Why You Might Want to Settle Down in Charming Capitola, California

When people think of California, they think of sun, sand and sea, culture and diversity.  Although many look to popular cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego as places to be seen and settle in, there are also people who are drawn to other gems that offer the best of what California represents.  One such area is Capitola, a city that has long been admired for its beauty and unique quality.  So just what is so charming about Capitola, California?

Capitola dreamin’
Capitola, California is known for its picturesque views.  Sitting on the northeastern area of Monterey Bay, the city is an interesting study in varying textures — rocky shorelines, steep cliffs, sloping roads and panoramic views of the stunning Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay.

This coastal town is the home of New Brighton Beach, a popular spot for summer tourists and vacationers.  The wide beaches and scenic grounds offer plenty of opportunities for play and recreation, including surfing, beach volleyball, fishing, hiking, rock climbing and golf.  Surf lessons are also offered by numerous shops and amateur surfers along the beach from June to September.  

For shoppers, there’s Capitola Mercantile, located at the center of the city.  Styled as a European-inspired bazaar, the Mercantile is filled with specialty shops selling locally handcrafted items.

Culture, culture
Capitola was named after the lead female character in ‘The Hidden Land’, written by E.D.E.N. southworth.  The novel, incidentally, was a favorite of the daughter of Samuel Hall who founded the city in 1874.  As the oldest of the beach resorts in the United States, Capitola has successfully maintained a lively cultural program that promotes the arts through sponsorship, special programs and various activities.

Due to its location, weather and general environment, Capitola has become a favorite destination among tourists.  Each year, the city’s population swells as visitors come to play and spend their summers here, soaking in the life in a beach town clasped within a valley surrounded by two cliffs.  The river that flows through this charming city is Soquel Creek, also the main attraction for the yearly Begonia Festival.  This is a festival of the flowers, where locals and visitors alike deck floats with blooms and show them off in a fluvial parade.

Capitola also hosts an annual arts and wine festival, showcasing local talents and the best of the year’s harvest.  It continues to attract the interest of enthusiasts year after year.

For homeowners and new home buyers who want one of the finest natural attractions in the state of California, Capitola is a natural choice.  With its weather and beautiful environment, Capitola has always tempted people to come and enticed even more to stay.

What Do Younger Children Want In A New Home?

When designing homes for families, homebuilders and architects are increasingly getting ideas and suggestions from children on what they want in their homes. In fact, children have been found to contribute significant ideas towards making homes more kid-friendly. Many of these ideas are not only imaginative, but also practical and help enhance the design and value of homes.

To demonstrate the point, Pardee Homes, a Los Angeles based builder, designed a unique “family home” that it showcased at the 2004 International Builders Show. This home’s design incorporated ideas gleaned from focus groups of children under the age of 12. Children in this age group consistently requested two features, which included:

1. Secret underground passageways
2. Spaces to get away from annoying siblings

To address the issue of “secret underground passageways,” Pardee Homes created a 6-foot high bed that had the bedspreads and blankets draped strategically to enable several secret spaces. The girl’s room was equipped with an adjacent secret room with decorations that had an “Alice in Wonderland” type mirror for a door.

To address the desire for “spaces to get away from annoying siblings,” Pardee Homes created a crow’s nest that popped through the roof, which was attractively designed with windows and views on all four sides.

Not surprisingly, these two features were a hit among children. Although many of the ideas the children offered were not practical, the two above could be easily incorporated into a home’s design. Some researchers suggest that these types of design features can help ignite a child’s imagination and fuel their curiosity.

If you are considering buying a home, condo or any other type of real estate and want these types of features in your home, then let your real estate agent know exactly what you are looking for. Your agent should be able to contact local homebuilders and find out which companies can incorporate your unique design requests into a home.

What Do Women Want In Home Designs?

Recent research in real estate has revealed the tremendous buying power that today’s women have. According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 21% of recent home purchases were done by women. Home builders estimate that women have been the deciding authority in about 87% of home purchases.

Last year, the real estate market saw a record number of single-women buying homes, accounting for about 22% of the market. This means that single women purchase one in every five homes.

Many home builders are dumping their old ways of construction and adopting new blueprints for the growing woman-centric real estate market. The building industry is adding features to homes by consulting with women buyers to understand their preferences in home design, layout, amenities etc.

