Happy Holidays 2011!

Getting Ready to Buy a Home? Lender Do's & Don'ts

There are 4 things you should avoid doing prior to submitting a loan application, or during the loan process, according to Kevin Hauber of iMortgage. Any one of these things can greatly impact your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan, so it is critical to avoid doing any of these until AFTER your loan has closed escrow.

DO NOT PAY OFF BILLS
Your loan officer will advise you if it is necessary to pay off bills to help you qualify for a loan. They will also show you the best way to pay off bills to make sure we have the evidence we need to prove that the bills have been paid.

DO NOT CHANGE JOBS
Changing jobs before or during the loan process can create a real problem in qualifying you for a loan, particularly if the job is in a different line of work or at a lower rate of pay. During the loan process, it can also create time delays as the new job will need to be verified.

DO NOT MOVE YOUR MONEY
It is best to leave your money right where it is until your loan is closed. Moving your money toa new bank or even into a new account can wreak havoc with the verification process.

DO NOT MAKE MAJOR PURCHASES
Many borrowers make the mistake of buying a new car, some furniture, or making another major purchase without realizing the impact it can have on their ability to buy a home. A large monthly payment can affect the amount of home you qualify for and, during the loan process itself, actually make it extremely difficult to get your loan approved.

If you must do any of the things listed above (even if you've just been pre-qualified for a loan), contact your loan officer. They can help you by re-qualifying you if necessary and advise you of your options. By avoiding these four things, you can look forward to a successful loan closing.

For excellent service, contact:

Kevin Hauber
iMortgage
Direct Line 805-597-8844
Mobile 805-459-8844
Email Kevin.Hauber@imortgage.com

Tim Townley is REALTOR of the Year!

The REALTOR® of the Year award is actually one of the highest awards that can be bestowed upon a REALTOR®. The award is presented annually and the member is nominated by his peers. The criteria taken into consideration are the member's involvement in leadership, civic affairs, participation in local, state and national committees with the California Association of REALTORS®, as well as the National Association of REALTORS®. Also taken into consideration is the member's spirit, attitude, dedication to their clients, and business accomplishments.

Comet Realty is honored and thrilled that this award has been given to our very own Broker/Realtor TIM TOWNLEY.

Way to go, Mr. Townley. Now the world knows what Comet Realty has known all along. You truly are REALTOR® of the year!

For outstanding service, Tim Townley can be reached at 805-440-8735, or Tim@CometRealty.com. 

For Sale: 1009 Jacqueline Place, Nipomo

click for: VIRTUAL TOUR

click for:  WEBSITE

Call any of Comet Realty's amazing agents today to see this amazing home!    805-546-9925

Happy Comet Realty Clients

Olivia has collected enough beach stuff this summer that 

she needs TWO Comet Realty shopping bags! 

Avila Beach, September 2011

Comet Realty loves Olivia! 

California real estate group expects modest rise in home sales, prices in 2012

by Kerry Curry

www.HousingWire.com

          California home sales and median prices should improve only slightly in 2012, as the the tepid economic recovery, uncertainty and tight lending keep the lid on greater momentum for housing.

          The California Association of Realtors forecasts the state's home sales will grow about 1% next year to 496,200 units, following essentially flat sales of 491,100 this year. CAR said 491,500 homes sold in 2010.

          "Despite the run of unforeseen global events in the first half of this year that slowed the overall economy, 2011 home sales are projected to essentially remain unchanged from last year," said CAR President Beth Peerce. "Looking ahead, the fundamentals of the housing market — such as low mortgage rates, high housing affordability and favorable home prices — are expected to continue, but at this point, a strong housing recovery will depend on consumer confidence, job creation and the availability and cost of home loans."

          Still, Peerce said sellers who held off listing their homes this year may decide to jump into market next year, improving the mix of homes for sale compared to the last few years.

          However, distressed sales will remain a key segment of California's housing market next year, she said.

