California July Home Sales

DataQuick's California home sales report for July is not encouraging, explaining that both prices and numbers of sales are down. To read the August 16 article from DataQuick, click here.

In spite of such gloomy news, the Sanborn Team is happy to report that we've had several properties in escrow this year and many have sold for more than the asking price. We work very hard to get top dollar for the executors, trustees, conservators and probate attorneys we work with.

We just had two properties confirmed in Probate Court this morning. Both had overbidders and sold for well over asking. We were thrilled!

The Sanborn Team has more than 30 years of experience selling Probate and Trust Real Estate. To learn more about us and our probate expertise, or to view properties currently offered for sale, please call us at 310-777-2858 or visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/. We look forward to assisting you.

The Sanborn Team has two Probate Properties going to Court!

Our Probate property at 1464 Sunset Plaza Drive in LA will be confirmed in Probate Court on Tuesday, 8/30. This house has such gorgeous views and the interest has been tremendous! It is a three bedroom two bath home. We anticipate overbidders on this one. The first overbid for this house is: $900,350. Please call The Sanborn Team or e-mail us at : info@sanbornteam.com for instructions on how to purchase this property at the Probate hearing.

The second Probate property is located at 2923 La Brea Avenue and will also be confirmed in court on Tuesday, 8/30. This is a cozy two bedroom one bath home with a great backyard. Really amazing price! The first overbid for this house is: $104,450. Please call The Sanborn Team or e-mail us at: info@sanbornteam.com for instructions on how to purchase this property at the Probate Hearing.

Information for both as follows:

Date: 8/30/11

Time: 8:30AM
Place: 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles - Department 11

Sunset Plaza First Overbid Amount: $900,350

La Brea First Overbid Amount: $104,450

Please contact our office at 310-777-2858 for overbid instructions. The Sanborn Team has been selling Probate and Trust real estate for over 30 years. Please call us for any and all of your real estate needs. We are here to help! For more information about us and our Probate listings, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/.

Colfax court date Thursday 8/18!

This is by far the best deal on a condo in Studio City! Our Probate listing at 4311 Colfax Avenue is a steal in the desirable Colfax Meadows area. Great location near trendy shops and restaurants.

Court date and information as follows:

Date: 8/18/11
Time: 8:30AM
Place: 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles
First Overbid Amount: $173,750

This one is worth a trip to the courthouse!

The Sanborn Team has been selling Probate and Trust Real Estate for over 30 years. Please call us at 310-777-2858 for all of your real estate needs. For more information about us and our Probate listings, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/.

The Sanborn Team has overbidders in Court!

It was an exciting day in Probate court today for our listing at 16102 Sandy Lane in Encino! The original buyer and three other buyers showed up to bid on the property. The property sold to one of the buyers who was willing to bid an additional $100,000 more for the property! Needless to say, the Trustee and the Probate Attorney were ecstatic. Even in these tough economic times, The Sanborn Team works very hard to get as much as we can for the Trustees, Conservators, Probate Attorneys and Professional Fiduciaries we work with. We are proud of our reputation of helping families and beneficiaries get the most from their assets.

We have three other Probate listings going to court this month. Stand by!

For more information about The Sanborn Team and our Probate Properties, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/.

The Sanborn Team has another Probate listing going to Court!

Attention all contractors! Land value in Royal Oaks! Great opportunity to build a custom house.

Our phones rang off the hook on this property and although we don't always know until the actual court date, we anticipate that there will be overbidders in court. Don't miss the excitement! Call our office at 310-777-2858 for overbid instructions.

Court information as follows:

Date: 8/9/11

Time: 8:30Am

Place: 6230 Sylmar Avenue, Van Nuys - Department NW C

First Overbid Amount: $604,250

The Sanborn Team has three other properties that will be confirmed in Probate Court this month. Stand by!

We have been selling Probate and Trust Real Estate for over 30 years. Consider us a resource! For more information about our Probate listings, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/.

The Sanborn Team has Overbidders in Court!

A very exciting day in court!

Our listing at 2900 W. 85th was confirmed in court on 7/19/11. Two overbidders as well as the original buyer attended the court proceeding and it went to the highest bidder! We are always happy to get the most we can for our clients. In some cases, the Fiduciaries, Conservators and Probate Attorneys we work with represent estates that are in financial distress, so getting top dollar is crucial.

The Sanborn Team understands Court approval sales throughtout Southern California. For more information about us and our listings, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/. We are here to help you with all of your real estate needs!

Another Probate Property Confirmed in Court!

Our probate listing on Angeles Vista was confirmed in court this morning. There were no overbidders and so it went to the original buyer, who was in court and prepared to overbid themselves if needed.

The Sanborn Team has several other properties coming up that will be going to Probate Court for confirmation. Our duplex at 2900 W. 85th will go to court on 7/19. Details to follow!

We are here to assist you with all of your real estate needs throughout Southern California. Our focus is selling Probate and Trust properties for Attorneys, Conservators, Administrators and Trustees. For more information about us and our Probate listings, please visit our website at: www.sanbornteam.com

The Sanborn Team has another Probate Lising going to Court!

Attention investors and contractors! This two bedroom two bath house is located at 5535 Angeles Vista Blvd. in Los Angeles. The property sits on a corner lot and is truly an amazing value!

