An informational source for people who are relocating, with a particular focus on moving to the Carlsbad area of North County San Diego (and nearby coastal communities), with advice, guidance and true stories to help you on your way and make it a great journey, from a REALTOR� with plenty of personal (4 major moves, most recently from Boston to Carlsbad, California) and professional relocation experience. Are you running into problems selling your home? Need to find a new one quickly? Never moved before and haven't a clue? You'll find some great tips on how to solve your relocation issues here. Or ask me a question any time and I'll share some solutions or tell you where to get more information.
CA DRE License #01490977
Researching Schools When Relocating - How to do it
Area schools are often one of the major criteria buyers are concerned about when searching for a new Carlsbad home (and elsewhere), and it’s not only those with school-age children.
This is particularly important for those who are relocating and are not familiar with the schools in the community. So how do you find out about the schools in the communities you are thinking about for your new home?
If I can provide more information about this community or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
50 Largest Cities in the US - Information for Relocation Home Buyers
Recent statistics indicate that lots of people are continuing to move, especially to the south (such as Texas) and the west. Some cities are growing while others are losing population. Detroit, for example, has lost many of its population, perhaps due to the economic situation they have been experiencing for some time.
As part of your due diligence, you may be wondering about that new city you are moving to.
Or perhaps you are considering several places but don't know much about them, and want to know more. I can tell you quite a bit about San Diego, as I live here, but not necessarily a great deal about some other cities.
And if you are curious about the rank order of the largest 50 cities, here's the list.
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If I can provide more information about the Carlsbad area or the housing market in general, or otherwise assist you in your homes search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360
or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
People relocate for lots of reasons - health, family, cost of living, jobs, schools, retirement, and more. Often there are several reasons that are prompting someone to make a change in where they live, apart from moving to a larger or smaller house.
One of the issues I frequently see relocating buyers struggle with is that of lifestyle - they way they like to live and entertain, things they like to do, the pace, hobbies and activities, cultural events, and much more. It seems that some folks, when moving to a new area, are seeking a new lifestyle, whatever that might be. Perhaps they know what they want and how they would like to alter their current lifestyle in their new locale.
Others seem to be trying to maintain the same lifestyle while living in a new area. Sometimes this is not so easy to do. And perhaps it is not reasonable, depending on your lifestyle, say, to think that the way you live now in one of the New England states will be the same way you can live moving here to Southern California. Not that it is completely different, mind you, but there are differences.
If you are moving here, or elsewhere, because of the lifestyle the new location offers, then you are probably going to have less of an issue adapting. It is a change, but it is something you are seeking, a goal. But if the new location differs dramatically, the change may be more difficult than you expect.
Trying to force the same lifestyle in your new location could be frustrating. More traffic, different weather, differences in the cultural activities available to you, making new friends, and more contribute to stress and a feeling of not fitting it, or not having the lifestyle you once had. Most folks overcome this and create a new way of living that fits with their style AND the new location. Some find it too hard and never adapt, and perhaps return to the old way, and the old home.
I would encourage you to consider this in your relocation plans, and recognize that a period of adapting will be needed. You may feel like a fish out of water for a bit...but that's normal. Relocation can have a big emotional and psychological impact. Make an effort to embrace the new activities, events, and lifestyle (perhaps it's more beach oriented) and enjoy trying new things and having varied experiences. Rather than bemoaning what you have given up, rejoice in the adventures and discoveries of life in the new home. Who knows, you may grow to love you new lifestyle more than the old one.
Getting the word about about my blog is important to me. The more folks who know about it, the more who will learn about relocation and how to deal with the issues they may be confronting, and things they should consider when selling and buying during the relocation process.
From the beginning my intent has been to create a source of information that relocating homeowners could refer to for help before and during their relocation. And I continue to seek ways to get the word out about relocation.
One of the new ways I am marketing my relocation blog is through listing it in directories. A new site I have just joined is RSSHugger, whose goal is to bring bloggers and readers together. Marketing my blog this way gets it in front of more folks who can benefit from the information, as well as providing readers with more great sources of on-line information.
The Internet is a terrific source of information for homeowners and would-be buyers. RSSHugger is another way to spread the word on what is available for those who need help.
In today’s market it is not unusual for sellers who are relocating, especially for a new job, to reach a point where they NEED to move to the new location but still have not sold their current home.
How can you best handle this situation, and protect your investment?
Discuss the situation with your REALTOR and reach an agreement regarding him/her checking the house regularly, especially after bad weather (say, at lest once per week or more). They ought to do this without you asking but better to be sure.
Entrust a good friend or neighbor with a key to also check in, in case your REALTOR gets busy and is not available, or forgets to check in. Have them check the bathrooms in case they have been used by folks touring the home, and watch for leaky pipes and sinks. They can also check the heat and AC in case buyers or agents turn them on and forget to turn them off.