          California default notices spiked 55% in August, and the number may rise in coming months as mortgage servicers shake off the robo-signing freeze, according to RealtyTracSenior Vice President Rick Sharga.

The California median home price is forecasted to increase 1.7% in 2012 to $296,000. The median home price for 2011 projects about 4% lower than $291,000 last year.

Still, any number of factors could throw off CAR's forecast.

          Prices could face other challenges, for example, such as the expiration of the conforming loan limits in October and the ongoing deficit struggle.

          "The wild cards for 2012 are many, including federal, fiscal, monetary and housing policies; the contentious political climate during an election year; and the strength of the U.S. economic recovery,” said Leslie Appleton-Young, vice president and chief economist at CAR.

For Sale: Oasis in Arroyo Grande!

Please contact Shannon Fitzpatrick to arrange for your private tour of this fantastic home, or other Central Coast Properties. 

Shannon can be reached at 805-801-5436, Shannon@CometRealty.com.

www.690Monadella.com

Hayley's Feng Shui Tip: FALL CLEANING TIPS!

Fall is in the air! Prepare for the change of season (even if you are in California!) with a few deep-cleaning tips for your home. A clean home is a happy home! Clean from ceiling to floors, starting with the most used rooms. Tackle this list over a few weeks if you get overwhelmed. I won't tell anybody! 

LIVING ROOM

• Dust fans, crown molding and air vents. Soak and wash glass light fixtures. 
• Walls and corners collect lots of dust (and dog hair, in my case!) Wipe down latex or oil painted walls with an All-Purpose Cleanser** (read the label!) and water. We recommend testing on an inconspicuous area first. Don’t forget the baseboards! 
• If you paid attention to the last Feng Shui Tip, you already cleaned your windows (:-) If you missed that one, there is still time! Wash the screens on a warmer day and allow to dry in the sun. Next are curtains and blinds.
• Vacuum furniture and upholstery. Make sure to clean underneath furniture as well. 
• Lastly, clean the floors, carpets, and rugs. If they are heavily soiled, it may be time to call a professional** or rent a cleaning machine. 

KITCHEN

• Clean under and behind the refrigerator, vacuuming the condenser coils. 
• Clean and organize kitchen cabinets. Plan on one cabinet a day to make the task less daunting.
• Take unwanted, unopened packaged foods to a local food shelter (or toss expired or questionable foods). 
• Clear the kitchen counters of all appliances not used in the last week. 
• Deep clean your oven with a mixture of 2:1 All Purpose** and Surface Scrub** and let sit for 15-20 minutes, then wipe down the insides and outsides of the oven and range.
• If you have drip pans under your burners, run them through the dishwasher, or consider replacing them. 

BATHROOM

• Clean out the medicine cabinet; be sure to discard expired prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and lotions. (Please do not dump prescriptions in the toilet!)
• Empty each drawer and cabinet so you can wipe down the interior. 
• Give your shower or tub a good scrub. My friend Becky discovered that it is much more fun using scrubbing bubbles if you are also drinking bubbly. 
• Launder or clean the shower curtain and liner.
• Scrub down the toilet, both inside and out - don’t forget the handle, seat, or base of toilet.
• Dust the outsides of vents and fans. 

BEDROOMS

• Launder all bedding, including bedskirts, mattress pads, sheets, pillows, blankets, duvets, and comforters. 
• Clean and organize drawers, shelves or nightstands. 
• Once the weather turns cooler, pack away summer clothes (for Californians - just move to the back of the closet!)
• Determine what your favorite clothes are, then donate the unwanted, clean, usable clothes to a charity thrift store (I personally like Mission Thrift on Broad Street). 

OUTSIDE

• After the leaves have fallen, empty the gutters, then rinse clean gutters with a special hose attachment. 
• Clean up your patio furniture. (Californians are lucky enough to not have to worry about storing our patio furniture!)
• Check the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to ensure your home is energy efficient. 

