Halfway!

Just in case you were wondering...

I'm about midway through with my marathon training. This Saturday I ran 16 miles! That is definitely the farthest I have ever ran at once. My body is aching like no other... Raceday is on February 1st in Huntington Beach.

Stealing homes?

Did you know that 65% of the current homes for sale in Orange County are either short sales or foreclosures? I'm sure you had a hunch... especially if you've been out looking at homes. Did you know a short sale is looked at as a win-win for both the bank and the seller? Although it's not the best overall situation because of the owner's hardship, both parties actually benefit with a closed short sale transaction when compared to a foreclosure. Sometimes they are a little more difficult to purchase, but keep in mind, you can snag yourself up a steal of a deal by purchasing one. For more info on short pays and foreclosures email me! matthewsvajda@gmail.com

Wow!

Have you noticed the amazingly low interest rates?  What an incredible opportunity to purchase a home or an investment property!  Prices are at record lows.... interest rates are at record lows.... Can it realistically get better?

Professionals at work...

You know when you run across people that are really good at what they do, and you think to yourself, WOW... If only I had some sort of talent on the same level of those guys! Seriously, our wedding photographers Jeff and Erin are amazingly incredible. I'm not even kidding, these guys are the best in the business! What makes them so incredible? I'm glad you asked... First of all, they don't miss a thing. It's almost like they somehow capture all of the moment's feelings and emotions in a split second photo. Okay, that was kind of tough to explain so see for yourself...

Jourdan and I were invited down to San Diego to help the Youngrens out with some of their future marketing. What an honor! It was the no brainer of no brainers! Of course, my wife already takes the most beautiful pictures, but they somehow even made me look photogenic... now that's talent!

If you know anyone looking for amazing photographers for engagements or weddings... check these guys out!

These are only a fraction of the awesome photos taken... See more of their work at:

web: http://www.jeffyoungren.com/

blog: http://www.jeffyoungren.net/

Thanks Jeff and Erin!! Like always, we had a blast with you guys!

Bailout money put to great use...

So what is the bailout money being used for exactly? I heard that the auto industry "big 3" have just been put to the back of the line... What now? Bail out more banks?

As a member of the National Association of Realtors, here is what we are pledging:

Why don't we take a portion of the bailout money and use it to buy down the rate for primary homebuyers next year? Think about it... what if next year's homebuyer received a 30 year fixed loan with an interest rate of 4.5%? Not only would it stimulate the economy, it would create huge urgency to buy and wipe out most of the distressed properties! It is proposed to last for a very short while, but man what an impact it could have! A lot of buyers are fearful and still on the fence... this is exactly the type forward push that we could use!! In one year's time I really believe we could see a stimulated real estate economy by this act.

As real estate agents we are working together to improve this economy.... one home sale at a time.

Orange County Real estate

What's next for your tract? Did you know that 60% of last months sales were either short sales or foreclosures? Orange County has seen some incredible changes in the past year...

Homeowners---Do you know the statistics of your area? Do you know your home's current value?

Renters---Are you aware of the recent changes to the lending industry? Do you know what it REALLY takes to buy a home in today's market? We are close to the bottom, are you ready?

South Orange County offers some incredible opportunities. Ladera Ranch, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Niguel, and Aliso Viejo all have hidden areas where amazing deals can be found. Email me for the list of the latest foreclosures and distressed homes.

Proud American

One of the coolest things about living in this country is that we can voice our opinion. Today is the day we can proclaim our freedom and be a part of our homeland's future direction. When you vote today, do it as a proud American... Take pride in your country! No matter the turnout, let's unite and support the next President.

OC home sales soar!

With the economy's woes... it's really nice to hear some positive news. Check out the link below and read for yourself! Orange County is making a rebound...

Prices are low, interest rates are low...

Once again, it's a great time to buy!

http://lansner.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/20/sept-oc-homebuying-soars-record-62/4973/

heavenly real estate sale

Yesterday I sold some heavenly real estate....or at least did the marketing for it. I volunteered to make calls to guys from our church and invite them to the annual men's retreat in Forest Falls.

I wanted to share my amazing, God-inspired experience to other men of our community. After a "boiler room" type of evening, we reached out and gave personal invitations to over a hundred men. Many of them either signed up already, had previous obligations, or didn't really know too much about the retreat. Of course, many still had to check their busy schedules to see if they could escape for the weekend.

With about 5 names to go, I was determined to find a man interested in signing up on the spot(that's my salesman nature in me).

And presto! We did it... a gentleman hadn't heard about the retreat and was interested after God and I gave our sales pitch! Maybe I didn't actually sell heavenly real estate today, but possibly planted a seed with a little marketing... I'm cool with that.

Marathon Training has begun!