Turn off the water to the washer if there is one in the house.
Keep the utilities – yes, it will cost a little, but it is not impressive to show a home without a any lights, especially on a cloudy day or in the evenings. And if it’s the cold season you do not want the temperature in your home to go too low – pipes could freeze, and it’s an annoyance for buyers who are touring your home.
Want to learn more about how to protect your vacant home and keep it salable?
Many folks need to be concerned about their pets when relocating, in addition to the kids, furniture and a myriad of other issues.
Moving short distances are easier to contend with, in general, but there are some things to consider so your pet can make the transition as easy as possible.
Some time ago I shared some information on moving with pets based on personal experience as well as conversations with folks who has dealt with these issues.
There is a new service that is available to those who have pets to move, or perhaps will be traveling and want to take them along.
PetRelocation is a new service that can provide door-to-door assistance for your pet, whether in the US or around the world. With a network of transportation carriers and route, the company can provide help to a wide range of pets and their owners.
There is also local information about vets, dog parks and vaccination requirements (which can vary quite a bit when traveling outside the US).
Don't forget to plan for your pet's relocation too. It will make his/her life much easier, and safer.
The conforming loan limits for loans funded by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae now have temporary new limits.
In the past, buyers who needed a loan larger than the conforming limit (i.e., the JUMBO loan) of $417,000 paid a higher interest rate. For many, the significant increase in the monthly payment was enough to keep them out of the buying market, especially in areas like Carlsbad (and San Diego in general) where median home prices generally exceed this limit.
The new limits, in place for loan that originated between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008, are $697,500 for a 1-unit dwelling, and up to $1,341,350 for a 4-unit property.
These changes are expected to bring more buyers into the pricey Carlsbad and San Diego housing markets, and coupled with the declines in prices we have seen in the last few years, increase the affordability level for many.
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Carlsbadbuyers, whether you seeking your first home or are someone who is more experienced, there will be situations that arise when you had better call in the professionals.
Buyers should always have a home inspection completed on a prospective purchase, even if it is new construction. This is a vital piece of your buyer due diligence. You want to know what you are buying, in terms of needed repairs, deferred maintenance, and material defects, plus it’s a good way to gain an education about the home you are buying and its systems.
Having a home inspection is especially important in the case of short sales and foreclosures where the homes are typically being sold “as is.” Read more about buying a short sale.
But there are other times when buyers should call in the professionals.
The home inspector may uncover substantial issues, such as electrical defects or safety hazards, leaks in plumbing fixtures, heating or AC units that do not function as they should, and occasionally more serious issues such as cracks in the slab.
The home inspector is just that. S/he is not a licensed trades person, generally, so their knowledge about how defects should be repaired, the causes of those defects, and the repair costs is limited. And legally they may not be able to give you that sort of advice.
As a buyer, how do you address these problems?
Calling in the professionals (a licensed plumber, electrician, HVAC vendor, roofing contractor) will enable you to gain a better idea of the nature of the problems, how they can be addressed, and the potential costs (some will do estimates for free, others will charge a fee to be subtracted if you engage their services). Given the hourly rates that the trades charge, knowing these potential costs can make a difference in your decision to buy, since these repairs, if significant, could end up costing thousands of dollars and you must take them on yourself after the purchase.
You always have the option to negotiate having some repairs taken care of by the sellers, or making a price adjustment. However, the seller may not be willing to do this, or may take care of only some of the issues that concern you. Having documentation from a licensed trades person may help determine how much you can negotiate, and can better support a price reduction or a credit at closing.
In some cases, a significant enough issue, or series of problems, may prompt you to decide the home is more than you are willing or able to take on.
And bear in mind that lenders may not provide loans on homes that have substantial issues such as cracked or unstable foundations.
One further point on calling in the professionals. In California it is customary for the seller to have a termite inspection done and to take care of any issues, although this is subject to negotiations (but not mandated by law). If this is not done for some reason, you should definitely call in a professional to make sure there are no wood-boring pest problems. If there is infestation and/or damage these issues will need to be addressed appropriately (BTW most lenders will require that a home receive a clearance from a licensed inspection company that infestation has been addressed). Read about termite tenting here.
Sellers - If you are selling your home as the first step in your relocation and your home has some deferred maintenance, OR you suspect there are some problem areas, better call in the professionals.
Many of us have lived in our homes for a bit, and sometimes that means some maintenance issues we have NOT attended to. Yeah, we've always meant to but somehow the time just gets away from us. And suddenly it's time to sell and we have a problem. And there is not some wizard who is going to magically appear and make the problem go away.
In some cases we know there are significant issues, such as plumbing and electrical, nd these need to be addressed.
