How Can You Find Accurate Real Estate Info Online?

Homebuyers and sellers alike can get frustrated by the wealth of misinformation about real estate online. Today, I’ll give you a few tips to help you find accurate, updated real estate info.

The Internet is a great place to start your home search and find some information on what your home is worth. However, I hear from my friends and clients every day about how frustrating it is to sort out all of the information that they find online.

Popular sites like Zilow, Realtor.com, and Trulia can be great places to start out, but studies show that in cities like San Diego, the prices on those sites can be off by as much as 10% to 20%. In our market, that can mean a difference of anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 off the actual market value of your home.

So, what can you do?

First off, don’t believe everything you read. If you are a buyer searching for homes, you can find some basic information online, but make sure that you go on multiple sites. Local sites like mine pull information directly from the MLS so you know that all the information you are looking at is up to date and accurate.

Buyers also need to get a pre-approval so that you can save time on your home search and know how much your loan limit is. In our market, having a pre-approval gives you negotiating power that will help you edge out the other buyers. Being pre-approved tells sellers that you are ready to buy.

“

Don’t believe everything you read on sites like Zillow or Trulia.

”

You also need to stay calm. If you’re looking at homes on Zillow, don’t fall in love too fast. The prices may be wrong and, sometimes, the house may be listed as available even though it already sold months ago! An experienced agent like myself can guide you to the right homes.

If you are selling your home, you need accurate information to determine the value of your home. If your home is unique and you’ve made improvements, then you need a proper appraisal so that you get every dollar out of the sale of your home.

So, do your research. Check out multiple home value tools to get a range of what your home might be worth in the current market.

You should also check out the comps, or comparable properties. A real estate agent can do a comparable market analysis to see how your home stacks up against other similar, recently sold properties in your neighborhood. That is the most accurate way to determine what you can get for your home in this hot market.

Ultimately, you need to be careful when you are looking at homes online or if you are trying to find your home value with sites like Zillow or Trulia. If you have any other questions about finding accurate real estate information online, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Do You Know What It Takes to Invest in San Diego?

Buying a home? Click Here to Perform a Full Home Search 
Selling a home? Click Here for a Free Home Valuation. 
For any other questions about San Diego real estate,  reach out to me anytime at (858) 864-8741
Today, I share some great advice for those of you looking to invest in San Diego real estate.

Many people are talking about flipping homes and investing in real estate because the market is so hot. Since rates are low and the market is up, now is a great time to invest in real estate. My advice is to buy your first home yourself - get your own place first before you try to own multiple units!

Before jumping into the investment game, I also suggest writing out a plan. Write your real estate goals out before you do anything. Once that's done, you can begin searching areas you would like to invest in. One of the biggest things I've noticed is that I prefer to have the ability to drive by my properties.  You don't want your investment properties to be in far-flung areas you can't keep a close eye on. 

Once you've found the area, you need to talk to a great lender. Working with a trustworthy lender can make all the difference when trying to get involved in an investment. Of course, it doesn't hurt to work with an experienced real estate professional either.

If you have any questions about investment opportunities, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to hear from you!

The Carlos Gutierrez Show "The Truth" Episode 1

A huge thank you to our two guests Craig Sewing of The Craig Sewing Show and to Scott Kaplan of the Scott & BR Show on The Mighty 1090 for calling in tonight. I hope you all enjoyed our show! For those who listened please give us your Brutal - honest feedback. We appreciate your input and it will help to make the show stronger. Thank you to everyone who listened and we will catch you all next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on AM 1170 The Answer.

One-Stop Shop Real Estate Concierge

Buying a home? Click Here to Perform a Full Home Search 
Selling a home? Click Here for a Free Home Valuation. 
For any other questions about San Diego real estate,  reach out to me anytime at (858) 864-8741
Hey everyone, I am very excited to talk to you today about why I am your one-stop shop real estate concierge, and how we can help you at any point in a transaction.

 
I was talking to a client last week who was trying to be more conscientious of their water usage due to the drought. He wanted to install some low-flow toilets and low-flow faucets to save on water. So I hooked him up with my plumber, who gave him great service when he installed his new appliances.

He also wanted to take out some of the grass in his yard and make it a little more drought friendly. I was able to set him up with a service provider in this situation as well.  A lot of other people are doing this, and it's saving them both money and water.

If you need help with something like this, or anything else at all related to your home, call me. My name is Carlos Gutierrez and I am here to be your one-stop shop real estate concierge. Give me a call or send me an email today!

How to Kill Your Real Estate Deal by Asking for Too Much

Buying a home? Click Here to Perform a Full Home Search 
Selling a home? Click Here for a Free Home Valuation. 
For any other questions about San Diego real estate,  reach out to me anytime at (858) 864-8741

Most people aren't trying to kill their real estate transaction - rather, they unwittingly make a mistake that leads to the termination of the deal. Today, we want to give you a few tips on how to avoid such a disastrous situation. 

If you're selling, you need to avoid pushing buyers over the limit - you don't want to ask for too much. You don't want to let the buyer put one over you, but you have to know a good deal when you see one. 

You need to be strict about your terms. You want to make the time periods for inspections and closing to be as short as possible. You also want to have as few contingencies if possible. 

One of the most important things you need to do when negotiating is strip away all emotion and deal only with the facts. This will keep you on track to a successful closing.

If you have any questions about this stage of the real estate transaction, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you!  

How Can You Make the Most of Your San Diego Home Sale?

Buying a home? Click Here to Perform a Full Home Search 
Selling a home? Click Here for a Free Home Valuation. 
For any other questions about San Diego real estate,  reach out to me anytime at (858) 864-8741

Getting multiple offers when selling is a best case scenario. However, it's not always obvious which offer you should accept. Today, we share some tips on how to pick the best offer!

Right now, there isn't much inventory in the San Diego market and interest rates are near record lows. As the spring market moves into the summer one, buyers are starting to flock to the market. Now is a fantastic time to take advantage of the market!

As more buyers come out, your chances of receiving multiple offers on your home increases. It's not always wise to take the offer with the highest dollar value. The other day, I had a client who took an offer that was worth $10,000 less than another one he received. Why would he do that, you ask? Sometimes, it's beneficial to you to accept an offer with a short closing time. Having an agent who can ask the right questions and get the best terms will go a long way in helping you choose the best offer!

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you! 

Where Can You Find the Best Deals in San Diego?

Buying a home? Click Here to Perform a Full Home Search 
Selling a home? Click Here for a Free Home Valuation. 
For any other questions about San Diego real estate,  reach out to me anytime at (858) 864-8741
With our current shortage of inventory, it can be really tough to find a great home or investment property. However, if you are out there as a buyer and have an agent who is calling people who are thinking about selling, asking them if they would entertain offers or want to reduce their taxes by selling, there is another group of available properties that you can buy: off-market homes. 

Off-market homes are properties that are not listed or available for sale on the MLS or the internet. These are people who are thinking about selling, and would entertain offers at a price and terms that meets their needs. As a buyer, this allows you a leg up on the marketplace. You can score the best properties before other buyers, which is a huge advantage to have right now. 

I am out there talking to these sellers almost every day. If you are interested in finding an off-market homes, we would love to help. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. Until next time!