Another Job Posting in Irvine for Financial Analyst Position

If anyone is interested in a financial analyst position at a law firm in Irvine, check out this job requisition HERE.


As mentioned before, while this isn't directly related to real estate, I feel it is important to help out others in my community and to promote "good news" like this in order to boost morale (and perhaps the economy in a very small way) for those who feel "stuck" in their job hunt, career, or even in their personal lives.  This helps everyone!

Good luck!

5 Must-Have Qualities of a Great Real Estate Agent

Real estate agents are not all created equal.  Not all real estate agents may be the right fit for everyone.  Many will be all talk but no results; others can get you results but may not be the easiest to work with.

Whether you're a buyer or seller, a real estate agent is essential these days when completing most real estate transactions.  For homebuyers, the real estate agent commissions are usually paid by the seller upon closing escrow, so it really is worth it for a buyer to use a real estate agent since there really is no up-front, out-of-pocket cost to you.  But do keep in mind that it CAN cost you a lot either later on down the road or in terms of time and energy if you don't have the right agent for you.

As for homeowners ready to sell, whether you're conducting a standard sale or a short sale, I'm sure the question ALWAYS goes through your mind about whether it's really worth it to hire a real estate agent to help you sell your home or not.  I know I had thought about it before when I sold one of my properties prior to becoming a Realtor.  I've been there.  And if you're willing to take on the risk of selling such an expensive piece of property, learning how to utilize all the forms, providing the required disclosures to the buyers, negotiating the contract, marketing your home, dealing with the lender(s) involved (either for a short sale or the buyer's lender, if necessary), screening the buyers appropriately to make sure they are qualified, hiring/contacting all the appropriate parties and vendors involved (escrow company, title company, termite company, disclosure report company, home warranty company, etc.), making sure that YOUR interests are best protected, and so on and so forth, then selling your own home without an agent may be right for you.  Keep in mind though that the buyers may have their own agents already, and both the buyers and their agents may not want to deal with a seller who is trying to "wing it" on his/her own.  Otherwise, hiring a highly-qualified real estate agent to help you sell your home may be worth it in the long run to help protect you against potential lawsuits after the fact, to find you quality buyers, and to ultimately take as much stress out of the process as possible.

So what should you look for in a real estate agent?  Well, I'm sure we can come up with a huge list of qualifications.  But when you boil it down to what's most important, here are 5 must-have qualities that every agent should have:

#1 - Communication, Communication, Communication

I can't begin to tell you how frustrating it is when there's a breakdown in communication between one or more people involved in a real estate transaction.  But first and foremost, the most important line of communication needs to be between you and your agent.  Agents who are up-to-date with technology will be accessible via e-mail, text, online chat, Facebook, Twitter, and other applications and tools, in addition to the traditional phone call.  Even more important is that they should be able to respond to you fairly quickly.  From my own experience in transactions that don't involve real estate, it makes a HUGE difference when I get a timely phone call, e-mail, or text back from the person who's helping me in the transaction, even if it's just to say, "I haven't forgotten about you.  There's no new update today though.  Here's what I'm doing and what we're waiting on..."  Communication is also essential among the agents involved in the real estate transaction as well.  Now, that can't always be controlled since, like I mentioned before, not all real estate agents are created equal, but a great agent will be able to guide you through your options should the other agent involved (or other parties involved) are not responsive.

#2 - Positive Attitude & Friendly Demeanor

Who wants to work with someone who is negative all the time, or who talks to you like you are just a number or a paycheck to him/her?  It can and probably will take a few or several months right now to buy or sell in home in Orange County, so why spend a big chunk of your year working with someone on a very regular basis who does not really give a darn about you?  At the same time, other agents will notice and respect a sharp agent with a positive attitude and friendly demeanor enough to select YOU over another buyer or seller who is instead being represented by a cold, non-communicative, negative agent.  In my experience, some of my buyers were selected over others despite offering LESS money for a property because of how easy it was to work with me and my clients, how quickly I responded to them, and how knowledgeable I was about the market and process.

