Moving from L.A. to Orange County

Every year a lot of people are planning to buy homes in Southern California: not always in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West L.A., South Bay, but in South Orange County. The reason for this is that there are noticeable differences in the prices for homes in different parts of California, especially inland and coastal areas. Not surprisingly, the average prices for homes can vary quite a bit from one zip code to another. This is due to multiple factors.

Furthermore, the majority of places in Orange County come with tremendous value in terms of price and are very appealing. In all of these cities, the lower prices are more linked to the local housing laws, school ratings, economy, and the inventory of homes listed for sale.

The median home price in the six county region is $533,000 according to DataQuick news of CoreLogic. (source)

Areavibes ranks American cities based on a livability score that takes into account various factors, which is comprised of the cost of living, the amount of crime, educational facilities, local job market, and amenities. The livability score is based on a scale of 1 to 100.

The following are south Orange County's top picks in the order of their popularity based on data from Data USA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Newport Beach – Median home price is $2,137,900. Livability score is 83.
• Laguna Beach – Median home price is $2,016,000. Livability score is 76.
• Dana Point – Median home price is $953,900. Livability score is 86.
• Irvine – Median home price is $856,000. Livability score is 82.
• Aliso Viejo – Median home price is $633,300. Livability score is 82.

The following are the Great school ratings for these popular cities:
• Newport Beach –  8.3  (has 3  9's and 1 10-rated)
• Laguna Beach –  9 .
• Dana Point –  3.
• Irvine –  7.9  (has 7 10's, 7 9's)
• Aliso Viejo - 8.2

These are all great cities to live in. For those who have the option to relocate and to get a better price when buying a home, these should all be considered as decent choices.

The Advantages & Disadvantages of Buying Before Selling

A lot of homeowners run into an increasingly common situation when considering looking for a new home. They need or want to move but are undecided about if they should buy a new home first or sell their existing home. The answer could be yes or no depending on the borrower's situation.  Let's explore the advantages and disadvantages involving each choice.

Buying first will of course leave you with higher expenses until your home sells later on. However, selling first could potentially leave you “homeless” until you buy your new home.

Advantages of Buying Before Selling

Buying a home prior to selling your old home can result in a few major benefits. The first one is it can make the process of house searching more enjoyable.

Often times, homeowners are pressured to speed up the buying process because they need to be move out before their current home's closing date. 

When you have more time to search for a home, you have less regrets and don't overlook certain processes when you buy a home. There's more time to compare lenders, homes, inspections, etc.

An additional key benefit of buying before selling your home is there is no guarantee that the seller of the home will accept your offer. If the seller rejects your offer, your new home search can proceed while still living comfortably in your current home. 

If you plan on purchasing a home that needs some fixing, it will enable you to stay in your existing home as you fix up your new home. Replacing floors, painting, wall removals, plumbing, counter upgrades, wiring, and similar projects are a lot less difficult to finish in an unfurnished home.

Disadvantages of Buying Before Selling

There are also a few drawbacks to buying a home before selling. The most significant problem of buying a new home first is that you could be paying two mortgage payments longer than you expect. 

Many times home buyers expect their existing home to sell quickly but that is not always the case. The risk is money troubles could arise as you attempt to pay two house payment that includes property taxes, insurance and if applicable HOA dues.

Furthermore, you may have challenges with qualifying for a home loan until you sell your existing home. You may need to use the proceeds of the sale of your home for a down payment on the next home to get a mortgage.

If your offer is accepted on a new home and are lacking the funds to pay for it, a great financial solution is "gap financing" or a bridge loan. A bridge loan assists borrowers with the down payment funds and closing costs until your existing home is sold. There terms can range from a one month up to two years.

Tips for Buying Before Selling

Although gap financing could be the ideal solution for you, make certain to think about all areas of your decision. First, determine if you can truly afford the house payments on two homes at the same time.  In a perfect scenario, your house payment which includes your mortgage, taxes, and insurance should not be more than 32 percent of your gross monthly income. If they are, you may want to reconsider buying a home before listing your home for sell.

