How do you sell your home when a buyer can choose from so many homes to see?  How do you make YOURS stand out?  If there was just one thing to do before you put the ‘For Sale’ sign in your yard, what would it be?  There is an old saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” and that holds true in Real Estate.   In Real Estate, that first impression is your front yard and entry.

Take a hard look at your landscaping and ask what a buyer will see.  Is the grass green and lush or patchy and yellow?  Are the bushes trimmed or growing wild?  What about the flowers?  Are they in bloom and colorful or are you praying that they will just come back this year?!  And look closely at your entry.  Remember, the buyer will be standing there while the Realtor is using the lockbox or waiting for you to answer the door. 

So what can you do?  First, get out your broom and sweep away the cobwebs above the door.  Sweep all the leaves from the entry and walkway.  Get rid of the cobwebs from the Junipers!  Put out pots of seasonal flowers to brighten up the entry.  Fertilize your grass with a weed and feed type of fertilizer.  Adjust your sprinklers so they keep everything green and lush.  Trim your hedges.  Call a professional and have them ‘lace’ your trees.  This will bring more light to your yard and invite buyers to enter.  And finally, make sure you keep it up!  In this market, it takes a while to sell a home and you have to be faithful about maintaining your front yard.

Is the time, energy and money spent worth it?  Absolutely!  The first thing a buyer sees is the picture of the front of your home.  No matter how beautiful or upgraded the interior is, if they don’t like what they see in the front, they won’t want to go inside.  And that could cost you the sale, or it could dramatically reduce the amount you get for your home.  Winter is gone…what better time to get your landscaping looking beautiful!

Straight from the US Treasury Dept:

Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan Fact Sheet
http://treas.gov/news/index2.html

Directly from the National Association of Realtors site www.realtor.org

Homebuyer Tax Credit – The bill provides for a $8,000 tax credit that would be available to first-time home buyers for the purchase of a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.  The credit does not require repayment.  Most of the mechanics of the credit will be the same as under the 2008 rules:  the credit will be claimed on a tax return to reduce the purchaser’s income tax liability.  If any credit amount remains unused, then the unused amount will be refunded as a check to the purchaser.
Chart Highlighting the Major Modifications to the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit> (PDF: 309K)

NAR’s Presentation: The 2009 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit  (PDF: 319K)

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about buying a house in the Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Palos Verdes, or anywhere in the South Bay, they can easily start their search here. 

Well, here is one of the most important parts that we’ve been following:

Homebuyers: First-time homebuyers who purchase this calendar year get an $8,000 tax credit which does not have to be repaid like a similar measure last year. This phases out for people making more than $75,000 individually or $150,000 jointly. “First-time homebuyer” is defined as someone who has not owned a home for the past three years. Cost: $6.63 billion.

Read the full article from CNN here

Inman News is reporting that it also brought back the temporary FHA loan limits of 729,500 that we had last year, and will keep that limit for the higher cost areas (ie: LA!!!) until the end of 2009.   

Click here for information on a workshop for CA Teachers wanting to purchase a home and wanting to know more about the CalSTRS financing options! calstrs flyer.pdf

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about buying a house in the Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Palos Verdes, or anywhere in the South Bay, they can easily start their search here. 

Well, here is the latest.  Looks like the tax credit for home buyers has been left in, but “significantly reduced”…here is what CNN is saying:

“The homeowner tax credit has been kept but significantly reduced. The Senate version proposed a $15,000 credit, double that of the House bill.”

The full article can be found here: CNN Stimulus Bill Update.  I’m really interested to see what the details are, but so far the details aren’t available.  As soon as we have more info on exactly what the new tax credit for home buyers will be, we will post it here. So…have a good night! 

$15,000 tax credit for every home buyer- regardless of income- HOLY MOLY!  At least as of right now, that’s what the new Stimulus Bill contains! Unlike the current $7,500 tax “credit,” this one won’t have to be paid back (the $7,500 has to be paid back!!!!) and there are no income limits set on the Buyers.  There are more details, but until the bill is passed by both the house and senate, and signed by the Prez, there is no use in going to the details, as they are up for negotiation until the bill becomes law.  Here is where it stands now: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/09/stimulus.plan/index.html?iref=newssearch

We will keep you updated when there is more to update you on!    If it passes as it is written now, there will be no reason anyone even thinking about buying home shouldn’t be buying NOW.  The deals are out there, the interest rates are at amazingly historic lows, and now a tax credit to boot???   You, or anyone you know, really needs to get their ducks in a row now so when this bill gets passed they are ready to move, as once it is law it will only be good for one year!

