Setting Aside Some Money for a New Home? This Handy Little Tool Will Show You How Your Savings Grows!!!!

We all know we need to start setting aside a little for that new house.  Whether it's your first house ever, or for a second home at the beach/mountains/lake or for your first investment property (My personal favorite) you need to start setting aside a little something.  How much do I set aside every month and how much will that turn into over a couple of years.  You will be amazed what how much you can save with compounded interest working for you!  To find out go to the link below.  It will lead you to a simple savings calculator that will show you what compounded interest can do for you.

Take a look and don't forget to plug in your retirement plans as well.

 http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/calculators/calculate/howWillMySavingsGrow.php?calcCategory=career

Happy planning!!!!!

And don't forget to call us with any questions regarding Real Estate!

Curtis

Curtis Hurst, Realtor
The Hurst Agency
BRE 01900005
curtis@TheHurstAgency.com
www.TheHurstAgency.com
888-518-3339

Best Home Values in Southern California!!

The heat of Summer fades, the crisp cool of Fall is upon us and in a few short days it will be Winter here in the desert.  Winter, that seems odd for us here in the High Desert.  Yes, it gets cold, sometimes it even snows, but seriously, our winters are pretty mild.  Did you know that on average there are 289 sunny days here in the High Desert!  Our average rainfall is 5 inches and average snowfall is 1.2 inches.  Why in the heck would you want to live anywhere else?  We are sunny and dry almost all the time.  What an amazing place to live, particularly if you love the outdoors.  I mean, shoot you can be out in it all the time, sports, picnics, golf, water-skiing we've got it all.

We also have one of the lowest median home prices in Southern California.  What does that mean to you, purchasing power plain and simple.  Want a big beautiful home with over 2,500 square feet of space, you can have that here for about half of what it would cost you in Rancho Cucamonga.

That same $249,900 in Hesperia gets you 5 bedrooms, 4 baths 2,540 square feet built in 2005!  Listing #BB14199413

Here is a comparison, right off the MLS.

Listing  #PW13239004 a double wide mobile home in Long Beach, CA built in 1978 with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and 1,600 square feet is $249,900.

That, my friends is a no brainer!  Amazing weather, some of the best home prices in all of Southern California and half way to Vegas!

So you can see why the High Desert and particularly Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley should be so attractive to home buyers today.

This is also a great time to put your house on the market if you are looking to sell.  Remember people have time off to look during the holidays, the weather is more comfortable then during the peak of summer and people are coming from out of town to visit and may just want to stay.

If you want more information about buying or selling your home in the High Desert go to our website at www.thehurstagency.com and get a free home evaluation, or go to our search page and search all over Southern California for the home of your dreams!


Let's talk soon

Curtis
The Hurst Agency
BRE 01900005
888-518-3339
www.thehurstagency.com
curtis@thehurstagency.com

Why Won't It Sell???

"Why won't it sell?"  "How much longer before we get an offer?"

We've all heard horror stories about homes that seemed to be "perfect" or at least "move -in" ready that have sat on the market forever.  I'm sure you thought, well there must be something wrong, after all it's a great house.  The seller's don't understand either.  Their agent keeps telling them, "Sorry, no one is calling."  When they hold an open house, almost no one shows up.  Where are all the buyer's you keep talking about Agent A.  Why isn't it selling?

Any ideas what might cause this? Anyone,  I'll give you a hint.  PRICE!!!!  The list price makes it or breaks it, bottom line.  If the property is priced too high for the market and conditions, the Market will answer with silence.

Statistics show that correctly priced homes sell, and sell faster.  Overpriced homes sit on the market forever, undergo several price reductions and finally sell for far less than they were listed for.  This process, by the way, really annoys the sellers..

How do you avoid this?  Price the property right.  It's as simple as that.  When you interview agents for your listing, make sure you ask the right questions.  You are interviewing more than one agent, right!  You should be, just like a doctor or lawyer you want to make sure you have the right match. Here are some sample questions for that interview:

1.  What is my market (Your particular area/neighborhood) doing right now?  Is it moving or is it stagnant?

2.  Where did you get your comparable sales from, how old are they and how comparable are they to my house?

3.  Based on the answers to 1 and 2, where should my home be priced in order to make it attractive to buyers?

4.  How can I help you market my property to sell quickly and for the best price?

Now, I know we all want a certain amount for our home.  Heck, we put our blood, sweat, tears and hard earned money into it.  But, the reality is the market is a heartless beast.  It decides how much the house will sell for without a thought to any of our feelings.