February 1st 2009 will be my first full marathon! This past February was mine and Jourdan's first half marathon. I am on an 18 week training program that gradually ramps up the next months. I will be running 4 times per week, resting 2 days per week, and cross-training on Sundays. Saturdays are my big running days.

Saturday of week 1 has me at 6miles, while week 5 I'm already running 10 miles! The longest I will go is on week 15 where I will be running 23 miles! Can't wait for that one! (huge sarcasm).

In January was my first time to run further than 3 miles; a full marathon is just over 26 miles. Yikes!

Here's the truth: if I can run a marathon, anyone can! I was NEVER a runner... not in school, or after school. I was simply looking for a way to stay disciplined with my exercising. Before being on a marathon training schedule, my exercise routine fizzled out after about a month. My logic is simple... if I don't stay disciplined, I won't finish the race.

I challenge you to challenge yourself this year. You'd be surprised to see what you are really capable of.

I'm surprised.

Short sales work!

Short sales work! Many banks are in the position to forgive debt if an owner is in a hardship position. Buyers can snag up a great deal by purchasing a short sale! It's a win-win! In addition, President Bush signed a "debt relief act" in 2007 that does not require the owner to be taxed on the amount forgiven. Go to www.whitehouse.gov for more details

~M~

REMEMBER 9/11

Remember 9-11

Take time today and remember this day in history.

Remember where you were when you heard the news.

Remember how it affected your life for the coming days, weeks, months, now years.

But most importantly, remember all those who were lost.

Remember 9/11/01

Lock in your rates and save!

Rates took a big drop over the weekend! I'm sure you have heard by now that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the government. Ultimately, this has helped the housing industry as a whole from a buying standpoint. 30 year fixed conforming loans are seen as low as 5.5%!! This is huge!

Just another great advantage to become a first time buyer!

~M~

What is a short sale?

There has recently been a term flying around the real estate industry that a lot of people are unfamiliar with. A short sale, or short-payoff typically happens when an owner of a property is upside-down on their home. In other words, the property is worth less than what the payoff amount is. In this case, the seller could request a "short-pay off" from the bank if they are in a financial hardship situation. The bank looks over the owner's financial situation and assets to decide if they are a good candidate to take such a loss.


Sounds easy right? Not usually...


The owner must be able to prove that he can no longer make his house payment because of a hardship occurrence. An example would be an injury, job loss, loss of family member, etc.
In addition, banks are backed up with so many short sale requests that it sometimes takes a few months before getting a response. In some cases, homes foreclose on the owners before they've had a chance to sell.

Advantages/Disadvantages

Advantage: it releases the pressure of being home poor for the financially burdened. It does not look as dramatic as a foreclosure on their credit report; banks would prefer to sell this way and not foreclose.


Disadvantage: the owner's credit is dinged pretty hard, and they could be liable for taxes on the amount lost.

If you know someone in this situation, remind them that there is hope!

Another advantage of a first time buyer!

Housing and Economic Recovery Act -
What It Means to You!

$7,500 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Congress recently passed and President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Part of that Act provides for a $7,500 tax credit for “first time home buyers” defined as someone who has not owned a home in the previous 3 years.

There are certain restrictions so ask your tax advisor for all qualifications.

First time homeowners...

First time home buyers are taking over!

"Nearly half of first-time home buyers in California were able to afford an entry-level home in California in the second quarter of 2008, according to a report released yesterday by C.A.R. Affordability rose to 48 percent in the second quarter compared with 24 percent a year ago."

The fact that prices have decreased so much the past months leaves a great opportunity for first timers. Not only that, new FHA guidelines allow great financing opportunities for the "not so perfect" candidate. Congratulations to all the new homeowners!

~M~

What can you afford?

It's no wonder why so many homeowners in California found themselves in trouble the past year. If what our ancestors told us is accurate, then there better be a lot of money making going on!

I have always been told to stay around the 25% - 35% range when paying for a mortgage every month.

The rule of thumb is pretty simple: Calculate your monthly gross income and multiply it by 35%. This gives you your maximum monthly mortgage payment and does not include taxes, insurance, etc.

The 2005 census tells us that the average household income in the city of Irvine is $91k. If divided by twelve, we would have a monthly income of just less than $7600. Using the suggested 28% rule in the table, our monthly payment should be about $2130 at that level of income. Now, let's just say that the average home in Irvine is $500,000. Even if we paid 10% as a downpayment, our monthly total would be $2844 at a 6.5% interest rate.

Therefore, one of two things must have happened this past real estate cycle:

1. There were many LARGE downpayments and buyers stayed within their means.

or

2. Buyers decided to buy outside of their means and may be having trouble making their payment.

I'm willing to bet the majority fall into number two. Now who's to blame for all of this? Well, possibly the lenders or real estate agents... however, at the end of the day, the consumer is the one who has to come up with that monthly payment 12 times a year.

