Deborah Engel

Carmel Valley, San Diego (92130) Home Market Update

2010-03-06T05:37:00Z

Carmel Valley, San Diego (92130) Home Market Update Total Number of Homes For Sale: 194 (30 are short sales) Detached : 134 (10 are short sales) Townhomes : 25 (5 are short sales) Condos : 35 (15 are short sales) Price Range : $215,000-$6,949,000 (median $972,500) Detached : $579,000-$6,949,000 (median: $1,319,000) Townhomes : $335,000-$714,900 (median: $499,000) Condos : $215,000-$565,000 (median: $375,000) Homes Currently in Escrow (Pending Status): 82 Detached : 45 Townhomes : 19 Condos : 18 Total...(read more)

San Diego's Ugly Dog Contest this Sunday

2010-03-05T01:32:00Z

This Sunday, March 7, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is the 15th Annual Ugly Dog Contest . In addition to the Ugly Dog prize, contests will be held for other categories including, Best St. Patty's Day Costume, Cutest Dog, Best Mutt, Best Trick, and the Dog Who Looks Most Like its Owner, among others. Tickets are $8 for adults and $2 for children (with an additional cost if you are entering your dog), with proceeds benefiting: Rancho Coastal Humane Society Safehouse Program , Helen Woodward Therapeutic...(read more)

Buying a Condo? Don't Forget Insurance.

2010-02-27T06:02:00Z

While insurance isn't the most glamorous topics, it's a vital part of home ownership. Generally, when buying a condo or townhome, your HOA dues help pay for a master insurance policy to cover the structure. You, or the interior of your condo, isn't covered under the master policy, so if your home is burglarized, damaged by fire/flood, or if someone hurts themselves inside your home, you have no insurance protection. To protect yourself you can purchase a special policy, called an "HO-6"...(read more)

7 Truths about Buying a Short Sale

2010-02-26T03:53:00Z

With so many short sales on the market it's hard to ignore them. A short sale is where the seller owes more on the home loan than he can sell it for. So, he'll come up "short" on paying back the full loan amount. If the seller has cash to make up the difference he can pay the short fall. If not then he will need to pursue a short sale, where the bank agrees to take less than the amount owed. This presents problems for the seller and buyer because both are at the mercy of the bank's...(read more)

Um...I've Changed My Mind...Sorry

2010-02-23T04:43:00Z

"I've Changed My Mind." On Friday at 3:00 pm I put a new home listing on the San Diego market. By Sunday, we had multiple offers and were over asking price. Out of the offers, two were particularly strong and the sellers accepted one of them. Before letting the other agents know, I confirmed with the buyers' agent to make sure they wanted the home (yes, they did and even visited the home a second time and "loved" it). This morning the buyers' agent let me know that...(read more)

Don't Be Caught Running a Red Light in San Diego

2010-02-21T05:41:00Z

Run a red light in San Diego and a camera may catch you. State law allows cameras to be set up at different intersections, and if you run a red light you'll get a ticket. When you run a red light at an intersection with a camera, it takes several pictures of the driver committing the violation. If you're the car's registered owner you'll get a ticket, with a minimum of a $426 fine. Because drivers who run red lights contribute to accidents, the law was designed to help reduce the...(read more)

Get a Tax Break for Owning a Piece of San Diego History

2010-02-19T06:07:00Z

When I worked as an attorney for the City of San Diego I advised the Historical Resources Board, which designates specific areas or properties as being "historically significant to San Diego." The benefit to San Diego is that it retains some of the older homes that may otherwise be torn down. The benefit to you, the homeowner? Besides maintaining a piece of San Diego's history, you may qualify for great property tax incentives under the Mills Act . If your property is designated an...(read more)

Knock Knock! It's Your Neighbor!

2010-02-18T05:24:00Z

I was staging a home that I am selling in San Diego (Scripps Ranch) when I heard a knock on the door. I opened it and a neighbor, sensing that I was a Realtor, asked if the home was being sold. He asked for my business card because he had a friend who wanted to live in the neighborhood and may be interested. About a half hour later I got a call from the neighbor's friend's Realtor asking me about the home and when they could see it. Many sellers believe that "Just Listed" cards...(read more)

Lower Your Mortgage Debt Quicker Yourself

2010-02-15T05:32:00Z

Lower Your Mortgage Debt Quicker Yourself. If you have a mortgage your lender has probably offered you enrollment in its biweekly mortgage payment program. If you enroll, you pay set up fees and then make payments every other week. Over time, making payments this way decreases the principal quicker than paying the mortgage amount each month. Instead of making 12 payments per year, you'll make 26 payments. In effect this equals making one extra month's mortgage payment each year, which is...(read more)

What's in YOUR San Diego Neighborhood?