** This list is brought to you from my favorite GREEN cleaning product line: CALDREA. Find your favorite Caldrea scent (mine is Basil Blue Sage), and your entire home will smell amazing when you clean (rather than caustic). www.Caldrea.com, Fortini’s in SLO carries it, and every once in awhile, you can even find it at Ross or TJ Maxx (if I haven’t found and bought it first!) They have spectacular concentrated laundry detergent. Your sheets, towels, skin, nose, family and home will thank you! 

If you need to buy or sell a home, call or email Comet Realty: 805.546.9925, Info@CometRealty.com. 

If you need to clean your home, do it yourself! (refer to list above) 

Happy Comet Realty Clients

Olivia V. in Yosemite, August 2011

Comet Realty loves Olivia! 

TIP: Home Improvements That Pay Off

Dian Hymer is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist, and author.

The temptation is strong: Clean up the yard, declutter the house, and put it on the market without spending time and money sprucing the place up for sale. This is especially the case if you anticipate losing money on the sale.

Some real estate agents recommend you do little if anything to get your home ready for sale. This could work if you price the listing to look like a bargain. However, most buyers in today's market are nervous and picky. They aren't in a hurry and they want a house that's move-in ready.

An agent who is looking for a fast sale might steer his or her clients away from doing any fix-up work. It takes a lot of time and coordination, not to mention money, to get a home properly prepared for sale in today's market. Some agents don't want to take on the effort, or haven't the vision to see the home's potential. This could cost you on the sale.

One agent told his clients that they needn't do anything to get their house ready for sale. True, the house had inherent charm and good bones. But, the seller's furniture was much too big to show the rooms off to advantage. The dogs had damaged the hardwood floor and the beautiful garden was overgrown.

The house didn't sell until the sellers found another agent who recommended a laundry list of items to take care of before selling, including moving most of the seller's furniture out and having the house staged.

Unfortunately, market values declined between the first and second times the home was listed. Even though the house sold quickly with multiple offers the second time it was listed, it sold for less than it would have if it had showed well the first time it hit the market.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Choose an agent to work with who has experience helping sellers prepare their homes for the market. Ask an agent you're thinking about hiring for references. Call past sellers and ask them how effectively the agent helped them get their home sold and whether they made back the money they invested getting the home ready for sale.

A good agent should be able to supply you with a list of tradespeople who can help you paint, change outdated floor coverings and light fixtures, etc., at reasonable prices. And your agent ought to be able to provide access to the home for the people you select to help with the fix-up if you are out of town or at work.

Ideally, you should work with your agent who will help you prioritize the things that should be done to bring about a timely sale. For example, an outdated kitchen can usually be improved considerably by painting, changing light fixtures, refinishing or replacing a worn floor, and changing cabinet pulls.

It might make sense to change extremely old appliances and counters. However, it's not a good idea to gut the kitchen and completely remodel it for sale. You won't get that money back when you sell. The aim is to make cost-effective improvements that make your home appealing to the broadest number of buyers possible.

Painting is the least expensive improvement you can make that is likely to return more than you invest, provided you select the right colors. One seller repainted the exterior of his home before he selected a real estate agent. He painted it the same dowdy colors that adorned the house for decades. The first thing the buyers wanted to change was the exterior paint color.
THE CLOSING: For the best result, talk to a color consultant before you paint.


TIP: Contact Comet Realty's team of professionals. They have the local knowledge, expertise, feng shui certifications and staging experience to help you decide what to do to get YOUR house ready to put on the market. 


805.546.9925, Info@CometRealty.com

Top 10 Tax Tips for Sellers According to IRS

If you are thinking of selling, the first thing you should do is call Comet Realty to find out how they can market and sell your property! 

The second thing you should do is look at this list that the IRS has published for sellers. (http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/content/0,,id=104608,00.html.)

Here are the IRS's top 10 tax tips for home sellers (taken from their website August 2011):

1. In general, you are eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale.


2. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).