Consult with a few local real estate agents in Orange County about listing your home for sale and how long it should take to sell your home. Another option some home buyers do is rent out their current home to help pay for that mortgage and maybe sell it later down the road.

However, being a landlord is not always an easy position. You may want to think about hiring a property manager to relieve you of those tenant calls for maintenance. They typically charge 10% of the rent collected.

WIll A Coming Recession Impact Housing?

An increasing share of U.S. home buyers have recession worries on their minds, around fifty-percent polled said they'll put their home search plans on hold if a recession comes.

A little over 36% of 755 active home buyers surveyed in August said they anticipate the next recession to start in 2020, based on a survey issued on Wednesday, Aug. 28 by Realtor.com. The 36% number is an increase from below 30% in March. Approximately 56% of participants in the most recent poll said they would delay shopping for a home if the economy takes a turn for the worse.

 A senior economist at Realtor.com said in different words that the next recession will likely be influenced by external factors which are not housing related, like a lengthy trade war, less corporate spending or the spreading of the European recession to U.S. shores.   Hardly any economist thinks the coming recession will be anything close to 2008. That recession was due to significantly different factors.

Roughly 44% of those surveyed agreed and said they feel the next recession would be less severe than a decade ago. Millions of Americans lost their homes to foreclosure after getting mortgages with easy qualifying guidelines believing they could afford the home or it would rise in value non-stop.

In August, Zillow forecasted that international trade policy, a geopolitical situation and/or a stock market correction would be the main factor that leads to a recession.

In the first quarter of 2019, over one-third of home buyers said they believed that the next recession would be even more detrimental than in 2008. However, 44% of those shopping for a home said they think this recession won't be as bad as the 2008 recession, indicating an improvement from the 40% the spring of 2019.

At the same time, one-half of prospective home buyers said they felt more optimistic about the housing market, up a healthy 5-percent from 45% early 2019. Just 21% felt more negative about a possible recession.

In the most-recent survey, 17% expect a recession to begin in 2020, 14% anticipate sometime in 2021 and 7 percent felt at some point in 2022.  Can people actually will a recession into existence with negative thinking?

Hiring a listing agent tends to earn FSBO's more money

FSBO's who list their homes on the market normally put a value according to Zillow, other online tools or the high amount that the neighbor down the street said they were offered.  Unfortunately, these are practices that are likely to make the overpriced.

Agents say the risk in overpricing a home is that it will sit a long time on the market, and buyers will question why, even if the price is lowered later. There are statistics to back up this claim as well.

Studies prove that selling your home through a professional real estate agent will get you a higher net gain, enough to pay for the commission on top of putting more money in your pocket.

According to the National Association of Realtor®'s 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the average FSBO sales price was $185,000, while the average price for a home listed by an real estate agent was $245,000. Most people would  like to get the most they can for their home.

Additional reasons to use an Agent
1. They are objective and understand fair market value and pricing strategy: When you work with an experienced local agent, they will probably have greater knowledge about the value of your home in your area, and what buyers are willing to pay to become new owners. They also should know some photographers and home stagers, who can emphasize the amenities that local buyers desire.

2.Marketing your home online isn't as easy as you think
Buyers always start online, and "for sale by owner" sellers are unlikely to get the exposure they need on a number of listings websites to reach their audience

3. Agents have the ability to promote your home to a larger audience. They do this through their local MLS membership, online listing websites, social media platform, business partners, and agent connections, your real estate agent can get a lot of views on your listing and a lot of prospective buyers in you home.

4. More Buyer's agents will see your listing when listed through an agent. This means they are more likely to show your home to potential buyers.

5. Experienced agents can identify serious buyers and advise which offer is the strongest.  The benefit here is it limits the barrage of calls and negotiations with buyers who are less motivated.

6. When you sell a home, there's a lot of legal documentation involved. The burden of making sure it's in compliance with state laws is the listing agent's responsibility when they lst your home.Otherwise, it is the buyer's duty.