin Hunter
Any positive housing market news will loom big in the upcoming year as 2006 caught much of the real estate industry off guard. Home sales and price rates both experienced significant declines in the past year, not to mention the growing rate of foreclosures due to nontraditional mortgage defaults. The real estate industry never new what hit them until it was too late and all that could be done was to look forward to a profitable New Year.
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Warm up to a great deal on a second home  

By Justin Hunter
Pretty much anyone involved in the real estate industry these days are a little skeptical of what action should be taken during the next few months as we enter the New Year. The last twelve months were unexpected to say the least and this has buyers, sellers and investors all looking for advice on what to expect in 2007.
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It was slower but still a great year  

By Justin Hunter
Contrary to popular belief, 2006 was not one of the worst years in the real estate industry and in fact ended up being one of the best.
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Help save the world for a couple dollars a month 

By Justin Hunter
You can put the shiny red cape and spandex suit away for now because with so much of an emphasis being put on the vulnerability of the environment, the hero the world seeks does not have to stop planes and giant signs from falling from skyscrapers but rather eliminate the deadly gasses that are slowly causing the greatest terror of all; global warming.
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Housing becoming more affordable 

By Mellisa Wirkus
Buying a home is one of the biggest and most influential purchases a person will probably make in their lifetime. Not only is it a place of shelter, but it can also be used as a tremendous wealth building opportunity. Click Here for more of the story.

 
Professional Remodeling can protect your family’s health 

By Justin Hunter
Exposure to lead paint is not as prevalent of a problem as it was in the 1970s but it still exists and should be addressed. The fact is that your children are still easily prone to lead-based paint materials that become airborne in the form of dust everyday, at least in older houses. Click Here for more of the story.

 
Help with home improvements 

By Melissa Wirkus
Buying a home to fix up yourself, or just doing some remodeling or renovations on an existing home can really give homeowners a sense of pride. From installing new wiring in the family room to tearing up a bathroom and starting from scratch, do-it-yourself home renovations and improvements have become the latest trend in real estate. Click Here for more of the story.

 
Smell your home before you sell 

By Melissa Wirkus
There are so many things to think about when selling a home.First, you have to think about what your house looks like from the outside.  A home seller must make sure everything looks perfect from the exterior, especially in today’s ultra-competitive market.
Then, it’s on to the inside, which can be a huge task in itself, especially if your house is large or if you are a big fan of clutter and random collectibles.
When people go to sell a house, they normally clean everything out and try to make it look as appealing to the most amount of people as possible.
But one thing most people do not think about is the smell of their home. Everyone knows that every person’s home has its own distinctive scent.  It is not necessarily a bad thing, but homes definitely have distinct odors. 

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Cost -effective remodeling projects  

By Melissa Wirkus
If you are considering a home remodeling project or renovation, there are many things to keep in mind.Normally, when a homeowner begins a remodeling project they are either doing it for their own personal aesthetic reasons, or to increase the resale value of their home.What many people do not realize is that not every remodel, renovation or addition will add value on to the home. Sure, a luxurious in-ground swimming pool with matching Jacuzzi are a good addition for entertaining and relaxation purposes, but they could actually deter a young couple with a new family from buying your home in the future.When beginning any remodeling or renovation projects, it is very important to make sure it will at least add some value to your home, so you can recoup some of the costs associated with these pricey ventures. 

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Landlords cannot rent to illegal immigrants in Escondido  

By Melissa Wirkus
Real estate and immigration have been making headlines across the country lately, especially right here in San Diego.  Our real estate market has been a hot topic, and issues of immigration are always in the spotlight due to our proximity to the border.Now these two seemingly very different topics have come together concerning legislation coming out of the city of Escondido. 

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Sellers offer special incentives, promotions to home buyers  

By Melissa Wirkus
If you are looking to buy a house right now, you really could not have picked a better time.  The market is slowly starting to cool off from its hot-streak of the past five years, and many sellers are finding it is quite difficult to get their home off their hands. 

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Home builders feeling affects of weak market 

By Justin Hunter
Investors have been speculating about the housing market decline for several months. Now that it appears to be in a full force downhill slide, many real estate businesses are falling down with it. 

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Selling a home in a cooling market

By Melissa Wirkus
Although the housing market slowdown has spread throughout the nation, there are still some markets that are fairing much better than others. But, for the most part, it is getting harder and harder to sell a home pretty much anywhere. 

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