Chris Zastrow-Living in Glendale, California
Glendale, CA Real Estate
Who are the people in your neighborhood?
When I purchased my home I didn't give much thought as to who my neighbors were going to be because I grew up here in Glendale. As it turned out I moved right next door to one of my high school teachers. Across the street was a family that I went to school with and next door to them, a Glendale Police officer, what more could I ask for!
Until recently, I have never had a client that knocked on doors so they can meet the neighbors before they make the final decision to write an offer on a home. At first I was a bit taken back by it but then I put myself in their shoes and realized that I wouldn't want to purchase a home unless I knew a little about the neighborhood. In fact I am currently in escrow myself on a purchase of a small condo in Glendale. The decision to purchase the unit was based on the fact that I have a couple of clients that live in the building, I know how well it is managed and maintained and of course I also know the neighborhood very well.
Needless to say it is important to know the people in your neighborhood!
Until recently, I have never had a client that knocked on doors so they can meet the neighbors before they make the final decision to write an offer on a home. At first I was a bit taken back by it but then I put myself in their shoes and realized that I wouldn't want to purchase a home unless I knew a little about the neighborhood. In fact I am currently in escrow myself on a purchase of a small condo in Glendale. The decision to purchase the unit was based on the fact that I have a couple of clients that live in the building, I know how well it is managed and maintained and of course I also know the neighborhood very well.
Needless to say it is important to know the people in your neighborhood!
What? You want your cake and you want to eat it too?
It seems like people are finally listening to all of the publicity about historically low interest rates. The problem is that some people failed to listen to all of the publicity about the importance of having good credit.
I have a strict policy about not taking a buyer out until they have been pre-approved with a lender. Recently I have had several people contact me saying they want to purchase a property and take advantage of the low rates all to find out from their lender that they don't qualify because of their bad credit. What! You mean just because I filed for bankruptcy? YES! That is exactly what I mean!
If you are thinking of taking advantage of the low rates, do yourself a favor and get pre-approved. If you find out that you don't qualify, don't be discouraged! Find out what you need to do in order to clean up your credit. It could be something simple and then again, it could be something major. What ever it is, you need to take the first step so that you can have your cake and eat it too!
I have a strict policy about not taking a buyer out until they have been pre-approved with a lender. Recently I have had several people contact me saying they want to purchase a property and take advantage of the low rates all to find out from their lender that they don't qualify because of their bad credit. What! You mean just because I filed for bankruptcy? YES! That is exactly what I mean!
If you are thinking of taking advantage of the low rates, do yourself a favor and get pre-approved. If you find out that you don't qualify, don't be discouraged! Find out what you need to do in order to clean up your credit. It could be something simple and then again, it could be something major. What ever it is, you need to take the first step so that you can have your cake and eat it too!
Focus
One of the many duties I have as your REALTOR is to keep you focused on your goals. Often times my client's drift away like a kid day dreaming in class. They ask me silly questions like, how much did the seller pay for the home or why are they moving or how long has it been on the market. None of those questions have anything to do with whether or not it is the right home for you. When sellers list their home do you think they say, oh we only paid $50,000 for it in 1965 so we are only going to ask $100,000 for it today, 2012? Come on people!
Purchasing a home is a BIG deal and nobody understands that better than I do! In order to reach your goals you need to focus on the issues at hand, is the home in the right location, is it in your price range, is it what you need in a home. Allow your trusted adviser to guide you through the process, that's what I am here for!
Purchasing a home is a BIG deal and nobody understands that better than I do! In order to reach your goals you need to focus on the issues at hand, is the home in the right location, is it in your price range, is it what you need in a home. Allow your trusted adviser to guide you through the process, that's what I am here for!
The Professional Difference
I am always amazed at the number of agents that don't use a professional photographer. Take for example this beautiful home in NW Glendale. It is listed for $1,359,000 and it's one of the nicest homes in our neighborhood but you would never know just how truly nice it is by these photos, would you? As I have said many times before, you only have one chance at a good first impression! The first showing of your home is more than likely going to be via the internet. It is crucial that the photos of your home make enough of an impression to draw a buyer to take a look. Don't get me wrong, some agents do a pretty good job of taking photos on their own, unfortunately that is not the case with this property.
