Rancho Santa Margarita Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale December 2011

Rancho Santa Margarita Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale

Click this link to see the latest Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688 as of December 27, 2010.

This the most current list of homes that are bank owned foreclosures in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita. They range in price from 79,900 to $610,000 and include single family homes and town homes/condos. These homes may be located in various communities of Rancho Santa Margarita including Robinson Ranch, Dove Canyon, Las Flores, Rancho Cielo and Wagon Wheel.

Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM) is a lively and vibrant community that grew from a few housing developments in 1986 into one of the newer cities in Orange County California, incorporated as a city in 1999. The twin peaks of Santiago and Modjeska are the backdrop for the city and the adjoining wilderness areas. A 13-acre man made lake is a central focus of recreation in the community with a swimming lagoon and beach club plus a dozen other parks and recreation areas available throughout the city area. Elementary and secondary schools, both public and private serve the young people of the community. Residents are served by several shopping areas which include major retailers, small "mom & pop shops", entertainment venues and restaurants of a wide variety.

If you would like more information about buying a home in Rancho Santa Margarita or are considering selling your home, feel free to contact me for more information. You can also click here to for search all homes and condos in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Click here for information about the City of Rancho Santa Margarita.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

Copyright 2011 by John Alesi. May not be copied with out consent.

Mission Viejo Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale December 2011

Mission Viejo Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale

Click this link to see the latest Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes For Sale in Mission Viejo, CA, 92691 and 92692 as of December 27, 2011.

This the most current list of homes that are bank owned foreclosures in the city of Mission Viejo. They range in price from $129,900 to $720,000 and include single family homes and town homes/condos. These homes may be located in various developments of Mission Viejo including Mallorca, Finesterra On The Lake, Aegean Hills, Deane, La Paz, Barcelona, Madrid, Coronado, El Dorado, Bel Air, Buena Vista, Cortez, Expressions, Stoneridge and Quail Run or others.

Mission Viejo is one of the first master planned communities in Orange County. First developed by home builders in 1966 with a handful of homes, it now has a population of approximately 95,000 residents. The area is served by public and private schools, a major shopping mall, recreation areas including Lake Mission Viejo with swimming, boating and fishing, parks and trails, restaurants, entertainment and community services including the gorgeous Mission Viejo Public Library.

If you would like more information about buying a home in Mission Viejo or are considering selling your home, feel free to contact me for more information. You can also click here to for search all homes and condos in Mission Viejo.

Click here for information about the City of Mission Viejo.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

Copyright 2011 by John Alesi. May not be copied with out consent.

Property Tax Due for Orange County CA Residents on December 12th

Property Tax Due for Orange County CA Residents on December 12th

Don't forget to pay the first portion of your 2011 property taxes before the deadline of December 12, 2011. There is a 10% penalty if you miss the date so now is the time to take care of it.

You can pay by mail or online with a credit/debit card or e-check. The best way to go is with the e-check which is free. You need to know your bank account number and routing number from the bottom of your printed check. Credit/debit cards pay a hefty 2.5% fee and mailing you check is dubious at best with the current state of the post office.

The process to get your taxes paid is easy:

1. Just jump online at OC Tax Collector website
2. Search for your property by street address
3. Click on the Parcel Number
4. Click on the Parcel Number (Yes...this is the second time!)
5. Click on Pay Online
6. Select Pay by eCheck or Pay by Credit Card
7. Fill in the required information and click Continue.
8. Copy your confirmation number. You will also receive a confirming email.

DONE till April 10, 2012.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

Copyright 2011 by John Alesi. May not be copied with out consent.

Less Is More When Selling Your Home Over The Holidays

Less Is More When Selling Your Home Over The Holidays

There is always much discussion about having your home on the market during the holiday season. Many people choose to withdraw their listing during December or simply wait until January or early Spring to get back onto the market.

While the holiday season presents some challenges this time of year, sellers need to be aware of the unique "market" that exists at this time; fewer competitive seller and buyers who are ready to make a purchase today.

The blog post below from Molly of the Century 21 Social Media Team highlights some great staging ideas to make your listing stand out during the holidays.

