5 Great Places for Families to Call Home

If you have a growing family and are thinking about moving, you have a lot of other things to think about. What about the schools? The neighborhood culture? Proximity to shopping and entertainment? You probably have a good idea about what to expect in the areas you’re considering. Family and friends can help you decide, but it’s also a good idea to talk to a real estate pro because knowing everything about a community is essential to what they do for a living.

With more than 60 offices in five Southern California counties spanning the Central Coast to San Diego, there are plenty of great places for families to choose from. We are featuring one family-friendly community in each county.

San Diego County

Carlsbad

Carlsbad (La Costa Valley) is made for young families. One resident who lives there received 160 trick-or-treaters last Halloween. Homes are decorated for the holidays, and you can drive through the neighborhoods most days and see children playing dodgeball or tossing a ball in front of their homes. Carlsbad Unified School District gets consistently high reviews from parents. It has 10,993 students attending 16 schools in grades K-12. According to state standards, 76 percent of students in the district are considered proficient in math and/or reading. The district has an annual budget of $151,529,000, spending an average of $13,697 per student.

Search for homes in Carlsbad now.

Orange County

Cypress

Cypress is a diverse city of 49,000. Cypress High School had commendable three-year median API scores of 900. Cypress’s Oxford Academy, which admits top students from Cypress and several other cities, scored an outstanding 992 and is considered one of the top 10 public high schools in the country. Cypress is just five miles to Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Soak City, and the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, and about 20 minutes from Disneyland. Nearby Cerritos has a large skate park, tennis club, and Los Alamitos Race Course.

Check out the Cypress homes that are for sale right now.

Los Angeles County

Tarzana

Tarzana is a neighborhood of 35,500 in the San Fernando Valley. And yes, it was named after the popular jungle character created by author Edgar Rice Burroughs that was adapted into a Disney animated film in 1999. What makes Tarzana a great neighborhood for young families is its strong economy, educated residents, and low crime rate. It is within the Los Angeles Unified School District, but is also home to Columbia College Hollywood, which teaches a variety of subjects related to film and TV. For young animal lovers, Red Barn Feed & Saddlery features all the tools you’ll need for raising pets, plus some animal adoptions.

Find your new home in Tarzana today.

Ventura County

Moorpark

Moorpark has a friendly, small-town feel, yet is close enough to Los Angeles to enjoy all the opportunities there for work and play. It is a 30-minute ride to Malibu and the coast. Moorpark has low crime, good schools, a Metrolink commuter rail station, plus numerous parks and hiking trails. The city of about 35,000 is completely surrounded by open space, parklands, and agriculture. Moorpark Unified School District is the largest employer in town. It has 6,812 students attending 12 schools in grades K-12. The district has an annual budget of $67,488,000, spending an average of $9,517 per student.

Make moves to move your family to Moorpark now.

Santa Barbara County

Carpinteria

Carpinteria fits the very definition of a of beachy surf town. Oozing with small-town charm, Carpinteria is known for its laid-back vibe and super-relaxed ambiance. The coastal city of 13,000 is just south of Santa Barbara. People move to Carpinteria because they commute to Santa Barbara for the lower cost of living, or they fall in love with the crisp and persistent waves that rock the beaches. Downtown Carpinteria has just a few stoplights and loads of fun restaurants and boutiques. The homes are more affordable than nearby Santa Barbara and Montecito. There is one high school, one middle school, four elementary schools, and a private preparatory school.

See what homes are for sale in Carpinteria today.

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#HomePrices #MortgageRates Update

The monthly mortgage payment on a home is determined by two elements: the price of the house and the interest rate you pay on your mortgage. Recently released reports are revealing that the experts expect both elements to increase in 2016.

HOME PRICES

CoreLogic has projected a nationwide 5.2% home value appreciation for the next twelve months. Here is their breakdown by state:

MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES

All four of the entities that provide projections on mortgage interest rates agree: they’re going up in 2016. Here are the predictions over the next four quarters:

Bottom Line

With both home values and interest rates projected to increase over the next twelve months, buying (or moving-up), sooner rather than later, makes sense.

Short Term Vacation Rentals: What You Need to Know

Short term vacation rentals (lasting less than 30 days) are becoming more common throughout the Central Coast, along with home sharing (renting out a room or part of a unit while the primary resident is present). However, different areas have their own ordinances and regulations regarding renting out your home. Thinking of leasing your home temporarily? Check out these guidelines and requirements based on your location, provided by the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors.

Santa Barbara - Short term vacation rentals are prohibited in Santa Barbara, with certain exceptions that require you to get a business license. At the moment, the city is not issuing business licenses nor collecting Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). A Home Sharing Rental Ordinance is currently in the works.

Goleta - The city of Goleta requires several steps to be taken aside from obtaining a short term vacation rental permit. Goleta's ordinance takes into account the property owner, the vacationer, and the neighbors. In addition to a permit, Goleta requires a Nuisance Response Plan, a Transient Occupancy Tax Application for Certificate Registration, a Surety bond, a Declaration of Notification, and a General Business License Application.