What exactly are we looking at here?
What exactly are we looking at here?
When we grow up we want to be real estate agents!
When I say I am a Glendale native, I mean I am a Glendale native! Take a look at this photo taken at Incarnation Church in Glendale. Next to me is my friend Maureen who lived up the street from me on Virginia Avenue. How crazy is it that we both became REALTORS!! Good thing she lives in Texas now or she would be my competition!
If you are thinking of selling your Glendale home give me a call. I know a little about Glendale
If you are thinking of selling your Glendale home give me a call. I know a little about Glendale
Trusting the professional you hire
Say hello to my trainer Kirk. He has been my trainer for several years now. I work out with him 3 days a week. There are days when the last thing I want to do is see his face in the morning and I am sure there are days when he would rather not have to see mine either. The important thing is that I trust him to train me because I know he knows his stuff. I also know he will push me as hard and he knows I can go, whether I like it or not and that is exactly what I pay him to do! He has always given me good advice on fitness and nutrition and by taking his advice I get results. He is my trusted fitness professional.
When you hire a professional it is important that you trust them to do what you hired them to do. My clients trust me with their largest asset and it's a responsibility I take seriously. My career was built on trust and integrity which is why the majority of my business is referral based. I look forward to the opportunity to help you with your real estate needs in 2012.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Glendale!
It was pretty quiet here in Glendale last night. According to a reliable source, GPD made only 6 DUI arrests which was pretty low. I stayed close to home and spent new years eve with family and friends.
With the holidays behind us and a new year ahead, I am looking forward to a very productive 2012.
Happy New Year!
With the holidays behind us and a new year ahead, I am looking forward to a very productive 2012.
Happy New Year!
My wish list
It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone! It's been a crazy month for this Glendale REALTOR. I actually wrote an offer on Christmas Eve if you can even imagine that. Although I got just about everything on my Christmas wish list, there are a couple of things I didn't get. I am still looking for a fixer in Highland Park or Eagle Rock under $400,000 and a nice condo/townhouse preferably with a private garage in Glendale or Pasadena up to $550,000. Let me know if you can help me out.
Online Christmas Shopping
If you are like me, you do a lot of your Christmas shopping online but would you order your fresh Christmas tree online? Believe it or not more and more people are ordering their Christmas tree via the internet. Those who have say that they are greener and much more fragrant than the ones you would purchase locally.
When I was a kid we always had an artificial tree. We complained about it at the time but looking back I think we actually had a pretty cool tree! What do you think?
When I was a kid we always had an artificial tree. We complained about it at the time but looking back I think we actually had a pretty cool tree! What do you think?
Hoarder Craziness
We used to call them clutter bugs when I first started in this business. Today we refer to them as hoarders. A hoarder is a person who acquires possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value and fail to discard of them. Consequently clutter accumulates beyond control.
This growing problem has become quite a challenge for REALTORS. I have dealt with this situation on numerous occasions. Recently I sold a hoarder home in Glendale on Chevy Chase. This time I represented the buyer and I had many concerns because the home could not be thoroughly inspected. I was also concerned about whether or not the owner and all of his stuff would be out of the at close of escrow.
I voiced my concerns to my client and recommended that we structure our offer so that the seller had 10 days after close of escrow to get all of his belongings out. We also held $10,000 of the seller’s proceeds in escrow so that in the event he did not remove all of his “clutter” he would release the proceeds to my client and she would then take on the responsibility of hauling everything out. Fortunately things worked out for all parties concerned.
Having dealt with many hoarders, I have learned is that they need to be handled in a very delicate manner. Hoarders typically have serious emotional problems and can become very angry when forced to get rid of their possessions. Need help with a hoarder? Call me!
Chris Zastrow-REALTOR
(818) 238-0188
Interested in Glendale Real Estate?
Who better to guide you through our community than a Glendale native and current resident?
I hope that you will find this blog helpful in getting to know me and the community I know so well.
Please contact me if you want to take a look at Glendale homes or are thinking of selling your Glendale home.
