Sellers Archives - The Laugesen Team

April 24, 2023

Think Twice Before Waiting for Lower Home Prices or Interest Rates.

The dream of owning a home is something that most people aspire to achieve at some point in their lives. However, deciding when to take the plunge and purchase a home is often complicated by the desire to wait for lower home prices. While waiting for a better deal may seem like a wise choice, there are several factors to consider before deciding to hold off on buying a home.

First and foremost, it is important to understand that trying to time the housing market is risky. Home prices can be affected by a multitude of factors, such as the economy, interest rates, and supply and demand. Trying to predict how all of these factors will interact with one another can be challenging, if not impossible.

Furthermore, waiting for lower home prices may result in missed opportunities. For example, interest rates may rise, making it more difficult to secure a mortgage with a low-interest rate. Additionally, the cost of renting a home may increase, making buying sooner rather than later financially more attractive.

Another consideration is that regional and local factors can influence housing prices. While waiting for a dip in national housing prices may be tempting, your local market may not follow the same trend. Thus, the timing of purchasing a home may ultimately depend on where you live.

Moreover, delaying the purchase of a home can have hidden costs. For instance, if you continue renting, you may be losing out on the tax benefits of homeownership, such as mortgage interest deductions. Additionally, if you wait too long, you may end up spending more on rent than you would have spent on a mortgage payment.

Ultimately, the decision of when to purchase a home should be based on your personal circumstances and financial situation. If you have a stable job and plan to stay in the area for several years, buying a home may make sense regardless of current housing prices. Conversely, if you are uncertain about your future plans or your job stability, it may be wise to hold off on purchasing a home until your circumstances become clearer.

In conclusion, while waiting for lower home prices may seem like a sound strategy, it is important to consider the risks and hidden costs involved. Instead, focus on your personal circumstances and financial situation when deciding whether to purchase a home. By doing so, you will be better equipped to make an informed decision that is right for you.

IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING your Bay Area property, it is important you hire a real estate team of professionals with an extensive portfolio of home sales, a significant list of happy clients and a history of excellence.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT-FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Broker’s Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

By cortney

March 2, 2023

Should You Rent or Buy a Home?

Renting or buying is one of the most common decisions people struggle to make when finding a new place to call home.

Aside from the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with becoming a homeowner, many other reasons make buying the apparent choice.

But before we dive in, we know that buying a home comes at a cost that may seem out of reach to some. Therefore, we always encourage you to consult with an expert to find out your options.

Here are five of our best reasons to buy instead of rent.

#1. Your House, Your Choice

A lot of freedom comes with homeownership – like the freedom to do as you please within your own walls. Want to knock out the island in the kitchen to free up space for you and your family? Or paint over that awful-colored wallpaper plastered across the walls of the primary bath? You can do it. You can change anything you’d like, and you don’t have to ask permission from a landlord. Just be sure to keep building codes in mind for the more extreme projects.

Painting, remodeling, or adding on is all under your control, allowing you to turn your home into everything you want it to be.

#2. Say Goodbye to the Hassles of Apartment Life

If you’re familiar with apartment life, you know it doesn’t come without these frustrations.

Less Privacy: One of the biggest frustrations about living in an apartment is sharing walls with strangers. Hearing their favorite Netflix show or private conversations isn’t exactly the background noise you want when you’re trying to relax in the living room after a long day at work.

Parking: When living in an apartment, you are left with two main options for parking, street parking or a paid spot – and are we really sure of the better choice? Street parking, depending on where you live, can be a safety hazard as well as an inconvenience, and paying for a parking spot is just another charge to tack on the list, along with rent, utilities, electricity, and WiFi. Owning your own home makes parking one less thing to worry about.

Pet Fees: Having pets can limit your living opportunities if you rent an apartment. Some landlords will even ban pets, but others charge fees anywhere from $10-200 monthly. Owning your own home removes this, allowing you to welcome as many pets as possible.

Say goodbye to the hassles of apartment living when you buy instead of rent.

#3. Reap Tax Benefits

As discussed in our previous blog post, there are so many tax benefits to take advantage of when you become a homeowner. To name a few…

Mortgage Interest

Home Equity Loan Interest

Property Taxes

Discount Points

Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

Necessary Home Improvements

Home Office Expenses

These deductions can save you thousands of dollars when all is said and done.

#4. It’s Cheaper Long-Term

It’s no secret that the price of renting has increased across the nation at a fast pace. Last year, the average percentage increase in rent was 12.2% for new tenants and 3.5% for tenants making a lease renewal, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

One of the many benefits of becoming a homeowner is that your monthly mortgage payment won’t change {assuming you’ve chosen a fixed-rate mortgage).

