Suzanne Grace’s Blog

Though blogging isn’t my typical forum for writing about the state of our real estate market, since I also send monthly newsletters, I figured the more I can get my word out there, the better educated my potential buyers and sellers will be - and this enables me to work with you on a much more realistic level - your expectations for what you can get for your home aren’t way out there, and as a buyer you will understand what the current market looks like - and you can spend accordingly and feel good about it!

I offer a few really amazing tools on my website; one is the market snap shot tool. If you visit www.ThousandOaksDreamHomes.com and click on the market snap shot link, it will take you to a SHORT FORM that asks for a little bit of information you will need to enter, such as your criteria, and by doing this you are essentially subscribing to the market report for your specific zip code (buyer) or address (seller). I have to say that this report puts all other information available (such as the always inaccurate Zillow) to shame.

My website itself is also a tool, in that it provides tons of information necessary for first time buyers to understand the process, reminders and updates for buyers making their 2nd and 3rd trips down buyer’s lane, tips for sellers on selling their home as well as posting current homes available throughout Ventura and Northern LA Counties.

The market in the Conejo Valley for the most part is stable; while we have been hit with foreclosures and short pays, it is not at all like the other cities throughout the state (or the nation) as we are insulated from what affects others - lack of employment, bad schools, gang activity, proximity to major cities, beaches, etc. We do have a few amazing companies here such as Amgen, Blue Cross, Dole, Baxter to name just a few, and while everyone has heard about the Amgen lay-offs, in my opinion, this is a temporary blip and will correct itself in time - as we all know they are an amazing company and their support of Thousand Oaks and surrounding areas has been immeasurable.Besides the local businesses and industry, we also have excellent, top rated schools throughout our community.

Oak Park, for example,  has experienced, overall, an increase in home prices since 2005 - not the decrease other areas are experiencing. I believe that this is due to the school system and people who can afford to, will pay whatever it takes to be able to live there. Agoura also has an amazing school system and I have not seen a decrease in prices there either - again, overall – and as with
Oak Park, since 2005, we have also experienced a slight increase!Other areas, however, have not been quite as lucky, such as Dos Vientos and Wood Ranch/Long Canyon; to be perfectly honest, I am not sure why this is happening in these lovely, newer communities! Dos Vientos has long been the type of community boasting the highest prices and the fewest homes on the market but that all has changed in 2007. With the sales experiences I have had in Dos Vientos this year, divorce seems to be the primary reason for selling; one can also assume that the divorce was due to financial stress - lay-offs, etc - and thus we are seeing a larger number of homes for sale.

But I digress - as usual! To back up a minute to the interest rate increases and the HUGE changes in the lending world and its overall effect on the market - traditionally, rate increases will bring prices down a bit - however, when you think about it, your payment is essentially the same. I do have clients who have expressed a desire to wait to buy until the rates jumped up - and subsequently, bring housing prices down. However, as I always point out, the end result is the same – and now some who chose to wait no longer have available to them the loan they originally qualified for, due to the banks tightening up (and who can blame them?). The flip side is that we all know that the rates will eventually come back down - and you can always re-finance into a better loan - if the cost of doing this makes sense of course. So much to think about! The bottom line is this: I continuously educate myself; I study the market and its trends, in order to better help you determine whether or not this is the right time for you to buy or sell. Let’s face it folks - people want to live in our lovely community and we all know why since we came here for the same reasons people are still coming. Because of this, sellers will ALWAYS sell, buyers will ALWAYS buy and with exception to the few bleeps in the system, it will remain status quo!

FOR MORE INFORMATION you can visit my website: www.ThousandOaksDreamHomes.com, respond to this post, send me an email csgrace@verizon.net or call my cell or office directly (805-418-3253).

As a local top agent, I try to differentiate myself from other agents and how I do that is by caring; okay, who cares, RIGHT,  because will MY caring actually sell your home? Sometimes - but because I have an excellent reputation among other agents, they want to work with me, they want to buy my listings (the home you are selling) and they want to accept my offers (the home you are buying).

I have a huge web presence which is very important in today’s web-savvy world. 80% of home buyers and sellers search the internet first - they find a home and usually call the agent who is affiliated with that home. My website - www.ThousandOaksDreamHomes.com - is configured to send your home - the one you are selling - out to all the search engines designed for real estate buyers (Homes.com, Realtor.com, HarmonHomes.com, Google, Trulia and Yahoo to name just a few); so your home is attracting hundreds of thousands of potential buyers all to my site - where they can view your home online. I receive numerous calls per week from other agents asking me to put their listings on my website due to the amount of buyers and sellers I attract to the homes featured on my site! If other local agents are calling me, their competition, shouldn’t you be calling me, too?  

