'LAUNDRY ROOM' IS THE BIG WINNER

What home feature do buyers desire the most? ....A laundry room.

Yes, a laundry room!

They consider it the home feature most desirable, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Home Builders.

93 % of buyers surveyed said they wanted a laundry room, and 57 % of those consider it downright essential.

And they don’t want to walk up and down the stairs, 70 % of buyers want their laundry rooms on the 1st floor.

Ceiling fans are add-on buyers are looking for (50% consider them a must-have).

The kitchen also continues to transform from a place where mom made meals to a family gathering spot, where a family can cook, eat, entertain, help the kids with homework and pay the bills.

Adding any kind of table or island with stools or chairs for people to sit and dedicating a cabinet for paper work can make a big difference in how the kitchen space is utilized.

Here’s the list of the 10 home features buyers consider most essential in a new home.

1. Laundry room: 57 %

2. Exhaust fan in the bathroom: 53 %

3. Ceiling fans: 48 %

4. Double sink in the kitchen: 44 %

5. Exterior lighting: 41 %

6. Shower stall and tub in the master bathroom: 41 %

7. Bathroom linen closet: 39 %

8. Table space for eating in the kitchen: 36 %

9. Energy-Star rated windows: 35 %

10. Garage storage: 32 %

U.S. housing is finally lifting itself off the mat.

The latest evidence came from Home Depot (HD). The world's largest home improvement retailer on Tuesday revealed it experienced a record number of transactions in the last three months. On average, shoppers spent more than at any point since 2006 and sales at stores open for a year or more jumped 6%.

All of that suggests Americans are ramping up spending on efforts to spruce up newly-purchased homes or ones they'd like to sell. While housing might not be back to pre-crisis levels, it's certainly looking a lot healthier.

"We continue to see positive signs in the housing market," Carol Tome, Home Depot's chief financial officer, told analysts during a conference call.

Home Depot is confident enough to upgrade its outlook for the rest of 2015. Investors loved the news, driving Home Depot stock up 3% to all-time highs. It's up 47% over the past year.

So are you ready to move up to a larger home?  Or maybe you're a first-time homebuyer?

Give me a call and let's get on with the quest to find your perfect home!

Ken
951-760-3833
KenAHall@gmail.com

Getting a large home loan at Chase just got a little easier

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The bank is easing the lending requirements for its jumbo mortgages, which tend to be loans in excess of $417,000 in many markets and $625,500 in more expensive areas.

A potential buyer now only needs a credit score of 680 and a 15% down payment to qualify for a maximum loan amount of $3 million for a primary-residence home. Borrowers used to need a 740 score and put 20% down.

Nice Compliment from a Fellow Agent

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When you get a compliment from a fellow agent, it is, indeed, gratifying.  I just closed an escrow for my buyer/clients, Don and Margaret Wight, and the agent on the other side of the transaction sent me this very kind email yesterday (Sunday):

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1:28 PM (21 hours ago)

Ken,

I just wanted to thank you for being a great agent.  We have closed many escrows both on the real estate and lending side, and you won’t believe the stuff that I see on my deals and my agents deals.

Thanks for making this deal happen!  My door is always open if you ever need anything

Wes Hankins
Broker / Owner
Realty Vault - BRE 01463039
Vault Financial - NMLS 235452

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The big takeaway here is that all Real Estate and Lending professionals are NOT created equal.  Many, unfortunately, are not professionals at all.  Amateurism and inexperience are everywhere so it pays to do your homework, check references and make sure you're choosing a truly experienced professional when it comes to something as important as buying or selling real estate.

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What Happened in the Market this Week?

PRODUCING WATER WELL ON 8.8 ACRES! ONLY $10K DOWN WITH SELLER FINANCING!

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Gray Squirrel RD, Temecula  
(ENCOMPASSING ALL THE LAND BETWEEN THE CROSS STREETS OF VIA VIEW RD AND SCANLON RD)    

List Price: $189,000            
   
County:    Riverside  
Ac/LotSqft (Src):    8.8/383,328 (A)  


Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

WATER! WATER!! WATER!!! FORGET SUTTER’S MILL AND THE 49’ER GOLD RUSH. THAT’S SO 1840’S. IN CALIFORNIA, CIRCA 2015, WATER IS THE NEW GOLD AND THIS PROPERTY HAS “H20” IN ABUNDANCE. 8.8 Acres of scenic beauty in Temecula’s prestigious Rancho Glenoaks – Estate Homes & Equestrian Community. This is one of the most beautiful lots you’ll ever see and it’s ready for YOUR DREAM HOME. Property has a working well producing approximately 12-14 gallons per minute. The costs of drilling an equivalent well could easily exceed $60,000. What a tremendous value! What if your well were to run dry?  No problem!  District Water has also already been brought onto Gray Squirrel Road and your water meter is already paid for and included in water bond.  Edison electricity underground box already on property!  You'll see it on the corner of property where 'For Sale' sign is placed.

The Rancho Glenoaks Community spans 28 square miles of gently rolling hills in the beautiful ‘Wine Country’ region of Temecula, California. Low monthly HOA fee of only $72 per month.

OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH ONLY $10K DOWN PAYMENT!  SELLER WILL FINANCE FOR UP TO THREE (3) YEARS, 8% INTEREST ONLY FINANCING, $1,193.33 MONTHLY PAYMENT, BALLOON PAYMENT AT END OF THREE (3) YEARS.  PLENTY OF TIME TO OBTAIN A CONSTRUCTION LOAN AND COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR DREAM HOME.  SELLER WILL SUBORDINATE LIEN TO YOUR NEW CONSTRUCTION LOAN.

ADDED BONUS:  RANCHO GLENOAKS HOA WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO LIVE ON PROPERTY DURING CONSTRUCTION.  YOU MAY BRING IN RV/TRAVEL TRAILER AS WELL AS STORAGE PODS.  HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!!!!

RANCHO GLENOAKS EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ESTATE HOME COMMUNITIES THOUGHOUT TEMECULA'S BEAUTIFUL WINE COUNTRY.  CHECK IT OUT HERE:  www.ranchoglenoaks.com/



************ BUY THIS INCREDIBLE 8.8 ACRE PROPERTY WITH ONLY $10,000 DOWN PAYMENT AND SELLER WILL FINANCE!! **************


**************  CALL FOR APPOINTMENT OR JUST GO DIRECT TO VIEW PROPERTY  ******************



Driving Directions:  From 15 Fwy, drive East on Hwy 79 S (aka, Temecula Parkway) for 5.3 miles; Left on Anza Rd for 0.5 miles; Right on De Portola Rd for 5.6 miles; Right on Via De Oro for 0.7 miles; Left on Via Calina for 0.3 miles; Right on Calle Breve for 0.1 miles; Left on Pampero Way for 0.1 miles; Right on Gray Squirrel Rd. 8.8 acre lot will be on Right between Via View Rd and Scanlon Rd.          


Property is easy to identify. Simply follow the directions given above. From Gray Squirrel Rd, Property will be on your right, encompassing all of the land between Via View Rd and Scanlon Rd. You'll see 'KEN HALL, ALLISON JAMES ESTATES & HOMES FOR SALE' sign on corner of lot (corner of Gray Squirrel Rd and Scanlon Rd), next to underground Edison Electrical box.

Contact: Ken Hall at 951-760-3833

www.KenHallProperties.com


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What I'm Reading Now ...

If you remember the Beanie Baby craze, you'll likely find this book to be as interesting as I do.  A very eccentric Beanie Baby founder, human psychology and the madness of crowds.