Think of it this way. Each month as a renter, you are handing over your payment with nothing to show for it when you move out. But as a buyer, you are putting money on your mortgage in hopes of paying it off – thus building equity – and eventually even selling it for a profit someday.

#5. Settle Down with Peace of Mind

Aside from being able to make decisions about the appearance of your home and what you do with it – there is a sense of security that comes with being your own landlord. When you are renting, there is always the chance your landlord will choose not to extend your lease for many reasons, like selling the property or other circumstances, leaving you searching for a new place to call home. Owning a home makes it yours and offers the peace of mind you may not always feel as a renter.

We hope this blog post helped provide you with some of the very best reasons to buy a home. If you are looking for a real estate agent to help make your house-hunting experience a seamless and exciting one, don’t hesitate to contact . We look forward to helping you meet your real estate needs.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

By cortney

November 23, 2022

ARE OPEN HOUSES WORTH IT?

Before Covid-19, open houses seemed to be a Sunday staple activity for would-be homebuyers. However, as the pandemic put a halt to almost all in-person activities, the number of open houses dwindled—sellers didn’t want strangers in their homes, and buyers didn’t want to be in the company of too many people.

Although just 4 percent of buyers purchase their homes through open houses, 41 percent still visit open houses as their first step in the home-buying process. To overcome this hurdle, REALTORS® began providing virtual open houses for their clients. And due to the lack of inventory during these past two years, it surprisingly became more commonplace for buyers to purchase a home sight unseen.

As of July 2022, the number of existing homes sold fell for the fifth consecutive month. This slowdown has impacted the number of days a home has been on the market forcing price reductions, which has resulted in an increase in available inventory in some real estate markets. Additionally, 44 percent of agents have reported that with this increase, they have observed a downturn in bidding wars. Hence, buyers who had been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a shift for more favorable market conditions are now beginning to return to the home buying process, and REALTORS® realized the need to conduct open houses on a more regular basis.

Making the Most of Open Houses

Buyers

With busy schedules and day-to-day juggling activities, attending open houses may be more suitable for a buyer’s lifestyle as they begin the homebuying process. The flexibility it offers to view homes at their own pace is often a desirable option. Open houses are great tools for homebuyers to obtain as much information about a home in a more relaxed, stress-free environment.

Sellers

The benefits of having an open house will increase the overall foot traffic into your home and create more visibility. The more exposure your home receives, the more likely you’ll receive multiple offers, possibly driving the sales price higher.

To make the most of an open house remember:

Buyers should come prepared with questions to ask their realtors essential information about the home and take notes for later review to help in decision-making.
Staging and elevating the home’s curb appeal is critical to creating a lasting positive first impression which has been shown to increase the sale price by an average of 7 percent.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

By cortney

November 20, 2022

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS WHILE LISTING YOUR HOME FOR SALE.

Decorating your home for the holidays is only one of the many joys of the season. Decorating can make any home feel joyful, whether it’s with a cornucopia and pumpkins for Thanksgiving, a Douglas fir with lights for Christmas, or a menorah for Hanukkah. When choosing your holiday décor, you might want to remain objective while you’re preparing to sell your home around the holidays. Make use of these decorating recommendations while keeping in mind the selling of your home.

Limit clutter

While some people use the holidays as an opportunity to decorate every nook and cranny of their home, it’s best to keep things to a minimum. A significant focus of staging is to remove clutter to make your home appear as spacious as possible. Select a few pieces of festive flair to bring the holiday spirit into your home, and leave the rest in storage this year. If you need help choosing decorations, you should avoid anything with names or photos. Personalized items can make it difficult for homebuyers to see themselves living in your home.

Don’t block natural light

You should highlight how much natural light your home receives while selling it, so make sure to avoid placing any decorations in front of windows or doors. If you’re limited in the amount of space you have, you can place an item in these areas but be mindful of how it is positioned to maintain the flow of light throughout the room.

Coordinate colors

Certain colors instantly come to mind when you think of the holidays. You may choose a fall color palette when decorating for Thanksgiving and the classic red and green in December. However, it is important to keep your home as visually appealing as possible, so avoid decorations that clash with the current color scheme of your rooms.

Use decorations to accentuate features

Start with some of the best features if you need help deciding where to place decorations when selling your home. This could include a fall-inspired garland for your mantel or mistletoe hanging from an arched doorway. However, you should make sure decorations don’t hide any feature you love. For example, don’t hang seasonal decorations in a window with a spectacular view of your backyard.

