Zillow Advice RSS: Question-Discussion-Guide,Home Buying,Santa Monica- CA

BUYING IN TODAY'S MARKET

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:02:00 GMT

Recently I have had alot of home buyers ask if this is the right time to buy or to wait. There's also alot of discussion when will the bottom come, are we their yet, when will the home values return. I would like to hear from other buyers and maybe I can help answer some of those on going questions of uncertainty.

8 replies

how can review my saved searches and delete the once that I don't like?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:33:00 GMT

0 replies

Unimportant but Interesting

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:02:00 GMT

A handful of early signs suggest America's housing market is on the mend. Construction starts and new house sales were up nicely in June. Prices rose from April to May, the first monthly increase in nearly three years.
Time to buy, then? Perhaps, but be cautious about how and where you shop.

http://customsites.yahoo.com/financiallyfit/finance/article-107466-2179-0-are-houses-finally-cheap/?ywaad=ad0035

0 replies

Is 315 palisades ave santa monica ca 90402 still on sale

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:40:00 GMT

1 reply

Can Someone Explain The Escrow Process In California?

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:51:00 GMT

9 replies

California Association of Realtors Mortgage Protection Program

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:28:00 GMT

The California Association of Realtors just rolled out a new Mortgage Protection Program for first time buyers today. Essenially it is an insurance policy in the event that the buyer loses their job or is diabled. Policy pays up to $1500 a month. Great program for buyers offered only through a licensed Realtor.

7 replies

Santa Monica TORCA Condominimum Conversions

Tue, 05 May 2009 18:54:00 GMT

Have you looked at buying a condo in Santa Monica and wondered what it means when you see TORCA Conversion listed? TORCA = Tenant Ownership Rights Charter Amendment. So What does that mean?

In 1984 Santa Monica voters approved the Tenant Ownership Rights Charter Amendment through which an apartment building could be converted to condominiums if a sufficient number of tenants approved the conversion and agreed to purchase their units. The City of Santa Monica offered shared appreciation loans to qualifying tenants to help them purchase their converted units.
Note: If the seller of the property you are looking at was an original purchaser of a TORCA property and if they utilized the shared appreciation program, it should be reflected in the Preliminary Title report and must be addressed by the listing agent and escrow officer.
Note: Protections were built in for tenants who did not wish to purchase their units, even today there are still many units with original TORCA Tenants (the listing will say Tenant Occupied by TORCA Tenant). These original tenants are protected by very strict rules under the TROCA Charter. Once a tenant moves and the unit is bought and owner-occupied the TORCA Tenant rules cease to apply.
The City of Santa Monica has new and improved TORCA Shared Appreciation Loans for low and moderate income households, to assist them to buy condominiums in buildings which have been converted under TORCA.

To find out more go to: http://www01.smgov.net/ho ... TORCA.htm

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Today's Font Page News Had the Santa Monica Real Estate Market's Feathers Up

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:50:00 GMT

L.A.â€™s Westside succumbs as housing goes south â€¦howâ€™s that for front page news???? Enough to scare the the bajeebies out of many would-be sellers. That was the front page news in the Los Angeles Times today.

Peter Y. Hongâ€™s article went on to state â€œPrices remained strong in L.A.â€™s ritzy areas until the market caught up. Values sank as much as 30% in late 2008. The Southern California real estate crash has finally reached the high-end areas of the Westside.

5 replies