#3 - Great Listener

A great listener is an extremely important quality within any relationship, whether it's between you and your real estate agent, or you and a loved one.  When it comes to real estate, a great agent will actually listen to you to find out your needs.  Not just how many bedrooms and bathrooms that you want.  Not just how many parking spaces that you want.  But to find out WHY you need 3 bedrooms instead of 2.  And WHY you need a garage plus ample guest parking nearby.  A great agent will ask questions about features that you like and dislike, and then ask you why you do or don't want certain things.  He/she will find out why you want to sell, where you want to eventually move to, and what your financial situation is so that he/she can best help you.  And upon asking these questions, a great agent will then be quiet and LISTEN.  Any agent who really cares to help you MUST listen to you and find out the reasons for your decisions in real estate.  Without knowing this, he/she will not be able to do his/her job sufficiently, efficiently, and effectively for you.

#4 - Ability to Follow Through

A great agent will be able to follow through with your requests, questions, concerns, and the overall transaction.  There really isn't too much more to elaborate on with this quality.  An agent who says they are going to do something for their client should then do it for their client.  If that doesn't happen, he/she should be able to communicate to you why it wasn't done.  That's still considered following through.  It's about addressing your needs, and a great agent should be able to do this for you.  'Nough said.

#5 - Knows the Market, Laws, and Contracts

There are many agents out there who have the best personalities, the greatest follow-through and communication skills, and are just wonderful people overall.  However, a great agent will also be able to help you actually get the transaction closed.  That can only be done with solid knowledge of your market, the real estate laws in your area, and the contracts and paperwork that you will be signing along the way.  I think this quality is quite self-explanatory as well.  You simply do not want to work with someone who doesn't know how to sell real estate.  And you'll know right off the bat whether your agent is truly knowledgeable or just blowing smoke up your you-know-what; he/she will be able to communicate to you how a transaction should work, what can go wrong, what your risk is, what's going on in the current market, and so forth in a way that should make sense to you.  And like everyone else out there, you'll probably go "Google" it afterwards to double-check.  If something doesn't check out, ask your agent to explain.  You'll be able to get a gut feeling about your agent based on his/her answer.

These 5 must-have qualities are based on my own experience, as well as feedback from my existing clients.  I do want to mention that there may be agents out there who possess all these qualities but just don't "click" with you.  That's perfectly fine; it doesn't mean they are not great real estate agents, but they just aren't right for YOU.

I always know I've done a great job with my clients when they continue to stay in touch with me even after closing escrow and are truly interested in certain aspects of my personal life that they may know about.  For instance, it was very apparent and humbling for me when I received such heartfelt messages and calls from my past clients to congratulate me on my new baby not too long ago.  That really, really warmed my heart to know that we had such a great working relationship to the point that it spilled into my personal life.  And the wonderful thing is that I can point out unique interests and life occurrences that I've learned about each of my clients and past clients as well, all by memory.  That's the type of relationship that I've built with my clients, and I have no doubt that it largely had to do with these 5 must-have qualities that I've been able to exemplify.

Job Posting - Accounting/Finance Manager - Tilly's Corporate Headquarters in Irvine

While this particular post is not directly related to real estate, I like to think that passing along job info and connecting people to each other will ultimately help us all in the long run, whether in real estate or otherwise. So, if you or someone you know is interested in this job position with Tilly's (clothing company), headquartered in Irvine, let me know -- this is through my connections to the accounting/finance industry from my CPA days.


Tilly’s Finance/Accounting Team
The Manager of Financial Reporting job responsibilities include but are not limited to the list below:


Position Summary: Reporting to the VP of Finance/Controller, the Manager of Financial Reporting will be responsible for leading Tilly’s SEC and other external reporting as well as be the “go to” expert for technical accounting treatments and updates. This person will work closely with the VP Finance/Controller, the CFO, and the General Accounting Department to ensure the accurate compilation, analysis and reporting of accounting data with the primary focus being on the annual and periodic SEC filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.


I. RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Timely and accurate preparation of annual and periodic SEC filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, including development of timeline, gathering of data, documented backup support in auditable form, and coordination of reviews and approvals.

2. Timely preparation of other SEC filings on Forms 11-K, 8-K, etc. This includes responsibility for drafting the consolidated financial data, MD&A and other “accounting” sections of an S-1 document and documenting support for all numbers in the document with a clear audit trail.

3. Assist with the preparation of quarterly Audit Committee packages, earnings press releases and earnings conference call scripts and supporting data.

