Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sorted by date Results 151 - 170 of 170
I started writing "Real Estate Round-Up" in January. The topics focus on subjects that affect home ownership, property rights or the ins and outs of selling real estate. This week, I am reprinting an article written about me by our local realtor association, The North San Diego County Association of Realtors (NSDCAR). I hope you enjoy getting to know me through this article. NSDCAR REALTOR® member Kim Murphy of Fallbrook has served on the NSDCAR board of directors (2008 to... Full story
Remember wanting to purchase one of those odd “whatchamacallits” as seen on TV? What about a knife that cuts through anything, a machine that air fries food without fat, a toothpaste that whitens teeth in three days? Suppose I offered to “sell” you my very special “whatchamacallit,” and all you had to do was show me how you were going to use it, where you were going to store it and what you were going to do with it once you got tired of it, before I would agree to “sell” it t...
I am often struck by the friendliness of “Fallbrookians.” We don’t drive too fast. We stop to let people cross the street in the middle of the block. We stop to corral loose dogs so vehicles don’t hit them. We sell fruit and vegetables from our yards using the honor system. People speak to you when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, and they let you go in front of them if you only have a few items. This friendliness is one of the most wonderful characteristics of our... Full story
A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the California Energy Commission (CEC) requiring all new residential structures to have solar panels installed as of January 1, 2020. I called it an “attack on home ownership.” There is another attack that affects our coastal communities, and we need to be aware of it and care about it, even though we are 12 miles from the coast. The California Coastal Commission (CCC) recently wrote a 95-page document called the Residential Ada... Full story
Thinking about moving? Where to begin? People move for various reasons – to be closer to their children, for a job transfer or new opportunity, or sometimes just because they want something new. Once someone has figured out where they're going, chances are they're going to do some searching on the web, and things can become interesting. When a real estate agent lists a property for sale, their broker agrees to distribute that listing information from the multiple listing serve...
Last week I wrote about the attacks on home ownership. They are real and we must be vigilant. But there is one more thing every homeowner must be vigilant about and it is fires and creating defensible space around our homes. It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the summer selling season for real estate. Every week more homes come on the market hoping to take advantage of the summer months when people decide to move to a new home in a new location. We’ve had such a coo... Full story
Remember the good ‘ole “American Dream of Home Ownership?” I do. It was something our parents cared deeply about, and their parents cared even more deeply about. It was a statement that you had roots, stability, status and an assumed level of happiness. After all, it was a place to raise your family, a place to relax after a hard day, a place to fulfill your dreams. Sadly, this dream may never come true for our children and/or some of our friends. The housing market is const...
Recently we’ve gotten a number of calls from buyers who just want to work with the listing agent directly. Since our business model is primarily with listings, this could be perceived as a real boon to our personal success. But what keeps me up at night is the “why” of this strategy. Apparently buyers believe there is some financial benefit (i.e. not having to pay both agents) if they work with the listing agent directly. Within the CAR (California Association of Realtors) lis...
Yup, you read that right. We’re ramping up for our fourth annual charity event at the Pala Mesa Resort May 25 for the Fallbrook Food Pantry. So, here’s the deal. We’re stepping up our game and challenging you to help us raise $100,000 this year. The first person to pony up for a $5,000 sponsorship (a great tax deduction, I might add) will get a free week vacation* on Murphy & Murphy Southern California Realty. Choose your destination through RCI, one of the world’s leading...
Real estate has always been known as a “good investment” – if you’re able to hold on to it for a reasonable amount of time. We’ve historically had moments when that ‘reasonable amount of time’ was only a year, but generally speaking, it’s about five to 10 years to allow for the normal cycle of ups and downs to occur. But with the passage of new laws in 2017, your primary residence can now also be an income producer through the development of an “accessory dwelling unit” (A...
The real estate profession is under attack. Slick ‘Johnny-Come-Latelies’ are jumping on the real estate train to make a quick buck. Real estate professionals know these quick sale artists as “disruptors.” Every day I read about another real estate “disruptor.” These “disruptors” are essentially backed by Wall Street money. Wall Street is pouring billions into upstart tech-driven real estate companies in an attempt to influence how you do your real estate transactions. A... Full story
Earlier this year, I reported that the California Association of Realtors was sponsoring a tax initiative for the November 2018 General Election. As an association, we tasked ourselves with collecting the 800,000 signatures needed to qualify it for the ballot. After the article, many of you came by my office to sign the petition and I continued to collect more signatures at various community events. I am happy to announce that we gathered over 1,000,000 signatures in the... Full story
The terms are “NIMBY” for “not in my backyard” or “YIMBY” for “yes in my backyard.” This issue always stops people in their proverbial tracks. Everyone likes to see themselves as open and inviting, but what’s their line in the sand? Is there a way to keep Fallbrook and Bonsall rural and quaint, while welcoming more like-minded homeowners, filling new jobs and lending to a thriving economy? It seems like I read articles daily about the housing shortage in San Diego County, the... Full story
As we enjoy our crisp springtime weather, a few blessed rainstorms (I know you East-Coast pats are scoffing right now) and now our longer daytime hours, we start looking forward to summer. And those things together get us amped up here at Murphy & Murphy – because that means it's time to ramp up for our fourth annual charity dinner, live auction and golf tournament at the Pala Mesa Resort up in the stunning Cliff Terrace! Hopefully you saw the ad in last week's Village N...
I regularly overhear comments and discussions about how high the prices of homes are here in Fallbrook. As a Realtor who works primarily in Fallbrook and Bonsall, these comments always surprise me a little. Out of the 34 ZIP codes in north San Diego County, our median priced home falls nearly right in the middle of the pack. The median for all of north San Diego County, for the month of February, was $620,000 and Fallbrook's was $615,000. There were 15 ZIP codes that came in... Full story
There is a definite developing divide between good old-fashioned customer service, modern-day technology and how these concepts relate to real estate. Technology is crashing into our lives from every direction. As a committee member for the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee for the California Association of Realtors (CAR), we discuss at length the rapid integration of technology into the business of selling real estate. One very large, well-known real estate firm just... Full story
“Honey, we live in a desirable area. We can sell our house ourselves and save $40,000 in commissions.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard friends, family and clients entertain this idea, I’d be a millionaire several times over. As a matter of fact, I have friends from Orange County who told me they’d thought of doing it too when they moved to Fallbrook just this past summer. Turns out, they hired a real estate agent who sold their house before it even hit the multi...
“Too good to be true.” “Should I read this – or skip it?” “This sounds like another scam.” I can understand why any and all of these questions would enter your mind here. Allow me to clarify. What we’re talking about is maximizing your equity so you get the most money out of what may be your biggest asset – your property. There are two ways to grow your money tree relatively quickly, whether you’re in the market for a new property or looking to sell your home. Buyers and cu... Full story
We've all been deluged with those oversized glossy postcard mailers with matching oversized claims like "Joe Smith: #1 Realtor in California!" or "Susie Jones Realty Sold $99 Million in Real Estate in 2018!" Or what about those ridiculous weight loss ads – "Best-selling Belly Buster in the World!" We know this is "fake news," and so into the round file it all goes, right? Truly smart, successful people don't fall for these gimmicks, nor do they believe everything they see o... Full story
The California Association of Realtors is putting an initiative on the November 2018 ballot that will allow senior homeowners, 55 years and older, to keep their Proposition 13 property tax savings if they decide to move somewhere else in California and no matter how many times they choose to move, no matter the sales price or location. Currently, Proposition 13 only allows this tax transfer one time, the replacement home has to be equal to or less than the value of the house... Full story