So, when you interview your realtors, try to stay calm when they tell you how much your home is worth.  Take a look at how well they have prepared and how close the comps are to your home, in features, location and amenities.  Then discuss the price, based on the comps.  If they have prepared and the comps are very similar and current, the price they are giving you is probably pretty darn close.

Once you have picked the agent and listed the home at the correct market price, sit back and watch the action!  If your really lucky you will end up with multiple offers to choose from.

If you are thinking about selling or buying, give us a call.  We would love the opportunity to earn your business.

Let's Talk soon

Curtis

The Hurst Agency
Curtis W Hurst, Realtor and CEO
888-518-3339
curtis@thehurstagency.com
WWW.TheHurstAgency.com

So How Much is My Home Really Worth????

Got Equity????  Probably!  Have you taken the time to find out?  Probably not!  You know it's FREE, right!!!  Here, I'll make it simple just Click Here! and our team will prepare a FREE Estimate of your homes value.

The Real Estate market continues to add value every month.  Home prices are going up, in the high desert they have gone up over 30% in the last year and a half!  What does that mean to you?  It means you may have equity when you thought you didn't have any.  If you  thought you were under water you just might not be.  If you bought at the low end of the market in 2010 and 2011 you may be sitting on a huge nest egg that they can now use to move up, to invest or however you see fit.  I recommend, of course, investing in Real Estate, they're not making it any more and there are still some real bargains out there.   So with all of this equity floating around out there, and all of these buyer's looking for homes, this might just be the time for you to make your move!


That's all it takes.

Let's Talk soon

Curtis

The Hurst Agency
Curtis W Hurst, Realtor and CEO
888-518-3339
curtis@thehurstagency.com

WWW.TheHurstAgency.com

Why Should I Sell My House Now???

Because this is a great time to sell!

Interest rates are still low, there are still buyer's running around out there looking and there isn't enough inventory out there to satisfy them.  I know, I get calls and e-mails everyday from new buyers looking for homes.

Here's another reason to sell now, new home construction.  New home construction is on the rise, in fact its  up 50% in the Western region.  Look around you, building is happening everywhere.  New construction is in direct competition with you for those buyers, and lets face it, new construction is very often more attractive.  I mean it's new, and they have  glossy brochures and "$0 down."  I mean how can we compete with that.

Another great reason, equity.  You may actually have some!!!  The market has changed so much over the last couple of years, you may have far more equity than you thought. Those of you who were upside down, you may not be any more.  To find out your homes value go to www.thehurstagency.com and click the "How Much is My House Worth" button for a free home value report.

Just take a look at the chart below.  Year over year median home prices are up throughout Southern California at least 6%.   What does that mean to you, well if you have a $300,000 home in Orange County that home has appreciated by $15,600 over the last year.

Southern California	Aug-14	Jul-14		Aug-13		MTM% Chg	YTY% Chg
Los Angeles	$474,640	$461,290		$444,950		2.9%	6.7%
Orange County	$699,430	$695,270		$664,580		0.6%	5.2%
Riverside County	$318,640	$319,960		$290,030		-0.4%	9.9%
San Bernardino	$209,200	$216,570		$183,240		-3.4%	14.2%
San Diego	$510,860	$523,070		$482,470		-2.3%	5.9%
Ventura	$602,060	$585,830		$555,560		2.8%	8.4%

My point is, if you're thinking about selling, or just thinking about thinking about it, call us!  Now is a great time to get your home on the market and get it sold!!!

Please feel free to contact us at 888-518-3339 with any questions and of course any referrals!


Let's talk soon!