Avoid large decorations

Try to limit your decorating to pieces that positively highlight the size and charm of the room. For example, a lush tree can be the ultimate sign that Christmas is on its way. However, if your home is for sale, you may want to go with a smaller tree. While large trees bring a festive feel to your home, they can also make rooms appear small and cramped.

Decorate the exterior

If part of your holiday decorating includes the outside of your home, don’t be afraid to keep up that tradition. Exterior decorating can boost your home’s curb appeal. However, exterior decorating has its limitations, and you should avoid large decorations that take attention away from the aesthetic of your home. You can decorate with a wreath and a few pumpkins for Thanksgiving and replace them with a few strands of white lights and a ribbon on your mailbox for the December holidays.

By creating a cheery feel on the inside and outside of your house, potential buyers will be able to envision having their own celebrations in your home.

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to list and sell your distinctive property successfully.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

By cortney

December 9, 2020

Hot New Listing-647 Hickey Blvd in Daly City

647 Hickey Blvd #dalycity

3 beds, 3 baths

1,740 sqft of living

$1,249,000

This recently rebuilt, modern like-new two story home is located in the most desirable Serramonte neighborhood. Interior has been completely done and many parts of the exterior has been upgraded. This outstanding home showcases today’s desired modern design. Main level features a bright living room with tiled fireplace, large picture windows with panoramic views. Kitchen offers stainless steel appliances, new quartz countertops, plenty of storage and counter space. 3 bedrooms on the main level including a master suite, and 2 bathrooms. Downstairs can be used as a 4th bedroom and office. Expanded new backyard. Located close to shopping centers, bus stop, and schools. Great commuter location with easy access to BART, fwy 280/101, and minutes away from SFO.

www.647hickey.com

The Laugesen Team has the experience, connections and creativity to successfully list and sell your distinctive property.

OUR INNOVATIVE AND PERSONALIZED APPROACH
• Pricing for Success
• Prepare for Top Sale
• Impressive Marketing
• State of the Art Technology
• Network with other High-End Agents

OUR RESULT FOCUSED SERVICE
• Always available to show qualified buyers and agents.
• Schedule Open Houses and Brokers Tour
• Follow-Up Quickly and Consistently
• Immediately respond to all leads.
• Encourage serious buyers to make serious offers.
• Facilitate the closing process to ensure a successful, competitively priced, stress-free sale.

Luxury Real Estate Specialists

Denise Laugesen
Luxury Consultant
deniselaugesenteam@gmail.com
Direct: 650.403.6225
Cell: 650.465.5742
www.thelaugesenteam.com
DRE: # 01011089

Cortney Laugesen
Luxury Consultant
cortneylaug@gmail.com
Direct: 650.403.6226
Cell: 650.678.5084
www.thelaugesenteam.com
DRE: # 01859860

Sheran Honneyman

Luxury Consultant

Buyer’s Specialist

650.678.8493

DRE # 01412131

By cortney

January 13, 2015

These Are The 10 Safest Places In California

If you’re thinking about moving to the Golden State, take a look at this list of California’s 10 safest places—the top spot might just surprise you.

The 10 Safest Places In California By Movoto Real Estate

When it comes to laid back living, California is literally the Golden State. Everybody knows that the vibe here is all about taking it easy—but did you ever wonder why?

Sure, it might have something to do with the nearly perfect weather and constant sunshine. More than that, though, California is generally a pretty safe place to live, allowing us to relax. But which of the state’s fine places are the safest of them all? According to our latest analysis at the Movoto Real Estate Blog, here are the 10 safest places in California:

1. Town of Hillsborough
2. City of Saratoga
3. City of Laguna Woods
4. City of Imperial
5. Town of Moraga
6. City of Rancho Santa Margarita
7. City of Los Altos
8. City of Sierra Madre
9. City of Palos Verdes Estates
10. Town of Danville

What exactly makes these 10 communities so safe? Keep reading to find out the method behind our analysis.

How We Created This Ranking

In order to find these 10 safest places in California, we started by gathering a list of all of the places in the state with populations of 10,000 or more that provided crime data to the FBI in 2012. That left us a grand total of 365 places. Then, we used the FBI’s latest Uniform Crime Report (2012) to research each of these places according to the following seven criteria, measuring each for crimes per 100,000 people:

Murder
Rape
Robbery
Assault
Burglary
Theft
Vehicle theft

We divided these crimes into four distinct categories:

Murders
Violent crimes
Property crimes
Total crimes

We then ranked each of our places with a score of one to 365 according to each category, with one being the safest. Next, we weighted these scores so that murder, violent crime, and property crime each comprised 30 percent of the final score, while total crime made up 10 percent. We averaged these weighted rankings together for each place to get a Big Deal Score. The place with the lowest Big Deal Score was our safest place; in this case, Hillsborough.

