Blog

Best US High Schools | 2013 | Is Your School Listed?

by: U.S.News & World Report

U.S.News & World Report evaluated more than 21,000 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Schools were awarded gold, silver or bronze medals based on state proficiency standards and how well they prepare students for college.

To produce the 2013 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News teamed up with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research (AIR), one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world.

Click This Link To See Full List:
http://bit.ly/14IOXMH

 

Screen Shot 2013-05-20 at 5.53.19 AM

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Happenings, Orange County In The News, Orange County News | Leave a comment

Vote Today | HGTV-Zillow | Doory Awards

GE-2

 

Voting Has Begun! Please vote for our listing in the HGTV and Zillow and FrontDoor.com Doory Awards. Here is the link below and click on the VOTE button for the Irvine Listing! Thanks for your support. http://www.frontdoor.com/doory/mediterranean

Posted in Luxury Real Estate, Orange County, Orange County Happenings, Orange County In The News, Orange County Mortgage News, Orange County News, Orange County Real Estate | Leave a comment

Free Shredding Event | Saturday, May 11 9 am | Brea CA

Screen Shot 2013-05-08 at 8.28.24 AM

Posted in Orange County Happenings | Leave a comment

Interior Design & Staging | The Boutique Real Estate Group | Orange County Real Estate

April 25th, 2013
Via Real Estate Staging Association

Real Estate Staging is the art of preparing and showcasing residential real estate for sale.
It is a systematic and coordinated method in which knowledge of hyper-local real estate, home renovations and creative design principles are applied to attract the vast majority of buyers to a prospective home.  It is part of our teams marketing strategy and an essential part of our teams philosophy in preparing a home for the market in Orange County.
Preparing a property properly involves cleaning, de-cluttering, updating, and repairing, while showcasing the true potential of the home through furniture placement, accessories, art, color and light to create visual appeal to the vast majority of buyers.  They way people live in a home is very different than the way we “sell” a home.
Staging shows buyers the true potential of the home. Buyers view professionally staged listings as “well maintained” and “model-like.”
Our team believes staged homes not only photograph better but also look better in person and will ultimately sell faster.
Thinking about selling?  Give us a call today and we would be happy to give you a staging consult on your home.
BW-1
Posted in Luxury Real Estate, Orange County Real Estate | Leave a comment

Welcome Baby Thomas

We are delighted to announce the arrival of our newest Team Member! Jemma Ashley Thomas born on April 5, 2013 and weighing in at 7lbs 15oz 19in.

Jemma

Posted in Orange County Happenings | Leave a comment

Mortgage News | Orange County | FHA Loans

Via Rick Underwood, Broker | Owner, TNG Mortgage

Great news!  The housing market is showing clear signs of improvement.  And conventional lenders are hinting that they’re going to start to ease underwriting guidelines.  That being said, a very popular type of loan just became a little more expensive – and is about to become a little more restrictive.

One of the most attractive features of FHA mortgages is the low required down payment.  In fact, the majority of FHA loan programs require only 3.5% down.  The downside is mandatory upfront and monthly mortgage insurance (MI).  On April 1, 2013, the monthly mortgage insurance increased by 5-10% depending upon the loan scenario.  At this time, mortgage insurance on FHA loans remains in place for a finite period of time.  And in most cases, FHA will drop the monthly MI payment after five years, provided the homeowner has at least 22% equity.  However, on most FHA loans originated after June 2nd, the monthly MI will remain for the life of the loan.  So, the only way to eliminate the costly mortgage insurance is to refinance.

Our recommendation: If you have considered refinancing your home, or purchasing a new home, you can ensure this new FHA policy does not increase the lifetime cost of the transaction.  If you know the property you plan to purchase or refinance, we can “lock in” the current FHA pricing – even if you cannot complete your transaction for six months.  Call 714-203-8558 for additional information.

 

FHA_Mortgage_Insurance_Premium_Going_Up

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Mortgage News, Orange County Real Estate | Leave a comment

Not Today The Movie | www.NotTodayTheMovie.com | In Theaters Nationwide April 12th

via Friends Church Yorba Linda, April 12th, 2013

Caden Welles has the world at his disposal. With the resources of his wealthy father, he’s living life as large as any 20-year-old could dream. But what happens when that dream becomes a nightmare halfway around the world?