The sale of this Probate listing will be confirmed in court on July 12th. For those interested parties who wish to come to court to overbid, information is as follows:

Date: 7/12/11
Place: 111 North Hill Street, Dept. 5, Los Angeles
Time: 8:30AM
First Overbid: $268,775

The Sanborn Team has been selling Probate and Trust properties for over 30 years. Please call us for any and all of your real estate needs. We are here to help! For more information about us and our Probate listings, please visit our website at: www.sanbornteam.com

Team Work Counts in Probate and Trust Real Estate Sales

Buyers and sellers of probate real estate do not really realize how much work is required to put a property on the market and to position it to sell quickly. At the Sanborn Team we work closely with the law firm that is handling the Estate/Conservatorship or Trust matter to assure that when a property is placed on the market all issues that may exist have been resolved.

This past week we have had several examples of how we all work together to assure the buyer/seller that the process is seamless and will go without a hitch. For example...

We received a petition for the sale of a property from a law firm, but discovered a calculation error on the over-bid amount. We identified it so that the petition could be properly amended before it came before the Probate Court.

Another petition was received and we noticed that the address was incorrect (a simple typo), but again we were able to notify everyone so the petition could be amended.

We are currently working closely with an administrator, the attorney for the estate, Escrow of the West (Marcine Kline) and California Title (Bill Thomas) to clear up title issues on a property that we are getting ready to place on the market. Everyone involved knows how urgent it is to clear up the problems and they are all working together to expedite the process.

At the Sanborn Team we value our partners and know how vital they are to helping us solve problems.

If you would like the Sanborn Team to work for you please contact us at 310-277-2858 or email us at info@sanbornteam.com
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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.

The Sanborn Team closes another escrow!

This multi-unit listing at the corner of Montana and Harvard in Santa Monica sold for over asking. We listed the property at $1,400,000 and it sold for $1,505,000!

This was a probate sale that required court confirmation. We had several overbidders in court, however it went to the original buyer.

The Sanborn Team has been selling probate and trust properties for more than 30 years. For more information about us and our probate listings, please visit our website at: http://www.sanbornteam.com/

Probate, trust, conservatorship....and copyright?

We were delighted to read Bernice Ross’s succinct and informative article on copyright, “Know the basics of copyright, trademark infringement” in today’s issue of Inman News. Bernice is not only an extremely knowledgeable and successful real estate coach and author, she is also a dear friend of The Sanborn Team. What’s more, she’s right on target with her information about copyright.

It’s an issue we’ve thought about a great deal. As we’ve worked to create original text for our posts, we’ve observed that not everyone is quite so conscientious. In fact, a while back, purely by accident, we discovered that the text from our blog was being “borrowed” in its entirety by another agent who was posting it as their own.

The irony, of course, is that a huge part of our business representing clients in the sale of real property through probate, trust and conservatorship is sharing information. We advise other agents, buyers, sellers, fiduciaries, administrators, conservators, trustees, accountants, executors and even attorneys to make sure that the parties to a transaction have all of the information they need, when and where they need it.

We do our homework. And we respect the talent and integrity of the many skilled individuals and businesses with whom we work. It’s a pretty simple way of doing business: surround yourself with smart, honest people and do the work right the first time. It’s a philosophy that’s served us well for more than 30 years.

If you have questions about real estate sales through probate, trust or conservatorship, we would be happy to talk with you. Call Nancy at The Sanborn Team: 310-777-2858.

The Sanborn Team reduces price on Culver City Condo!

Price reduction from $299,950 to $275,000! This is a great two bedroom two bath condo in trendy Culver City, close to great shops and restaurants. Complex features 24 hour guard gated community, two pools, two spas, exercise and rec area.

This is a probate sale that will require court approval. The Sanborn Team has been is here to help you with all of your real estate needs! Give us a call at 310-777-2858 or visit our website at: www.sanbornteam.com

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/

The Sanborn Team just listed an exceptional property

This gated property at the end of a cul de sac in Los Feliz is being sold through a probate proceeding. To learn more about probate real estate purchases please visit our website at www.sanbornteam.com.

This four bedroom, four bath home also has maids quarters, making it a five bedroom. Sweeping downtown and hillside views. Open , airy, light and contemporary. Huge cook's kitchen, walk-in-closets and ample parking. This is a must see!

We will have it open on caravan this Tuesday 4/12 from 11:00-2:00. Please stop by and say Hello!

This property is a probate that requires court approval. The Sanborn Team has over 30 years of experience selling Probate and Trust properties. Call us for all of your real estate needs! We're here to help. For more information about us and our probate listings, please visit our website at 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.

Pricing it right for 2011

Pricing it right for 2011

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it’s time to mention (again) the importance of right-pricing for sellers who are serious about selling their property.

Emerging from the long-haul misery of a depressed market, we’ve noticed that there’s a little “magical realism” circulating among some sellers. Now that things are improving, these sellers seem to think, prices should bounce right back to where they were in 2006.

We don’t think that this market, or today’s buyers, will welcome higher prices. In fact, price seems to be one of the major factors keeping buyers away from new listings. With plenty of foreclosures and short sales still on the market, buyers are looking for opportunity they can afford.

Buyers are doing their home-work. They’re spending time searching online, studying values and making lists of essential and optional features. They know what they can afford – and how they’ll pay – and they’re ready to act when all the pieces fall into place.

Sellers might take a page from the buyer’s book: think like a buyer. Search the market as if you’re buying, not selling. Visit open houses and look at properties for sale that are similar to yours. Note particularly how long a property has been on the market because that often says something significant about the price.

There’s a right price in every market. The right price for 2011 is slightly below market so it attracts sellers and agents in good number and may even land the home in multiple-offer territory.

If you have questions about pricing, or about any aspect of selling real property, The Sanborn Team has more than 30 years of experience (through all kinds of markets) to help you. Give us a call at 310-777-2858.