One of the most common complaints that I hear from the typical consumer is buying a home is a challenge - in particular in a hot market such as Southern California in 2017. Therefore, below is a list of helpful tips in assisting the home buyer in writing up your offer so it will get accepted:
1. Get pre-approved for a loan vice pre-qualifed before looking for a house. Ask your lender for a full loan pre-approval vice pre-qualification. Many home buyers find out during the escrow process that they can't qualify for the loan despite being pre-qualified. However, a pre-approval is a more stringent underwriting process and will put you in a better position when writing an offer.
2. Use a Real Estate Broker/Agent that is familiar with the local market.
3. When writing an offer, submit your pre-approval letter with proof of funds, meaning your bank statements that show your down payment.
4. Write a competitive offer that reflects the current market. Recently, I had a client that wanted a $650,000 house in Camarillo. The clients needed the house as their current lease expired. There were multiple offers on the property and the client offered $652,000 and removed their physical inspection contingency in 7 days - there offer was accepted and they got the house.
5. Submit an earnest money deposit of 3 Percent of the purchase price. Since the offer is contingent upon financing, appraisal, inspection, and due diligence, the earnest deposit is safe until contingency removal.
6. Submit the offer "clean" meaning without a lot of demands and contingencies such as having a home to sale. Realistically, in a hot market, the listing agent is looking for the highest offer and easiest potential buyer. Once in escrow, the home buyer than can be "tough" and negotiate request for repairs etc.
7. Lastly, make sure your have a Realtor that is shrewd, creative, and returns phone calls. Typically, you can tell a lot about your agent if he or she returns calls promptly and does what they say.
For a top producing Realtor in Ventura County or Camarillo contact Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, 805-300-3345 or visit my website at www.mycamarilloproperties.com
Selling your home in Camarillo, Dave Crowell at American Dream Realty is offering a 2017 summer special on top of my already reduced commission savings program. For the summer of 2017, if you list and sell your home with Dave Crowell a top producing Realtor in Camarillo, American Dream Realty, will credit or rebate the seller $2000 after a successful close of escrow.
Dave Crowell at American Dream Realty is an above and beyond Full Service Real Estate Broker that has sold millions in Real Estate. For more information on my listing programs and my 2017 summer special, please call Dave Crowell at 805-300-3345 or visit my website at www.mycamarilloproperties.com
Not a week goes by where a potential home buyer will call me, Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, Camarillo Ca about buying a house with no money down. Years ago when I first started thinking about investing in Real Estate I was intrigued by the No Money Down books by Robert Allen and other so called Real Estate Gurus. However, once I embarked on a Real Estate career, I realized that those books were unrealistic in particular in California.
Fortunately, in Ventura County in cities such as Ventura, Camarillo, Fillmore, Piru, Port Hueneme, Pt. Mugu, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Ojai, Newbury Park and other cities in the county of Ventura buying a house with no money down is possible. However, the no money down programs (Zero Percent Down) are for Veterans of the U.S. Military that qualify for a VA loan. The loan amount on a VA loan in Ventura County is roughly $636,150. Therefore, a Veteran can buy a house up to the qualified loan amount with no money down. Any amounts over the threshold of $636,150. For more info on VA loans or a VA realtor contact Dave Crowell American Dream Realty.
Another method of buying a house with no money down is through a USDA loan no down payment program. However, the applicant must meet certain income and credit requirements and must fall within the rural parts of the county such as Fillmore and Piru.
In Summary, it is possible to buy a home with no money down through either the VA or USDA loan programs. For more information, or to buy or sale a home, please contact Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, 805-300-3345. Ventura Counties and Camarillo's Top Producing Realtor or visit are website at mycamarilloproperties.com
Dave Crowell based in Camarillo Ca at American Dream Realty offers full service Listing Services in all of Ventura and Los Angeles County. Listing Services include full MLS exposure, Internet marketing, facebook marketing, open houses, property flyers, contracts, disclosures, staging ideas, assistance with property preparation, and numerous other unique services. Also, Dave will provide professional photos free of charge to maximize the property.
