David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Becoming financially secure is an important goal for many people today, but some don’t realize just how much homeownership can help them achieve that dream. A recent report,  The Journey Toward Financial Freedom ,  surveys Americans about their perspective on financial wellness and their goals. It shows there may be a significant misconception about the role owning a home plays in building wealth: “Home ownership is one of the indicators Americans say is  least connected to financial health ." Two major personal wealth goals – homeownership and net worth – work hand-in-hand. Below are just a few reasons why, if you’re looking for financial security, homeownership should be a top priority. Homeownership Is an Important Cornerstone of Building Wealth Every three years, the  Federal Reserve  releases the  Survey of Consumer Finances  which highlights the difference in wealth between homeowners and renters. The graph below shows the findings a

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com I f you’re planning to build an addition or convert an existing part of your home to a new bedroom, you may be thinking about adding another bathroom, as well. That may be a good idea in some cases, but not others. Figure Out How Many Bathrooms Your Family Needs If you’ve found that your home’s current design isn’t working, adding another bedroom to accommodate your growing family without building another bathroom may compound the problem. If family members have similar schedules and argue because they have to wait to use the bathroom, constructing another bathroom along with a new bedroom can eliminate the problem.  If you’re planning to construct a new bedroom for guests, you may want to create a suite with its own bathroom to give visitors privacy. That will also mean that members of your family won’t have to alter their routines when someone comes to visit.  Consider Your Home’s Footprint If you want to build an addition to create a new bed

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com There’s nothing like having a vacation home where you can go to escape daily stress and spend quality time with the people who matter most. Often, however, a secondary residence may only be used for part of the year, such as a summer beach home or winter ski lodge. If you’re looking for a vacation property that can be put to good use throughout the year, here are several tips to help guide your search. Activities for Every Season A year-round getaway will give you access to different activities each season. For example, a lake home where you can enjoy the water in the summer, hiking trails in the fall and cross country skiing in the winter is surely going to provide endless fun for the whole family, no matter what time of year it is. Sense of Community Many resort destinations can turn into ghost towns for part of the year, which can feel a little isolating when you go there during the off-season. For this reason, you may want to consider a com

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Some Highlights When it comes to  selling  your house, you want it to look its best inside and out. It’s important to focus on tasks that can make it inviting, show it’s cared for, and boost your curb appeal for  prospective buyers . Let’s  connect  to make sure your house shows well and catches a buyer’s eye.  

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com There are many non-financial benefits of buying your own home. However, today’s headlines seem to be focusing primarily on the financial aspects of homeownership – specifically affordability. Many articles are making the claim that it’s not affordable to buy a home in today’s market, but that isn’t the case. Today’s buyers are spending approximately 20% of their income on their monthly mortgage payments. According to  The Essential Guide to Creating a Homebuying Budget  from  Freddie Mac , the 20% of income that purchasers are currently paying is well within the 28% guideline suggested: “Most lenders agree that  you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on a mortgage payment  (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance).” So why is there so much talk about challenges regarding affordability? It’s Not That Homes Are Unaffordable – It’s That They’re Less Affordable. Since home prices are rising, it’s true that homes

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com If you’re trying to decide whether or not to sell your house, this is the time to think seriously about making a move.  Fannie  Mae’s  recent  Home Purchase Sentiment Index  (HPSI) reveals the number of respondents who say it’s a good time to sell is higher now than it was over the past few summers ( see graph below ).  Today, the majority of consumers, 75 percent, say it’s a good time to  sell a house . Why is sellers sentiment up year-over-year? The higher good time to sell sentiment has to do with today’s market conditions, specifically low housing supply and high buyer demand. In the simplest terms, we don’t have enough houses available for sale to meet buyer demand. According to  the latest data  from the  National Association of Realtors  (NAR), we’re still firmly in a sellers’ market because housing supply is well below a balanced norm ( shown in the graph below). Clearly, the scales are tipped in a seller’s favor today. But while hous

