All Forum Posts by: Karen Margrave

There's some great advice already on here. DO NOT ... LET ANYONE USE YOUR CREDIT, IF YOU ARE NOT IN TOTAL CONTROL OF ANY FUNDS, ETC. I see you are going to work with Will, and not sure if he's familiar with it, but try checking out homepath.com they may have some homes in your area, and have low interest loans available. Also, find out if there is any Down payment assistance programs in your town. Good luck!

When we relocated to southern California from northern California where we KNEW the market, our plan was to start out doing rehabs, and getting to know the So Cal area. However; everyone under the sun was buying foreclosures, and here in Orange County, fixers are extremely hard to find. The few there are get offers over ARV, it's crazy! If we could find rehabs we wouldn't hesitate to do them.

We were able to find a lot where a home had burned down; and purchased to build a spec house on it. It turned out we were able to find a buyer before even closing on the land.

I don't think it makes any difference if you're a contractor or investor, the deal just has to make sense.

I do have to agree with Brian, about the tendency to go overboard. As contractors we see every little detail, and could end up spending money that isn't necessary to sell the property.

Will Barnard we'll all be waiting!!

Joel Owens very good perspective. I'd just like to add that you will want to check out the environmental laws and regulations associated with those businesses. Many times there are changes coming that can be very costly, much like with gas stations having to change out tanks etc., and before changes go into effect, owners sell them. Just get to KNOW everything about car washes and laundromats there is as far as regulations.

and when was the last earthquake that destroyed the entire area?

Are you an agent, and want IDX? Investor or ? How many listings do you have? There are many options, some do it yourself using easy to do templates that walk you through, and those done by pros. Some templates help with SEO, keywords, local profiles, etc. Start by doing a google search "wordpress real estate websites" and see if any of them fit what you're looking for.

I agree that in some instances stucco does make homes look more modern. In southern California, stucco has always been popular, with alot of the architecture coming from the California mission style. The majority of high end homes have stucco finishes. However; there is also every other style of architecture here, cottage, cape cod, modern, urban, Tuscan, French, etc.

Marie is right. No matter what type of architecture, or exterior finish, many times updating with energy efficient doors, windows, new trim, and paint will do wonders.

As for the maintenance of stucco, IF IT'S APPLIED CORRECTLY, and you have good gutters, etc. on the house, you shouldn't be having problems with mold. If it's extremely humid in your area, then no matter what material you use you'll have to deal with that.

Ann Bellamy That's just too funny!

Mark Hu I just looked at a recent description on a lot we bought in Lake Forest, CA, and the lot number is 15 on the AP number and 38 on the legal description. Humm.. ? I'll have to ask the title company tomorrow, and I'll let you know what I find out.

To general. You'd need someone to look at the specific house, be able to figure out what's underneath and what would be invovled in putting on a stucco coat, then get pricing. Look at comps in the area, etc., and THEN you will know if it's worth it! What is the asking price? By old do you mean 20 years or 50 years? As they say, the devil is in the DETAILS!