Curtis

The Hurst Agency
Curtis W Hurst, Realtor and CEO
888-518-3339
curtis@thehurstagency.com

WWW.TheHurstAgency.com

Why Real Estate is STILL A Great Investment

Real Estate’s image as a great investment  has taken a beating over the last several years.  It’s a shame such a great investment tool has had its image so badly tarnished by the bad behavior of a few.  Well, no matter how bad it appears on the surface Real Estate is still an amazing investment tool.  Just the tax deductions alone make it a solid investment.  Couple that with appreciation and cash flow from investment property and Real Estate is still, one of the best places to invest your hard earned dollars!

For an investor there are few vehicles that make it easier to use the banks money to work for you.   Real estate allows you to make a down payment and leverage your capital, thereby increasing your overall return on investment many times over.  This also allows you to significantly reduce the tax impact to your cash flow on investment properties by writing off mortgage interest and depreciation.   In many cases that cash flow would be tax-free.  Wait , did he just say tax-free cash flow?  Yes, the vast majority of investors will not pay taxes on their cash flow!  There is also a good chance, depending on your individual income level that any overage of tax deductions can be used against your other income.  Your tax professional will be able to go over these strategies and advise you what is best for you and your individual situation.  

Ok, so you don’t want all the “Headaches” of investing in real estate.  You just want some nice tax benefits and want to invest some money now and get a great return 20 years from now.  Buy a house!  Simple as that.  Stop renting, stop making someone else all that tax free cash flow.  According to the National Association of Realtors  Uncle Sam helps you in 3 ways when you own your own home.

First  when you buy your home,  the IRS says loan discount points and origination fees are tax deductible to the buyer regardless of who pays them.  So even if the seller pays your closing costs you still get the deduction!

The most commonly known deduction is the mortgage interest deduction.  You can deduct interest charged on a loan used to acquire your principal residence in the year that it is paid.  This amounts to most of your monthly payment in the early years of your mortgage.  You can also deduct interest on an additional $100,000 of mortgage debt, which can be used for any purpose.  This is known as the “Home Equity Loan” exception, and it allows you to tap into your home equity for any purpose.  This allows you to shift debt from non -deductible interest such as credit cards to deductible interest from home equity.  Please be aware that failure to pay this debt can cause you to lose your home to foreclosure, so this like all things must be used with care.  Again, I know like a broken record, talk to you tax professional reagarding all things tax related.  

The best  by far though is at the time of sale!  If you have owned and occupied your principal residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years you can earn up to $500,000 if you’re married, $250,000 if your single, on the sale of that house and pay no federal income tax at all!  You can do this as often as every two years for the rest of your life.  

Whether you are an investor or a homeowner who  just want some tax write offs,  real estate is still an amazing way to make your money grow and, more importantly to keep as much of your hard earned cash as you can.  

If you are interested in learning more about the amazing investment vehicle that your home and real estate in general can be call 888-518-3339 or go to www.thehurstagency.com to register for our upcoming, no obligation training.

If you are interested in getting a current market analysis on your current home or investment properties call 888-518-3339 or go to www.thehurstagency.com for a no cost, no strings comprehensive market analysis.

Let's talk soon!


Curtis

The Hurst Agency
Curtis W Hurst, Realtor and CEO
888-518-3339
curtis@thehurstagency.com

WWW.TheHurstAgency.com

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." -- Henry Ford

10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Coffee

Ok.  I have always been a huge fan of coffee.  Black, hot, cold, latte, Irish and Mexican I have always loved coffee and all the different ways it can be prepared.  What I didn't know was that it had many other uses.  I have included a link to an Esquire Magazines article regarding the versatility of coffee.

Hope I got this to you early enough to read with your morning cup!!!  Cheers

I thought you might be interested in the 10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Coffee - Esquire. You can view it at,http://www.esquire.com/_mobile/blogs/food-for-men/10-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-coffee-esqsyn?src=email

Remember if you know any one who needs to buy, sell or invest in Real Estate give us a call


Curtis

Curtis Hurst, REALTOR, CEO
The Hurst Agency
760-575-4783
949-288-6623
www.TheHurstAgency.com

Can a Buyer or Seller Change Agents at Any Time??

The answer to this is a resounding YES, mostly.  Just like any other agency relationship you can fire your agent at any time, except in the middle of a transaction or when under contract, and even then you have options.