As wonderful as the holiday season is, you’ll have to cut way back on seasonal decorating if your home is listed on the real estate market. You’re not selling Christmas, you’re selling a home and your listing must always look current in the photos being used to market it. The fundamentals of decorating a home to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers still apply at this time of year.

Curb appeal is critical. This is the potential buyer’s first impression of your property. If you’ve overwhelmed them with too much “Christmas cheer” they can’t really appreciate the architecture or see your property’s natural features. If the buyer happens to have six other homes to see that day, they may very well decide to skip the showing and drive on, without even going inside.

Keep your front yard neat and tidy and free of blow up reindeer. You’ll want to ensure that walkways are always shoveled and free of ice. Draw attention to the front door with planted urns and a modest wreath. If your decorations aren’t too Christmas oriented this will also ensure your MLS photos don’t look dated in case you’re still on the market in January.

Inside your home, Christmas trees, stockings and greeting cards can make a room feel crowded and cluttered unless the house is especially large. Here too, less is more because you don’t want the potential buyer to be distracted by too many “props.” Each room needs a focal point, but when it’s your Christmas tree instead of the fireplace, this won’t help potential buyers imagine what it will be like living there year round.

If your goal is to sell your home as soon as possible, some of your usual holiday traditions may have to take a back seat this year. While there may be fewer potential buyers actively looking in December and January than in the spring, serious buyers are out there searching no matter the season!

When your home is always showing-ready and you allow appointments at this time of year, you’ll be at a distinct advantage over your competition. While the other home sellers in your neighborhood may be focused on the holidays, think how sweet it will be to celebrate the new year with a SOLD sign on your front lawn!

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is President of Six Elements Inc. and creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. An entrepreneur for almost 25 years and author of several guides, Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and uses her expertise to train others worldwide.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

Copyright 2011 by John Alesi. May not be copied with out consent.

It is cheaper to own a home today in 2011 than it was in 2003!

It is cheaper to own a home today in 2011 than it was in 2003!

When I talk about the cost to own a home, I am referring to the payment you make monthly to the bank. Not many people remember the price they paid for their last automobile but everybody knows the monthly payment (cost). For this illustration, I am considering principle and interest on a $250,000 loan. In 2003, just as the real estate bubble was building, prices were starting to climb but were manageable. Interest was affordable at 5.88% so a median priced home cost the owner $1,478.84 per month.

Fast forward to 2011, home prices have settled to 2003 levels but the interest rate has hit an historic low at 4.00%. Now the payment on this same home is $1,193.54, a savings of $285.30. If we project this over 30 years, the cost to own this home would be $102,708 less that the house purchased in 2003 and held for 30 years.

The thing to be aware of is the change in the interest rate. Every quarter of one percent of interest increase starts chipping away at cost savings. If you are thinking of making a home purchase, now is a good time because of the low interest but also because there are fewer buyers competing for the current inventory during the holiday season. Waiting till the first of next year may be too late to realize these savings.

Chart courtesy of KCM Blog.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

Copyright 2011 by John Alesi. May not be copied with out consent.

Mission Viejo Homes and Condos Market Update October 2011

Mission Viejo Homes and Condos Market Update October 2011

This is the market update for homes sold from October 1st through the 31st, 2011, in Mission Viejo, CA 92691, 92692 and includes single family residence (SFR) and condos:

Information provided through the CRMLS

The City of Mission Viejo is located in so-called "South Orange County" and has a population of approximately 94,000 people. It is a small community of only about 18 square miles with a topography that consists of flat land, rolling hills and the wonderful, man-made Lake Mission Viejo.

A mixture of housing, light industrial, commercial and retail bring a variety of choices to the residents. Shopping, entertainment, restaurants, recreation and schools dot the landscape. The city is served by the Capistrano Unified School District and the Saddleback Unified School District which provides education services to families living in this area.

