Orange County Real Estate Video Blog with Zen Ziejewski

Happy Holidays from Zen and the Z Team!

Looking to buy or sell a home in Orange County? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at 949-391-3141 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, I'd like to take a moment to wish you and your family Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. I personally want to let you know how grateful I am to have the opportunity to serve you and get to know you and your family, not only in 2015 but over the past years of my career.

Thank you so much for your referrals of all the people you care most about, like your friends, families, and coworkers. They all mean the world to us!

Because of you and your referrals, I'm honored to be selected once again as a Five Star agent in Orange County and recognized in the December issue of Orange Coast Magazine.

The Five Star award is for having the highest level of customer service and client satisfaction as a real estate professional in the OC. Less than 3% of all agents are selected for this honor.

Nationally, my team is ranked in the top 1% of Keller Williams, the largest real estate company in North America.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart. As your trusted real estate advisor, my team and I look forward to serving you and your loved ones at the highest possible level now and in the future. If you have any real estate questions, give me a call or send me an email. My team and I would be happy to help you.

As we say goodbye to 2015, I wish you and you family an abundance of joy, happiness, wealth, health, and love in the New Year. God Bless from Zen and the Z team!

Why Are People Waiting to Buy Homes?

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Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update
(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

One thing we know for certain about the real estate market is that it is never going to stay the same for long. Today we want to talk about an interesting trend we’ve noticed in real estate: millennials are waiting longer to purchase their first homes than their parents did.

The typical first-time buyer now rents for an average of 6 years before buying a home, which is up from 2.6 years in the early 1970’s, according to Zillow.

We came across this great video from CNBC. I will give you my three biggest takeaways from the video.

1. Down payments are a huge factor
Renters in today’s market are struggling to save for down payments and qualify for mortgages. Most first-time buyers still depend on personal savings for at least some of their down payments, but rising rental prices have complicated the task of socking away money for a down payment.

2. Rising rental rates are complicating things as well
Rental rates are causing 46% of renters aged 25-34 to spend more than 40% of their income on rent, up from 30% a decade earlier.

3. Job security is important to millennial buyers
The Money Source, a mortgage lender, examined applications from 5,404 millennial buyers and found that these buyers averaged nearly 4.5 years in their field of work and had held their current job for slightly more than three years. Those figures point to how critical career stability is to a younger generation.

Thanks for joining me today. Give me a call or send me an email if you have any questions. Talk to you soon!

Is the California Drought Hurting Orange County Home Sales?

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Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update

(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

Here in Orange County, we are definitely spoiled by the beautiful beaches and perfect weather. We are super excited to talk to you today, because we are in the summer selling season. It's a great time to buy or sell a home!

Usually, one of the pluses of selling during the summertime here in California is that all the flowers are in bloom and the lawn looks great. This year, that is not the case. A lot of people have asked me if the drought is hurting real estate sales, and the simple answer is no. If you're a seller, it could affect the offer you get. Traditionally, lush green grass helps sell a house, and lots of beautiful colorful flowers always make it more appealing to buyers.

However, we can give you some great tips on ways to raise your curb appeal during the drought. We have 25+ years of tricks of the trade to make sure your outdoors is in the best condition. We can help you get top dollar for your home.

If you have any questions about today's topic, please give us a call. If you're a buyer hoping to be moved into your new home before school starts, please contact us. We would love to help you with your real estate questions.

How Does Living Near Starbucks Affect Your Orange County Home Value?

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Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update
(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

Starbucks has its benefits for homeowners, whether you drink coffee or not. It sounds strange, but research suggests that having a Starbucks near your home may increase its value!

Research conducted by Zillow found that if you lived within a quarter-mile of Starbucks, your home value would have appreciated by 97% from 1997 to 2014! This is compared to a 65% appreciation rate if your home wasn't located near a Starbucks - that's a 31% difference.

Starbucks usually puts new locations in promising areas that can expect future growth. This likely explains the Starbucks effect, but some builders say that they see a new Starbucks as a sign of promise.

So, are builders following Starbucks or are Starbucks following builders? It's kind of a chicken or the egg situation.

Starbucks or not, there is a strong demand for homes in Orange County. If you would like to take advantage of these wonderful conditions, or if you have any questions, give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Three Ways to Win as a Home Buyer in Orange County

Today I would like to speak about the Orange County real estate market and give you an update on what's occurring within it.

I'll begin by speaking about how buyers can win in our current market. We don't have enough inventory right now to keep up with demand, and we know how frustrating it can be to experience this problem.

Luckily, we have three solutions to offer you:

Work with a great local lender. They provide better customer service than big banks, and it makes closing quicker and easier.

Know your comfort level. The pre-approval letter will tell you how much you can spend on a home, and this will narrow your home search immensely.