If you don’t see your city in our top 10, never fear; you can head down to the bottom of this article to check out a list of the top 50 safest places in California.

1. Hillsborough

Safest Places In California

Source: Town of Hillsborough

Not only is Hillsborough one of the wealthiest towns in the U.S., but according to our numbers, it’s also one of the safest in the country, let alone in California. As you’ll quickly notice, none of the places in our top 10 had any murders reported in 2012, so while Hillsborough excelled in this category, this wasn’t exactly where it stood out.

No, what put Hillsborough above the rest was its nearly nonexistent violent crime. In 2012, Hillsborough only reported nine violent crimes per 100,000, all of which were robberies. Compare that to Emeryville, another Bay Area city with an even smaller population than Hillsborough, where there were a staggering 1,698 violent crimes per 100,000 people reported in 2012, including 29 murders.

2. Saratoga

Safest Places in California

Source: Wikimedia user Mac9

This city in western Silicon Valley is well known for its affluence, family friendly vibe, and high-end boutiques. Underlying it all is a feeling of security due to its unquestionable safety, particularly when it comes to a lack of property crimes.

Saratoga is a city of over 30,000 residents, so it may be especially impressive to know that in 2012, it saw only 753 property crimes per 100,000 people. Additionally, it saw 30 violent crimes per 100,000, none of which included murder, giving the city a total of just 783 crimes per 100,000 people, and residents just a 1 in 128 chance of being the victim of a crime.

3. Laguna Woods

Safest Places in California

Source: Flickr user Tschäff

Laguna Woods is a city in Orange County with a population of just over 16,500, a beautiful border of Laguna Beach to the southwest, and a median age of 78. It’s a retirement community, so it may not come as much of a surprise that it is one of the state’s safest places, especially for a lack of violent crime.

In 2012, Laguna Woods reported only 24 violent crimes per 100,000 people, including 12 robberies and 12 assaults. With a total of 916 crimes per 100,000 people, Laguna Woods residents had just a 1 in 109 chance of being the victim of a crime, which is impressive, but just wait until you see the next place on our list.

4. Imperial

Safest Places in California

Source: Flickr user bdinphoenix

This desert community is well known for its nearby golf courses, sand dunes, and as a great place for bird watching. According to these numbers, it looks like safety should also be added to the list.

That’s because in 2012, Imperial had a total of just 483 property crimes per 100,000 people, including 331 thefts, 112 burglaries, and 40 car thefts per 100,000, placing this city above all other both in terms of property crime and overall crime.

Here’s where this gets really impressive: with this lack of property crime, plus a total of just 46 violent crimes per 100,000, residents here had just a 1 in 189 chance of being the victim of a crime, making this the least likely place to be a victim on our list.

5. Moraga

Safest Places in California

Source: Town of Moraga

Known throughout the state for its stellar school district, this Bay Area town is also one of the state’s safest. In 2012, Moraga reported 927 property crimes, plus just 36 violent crimes, per 100,000 residents.

To put that into perspective for you, let’s take a look at the similarly sized Santa Fe Springs. In 2012, that city had a reported 8,312 crimes per 100,000 people, divided up into 7,712 property crimes and 600 violent crimes (including 12 murders). Whereas residents in Moraga had just a 1 in 104 chance of being the victim of a crime, the residents in Santa Fe Springs had a 1 in 12 chance.

6. Rancho Santa Margarita

Safest Places in California

Source: Flickr user John Alesi

If you’ve ever seen “Desperate Housewives”, you’ve seen Rancho Santa Margarita, as this is the location for most of the show’s filming. Unlike the popular show, though, the real-world Rancho Santa Margarita is not filled with mysterious murders or crimes.

In fact, in 2012, this Orange County city had a total of just 705 crimes per 100,000 people, including 650 property crimes and 55 violent crimes, and no murders. With these stats, Rancho Santa Margarita ranked an impressive second place in our analysis both in the categories of total crime and property crime, giving residents just a 1 in 142 chance of being a victim.

7. Los Altos

Safest Places in California

Source: City of Los Altos

In recent years, Forbes placed this Bay Area city among the most expensive ZIP codes in the United States, only behind places like Alpine, NJ, Atherton, CA, and Beverly Hills, CA—and in looking at these numbers, it’s no surprise.

