Pacific Home Broker’s Blog

  Pacific Home Broker’s agents can help you find your dream home. With a little luck and our experience, we can guide you through the process of home ownership. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
(BPT) – With spring officially arriving, home improvement season is swinging into full gear. Fair warning to homeowners looking to hire a professional, 2018 is predicted to be a record-breaker. A recent study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University projects home improvement spending will approach $340 billion this year – the strongest gain for remodeling in more than a decade. Among the costliest of projects is roofing, a large expense with
(BPT) – House hunting can feel like an adventurous new chapter in your life. If you’re lucky enough to find the property that checks off all the must have boxes such as  appearance, size, price, and location, it’s easy to fall in love. Not so fast. Before making an offer on any property, it’s smart to take a deeper look at the overall structure and its systems, just to make sure warning signs of major

Create a Happy Home Life

Pacific Home Brokers’ agents understand that a happy home life is paramount to true success. Our experienced agents will help guide you to the home you desire so you can create a happy home. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
(BPT) – Outdoor living spaces rank first among special function rooms desired by consumers, according to the American Institute for Architects, and so homeowners are expected to be going all-in for the outdoors in 2018. Year-round enjoyment Among the biggest trends is a shift away from seasonality as consumers adopt more of a year-round mindset, no longer restricting outdoor living to spring and summer. Thanks to new high-performance materials and innovative design approaches, homeowners everywhere
Home appreciation can offset paying more monthly to buy a home. In many cases your rental payment is the same cost as a monthly mortgage payment. Buying a home while rates are this low is a sound decision. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
(BPT) – The artificial intelligence that’s already taking the world by storm is ramping up even more in 2018, enabling a number of innovative new smart home tools that can make your life easier, more comfortable or just more fun. Throughout the year, consumers worldwide are expected to spend $102 billion on hardware, services and installation related to smart home systems, an amount expected to ramp up to $157 billion by 2022. The number of

Happy New Year!

Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ to learn more.

Waive The Appraisal Fee

Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
(BPT) – As winter approaches, many cities in the U.S. have already started to experience the winter chill with temperatures below freezing and snow fall. But cold weather isn’t exclusively a northern phenomenon as the majority of the country experiences extreme temperatures at some point during the winter months. Remember in January 2014 when all 50 states logged below-freezing temperatures on the same day? Cold weather can wreak havoc on your home and your comfort
(BPT) – As temperatures drop, you and your family will be spending more time living indoors working, playing, relaxing and staying warm. More time indoors means it’s more important to keep your home fresh by staying ahead of the continual buildup of dirt, dust and allergens. Plus, taking a few simple steps to prepare your home for winter weather will ensure your home is comfortable and efficient, too. Tackle these key areas now so your

Rents Are Rising

Rates are still at an all time low and rents are continuing to rise. Now is a great time to buy a home and have a payment that will stay fixed as rents rise. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
This holiday, we at Pacific Home Brokers would like to express our gratitude and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Save
http://www.pacifichomebroker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/phb-rates.mp4   We will provide the lowest available rate when it comes time to lock your loan. We have many lenders and many loan programs. This enables Pacific Home Brokers to provide the best possible rates and ensure you are capable of financing your home. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.

We Salute You!

Pacific Home Brokers is veteran owned! We specialize in working with veterans and VA loans. We can help you build wealth through real estate. Even if you will be deployed, it is best to buy a home and rent the home to build your portfolio and retirement. If you have a permanent duty station, you should also take advantage of your zero down VA benefit and gain equity today! Please click here to contact a
(BPT) – Before the first flurries fly, it’s important to take some winterization steps to ensure your home is ready for whatever the season brings. This five-point checklist will help safeguard your home against winter’s woes for another year. For additional winterization ideas and detailed project plans, visit Real Cedar.com. Inspect windows Inspect each window from the outside to see if any gaps or cracks are present. These small openings let in cold air and

