Property Concierge

Pasadena Homes Under $400,000

Posted on May 22nd, 2009 by Doug Willis

If this is the weekend you have finally made the decision to begin your home search you should find a good supply of homes in which to preview. After all, it is the weekend of the Indianapolis 500 and what better analogy than to “Start Your (home search) Engine.

I think you would probably have to go back as far as 2003 or 2004 to find this many homes available for sale priced under $400,000. Consider the other factors in your favor that make this the most opportune time in the last few years to go house hunting:

1. Favorable Interest Rates – rates on 30 year fixed money loans are fantastic. Want to get your rate even lower, consider buying down the rate by paying 1 to 2 points. This might make sense if you plan to stay in your house at least 5 years.
2. First Time Buyer Tax Credit – if this is your first home you will probably qualify for the $8000 federal tax credit. What could be better than a gift from Uncle Sam? You could look at applying the tax credit to the mortgage buy down or point reduction above, giving you the advantage of lower monthly payments.

Is Now the Time to Buy?

That’s a decision you and only you can make. Some people think the market will continue to decline resulting in lower prices. Consider your long term goals. If you plan to sell in the next two years, then who knows. But if you plan to live in the house for the next several years then now could be the time. You should speak with a tax professional and allow them to run a couple of scenarios for you. Look at the cost of renting and then the cost of buying along with the tax implications. Many times it can be a simple math problem, and the answer lies within the tea leaves.

When I performed the search for Pasadena homes priced under $400,000, there were 60+ homes that popped up on my list meeting the pricing criteria.

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Pasadena Residential Real Estate Report for April

Posted on May 20th, 2009 by Doug Willis

The month of April has historically been the kickoff of the spring selling season. Home sales, usually dormant during the first couple of months of the year begin to gain momentum before finally beginning to slow down as we head into fall. The $64,000 question this year will be “Has stability and predictability returned to the Pasdena real estate market or are we in for another year of low volume and declining prices”?

Most of the key housing indicators are pointing to less volatility. Looking at the amount of inventory, the monthly sales, median prices and the number of homes going into escrow, consumers are expressing confidence that the housing market is on its way back. Maybe the bigger question is what actually constitutes “normal”. In the last 8 years we went from 0 to 120 and back to 0. We went from bull to bear with no in between. Apparently we are on the entrance ramp attempting to get back into the flow of traffic.

Home sales for the month of April were right at 100 units. I think if this volume could be maintained then you will see the housing market recover, and we might even see volume of 120 units around the June – August time period.

Interest rates which are currently around 5% will be the key to housing market salvation. If they begin to increase all bets are off. Once rates begin to rise, homebuyers head for the sidelines and take a “wait and see” approach.

The housing statistics are recapped in the slideshow below. Sometimes housing data can be pretty dry, so I have tried to jazz it up and make it more interesting. There is a small icon in the lower right hand corner that will allow you to increase the size of the presentation.

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Keep up with South Pasadena Home Values

Posted on May 12th, 2009 by Doug Willis

If you are looking to buy or sell real estate, you realize how important timely information can be. We have realized it for quite sometime.

How would you like to have the most recent up2date information on South Pasadena Real Estate delivered right to your inbox?

Would you like to know if there is a new listing, a price change or what the house down the street just closed escrow for? If you are searching for a home, having instant information can be critically important when that special house hit’s the market?

Now suppose this information could be delivered to you in real time, saving you the time and trouble of having to search for it.

There is a wealth of information available as long as you know where to look and what to look for. Almost too much. Many websites offer incomplete data pertaining to home values. Most of the information available only displays current listings for sale, but how do you know what the actual selling price was?

We Made the Process Easy. Up2daterealestate and The Property Concierge have joined together to bring you the most innovative program available to increase your knowledge and awareness of the local real estate market.

Since we study the local housing market and bring you the latest news on South Pasadena real estate values, we wanted to introduce you to the latest advances in technology that can actually enhance you real estate experience. Hopefully the next time you are in the market for real estate services you will think of The Property Concierge, a Broker that understands technology and how to effectively use it to market and sell homes.

Selling Your Home?

We can set you up with the information you need. We will construct a custom search of similar homes in your area. You will receive a current status of all the properties on the market and be sent new property alerts once the criteria of a home changes or a new listing hits the market.

Looking to Buy a Home?

If you have been searching for that unique property in one of South Pasadena’s many desirable neighborhoods you can now have immediate access to all of the properties in the area. See what’s just listed, or get the price of a property that just sold, and be notified of any price changes as they happen.

Keep up with Neighborhood Values

This service is offered to homeowners as well. Since a house is probably your biggest investment, wouldn’t it be nice to watch the local real estate market as it happens around you? You will be able to judge the value of your home by the local properties that are within close proximity to your home.

Sign Up is Easy and Free!

Click the Home Value Key on our home page . If you are selling or just want to know the neighborhood activity, please complete the simple information requested and tell us as much about your home as you can.

If you are buying a home, provide as many details as possible with regards to what you desire in a home including square feet, lot size, bedrooms and baths. Also, include the price range in which you are searching.

Once the information is received, email notifications should begin to arrive within a day. Only complete requests will be honored. Partial and incomplete submissions will have to go to the back of the line. Sign up is easy and so is cancellation. We think you will enjoy the benefits of having a better appreciation of the home values in your neighborhood.

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1620 Pleasant Way, Pasadena, CA 91105

Posted on May 6th, 2009 by Doug Willis

1620 Pleasant Way, Pasadena 91105

Offered @ $579,000

Located in southwest Pasadena in the San Rafael hills, this home sits up on a bluff with views to the north. Over the treetops, you can see the San Gabriel’s while relaxing in your living room, enjoying the fireplace. The San Rafael neighborhood is one of Pasadena’s most desirable places to live. Its winding roads meander through tree lined streets that zigzag up and down the hillsides, which add to the beauty and diversity of Pasadena.

This property offers 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in approx 1519 square feet. Just off of the master bedroom is a separate reading room or an ideal space for an office. The home exhibits many of the original building characteristics including bathroom and kitchen tiles and cabinets. A highly desired feature, a separate dining room is also centrally located just between the living room and kitchen.

The home does include central air conditioning and a 3 car garage. The lot size is 5698 square feet and the house was built in 1947. The sloping landscape utilizes a low maintenance ground cover. The floors are a wood style laminate.

Pasadena Homes for Sale in Zip Code 91105

Enclosed are a list of other homes for sale including the San Rafael area. Set up your very own VIP account, create your search criteria and be notified when new listings hit the market.

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