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Learn About Rancho Santa Fe Homes for Sale


Rancho Santa Fe Fixed or Adjustable?


The fixed rate mortgages offer Rancho Santa Fe real estate buyers peace of mind with predictable monthly payments. Taxes may go up but the principle and interest will remain fixed throughout the life of the loan. When interest rates were rising rapidly in the late 1970s, lenders came up with ARMs or Adjustable Rate Mortgages. With an ARM, the borrower assumes the risk of rising interest rates. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Rancho Santa Fe Homeownsers Insurance


Rancho Santa Fe Home Safety Measures. You can usually obtain insurance discounts for having a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks. However, take note that some fire systems can be costly and not every system may qualify for an insurance discount, so check with your insurance company first.

Don’t Over-Insure. Homeowner’s insurance is designed to protect you against loss should your Rancho Santa Fe home and furnishing be damaged or lost through theft, windstorm, fire, etc. The land under your home is not insured, as it is not at risk. If, in considering value, you include the cost of the land under your house, you may end up paying a higher insurance premium than you should.


Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Cycles


In the business cycle of real estate, there are buyers' markets and sellers' markets...and some markets in between. It is all based on supply and/or demand. Rancho Santa Fe is no exception.

There are times when the economy is brisk and everyone feels confident about his or her prospects for the future. As a result, they spend money. People eat out more, buy new cars, and... they buy houses, namely Rancho Santa Fe.

Then, for one reason or another, the economy slows down. Companies lay off employees and consumers are more careful about where they spend money, perhaps saving more than usual. As a result, the economy decelerates. When there are fewer people in the market to buy homes. This is true for the Rancho Santa Fe real estate market as it is for all markets nationwide.


Rancho Santa Fe Real Estate Cycles


What makes most sense is the "buy and hold" strategy. Buy a home you expect to remain in for at least seven years or more. Rancho Santa Fe is no different than most, although the Rancho Santa Fe market does have it's own special circumstances.

Want to get a clear and up-to-date picture of the Rancho Santa Fe real estate market? Call me at any time. I am happy to share my knowledge of the real estate market with homeowners and prospective homeowners who want to take advantage of market trends to buy and/or sell wisely.


The Benefits of Selling Rancho Santa Fe


In order to sell Rancho Santa Fe as your personal residence, you must have lived in it for two out of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale of the property. This means that you can buy a second home and live in it as your personal residence while renting out your first home. If, in a couple years you decide to sell your first Rancho Santa Fe personal residence you can sell it and still benefit from the $250,000 to $500,000 Capital Gain tax exclusion. The law says that the home must be your personal residence for at least two out of the past five years.



What Makes Rancho Santa Fe Sell?


People often ask me when is the best time to sell my Rancho Santa Fe? I usually reply that if you want to get the best price for your home, it is wise to give yourself as much time as possible to sell it. However peak selling seasons vary in different areas of the country, and Rancho Santa Fe is no exception, and weather has a lot to do with an area’s peak season. For example, late spring and early fall are the prime listing seasons in many areas because houses tend to show better in those months than they do in the heat of summer. Having said that, houses sell in every season in areas where there is a demand. By demand, I mean a significant number of prospective buyers moving to the area for a variety of reasons.