4. Ensure SOX 404 compliance for areas of responsibility.

5. Proactively research, communicate and draft technical memorandums on significant new or existing transactions or accounting related issues, providing “white paper” positions for accounting treatments.

6. Responsible for creating and maintaining a library of the Company’s accounting policies.

7. Research and implement new accounting standards as required.

8. Responsible for the selection, implementation, and ongoing updating and management of software designed to track and report stock and stock options


II. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

1. 5+ years work experience in Accounting/Finance

2. Public accounting experience, Big 4 preferred

3. 3+ years experience in financial reporting

4. Skilled in US GAAP and SEC rules and regulations

5. CPA

6. BS degree in business (accounting concentration preferred)

7. MBA desirable, emphasis in Accounting or Finance

8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills

9. Excellent analytical skills

10. Ability to work independently and within a team environment

11. Experienced with Excel, MS Word, Outlook

Columbus Grove Tustin Home Sales Take A Drop

I've been watching the values of homes in Columbus Grove, particularly on the Tustin side, for the past 3 years.  Homes that sold for almost $1.2M upon build-out had sold last year in the $900K's.  Other homes that sold for $1M upon build-out had sold last year in the high $800K's.  Today, homes for sale seem to be listed for even less now.

Our office had listed and sold a few homes in the neighborhood over the past year, and we tried our best to not let the prices plummet too much, disputing low appraisals and really doing our best to help our sellers out.

While there are many more homes for sale in Tustin Field (both I & II) and Columbus Square, Columbus Grove on the Tustin side still has its fair share.  The latest one to hit the market is already in pending sale status after simply one afternoon of showings this past Saturday.  We don't know yet what the final sales price will be, as it is a short sale and requires approval from the seller's lender (which I believe is Bank of America).  Given that Bank of America may be involved, I'm guessing that it won't close escrow for a few months, if not several.

I'm really hoping that this one sells for above the list price of $749,999.  It has to.  I would think that it would appraise for somewhere in the high $800K's at the minimum.  This home has 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, a sizable loft, a gourmet kitchen, all within just under 2,900 square feet of living space.  It also has a 3-car attached garage (tandem on one side) and a driveway that can fit two standard sized cars.  The one thing that may be holding this home back from being worth even more is that these original owners never did their landscaping in the backyard.  The lot size is a whopping 11,499 square feet, and the backyard comprises most of it.  It does back up to Harvard at an angle, but the yard is large enough to buffer much of the noise (and would be even quieter if trees were planted back there).  The noise isn't too bad off Harvard except probably for the morning traffic, which is not as bad as somewhere off, say, Culver or Main.  As for the train, you can hear it every so often, but it's pretty faint, in my opinion.  Then again, I grew up in a neighborhood near some train tracks in the L.A. area, so I may not be as sensitive to such noise as others may be.

Regardless of the price drop, this neighborhood still is a nice one to live in for families.  Everyday you'll see neighbors walking their dogs or taking their kids to the neighborhood parks.  Once it gets warmer and more kids are out of school, the community pool will be a gathering place for the neighborhood kids and families to convene.  The Grove House (clubhouse) is relatively inexpensive to rent and is perfect for birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and other events (one of the neighbors even had a funeral reception there last summer).

To me, Columbus Grove on the Tustin side is more than just a newer community.  It's a real neighborhood where neighbors are settling in and planning to raise their families there for years to come.

With that said, I sure hope that those who have to sell their homes in the meantime can work it out with their agents to sell at a price that will sustain the neighborhood, not one that would undermine it.  Whether it's a short sale or foreclosure, there still are potential income tax consequences for the homeowner which makes it in his/her best interest to sell for as much as possible, as fast as possible.

Anyhow, that's my two cents on a good neighborhood that I really hope will not lose much more value.