Depending on the circumstance Dave Crowell at American Dream Realty Camarillo CA will often charge less commission than the competition. For a free property Valuation contact Dave Crowell at 805-300-3345 Camarillo and Ventura's top producing Realtor or visit are website at www.mycamarilloproperties.com.
As an active and top producing Realtor in Ventura County, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Fillmore, and the Conejo Valley I am often asked about the profession on a daily basis from the general public, friends, clients, and potential clients. Interestingly, the general public, does not hold the Real Estate and Mortgage Profession as a whole in high regard. In fact, a friend of mine that is a retired Judge, tells me trial lawyers rarely will pick real estate agents and mortgage brokers as potential jurors due to the profession's reputation.
However, in my experience as a Real Estate Broker/Realtor I have found most of my peers as honest, hard working, and of high character. Therefore, how does the potential home seller or home buyer find a Real Estate Agent that boasts these qualities. Typically, most consumers know at least one Real Estate agent either as a friend or family member. While that could be a positive, it can also be an issue as friends don't always make the best partners.
Consequently, if I was looking for a Real Estate Agent, I would utilize the below process to find my Ventura County/Camarillo Real Estate Agent. First, I would interview three Real Estate Agents, one by referral, one internet search based, and one through other mediums. Second, during the interview process I would want to discuss potential marketing ideas and flexibility on commissions. Third, I would want a list of former customers to check references. Lastly, I would call each Real Estate Agent to determine their return call response time.
Once, I have conducted the above four step process, I would than make my selection for the Real Estate Agent to sell or buy my home.
Contact Dave Crowell American Dream Realty Camarillo CA a top producing Real Estate Agent, 805-300-3345 for more information or to sell or buy a home in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, 805-300-3345, is excited to offer a state of the art home valuation tool to assist home sellers throughout Ventura and Los Angeles County, to find out more about my new home valuation tool, visit or website at Home Valuation .
The Real Estate axiom of Sell your home in Spring and relax in the summer has some merit. Based on my years of experience, Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, the most optimal time to sell a home is between February and May. While homes sell throughout the year particularly in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, Spring attracts the most buyers.
There are several reasons that spring is the busiest time of year for home purchases. First, families typically like to sell in the spring and move in the summer to take advantage of a potential new school for their children. Second, major companies will often move their employees in the summer, thus completing the real estate transaction in the spring. Third, the spring weather and longer days attract potential home buyers as the feeling of "Spring is in the Air" captivates the home buyers. Lastly, the customary concept of Selling in the Spring and Relax in the Summer is ingrained in Americans.
Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty, Camarillo, CA, BRE 01845970 is the writer of this blog. Dave Crowell a top producing Real Estate agent in Camarillo, CA can be reached at 805-300-3345 or please visit our website at mycamarilloproperties.com.
Quite often I, Dave Crowell American Dream Realty, will come across a Veteran in need of purchasing a house that is unaware of the VA loan program. Veterans can purchase a house in Ventura County up to the VA limit of $636,150 for Ventura County for 2017. However, the VA loan program will allow Veterans to purchase a home above $636,150 if the veteran places a down payment of typically 25 % above the limit.
For Example, if the Veteran is purchasing a home for $700,000 in Ventura County, the Veteran would need a down payment of 25 Percent of the differential between $700,000 and $636,150. So in this scenario the Veteran would need 25 Percent of $63,850 which would be a down payment of $15,962.
Also, the Va Loan has looser Debt to Income ratio requirements for potential VA buyers. I have seen VA debt to Income ratios exceeding 70 Percent where a typical conventional loan has a debt to income ratio of 45 Percent.