Carpinteria - Carpinteria allows short term vacation rentals, but only in PRD zones (beach and downtown areas). The city also requires a business license and TOT.

Santa Barbara County - For unincorporated areas, there are no existing rules regarding short term vacation rentals, although this will likely change. A new ordinance addressing these rentals is expected to go into place next year. Currently, to have a short term vacation rental you are required to have a business license.

Unique #HomeBuyingTrends

Active military and veterans comprised 21 percent of all home buyers in 2015 ̶ a sizable subset worth exploring their purchasing preferences, according to NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report released in November 2015. Let’s take a quick look at the demographics for these two groups combined. The median age for this subgroup was 48, whereas active military was typically 34 years old and veterans were 61 years. The median price of a home they purchased was $223,000, which is consistent with all buyers. Twenty-eight percent were first-time home buyers and 81 percent bought previously owned homes. Active military and veterans were most likely to buy single-family homes at 86 percent. However, only 85 percent worked directly with an agent or broker, slightly down from 88 percent compared to all buyers.

Unique Facts about Active Military and Veterans:

• 18 percent bought multigenerational homes compared to 13 percent for all buyers
• 21 percent were relocated due to a job compared to only eight percent for all buyers
• Median income for active military and veterans is $79,500, which is lower than $86,100 for all buyers
• Median home size purchased was 2,100 square feet whereas the median for all buyers was 1,900
• 41 percent of this group used virtual tours to help them purchase their home, more than any other demographic group

#HomeStaging: Pro Tips for Appealing to the Senses

Staging a home for sale is all about inspiring your buyer, and their senses are the avenue by which you connect with them. French novelist Honoré de Balzac once wrote “love is the poetry of the senses,” and specifically touching on each sense when staging a home creates atmosphere that inspires just that kind of poetic love. No matter the size or style of the home, there are a whole range of small things you can do to make it more appealing to aspiring homeowners (and help you lock in a sale!) Here’s how to get started:

Sight is the sense most agents associate with staging. The placement of furniture, decor, plants and everything else is truly central to staging. What can get overlooked in the great production of staging is the most fundamental element to catching someone’s eye – light. Especially for homes whose layout prevents a lot of natural light from getting in, you will want to ensure that you have bright and vibrant light throughout the home you aim to sell. Dark homes can not only feel dreary, but they can also make it more difficult to show off some of the qualities that will help you sell the home from the flooring to any moulding touches and more. Light is also very important for getting good quality photographs, which in the era of online advertising is key to putting your best foot forward to sell homes. There’s a major difference in perception between houses with dark, grainy photographs and ones that look professionally shot when interpreting them in the digital space.

Smell is among the strongest and most personally connective senses we possess as humans. We associate different aromas with experience and memory to a degree where certain smells can make us comfortable and nostalgic or quite the opposite. People are consciously aware of smells that they like and dislike, and some argue that using fragrances or food smells to change buyer perspective is a big no-no. However, if you are choose natural, neutral aromas like lavender, sage, pine or other light woody fragrances, you can create a space that feels like home. Be aware of using fragrances that may cause people who are sensitive to aromas to be uncomfortable, and be smart about using things like incense and spray aerosols that can trigger asthma or allergies.

Taste is important because, frankly, everyone loves snacks. This is a simple fact of life. Food makes people feel more comfortable and welcome in a home, and can add a feeling of sophistication to your showing. While you can’t guarantee everyone will be interested in your hors d’oeuvres, a lot of people will appreciate some fresh fruit, mild cheeses, or even a glass or two of wine as they settle into what may be their new home. Avoid anything that is overly fragrant, like strong cheeses and cooked meats, but don’t be afraid to let the personality of the home inform the snack choice you make. For homes that are more down home and country cottage influenced, regional favorites can’t be beat, whereas if you’re catering to a higher society crowd your snacks should follow suit.

Hearing. Much like smell, music is deeply evocative for memory and affects the mood and comfort level of the listener. Playing music through a home you aim to sell does wonders for filling in the space, making it more comfortable for everyone walking through and giving a sense of personality to your staging. I would recommend something instrumental, preferably classical or piano to enhance without distracting from the surroundings. If you want to get more technical, music that is primarily structured around major chord progressions will energize listeners, whereas minor chords sound darker and can create a sense of melancholy (for an example, look what happens when you shift REM from minor to major. How happy it feels!). It’s also important to ensure your music isn’t too loud, as it can take away from your staging and make it more difficult for your buyers to converse about the home with one another and with you.

Touch. Chances are prospective buyers aren’t going to go around touching the walls and tiles to gauge their tactile appeal, but there is a strong likelihood they will have a seat at some point along the way (or be drawn towards touching a sofa, linens or the curtains). Touch is one of our key exploratory senses, used to judge a wide range of things from the temperature of an item to its softness or quality. Staging a home with comfortable, quality goods is one part of staging with touch. Another key element of touch: temperature. A home that is too hot or too cold will make buyers uncomfortable and distract them from the features you’re looking to showcase. An updated thermostat is not only a great selling point for the home, but helps you accurately and consistently set the temp for showings.