I know what it's like being consumed by a mortgage payment... I have a vision to create satisfied clients for life that are happy with the homes I sell them. I don't wish anyone a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. If you're curious to know more about home ownership, drop me a line!

The Elite Class

What do Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Ricky Carmichael, and Michael Phelps all have in common?

There has been a time in each of their careers where no one could keep up with their amazing talent. Pure excellence and brilliance; the elite of the elite... if their is such a thing. All of these sport icons have achieved a level of domination over their competition that is worthy to be considered greatness.

I don't know about you, but I love watching someone with such natural talent who destroys the competition. Michael Phelps is obviously the latest American hero in this summer's Olympic games. When you have the likes of basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Lebron James on the sidelines watching you race, you know your talent is unmeasurable. To win Gold medals in every event entered and in convincing fashion(he broke many Olympic and World records), it's no wonder why he's presently the hottest thing on television.

Do you have any talents that put you in the elite class?

REO's, Foreclosures, Lender owned..etc.etc.etc.

If you're a buyer in today's market, I'm sure you're aware of the direction we Realtors have been taking lately... Today's "steals" in Orange County are located in the REO (real estate owned) market also known as bank owned foreclosures. The graph above is from earlier this year but definitely conveys our general direction the next few months. Lender owned properties tend to be priced much more competitively when compared to regular listings; this makes it very difficult for the average seller listing their home. Banks are not in the business to own real estate which explains the low list prices. Often times, agents listing these homes tend to price the REO's below market value to drive activity and create a bidding war.

I referred to them as "steals" because many of the homes are as much as 20 - 30% below the average market value a year ago. This does not mean we are in for another big drop in prices, however. These REO's are being swiped up by many first time buyers, people looking to "move up", and investors. Until this stormy foreclosure season ends, we are in for a different type of market... One that proves to be beneficial for buyers.

Blog title

So I have been asked a couple of times where I got the idea for my title and what does it mean? Well, it's actually pretty simple:

A.  I'm a real estate professional who sells real estate in Southern California.

B.  There is real estate in heaven that is up for sale.

C.  Southern California can be somewhat expensive; Real estate in heaven is free.

D.  Why not sell both at the same time? 

If I had my perfect Southern California home it would probably be somewhere in Orange County, really close to the ocean, and big enough to raise a large family.  It doesn't have to be overly huge, however, I would enjoy a nice size yard and a 3 car garage.  Something like this would probably run me anywhere between 1.5 - 2.5 million depending on location, size, etc.  

Heavenly Real Estate doesn't cost us a penny.  It is actually a promise given to us if we believe in God's only son.  

Here's where I'm going with it:  I can guarantee that our property in heaven will blow away any palace, castle, or kingdom here in the states or throughout this world.  

I once heard this joke:

Once there was an old rich man who was afraid of dying and leaving all his wealth behind on earth so he took up the matter with God.  He pleaded day and night to be able to take all his earthly possessions with him.  Finally, God agreed the man could bring one suitcase with whatever he wanted.  Very excited, the old man immediately went out and bought a huge suitcase, sold all he owned, and filled the suitcase with many gold bars.  

Shortly after that, the old man died.  He awkwardly dragged the heavy suitcase up the stairs towards the pearly gates.  St Peter stopped him and said, "Before I let you in, I must check your suitcase and see what you decided to bring."  St. Peter opened the luggage and looked inside.  

With a puzzled look on his face, he turned to the old man and said,"You brought pavement?"

empty or fulfilled?

A close friend just told me that he needs to reestablish his focus on God. I asked him why he came to this realization and to explain his reasons. He simply stated:

"I've been searching and searching but have been coming up empty. Whether it's my troubles, my finances, or my addictions, I'm ultimately coming up empty and feeling empty."

Emptiness is a powerful word. Dictionary.com describes it as: without force, effect, or significance; hollow; meaningless.

Obviously, I was concerned about my friend's struggles, but I knew he was headed in the right direction when he told me this. Turning his attention and focus on the Almighty will relieve the emptiness, because with God comes fulfillment. The definition of fulfillment is: the state or quality of being fulfilled; completion; realization. When my friend puts his eyes on God, he will finally feel complete and content... anything else is just a quick fix. It says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." My friend's search is over. God promises peace to people who listen to him. (Psalm 85:8)

Where do you turn when you are feeling empty?

A cool site to check out: www.Crosslinechurch.com Listen to some of JP's past sermons.