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about buying a house in the Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Palos Verdes, or anywhere in the South Bay, they can easily start their search here. 

Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech, given on Aug. 28, 1963.  Our country, and probably the world, is just one day away from yet another histortic day that many thought they would never see.  Take a few minutes to listen to this speech, even if you’ve heard it before, give it another listen, it’s worth it.

“I Have A Dream Speech”

Get your copy of Suze Orman’s latest book, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan, for free!

Download Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan in English.*
This book is copyrighted. You may view and download the file, but you may not copy the file or share or forward it to any other person. Offer expires at 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 15.

Courtesey of http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081119_tows_bookdownload

If part of your “2009 Action Plan” includes buying a house in Redondo Beach, Torrance, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, or anywhere in the South Bay, please give us a call!  You can also search directly from the MLS here if you want to start looking NOW!  Here’s to a great start to 2009!

- Vicki & Jen
The Goorchenko Real Estate Team
Keller Williams Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 544-7545

What am I doing right now?  Trying desperately not to buy a ticket to London!  Why? Just look at these babies…awwwww I want one!!  I’m a sucker for a puppy, but Dalmatian puppies just tug at my heart in particular!  That poor mama dog, giving birth to 18 puppies!?!?!?!

Southern California home sales jumped 26.9 percent and San Francisco Bay Area home sales rose 12.3 percent in November compared to the same month last year — while median prices plunged 34.5 percent and 44.4 percent, respectively.

That’s according to data released this week by real estate research company DataQuick Information Systems.

Read the full article here: http://www.inman.com/news/2008/12/19/price-drops-spark-california-home-sales

This really is an amazing time for you to buy a home- whether it’s your first home, your dream home, or an investment property- interest rates are at 50 year historic lows and with prices where they are… it’s time to BUY, BUY, BUY!

Let me help you find a home in Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes…the South Bay is the place to be!!  Either email me, or click here to search properties for sale in South Bay, or the entire MLS! 

I love sailing- it’s so relaxing and invigorating at the same time!  Our family grew up going down the boats at King Harbor year ’round, so every Christmas the local boat parades still hold a soft spot in my heart. 

 The Boat Parade for Redondo Beach’s King Harbor Yacht Club is tomorrow, Friday Dec 13th.  Everyone decks out their boats in the season’s best lights and decorations, then set sail (or, motor really!) through the marina for everyone to see.  It’s a great time, just don’t forget the thermos of hot chocolate, the beach chairs, and a blanket!

There are some really cute homes for sale that are walking distance to the King Harbor (and the Redondo Beach!) Yacht Clubs, and the King Harbor Marina.  If you’d like a list of these homes, either email us info@liveatthebeach.com or search here on our website, www.LiveAtTheBeach.com- we’d love to show them to you!

- Vicki & Jen

As you may have heard this weekend, construction has been halted on the Sunrise Assisted Living Facility that was being built in Torrance, where Rolling Hills Road dead ends onto Hawthorne as you are headed up the hill to Palos Verdes.   The full article can be found here (courtsey of the Daily Breeze). 

It would have been a beautiful location, and convenient to most of the South Bay, but fear not!  There are other Senior Communities around the South Bay if you or your family members are considering this option. 

If you would like to see the units currently for sale in the local South Bay Senior (55+) Communities, please email Seniors@LiveAtTheBeach.com, and you will immedietely receive an email back with up-to-the-minute links of what is for sale right now. 

The list will have all of the units available in these Senior Communities in the cities of Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hillis Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, and San Pedro.  If you think one is missing from the list, just email or call us and we will research it for you. 

 As always, let us know how we can help you with your Real Estate needs- buying, selling, leasing, ??? - we’d love to work with you!