3. You are not eligible for the exclusion if you excluded the gain from the sale of another home during the two-year period prior to the sale of your home.


4. If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return.


5. If you have a gain that cannot be excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.


6. You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.


7. Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home, to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.


8. If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.


9. If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year's tax return.


10. When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive refunds or correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS of your address change.

And the hottest tip of them all: Call Comet Realty for a wonderful experience in selling or buying real estate on the Central Coast. All of our agents are standing by ready to assist you ... 805-546-9925. 

Happy Comet Realty Clients

This fantastic remodeled 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Los Osos was a great deal for one of our investors. He then contracted with Keith Hoffmann, Realtor®, to property manage it for him. The home is currently being loved by some amazing tenants who plan on staying there for a long time.

Please contact Comet Realty - a full service Real Estate firm - to find out what they can do for you. From selling to buying to property management, they are just a phone call away.

Keith Hoffmann, Realtor®, can be reached at 805-801-6498, or Keith@CometRealty.com

Four Ways On-line Real Estate Valuations FAIL

Tara-Nicholle Nelson is an author and the Consumer Ambassador and Educator for real estate listings search site Trulia.com.


Q: Knowing that I would be selling my home, I have been following price ranges for comparable properties to my home on a couple of major real estate websites. Now that I am ready to list, all the agents I've talked to say that the websites are so out of line that their recommendations are worthless. What a shock!

A: Real estate websites have transformed the whole experience consumers have of home buying or selling -- they have made public what used to be private and difficult to get to -- namely, listing and sales data about homes across the country.
Several of these sites offer nearby recent sales, with the promise that savvy sellers like yourself can simply go online, input your address and find out what specific homes in your neighborhood have sold for lately -- some even go so far as to take the leap from what those homes have sold for to placing an estimated value on your home.

These sites try hard to do a lot of the work for you -- surfacing the homes they see as comparable to yours.

However, these are, at bottom, computer programs.

So, what's involved is a computer taking the description of your home from the public records (which usually reside at the county recorder's office and in their databases) or from a recent listing (if your home has been sold in the past few years), in terms of the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and square feet, primarily, and pulling out the closest homes to yours that have sold recently that have similar data on record.

However, the computer can't necessarily distinguish nuances in a property's condition or aesthetics, nor does it always correct for whether the house two blocks over was a short sale or a foreclosure.

Depending on where you live, how similar homes are to each other in your area, the level of sales activity near your home and the level of accuracy found in the public records for your house and nearby homes, these sites can offer very comparable "comps" -- or comparables that aren't really comparable at all.

If you live in a fairly cookie-cutter subdivision where several homes just like yours have sold very recently, you're likely to get a good set of comparables, and a value estimate that's at least in the ballpark. But in many areas, lots of fairly common scenarios can come between you and a good set of automated comps:
• if your home is older and has had a lot of improvements and even additions that are not in the county records, you're likely to get bad comps;
• if homes in your area are very different from each other, you might get bad comps;
• if you live in a neighborhood very nearby another neighborhood where homes have a much higher or lower value than your area's (say, because they belong in a better school district or even on the other side of the city limits), you're prone to getting bad comps;
• if your home is in an area where homes are dense, the algorithm might jump over many very nearby properties to get to a relatively dissimilar one even a half-mile away, and that can give you bad comps.

The listings provided by the sites can be very useful for homeowners trying to stay on top of what homes around theirs are selling for -- not listed for, but actually selling for. They are less useful, in my opinion, at placing values on properties; the sites that do this usually have their accuracy rates listed somewhere on the site, and I haven't yet seen one that's impressive.

But when it's time to actually list your home, or figure out what it is worth, no computer -- no algorithm -- is as accurate as a living, breathing local real estate professional who sees and sells all the different specimens of homes in your neighborhood and sees firsthand what ready, willing, qualified buyers actually pay for them, day in and day out.

