Hiring YOUR Long Beach Realtor

 LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

So, you are planning on selling your Long Beach Home or Condo and thinking about looking around for a Realtor.  Oye, another ordeal!   The media has been telling you that the sky is falling and the market is collapsing.  They report on falling prices and unsold homes, then they tell you that the entire real estate industry wants to rip you off.  Your head is aching already. 

• What the heck are you going to do? 
• Who the heck are you going to trust? 
• How the heck are you going to figure all of this stuff out?

Well, Im going to try to make this process a little easier for you. 

Back in March I wrote an article, Selling Your Long Beach Home, which you might be interested in reading.  The article explains many of the issues Sellers are facing in todays real estate market.  Issues that are also new to most in the real estate industry today. 

Traditional marketing and advertising just doesnt work anymore.  Many real estate agents are going to tell you they can put you on the internet, and they just might.  After all the MLS is on the internet, but you cant access it, I can though.  So what good is that going to do you?

Most Realtor sites provide what is called IDX which is an MLS search and lead generation system designed for the use of buyers in the market.  Not all IDX is equal.  Did you know that Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo and a lot of the other large search sites do not provide a full MLS feed?  They have contracts with just a few of the larger brokerages and only show thier listings; they capture your information and sell it back to the agents at the brokerage companies providing the listings for them to advertise. When you search these sites you are not viewing ALL properties that are available.  They cant provide you with the entire MLS because they are not in the real estate business.  They are not licensed Realtors or Brokers.  Only a licensed Realtor or Broker has access to the entire MLS.  They sell advertising.  

Why bother when you can search ALL available listings in a great comprehensive format and compare them to each other as well?  You can even email them to your friends or family for that stamp of approval we all seem to crave in our more insecure moments.  Naturally you will not only find a full MLS feed on Long Beach Real Estate Home, but the Rolls Royce of MLS searches with a superior lead generation system.  Nothing but the best will do here! 

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Posted on July 27, 2007 00:24:48 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Home Kitchen Remodels

Long Beach Homes - Kitchen Remodels

Nothing increases the appeal or salability of a Long Beach Home more than a great kitchen and bath remodel.  With all of the information and choices out there it can get pretty confusing for a consumer. 

Where do you start?

The key is in the design.  If your kitchen is the center of activity in your home then the design needs to accomodate that.  Consumers are seeking more integration, more space and more high-end features in todays kitchen remodels.  They want a kitchen they can be proud of and show off. 

In most older Long Beach Homes kitchens are very closed off, seperate rooms, removed from the activities of the family, Formal Dining rooms sit largely unused.  Many Long Beach Homeowners are opting to tear out the doors and walls between the kitchen and dining room and are incorporating the square footage into a more useful, functional and attractive space, integrating the kitchen with the rest of the home. 

Allowing more natural light to stream in can create the illusion of more space.  Many are adding additional windows, skylights or are just increasing the size of existing windows. 

While some homeowners are still opting for white cabinetry, the current trend is towards the darker woods, cherry and maple are the most popular with some interest in hickory as well.  Oak is so out! 

Consumers are concentrating on the design and style, choosing more streamlined cabinets with less detail, instead placing more emphasis on pulls and hinges. 

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Posted on July 21, 2007 09:36:44 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Home Bathroom Remodels

Long Beach Homes - Bathroom Remodels

Long Beach Homeowners want more space in their kitchens and bathrooms.  Bathroom remodels are reflecting many of the same design trends and choices as kitchens. 

Long Beach Homeowners want their bathrooms opened up.  They want more space, more light and room for more than one person to be comfortable in the room at the same time.  Adding windows and skylights, or enlarging existing windows brings light into the room, cheering it up and creating the illusion of more space.  Using lots of glass and glass block helps achieve this goal. 

We all know that the choice to live in a beach close Long Beach Home generally means higher prices and less square footage.  How can we create more viable living space when we only have just so much in the way of usable square footage?  

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Posted on July 21, 2007 09:32:56 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Backyards-Ponds and Nasty Swimming Pools

LONG BEACH CA REAL ESTATE

Do you have a nasty old pool detracting from your Long Beach backyard?  Don't use it anymore?  Takes up valuable space?  Costs a small fortune to maintain!   Afraid it may get in the way of selling your Long Beach Home?

Not all Long Beach Buyers are interested in maintaining a swimming pool.  For many first time buyers the expense of maintaining the pool is just too much for them to deal with.  If the pool is not in pristine condition it could turn off a buyer, nobody wants to take on potentially unknown expenses.  Removing an existing pool can be very expensive. It is time to get out of the box in your thinking. 

Wouldn't you just love to have a beautifully landscaped pond instead?  Apparently you are not alone! 

Imagination!   It amazes me!  Some people are blessed with not only a fabulous imagination, but also with the ability to bring their dreams into reality.  Erik, of Portland Oregon is such a man. 

Erik purchased a home with a swimming pool and made his dream of a large pond come true.  His blog recounts the entire conversion process with beautiful photos.  His talents are limitless.  He not only converted the pool, his landscaping talents are unparalleled.  Erik designed a biological vegi filtration system for his pond which keeps the water crystal clear, uses no chemicals, the pond is self-sustaining and he makes it look effortless. 

The kicker is, he did this for only about $2,000.  Yep, here is his estimation:

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Posted on July 15, 2007 17:29:15 by Laurie.Manny

Why Stage Your Long Beach Home or Condo?

LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Professional Home Staging Sells Long Beach Homes and Condos!

Long Beach has a tremendous amount of homes and condos on the market and only a limited number of buyers in a position to purchase.  It is just common sense that these buyers are most interested in the Long Beach homes that show the best. 

Professionally staged Long Beach properties just look better than their competition.  Buyers are no longer interested in purchasing homes or condos that need much in the way of upgrading.  Most are barely willing to paint.  They no longer have to do any of this to get a good buy in today's market. 

If your Long Beach home or condo needs paint and new carpet, your kitchen and bathroom are out of date, you must reflect this in your offering price.  If you want a higher price, an investment in a professional home staging service may be the answer for you.  Staged Long Beach Homes and Condos sell faster and typically sell for higher prices. 

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Posted on July 04, 2007 14:45:39 by Laurie.Manny