Facts About Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate

Qualifying the Buyer for your Rancho Santa Fe Property

Either you or your agent will want to weed out potential buyers who cannot afford to purchase your Rancho Santa Fe home. Items to investigate include the buyer’s debt and credit history, current income and employment, the availability of cash for a down payment, the time the buyer needs before closing on the home and the buyer’s level of interest in your home as compared to other properties.

Rancho Santa Fe Home Improvement

Homeowners hear a lot about improvements that might add value to houses. But less attention is paid to what to avoid. Steer clear of renovations that will cost you money at resale time.

If an Rancho Santa Fe home becomes conspicuously larger -- and more expensive -- than those around it will risk becoming hard to sell. Additions tend not to return their entire investment. The 2005 "Cost vs. Value Report" found that homeowners were able to recoup only 83% of the cost of a family-room addition and 82% of a midrange master suite.

Rancho Santa Fe Home Improvement

In a recent study, a midrange bathroom renovation paid off with an average 102% return on investment and an upscale bathroom renovation recouped 93% of its cost. A midrange kitchen renovation recouped 91% of its cost on average, and an upscale kitchen recouped 85%. A minor kitchen-remodeling job returned 99% of its cost. There are numbers that apply to Rancho Santa Fe.

Proper maintenance and annual upkeep of your Rancho Santa Fe home may be the most important improvements of all. Clean the gutters to protect the exterior from water damage. Trim shrubs. Check for termites. Keep track of annual checkups -- and use that as a selling point. Annual maintenance pays back handsomely when you sell. And before the house goes up for sale, experts recommend a fresh coat of paint.

Rancho Santa Fe HOME BUYING PITFALLS TO AVOID

Sellers usually rely on sales of Rancho Santa Fe homes of comparable value to determine a fair and realistic price to set for their home but many sellers feel their home is worth much more and price their home accordingly. Buyers must also be tuned into sales for comparable homes in Rancho Santa Fe in order to judge the price of any home that is under consideration.

Being “House Poor” gets to be “Old New” real fast. A large and beautiful home with little or no furniture tends to be empty and cold. A life where almost every dime of income goes to the support of the Rancho Santa Fe house wears thin very quickly and is a frequent cause of family stress. Pushing yourself right up to your limit leaves you highly exposed when the inevitable changes to the national or your personal economy occurs.

Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Cycles

What makes most sense is the "buy and hold" strategy. Buy a home you expect to remain in for at least seven years or more. Rancho Santa Fe is no different than most, although the Rancho Santa Fe market does have it's own special circumstances.

Want to get a clear and up-to-date picture of the Rancho Santa Fe real estate market? Call me at any time. I am happy to share my knowledge of the real estate market with homeowners and prospective homeowners who want to take advantage of market trends to buy and/or sell wisely.

Choosing Your Rancho Santa Fe Neighborhood

The fact is that much of the value of Rancho Santa Fe and real estate in general rests in its surrounding economic and social environment, which means it’s neighborhood. In addition to being located in the right neighborhood, the Rancho Santa Fe that you buy must not clash with its surroundings. To picture what we mean here, visualize the most expensive home you can imagine and then place it in the middle of a run down neighborhood. Not so desirable is it?

To sum up, the Rancho Santa Fe that you buy gets its value from a combination of the home’s location and its size, style, age and amenities. You can change the home’s size, style and amenities but you are stuck with the location.