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?

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.

CLICK TO VIEW

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?

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.

CLICK TO VIEW

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.