The Pros & Cons of DIY Home Improvement Projects

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Do-it-yourself is an attractive way to save money on home improvement projects. Home centers stay busy each spring with people looking to improve their home and yard. Whether you are remodeling your home, making needed repairs, or sprucing things up to put your house on the market, the following tips will help make your next home improvement project a success. This podcast is brought to you by BBB of thw Tri-Counties and sponsored by Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara.

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The HOP (Home Ownership Podcast) Episode 90

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This week, Santa Barbara weather was in the mid-60’s and 70’s. Residents enjoyed some well-needed rain and good surf.  Interest rates stayed the same, at 4.5% for 30-year conforming loans and 4% for 30-year non-conforming loans.  Thirty-seven homes closed this week and six of them were off-market listings.  Typically, this time of year there would be 50-60 new listings, so the number of available properties for sale is extremely low.  David talked about the importance of realtors and brokers being transparent, guiding their clients but never making decisions for them.  The questionable strategy of listing a house under its value in order to start a bidding war was discussed.  As always, Patti and David end the show with shared stories about their fur-babies.  David invites you to contact him by email at david@davidcharlesallen.com or call him at 805-617-9311.

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How to Spot Malicious Websites

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Scam websites often have very similar URLs and can look nearly identical to the real website. Watch out for red flags before entering your personal or payment information. Scammers are always creating new and improved lookalike websites to trick you out of your personal information and money. These websites may have a very similar URL or look nearly identical to the real website you are searching for, which means they can be hard to identify. Examples of this kind of scam include fake streaming service activation prompts, DMV impostors and fake postal service websites. Even BBB.org has been impostored, when scammers have tried to look like BBB to collect information fraudulently. Protect yourself with tips to help you spot fake websites set up by scammers. A BIG thank you Ayers Automotive Repairs of Santa Barbara for sponsoring this podcast.

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Rewards & Risks of Flipping Property in Santa Barbara

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The HOP (Home Ownership Podcast) Episode 89: Warm weather and fun swells continue to draw people to beautiful Santa Barbara. Host, David Charles Allen, reports that there were 41 new listings this week and 25 % of them sold off-market. This makes it even more difficult for the average person who is searching for a home to purchase. Interest rates rose again–up to 4.5 % for 30 – year fixed and 4 % for 30 – year jumbo loans. In this episode David discusses the challenges and rewards of flipping properties in Santa Barbara and as always The HOP closes with an update on David’s fur babies. To contact David Charles Allen, call 805-617-9311 or email david@davidcharlesallen.com

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Getting the Most Value from your Old Cell Phone

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In this episode BBB of the Tri-Counties gives advice for evaluating trade in offers and finding the best deal for your old phone. If you are shopping for a new cell phone, trading it in with your carrier is an easy and enticing option. You get rid of your old phone and receive a significant discount on the latest model. Sounds like a perfect solution! But carrier trade-ins aren’t your only option for getting value out of your old phone. There are many ways to get cash or gift cards for your much-loved old smartphone..as you’ll hear in this episode. A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara for sponsoring Yout Moment of Trust.

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Interest Rates Rise with No Gain in Supply

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The HOP (Home Ownership Podcast) Episode 88: Host of the HOP, Village Properties realtor, David Charles Allen, said that Santa Barbarans have been enjoying beautiful spring weather with temperatures in the 60’s and 70s. There have also been decent swells to make surfers happy. Interest rates rose significatntly, up to 4.25% for 30 – year conforming loans and 3.75% for 30 – year jumbo loans. In Santa Barbara, there were 35 new listings, 35 properties closed, and 32 are pending. David and Patti discussed the trend to go off grid with solar energy and wells.

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Home Maintenance Tips from BBB of the Tri-Counties

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If you recently purchased a new home, you’ve no doubt found that all that extra space requires upkeep and maintenance. BBB recommends the following tips to help you care for your new home, hire contractors, and avoid getting scammed in the process. A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair in Santa Barbara for sponsoring Your Moment of Trust.

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BBB of the Tri-Counties Gives Tips to Cope with Supply Chain Issues

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Grocery aisles have gaping empty sections, and shoppers can never predict what’s going to be unavailable. New car dealerships struggle to fill their empty lots. People building homes report long waits for critical materials like windows and doors. Almost every industry has shortages and delays that all boil down to supply chain issues. Consumers and business owners are frustrated and confused. COVID-19 infection rates are declining, and restrictions have eased in most parts of America. Shouldn’t things be getting better by now? In this episode, BBB provides information on why supply chain disruptions are still ongoing and gives tips on how businesses and consumers can combat it. A BIg thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair in Santa Barbara for sponsoring Your Moment of Trust.

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Buying and Selling Properties Off-Market

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The HOP Episode 87: This week, interest rates remained basically the same with 30-year jumbo loans at 3.375% and 30-year fixed loans at 3.875%. There was still no real significant build up of inventory with 43 new listings and 45 homes that closed. David Charles Allen discussed programs that might help first time home buyers to get into a home as well as the benefits and pitfalls of those programs. He also talked about the significant number of homes that have been selling off-market in Santa Barbara and why this option might appeal to some buyers and sellers. To learn more about real estate in Santa Barbara, call David at 805-617-9311 or email david@davidcharlesallen.com

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Find Out About Properties ‘Coming Soon’

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The HOP Episode 86: David Charles Allen discusses the weather, waves, and real estate in Santa Barbara! Interest rates remain low; 3.75% for 30-year fixed and 3.375% for 30-year jumbo loans. There were 42 new listings this week and 40 went pending, with very little build up of available properties for sale. A listener asked about the reliability of Zillow Zestimates and David explained that they were often far offbase. The biggest shortfall of Zillow, however, is the fact that you don’t find out about properties that are coming soon. When working with a realtor, you’re likely to learn about properties a couple weeks before they’re listed and that time period can help you prepare your offer. For questions about real estate in Santa Barbara, call David at 805-617-9311 or email david@davidcharlesallen.com

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