The Q2 2020 Southern California Gardner Report Is Here.
Caroline
3 Home Buying No-No’s To Avoid!
In my tidbit this week, I share with you 3 important No-No’s to avoid and how to plan around them as a home buyer!
Top 3 Tips to Increase Your Credit Score!
By Caroline Abkar, REALTOR®, B.Sc.Eng.
5/29/2020
Why is it important to increase your credit score? A high credit score means a better interest rate when it comes to applying for a mortgage loan. And a better interest rate means you pay less every single month to own your home!
There are several factors that affect your credit score, but these top 3 tips are the ones that will increase your credit score most.
Tip #1 to increase your credit score: Pay your bills on time.
Tip #2 to increase your credit score: Keep your credit card balance and utilization ratio as low as possible.
Tip #3 to increase your credit score: Don’t apply for a new credit card if you will be applying for a loan in the near future.
Watch the video for all the details around these 3 tips.
As always, if you have any questions or need help buying or selling a house, please reach out!
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🏡 Caroline Abkar, REALTOR®, B.Sc.Eng.
Your Trusted Realtor and Advisor For Life
Windermere Homes & Estates
DRE# 01998434
Cell: 619.808.4804
www.yoursandiegorealty.com
About the author: Caroline Abkar is an established San Diego Realtor and Bay Park resident who is absolutely passionate about the community as well as representing her clients in selling and acquiring the biggest investment of their lives. A former successful engineer & project manager, she is very detail-oriented and will go above and beyond for those who place their trust in her. You can contact her anytime at 619-808-4804.
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Should You Buy A House Sight Unseen?
By Caroline Abkar, Realtor, B.Sc.Eng.
5/20/2020
It used to be that buying a house sight unseen was mainly for out of area buyers who needed to get their hands on a home but didn’t have the ability to be present on site on time. Now, with COVID-19 changing our interactions and the way we do business, there are more and more statistics showing that several buyers successfully buy their house sight unseen. This is even truer in competitive price points when time is of the essence. I personally have had several clients ask if this is the “new” way of purchasing real estate. It’s time to share my honest opinion!
Top 3 Things To Look For in a Realtor!
By Caroline Abkar, Realtor
5/12/2020
👩🏻💻👨💻👩🏽💻🧑🏿💻👨💻🎥 There is one thing you can do right now if a move is in your future, and that is leveraging video calls to interview and identify your dream team, including your Realtor & lender! In this video, I share the 3 very important things to look for in a Realtor!
About the author: Caroline Abkar is an established San Diego Realtor and Bay Park resident who is absolutely passionate about the community as well as representing her clients in selling and acquiring the biggest investment of their lives. She will go above and beyond for those who place their trust in her. You can contact her anytime at 619-808-4804.
Follow me!
YouTube: My YouTube Channel
Facebook: My Facebook Business Page
Instagram: My Instagram Page
Q&A with Bay Hill Tavern in Bay Park, San Diego
By Caroline Abkar, REALTOR
5/11/2020
Please note: I wrote this pre-COVID-19 but didn’t get around to publishing it. I hope you enjoy getting to know our new local restaurant a little more. At the moment, they are open and offering their menu!
As with all my blog posts, I was not offered any complimentary meals in exchange for this post.
A few months ago, locals in Bay Park, Bay Ho, Clairemont and nearby neighborhoods rejoiced as a new eatery opened in town: Bay Hill Tavern. This family friendly restaurant defines itself as a neighborhood bar and restaurant offering brunch on weekend mornings, hosting live music on weekend nights and open late 7-nights a week. Their mission is to offer a clean, open and inviting atmosphere serving cold beer, wine by the glass and well-executed cocktails and American-fare.
COVID-19 & Real Estate: What You Should Know if You’re in the Market.
By Caroline Abkar, Realtor
3/27/2020
Whether you’re in the market now or will be in the near future, this video will help you understand what to look out for and how COVID-19 is affecting the real estate market right now.
California’s Proposition 13 Ballot Measure 2020: What, Why?
By Caroline Abkar, Realtor
3/2/2020
There is good reason to be confused about the California Proposition 13 ballot measure. While I won’t sway anyone’s vote one way or another, I think it’s important to make the most informed decision possible so here is a breakdown of what you need to read/know.
Firstly, this ballot measure is not, nor does it have any real bearing on, the Proposition 13 — the landmark 1978 initiative that limits property taxes and restricts their annual increase. That Prop 13 transformed the state’s finances and has since become a “third rail” in California politics. It seems like an accident of fate that they have the same name.
The Best Answer to ‘What Is My Home Worth?’
‘What Is My Home Worth’? Ah, the million dollar question. Today, I’m give you tidbits to figure out what your home is worth. The classic thing that everybody does is go on Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, to see what their home is worth. And while that’s a good starting point, it definitely is not going to give you the best answer possible. And that’s because algorithms and computers do not take very specific factors into account. I have a whole other tidbit that you can find on my YouTube channel about Zestimates and how they’re calculated. But in order for you to know what to list for, the first thing you need to do with your realtor is look at comps. Actually your realtor should be looking at comps. And when I say comps, I don’t mean all the homes that have sold that have the same specs as yours within your entire zip code. That is too broad.
You need to look at what I like to call your micro neighborhood. You need to first of all, look at your home and your lot and find homes that have sold in the recent past three to six months that are similar in lot size and also are they a flat lot or is yours on a hill? That’s something that you need to take into account as well. The layout of your home, so inside your house, how is it laid out? You can’t know that, but your realtor who is a neighborhood expert, should have a good sense of those homes that have sold and walked inside of them to know functionally how well they were laid out compared to yours. Indeed, a functional layout is one of the top things that can affect the price.
Can You Cancel Escrow As a Buyer or Seller?
Are you wondering if you can cancel the contract once you are in escrow on the purchase or sales of a home? Watch your tidbit of the week to find out!
By Caroline Abkar, REALTOR
2/11/2020
