Tag Archives: home for sale

7 Reasons to List Your Home During the Holidays

Holiday-Proof-Your-Real-Estate-BusinessYou’ve probably heard the misconception that the Holiday season is not a good time to list your home for sale. The truth is, the winter months are the perfect opportunity for you to have success with selling your home. Below is a list of reasons explaining why the holidays are a great time to put your home on the market:

  1. While there may be less buyers out there, people who look for a home during the holidays are serious. They are ready to buy.Holiday Money

  2. There are fewer homes for buyers to look at during the holidays, which means less competition for you. Less competition equals more money.

  3. Your home shows better when it’s decorated for the holidays! Lights on your home and garland on the stairs are a nice touch to give your home that warm feeling of the holidays.

  4. After the holidays, the supply of listings increases substantially, which lowers the demand for your home. More competition equals less money.

  5. Many buyers have more time to look for property during the holidays – as opposed to a normal work week.

  6. You can restrict the showings on your home to the times you want it shown. You can even agree to have ‘blackout dates’ for showings. You remain in control.

  7. You can delay the closing, or even extend occupancy into next year when moving is more convenient. Sell now for more and not have to move until January or February…as opposed to starting the whole process at that time.

 

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Top 5 Tips for Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving can sometimes feel like a holiday for everyone but the host. This year, why not make it fun for everyone? Just follow these helpful tips to prepare you for your most successful, worry free feast!

 

  1. Make a timeline and master list of everything that needs to get done.

Avoid last-minute overload by counting backwards from the time dinner is served and scheduling out prep time and oven time. Map out the timing for what can share the oven, and what can be served at room temperature. Stick to your plans to ensure everything runs smoothly. It may help to set alarms on your phone for really key moments, like putting the turkey in the oven

2.  Make as much ahead as possible.

When you’re planning your menu, look for dishes that can be made the night before. Desserts can easily be made ahead and re-heated. Even if you can’t make a full dish ahead, look for ways to prep the big stuff as much as you can, like toasting nuts or breadcrumbs.

3.  Set the table the night before — and embrace the kids’ table idea!

Set the table the night before, and think through who will sit where. Save yourself from rooting around in your messiest cupboard for the turkey platter in front of guests. And don’t fuss too much over decorations for the table … click here for quick and simple ways to make household items into perfect turkey day centerpieces. Keeping the kids at their own table can give you the opportunity to dress the table with the nice china and not worry about an accident.

4.  Never turn down help.

Most Thanksgiving parties embrace some sort of potluck rule, and that’s the beauty of it. Let friends and family bring appetizers, side dishes, or desserts. You can even buy pre-made items from the grocery store. This will free up your oven a bit and take some of your plate. Also, don’t be ashamed to ask for a hand in the kitchen, and gather a crew to help carry the dishes to the table.

 

5.  Don’t bite.

There may be someone in your family or in your circle that wants to start a heated discussion. Don’t take the bait just because that someone brings a hot topic up at the dinner table. The best way to keep everyone happy is to keep the conversation light and neutral. You can’t pick your family as they say, so take every opportunity to enjoy their company and your time together!

We hope you have fun in your preparations for your Thanksgiving party. Remember to relax and enjoy it! Maybe even find a moment in the chaos to remind yourself to be grateful for the opportunity to host your loved ones on this special day.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Will Your Will Be Enough?

Congratulations, you have taken the big leap and have purchased a home! Now that you own a home, have you thought about protecting your assets? Is having a WILL good enough?

When one dies with assets to his/her name over $150,000, his/her estate goes through Probate Court – and that happens whether or not he/she left a Will. The only instance when a decedent’s estate (that exceeds the probate threshold of $150,000) stays out of Probate Court is if the assets are titled in a Trust. For purposes of meeting the $150,000 threshold, the probate court looks at GROSS, and not NET value of the Estate.

For that reason, your new home–which you just added to your estate–most definitely pushed your assets above the probate threshold of $150,000. Therefore it would be wise to set up a Trust and transfer your home into Trust to prevent it from undergoing probate.

Even if spouses take title to their home jointly, that only protects the surviving spouse from probate at the first death. At the second death the home (which is now only in the survivor’s name alone) will most likely need to be probated.

Unlike the costs for setting up and administering a Trust, probate costs are much higher. Few people know that the probate fees are set in the Probate Code as a percentage of the gross value of the estate. It costs $46,000 to probate a $1 million dollar estate, $56,000 to probate a $1.5 million dollar estate, $66,000 $2 million dollar estate, and so on. Half of these go to the attorney for the estate, and the other half go to the estate representative. Those should be assets going to your heirs instead.

Protect your assets and your family – save your money for your beneficiaries and consult with an Estate Planner to convey your new home and your other assets in a living Trust.

 

 

 

Disclaimer:  This post is not intended to replace legal advice. It was put together with the assistance and guidance of attorney Maria N. Jonsson. We personally use Maria for our estate planning.

Maria N. Jonsson, Esq. (310) 802-9961, [email protected], www.mariajonssonlaw.com

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Top 5 Best Trick-Or-Treating Neighbourhoods on LA’s Westside

Halloween is always fun for the whole family, and the city of Los Angeles surely knows how to get in the spooky spirit! It’s become tradition in some neighbourhoods to decorate the entire block, or go all out for one massive haunted house. In a city known for its theatrics, it’s hard to choose the coolest spots to do your trick-or-treating this year. That’s why we’ve chosen the top 5 best spots on the Westside of LA for the family to experience spectacle, scares, and of course…CANDY!

Map of Cheviot Hills

Map of Cheviot Hills

1.Cheviot Hills

Almost all of Beverlywood and Rancho Park flock to Cheviot Hills to get the their thrills and treats every year. On Motor Avenue in particular, one house goes all out with decorations, music, strobe lights, and loads of kid friendly scares.

Map of Beverly Hills

Map of Beverly Hills

 

 

2. Beverly Hills (Walden Drive)

The Famous Spadena House

The Famous Spadena House

There is no greater treat than visiting the famous Spadena House (more popularly k
nown as the “Beverly Hills Witch House”)on all Hallow’s Eve! The entire street seems to feed off the energy of the house, as everyone decorates and celebrates by giving out loads of candy. This is quite a popular spot on the big night, so be sure to get there early to beat the crowds.

3. Venice Canals

Map of Venice Canals

Map of Venice Canals

If you are worried about the dangers of traffic on Halloween (who isn’t?) than this is the perfect place for you! The four block area is magically spooky with pumpkins and twinkle lights strung along the canals, fantastic decorations, and plenty of the requisite sugar treats. Parking can be a hassle, but as long as you plan ahead it is worth a little parking search.

Map of Santa Monica

Map of Santa Monica

4. Santa Monica (25th Street)

Perhaps the most decorative of the bunch, the scene on 25th Street between Montana Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard will blow you away. This block has really taken to adorning their houses and yards with giant spiders, makeshift graveyards, and inflatable pumpkins!

5. Brentwood Glen

Map of Brentwood Glen

Map of Brentwood Glen

Just west of the bustling 405 freeway is the small pocket of Brentwood Glen – a surprisingly quite neighborhood full of young families. This is the perfect spot for your first time trick-or-treaters and all the little ones on the search for candy. The homes are very close to one another, and very few cars pass in the evening. Although it is quite, the neighbours still decorate with fun and kid friendly haunted houses.

 

 

Remember, always exercise caution when approaching a home, and be especially cautious when crossing the street. Stay safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN from The Mendelsohn Group!

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