Having dealt with many of these sort of issues personally as well as with buyer and seller clients, I would recommend the following:
1. Have a home inspection UP FRONT to uncover those issues that may plague when it comes to the buyer's home inspection. No point in having a sale fall apart because YOU did not address a repair problem that you knew about, or worse one that surprises you (I have had several situations where there were hazardous wiring conditions in the main electrical boxes which almost cost sellers' their deals and cost them lots of money to fix).
2. In the absence of a full-blown inspection, bring in a appropriate tradespeople to assess the problem areas and have them take care of them. More significant issues are better addressed by a licensed professional so a buyer is less likely to question the fix. And you can provide documentation from a licensed professional as to how the problem was repaired. Buyers tend to be kinda squirrelly when told a problem was repaired by the homeowner, especially if substantial or the fix does not meet code requirements according to the home inspector.
3. When there are repair issues raised by a buyer through their inspection, have the problems taken care of by licensed folks (obviously this depends on what you end up negotiating with the buyers). You can also simply have an estimate of the cost of repairs done to determine if you even WANT to take on the repair or perhaps prefer to negotiate the sales price.
Anyone who has been reading my thoughts about house hunting can tell I am a big fan of the Internet. I use it extensively in my efforts to help buyers and sellers, and before I moved to California spent many months looking on-line to learn about the Southern California communities I thought I would like to explore for my next home (and we found our house on-line before we ever saw it).
There is so much you can learn as a buyer before you ever set foot in a potential home that meets your criteria, especially if you are relocating to a new area you are completely unfamiliar with. It can save you time, money (e.g., fewer house hunting trips) and frustration. You can learn more about the local market, get a sense of housing styles, compare homes, and much more. With applications like Google Earth you can get street views and look at the local topography, map links will show you distances, and traffic sites can tell you about the local and commuter traffic on the major roads.
BUT I think there are some negatives, too, or at least disadvantages. There are just some things that we want to know about communities and homes that you just will not get on-line, no matter how thorough you are. This has become more and more clear as I talk to buyers who are planning to relocate here, or are exploring the area, and who have questions about proximity to the beaches, views, nearness to amenities, the influence of the weather patterns, noise from the train and the freeway, and more.
In our area, with the diversity of views, housing, neighborhoods, amenities and topography, learning what most want to really know about the area so they can decide where they want to live will require a personal visit, as well as some detailed questions to a trusted real estate professional. Gaining the real feel for a neighborhood still requires a bit of touching in person.
Don't, by any means, give up the Internet searching, It's an essential part of the house hunting process. But recognize that some of what you probably need to know will transcend what is available on-line.
RSS Blog Feed
Area schools are often one of the major criteria buyers are concerned about when searching for a new Carlsbad home (and elsewhere), and it’s not only those with school-age children.
Recent statistics indicate that lots of people are continuing to move, especially to the south (such as Texas) and the west. Some cities are growing while others are losing population. Detroit, for example, has lost many of its population, perhaps due to the economic situation they have been experiencing for some time.
Others seem to be trying to maintain the same lifestyle while living in a new area. Sometimes this is not so easy to do. And perhaps it is not reasonable, depending on your lifestyle, say, to think that the way you live now in one of the New England states will be the same way you can live moving here to Southern California. Not that it is completely different, mind you, but there are differences..gif)
Getting the word about about my blog is important to me. The more folks who know about it, the more who will learn about relocation and how to deal with the issues they may be confronting, and things they should consider when selling and buying during the relocation process.
One of the new ways I am marketing my relocation blog is through listing it in directories. A new site I have just joined is .jpg)
In today’s market it is not unusual for sellers who are relocating, especially for a new job, to reach a point where they NEED to move to the new location but still have not sold their current home.
Many folks need to be concerned about their pets when relocating, in addition to the kids, furniture and a myriad of other issues. .jpg)
Carlsbad
Calling in the professionals (a licensed plumber, electrician, HVAC vendor, roofing contractor) will enable you to gain a better idea of the nature of the problems, how they can be addressed, and the potential costs (some will do estimates for free, others will charge a fee to be subtracted if you engage their services). Given the hourly rates that the trades charge, knowing these potential costs can make a difference in your decision to buy, since these repairs, if significant, could end up costing thousands of dollars and you must take them on yourself after the purchase.
Many of us have lived in our homes for a bit, and sometimes that means some maintenance issues we have NOT attended to. Yeah, we've always meant to but somehow the time just gets away from us. And suddenly it's time to sell and we have a problem. And there is not some wizard who is going to magically appear and make the problem go away.
Anyone who has been reading my thoughts about house hunting can tell I am a big fan of the Internet. I use it extensively in my efforts to help buyers and sellers, and before I moved to California spent many months looking on-line to learn about the Southern California communities I thought I would like to explore for my next home (and we found our house on-line before we ever saw it).