Life, Money & Real Estate

I talked to Haslankar ('Jas') Lopez, B.S.Sr. Mortgage Lender/ Processor, Golden Sun Realty & Loans, Inc.BRE: 01974366 | NMLS:1593935, she will give us some strategies to have a better control of our mortagages , for any questions here is her information:Direct: (925) [email protected] For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

A reverse mortgage is a mortgage loan, usually secured by a residential property, that enables the borrower to access the unencumbered value of the property. The loans are typically promoted to older homeowners and typically do not require monthly mortgage payments. Borrowers are still responsible for property taxes or homeowner's insurance. Reverse mortgages allow older people to immediately access the home equity they have built up in their homes, and defer payment of the loan until they die, sell, or move out of the home. Because there are no required mortgage payments on a reverse mortgage, the interest is added to the loan balance each month. The rising loan balance can eventually grow to exceed the value of the home, particularly in times of declining home values or if the borrower continues to live in the home for many years. However, the borrower (or the borrower's estate) is generally not required to repay any additional loan balance in excess of the value of the home.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Let's take a look on the requisit to qualify for a FHA loan, this loan can be your option to be a homeonwer in 2023For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

What are the trends for end of the year and how is the market looking for 2023, here in your Market Update For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Are you looking for your next challenge, do you want to update your skills for your new adventure? in this episode I will give you some ideas For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

In this episode I will talk about how to control your spending during the holidays and what is the best way to take advantage of you creditFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

How do you measure your success with opening a restaurant in these times, and what tools and budgets are needed?For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

During this episode, I discuss how dating impacts people's debt, and how much you spend each week when you're actively dating.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

This episode is important for anyone who works with clients outside of their offices, including realtors, consultants, lawyers, personal trainers, or anyone who consults with them in their professional capacity.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

During the course of the next few years, the inflation rate should stabilize, according to Lesli Appleton Young, the chief economist of the Real Estate Association, and there will be a correction in the Real Estate Market. Home values will not rise as rapidly as they did in 2020.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

As a result, market price increases will be slower, and you'll be able to buy in a more competitive neighborhood than 6 months ago, the impact of the recession on interest rates.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Real Estate is a hard assest.When you pay your mortgage each month, make improvements to your house, and home prices rise, Real Estate has historically kept pace with inflation.Your asset can be sold over a period of 15 to 30 yearsFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

I always have many clients come to me very enthusiastically with starting the process and there can be some challenges along the way that have to be dealt with when buying a home. I am here for my client in the beginning, middle and end of the process and do see the challenges that some clients experienceSometimes it makes sense for us as individuals and household members to yes watch the news, but also realize that we all have the power to go back to basics when it comes to saving money and helping our individual households. For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

There is so much negative press and overwhelming news on inflation and the state of the economy for the US. Sometimes it makes sense for us as individuals and household members to yes watch the news, but also realize that we all have the power to go back to basics when it comes to saving money and helping our individual households. For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

What does this mean for the buyer looking to get into the market now ? The Housing Market Is in Recession. What It Means for Home Buyers According to Barrons News SourceFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

I talk about the opportunities to make long term income in the rental market For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

I talked to Nelly, a young Moher that juggles her daily commitment with her family and her profession; what are the challenges she is facing, and how is she moving forward in her life and career?For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

How are the Real Estate Market performing and a quick analysis of the interest rates For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Mira Action Foundation is to equip every Ukrainian hospital with vehicles, tools, and supplies needed to save Ukrainian lives and in turn, relieve the crisis.I talked with Oksana Melnyk Board Member about her organization and the ways we can help.https://miraaction.org/For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

How are the Real Estate Market performing and a quick analysis of the interest rates For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Should I buy a home with someone that I am not legally married, here there some points for you take in considerationFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

