Stop Renting an Orange County Home!

With interest rates and prices plunging to rock-bottom lows of under 4% for Laguna Beach real estate, there’s never been a better time to buy your own little castle by the seashore. Renting a home just doesn’t make financial sense anymore – not even for a second home. Buy that Laguna Beach vacation property. And stop donating to the ‘I Want to Make My Landlord Richer’ fund. Same holds true for young people. Parents, encourage your college grads to buy a property NOW and build wealth for their future. “But, Ms. Coastal Property Expert,” you object, “I’m fine with forking over rent for the privilege of living in a beautiful Laguna Beach home.”  And I’m telling you flat out, nay-nay! Don’t waste…

You’ve put in hours of legwork, signed mountains of documents, wheeled and dealed ‘till the cows come home. And now you’re ready for the keys to your castle – a gorgeous piece of Laguna Beach real estate. But there’s still one more bridge to cross. It’s called escrow -- a very necessary phase, which no doubt you’ve heard of. Fortunately, going from escrow to an Orange County home can be a fairly smooth experience, especially when you know what to expect and have The Coastal Property Experts on board. As the best Laguna Beach real estate agents, we’ll help you sail into your Orange County home with an escrow edge. To get you started, we’ve prepared this very special --

EZ Escrow…

Homebuyers Get Another Kick in the Fannie

I’m telling you, it’s the last thing we need right now. Just when the Laguna Beach real estate market is awakening from a slumber full of tossing and turning…Just when interest is heating up for all those bargain-priced Laguna Beach homes for sale. What happens? Homebuyers get another kick in the Fannie.  

What I’m ranting about is Washington’s latest sleight of hand illusion – the new ‘back door tax’ bundled into Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans. At first glance, the additional .125% you’ll be paying for those loans looks like a drop in the bucket. Just a few pennies, right?  WARNING -- Don’t be fooled by the seemingly harmless amount. Here’s the real, behind-the-scenes story --…

It’s Buy Time, Big Time!

The news zooms out of every conceivable media outlet -- houses are more affordable than ever! Homeownership once again is in reach! The bargains are booming! The Coastal Property Experts agree. So do some of you. Low prices and low interest rates have begun luring you savvy shoppers back. Congratulations! You’ve already begun reaping major rewards. But what about the rest of you?  Open your eyes. The skies are clearing in the Laguna Beach real estate market. It’s buy time, big time!

The climate is sunnier than a summer day if you come to the table with the three golden keys: (1) down payment cash; (2) a steady income; and (3) good credit score. Nowadays, one of these essentials will get your foot comfortably in the…

Laguna Beach Home Prices Will Jump

Laguna Beach home prices will jump 5% in the next 90 days predicts Hillary Caston with The Coastal Property Experts.

I’ve already clued you in with my predictions. I know they’re accurate because I’m still getting the signals everywhere I go -- from grocery stores to cocktail parties. People are buzzing big about real estate and how the market is hugging rock bottom. Sales of Laguna Beach homes are gathering steam. No question about it -- the real estate market’s on the move again! In fact, home prices will jump 5% in the next 90 days.

Even experts at places like Forbes and Zillow are echoing my sunny outlook, which says now is the time to buy. The news is out, folks. So the question is --

Where…

Shatter the Home Loan Myth

You yearn to buy a Laguna Beach home, but you’re stymied by a dread of the “home loan myth.” You don’t dare contact the bank – they’ll only reject you. Like hundreds of people, you believe a home loan is impossible without a mind-boggling down payment AND a stratospheric credit score. No doubt about it. This widespread belief is hampering the housing market in a big way. Well, it’s high time to shatter the home loan myth once and for all – you don’t need a small fortune or a soaring FICO to get a loan for an Orange County home. That’s yesterday’s news. Truth be told, banks are writing more and more home loans every day for ordinary folks.

The facts speak for themselves. In both Orange and L.A.…

An Extra Mortgage Payment Puts Profits in Your Pockets

Want to put thousands of extra dollars in your pockets? Simple. Make just one extra mortgage payment each year for your Laguna Beach home. Then start planning your now-affordable dream vacation to Europe! It all boils down to simple math. An extra mortgage payment decreases the length of your mortgage and therefore lowers the amount of interest paid during the loan term. End of story.

Real Life Example

A 30-year loan of $500,000 at 5% gives you a monthly payment of about $2,684. Just one extra mortgage payment each year enables you to pay off the loan 3 years and 7 months early. Total interest savings on your Orange County property: a staggering $81,746! Now I ask you, could you use an…

Whew!  Another year has flown by at supersonic speed. And that means The Coastal Property Experts are going out on a limb once again. That’s right. It’s time for Hillary Caston’s 2012 Real Estate Predictions. OK, I’m gazing deep into my crystal ball.  Here’s what I see…

Price Jump -- Without question, home prices in the Laguna Beach area will jump 10% from the all-time lows of ‘2011.  This applies not only to Laguna Beach homes, but to Newport Beach homes, Laguna Niguel homes, Dana Point homes.  

You’ve Got Three Months -- Be looking for the climb to start in about 90 days. Yes, yes, I know more distress inventory will pour into the market. But those homes will blend into the mix of escalating properties -- without diluting…

Price Hikes Coming For Your Laguna Beach Home?

I’ve been saying it all along. Grab a deal on Laguna Beach real estate while you can. Sooner or later the market will bottom out. Then things will start heating up again. Unfortunately, you won’t know it until the market zooms past, leaving you in the dust. Sure enough, banks are doing their part to crank up the heat. If the current lending trend is any indicator, you may very well see price hikes coming for your Laguna Beach home …sooner than you think.   

Here’s how the financial winds are blowing. According to a recent USA today article, banks are making more and more business loans.  The bullish attitude stems from our improving economy and a drop in unemployment claims. It’s only a…

Green is Gold for your Laguna Beach Home

Making your Laguna Beach home environmentally-friendly doesn’t have to be a major, time-consuming project. In fact, green is gold. That’s because in most cases, going green is easy, earth-friendly, and economical. Here are a few simple steps that will put the green in your Orange County home …and keep the green in your wallet.
Clean Green – Scrub and wipe with environment-safe cleaning products.  If you really want to stretch your dollars, try baking soda, vinegar, and lemon.  
Out With the Lights – Flicking off the light switch when you’re out of the room means less energy usage, less pollutants from the local power company, and less money out of your pocket.
Fill the Cracks – When warm air…