Open House Schedule in Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin & Orange

Here are 32 scheduled open houses going on between now and Sunday in the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and Orange:

Summary Open House Schedule
Listing Detail For Each Open House Property

Here are 7 things to remember when you attend an open house:

1)  Be courteous about where you park.  Don't park in front of someone else's driveway or park illegally.
2)  Take a flyer at each home you go to and/or take notes on each home so that you can remember the key features, as well as any issues.
3)  Note that the agent who is putting on the open house may not be the listing agent for the property.  Therefore he/she may not have any info on the property aside from the basics (list price, # bedrooms, # bathrooms, etc.).
4)  Be prepared whenever you go house hunting that the homeowner may require that you remove your shoes or wear booties over your shoes.  If you choose to remove your shoes, try to wear shoes that are easy to put on and take off.
5)  Make sure that you leave the house the way that you found it: if the back door was closed when you arrived, make sure that it is closed (if you opened it) once you leave.
6)  Take special notice of the condition of the home's structure itself, not just the cosmetic features.  Sometimes the open house is the only time that homeowners will allow you to see the property, so make the most of your visit if you truly like what you see.
7)  If you already are working with an agent, let your agent know that you plan to attend.  Perhaps they can go with you and/or provide you with some background info before you attend the open house.

Good luck and happy house hunting!

The Top 5 Most Memorable Homes In Orange County

Within the past 12 months, I've shown TONS of homes to my different clients. Fortunately, just about all of my buyers have found and purchased homes successfully in the meantime. As such, we've seen some beautiful homes, as well as several "interesting" ones.

Here's a recollection of the top 5 most memorable homes that stand out in my mind, just within the last 12 months. Hopefully any future sellers out there can take these stories to heart and learn from them when it comes to their own homes.

#5 - The House of Stone
The one thing I love about parts of Tustin is that many of the homes are very unique and spacious. This was certainly the case with one single family house I showed just this past winter. Now, we all know winters in Southern California are hardly "cold" compared to East Coast standards, but it was a pretty chilly day when I went to a very unique home in Tustin with my clients. The architecture was beautiful -- very nice, modern lines and great use of space. But it seemed as if the walls were made of stone, and there were windows everywhere. Perhaps in the summer this would've been a great place to cool off, but in the winter it was FREEZING inside. The sad part was that there was an open house going on at that time, and the poor agent holding the open house was shivering! Needless to say, this beautiful home was cozy enough for my clients, so they decided to pass.

Moral of the story: If your home has very unique qualities, be aware that it may take a while to find the right buyer, even if the home is beautiful inside and out.

#4 - Pee-Wee's Playhouse
When I think of Aliso Viejo condos, I usually envision the 1990's construction in a master-planned community in most cases. So when I showed a home to one of my clients in Aliso Viejo, the exterior looked very typical and much like all the other units in the neighborhood. Then we went inside. Some walls were painted bright blue; others were canary yellow or ruby red. The entertainment center where the TV would've been (the home was mostly vacant) looked like a big toy chest. Any decorative item in the home seemed to be in primary colors. Luckily my clients were able to laugh this one off, but they definitely noted that it needed a big paint job, plus the hardwood floors were very worn down and needed replacing or resurfacing. They ended up getting another home in Irvine, but the memory of this one always gives us a good chuckle.

Moral of the story: Try to keep your home's color scheme neutral, or else it can distract and perhaps turn off buyers.

#3 - The Black Smoke
No, I'm not talking about the TV show "Lost" here. One small condo I showed in Tustin seemed promising from the photos on the MLS. So when I took my client there a few months ago to check it out, I found out why the offers weren't rolling in. Once I stepped into the home, not only was every curtain closed, but the occupants smoked indoors, which permeated throughout the home. What made matters worse was that I was pregnant at the time, so I was especially supposed to avoid second-hand smoke. However, I couldn't leave my client unattended in the home. Good thing I can hold my breath pretty well; I ended up speeding through the home with my client without inhaling once. (FYI - the baby seems just fine now!)

Moral of the story: Invest in some Febreze and open your windows to let in some air and natural light. At least one window, please!

#2 - The Tiger Lady and Her Perfume
Last year I showed a townhome in Tustin Ranch. It was listed under $400,000 and was a short sale that just barely hit the market. It was a nice end unit with a 2-car attached garage in a very clean community. However, once we knocked on the door, we were greeted by the "Tiger Lady." The person living there was wearing a satin, tiger-printed robe that did not sufficiently cover her entire body. Although I was showing the home to my heterosexual male client, he was NOT impressed at all. The home also REEKED of heavy perfume...but it was covering a very heavy stench of cigarette smoke. We were literally in there for less than 5 minutes. Upon leaving the property, the stench was literally STUCK in my hair and my clothing. By the time I got home three hours later, I could still smell it in my hair. I took a long shower immediately and considered burning my clothes.

