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Working on holiday home sales
“The holidays are probably one of the best times to have your home on the market,” said Alison McCormick, a broker with Teles Properties in Newport Beach. “A lot of agents will pull homes off the market because clients think that no one is looking. But I always encourage them to keep it on … it’s always paid off in spades.

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California home sales and prices slow down in November
“The California economy is starting to improve, but it is still weak,” said Celia Chen, a housing economist for Moody’s Economy- .Com. “The fact that the economy is improving is positive, but it’s not improving very quickly. So demand for homes will remain weak.

There are a few ways to avoid foreclosure
But if his job prospects seem bleak, he should find a good real estate broker to list his home as a short sale. If he prices the home aggressively, he may find a buyer. Once he does, he will need to see if his lender is willing to accept the amount offered by this buyer to allow the sale to continue.

Granite tile vs. slab on countertops
I’ve used both large slabs of granite for countertops and the granite tiles you’re looking at as a substitute material. The actual granite in the two products, assuming they come from the same quarry, are identical in durability, look and performance..

Homebuyers’ anxiety rises with mortgage rates
The process has proved frustrating: The Glicks, who live in Dana Point and want to buy in Laguna Niguel, have lost out to other bidders all three times. And now, rising mortgage rates have left Victoria feeling less sure that they will find the ideal tradeup from the 850-square-foot cottage where they live with their 9-year-old daughter, Sarah.

The ghost of Christmas past
Our mortgage broker had secured for us what we thought was a good rate, and so we leaped into the bottomless pit that is home buying paperwork.