2010-02-14T05:23:00Z

With more people becoming more energy efficient, health conscious, and fiscally conservative, being able to walk to stores, coffee shops and entertainment has become a priority in buying a home. One tool to help you decide whether a home has "walkability" is WalkScore . The website reports the walkability of a home's particular neighborhood, on a scale of 1-100. It factors in roads, accessibility, schools, restaurants, entertainment, parks, and more. It provides interesting and helpful...(read more)

A Good Agent Will.....

2010-02-12T17:02:00Z

Recently I was interviewed by an MSN.com writer who was doing a story about good vs. bad agents. The story can be found here ....(read more)

Credit Score Myths

2010-02-12T06:02:00Z

Your credit score controls so many aspects of your ability to get credit, whether to buy a home, a car, or to get credit from another source. It's hard to figure out what things will help increase your credit score. Linda Ferrari, an expert on credit scores, compiled a list of credit score myths worth taking a look at. When I was trying to get my credit score up, I made several mistakes. Pay attention to what credit you get and what you do with the credit you get....(read more)

You MUST Recycle or Get Fined

2010-02-10T15:45:00Z

You MUST recycle or get fined. As of January 1, the City of San Diego requires all residences (and some businesses) to recycle. Actually since 2008 all people in single family homes with direct trash pick-up have been required to recycle, but now even multi-family homes (apartments, condos and town homes) with community trash bins have the same requirement. Of course if you live in a development where there are community trash and recycling areas you can't really be responsible for the whole...(read more)

Solana Beach's Fun and Funky Cedros Avenue Design District

2010-02-10T05:05:00Z

While showing an out of town client different areas and homes in San Diego, we decided to stop for lunch in Solana Beach . If you haven't been to Solana Beach lately, make sure to visit the Cedros Avenue Design District , located at Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach. It's a cool, modern, and fun street filled with the popular Belly Up Tavern , a couple restaurants, spas, art galleries, antique stores, a pet boutique, and many other great businesses. There are over 85 shops and businesses worth...(read more)

You're Working with a Licensed Agent....So What?

2010-02-09T15:47:00Z

So what if you're working with a licensed real estate agent? Real estate agents come in all varieties and backgrounds. Do you really know who you are working with? In California, until fairly recently it was pretty easy to get a real estate license. Although the licensing requirements have become more education focused (thank goodness), it's important for you to know more about the agent that you are trusting to help you buy or sell your home.

-- Is your agent a REALTOR (fyi, although it is proper to use "REALTOR" in all caps, so not to abuse the caps in this blog, I will just capitalize the first letter)? Yes, there is a difference between a licensed real estate agent who is a Realtor and those who are not. A Realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which requires them to abide by certain ethical and professional standards. Not all licensed agents are Realtors. I am proud to be a Realtor. I get the benefits of being a member of NAR and take my responsibilities to my clients very seriously. There are some agents who have chosen not to become Realtors, but if it's important to you, find out why.

--Does your agent have experience? Experience comes in all forms. It could be a newer agent who has experience relating to client service, sales, and real estate. It could be a very experienced agent who has many sales to share. In addition, experience can come from an agent who has either bought or sold their own home so they can understand the process from a buyer/seller perspective. What experience is important to you?

--Does your agent have a commitment to education? In order to maintain a license, the California Department of Real Estate requires a minimum level of continuing education. Remember that this is just the minimum. There are so many additional education opportunities available to an agent (far and beyond the minimum requirements). An agent's commitment to continuing education helps them understand the changing market and issues important to you and your real estate transaction.

--Is your agent available? There is a lot of debate whether a full time agent is better than a part time agent. I am a full time agent and I can't imagine how I could meet my commitment to my clients as a part time agent. Still, whether your agent is full time or part time, you need to make sure you are getting the attention you need and deserve in order to have the best representation possible.

--Does your agent have a history of client satisfaction? Obviously, if your agent is fairly new, he/she won't have a lot of real estate client satisfaction testimonials. Whether new or not, your agent has had interactions with other people in a professional capacity. Exploring those relationships and getting feedback from others familiar with your agent can help in learning more about your agent.

--Does your agent have a commitment to help YOU? If you are ready to buy or sell now (as opposed to just checking things out for a future purchase or sale), is your agent able to give you the time and commitment to help you now?

Choose your agent wisely. It could make the difference between a good and great experience.

Deborah Engel, Prudential California Realty, is a recognized San Diego and Carmel Valley Realtor for top client satisfaction. If you'd like to learn more about Deborah, visit her website, www.PropertyByDeb.com, email her, Deb@PropertyByDeb.com, or call her at 858-829-1989.