Six Home Tax Facts

Always consult a tax professional before you sell your home so you know the tax consequences. We will work in conjunction with your tax advisor to help you optimize your return from the sale of your home. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save Save Save Save Save
(BPT) – Doing the laundry is no longer relegated to dark, musty basements where no one cares to go. Thanks to modern technology, great design and access to innovative ideas online, laundry rooms have moved upstairs and come into their own. In fact, laundry rooms today are right up there with dream kitchens and dream bathrooms – and the more style, function and “wow factor,” the better. “Laundry rooms are no longer just utilitarian,” said
Along with performing your final walk through to ensure the home is in satisfactory condition, you will need to make sure the escrow company has all the items it needs to close after you sign your closing documents. Your Pacific Home Brokers agent will ensure you are ready for closing and answer all your questions. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save
(BPT) – By now it is something of a cliche to call homeownership the American dream. But even if sitting on your own deck, looking over your picket fence and sipping lemonade doesn’t move you, homeownership is still one of the best ways to build wealth. For many, owning a home is cheaper than renting and, in the long run, the biggest investment they will ever make. It is also a practical financial move thanks

Deciding Your Sales Price

The best thing to do when pricing your home is to analyze the market and price your home to sell quickly. Overpricing your home may prevent buyers from looking at your home. By pricing your home correctly, competition from buyers may drive their offers up into the high range you were anticipating for your home and even over your asking price. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save
(BPT) – While newly constructed homes are bigger than ever, most Americans still live in modestly sized or even small houses – and many of these owners are choosing to remodel rather than move into a bigger home. More than half of all American houses were built before 1980, according to the National Association of Home Builders. At that time, the average new home size was slightly more than 1,700 square feet, U.S. Census Bureau
  Rates are at an all time low and home prices are going up. Now is a great time to take advantage of the low rates and build equity in your home.  There are 1% down loan programs available and if you think you have bad credit, you would be surprised at the programs available with great rates for those with low credit scores. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to
(BPT) – You may have chosen the perfect color palette and all of your nursery furniture, but have you thought about some key safety checks? Maintain crib safety According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of children’s deaths under the age of one are caused by suffocation. Make sure that, when prepping the nursery, the crib meets safety standards, and avoid loose bedding or soft toys in the crib. After the baby
As a seller, we realize you want to maximize your profits from the sale of your home. Pricing your home correctly can save you money. We ensure your home is priced correctly so you can sell quickly and for the highest market price. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save Save
(BPT) – Sooner or later, every homeowner will face the same tough decision: Can you repair that malfunctioning system or appliance one more time, or is it finally time to replace it? Summer temperatures can heat up the repair-or-replace debate for homeowners living with an older cooling system. To arrive at an answer, you must weigh numerous factors, including which option is more cost-effective over both the long- and short-term, how the existing or new
By making additional principal payments you can lower the amount of interest you pay and decrease the time it takes to pay off your mortgage. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save Save
Take the time to calculate a compassion between renting versus buying. If it makes financial sense to buy now you, should take advantage of the market and leverage loan financing to obtain a home and build equity. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save
If you are looking to maximize your sales price of your home, now is the time to sell. Once interest rates start to climb prices will start to go down due to the borrower being able to afford less home. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save
When rates are low, you should use the leverage to buy now and build equity. Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more. Save Save Save
(BPT) – Times have changed. It’s no longer enough to protect your physical home, it’s also vital you stay safe from cyber crimes. It has become increasingly easier for criminals to gain access to financial accounts, email and even hack internet-connected devices in the home. The good news is that there are a handful of steps you can take to help defend your home from cyber attacks and lock down access to your personal information.
We have loan products that reward your clients who are teachers and staff that serve in California’s public schools. This product is for anyone that works for the California Public School Districts. Down payment assistance – $7,500 for non-high cost areas – $15,000 for high cost areas – Deferred payments – Mortgage Credit Certificate Program (MCC) – federal income tax credit that may lower your taxes and increase your disposable income. Please click here to