For example, the agent listing your home for sale is not communicating with you regularly and you feel that she is not marketing your property aggressively enough.  In this case you have a listing contract with a set expiration date, so firing is not an option.  That listing contract is binding and you cannot "fire" her with out her and her broker agreeing.  They can, and often do enforce the contract through the expiration date, regardless of your request.  Some brokers on the other hand will release you if you request to cancel without any fuss, these are the ones to work with whenever possible.  If your agent/broker is one that will enforce the expiration date, you will just have to wait it out, or perhaps buy out of the contract if that is an option.  Another option in this case might be to appeal directly to the broker and ask that another agent be assigned your contract. The broker can do this because the listing contract is with the broker, not the agent.

If you are a buyer and your agent did not have you sign a buyer broker agreement you can fire her without any issue, at any time unless of course you have an accepted offer, binding contract again.  This contract can also be cancelled with both parties agreeing, and usually is with no repercussion.

So, to answer the question, yes you can change agents, but you can only do so before signing contracts, buyer broker agreements or submitting offers.

The surest way to be happy with your agent is to interview several.  If your listing your home, have several agents come out and interview with you.  If your a buyer, interview several agents as well.  Don't just pick the first Agent you come across, this is, quite likely going to be one of the biggest purchases you ever make.  Interview several agents before deciding which one will best represent you in the purchase or sale of your home.

After all you are in control!

If you have any questions call us.

Curtis

Thank you for referring us to your friends and family!!!!

Curtis Hurst, Realtor

The Hurst Agency

Keller Williams, Associate Leadership Council Member, Silver and Bronze Award Winner

BRE #01900005

Inland Empire 760- 57 LISTD (575-4783)   

Los Angeles  323-892-1355  

E Fax 877-501-5787

TheHurstAgency.com

Homesbycurtis.kwrealty.com

To get my Mobile property search APP just click the link below

http://app.kw.com/KW2BQJNNO

The Benefits of a Home Inspection

So you finally got an offer accepted and it's the home of your dreams!!!  As your celebrating your Realtor reminds you, that you need to schedule the Home Inspection.  You immediately start sweating and have flashbacks from The Money Pit.  You know, that movie with Tom Hanks as the home buyer with the house from Hell!

Well, relax.  It's not always that bad.  That's why we, as Realtors strongly recommend these home inspections!  What exactly is a home inspection you ask?  When you hire an independent home inspector to come out and give your property the once over.  They will check the roof for condition and leaks, they will check all the electrical outlets for functionality and polarity.  They look at the plumbing and flooring, the windows and walls.  The home inspector will prepare a detailed report for you outlining all of their findings and recommendations.  Please take a moment to go to highdesert.housemaster.com for detailed information regarding inspections and inspectors.

What does all of this mean to you, you ask?  Well, you will have the peace of mind to know what the issues are with your home, what you should be asking the seller to fix and what you can probably take care of yourself.  Or, it can let you know that this really isn't your dream home!  In addition, if you have a home inspection and you are purchasing a home warranty, or the seller is providing you with one, your inspection report can be used to support any claims.

Be informed, do your homework and buying a home can be one of the most gratifying and financially rewarding events in your life!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Curtis

Curtis Hurst, Realtor
The Hurst Agency
BRE 01900005
www.TheHurstAgency.com

Here is a great article for anyone buying a home and not quite sure they have their financial stuff in order.  Some great tips and links!!!

Help Prospects Sock Away Homebuying Bucks

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Chances are pretty high that you run into prospects who are in the frame of mind to shop for homes but haven't managed their money well enough to qualify yet. If they're still living paycheck to paycheck, offer them a few suggestions for building their nest egg.

How They Can Get Ahead

6 Tips to Reduce Your Debt

One of the Biggest Obstacles Facing Young Buyers

Student Debt Burden Holding First-Time Buyers Back

Lifestyle website Lifehacker.com looks at debt traps that can seem attractive to nervous people but can actually provide more harm than help. Payday loans, for example, are short-term loans with high interest rates. But the interest rates are often so high that people have to take out a second loan to pay the first, creating a debt cycle. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Lifehacker says, some 80 percent of these loans are renewed or rolled over every 14 days. Suggest alternatives such as going to a community credit union or small bank to work out a small loan with a realistic payment plan.