Piggy bank foreclosures

In case you've been hiding in a cave for the last few months today's market is a buyer's paradise. Like a kid in a candy store, today's home buyer has a plethora of options to choose from. Here in Orange County, first-time home buyers are dominating the field. In fact, 60% of last months sales attributed to new home owners! Wow! Congratulations on fence diving! ...Of course, staying on the fence to wait might not be the best idea unless you are prepared to miss an opportunity. Prices are at a 5 year low and interest rates are also historically low. It's been a few years since college algebra, but if I recall correctly, 2 plus's equals another plus. On top of all this, the government seems to be contributing their share as well. Once the average California buyer decides that his home is not a piggybank, but moreso a place to hang his hat and build memories, he'll realize that now is a great time to buy. Until then, we might be stuck with many real estate speculators and missed opportunities.

Are you Cuil(Cool)??

It's the newest search engine that is supposed to be as "cuil" if not cooler than google. The site made its debut today, and I've actually used it quite a bit already. It works basically the same as any other search engine such as google, yahoo, or msn, however I like the retro look in addition to the mini pics with each search find. I will give it a whirl for awhile to see how "cuil" it really is... who knows maybe this company will jump in front google like they did to yahoo a few years back. It will be a tough to knock off the industry leader though...

check it out at:

http://www.cuil.com/

To the Top!!!

Jourdan and I celebrated our 4th of July independence on a little hiking trip up Saddleback. For some wild reason, we decided to climb to the highest point in Orange County known as Santiago Peak. It is 5687 feet above sea level. Don't ask why we did it, just go with it.

We started on Holy Jims trail which is only a few miles from our home in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The trip launched at 7am after an early breakfast and lasted the majority of the day. The first 2 miles of the hike were pretty easy. Huge trees provided shade and a cool fresh morning air which started the day out perfectly. We crossed over huge rocks and a stream a couple of times; it was nearly dried up compared to how it looks during wintertime. The trail is mostly single track for the first 5 miles (It's 8 miles to the top from the trail head) and then turns into "Main Divide" which is a truck route to the top.

At about mile 3 is where the true climbing began. The total trip was a vertical move of 4000 feet, however, I felt this part was the steepest. This is where our fitness was first tested as we carried our backpacks full of water and lunch snacks. We were no longer around the tall trees... now it was all brush and a ton of biting horseflies. Yes, they bite. We could only stop for a minute to grab a water, rest, or read the map, otherwise we were attacked like piranhas devouring a chicken wing.

At the halfway point it was starting to get blistering hot. Our water supply was scarce, but that wasn't going to stop us. I also picked up a walking stick that accompanied me through our journey.


















By the time we made it to the Main Divide at the 5 mile mark, we could almost smell victory! 3 more to go! By the way, Main Divide is a the armpit of all gravel roads. It's sandy, rocky, and steep (Not to mention it is still really hot).

At this time, I'd like to mention our exit strategy. Paul and Roger (family) are driving up the backside of Main Divide coming from the Ortega Hwy. They are planning to meet us at the peak at around 11am for some lunch and hydrating. We are thanking God by this time they are rescuing us from a long hike back down the mountain.

The only other life we saw on this 4 hour climb was: 2 dirt bikers, 1 mountain biker, 2 hikers, a swarm of bees, and of course millions of the biting horseflies (yes, they bite).





















So we reach the 7 mile mark and guess who we get a phone call from? Yes indeed! Paul and Roger have come to a crossing 4.5 miles down from the peak and were road blocked by a gate. We had one mile left to go!!! We have drops of water left!! Do we turn around now?? Oh heck, no!! ONWARD!! I hummed the Rocky theme song as I began to see the finish line and got one last burst of energy.

We made it to the top and the views were spectacular! Although our time there was short-lived after a quick lunch, it was well worth it! It was awesome to be able to see both Orange County and Riverside County by just turning around. At this point we are completely exhausted after 8miles with a 4000ft climb.




We had no water left between the two of us.

As you can imagine, our hike down 4.5 miles to meet Roger and Paul was quick and forgettable. That water never tasted so delicious!


It was definitely a 4th of July to remember. I'm so proud of my wife for conquering this awesome challenge with me. From now on when we see those soaring towers from across Orange County we can smile and feel a huge sense of accomplishment.

To the top..
It's the direction we strive for in everything we do. On this day we made it to the top together.

Change

Sometimes change is necessary, but how do we deal with it? Barrack Obama preaches change, our nation is currently changing, and our lives change by the day. Do you embrace change or are you afraid of change? I sometimes thrive on change which can ultimately be bad if it makes me unsatisfied. Maybe instead of trying to change everything around me... I should change my way of thinking. Hmm...

and it begins..

This is officially the first blog I have ever created... and yes, I woke up and decided to be a "blogger".

I'm not sure why I made this ever so important decision to yap about stuff. Maybe, it's because there's just so many things I'm interested in yapping about. Maybe, it's simply to communicate about the crazy world around us... Or maybe I just want to look cool and techy.

Either way, it's a place to talk about real estate, hobbies, fellowship, sports, and you guessed it... the big guy upstairs.

Enjoy!