While the research is not conclusive nor does it apply to all women, a few trends were revealed by various research studies.

1. Some women who need a home-office, prefer homes that had separate workspaces for men and women.

2. Some women with children prefer a window over the kitchen sink so they can monitor their children in the backyard.

3. Some women prefer a built-in vacuum cleaner for its long hose and ease of use.

4. Some women prefer that the laundry area be located on the upper floors near to the bedrooms.

5. Some women prefer open loft areas on the second floor of a home.

6. Some women prefer slate floors because they are easy to maintain and clean.

7. Some women attach a high priority to a home’s security features and systems.

8. Some women value gourmet kitchens, and energy-efficient and name-brand appliances.

9. Some women value large, walk-in closets.

10. Some women value courtyard designs to provide a stronger sense of security and porches on homes, which may make it easier to socialize with neighbors.

11. Some women value skylights in the bathrooms, which allows natural light to enter the space.

12. Some women value colorful walls, modern lighting fixtures and lighting over mirrors.

13. Some women want low or no maintenance yards.

While these trends are not true for all women, some builders are using this information to design homes that are uniquely tailored to meet the preferences of this growing market segment.

Want to Rent or Lease a Home in San Diego?

Are you planning to shift to San Diego? That’s a good decision indeed. You must be looking for a house on sale, rent or lease in the area. You can find them all in the San Diego property listings. Properties in San Diego, the eighth largest city in U.S and second largest in California has always maintained a stable price rate throughout the recession period when real estate market in other countries and states experienced tumble in economy. This is a major reason to invest your hard earned money in San Diego properties. Do you think you won’t be able to invest by paying such a heft amount? Bank and other financial organizations are there to provide easy loans. Now real estate agents will be able to provide instant information to you about any property which is in the property listings in San Diego by accessing the details from their mobile phones. Finding your dream property that offers so many benefits was never so easy, right?

A property listing is an agreement between a real estate agent and a property owner who wishes to sell a house. These listings will give you information on properties that are available for sale, rent or lease. You can find properties based on the total area, price, and location. This is maintained by real estate agents operating in San Diego. These options help you to find properties that satisfy your requirements regarding space, pricing, and location.

Property listing service is one of the most economical methods to sell your property. It’s also extremely easy to use this service. You only need to search for property listings in San Diego by going online. Once you’ve found the property that you want to purchase, rent or lease, from the San Diego property listings, contact a reliable and reputed agent or broker in the region. This is important because the agent or broker will help you to deal with all the formalities.

Take time to find out how you can use property listings to find your dream property in San Diego. San Diego’s growing job market, energetic industry, and stunning landscapes are just some of the reasons for you to settle here. Don’t know where to find reputed agents and brokers in San Diego?

What Do Wealthy Home Buyers Want From Their Real Estate Agent?

Wealthy home buyers who buy multi-million dollar homes are typically self-made millionaires with new money, according to a recent online survey of 683 Coldwell Banker Previews International property specialists. The study revealed the top professions of these affluent customers. According to the respondents, 88 % of their customers are business or corporate executives, 37 % are physicians, 31 % are lawyers, 30 % are financial professional and 14 % are entertainers, entertainment executives or professional athletes.

Wealthy home buyers require their real estate agents to be equipped with special skills, according to the Coldwell Banker’s survey. Given the magnitude of the financial transactions involved in luxury home purchases, 78 % of sales associates said that the top most need their clients require from their real estate agents is privacy and confidentiality. The luxury customers also want their real estate agents to exercise discretion while dealing with their multi-million dollar transactions. Almost 70 % of respondents polled that their wealthy clients want their real estate professionals to offer customized services while 44 % said that the luxury home buyers want their agents to have good network and work relationship with executive assistants, CPAs and attorneys.

Wealthy home buyers also want their agents to know the inside scoop on the real estate market, according to 36 % of the respondents in the Coldwell Banker’s survey. Seventeen percent of the sales associates surveyed indicated that one of the necessary skills for real estate professionals working with affluent customers was the ability to provide emotional support to their clients. And according to 11 % of respondents, luxury customers want their real estate agents to establish personal rapport with their clients.