 - Vicki & Jennifer, The Goorchenko Real Estate Team
www.LiveAtTheBeach.com  (310)544-7545
To Search For Homes on For Sale on the MLS click here

If you are thinking about buying a home in Redondo Beach, or Torrance, or Palos Verdes, or any of the South Bay, you will want to keep up with what’s going on here!  The Daily Breeze (www.dailybreeze) is the local daily paper, and here are the people you should follow on twitter to get the lastest news!  

WHAT TO KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR NEWSROOM?

Article Launched: 09/27/2008 09:57:50 PM PDT

You should be following us on Twitter, where we are posting breaking news, links to our favorite stories and what we’re covering. We also post from meetings and events live.

Twitter is a social media microblogging platform where users keep their “followers” up-to-date with what they are doing with short posts of just 140 characters or fewer. The service launched in 2006, but it has taken off this year.

According to Compete.com, Twitter more than quadrupled its users from November 2007 to June 2008. There are now more than 1.2 million Tweeters.

Lest you think it’s just for kids, a Time article (www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1834131,00.html) last month reports the largest age demographic is 35- to-44-year-olds, which make up more than 25 percent of users. And the 55+ demographic is growing, too. Interestingly, more than 57 percent of Tweeters are from California.

Here’s where you can find us, so you’ll know when our computer system crashes or when we get cranky phone calls or drunks barge in to city council meetings:

Editor Phillip Sanfield: www.twitter.com/editorbreeze

Managing Editor Toni Sciacqua: www.twitter.com/dailybreezeME

Assistant City Editor (and pets blogger) Josh Grossberg: www.twitter.com/dbdog

Crime Reporter Larry Altman: http://www.twitter.com/dbreezecrime

Courts Reporter Denise Nix: www.twitter.com/dbreezecourts

Beach Cities Reporter Andrea Woodhouse: www.twitter.com/akwoodhouse

Gardena, Lawndale and Hawthorne Reporter Sandy Mazza: www.twitter.com/dailybreezeSM

Harbor Area Reporter (and pets blogger) Donna Littlejohn: www.twitter.com/dbbark

We are always looking for places to connect into the “interwebs”- here’s a tip for those of you with iphones!  - Vicki & Jen

Free Wi-Fi for Apple iPhone users at Starbucks

Nov 11, 2008 by Kevin Shawver

FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone users at Starbucks equipped with a hotspot. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite coffee in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. Find an AT&T Wi-Fi location near you.

This is how iPhone customers get started with Wi-Fi:

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select “attwifi” from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap ‘continue’
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

 original posting: http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2008/11/11/free-wi-fi-for-apple-iphone-users-at-starbucks.aspx

We are!  When we first heard about Twitter, we thought “eh. Like we really have time for this?”  Then, we started checking it out.  It’s a social networking site (what? You aren’t all over the social networking? But ALL the cool kids are doing it! hahaha!) that is really just a quick update on whatever you, and your friends, are doing.  In and of it’s self, it’s really not much- it’s all in how you use it, and who you “follow” and who “follows” you. 

 For example, some of our family is on it, so we follow them (ie, we get their updates) and they follow us (the get our updates).  Then we branched out and started looking for some other Realtors we know.  Found them, and started following them, and they followed us in return.  The “follow” business is really just connecting with the other person. 

We have gotten some *great* ideas from following people in our industry.  We are following loan brokers, Realtors, REO specialists, and industry-specific journalists.  You wouldn’t believe the people you will find on here- Obama twitters.  Palin twitters.  Starbucks twitters.  Zappos twitters (he is a great one to follow!) CNN twitters.  Or…are they “tweeting”?  I’m not all the way down with the lingo yet.

So…I invite you to follow us!!!  Go to www.twitter.com, set up an account (super easy!) then go to www.twitter.com/vgoorchenko & www.twitter.com/jgoorchenko and click on the follow button.  Can’t wait to see you there!