My website is also designed as an information portal; you get up-to-date industry news, tips for selling your home faster, and you can view current homes for sale. It is essentially one-stop-shopping as we are also offering mortgage lending and planning assistance and credit repair if needed. We are at your service. We have also negotiated a special moving rate with a huge internationally recognized moving company. What more can you ask for? My team employs unique agents for your unique needs; we understand that you are selling your home, your castle and that you count on us AND our expertise to do this for you. When you are buying a home, it is the largest purchase you will ever make, it is the biggest commitment you will ever make and we understand. A lot of other agents tend to forget how scary this can be for first or even second or third time buyers. Moving up to a larger house and of course a larger payment, is scary. We call ourselves: Your Real Estate Agents for Real Life……………….

When you MOVE with GRACE:

We invite you to Move with Grace - this can mean different things to different people, but what we guarantee is that our team will take care of everything for you; we provide you with new listings before they come on market, we take you on private home tours, we negotiate your purchase contract to ensure that you are getting the terms you need, we make sure most, if not all of your closing costs are paid, we can offer you len
ding and mortgage planning assistance as well as credit repair if needed. We also offer a coupon for a special negotiated rate with a local, nationally recognized moving company  - and there’s so much more so please feel free to give us a call or send an email to get all of the details!

What are we doing with the kids this Summer?

I get this question a lot and it can be a real issue with so many families having both parents who work. There is also the boredom factor - even if you are a stay-at-home parent, it is hard to keep your kids entertained 24/7! And we all know that there are only so many days we can go to the beach, to the pool, to the Mall, etc! What can you do to entertain your kids for free or a low cost alternative? We all love something educational as well. I would love to have some ideas posted and to share with other families as well but below is a list that I came up with and I hope if you visit you will post your thoughts but most of all, enjoy, as this is not forever!!

Gardens of the World! Open Tues - Sun 9-5; groups and docent tours available by reservation. There is a childrens’s guide available as well. You can visit the website for more information: http://www.gardensoftheworld.info/

 Civic Arts Plaza: There are also various events and shows at the Civic Arts Plaza. For schedules you can visit: http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/theatre/default.asp

Conejo Arts! You can also check out what is happening around town at the Conejo Arts website: http://www.conejoarts.org/events.htm

The Conejo Recreation and Parks District also offers a class schedule such as swimming lessons. ballet, art classes, etc for a low fee for most; you can get a schedule by visiting their website: http://www.conejoarts.org/events.htm

Conejo Valley Botanical Gardens: It is a nice way to spend a few hours! There is a kids adventure garden as well which is open every Sunday from 11 to 3.  THIS IS FREE! http://conejogarden.com/

It is alwaus fun to check out the Historical Landmarks and Points of Interest our community has to offer, such as the Stagecoach Museaum. Please visit http://www.toaks.org/living/historical.asp for more information,

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is also a great way to kill some time; it is open 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day of the week, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The cost to get in is Ages 18-61: $12.00
Ages 62+: $9.00
Ages 11-17: $3.00
Under age 11: Free

Another great way to get your kids out for the day is to utilize the Teen Center; located off of the Janss Road exit, next to the Senior Center and the Library, the Teen Center offers some great summer alternatives such as bus rides to the beach! For more information please visit http://www.thousandoaksteencenter.com/flash_intro.asp

For a full list of local activities, please visit the City of Thousand Oaks website: http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/living/things.asp for more information!

I put my children in a Summer day camp program hosted by the Conejo Valley Unified School District. This is our 3rd year in the camp and it gets better and better. It is a cost effective alternative to other day camps - and no extra money is needed for the field trips since the session price includes all of the trips! This year they are going to places such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, the Fish Hatchery, Santa Barbara Zoo, the Newbury Park High School pool and so many more fun places! The only downside is that it does fill up fast and you will want to call the school district offices to check on any available openings. 805-495-9711.

Let’s hear some other ideas!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!  We just launched a new fabulous tool! Are you wondering what is really happening in your community in regards to real estate sales? Do you wonder if now is the time to buy? Do you want to see if the neighborhood you are hoping to move to is truly as popular as the prices make it seem? How fast are the homes selling? What can I expect the market to do?

