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Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate...Homeowners Insurance

Rancho Santa Fe real estate Insurance costs can vary by hundreds of dollars depending on the insurance company from which you buy your policy. There are different types of policies that differ in the amount of coverage they provide. The most popular type is called HO-3. This kind of policy offers Area property protection and liability insurance. Rancho Santa Fe real estate or property protection means that you will be reimbursed for losses or damages to the house and its contents. Liability Insurance protects you against personal liability, medical payments for injuries to others and damage to other people’s property. There are policies with more extensive coverage and are usually called “deluxe” or “executive” policies. If you do major remodeling to your home, make sure you upgrade your coverage. If you have an office in your home, you might want to consider special insurance for your computer equipment.

Rancho Santa Fe Homeownsers Insurance

Bundle your Rancho Santa Fe insurance policies. Some companies that sell homeowners, auto and liability coverage will take 5 to 15% off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them.

Reduce Your Risk. Find out from your insurance company what steps you can take to make your Rancho Santa Fe more resistant to natural disasters. If you live in an older home, look into modernizing your heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.

Rancho Santa Fe HOME BUYING PITFALLS TO AVOID

Sellers usually rely on sales of Rancho Santa Fe homes of comparable value to determine a fair and realistic price to set for their home but many sellers feel their home is worth much more and price their home accordingly. Buyers must also be tuned into sales for comparable homes in Rancho Santa Fe in order to judge the price of any home that is under consideration.

Being “House Poor” gets to be “Old New” real fast. A large and beautiful home with little or no furniture tends to be empty and cold. A life where almost every dime of income goes to the support of the Rancho Santa Fe house wears thin very quickly and is a frequent cause of family stress. Pushing yourself right up to your limit leaves you highly exposed when the inevitable changes to the national or your personal economy occurs.

Rancho Santa Fe. How Much Should You Offer?

Or more precisely, what does the seller owe on the property. If a seller owes $400,000 on the Rancho Santa Fe real estate he or she is not likely to welcome an offer for $350,000. If you want to negotiate price, make sure you don’t waste your time negotiating where there is no room to budge.

Even if the loan is high, if the seller is in default there is a possibility of a short sale as many lenders will reduce the loan balance in order to move the property. Most lenders do not want to foreclose and manage homes and the Rancho Santa Fe market is no exception.

Buying a Rancho Santa Fe Fixer-Upper

Finding the right Rancho Santa Fe fixer upper often involves finding a seller who is in financial difficulty and wants to sell in order to protect their credit or to avoid foreclosure. Various government agencies such as VA, HUD, IRS and others offer homes in foreclosure for sale and these homes can make excellent fixer-uppers. Bank owned properties known as REOs, real estate owned, offer good opportunities since financial institutions want to eliminate their real estate holdings by selling foreclosures quickly.

Join my network of Rancho Santa Fe buyers looking for specific types of properties. Call or Email me today.

The Benefits of Selling Rancho Santa Fe

As you know, you are allowed to sell your Rancho Santa Fe principal residence once every two years and exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) of the gain of the sale on your Federal income tax. Please note: This is not a once in a lifetime tax savings and you don’t have to be any certain age or buy a more expensive property. If you meet the two-year residence test you can sell your principal residence every two years if you are so inclined and the market cooperates. But this tax saving does not affect rental property unless you convert the rental to your personal residence, live in it for two years and then sell it.