Traveling with his friends to Hyderabad, India on a whim, Caden’s expectations of a never-ending party crash hard. But not as hard as his conscience when he refuses to help a starving man and his little girl. Haunted by the images of Kiran and Annika, Caden attempts to right his wrong—only to discover Kiran has been forced to sell his own daughter.

Caden’s eyes are now opened to a world few Americans know still exists: a thriving human-trafficking trade. Add the dehumanization of Kiran and hundreds of millions of other Dalits due to India’s caste system, and Caden could easily turn his back.

Yet spurred by a true purpose, an unlikely new friendship, and the prayers of his mother and girlfriend back home, Caden chooses to help in Kiran’s unlikely search to find his daughter.

Starring Cody Longo, Walid Amini, Shari Rigby, and John Schneider, NOT TODAY challenges moviegoers with a purpose that goes beyond its gripping story. The movie was produced by Friends Church Yorba Linda, a congregation committed to educating the Dalits and ending human trafficking in India.

NOT TODAY is a powerful reminder that change is possible if we’re willing to open our eyes … today.

 

not today

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Happenings, Orange County News | Leave a comment

20010 Livorno Ln, Yorba Linda, Ca 92886 | Yorba Linda Home For Sale

HD V-Tour:  http://goo.gl/YKL78
Property Website:  www.20010Livorno.com
Please visit www.RajQsar.com for additional information on this single story home in Yorba Linda.
Tucked Into The Hillside of Yorba Linda is Corte Bella at Amalfi Hills, a Community of Luxury Single Family Homes.  Located on a Cul-De-Sac This Single Story Home Boasts 2,405 sq ft of Living Space on an Expanded Approx. 11,000 sq ft Corner Lot Giving You Majestic Sunsets, City Light Views and Ultimate Privacy.  Features Include A Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen, Stainless Steel Professional Grade Appliances, Granite Slab Counters, Magnificent Center Island, Plantation Shutters Throughout & An Open Concept Floor Plan.  Three Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2 Car Attached Garage with Custom Built-Ins, Formal Dining Room, Formal Living Room & An Expansive Master Suite With French Doors Truly Highlight This Gorgeous Home.  The Master Bath Features A Walk-In Closet, Dual Vanities, Solid Surface Counters, Separate Shower & Elevated Jacuzzi Spa Tub.  Custom Landscaping Surrounds This Home with Flagstone Inserts, Colored Concrete, Perfectly Manicured Landscape, Lush Fruit Trees, Custom Putting Green and an Extra Long Driveway.  Home to Yorba Linda High School and Minutes Away From Black Gold Golf Course, Yorba Linda Country Club, The Nixon Library, World Class Shopping, Fabulous Entertainment & Easy Freeway Access.
q7-Resize_Front-Fix-ForRaj
Posted in Orange County, Orange County Mortgage News, Orange County News | Leave a comment

xPlode 2013 | Newport Beach | Technology for Real Estate

Don’t miss this power-packed, one day conference on real estate marketing & technology featuring 12 top speakers from all over the US.

Top sponsors include Realtor.com, Homes.com, Market Leader, Cartavi, Exit Realty, Alos Research, Broadview Mortgage and many others.

Here is the link to the conference  http://xplodethis.com/newport/

 

Screen Shot 2013-03-18 at 7.11.27 PM

Posted in Orange County, Orange County News | Leave a comment

Top 99 Realtors on Twitter | Does Your Agent Tweet?

By Raj Qsar via Websitebox-Team

Selling Real Estate 140 Characters at a time.
A look at the national list of the top 99 Realtors who are utilizing Twitter to gain regional & national influence in this social world of ours.  Information is based on the amount of followers, quality of tweets, clout and influence.

Screen Shot 2013-03-12 at 6.19.31 AM

Posted in Orange County, Orange County In The News, Orange County Mortgage News, Orange County News | Leave a comment