What do you need know in order to get ready to buy your first homeFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Episode nine broker associate Aurora Betancourt with Marker real estate here in San Francisco bay. So I wanna talk to a little bit about removing the stress when home buying. Um, I actually came across an article that this week that I was like pretty surprised that someone would write an article on how buying a house, um, has caused some home buyers to be in tears.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Hi, this is Aurora Betancourt, broker associate marker real estate San Francisco. So today I'm gonna talk a little bit about home remodeling and vendor research, which I think is extremely important right now. We, as we are seeing a change in the market, I sometimes come up with clients that are.You know, asking me, Hey, do I need to remodel the entire house? My kitchen, my bathrooms, my floors redo, you know, if a garage has been converted, redo that and make it into a garage again. And one thing that I tell people is, yes, you do wanna do some remodeling before going on the market. To make sure that, you know, the house is presentable and updated, but you don't wanna invest so much money that you might not recapture it.So I always tell people to make sure that they really decide what makes sense to them, especially if they're going to eventually sell their house. I'll be like, Hey, you know, do you have time on a Saturday for us to go out? Let's check out some houses in your price point in your neighborhood so that you can see that the upgrades that they have in their bathrooms and the types of kitchens, and that will give them a better idea of what to invest as well as what to purchase.Um, I also asked them one of the biggest things is, is this house that you're going to remodel? Is it gonna be a rental or do you plan to sell? Those are like the two biggest things. You obviously want to have a really nice rental for the renters. And, um, you wanna also have a really nice house when you go on the market, but again, if you're gonna invest in a $50,000 kitchen, does it make sense to invest in a $50,000 kitchen when you're going to rent this property and who knows if it will be taken care of?So those are two things really to consider when it comes to remodeling and home remodeling, is this gonna be a rental or are you going to sell it? One of the other. Is I always tell people, are you gonna pull your own permits to remodel or are you gonna have your contractor do it? Um, in some of the cities in the bay area, they will allow you to pull an owner's permit, which means you can go down to the city, pull your permit for that remodel of a kitchen or a bathroom.If you're gonna do some of the work or have your contractors do it. I always tell people you're not constantly doing. A remodel for a bathroom every day. So why not let your contractor do it? Because they know exactly what they're asking for. They understand the codes, they know the work that's gonna be done.So my recommendation is always, definitely have the contractor do it. But if you are, if you do work in the field of construction or you are a flipper. Then go ahead and pull your own permits and yes, you do need to pull permits, especially for that kitchen, um, that you plan to remodel. Cuz when you do go on the market, there are people that constantly ask, you know, Hey, was this remodel done with permits?They wanna make sure that everything's up to code, especially in kitchens that they're electricals very strong as well. That they're plumbing that they're not gonna have any leaks in the kitchen and ruin their nice floor. Another thing is what is your budget going back to how much to spend and what does it make sense to spend a certain amount?Um, like I said, some people who they need determine if it's gonna be a rental or a purchase and they're going to, I mean, if they're gonna sell it, but determine how much you wanna spend. And I think that when coming up with a budget. Remember, always to overestimate because there could be things that can come up.Um, sometimes I've had people remodeling their kitchens and their bathrooms, and they realize that they have a lot of dry rot or they're. You know, the foundation and that area is not stable. So then they have to work on that and they didn't necessarily budget for that. They just budget for a tub and a shower and, and a toilet.So it's important that you make sure that your budget is strong and that you have that, um, you know, that amount that can be cushioned just in case you need anything else. Another thing is make sure that your budget, um, and re remodeling plan is realistic for your neighborhood and it's conforming to your neighborhood.You don't wanna be the biggest, greatest, nicest house in a neighborhood that's developing why you're not gonna recapture your value. So you may invest $150,000 in remodels. Doesn't mean you're gonna get it. If the neighborhood doesn't support. So that's another thing. Talk to an experienced realtor broker, like myself, to be able to run comps, to determine how much your house could be sold for and how much you're gonna invest in before you do remodeling.So it's really important that you reach out to a professional like us so that we can give you an idea, Hey, this is what you owe. This is what your house can sell. This is probably what you should invest, but again, um, definitely try to remodel conforming to your neighborhood. Um, I always, one of the biggest things is we always get referrals from people we like, which is great.Um, and vendors, vendors, finding a vendor to do remodeling and give you, um, at least two estimates is very important. I understand that you, you know, you may have gotten a referral from a friend or family member and you wanna continue and you wanna use their vendor, but I always recommend to get two. And why do I ask that?Because it can vary in price. I mean, I've seen. Contractors, give one client, a $23,000 kitchen and another $50,000 kitchen. And it's basically the same kitchen . So it's really important that you do get two estimates to determine, um, what's within your budget. What actually it's gonna cost and how expensive it's gonna be, because there will be times when.You know, you realize that, oh my God, I could have saved money going with this person, um, versus this other person. And you don't wanna have any regrets. I think the biggest thing with remodeling is don't have any regrets. So make sure you do your research, um, interview at least two contractors to determine, Hey, does this make sense?Does this cost make sense? Um, I had a client who basically did go from a referral, a referral that, um, if another family member gave them for a contractor and. They were remodeling two other bathrooms and everything seemed to go, well, you know, the estimate close to what they were doing. And then again, they ran into that issue where there was extensive, dry, raw underneath, um, the bathrooms.Um, so they had to. Do additional