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Mortgage rates are hovering near record lows, and that’s good news for today’s homebuyers. The  graph  below shows mortgage rates dating back to 2016 and where today falls by comparison. Generally speaking, when rates are low, you can afford more home for your money. That’s why experts across the industry agree – today’s low rates present buyers with an incredible opportunity. Here’s what they have to say: Sam Khater, Chief Economist at  Freddie Mac ,  points out  the historic nature of today’s rates: “As the economy works to get back to its pre-pandemic self, and the fight against COVID-19 variants unfolds,  owners and buyers continue to benefit from some of the lowest mortgage rates of all-time .” Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at  First American ,  talks about  how rates impact a buyer’s bottom line: “Mortgage rates are generally the same across the country, so a decline in mortgage rates  boosts affordability equally in each market .” Daniel

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com The active listing inventory increased by 8 homes in the past two-weeks, nearly unchanged, and now totals 2,528. In July, there were 4% fewer homes that came on the market compared to the 3-year average between 2017 to 2019 (2020 was skewed do to COVID-19), 152 less. Last ye ar, there were 4,320 homes on the market, 1,792 additional homes, or 71% more. Demand, the number of pending sales over the prior month, decreased by 115 pending sales in the past two-weeks, down 4%, and now totals 2,694. Last year, there were 3,323 pending sales, 23% more than today , due to a delayed Spring Market. With not much of a change in supply or demand, the Expected Market Time, the number of days to sell all Orange County listings at the current buying pace, increased from 27 to 28 days in the past couple of weeks, an extremely Hot Seller’s Market (less than 60 days). It was at 39 days last year slightly slower than today.  For homes priced below $750,000, the

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com If you have one or more pets, you probably struggle to keep your home looking and smelling clean. Fur and pet dander can easily cling to carpets. Pets can spread dirt that they bring in from outdoors and leave waste on the floor, plus untrimmed nails can snag on even the shortest carpet fibers. Here are some ways you can prevent damage from your pets to your carpet and keep your home clean. Vacuum and Clean Carpets Regularly When you own pets, frequent vacuuming is essential. How often you should vacuum will depend on the number and types of pets you have and how much they shed. Vacuuming once or twice a week may be sufficient, or you may need to vacuum every day to pick up all the hair that your pets shed. Vacuum furniture, too, so dirt and hair don’t get transferred to carpets. You may want to use a powder that you can sprinkle on carpets before you vacuum. A powder designed especially for pets can help remove pet dander that’s stuck to carpe

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Heat waves are becoming more commonplace, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and extreme summer heat, which can be tough enough on people, is tough on our outdoor landscaping, too.  While there’s not much we can do to control the weather, gardening experts suggest taking these steps to help your outdoor greenery survive the heat: Water Early  - Watering on cool mornings ensures that more water will make it to the plants' roots before evaporating. Watering by hand or with a spray-nozzle hose can help direct the water where it's needed. Watch Potted Plants -  When the mercury levels rise, keep an extra close eye on your container plants. Potted plants are the first to suffer in a heat wave and will need more water than in-ground greenery. Mulch Those Beds -  Adding mulch to your garden is one of the best things you can do to protect plants from hot summer weather, as it conserves moisture and keeps the area around th

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com By Kara Masterson When it comes to home renovations and remodeling projects, a load-bearing column can be a major obstacle. Whether you plan to construct your floor plan or layout around load-bearing support, incorporate a column into the surrounding decor or arrange to have it removed completely, there are plenty of options to consider when it comes to dealing with a load-bearing column. Here are a few of the most popular:   Designing Your Floor Plan Around a Column Working around a column or other load-bearing support is not always ideal, but it's often the cheapest and easiest option. Columns can be used to better define an area or to control the overall flow of your  floor plan. Designs that make better use of an existing column can turn an eyesore into a far more attractive feature—one that will be better able to complement the surrounding decor.   Furnishings That Utilize Columns Using a column to anchor an island, countertop or eve

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com There’s a common misconception that younger generations aren’t interested in homeownership. Many people point to the fact that millennials put off purchasing their first home as a reason for this belief. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist for  First American , explains why millennials have put off certain milestones linked to homeownership. Those delays led to their homeownership rates trailing slightly behind older generations: “ Historically, millennials have delayed the critical lifestyle choices often   linked to buying a first home,  including getting married and having children, in order to further their education . This is clear in cross-generational comparisons of homeownership rates which show millennials lagging their generational predecessors.” So, it’s partially true that  some millennials  have waited  on   homeownership  to focus on other things in their lives  – and that’s impacting certain housing market trends. Data from the