Another debt trap, according to the post, is insurance: Prospects may save money by skipping it, until they need it. Suggest to your prospects that if they negotiate a higher deductible, they might be able to leverage whatever savings they have to pay a smaller premium. Again, saving up that amount to cover the deductible might create a few tight months, but it can pay off quickly. Prospects can also look for ways to get discounts, especially on car insurance.

Debt settlement can damage credit scores even more than they would have been, if the settlement company handles it poorly. Prospects can often discuss their situation with the creditor. Also, nonprofit credit counselors can give customized advice on how they can manage their debt.

Finally, debt consolidation seems like it turns many payments into a one-stop solution, but it can extend the term of the debt, and penalties for missing payments can be severe. Again, nonprofit credit counselors can help prospects negotiate lower interest rates and create budgeting plans that may help them attain their goals.

Remind your prospects that whatever their situation, for a serious plan to save enough, a counselor who works for a nonprofit organization can evaluate their full situation and provide them with a specific path to reaching their goals. In the meantime, these ideas will keep you in their mind as the agent who got them that far.

Source: "Common “Debt Traps” That Keep You Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck," Lifehacker.com (Sept. 23, 2014)

Good Morning,

Today lets talk a little bit about how a Realtor can you help you with the purchase or sale of a home.

• We help you navigate the treacherous legal waters of disclosures and contracts
• We help you find the right home through our network of contacts, the Multiple Listing Systems or by finding off market properties that fit your needs
• We determine the right price to list or to pay for a home, and most importantly
• We can help negotiate the right price and terms.

Please let us know how we can help you

Curtis

The Hurst Agency
www.TheHurstAgency.com
760-575-4783
323-892-1355
Curtishurstrealtor@gmail.com

Today is the Autumnal Equinox. One of only two days a year where day and night are of equal length.  There is no better time to be thinking about balance.

Are you feeling out of balance in certain areas of life? Which ones? And which parts of your life are balanced well right now?

Often, we overwork, ending up exhausted, ill, burnt out or uninspired, and have to climb back to health, strength and feeling rested. Or we go the other way, we neglect work or our aims, or we waste time, get nothing done, or procrastinate. Then there’s also a lot of effort needed to get back into balance and to where we want to be.

My advice is simple.  Make the time to take care of you, both physically and spiritually.  Make it a priority.  You will be happier, your family will be happier and everyone you come in contact with will see and feel the difference.

Keep it simple and do it every day.

See you next time.

Curtis

This post was put up by one of our lenders.  It's some great news for surviving spouses from reverse mortgage borrowers! Hello Agents! Just a quick update and good news for our vulnerable senior citizens, who may have been forced from their home upon the death of their spouse. HUD Details 60-Day Foreclosure Extension For Reverse Mortgage Non-Borrowing Spouses April 22nd, 2014  |  by Elizabeth Ecker Published in News, Reverse Mortgage Following a hearing last week in which a Department of Housing and Urban Development attorney spelled plans to increase foreclosure timelines for reverse mortgage borrowers, the agency issued a notice Monday detailing the new extension. Lenders may now request up to 60 additional days for non-borrowing spouses who are facing foreclosure due to the borrower passing away. The agency provides details on the cases that are eligible for the extension including those where the property securing the reverse mortgaged is the: 1) primary residence of a surviving spouse who was married to the borrower at the time the mortgage was endorsed for insurance and 2) was not listed as a borrower on the mortgage; 3) the reverse mortgage  has become due and payable solely because of the death of the HECM borrower; 4) and the property securing the reverse mortgage HECM has not been sold to a third party. Extensions beyond the 60 days outlined will not be accepted for the cases meeting those criteria, HUD specifies. Additionally, HUD provides instructions on filing for the extension in non-borrowing spouse cases that qualify. Lenders must submit the request on company letterhead, obtain a servicing manager’s signature on the request and upload the request into the HERMIT portal. Over the course of several lawsuits regarding non-borrowing spouses of reverse mortgage borrowers, HUD has said it is working to develop policy that will address issues around non-borrowing spouses. In 2011, AARP filed a lawsuit against HUD on behalf of several non-borrowing spouses who faced foreclosure due to the borrowers having passed away. Initially the case was dismissed, but AARP later brought the suit back in a court of appeals. The case was later won by AARP in the appeals court in October 2013, resulting in an order for HUD to provide relief to the plaintiffs. HUD has said that guidance is forthcoming.