I think it's important for sellers interviewing listing agents to discuss the online comparables with prospective listing agents, but not as a counterargument to what the listing agents recommend you list your home at.
Rather, it's a smart way to see what the agents know -- and what you can learn -- about the other properties in your area.

If you are considering selling your home, or just want to see what your home would be worth in today's market, please call one of Comet Realty's professionals at 805.546.9925. 

Happy Comet Realty Clients

It took almost a year, but we found this Happy Comet Realty Client the house of his dreams in San Luis Obispo, in June 2011. He even sent us flowers thanking us for our help. Believe me, the pleasure is all on this side of the table, Mr. Client!

Contact one of our amazing Realtors® to help you with all of your real estate transactions. We are at your service! Info@CometRealty.com, or 805.546.9925

Hayley's Feng Shui Tip: LUCKY DIRECTIONS

FIND YOUR LUCKY FENG SHUI DIRECTION


This is the direction for you to sit FACING when you are making decisions, negotiating contracts, working on important projects, etc. 


Begin by finding your KUA number: 


FEMALES: 

• Add together the last two digits of the year you were born. 
• If the result is 10 or more, add the two digits together to reduce them to a single digit.
• Add 5.
• If this result is 10 or more, add them together again to reduce to a single number. 
• If your answer is 5, use number 8.

MALES:

• Add together the last two digits of the year you were born. 
• If the result is 10 or more, add the two digits together to reduce them to a single digit.
• Subtract from 10.
• If your answer is 5, use the number 2. 

FOR BEST LUCK

Find your personal feng shui direction number on the corresponding guide above. These are your personal directions. 

Sit with your chest facing energies 1-4
Sleep with your head facing energies 1-4
Avoid sitting/sleeping in energies 5-8

1. Prosperity. Success. Vitality.
2. Health. Healing Energy. Good Fortune.
3. Longevity. Good Relations. Harmony.
4. Comfort. Stability. Peace.
5. Difficulties. Frustrations. Quarrels.
6. Bad Luck. Property/Income Loss.
7. Poor Health. Accidents. Litigations.
8. Disasters. Chronic Illness. Bankruptcy.

PLEASE NOTE: In Feng Shui, there are no wrong or right ways. There are inexpensive cures to remedy a situation that could use improvement. If you have found that your desk or bed faces the wrong direction, email us for some ideas on how to better enhance your personal direction. 


EXAMPLE: My own desk faces one of my negative energies, but I have found an inexpensive cure (under $5!) to "fix it". 

Happy Comet Realty Clients

This adorable two bedroom, one bath home in Atascadero was purchased by one of Comet Realty's happy clients in May, 2011. Other than the fact that this is one of the cutest little cottages in all of the land, she also got it for 85% of the asking price! She is truly a Happy Comet Realty Client!

The Realtors® at Comet Realty are amazing negotiators. Call them today to experience the Comet Realty difference. 805.546.9925 or Info@CometRealty.com.

Pending Home Sales Turnaround

Pending home sales rose strongly in May with all regions experiencing gains from a year ago, pointing to higher housing activity in the second half of the year, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 8.2 percent to 88.8 in May from an upwardly revised 82.1 in April and is 13.4 percent higher than the 78.3 reading in May 2010. The data reflects contracts but not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.

This is the first time since April 2010 that contract activity was above year-ago levels, and the monthly gain was the strongest increase since last November when the index rose 10.6 percent.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the improvement bodes well for home prices. “Absorption of inventory is the key to price improvement, and this solid gain in contract signings implies that home values in many localities are or will soon be stabilizing as inventories get absorbed at a faster pace,” he said. “Some markets have made a rapid turnaround, going from soft activity to contract signings rising by more than 30 percent from a year ago, including areas such as Hartford, Conn.; Indianapolis; Minneapolis; Houston; and Seattle.”