work, then they had to get like someone who did this foundation to put a post underneath there. Um, they had to call in a plumber to make sure that, um, that the plumbing was right and that the copper pipe wasn't going to not have to be replaced sooner than later cuz you know, copper piping, most of it does have to be replaced and the contractor had to sub some of these things.It wasn't the, the estimate that was 30,000 to not end up 30,000. And at the end, I think that this could have been avoided by having a more experienced contractor, as well as getting to estimates, because this is very, very, very, very stressful for somebody who, um, basically has their two bathrooms torn apart.And someone's telling you that you have to do X, Y, and Z, and it's completely off from your budget. So again, when it's time to remodel, Definitely, um, talked to at least two contractors and do your research. Um, also reach out to a professional, like myself, to determine how much you should be able to, um, invest given your, the current sales in your house.If you decide that you wanna go onto the market to make sure that you're not spending way more money than you're gonna recuperate at the time of the cell. And here as a resource and feel free to give me a call when you do have those remodeling projects or have any questions regarding, um, the resell of a house or, um, remodeling for you to go on the market.So remodeling can be fun. It can be creative, but it can also be expensive. So it's really important to reach out to those professionals that can assist you. Get various quotes to move forward and just be ready and excited for your new house that you're going to get remodeled.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Hi, this is Aurora Betancourt, a San Francisco broker with marker real estate. Today I'm gonna talk a little bit about the idea that the market is crashing, that there is a crash coming soon that people seem to have in their minds about the rising interest rates. Unfortunately, the market isn't crashing. It's simply the economic factors in 2022 are a bit different than the economic factors. Weren't in 2008, for example in 2008, a lot of people were borrowing up to the maximum amount of money that they owed on their homes. Some of them up to 106%. Yes. There were banks that were lending up to a 106%Now it is pretty how do I say not difficult, but a little bit more challenging to get a home loan. So back in 2008 equity was non-existent in some of the houses that ended up having to be short-sold by the bank or foreclosed on right now in 2022 here in the San Francisco bay area.They're everyone who mostly everyone who owns a home has equity in their house, given that their loan balance maybe 25 to 30% of what their equity value is. So that's a huge difference in terms of value. So the slew of foreclosures and short sales that happened in 2008 it just can't happen in the sense that people have equity right now.And if someone were to lose their job and decide, Hey, you know what? I can no longer pay my mortgage. They can sell it. And they have equity to actually go on the market pay a realtor or broker like myself and be able to move forward. Another thing, as I mentioned previously, is that the lending standards in 2008 were completely different than they are now in 2022 for many banks.Now you need, let's say 90 days to verify assets, to be able to get a. And to be able to purchase when previously you weren't able to, like banks were not doing that. The idea of having assets three to nine months for you to qualify for a mortgage just didn't exist in 2008, some banks simply were lending on their current pay stub or basically what they had in the bank in the last two weeks.Inventory is still a challenge in the San Francisco bay area. We are seeing a change in certain areas of different counties. Inventory is opening up a little bit more. I am seeing in Contra Costa inventory opening up a little more and in Alameda, which was extremely tight back in February of 2020 shoe.And now even in Solano county, cause I have some of my buyers moving towards that. We are seeing a little bit more inventory available. So given that there's more inventory available and people are able to purchase homes, more homes than they were previously, that will move us forward to definitely more economic activity in the real estate market.Also, according to the California association of realtors, and chief economist, Jordan leaving rates will continue to rise and expect, and there's needs to be expectations for them to go up in order to curb inflation. So we are still in a very strong market in terms of real estate. Again,, no one has a crystal ball.Cause if we all had a crystal ball, we'd all be able to predict the future and be millionaires. But it is going to continue to rates will continue to rise over the next few months. And there will be opportunities for people to buy some homes in the sense that the prices will be rising shortly. And there won't be large increments of value every month that the houses go up. First-time buyers, really good time to buy also people looking to possibly downsize in the bay area. Sell that five, six bedroom home kids already went to college, looking for something smaller. There are definitely opportunities for people to be able to buy and know the market's not going to crash.There are gonna be changes in it, obviously. And hopefully, in the next couple months, there will be, it will become a buyer's market to be able to allow more buyers to buy and be homeowners here in the San Francisco bay area. So whenit comes to the market crashing, no, definitely not. The market crashed. Yes. There will be changes in the market. But we are here in a very unique place in California, the San Francisco bay area market. Some of our cities, San Jose and San Francisco are the most expensive markets in the nation. So with that, no, I don't see any market crashing, but it is important to be cautious as a consumer and definitely consider it when buying a house.If you are approved for 1.3, $1.4 million, you don't need to go up that high basically D. What house a payment you're comfortable with. What makes sense for you and your family decide whether it's time to buy a house now and stop paying your landlord.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Is it the right time to buy or sell?? here you can find good information for your decision making process.For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Some of my best practices to be able to improve your quality of live in your careerFor More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

For More Information ContactAurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

Great information if you want to flip your house, need investors and more...Aurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]

In this episode, I'm going to talk to you a little bit about my experience and how I got into real estate.Aurora Betancourt, MBA, CIPSRealtor CA DRE #[email protected]