Tuesday, December 27, 2011

What to consider when buying your next home


What to consider when buying your next home-

There are many factors in choosing your next home. Selecting a home can involve many elements that you may not have considered. The following is a home selection checklist to help you clarify your thoughts:
  • In what area do you want your home to be?
  • What type of home are you looking for?
  • How much space do you need in your home?
  • Why are you buying a new home?
  • What are the schools like?
  • How is the recreation in the area?
  • What are the longer term trends in the area?

Real Estate Mortgage Glossary


Below you'll find a mortgage glossary for Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Redondo Beach, Torrance and Los Angeles County, CA areas. Understanding real estate terminology can be helpful when buying or selling a home, commercial property, or investment property. We have prepared a list of real estate terms to help you with your real estate transaction. Thanks again and contact us for any of your real estate needs for Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Redondo Beach, Torrance here in Los Angeles County, CA.
Terms:

Interest Rate
The monthly effective rate paid (or received if you are a creditor) on borrowed money. Expressed as a percentage of the sum borrowed.

MLS- IDX
IDX, or broker reciprocity, is a listing sharing arrangement between brokers within a Mulitple Listing Service.

Market Value
An asset's market value is the price it would fetch in the market, if it were sold in the current marketplace.

Title Insurance
A type of insurance which guarantees the ownership and quality of title to land.

Appraisal
An educated estimate of the value of a property on a certain date given by a person, usually after an inspection of the property.

As is
Implied in most Agreements of Purchase and Sale, suggests the buyer is accepting the property in it present state and relinquishes and responsibility from the buyer.

Bankruptcy
a) A person who has done any of the acts that by law entitle his creditors to have his estate administered for their benefit; b) a person judicially declared subject to having his estate administered under the bankrupt laws for the benefit of his creditors; c) a person who becomes insolvent.

Bid
To offer (a price) whether for payment or acceptance.

Property Tax
A tax levied on real or personal property

Interest Rate
The percentage usually on an annual basis that is paid for the use of money borrowed from another

Home Loan
a) Money lent at interest; b) something lent usually for the borrower's temporary use.

Credit Risk
An estimate of the amount of credit that can be extended to a company or person without undue risk.

Credit Union
A cooperative organization that makes loans to its members at low interest rates.

Prime Rate
The lowest rate of interest on bank loans at a given time and place, offered to preferred borrowers.

ARM
A mortgage whose interest rate is raised or lowered at periodic intervals according to the prevailing interest rates in the market.

Home Equity Loan
A loan or credit line that is secured by the equity the borrower has in a home.

Mortgage
A temporary, conditional pledge of property to a creditor as security for performance of an obligation or repayment of a debt.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Palos Verdes Schools: Miraleste Intermediate School (MIS)

MIS is one of the three public middle schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School  District. Located on a 20-acre campus in Rancho Palos Verdes, this school overlooks the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors and serves three of the cities on the Peninsula- Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling HIlls Estates.
After originally opening as a high school in 1986, MIS became an intermediate school in 1991.

29323 Palos Verdes Drive East, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275




Thursday, December 15, 2011

Palos Verdes School Spotlight: Palos Verdes Intermediate School (PVIS)

Palos Verdes School Spotlight: Palos Verdes Intermediate School (PVIS)

PVIS is one of the three public middle schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. Located on Margate Intermediate School's former campus, the school is nestled in the hills of Palos Verdes giving students a beautiful view of Lunada Bay and the Pacific Ocean. PVIS was formerly located at Palos Verdes High School's campus before it reopened in 2002.
The Mission of PVIS: "To provoke our youth with an educational environment that challenges all students to develop their social, emotional, and academic potentials. That our students respect one another, the diversity of our surrounding community and will come to desire life-long learning through modern strategies and resources together with enthusiastic staff members, involves parents and a supportive community."

2161 Via Olivera, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274


Palos Verdes School Spotlight: Rancho Del Mar High School

Rancho Del Mar is located in Rolling Hills on Crest Road and is one of the three public schools in the PVPUSD. The school possess a small enrollment, focusing on students who experience difficulty with regular high school curriculum and environment. The school offers a more personalized environment.

38 Crest Road West
Rolling Hills CA 90274-5058

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Palos Verdes School Spotlight: Rolling Hills Preparatory School (RHP)

Palos Verdes School Spotlight: Rolling Hills Preparatory School (RHP)
RHP is a private coeducational school located in San Pedro, CA. The school has approximately 240 students enrolled in grades 6-12. The school opened in 1981 as a division of Rolling Hills Country Day School. After transitioning from different campuses it received its permanent residence in 2007.
RHP works in partnership with parents to develop their college-bound students with disciplined minds, sound character, and creative spirits.

One Rolling Hills Way, San Pedro CA 90732


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

PVE Tops List in Quality of Life Study

PVE Tops List in Quality of Life Study

By Meredith Skrzypczak Via Palos Verdes Patch
Palos Verdes Estates ranks No. 6 in quality of life among communities in America's western region. Rancho Palos Verdes comes in at No. 71.
Palos Verdes communities have been getting a pretty posh reputation lately.
Palos Verdes Estates ranked sixth in a new studythat measured quality of life in cities throughout America's western region. This just after the Peninsula was named among the country's 50 richest zip codes last week.
The recent study, put together by On Numbers, analyzed 889 communities in the Western portion of the country—and 3,764 communities nationwide—that had populations of 10,000 or more as of 2009. A 20-part formula was used to rate each community's quality of life, including factors such as poverty rates, commute time, ages of residents and median household income.
"The top-rated communities have strong economic bases, impressive housing stocks and effective educational systems," The Business Journals reported last week.
In the West, Hillsborough ranked No. 1, San Marino came in No. 3, Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara (east of Oakland) No. 4 and Coto de Caza No. 5.
Rancho Palos Verdes came in at No. 71.
West University Place in Texas ranked the highest in quality of life across the entire nation.
Here is a synopsis of Palos Verdes Estates' standing in the Western region:
PlacePalos Verdes Estates
Typecity
StateCalifornia
West Quality-of-Life rank6
West Quality-of-Life percentile99.44%
Population (2009 estimate)13,520
In 25-44 age group16.70%
Living in same house for more than 1 year92.17%
Moved in from other state or abroad in past year1.16%
Workers who walk to work or work at home9.33%
Commuting time of 29 minutes or less47.03%
Median household income$170,068
Poverty rate for families0.62%
Workers with management and professional jobs65.44%
Workers who are self-employed34.96%
Unemployment rate for 25-64 age group1.93%
Houses built since 199010.05%
Houses with 9 or more rooms29.72%
Housing vacancy rate2.82%
Homeowner rate91.18%
Median house value$1,000,001
Mortgage affordability (house value per $1,000 of household income)$5,880
Rent affordability (annual median rent per $1,000 of household income)$132
Adults (25 or older) with high school diplomas97.06%
Adults (25 or older) with bachelor's degrees72.18%
Adults (25 or older) with advanced degrees33.01%