Moral of the story: Sellers, please wear appropriate clothing (i.e. no satin, tiger-printed robes!) and make sure the interior scent is pleasant and not too strong.

#1 - The Naked Guy in the Leaky Home
In my pursuit to provide the best customer service possible, I didn't flinch a bit when one of my clients decided to see more homes on her day off, which happened to be a super rainy day last January. Not only was I driving through deep puddles in Garden Grove, but we came across a condo there that was very...interesting. Not only was it hard to find through the maze of units within the complex, but it was raining cats and dogs. Once we found the property, we knocked on the door, right on time for our showing appointment. A young gentleman answered and let us in without hesitation. The first thing my client and I noticed was a bucket and towel in the middle of the floor...which was capturing the water dripping from the ceiling. There was a roof leak, and we were witnessing it right then and there. But given that the HOA would likely take care of such repairs, my client decided to continue looking inside (since there were some nice upgrades in the kitchen supposedly). As we turned the corner into the hallway where the bedrooms were located, we then caught a view of another gentleman...in his underwear. The moment our eyes locked, he casually reached out and closed his bedroom door. But it was too late -- my client and I both saw him, and it just made us feel SO uncomfortable thereafter. We went through the rest of the home really quickly, then thankfully went back out into the rain.

Moral of the story: Sellers, try to leave the home when agents are showing it to their buyers. If that's not possible, then put some clothes on at least.

I'm sure there are plenty of other fun stories to tell, but these are the top 5 that stand out the most in my mind at the moment.  For the future buyers reading this, enjoy the process and good luck finding the right home for you.  For the future sellers reading this, I hope this gives you a slightly better idea of what to avoid and/or expect when you decide to sell your home.

For more info on buying or selling, please visit my website or contact me anytime.  Enjoy!

One of the Best Kept Secrets in Orange County

Location, location, location.  That's the mantra that everyone knows when it comes to real estate.  If you're looking for THE location when it comes to size, features, accessibility, and affordability, there's a relatively small community in the South Coast Metro area that may fit your fancy.

It's called the Vantage Town Home community.  It consists of just under 100 homes within this guard-gated neighborhood.  Built in the early 2000's, it has that "newer" look, feel, and construction.  There are 5 different floorplans, all are tri-level homes, and they all have attached garages -- some even with 2-car driveways.  The great thing about this community is that it is located close to the key metro areas of Orange County.  There is easy access to the 55 freeway.  You can drive down Main, turn right onto Sunflower, left on Anton, and then enter the 405 North from this less congested entrance.  Hang a left onto MacArthur and drive just a few miles to John Wayne Airport.  Head down MacArthur in the other direction, turn left on Bristol, then you have access to shopping and restaurants galore at South Coast Plaza and surrounding centers.  Jump on the 55 South during the summertime and you can make your way to the OC Fairgrounds, or to the beaches of Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar.  Just off the 55 South is the 73 South, which you can take (without paying a toll) to the MacArthur exit and then straight toward Fashion Island (and Sprinkles Cupcakes!).

The homes themselves range from about 1,300-1,500 square feet for a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom unit; about 1,700 square feet for a 3 bedroom unit.  Currently prices in this community are below $400,000 -- which is a STEAL compared to nearby Irvine, Costa Mesa, etc.  The actual city location is Santa Ana, yet it boasts the more modern metropolitan look and feel that works well for those who don't need to live within the boundaries of the Irvine Unified School District, or those who are not partial to the planned communities of Irvine and other nearby cities.

Currently we have a listing in the Vantage Town Home community -- a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, ~1,400 square foot townhome in a quiet interior location of the community (NOT along busy Main Street) PLUS a 2-car driveway in addition to the attached 2-car garage.  Check it out as one of my featured listings at my website at www.alicia-realestate.com.  It's a standard sale (NO lender approvals needed, less hassle), and the list price is currently $349,000.  For this same price, you can get a small 1,000 square foot condo without a garage and with someone living above or below you in Irvine.  Take your pick.

Here are a few photos of the community.

Feel free to contact me for more info about this "hidden gem" and other great buys in the South Coast Metro area and other parts of Orange County.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog site!  Please stay tuned for new content soon.  Feel free to read my previous blog posts in the meantime at www.ocrealestatelocalstyle.wordpress.com.  Thanks!