Pending home sales have trended up unevenly since bottoming last June, rising in seven of the past 11 months. “Home sales still could be 15 to 20 percent higher,” Yun said. “If banks would simply return to normal sound underwriting standards and begin lending to more creditworthy borrowers, we’d get a much faster recovery in the housing sector.”

Happy Comet Realty Clients

In May of 2011, Tim Townley, Broker, listed 185 Aspen in Arroyo Grande as a short sale, and closed it successfully within 69 days for more than 95% of the asking price! 

Short sales can be stressful transactions for all parties involved. Let Tim, or any of our other experienced Realtors, negotiate YOUR transaction and experience the Comet Realty difference for yourself.

Tim can be reached at 805.440.8735 or Tim@CometRealty.com. 

Is this the time to invest in Real Estate?

The secret to investing is to buy low and sell high!  There I've given you all the #1 tip in Real Estate investing!  The tricky part is finding out exactly when low is the lowest, and when high is the highest.  It is easy to see when the bottom is a couple of years after we have hit it--but that like all hind sight it does not help us right now.


What does help us is watching trends, and reviewing historical data.  Real Estate has been a cyclical market in the past, and most likely will be in the future.  The latest news from "the experts" is that we will be hitting the bottom sometime in 2011, with stable prices through 2015.  


The chart below gives you some idea of what "the experts" expect for the next 5 years.  

 

So according to this, it looks like it is time to break the piggy bank, and invest in some new property!  Give us a shout and lets find your property while it is sliding along the bottom!

Happy Comet Realty Clients

Olivia is out at Avila Beach sporting her Comet Realty re-usable shopping bag which she uses to carry her sand castle building materials to and from her home. Thanks for sharing, Olivia!

Comet Realty loves Olivia! 

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Eyes of the Home

WINDOWS ARE THE EYES OF THE HOME

We were out showing houses last summer and not only was I not quite prepared for this place, but my client wasn’t either! The windows were so filthy, you literally could not see through them. The only reason you can see through the one on the left is because the pane was missing!!! 

In feng shui, the windows are called “the eyes of the home”. They are related to your ability to see clearly in life. Keeping your windows clean and clear is a must. 

Nobody likes cleaning windows (okay, I admit it, I sorta like it, but that doesn’t mean I am going to clean yours). I have found the best tool for the job is newspaper! Simply spray your favorite window cleaner onto the windows, then crumple up the funny pages, use some elbow grease and you will be rewarded with clean, clear, streak free windows. If the windows are large, I also like to use a squeegee. 

What are you waiting for? Get out there and clean those windows. Chances are, you will see the world in a different light! 

Quote of the Day

“In a real estate man's eye, the most expensive part of the city is where he has a house to sell”.

~Will Rogers

Owning a Home is the Anchor to "The American Dream"

RISMedia, June 10, 2011—Despite the ups and downs of the housing market, home owners and non-owners alike consider owning a home essential to the American Dream.

That’s the key finding of a recent survey of people likely to vote in 2012 that was conducted on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., and Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C.

“The survey results show that Americans see beyond the immediate housing market to the enduring value of homeownership,” says NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “An overwhelming 75 percent of the people who were polled said that owning a home is worth the risk of the fluctuations in the market, and 95 percent of the home owners said they are happy with their decision to own a home,” Nielsen says.

“Homeownership is worth the risk, pure and simple,” says Neil Newhouse, a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies. “Even though the market is weak, people who don’t own say they want to buy a house. Almost three-quarters of those who do not currently own a home, 73 percent, said owning a home is one of their goals. And among younger voters who are most likely to be in the market for a home in the next few years, the percentages are even higher,” Newhouse says.

One of the more striking aspects of the survey results is the intensity of sentiment among potential voters, according to Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. “People believe overwhelmingly that owning a home is an anchor to the American Dream,” she says. “It’s an anchor to your retirement, and it’s an anchor to your personal economic well-being.”
Among the other survey results:

•Homeownership and a retirement savings program are considered by voters to be their best investments.
•80 percent of home owners would advise a close friend or family member just starting out to buy a home.
•Saving for a downpayment and closing costs is the biggest barrier to homeownership.
•Americans believe that owning their own home is as important as being successful at their job or being able to pay for a family member’s education.