(BPT) – Anyone who’s ever bought or sold a home knows how even little things can sway a buyer to feel a particular house is “just right.” While major features such as a good location, a big kitchen, and a certain number of bedrooms and bathrooms all drive a home’s price and how attractive it is to buyers, small details like fresh paint and new faucets can also help clinch a sale. When you’re trying
Your VA benefit allows you to purchase a home with a zero down payment. As all of you know, investing in real estate can be a beneficial way to save for retirement and earn additional income. Prepare yourself for your long term financial health and know your VA benefits. Securing a primary residence will benefit you in the long run by creating an instrument with equity instead of renting. You can buy a home even
(BPT) – When it comes to selling a home there are many different strategies and most of them focus on the home’s interior. However, what many sellers fail to realize is that it’s the exterior of the home that often makes or breaks a sale. Curb appeal is necessary for that vital first impression. Much of a buyer’s opinion about a property is formed before they even enter the front door. Research shows curb appeal
(BPT) – It’s a long-standing tradition performed at the workbench of American garages, passing garage logic to the next generation. From hammering that first nail to changing a car’s oil, the garage is a living laboratory where parents teach their kids life lessons, self-reliance and problem-solving skills. It can even be an incubator where the seeds of a future profession grow. Today, instilling that larger vision requires a break from the small screen. Too often,
(BPT) – Spring is a time of renewal and home improvement. More and more, homeowners are looking for maximum practicality and durability from everything in their home. They won’t, however, sacrifice style and aesthetic to achieve it. Fortunately, home products continue to advance, be it waterproof technologies or scuff-proof surface finishes, all while maintaining the on-trend style and beautiful details design-savvy homeowners seek. Form and function of flooring The most impactful way to refresh the
(BPT) – What would you rather do: Pay your utility bill or take a much-deserved vacation? With an endless stream of bills each month, you might wonder where you can find the money to jet off to the beach or mountain resort of your dreams. Read on for the solution. The average U.S. household spends more than $2,200 yearly on energy bills, with about half of that for heating and cooling, according to the U.S.
(BPT) – At its core, the desire to create a home with curb appeal is a desire to make a home uniquely one’s own. After all, no matter how beautiful they are, rows of homes that look the same inherently fail to capture attention. Using personal touches, people want friends and family to know which home is theirs. Among the dozens of affordable ways you can personalize your home’s curb appeal, the first tip from
You put down 1% and the lender contributes 2%, giving 3% equity at closing!   http://www.pacifichomebroker.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1_1-15.mp4 Please click here to contact a Pacific Home Brokers™ agent to learn more.
(BPT) – The trend toward outdoor living spaces that mimic the look, comfort, convenience and functionality of indoor spaces doesn’t have to stop at the backyard grilling station. A growing number of homeowners are exploring new additions to their outdoor spaces, including outdoor showers and powder rooms, and even garage entertaining areas anchored by sinks and wetbars! While traditional plumbing techniques might once have limited just how homey you could make outdoor versions of kitchens
(BPT) – Come tax time, many people work to locate tax breaks. While this is always a smart financial move, a little-known way to help build your net worth is to keep taxes top of mind throughout the entire year. Invest your tax refund: One smart place to invest your tax refund is in an IRA. Normally, investors might divert a portion of the refund into this account as part of a well-rounded investment strategy
(BPT) – For most of us, the idea of spring cleaning probably sounds refreshing after a winter of bundling up against the cold. Now that spring has arrived, it’s finally time to get started! Sprucing up your home doesn’t have to take lots of time, and is a great way to leave you feeling reinvigorated after a long winter. To help you spring into warm weather home improvement, here are 24 simple projects that take
(BPT) – You found the perfect home, so it’s not surprising that you want to move in as quickly as possible. However, there are some projects that are best done when the house is still empty. So, consider completing the following seven items before the moving trucks arrive. * Painting. A fresh coat of paint can instantly update a room, and it’s common to buy a home knowing you will need to paint several rooms
(BPT) – Real estate experts agree: dirt and clutter are the anti-staging elements that can send buyers running for the door before they ever think of making an offer. Prior to staging your home, invest some time in deep cleaning it, paying attention to everything from the front walk to the garbage disposal to the air inside your home. Once you’ve created a clean foundation, follow through with these quick cleaning tasks before showings: 1.