The study also included queries on the “must have” amenities that the affluent clientele want in their luxury homes. Wealthy home buyers want media rooms in their homes, according to 60 % of respondents and another 60 % polled that their affluent customers want “wired” homes. However, there are a few home design elements that are out among luxury home buyers. Gourmet kitchens, granite countertops and wet bars are no longer counted as luxuries by wealthy home buyers, according to the survey respondents.

The survey also found that the multi-million dollar home buyer pays a typical down payment of 20 % to 30 %, while a quarter of clients put down 30 % to 50 % of the sale price.

Brokers or Lenders ? Which Do you Want for your Real Estate Mortgage?

A mortgage is a mortgage is a mortgage. NOT! Not only do mortgages differ between lenders, but they also differ greatly by the lenders, themselves. There are two types of real estate originators — brokers and loan officers.

Brokers generally are self-employed professionals, who work to secure a real estate loan for you. They work through a variety of lenders and earn a fee for the transaction. Most of the mortgage lenders who advertise on the Internet are brokers.

Loan officers are employees of a bank, credit union, or other lending institution, such as a mortgage company. They sell and process mortgages and other loans only for their employers. They are usually local and in a physical location.

There are advantages and disadvantages in using both brokers and loan officers for your real estate purchase, so you need to shop for the one that is right for you and your particular circumstance.

Brokers

The advantages to using a mortgage broker for your real estate purchase are many. Usually, the better deal they get for you, the buyer, the more they are paid on the transaction — a big plus for you. If your local bank, mortgage company, or credit union has refused you a loan, a mortgage broker may be able to find a lender, even if you have bad credit — just expect to pay a higher interest rate. If your real estate is unique or commercial property, using a mortgage broker to secure a loan is at times easier and faster.

One downside of using a mortgage broker is that your mortgage loan will be sold to another lender immediately after closing. Another is that brokers choose to do either non-conforming loans, which are higher risk and usually higher interest rates, or conforming loans. This limits your loan options. Brokers do not have to disclose a “good faith” estimate on what closing costs will be, nor are they regulated by the Fair Credit Act. Additionally, they seldom have a physical office with employees offering you face-to-face customer service, and they generally are in another town or state than where your real estate is located. This means they may not understand the local market in which you purchased your real estate. Important issues may arise from the real estate classifications and terms used by your appraiser, for example.

Loan Officers

Though loan officers offer a variety in the types of loans available, you are limited to only those products offered by one institution. Usually a local institution, the loan officer will be familiar with all local regulations and issues will not arise over lack of knowledge in local market terminology.

Banks and Mortgage Companies

Bank and mortgage company loan officers will give you face-to-face customer services, at least before the closing. Like brokers, banks have the option of selling real estate loans on the secondary market. Some banks sell only low-end mortgages or those that require too much servicing with little return. Some sell the loan but keep the servicing portion, making it appear that your mortgage continues to be owned by the bank or mortgage company. They are required, however, to tell you during the initial paperwork if your mortgage may be sold. I suggest you ask before you ever get to that point, if this is a deal breaker for you.

Bank and mortgage company loan officers are licensed and must meet certain criteria. They have more criteria that you must meet, as well, in order to secure a loan (banks usually require the most). Many real estate buyers are refused mortgage loans by these institutions. Both banks and mortgage companies generally do offer better rates and terms. They also must disclose a good faith estimate on what closing costs will be, and they are regulated and audited under the Fair Credit Act.

Credit Unions

You must be a member of a credit union to apply for a loan with them. Many credit unions do not offer real estate loans. The major advantage of securing a loan from a credit union is that they pass on only actual costs of the loan to you — no broker fees or commissions. They also never sell their loans on the secondary market, they always are local, and give you continuing face-to-face customer service.

What to Do

The time to begin looking for a mortgage lender is before you begin looking at real estate. Ask family and friends for referrals, as well as their experience with the real estate lender. Ask your real estate agent for referrals. Then, contact each prospective lender and ask questions — lots of questions! Compare interest rates, terms, after the closing mortgage sale policies, and what criteria do they require that you meet in order to qualify for a real estate loan.

If you are a residential real estate buyer, consider getting pre-approved for a loan. You will know exactly what you can afford to buy, which usually turns out to be much more than you expect.

Spend as much time shopping for a mortgage lender as you will for your real estate. The deal you get can save or cost you thousands or even millions over the life of the mortgage. Get the best deal possible, as well as the right lender for your real estate purchase.