Tag - simi valley homes for sale

Simi Valley homes for sale

How Much Home Insurance Do I Need?

As you begin to browse Simi Valley homes for sale you may be wondering exactly how much home insurance you may need. The cost of homeowners insurance can vary drastically from home to home. Insurance providers assess the individual risk of each property including flood and fire risk concerns. These details can either raise or lower insurance policy premiums.
Homeowner insurance providers will calculate the rebuilding cost of each home based on details such as the location and the size of the home. Interior finishes and custom features will also affect the rebuilding costs involved and therefore the cost of the policy itself. The rebuilding cost is just one portion of homeowners insurance. Personal property must also be considered within the plan. Personal property is typically automatically set based off of a percentage of the cost to rebuild the home in question. Personal property is typically valued at 50-70% of the cost of rebuilding the home.
There are two major types of policy differences: Actual Cash Value and Replacement Cost Value. Actual cash value policies take depreciation into account. The policy will not pay out what it actually costs to replace any items within the home or the home itself. Instead, this type of a policy will pay what these items were worth in their condition prior to the loss. Replacement cost value is a more robust type of coverage. Replacement cost value will pay out the actual cost to replace these items in current day. This can apply to both the home itself and personal property. When taking a look at Simi Valley homes for sale you certainly want to consider the type of homeowners insurance policy you will want and the general cost involved. If you have any questions regarding homeowners insurance our team is always here to help.

Read more...
Simi Valley Homes For Sale

Improving Your Credit

Your personal credit is an extremely important factor when it comes to applying for a home loan. You will also want to investigate the credit of anyone joining you on your home loan such as your partner. If you have been browsing Simi Valley homes for sale you will first want to take a look at how much house you can afford. The best place to find this out is by applying for a home loan and receiving a prequalification. This will also help make any of your offers stand out much stronger for the seller you are presenting them to. When applying for a home loan the lender will closely investigate your credit so it is best if you know what they will find ahead of time.
You will want to start the process by pulling your own credit report. You can do this for free once per year. Make sure that you review all three credit report bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This will give you the opportunity to review any blemishes that the lender will find anyway and allow you the opportunity to fix them ahead of time. Remember there are five basic pieces that make up your FICO score. Your payment history accounts for 35% percent of your score making it one of the most important pieces. The easiest way to make sure that you never miss a payment is to set-up automatic payments for a least the minimum payment due, but ideally the balance due. Your credit usage accounts for 30% of your FICO score. It is important to use your credit every month so that you can build your score over time, but also in a manageable way so that you can pay it off monthly. The remaining sections account for a smaller percentage of your score including age of credit accounts (15%), credit mix (10%), and new inquiries (10%).
If you are looking for Simi Valley homes for sale but are unsure of your credit score we would be happy to walk you through the process. Many individuals are confused by the entire home loan process, and we want to assure you that you are never alone in the process. You can also regularly review your credit score yourself to make sure everything reported is accurate, just make sure that you only do soft checks so as not to hurt your own score.

Read more...
simi valley realtor

6 Summer Projects to Increase Your Home’s Value in Simi Valley

Want to finally tackle that home to-do list that has been sitting around your home for some time? As a Simi Valley Realtor I can testify that Summer is the perfect time to get to it. Not only will it feel great to check things off your “to-do list” at the same time so can also add value to your home by making it more attractive to potential buyers. Here are some fun projects you can tackle this summer.
• Get your yard in shape: You can make your lawn look amazing without being a master gardener. Start by clearing away leaves and other debris. Next mow it, pull weeds and dead leaves and shrubs. You will be amazed at how these little things will add value to your home and increase its curb appeal. If you really want to sculpt your yard into a thing to be envied, you may also wish to visit a nursery to purchase flowers, plants, young trees etc. The time, money and energy you invest in getting your yard into shape will pay huge dividends when it comes time to put your home on the market.
• Repair and refresh any walkways: Cracks in concrete, loose bricks or chipped stones are small things that can make your home look cheap. They can also create a safety hazard for your family and others who visit your property. Consider pulling weeds from the cracks in your cement, sealing those cracks, power washing walkways, etc. You should also try re-paving your driveway if it is in disrepair.
• Add or upgrade outdoor lighting: Ample outdoor lighting not only makes your home look better, it also helps instill in potential buyers a sense of security. If you have a deck or patio, string lights can make it more inviting and help you better enjoy those gorgeous summer nights at home in Simi Valley!
• Paint the exterior: The best time to paint the exterior of your home is in the summer. You’d be amazed at how much a little paint job can add value to your home and how much fun you can have doing it.
• Repaint the interior: If it has been a while since you painted the interior of your home, it is probably time to consider a new paint job. You may even wish to change the entire color scheme.
• Renovate (or update) the bathroom/kitchen: Let’s not neglect the inside of your home. Clean, attractive kitchens and bathrooms are also huge magnets when it comes to selling a home. You can go for a major, professional renovation or you can go small by buying a new vanity, adding a low-flush toilet, re-tiling surfaces, replacing faucets and shower heads, etc.
These are a just a few summer projects you can undertake in order to beautify and increase the value of your home. There are many other things you can do plus apps that can help you envision the final outcome of your efforts. As a local Simi Valley realtor it is my experience that people who take great care of their home get a much better price when it is time to sell. Contact me if you are interested in seeing the value of your Simi Valley home for sale.

Read more...
MENU
Hare and Associates