Work with a full time agent. Everyone knows it's a hot market right now, so in order to win, you need to work with a qualified team of real estate agents who know how to capitalize when they see an opportunity.

We have unconventional strategies at the Z Team to find you the best homes, and some of these listings have not yet hit the market.

Ask us about our free, no obligation, virtual buyer's tour. We would love to assist you on your way to the American dream!

What "X Factor" Will Drive OC Real Estate in 2015 and Beyond?

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Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update
(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

Today I am going to talk about the next "X Factor" in real estate. This trend is going to drive real estate in the next 5 years, and will have consequences (both good and bad) for everybody.

The "X Factor" in Orange County is new home construction. We are seeing projects that died during the market crash exploding with new homes throughout Orange County. Areas like The Great Park, Rancho Mission Viejo, Baker Ranch, and Marble Beach are all seeing huge rises in new home construction as of late.

This is going to affect you and your home's appreciation. We actually may not have any home appreciation over the next 5 years, so what should you do?

I highly recommend that we sit down together and talk about your goals, and where you want to be in the next few years. So contact me directly at (949) 391-3141 to set up your FREE consultation. I'd be glad to help you understand the X factor and how it's going to affect the market here in Orange County.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I can't wait to talk with you!

Should You Be Selling Your Orange County Home in 2015?

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Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update

(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

Hey everyone, welcome back. In Orange County, a lot of people have been asking us about the market in 2015. A lot of people have been asking, "Is this the year to sell and cash out on my Orange County home?"

I track the trends and have a really good grasp on where the market is headed. For example, last year I predicted a 7% home appreciation, and we got 8%. This year, there are other factors we’ve been tracking that people aren't talking about, which is important to note, as these factors will impact both buyers and sellers alike.

One of the most crucial factors to consider will be the upcoming election year of 2016. We know the “cost” of borrowing money will rise, which in turn will affect affordability for buyers. Because of this, it might make sense to move now, while we know what's going on in the market.

Call me now at 949-391-3141 or email me to schedule your FREE Consultation to review your real estate questions, goals and plans so you don't miss out on the opportunity of maximizing your real estate purchase or sale. My team and I appreciate the opportunity of serving you. Talk to you soon!

What Trends Are We Seeing in Orange County Real Estate?

Hey everyone, thanks for joining me once again. Many of our clients rely on my market knowledge and expertise to help them achieve their real estate goals. Today, I want to share with you a quick update on where we are at right now in the first quarter of the year, and what we can expect moving forward.

CLICK TO VIEW

Zen's Orange County February Housing Market Update

Here are 3 things you should know about the current state of our market:

1. Inventory is low, but healthy.

2. Interest rates are phenomenally low right now and it's a great time to lock in a rate.

3. Our market conditions are good as we head into the spring selling season.

As for what to expect this year, 2015 is going to be the year of the move-up buyer. If you need more space and a bigger home, give me a call and I can walk you through all the reasons why this is the year you should be moving up.

If you have any other questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Why Hire Me?

As a Realtor in Today’s ever changing real estate market you must have the complete package to EXCEL. I bring my professionalism, enthusiasm, customer service, education, negotiating skills, years of sales experience, the latest tools and best of all...a sincere personable approach. In addition to my knowledge and experience, I am very “Tech Savvy,” using the latest technology to its fullest capacity maximizing the results of your selling and buying needs!

My Goal is providing SERVICE that is second to none. I prides himself on making your real estate experience smooth & successful in every aspect - from the first meeting through the negotiations and communications, to the final closing... So that you’ll become a customer for life!

Zen Ziejewski
Z Team OC Real Estate
27101 Puerta Real
Suite 150
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone:949-391-3141 Zen@ZTeamOCRealEstate.com

What our happy Orange County clients have to say

"Zen is beyond the best Real Estate Agent you could ever have. If you don't buy or sell your home through Zen, you're making a grave mistake. Zen Rocks!"

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"Zen was extremely knowledgeable about the process of selling a house, how to present it, and the proper pricing to sell it quickly. He was able to work directly with my contractor fixing up the home to make everything look amazing for the sale, and the future owners.

He was able to help me at the most difficult time in my life, as I was finishing my master's degree and my father had just passed away. I had no time myself to be directly involved with everything it took to get the house ready and sell it. Zen was able to do all of that, on his own and with minimal direction from me. I could not be happier with his service.

Beyond that, his use of technology greatly helped the process. Aside from what was absolutely necessary to sign in person, and some documents must be, nearly everything was signed online at my convenience. Between his use of technology, knowledge of real estate and independent operation, Zen is simply the best and I would recommend him to anyone."

Click to read more reviews

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CLICK TO VIEW Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update (see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)

Zen's Orange County February Housing Market Update

CLICK TO VIEW

Zen's Latest Orange County Housing Market Update

(see the latest statistics for every city in O.C.)