Real Estate in South Orange County California

There is an old saying that, "Many a serious thing is said in jest" I often tell my clients that there is no additional fee for the weather in Southern California, it comes included in the sales price. But we all know better, our prices are high because our location which just happens to include ...

Wood - pretty, looks warms, scratches, wears. Carpet, cheap, feels nice, warm, looks good in many rooms. Gets dirty easily and wears out. Ceramic Tile - inexpensive, holds up well unless you get the high gloss and put it in a high traffic area. But the grout gets dirty easily. Tip - seal it with ...

I get hungry during open house, do you? I typically tell myself that if I eat a large meal just before I start, that it will get me through the day - but it seldom does. By the end of my typical 5 hour shift, I am starving. Sometimes I'll plan ahead and bring a sandwich or something, but usually ...

Ok, I admit it - My name is Paul McDuell, and I am a Do It Yourselfter" Oh, I've saved a ton of money over the years doing things myself, but a rational person might have asked themselves if doing it yourself is really cost effective. When I tackle a large do it yourself project, I sometimes need...

I find myself doing more educating these days than in past years. That includes educating myself! There are a lot of people looking at homes that think they have a pretty good handle on the market, but when pressed I often find they are not quite sure about the difference between a short sale and...

I've noticed something, and I don't think it just a local phenomenon. Its that a few Realtors have the majority of the bank owned listings. I've read here on Active Rain, that it's not necessarily the top agents that are getting those listings either. So what is going on here? Can a single agent ...

I know a few agents that are having the best year of their career, but most are not. Many have left the industry, if only "temporarily" People are buying homes, but the homes that are selling are selling for prices we haven't seen in years. This is the way I look at it. Lending institutions made ...

I was curious, it's obvious that there are a lot of homes on the market that are either bank owned, short sales, corporate owned etc. compared with Equity Sellers. So, I did a quick search of active listings in Rancho Santa Margarita. RSM is on of the newest communities in South Orange County Cal...

I love summer, and I don't care for rain. I know, we need it here in Southern California, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Actually, I do like rain, if it falls in the middle of the night. Another thing, the days are getting shorter, they're still pretty long, but day by day we have less ...

Everyone seems to have their favorite laptop. I can tell you that I have worked on all of them, and they are pretty much all the same. I shop price and components. First, decide what size screen you want. Sure, you want a 17" screen, but are you sure you want to lug that big thing around? I don't...