Being one of the first planned communities in the USA, there is a diverse mixture of housing choices from apartments and condos to town homes, single family homes and even some luxury neighborhoods including water front homes on the lake. The roads are wide and smooth and the traffic flows easily through the community. Public transportation is available with buses and access to commuter rail lines. The Interstate highway, along the western border of the city provides access to all that Southern California has to offer. It's just minutes to professional baseball (Angels), hockey (Ducks) and the happiest place on earth, Disneyland.

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John Alesi - REALTOR®

949-510-2154

CENTURY 21 Superstars

Search for homes at: www.YourOCHome.com

DRE# 01730187

10 Low-Effort Ways to Save Energy

10 Low-Effort Ways to Save Energy

By Mary Beth Breckenridge

RISMEDIA, Thursday, October 13, 2011— (MCT) I like saving energy. Especially my own. That’s why I love tips that don’t require a lot of effort but still help me trim my energy bills. They may not make a big difference individually, but even baby steps add up to some pretty big strides. Here are 10 things you can do right now to cut down on your heating and power costs. And you won’t break the bank or much of a sweat. 1. Lock the windows. Even when a window is closed, a little space remains between the sashes where air can leak in. Simply locking the window pulls the sashes tightly together. 2. Unplug. Many appliances, electronics and other electrical devices -- even cell phone chargers—draw power even when they’re turned off. Unplugging them when they’re not in use eliminates this vampire power drain. Granted, that’s not always easy or even possible to do. But where it’s practical, you can plug more than one device—say, your TV and DVD player —into an accessible power strip. With the flip of just the strip’s power switch, you cut the power to everything plugged into it. 3. Wash in cold. If you’re used to washing with warm water, you can probably switch to cold without noticing a difference. And no matter what temperature you wash your clothes in, you can always rinse in cold. You’ll save on the energy that would have gone into heating the water. There’s a bonus: Cold water saves wear on your clothes, so they’ll last longer. Or at least they’ll be in better shape to donate to charity when you just have to replace them when this season’s new fashions. I wouldn’t suggest abandoning hot-water washes altogether, though. I’d still use hot for towels, bedding, underwear and laundry with oily stains. Want to save even more? Skip the dryer and hang the clothes to dry. 4. Dim the lights. A dimmer works by reducing the power flowing to a lamp or light fixture. If you don’t need full brightness, turn the lights down a little. Maybe I should do that with the lights over my bathroom mirror. One note: Not all compact fluorescent bulbs work with dimmers. If you use CFLs, check the package to make sure you’re buying the dimmable kind. Oh, and take Dad’s advice: Turn off any lights you don’t need. 5. Turn off the computer. When you’re done surfing the Net and updating your Facebook status for the day, shut down your computer. Better still, activate its system standby or hibernating feature to save power when the computer is on during the day. Of course, you don’t want to turn off the computer if you’ve scheduled automatic maintenance checks that happen at night. 6. Rearrange the furniture. A forced-air system works best when air can flow freely from registers and into cold-air returns. Make sure your furniture isn’t blocking these vents. The same thing applies to radiators. If you block them with furniture, you block their heat. 7. Change the furnace filter. The filter’s primary purpose is to trap dust and other gunk before it gets to the furnace. Dirty filters impede air flow, causing the furnace blower to work longer. Dirty parts also wear out faster. By keeping them clean, you’ll cut down on furnace repair costs and reduce the chance of a furnace failure -- which, of course, always happens on the coldest day of the year. Change the filter monthly, or clean it if it’s a reusable type. 8. Turn down the tank. For most homes, a setting of 120 degrees is plenty hot for a water heater. The only exception is if you have a dishwasher without a booster heater. Check the user manual to find out whether you need hotter water. When the water isn’t as hot, mineral buildup and corrosion slow. That helps your water heater run better and last longer. 9. Let the sun shine in. The sun is a powerful heating source, even in winter. Opening window coverings on sunny days lets you take advantage of that free heat, reducing the amount your furnace needs to produce. Close those coverings at night to help keep the heat inside. 10. Avoid the range. As much as possible, skip using the stove or oven and opt instead for smaller cooking appliances—slow cookers, microwave ovens, toaster ovens and the like. They use less energy than that big appliance. Come to think of it, saving energy sounds like a great excuse for eating out. There go the savings. ©2011 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)