- Vicki & Jen 

 PS- more info on twitter to follow…

I just listed a beautiful beach home: www.1800pch10.com 

I used to live in 1800 PCH, and I have to say, I loved it!  If they had single story units (ie: no stairs!) we’d still be there. We walked to Bristol Farms, Albertsons, Starbucks and Coffee Bean (for the divided families! There is also The Welcome Cafe downstairs, and Coffee Cartel for the fierce independants!).  Everyone always met at our house for the big family events, and we’d walk to Chez Melange or Buca di Beppo.  And, if we were THAT type, we would have walked to the gym that was next door to Buca.  But, in case you didn’t know, I have very severe allergies- exercise being one that somehow, no doctor has diagnosed yet. 

We just put this house on the market this week, and we’ve had a lot of interest in it already! We will have it open this Sunday, Nov 9, from 2-4 in case you want to stop, or in case you want to send a friend by to check it out. 

By the way- there isn’t a size limit on pets in this complex,  and this unit has a huge L-shaped all brick yard with plenty of room for large dogs, as well as all the patio furniture and bbq’s you could want!

We love us some Coldstone Ice Cream!!!  Truth be told, we just indulged in some this past weekend- which when I learned about the “7th Annual World’s Largest Ice Cream Social” benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Sept 25th (TOMORROW!!!) from 5-8pm.  They have two creation choices for your complimentry 3oz serving:

I can’t decide which one sounds better! Any donations that night benefit the Make A Wish Foundation- so get out and be social! Hope to see you there!   - Vicki

REMEMBER: Thursday, 5-8, at your local Coldstone!

Wow!  When I heard about this Sunday night, I was little scared.  I mean, it happened on a SUNDAY NIGHT!  I thought for sure financial disaster was immenent, otherwise wouldn’t they wait until a regular work day?  Well, turns out the timing wasn’t a red flag, it was just when they decided to do it.  I think the takeover really is in the best interest of the taxpayers of the US.  It’s amazing, when you really look into it, just how tied into our country’s overall financial being these 2 companies are.  Yes, it will cost money to take these companies over, but in the long run I think it will be worth it in order to keep the financial sector of our country rolling along.  This is a great interview I heard this morning on NPR, and her is the article I found that accompanies it.  If you aren’t listening to NPR, you are missing out!

This is a GREAT time to buy Real Estate- interest rates are great, and we only have until the end of the year to take advantage of the current FHA limits to secure a great loan on a house here in SoCal!

Totally Random Recommendation 

As many of you know, I have the pleasure of traveling to Alaska every few months to visit my kids.  So in honor of Alaska’s Govenor being tapped for the Republican ticket, here is my latest Random Recommendation: 

Best Place for Breakfast in Anchorage, AK: Snow City Cafe.  YUM!  Try the Crabby Omelet or the Seattle Chop (or Jen’s fave, the chicken salad sandwich!) Oh!  And don’t forget to order Sourdough Toast with your breakfast and try the jam on the table- they sell the jam to take home too, that’s how good they are!  (Or you can order the jam online!  http://www.sunfreshjam.com/index.cfm/page/Freezerves) 

www.SnowCityCafe.com

If you don’t already know, I’m a huge dog lover, so I want to make sure everyone knows about this.  Please pass it on to other dog owners!

http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2008/08/more-dog-food-recalled.html

So what kind of house does a Billionaire buy?  (For the record, I married a Russian, but not one of THESE Russians!)

 http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/realestate/2008/08/11/riviera-home-sale-forbeslife-cx_mw_0811realestate.html?feed=rss_forbeslife_realestate

If you are in or near Austin, go to Ironworks Restaurant!  Since Keller Williams is based in Austin, TX, I get there a few times a year for Masterminds and other fun stuff.  Every time I go there now (going again soon- yay!) , I convince someone to go to Ironworks with me!  It’s a short drive from where we usually stay, but it’s soooo worth it!  Check it out online, and let me know if you are going to Austin- maybe we can meet up at Ironworks!

www.ironworksbbq.com

Want to know if YOUR Starbucks is on the chopping block?  Here is the list- my fingers are crossed for you!

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/USStoreClosureInfo.pdf

The housing rescue bill appears to be in limbo. It is expected to pass the Senate today or tomorrow, but then the Senate version faces substantial opposition from the House of Representatives. The White House also is still threatening veto. Read the rest of this entry »