“Owning a home isn’t just a policy to people,” says Lake. “It isn’t just a commodity to people. It is a core value.”

This national survey of 2,000 likely 2012 voters was conducted May 3-9, 2011 by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., and Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C. It has a margin of error of +2.19 percent.

FOR RENT! ••►FunKy Beach Cottage in Avila

As of June 12, 2011, this great property has been rented. Please contact Rentals@CometRealty.com to find out about other rentals on the Central Coast of California.

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Clutter in the Kitchen

I am STILL working on clutter around my house. For some reason, just when I think I have it under control, it looks as if a bomb went off in my house. Does this happen to you too? 

My friend Sara Caputo, the completely organized owner of Radiant Organizing out of Santa Barbara. has a most excellent blog (http://www.radiantorganizing.com/blog/). Twice a week she posts something incredibly useful. She said that the reason we have clutter is that we have poor decision making skills. I agree completely! I do have poor decision making skills. I save things to deal with “later”. This results in putting things somewhere “for now”. Does this sound like you also? 

This month my poor decision making skills are going to be applied to my kitchen. Please join me! A clean, food-filled kitchen is the center of family life and a symbol of health and prosperity. Here are some key things you can do: 

Clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss anything ancient, mysterious, or "iffy," and refill or replace anything that's less than half-full (such as condiment bottles and jars). Defrost the freezer and get the inside of the fridge sparkling clean.

Clean off the outside of the refrigerator, too. If your fridge is covered with magnets, photos, take-out menus and grocery lists, clear them all off to create a clean slate. Put back only what is necessary (toss the expired coupons, already!)

De-clutter your pantry shelves, and use or toss anything that's been in there for months. Wipe down the shelves and clean the cabinet doors.

Clean your oven and stovetop, and replace burner pan liners if they're no longer shiny and new-looking. You can find these at various hardware or grocery stores. For the most part, they are universal - just remember if yours are square or round. Easy, right?! 

Replace worn and/or grubby oven mitts and dish towels with new ones. I just ordered some fabulous ones from Pampered Chef. 

Get out a broom and thoroughly sweep the kitchen, and then from the kitchen out the nearest door. This symbolically sweeps out the old energy and any lingering not-so-good luck, to make room for better luck to come in. Make sure your broom is hidden away in a closet out of sight. This will ensure that all the new luck (especially money luck!) that comes into your home stays in the home and is not swept back out.

Now you will feel better about being in the kitchen, and cooking for your family. 

Next month, who knows where our little clutter-busting adventure will take us. Does anybody have any particular rooms they would like to concentrate on? Email me at Hayley@CometRealty.com. 

San Luis Obispo Local Realtors - Comet Realty

Insider real estate knowledge is irreplaceable. No matter what charts, graphs, listings and blogs you find on-line, there's nothing more valuable than a well-informed opinion from a real estate professional with experience in your neighborhood or community.

Call one of Comet Realty's professionals today to get local knowledge on the local real estate market in San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara counties.

Pictured from left to right in front of their 1965 Mercury Comet Station Wagon:

• Mike Copeland ®, 805.441.9021  Mike@CometRealty.com 
• Kristin Lachemann ®, 805.801.4653  Kristin@CometRealty.com
• Hayley Townley ®, 805.440.9194  Hayley@CometRealty.com
• Tim Townley ®, 805.440.8735  Tim@CometRealty.com
• Therese Cron ®,  805.878.1684  Therese@CometRealty.com  
• Keith Hoffmann ®, 805.801.6498  Keith@CometRealty.com
• Shannon Fitzpatrick ®, 805.801.5436  Shannon@CometRealty.com
• Erik Slayter ®, 805.476.3663  Erik@CometRealty.com

FRIENDLY.     PROFESSIONAL.     LOCAL.