If you are a Veteran or know someone that is a Veteran wishing to purchase a home in Camarillo, Ventura, Oxnard, Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Port Hueneme, Piru, Fillmore, Santa Paula or surrounding areas have them contact a top producing Real Estate Agent/Realtor and Veteran of the Nave Dave Crowell with American Dream Realty based in Camarillo at 805-300-3345. Also, please be sure to visit Dave Crowell's website at www.mycamarilloproperties.com.
Follow Dave Crowell, American Dream's Realty regular Blog at http://www.mycamarilloproperties.com/blog/ or call Dave Crowell at 805-300-3345.
Where are all the sellers? All kidding aside, home buyers are finding it difficult to find a home for sale in 2017- in particular entry level homes. Hence, the question, where are the home sellers this spring? If you inquire with most Real Estate Agents and Realtors in the County of Ventura, the common theme reported among my fellow realtors is: low inventory. Therefore, using the old economic axiom of "scarcity creates demand," we can conclude that housing prices in Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, and its surrounding cities have increased from last year and will continue to rise.
If you have been a follower of my Real Estate commentary over the years, I often try to explain to most followers of the housing markets - interview realtors in the trenches, they have a good pulse of the real estate market. However, lets go one step further and examine some facts to support the above rationale that real estate prices in Ventura County are rising and could potentially rise some more by the end of 2017.
Example 1 Camarillo. At the eastern edge of Camarillo lies a master planned community, Village at the Park Camarillo, I, Dave Crowell American Dream Realty, sold a house in that development at the end of 2015 at 3239 Buttercup Ln, Camarillo, CA for $845,000, the Kensington Court Plan 3 model. The property was almost 4100 sq ft. For most of 2016, the Kensington models sold for roughly the same price as 2015. New home sales in the last phase of Village at the Park kept resale properties in 2016 at the same levels of 2015. However, in the spring of 2017, I will be listing a similar Kensington Court model for $950,000 - a $105,000 price increase from late 2015/2016.
Example 2 Conejo Valley, Off of Reino Rd in Newbury Park lies a small tract of homes called Oak Creek Canyon. This tract was built in the late 1990's and early 2000's. I, Dave Crowell American Dream Realty, sold a home located at 4039 Maurice Dr, Newbury Park for $870,500 in June of 2016. This home was 3400 sq ft with a beautiful pool and in good condition. Roughly, one year later, in the same tract ,a house in similar condition that is 2800 sq ft, no pool, and an inferior location is in escrow at close to $890,000.
Example 3 Santa Paula, On the western edge of Santa Paula lies the quintessential 3 Bedroom California Ranch homes that were constructed throughout Southern California in the 1950s through 1960s - the Moultrie Tract. In the Spring of 2016, I (Dave Crowell American Dream Realty) purchased a home at 130 Moultrie Place, Santa Paula CA for $335,000 with the purpose of flipping the house. The property was in very poor condition and I ultimately resold the property for a profit later in 2016. However, the same type of fixer uppers in Western Santa Paula that I was able to purchase in the Spring of 2016 for $335,000 are currently selling for $380,000 to $400,000 range a 20 percent increase in 2017.
Example 4 Low Inventory, Going forward, why will prices continue to rise in 2017, again, low inventory, and a pent up demand of potential buyers. First, the low inventory is a result of the scarcity of land in Ventura County as soar and environmental regulations limit new construction throughout Ventura County. Second, as rents continue to rise, some renters are now buyers of Real Estate as there rent exceeds a potential mortgage payment. Third, the rapid price acceleration of West Los Angeles Real Estate due to the Silicon Beach tech hub is pushing more buyers toward the outlying areas of Los Angeles such as Ventura County. Fourth, much Ventura Counties recent inventory over the last few years were short sales or bank owned properties, that market is virtually nil in 2017. Consequently, low inventory equates to price increases. Hence, I expect a continued increase of Real Estate prices throughout Ventura County in 2017. This article was written by Dave Crowell, American Dream Realty. To contact Dave Crowell Realtor, a top producing Real Estate Agent in Ventura County and Camarillo, please call 805-300-3345.