Behind Closed Doors

Aug. 27, 2011

Does This Inspire You to Buy This Home?

Real Estate Photos?  Do they inspire you to buy a home?

As a real estate agent, I review new home listings on a daily basis for my existing home buyer clients and to keep track of home inventory in the surrounding Pasadena neighborhoods. I start by looking in is ...

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Aug. 20, 2011

Selling Your Home? Top 10 Tax Tips per IRS

If you are selling your home, you'll want to understand your tax implications - positive or negative - prior to listing your home for sale.  The first thing that you want to do is to consult with your CPA (Certified Public Accountant) for tax advice.  Next, a consultation with ...

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Aug. 14, 2011

South Pasadena House Pick

As I was previewing South Pasadena homes that were just listed for sale, I came across this little gem.  Located at 1102 Foothill Street, it is a perfect condo alternative in one of the cutest South Pasadena neighborhoods.

This contemporary house is in move-in ready condition with large windows ...

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July 19, 2011

Luxury Home Buyers: High Balance Loan Limits are Expiring!

Are you in the market for a luxury home in the Greater Pasadena area?  If so, you need to be aware that effective September 30th of 2011, High Balance Loan Limits that have been in effect for awhile now will expire.

What does this mean for you? It means ...

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July 19, 2011

8 Tips for California Home Sellers BEFORE Listing Your Home For Sale

Are you planning to sell your home in Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, South Pasadena, Altadena or surrounding neighborhoods? Here are 8 tips to help you avoid last minute scrambling and get through the home selling process as hassle-free as possible.

Beautiful Home For Sale

  1. Review Construction Permits for Completion - Go to your city's ...
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July 17, 2011

Tips and Tricks from WordCamp San Diego

I've been blogging for the last three + years and have learned little by little the ins and outs of using WordPress, the different themes that are available, as well as how to optimize my site for Google and search engines (SEO).

Yesterday, I decided to attend my first WordCamp ...

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July 9, 2011

How Correct is Your Home's Zestimate?

Zillow, the real estate website, made famous by their Zestimates has made some changes in their home value calculations algorithms.  There was a great article by Robbie Whelan of WSJ.com below.

Some of my thoughts on the subject:

  • Zillow Zestimates provide a base and somewhat of a starting ...
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June 3, 2011

House Hunting - Weekly Picks - San Marino & Pasadena

Looking for a home in Pasadena and/or San Marino? As I was previewing homes yesterday, these three homes for sale caught my attention.

The first home is in Pasadena and it's a "move in" craftsman located in Bungalow Heaven.  In chatting with the home seller when visiting ...

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May 26, 2011

3 Must Know Steps to Buying a Pasadena Home Hassle Free

Our Pasadena area real estate website is visited by thousands of home buyers daily.  All of them with one purpose - finding a Pasadena home for sale that is right for them at the best possible price.   However, home buying can be very stressful.  So what can you ...

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April 18, 2011

Invasion of Privacy or Not

I just got back home after holding an open house today.  When real estate agents hold open houses, it is customary to have a registry sheet or as I do, register folks via my iPad.  This is done for several reasons:

1.  Safety Concerns for the real ...

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