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Quote of the Day

The only difference between a cult and a religion is how much real estate they own. 

~ Frank Zappa

All this for $1,000,000.

The Ultimate Oasis. 

• No phone service. 
• No cable service. 
• No internet. 
• Trash burning area. 
• Big trees provide shade in the hot sun. 
• Security consists of 11-15 foot high fence, topped with barbed wire. 
• Located in Bilal Town, Abbottabad, Pakistan. 

Undoubtedly, the most talked about piece of real estate these days is the $1,000,000 compound where Osama Bin Laden was hiding out. Not quite the cave I pictured him in. 

Artistic rendering comes from the Department of Defense. 


All this for only $1,000,000.

Butter or Parkay? Photo of the Day

 The things you see when you are out and about. I tried to get my clients to buy it just for the sign. We found another place for them. Don't be surprised if you see the same sign at their new place when they close escrow on their new home! 

First impressions are lasting!

by Dian Hymer

Imagine walking into an important job interview looking like you just dragged yourself out of bed. You'd be unlikely to make a good impression and diminish your chance of securing the job. 

The same goes for selling a home. First impressions are lasting. Some buyers won't even look at the inside of a listing that doesn't have good curb appeal.

Today's buyers are picky. There is no sense of urgency in the market, so buyers are holding out for the best home they can find that will work for them for years to come. In some areas, there are a lot of homes for sale. It's important to make sure that buyers will be attracted to your home before they even walk through the front door.

Fortunately, exterior improvements needn't be expensive. The recent Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2010-2011 found that the improvements that yielded the highest return on the investment when sold were a new steel front door and a new garage door. 

The average cost nationally for a new front door was $1,218; the return was 102 percent. The average cost for a new garage door was $1,191; the return was 83.9 percent. The top nine of 10 most cost-effective improvements nationally were for exterior projects. Curb appeal is as important as ever, and may be more so in this market.

The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report is a collaborative report done annually by Remodeling Magazine and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. It compares construction costs with resale values, which are based on estimates from more than 3,000 REALTORS® and appraisers. 

Sprucing up the front yard for sale needn't be costly. Clean out weeds and dead plants. Add flowering plants for color and mulch to tidy up areas that aren't heavily planted. Replace a lawn that has seen better days with less lawn and a border bed of flowering shrubs. 

Do in-ground planting well in advance, if possible, so that plants have a chance to get established before your home goes on the market. If you have no choice and must plant at last minute, be sure to remove the ID tags from the nursery.

A deteriorated fence should be removed, repaired or replaced. Any peeling paint on the front walk and steps and house exterior and trim should be refreshed. The side of the house that gets the most exposure needs the most maintenance. If you've let it go, you'll be docked dollars by the buyers unless you repaint where needed before you sell.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: The amount returned on home improvement investments varies from one location to the next. It's important to consult with your local real estate agent before you embark on an upgrade to make sure that you don't overpay on an improvement that won't generate the desired result.
Most homeowners assume they'll get their money back and more when they sell. In fact, most upgrade investments often don't return 100 percent of the amount invested, particularly in a down market.

A minor mid-range kitchen remodel returns 72.8 percent nationally, according to the 2010-11 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Index. In the Pacific region of the U.S., you're likely to recoup 84.1 percent.

However, a major upscale kitchen remodel pays back only 59.7 percent nationally and 66 percent in the Pacific region. It makes sense to take on a major remodel project only if you're staying in your home and can enjoy the use of the improvements before selling.

A deck addition ranked high on the list of popular exterior improvements. Although, nationally the cost recouped is only 72.8 percent, it may be an essential enhancement if your home has no outdoor living space and all the homes for sale in your neighborhood do.

THE CLOSING: Supply and demand in your local area will also impact how much you'll recoup from your fix-up investments. 


Give Comet Realty a shout today to find out how to improve the value of YOUR home! 805.546.9925