With just 20 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2012, Los Altos ranked the second least violent in the entire state. These violent crimes included 17 robberies and 3 assaults per 100,000 people; no murders or rapes were reported.

Additionally, Los Altos had 663 thefts, 316 burglaries, and 27 car thefts per 100,000, for a total of 1,006 property crimes per 100,000, ranking it 13th out of 365 in this category. So, really, it’s no wonder residents are willing to pay so much to live here.

8. Sierra Madre

Safest Places in California

Source: City of Sierra Madre

Recently given the prestigious All-America City Award by the National Civic League, this Los Angeles County city ranked well in our analysis for its lack of both violent and property crimes in 2012.

With just 36 violent crimes, and 1,009 property crimes per 100,000, Sierra Madre ranked sixth and 14th in the categories of violent crimes and property crimes, respectively, and 11th in the category of total crime.

Just for comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at another L.A. County city, Los Angeles itself. That huge city had a reported 2,750 crimes per 100,000 people, including 2,269 property crimes, 481 violent crimes, and eight murders per 100,000. So if you’re thinking about moving to Los Angeles County, it’s safe to say you might want to look into Sierra Madre instead.

9. Palos Verdes Estates

Safest Places in California

Source: Flickr user Pete Morris

Another city in Los Angeles County, Palos Verdes Estates is predominantly known as a wonderful place to golf and surf. But what makes this city stand out from the multitude of California’s other beach-front cities is its safety.

With a total of 1,040 crimes per 100,000 people, including 996 property crimes and just 44 violent crimes per 100,000, Palos Verdes came in as the 12th safest when it came to property crime and 11th in terms of violent crimes.

Overall, residents here had just a 1 in 96 chance of being the victim of a crime. While that may not exactly beat Imperial’s 1 in 189 chance, compared to, say, Emeryville where residents had a 1 in 5 chance, it seems as though the people in Palos Verdes Estates can feel pretty secure.

10. Danville

Safest Places in California

Source: Flickr user John Morgan

This quaint San Ramon Valley town is home to all sorts of local charm—a weekly farmers’ market, the San Ramon Valley Museum, not to mention the town’s affluence, and particularly important, its safety.

In our analysis, Danville ranked as the eighth least violent, with just 37 violent crimes per 100,000 people, including no murders or rapes. It also ranked 14th in the category of property crimes, as it had a reported 1,025 per 100,000, making for a total of just 1,062 crimes in 2012.

Danville residents had a 1 in 94 chance of being the victim of a crime. Compare that to nearby San Francisco where residents had a 1 in 18 chance, and it’s no wonder Danville made our list.

Relax, California, You’re Safe Here

Not that you’d have any trouble relaxing, especially if you live in one of these 10 safest places in California. With low crime in so many areas, these top 10 safe spots are ideal environments for families, children, and singles alike. If you’re curious, you can check out the table below for the 50 safest places in the Golden State, starting with our winner, Hillsborough.

Call us for all your real estate needs…..

The Laugesen Team

#1 Producing Team

Coldwell Banker

Denise: 650-465-5742 Cortney:650-678-5084

www.TheLaugesenTeam.com

www.the411on94010.com

By Admin

January 7, 2015

Reveal to Your Clients the ‘Ugly Truths’ When Staging

By Audra Slinkey, Home Staging Resource

Sometimes you have to give clients a big dose of reality, and it isn’t always pretty – particularly when you’re talking about something personal like the condition of their home. But don’t be afraid to utter the “ugly truths” to maximize your sellers’ chances of selling a home and for top dollar.

Here are some of the ugly truths you may need to be prepared to talk about:

Ugly Truth #1: The ugly truth is that anyone who has watched the real estate market over the last few years knows there’s no such thing as a “set price” for a home. The price is determined by what the buyer is willing to pay AND the buyer likely is willing to pay a lot more for a “model home” look.

Ugly Truth #2: Another ugly truth is that when it comes to home staging, you get what you pay for. This means that the more a seller is willing to pay to transform their home (using an expert stager’s advice), the more they stand to get out of the sale.

Ugly Truth #3: Finally, the last ugly truth is that buyers cannot see past a seller’s furnishings to the potential of the home. Look at the before photo …would you be able to imagine it as beautiful as the after photos?

You only need to look at the before-and-after photos of this home to know why they got so much more than they were even asking. This seller’s agent walked them through the “cost of not staging” and let them decide. Do you think they made the right decision?