Orange County Real Estate Agent

If it’s your goal to move to the exciting and beautiful region of South Orange County, you’ll discover many cities to choose from. Each one has something unique to offer, whether you are looking for jobs, good schools, or beautiful scenery. The key is to understand what is available in each of the locations and find homes that fit your needs. Working with a local real estate agent who works and lives in this area can enhance your search.

The following power point presentation tells you a little about some of the most popular places in South Orange County. Learn about each one and decide where you want to focus your home search.

Stretching from the Santa Ana Mountains down to the Pacific Ocean, South Orange County offers a unique setting for those who wish to relocate to this affluent area. Populated by newer developments and large estates, South County is bordered by San Diego County to the south and features a community college district with campuses in Mission Viejo, Tustin and Irvine.
Premium real estate is found in many areas of South OC, including Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, and Newport Beach. Other communities in this region are ideal options for busy professionals, young couples and families and retirees who want to enjoy life more. Each community is unique, offering something special for the residents. Buyers looking to purchase in this area can visit Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo, Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
While the south is more populated than the north portion of the county, the density is sparser. This area features gently rolling hills and sloping valleys with plenty of activities for outdoors people. No matter which part of the county you choose to live in, you will find a variety of activities such as festivals and special celebrations as well as numerous attractions to visit.

Real estate in South Orange County has been hot with pricing continually rising. Developers have found this to be prime real estate market for rentals as well as purchases. Permits were issued for 38,000 new multi-family units for all of Southern California in 2015. This is the highest number since the recession began. Even with the planned construction, new developments cannot keep up with the need for rental housing.

The USC Casden Multifamily Forecast predicts that rental rates will rise by 9.4 percent by 2018 from the 2015 prices. The cause for this issue in rental housing is the growth of the population and employment. Demand is increasing at a faster rate than inventory.

Luxury apartments are a large portion of the new construction happening in South OC. Rental rates are highest for the Newport Beach-Laguna Niguel area with Irvine not far behind.
For buyers and sellers, the market for homes priced under $750,000 is hot with low inventory fueling the price wars many properties become involved in. Sales are also up for homes above this price point even though the bidding wars are not as extensive.

When you hear about the low inventory and rising prices of South OC real estate, you may be hesitant to buy now. However, now is a good time to invest in this area even with the demand for homes. Here are a few reasons why:

The economy is growing. Orange County is showing solid growth in consumer spending and other criteria that are used to indicate economic activity.

More jobs are available. Unemployment is down and more people are working. New businesses are moving to the area, which will lead to more jobs.

Mortgage rates are still low. While prices are increasing, interest rates are not. This makes buying now a sensible option as you increase equity in your home faster.

Rent increases have averaged higher than home pricing increases. Buying still makes more sense than renting even with the rising prices.

Increased buyer demand. Many first-time buyers have been unable to qualify for mortgages. As the largest generation in history has now reached renting and home-buying age, they will spur the growth of sales for the coming years, which ensures a purchase today is a solid investment in the future.

While South Orange County doesn’t have the cheapest housing options, this is a solid region to consider purchasing your first or next home. Many communities offer the life people dream about with temperate climates, ocean views, unique homes, ample career options and the opportunity to enjoy life.

First, weigh the quality of the offer on its own. If it features conditions you aren’t comfortable with or the price is too low, you won’t want to accept it outright. Your other option is to either reject it or negotiate with a counteroffer. If you are too far apart on terms from the buyer, even a counteroffer probably won’t save this one.

Second, you must think about how quickly after listing your property the offer came in. If you just put your property on the market and you have an offer, there is a good chance you’ll get another one. While you can’t delay responding to the first offer until you have a second offer, you can take a day or two to see if you have more interest. You can also look at the offer more critically to see if it lives up to what you expect.

If your home has been sitting on the market for several weeks or months, you must make the decision whether you will take what is likely to be your only offer or remove the house from the market and wait for things to change. If the price doesn’t work for you because it doesn’t pay off your mortgage or give you enough for a new home, you won’t have much choice. If it just doesn’t meet what you thought your home was worth, you may have to adjust your expectations to meet reality.

Even though this is your first time selling a home and seeing offers, your agent has been down this road many times. They can advise you based on the market, your property and your expectations. You make the final decision based on what’s best for you, but you should always take their advice into consideration.

Even though you are working with an agent to sell your home, it’s a good idea to do your own promotion. After all, no one knows your home or neighborhood better than you. Here are three things to focus on when trying to win buyers over.

1. The Neighborhood
Buyers are focused on location when they look at homes for sale. They may be considering the commute or other features when shopping for houses. While you can’t change the location, you can play up the benefits of where you live. Do you live in a great school district or within walking distance of a park? Maybe you’re within a five-minute walk of downtown. Let buyers know.

2. The Setting
If you love sitting on your back deck watching the quiet woods behind your home, invite buyers to enjoy it with you through video or photos. Take the picture of your tree-lined street or the row of elegant townhouses where you live.

3.Unique Features of Your Home
If your home is unique, don’t try to hide it. Buyers will see those aspects of the property when they tour, so you might as well acknowledge them. Instead, put a positive spin on them. If you have an unusual nook in your home that seems to serve no purpose, show how you made use of the space – or even how you wished you’d decorated it. Play up the character of your home and convince buyers of the potential.

Use your years spent in this home and the neighborhood to market your home to the next buyer. You’ll not only increase the potential for selling fast, but you’ll find someone who will love it as much as you do.

Once the day finally comes that you receive an offer on your property, you are ready to move out and move on. It may seem like you’ll never get to closing and that your job is mostly done. However, you should be pro-active to ensure the contract doesn’t fall through and that everything is completed on time.

One of the first steps after an offer is accepted is the home inspection. You’ll have to wait to hear from the buyer on how it went, but you’ll have to respond to any requests they have for repairs. You may not need to comply to their requests, but you will need to decide how to handle things. It’s important to distinguish between special requests from a specific buyer and repairs that will be necessary before you can sell to anyone.

The next major step is when the lender requests an appraisal. This will determine if the house has as much value as the selling price. In a good economy when home prices are rising, this isn’t generally a problem if you listed your house correctly. When the housing market is struggling, it may be a fine line between what you must have out of your home and how much it is really worth.

The title company will also have to make sure you have a clear title to your home. While this shouldn’t be a problem, you’d be surprised at how often a small issue comes up. They are usually resolved quite easily, but many sellers get nervous when they hear of any possible delays.

It’s important that you stay updated on how the process is going for your home. Talk to your agent and make sure they are staying in touch with the buyer’s agent and lender. You don’t want to find out at the last minute that the home you thought was sold needs to be relisted.