#HomebuyingTrend Purchasing Larger Homes

Home buyer demographics change slightly from year to year due to macroeconomic forces from the health of the economy to inflation to the global trade on oil prices. The National Association of REALTORS® recently released its 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report and there are some interesting new trends emerging this year. One of the most fascinating is that in almost every region of the United States, we saw buyers trading up and buying bigger homes than last year. According to the new report, 42 percent of all buyers traded up in the size of their home, up from 40 percent in 2014. In the 2014 report, buyers reported that they were looking for homes similar in size at 31 percent compared to 29 percent in 2015. Regionally, the percentage of buyers looking for larger homes increased across the board.

One reason for this shift in purchasing power is that people finally have more equity from selling their previous homes in order to buy a bigger one. Since the housing downturn in 2010, many homes were worth less than their mortgages. Over the last several years, home prices have been rising. In 2014, 17 percent reported waiting or stalling to sell their home, which dropped to 13 percent in 2015. Sellers also reported that they sold their homes for a median of $40,000 more than they purchased it, up from $30,100 in 2014. The most common reason for selling a home in 2015 was that the home was too small at 16 percent.

The typical seller in 2015 was 54 years old (same as last year) and the median household income was $104,000, up from $96,700 in 2014. Buyers aged 35 to 44 years, or Generation X, was the second largest age group to purchase homes last year at 20 percent, behind Millennials 34 years or young where 28 percent purchased homes. We can speculate that Generation X-ers probably had a child in the last few years and wanted a bigger home to expand their family. Finally, we see the trend where repeat buyers have been able to sell their homes at a higher price in order to trade up and purchase larger homes.

Falling For Your #DreamHome

Some Highlights:

• 24% of all recent home buyers were single at the time of purchase
• 47% of single men cite the desire to own a home of their own as the primary reason to buy
• 18% of first-time buyers were single women

#HappyThanksgiving

Why You Should Sell Now Before Winter Hits

People across the country are beginning to think about what their life will look like next year. It happens every Fall. We ponder whether we should relocate to a different part of the country to find better year-round weather or perhaps move across the state for better job opportunities.

Homeowners in this situation must consider whether they should sell their house now or wait. If you are one of these potential sellers, here are five important reasons to do it now versus the dead of winter.

Just Listed! Build Your Ocean View Dream Home in Hope Ranch!

Incredible opportunity to build your ocean view dream home in Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara! Never before on the market, this gently sloping 2.35 acre ocean view parcel includes a water meter and recently completed soils report. Hope Ranch offers an exclusive lifestyle with privacy, a sense of community, access to miles of pristine beaches, tennis courts and 22 miles of bridle trails. All of this is just minutes from vibrant downtown Santa Barbara.

Offered at $2,000,000

Not in MLS! Beachfront Condo w/ Panoramic Ocean Views

A “Perfect 10” in every way! Panoramic Ocean Views, beach front location and very close to Main Street shops & restaurants in downtown Ventura! 2 units have been seamlessly combined to create one large, impeccably remodeled light & bright residence. Features include 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 ocean view balconies, formal living & dining room with 2 fireplaces, generous kitchen with high end appliances, custom cabinetry, large center island, crown molding, wainscoting and in-unit laundry. Secure building with  4 reserved spaces in the underground gated parking and abundant storage. Address & Price Available Upon Request

Co-Listed with Kay Fields, BHHS

Rare Opportunity to Own "In-Town" Beach Bungalow

Originally built in 1915 by Donald and Margaret “Muddy” Miller, this historic Beach Bungalow has been thoroughly renovated and tastefully expanded with the help of famed architect Andy Neumann. Today, the property consists of a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom main house and a separately metered 1 bedroom/1 bathroom rental apartment atop the oversized 2-car garage.  This rare “in-town” offering is only 2-blocks to the sand and 3-blocks to downtown Linden Avenue.

The main house features large wood casement windows and light wood flooring, filling the space with natural light.  The ground floor encompasses 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, living room, kitchen with sit-at-bar, formal dining room, breakfast area, beautiful fireplace, custom bookshelves with reading nook and a laundry room.  The 2nd floor is a dedicated master suite with fireplace, large en-suite bathroom, walk-in closet and office nook.

Surrounded by palm trees and lush foliage, impressive grounds include a large front porch, decks, lush lawns, gardens, patios perfect for entertaining and a fully enclosed outdoor shower for when you come back from the beach!

The rental apartment is light and bright with an open floor plan embodying perfect scale of living, dining and kitchen.  Even the bedroom is surprisingly large, offering plenty of room for a king bed and desk/work station.  Features a private entrance, laundry room, expansive patio and extra space for storage.

Offered at $3,000,000

Address available upon request