Why Is Now a Great Time to Buy an Orange County Home?




I have had a lot of people asking me what's going on in the Orange County real estate market. It's cooled down as of late, and now people are starting to consider buying or selling.

Ever since the market recovery, I've been telling everyone that October is a particularly good month for real estate. The peak of pending sales is in the spring, and the peak of closed sales is in the summer. However, in October there is a small window of opportunity, and this is because of the people that are willing to move during the Holiday break.


If you're planning on selling soon, you need to be priced very accurately. Buyers who purchase at this time are very serious, and they won't buy your home if it's overpriced. Your home will sit on the market and you'll end up selling for less if you try to overprice.

On the flip side, it's a great time to be a home buyer in Orange County. We are currently transitioning from a seller's market to a more balanced market, giving you more power as a buyer. For the rest of the year we'll see a balanced market, which means that you can buy a home for a very fair price.

If you need assistance buying or selling in Orange County, please don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to set up a meeting with you!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

All You Need to Know About the New Closing Disclosure Timeline




Today we are here with Christopher Dale from Glen Oaks Escrow to talk to us about some exciting new changes coming with the TRID/Closing Disclosure Timeline. Starting October 3rd, three lending documents (Truth in Lending Statement, Good Faith Estimate, HUD 1 Statement) are going to be combined into one form, called the closing disclosure.

Along with the change to the documents comes a change in the closing timeline. It will take our typical 30-day escrow, and bump it out to what could end up being 45 days. Chris has provided us with a great handout to talk about how the process is going to be affected, but for this blog, let’s take a look at the last 17 days of escrow and what it’s going to be like.


On the 17th day before we close escrow, the escrow and the agents will be working together to prepare all the financials to deliver to the lender so they can prepare the disclosure. Once it’s prepared, the lender will be responsible for delivering it to our buyers.

Once the buyer receives it, they have three days to review it. Once the closing disclosure is reviewed, we can then proceed to close the transaction and exchange the keys.

If there are any changes to the closing disclosure, any material financial adjustments to the transaction can add another 3-day waiting period. Any last minute changes could also trigger another 3-day waiting period.

One more important thing to note is that the 17 days we are talking about here do not include Sundays and federal holidays. To be prepared, your agent needs to have all of your financials dialed in with the lender before that 17-day period.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA

How Can a Pre-Approval Help You Avoid Headaches When Buying in Orange County?




There are many reasons getting pre-approved is a crucial part of the home buying process. For us, the most important reason is setting realistic expectations for everyone involved.

 Looking at homes is a fun and exciting experience. However, there is nothing worse than looking at a bunch of homes and finding the one you love, before calling your lender and finding out that it's outside your budget. This is a crushing experience we want to help you avoid!

 When you get pre-approved from the start, you will know the price range of homes you want to look at and what your budget is. When you then find the home of your dreams, your offer will stand out to the seller because your offer has already been approved! Especially in hot markets like Orange County, you want to present yourself as hassle free when buying.


Another reason to get pre-approved is to prepare for closing costs. There is a good chance your closing costs will be more than you plan for, and getting pre-approved will help you avoid any last-minute financial troubles. You'll likely have to pay various lender fees and insurance during the closing period, and it's best to prepare for those things up front.

 Lastly, a great reason to get pre-approved is the paperwork. There is a lot of it when buying a house, so it's better to get started on it sooner than later!

 If you have any questions about getting pre-approved, don't hesitate to reach out to us! We would love to hear from you!
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Location: Orange County, CA, USA
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