Rancho Santa Fe Homes Guide / Tips for Buyers and Sellers

Bitten by the Rancho Santa Fe Home Improvement Bug?

Before you finalize your decision regarding remodeling versus moving, it is wise to get a professional estimate of your Rancho Santa Fe home’s current value, the actual costs of moving to a different home and the estimated return on investment of the most common types of home improvement. I’ll be happy to provide you with a complimentary analysis of your home’s current value. Simply call or E-mail me whenever you are ready. As for improvements that traditionally bring the highest rate of return on investment, here are some statistics. Kitchen remodeling and adding a bath tends to bring rates of return with averaging anywhere from 85% to 95% return on your dollars spent. Compare that with the 64% return on investment for adding a home office.

Building Rancho Santa Fe Home Equity

A popular question from prospective Rancho Santa Fe homebuyers relates to building home equity. Buyers like to estimate how much a home may increase in value based upon past appreciation. One of the many advantages of home ownership is that appreciation is based on the home’s market value rather than on the actual dollar amount invested or the down payment so that a $100,000.00 home that appreciates 5% is now worth $105,000.00, especially in Rancho Santa Fe.

With a typical 30-year loan, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest payments with only small amounts going to the principle in the early years. Only half the principle is repaid in the first 23 years of the loan. You can build Rancho Santa Fe home equity faster by choosing a 15-year loan instead of a 30-year loan.

Buying Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate...Will it Pay?

The only factor being considered here is Home Equity. In individual cases it may be wiser to invest than to pre-pay your Rancho Santa Fe loan. It also may be wiser to pay off high-interest, non-deductible loans before considering your home equity building options. Your financial advisor is the one to consult for these matters. If you would like up-to-the-minute information about home appreciation values in your area, please call or E-mail me today.

Choosing Your Rancho Santa Fe Neighborhood

The fact is that much of the value of Rancho Santa Fe and real estate in general rests in its surrounding economic and social environment, which means it’s neighborhood. In addition to being located in the right neighborhood, the Rancho Santa Fe that you buy must not clash with its surroundings. To picture what we mean here, visualize the most expensive home you can imagine and then place it in the middle of a run down neighborhood. Not so desirable is it?

To sum up, the Rancho Santa Fe that you buy gets its value from a combination of the home’s location and its size, style, age and amenities. You can change the home’s size, style and amenities but you are stuck with the location.

Rancho Santa Fe DEDUCTIONS

One of the advantages of home ownership is that while most other types of interest are not tax deductible, the interest you pay on your Rancho Santa Fe loan is deductible on your Federal and State income tax. This fact alone gives homeowners a distinct advantage over renters.

Rancho Santa Fe SAVINGS

Everyone wants to buy the home of their dreams at the lowest possible price. Here is a tip for making the best Rancho Santa Fe buying decision. Make sure you know the actual real estate values in the area or areas where you plan to buy so that when you come across a home priced below market, you will know it.