California September Home Sales

We were somewhat encouraged to read a DataQuick article that September home sales were up 6.7% from last September. Although we are a long way from a recovery in the real estate market, The Sanborn Team is happy to report that we continue to sell probate and trust real estate and have never been busier!

To read the DataQuick article in its entirety, please click here.

The Sanborn Team works with probate attorneys, professional fiduciaries, trustees and administrators of estates in our probate and trust real estate business. Many of our listings require court approval and we have an intimate understanding of how the probate court system works.

The Sanborn Team has more than 30 years of experience selling probate and trust real estate. Please consider us a resource! To learn more about us or to view our probate listings, please visit our website at www.sanbornteam.com or call us at 310-777-2858.

Amazing Deal on a Probate Listing in West Hollywood!

We are amazed that this one isn't already gone! It's located at 968 Larrabee St. and the list price is $199,000. Trendy and cool one bedroom, one bath condo in prime West Hollywood, just south of Sunset Boulevard. This is a light and bright corner unit close to shops, restaurants and night life. The gated complex has a pool and spa and includes secure parking. This is a probate sale that will require court confirmation.

The Sanborn Team has been selling probate and trust real estate for over 30 years. We are here to help you with any and all of your real estate needs! For more information about us and our probate listings, please visit our website at www.sanbornteam.com or give us a call at 310-777-2858.

Six Good-News Reports

Fires, floods, earthquakes and unrest crowd the airwaves. But guess what? There’s good news out there, too. Here are six examples:

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its first NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) yesterday. The IMI lists “metropolitan areas that have shown improvement for at least six months in three key economic areas—housing permits, employment and housing prices.” Okay, none of the 12 metro areas listed are in California, but improvement is encouraging!

On a similar note, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service reports this week that “August now ranks as this year’s best month for both pending and closed sales around Washington state.” While prices are still down, “Last month’s volume of pending sales was the highest number of mutually accepted offers since April 2010 when the homebuyer tax incentive expired,” the NWMLS reports.

In its August 2011 Non-Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), released yesterday, ISM reports that “Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in August for the 21st consecutive month.”

In case you missed it, last week Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 771, which prevents excess document fees for home buyers in a common interest development, such as a condominium or townhome.

In his press briefing Tuesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director, Thomas R. Frieden, said, “we have good news, which is that there are fewer Americans smoking today than in the past.” There were three million fewer smokers in 2010; additionally, heavy smokers are now smoking less.

Finally, The Sanborn Team is hard at work selling homes in Southern California. Probate properties continue to sell at very attractive prices, even when those prices are above asking! Our attentive service and decades of work with heirs, conservators, trustees and probate attorneys gives our clients the solid footing they need to make great decisions.

The Sanborn Team knows how to deliver good news! Browse our website or contact us now at 310-277-2858.

Cash is King in the Probate Marketplace

According to DataQuick, which gathers and maintains statistics on the real estate industry, an average of about 10.6 percent of Los Angeles County home purchases made in the last ten years were all cash sales, that is, bought without a mortgage. In January 2010 and January 2011, that number spiked to right around 25 percent.

DataQuick explains: “For the past couple of years all-cash deals have become far more common in lower-cost markets where prices have dropped sharply, luring investors and other buyers who either can't qualify for a traditional mortgage, or who simply view housing as a relatively attractive place to park their money. Moreover, using cash can get you to the head of the line if there are multiple offers on a property, given sellers favor the relative speed and certainty of all-cash transactions.”

Not surprising that we would find that kind of head-of-the-line thinking among buyers making offers on probate properties. Such buyers have the flexibility to over-bid in court when the opportunity presents itself and to grab undervalued probate homes for family, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifinvestment or resale. Cash can also be critically important when as-is probate properties need extensive repairs and don’t meet the bank’s standards for a loan.

If you have cash to invest or real property to sell through probate, trust or conservatorship, The Sanborn Team delivers head-of-the-line results. Call us at 310-777-2858.

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The Probate Market: Prices Down, Investors Up

The newspaper isn’t exactly bringing home the recovery reports we’ve been hoping for. While lower-than-ever prices are good news for buyers, they’re discouraging to sellers who have been holding on for an improved market – or those, like probate sellers, who are disposing of real property on the court’s schedule.

If most buyers are feeling a little cautious these days, investors are encouraged by market conditions, according to a Realtor.com survey reported by Inman News. Asking about anticipated purchases in the next two years, interviewers found that a third of investors plan to buy during that time, while only 8.6 percent of home-seekers expect to make a deal. In the two-to-five year time frame, investors outnumber residence-seekers three to one.

What does that mean for people who need a place to live? Make a plan: talk with your lender and get pre-approved so you know exactly what you can afford. Work with your Realtor to locate homes that meet your needs. Look for quality homes offered for sale through probate or trust. Talk with a probate expert. Follow the court’s instructions. Make the best offer you can.