As your source for real estate information, Suzanne Grace & Associates is proud to offer a new tool to aid you in making the right decision when it comes to buying or selling real estate!

This report contains the most up to date and accurate picture of home sales in your neighborhood.

The information on this report comes from the local Multiple Listings Service (MLS) database, your area’s primary source of real estate listing, transaction and market data. The complete MLS database is typically only accessible to real estate professionals. We have found a way to get this amazing information to you - for free - for as many areas as you like, whenever you like!

The MLS provides detailed information on homes that have sold, homes currently for sale, homes under contract but not yet closed (pending sales), and homes that didn’t sell (cancelled or expired listings). Additionally, the MLS offers analysis of various market trends. So you can be sure that the home and market information I provide to you is the most comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date available. 

Contact us now for what this means to you and for your home buying decision - no matter where you are in your decision process. I will personally provide you with an updated, on-going report for your desired community. Or you can visit our website and on the upper left hand corner of the home page is a link to this report. www.ThousandOaksDreamHomes.com;  Again, in today’s market, this is an amazing and invaluable tool………

I receive a lot of requests mainly from first time buyers looking for an inexpensive way into the housing market and hoping to pick up a home in the Conejo Valley for dirt cheap, hoping for a foreclosure - one they can actually live in, too! I take these requests seriously and try to educate them about how it works, to the best of my knowledge of course and most importantly, based on my own personal experiences.

First, there are way too many bogus websites out there telling people that you can pick up a foreclosure for $60,000 - for a 4 bedroom home in Thousand Oaks! I hate this and it makes me angry that these scam sites lure people in, get them to pay money and leave them thinking they are going to get the deal of the century. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Typically that $60,000 is what they are behind in payments or some other mystery number and truly not the dollar amount the bank will take for the home. I put it to them like this:

Banks are in the business to make money; why would they give something away? Secondly, if the home were worth $600,000 - would the seller honestly sell it for $60,000? HECK NO!! So, why would you think a bank would do this? Well, they won’t, ever.

If you want to buy a foreclosed home, be prepared to pay full market value - and for cash, too. Now, the best way to get a good deal on a home is to look for a “PRE-FORECLOSURE” or SHORT SALE. Again, no guarantees that this will work the same way for everyone, but in the last few transactions I have had with short sales, the banks were willing to take 80% to 90% of the appraised value for the home. HOWEVER, this is not necessarily true for every short pay out there and I don’t want a bunch of angry posts on here because it didn’t work for them.

It is also a VERY LONG PROCESS with no guarantees at the end; you could wait 3 or 4 months for a response - and have it be NO. Typically, the listing agent works with the seller and the bank and lists the home for a price that is equal to the outstanding first loan balance as well as misc. fees and if there is a second, we also have to account monies toward this as well; this amount can be 80 to 90% of the appraised value but it truly depends on what is owed on the home. Meanwhile, both the seller and the bank are hoping to sell it for as much money as possible - which makes sense of course. In the event it doesn’t sell and is sitting and sitting and the foreclosure date is looming overhead (which the banks absolutely do not want) you MAY have a small window of opportunity to get in there and make an offer to the bank for 80/90% of the appraised value. So, if the home appraised for 1,000,000 - you could POSSIBLY walk away with only spending $800,000 on the home. Again, though, it is a long, slow process with no guarantees - sometimes you have 2 different banks to work with - a first loan and a second loan - and if the second lien holder does not want to negotiate, or the first bank will not give them enough or anything at all, they say no and it is all over. Another issue I encounter (well, only with one bank which will remain nameless FOR NOW) is that I cannot reach anyone in the Loss Mitigation Department and honestly at this point it truly is just over for the seller and the buyer has waited months for nothing. There are also Short Sale assistance companies out there who can sometimes help - for a price - but it can be worth it to the seller if they want to preserve some of their credit as well as to the buyer who still gets the home at a (potential) great price. Really, it truly depends on when the current owner bought the home and what they paid and most importantly, what they OWE! Again, I am disclosing here that what I am writing is based on my own personal experiences - if you want, I can help you buy a great home using my formula but I cannot guarantee it will work. If the bank has had offers higher than the 80 or 90%, it will not work. If the seller owes more on the first loan than the property is worth, it is truly better to wait for it to go to sale or to wait for it to come back on the market as an REO. Just do me a favor and stay off those junk sites, unless you plan to go to the courthouse on sale day and pay market value with a cashier’s check.

Welcome to Suzanne Grace’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in Thousand Oaks.