First and foremost, understand that you need to hire a Realtor. A Realtor is your personal expert in the home buying field. They can provide you with valuable information, indispensable resources, and time saving efforts. If you try to buy alone, especially as a first time buyer, you will very likely make some huge mistakes. Prevent these mistakes by hiring a great Realtor. It will save you time, money, and prevent needless anxiety.

A second step in the buying process is having a clear cut understanding of what you can afford. This will help you to narrow down the selection of homes you will be looking at, and keep your budget in check too. Take some time to sit down and look at what you can afford. Be realistic when setting your price, and evaluate your decisions with your spouse or significant other. You will thank yourself when you find a house that you can truly afford.

After you have a budget in mind, it’s time to get pre-approved. The pre-approval process involves visiting a lender and seeing if you can qualify for the amount you think you would like to spend. This will help you to know that you can afford the home of your dreams when you do find it. A pre-approval letter is also a valuable tool that can serve you well when it comes to making an offer.

Now that you have your Realtor hired, and your pre-approval is under wraps, it’s time to visit houses. Visit LOTS of houses! You want to see as many properties as you can in order to determine which one is really best for you. Even if you fall in love with the first house you see, take some time to look at a few others. This can help you to accurately gauge how your beloved house really stacks up against the competition.

After you have found the home of your dreams, remember the importance of an inspection. An inspection can help you to find problems that may not be seen by the naked eye. Finding these problems before you buy the home can save you from unexpected costs after a purchase is made. Find a quality inspector and be present on the day of inspection, if at all possible. Make sure to fully read the inspection report that you are given and discuss any concerns with your Realtor. You might be able to get the seller to make important repairs before the sale is complete.

Your first home buying experience is a mixed bag of emotions, and an exciting time in your life. Taking some time to make the right decisions before purchasing your home can make this experience that much better for everyone involved. In this article, we have provided some important tips that can help any first time buyer. We hope you will take our advice to heart, and we wish you the best of luck in your home buying experience.

Here are highlights from two articles in the news. Click on the links to read the full articles.
From the LA Times: Work Crews Hustle as San Pedro bluff slides slowly into the sea
The highway and sidewalk have sunk more than a foot, opening deep crevices in the asphalt that cut a jagged diagonal line across the two-lane roadway. A wooden fence that once ran a straight line along the road now bends abruptly toward the ocean, a change that happened in just days
In the last week, the movement has accelerated to about half an inch per day.
No buildings are at risk of falling into the ocean.
Officials don’t know how much farther the ground is going to shift, but they are bracing for the possibility that chunks of the bluff could shear off and slide toward the sea.
Contractors are working seven days a week, 10 hours a day, manning loaders and excavators that are carving new trenches to reroute two major storm drain pipes away from the moving earth. The project could take four more weeks, but the hope is to finish before any heavy rains.
In the Daily Breeze: Crews begin relocating power poles in sinkhole area to White Point
The work to relocate the [power] poles is expected to take two to three weeks.
The move is designed to maintain electrical reliability as well as to ensure continuous operation of a county sewage pump station at Paseo del Mar and Western Avenue.

Although real estate prices have fallen dramatically for the past 2 or 3 years, rents are rising. High demands for single family rentals are on the rise due to the volume of foreclosures and short sales. No matter what the reason for these families losing their homes they still need places to live. Consequently the demand for single family rentals is high.

For a lot of these families leaving their homes, they are not necessary wanting to leave their neighborhoods. They are looking to keep the kids in the same schools and keep their friends. For these new renters the rents are less than their old mortgage payments, they are relieved from maintenance work and they are happier to be out from under the massive payments.

In the past’s multi-family units, i.e. apartments, duplexes were easy to rent, but with so many more renters looking to live in SFR’s this is starting to change. We are starting to see the demand “good” single family property rentals in nice neighborhoods go up.

Investors will benefit from this information because they understand prices have been dropping on properties and the demand for good rentals has been going up. Investors are confident that they can rent for a good rate and have an easier sale when they are ready to sell after the prices rise.

Listed at $229,900, Pre Auction bid starts immediately and ends 10/20/11. This property is going to auction! Super charming one-level condo! View of tree tops and Harbor Area, new carpeting, Huge 2 bedroom, 2 full baths as well as spacious kitchen opening to great room consisting of dining area and large living room. Gated community with sparkling pool. This property has school district options, LA Unified or Palos Verdes Schools..