Study: Words in Listing Ads Can Boost Sales Price

Study: Words in Listing Ads Can Boost Sales Price.  See, I keep telling people, take a minute and really think about your property descriptions!

Why Real Estate is STILL a Great Investment

Why Real Estate is STILL a Great Investment

How would you like to be able to make up to $500,000 in profit, tax free, every two years for the rest of your life!  Then buy Real Estate!  I know, I know Real Estate’s image kind of went the same way as Mile Cyrus, but at least Real Estate is making a comeback!!   No matter how bad it looks on the surface Real Estate, unlike certain former child stars is still an amazing investment.  Just the tax deductions alone make it a must use investment tool.  Combine those deductions with appreciation and cash flow from investment property and Real Estate is still, one of the best places to invest your hard earned dollars!

Tired of the bank taking and taking?  Then make them put their money to work for you!  For an investor real estate is one of the few things that make doing that easy.   Real estate allows you to make a down payment and leverage your capital, this lets you increase  your overall return on investment many times over.  Leverage means multiplying your gains.  Most often this involves buying more of an asset by using borrowed funds, like a mortgage.  You can also get  Uncle Sam out of your pocket in regards  to your cash flow on investment properties by writing off mortgage interest and depreciation.   In many cases that cash flow would be tax-free.  Wait , did he just say tax-free cash flow?  Yes, the vast majority of investors will not pay taxes on their cash flow!  There is also a good chance, depending on your individual income level that any overage of tax deductions can be used against your other income.  Saving you even more!  Your tax professional will be able to go over these strategies and advise you what is best for you and your individual situation. 

Ok, so you don’t want all the “Headaches” of investing in real  estate.  You just want some nice tax benefits and want to invest some money now and get a great return 20 years from now.  Buy a house!  Simple as that.  Stop renting, stop making someone else all that tax free cash, and get it yourself.  According to the National Association of Realtors  Uncle Sam helps  you in 3 ways when you own your own home.

First  when you buy your home,  the IRS says loan discount points and origination fees are tax deductible to the buyer regardless of who pays them.  So even if the seller pays your closing costs you still get the deduction!

The next and most commonly known deduction is the mortgage interest deduction.  You can deduct interest charged on a loan used to acquire your principal residence in the year that it is paid.  This amounts to most of your monthly payment in the early years of your mortgage.  You can also deduct interest on an additional $100,000 of mortgage debt, which can be used for any purpose.  This is known as the “Home Equity Loan” exception, and it allows you to tap into your home equity for any purpose.  This allows you to shift debt from non -deductible interest such as credit cards to deductible interest from home equity.  Ok, to make the legal folks happy please read and heed the following warning: Please be aware that failure to pay this debt can cause you to lose your home to foreclosure, so this like all things must be used with care.  Again, I know I sound like a broken record, but  talk to you tax professional regarding  all things tax related. 

Last, but definitely the best by far is at the time of sale!  If you have owned and occupied your principal residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years you can earn up to $500,000 if you’re married, $250,000 if your single, on the sale of that house and pay no federal income tax at all!  You can do this as often as every two years for the rest of your life. 

To sum it all up, regardless of the image bashing Real Estate has taken over the last several  years it is still a must have investment.  Whether you are an investor or a homeowner looking for some tax write offs,  real estate is still one of the best ways to make your money grow and, more importantly to keep as much of your hard earned cash as you can. 

If you are interested in getting a current market analysis on your home or investment properties call 760-57LISTD  for a no cost, no strings comprehensive market analysis.

Keller Williams  will be offering a training program to help you take advantage of all of these investing tools.  Please Call 760-951-5242 to register, space is limited!!

Curtis Hurst, Realtor

The Hurst Agency  at Keller Williams Victorville