The Sanborn Team has been selling real property in greater Los Angeles for more than 30 years. If you have questions about any aspect of probate or trust real estate, visit our website, www.sanbornteam.com, or call us at 310-777-2858 today.

Streamlining Probate and Trust Sales with Electronic Signatures

Anyone who has been involved in a real estate transaction in the last 15 years knows that it takes a lot of trees to sell or buy a piece of property. Even as listing and purchase contracts have increasingly favored electronic over paper formatting, pages would still need to be printed to secure and distribute the necessary signatures on all the required documents.

DocuSign has changed all that – and The Sanborn Team’s clients love it.

In short, with DocuSign, documents (such as contracts, disclosure forms, instructions, etc.) are uploaded and sent by e-mail. The recipient (buyer/seller) receives an e-mail, clicks on Review Documents and is guided through the document. The recipient selects or writes a signature, signs the document and follows instructions to complete the transmission. In addition to a full signature, the signer can also initial certain provisions in the document, just as with a paper contract. DocuSign also has a sign-on-paper option, if preferred.

Transactions are password protected and secure, streamlined and fast, while eliminating paper and document transportation costs. All that’s needed is a browser or a mobile device (iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Google Android).

After federal ESIGN legislation established electronic records and signatures as legally binding, DocuSign pioneered e-signature technology in 2003. Today the company has more than 4.5 million unique users and 97% of Fortune 100 companies have used DocuSign.

The Sanborn Team provides efficient, comprehensive real estate representation for the sale of real property through probate and trust. If you have questions, call Nancy Sanborn at 310-777-2858.

The Sanborn Team introduces a new condo in Culver City!

Great Condo in trendy Culver City! Well-maintained two bedroom, two bath corner unit with serene views and beam ceilings. List price is $299,950. Complex features 24-hour guard gated community, two pools, two spas, exercise and rec areas. Two carport parking. Probate sale. Court Confirmation Required.

The Sanborn Team understands real estate in Southern California. We specialize in Probate and Trust Real Estate and we are here to help you with all of your real estate needs! Please call us at 310-777-2858 or visit our website at http://www.sanbornteam.com/

Collaborating for Successful Probate and Trust Sales

The Sanborn Team offers a comprehensive array of real estate services for those selling real property through probate, trust and conservatorship.

At The Sanborn Team, we take the word Team very seriously. Beyond disclosures and documentation, knowledge of Probate Code and court requirements, counseling of buyers, sellers and agents, and aggressive marketing of property, we also bring access to experienced professionals who understand the complexities of court-administered sales.

• We cooperate with other real estate companies and real estate agents to offer sellers the widest exposure to potential buyers.
• We interact with a network of skilled local agents who can provide showings and other on-site services in communities throughout Southern California.
• We work with escrow officers who have years of experience with probate contracts, including specialized disclosures, inspection reports and the need for on-time precision to meet the court’s demands.
• We work with title officers who provide critical historic information on properties in probate.
• We counsel buyers’ agents to assure that buyers are prepared to bid or overbid with the necessary timing and paperwork.
• We bring in property-readiness services to make the most of “as-is” sales.
• We cooperate with the preferences, presentation methods and contract terms of attorneys.

Our services save time, expedite the transaction and assure that if a higher price can be attained for the property, it will be.

At The Sanborn Team, we are comfortable with clients, other agents, attorneys, fiduciaries, administrators, conservators, trustees, accountants, executors, court personnel and other parties to the transaction. Our business is to achieve the highest selling price for the heirs.

Call Nancy Sanborn for further details: 310-777-2858.

5 Ways to Get a Probate Home in Show-Selling Shape

Probate property is sold "as is." That means no painting, no repairs or fixes or tweaks to charm the potential buyer (painting and fixing could mask a defect in the house). The usual suggestions a real estate agent might offer for getting a home in "show-sell" shape may not apply. However, there are always things that can be done to help get a home ready to be sold, even when it’s a court-supervised sale.

1. Work on curb appeal. Make sure that the lawn is mowed and all trash and debris are removed from the property. Trim overgrown trees and plants and rake around them.
2. Have all the windows in the house washed inside and out. Let the sun shine in! Also remove damaged window coverings and heavy drapery.
3. Remove stained and worn carpets. If you decide to leave the existing carpets in the house, have them cleaned professionally to remove odors. (Remember, a buyer may be sensitive to odors you can’t even smell.)
4. Have a cleaning crew scrub the house, including all the nooks and crannies such as cabinets, shelves, closets, built-in drawers and utility room.
5. Remove all personal property from the home, especially family heirlooms, photos, old clothing, etc.

If you have questions about preparing real property for sale through probate or trust, The Sanborn Team is happy to provide answers. Call us at 310-777-2858.