(BPT) – American homeowners’ desire for spa-like bathrooms shows no signs of waning, says the latest Design Trends report by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). From freestanding bath tubs and floating vanities to LED lighting and soothing color schemes, some of the most-requested bathroom renovations focus on creating the atmosphere of luxury and calm found in world-class spas. With the average mid- to upscale bathroom remodeling costing in the range of $30,000, homeowners
(BPT) – We know the old saying: when it rains, it pours… and when it pours, it floods. With winter snow storms coming to an end, the threat of flooding increases as the snow begins to melt and the rivers and creeks begin to swell. It’s easy to forget about how powerfully destructive water can be. In fact, nine out of 10 natural disasters include flood, making it the number one disaster in the United
(BPT) – Renovation season is approaching. Do you know what home improvements will give you the best return for your money? Here’s a hint: step outside. You might assume upgrades to interior spaces like kitchens and bathrooms have the best payoff, but most home improvements don’t return 100 percent of their value at the time of resale. Those that yield the best return on investment for the most modest costs are generally exterior improvements. Outside
(BPT) – A house with ample windows can win your heart with silent promises of sun-drenched rooms and warm breezes wafting through open windows. The truth, however, is that even a home with windows galore can have rooms that feel dark and cave like. Some of the most-loved aspects of modern design – open, expansive floor plans, wood flooring in darker tones, walls of windows – may leave portions of a room dazzled with sun
(BPT) – Never underestimate the power of a powder room to make your home more livable and increase its resale value. Having more and nicer bathrooms consistently scores high in surveys on homeowners’ wish lists. What’s more, extra baths deliver more than just convenience; a National Association of Realtors study found each extra bathroom boosts home sale prices approximately 24 percent. With more Americans living in multi-generational households, many will be looking for ways to
(BPT) – Fresh paint on the walls, professional staging and an asking price that ends in 999 – when you’re selling your home, you’ll do whatever you can to help it stand out and sell faster. Because the National Association of Realtors is predicting modest growth for the 2017 real estate market, as a seller you want every edge you can get. And on the heels of the popular Consumer Electronics Show in January, perhaps
(BPT) – Investing in a bathroom upgrade is in the cards for nearly a quarter of homeowners planning to renovate within the next 12 months, according to a new survey. Improving a bathroom is rewarding on multiple levels; if you’re selling, buyers love great bathrooms. If you’re staying, a luxurious bathroom can be a relaxing oasis where you’ll be happy to begin or end a busy day. Your bathroom is also an expression of who
(BPT) – Buying a new home tops your list of New Year’s resolutions. As you picture the big moment, the one where you pull up to your dream home in your moving truck, sprint up and unlock your front door, you probably understand there’s something you need to do first. You need to get your finances in shape. Just like those who make resolutions to run a marathon, making this big investment starts with a
(BPT) – With winter comes the holiday season, a time that’s supposed to be associated with “comfort and joy.” But how joyful will it be if pests invade your house, or if your home is cold and drafty? Help stay warm all winter long by addressing factors like air leaks from gaps and cracks that can make your home feel uncomfortable. “Drafts and heat loss are common problems in the winter, and they affect homes
Home decor: The hottest colors of 2017 (BPT) – From furniture to walls, new homes to remodels, cool grays have dominated home design palettes for the last five years. Look to 2017 to gently shake things up with a focus on fresh neutrals that bring warm and cool tones together to create versatile color with timeless appeal. One of the most notable trends of the year is the transition of neutrals from monochrome gray to
(BPT) – Whether you’re shopping for a new traditional, manufactured or modular home or just attempting a renovation project, it’s important to consider the functionality of key spaces like kitchens and living rooms. These most-frequented rooms will host meals, family gatherings, movie nights, homework sessions and holiday celebrations, so they need to include features that facilitate all these uses and more. If the layout of your current apartment or house isn’t working for you as

We are Thankful for You!

During this month of Thanksgiving, We have been reflecting on the things we are most grateful for this year. Primary among them is our talented group of agents and our clients. Thank you for the work you do to make our agency great. You help us provide valued services to our clients. Without your commitment, creativity, and high standards, we would not be the thriving company we are. We are very grateful for your efforts.
(BPT) – A holiday party is a wonderful way to celebrate the season with friends and family. However, no matter how big or small the guest list, hosting the event can turn stressful fast. Before you know it, your holiday gathering has become more frustrating than festive, and you’re suddenly feeling like a Scrooge. With a few tips and tricks, you can easily host an impressive holiday party without the fuss. From easy appetizers to