All posts by cheryl

Home For Sale In Canyon Country: 20222 Steinway Street

Canyon Country Listings, Featured Listings, Homes for sale, Homes For Sale In Canyon Country, , ,

Beautiful turnkey home comes with gorgeous views of the Santa Clarita Valley.

Welcome to 20222 Steinway Street in Canyon Country.

This beautifully upgraded 3 bedroom, 2 bath home sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac on over 11000 square feet of land.

The open floorplan provides a great opportunity for family gatherings and entertaining friends, with incredible views of the backyard.

Speaking of upgrades, the remodeled kitchen boasts custom countertops and backsplash, plenty of cabinet space, a large center island, recessed lighting, ceiling fan and newer appliances. read more

Are You Leaving Money On The Table When Buying Your Home?

Buying a Home, , , , ,

What can you do to save some cash on your home purchase?

As a home buyer, you know that your purchase will come with some out-of-pocket costs. Even if you’re taking advantage of a zero down loan, there are

Buying a home: Cash at closing

still associated costs before you can get into your home.

So what can you do to insure you’re not paying more than you have to in order to close escrow? Here are a few suggestions.

First and foremost, do your best to have the best credit score possible.

The better your credit, the better your chances of qualifying for a loan with a lower interest rate, which will save you a lot of money on your monthly mortgage payment, as well as the overall cost of your loan.

Shop for the best loan. read more

Will Interest Rates Rise In 2015?

Buying a Home, Mortgage Interest Rates, Real Estate 2015, Real Estate Market Conditions, Real Estate Strategies, Real Estate Trends, Uncategorized, , ,

Federal Reserve chair recently hinted that rates may rise sometime this year. What might that mean to the Santa Clarita real estate market?

With exception of a minor hiccup in hiring last month due to unseasonably cold weather in other parts of the country, our national economic federalreservecondition has seen much improvement since the dark days of the so-called “Great Recession” that reared its ugly head in 2008.

“But what does this have to do with mortgage interest rates?”, you may ask. 

Interestingly enough, it all ties in together. Banks and mortgage lenders borrow money from the Federal Reserve who sets a “wholesale” base borrowing rate for lending institutions. From there, consumers are charged a “retail” rate that is usually a few points above (Based on credit rating, etc.). read more

Single Family Home Prices Leap Forward In March

Santa Clarita Real Estate, Santa Clarita Real Estate Update, Sellers, , , ,

Median home prices take a 6 percent jump over February.

Recent statistics released by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors showed the median price of single family homes in the Santa Clarita Is it time to refinance your home?Valley rose over 6% to $520,000.

To put this in better perspective, that’s a $30,000 increase in equity over February.

Homeowners in Santa Clarita have enjoyed steady growth in property value for the past 2 years when prices rebounded in 2013 along with a 14 percent overall rise throughout that year. 2014 saw a 12 percent increase in prices, and this year looks to continue in the same vein. read more

Home For Sale In Saugus: 27668 Haskell Canyon Road #B

Buying a Home, Buying a home to rent, Cheryl's Listings, Featured Listings, First Time Home Buyers, Homes for sale, Homes For Sale In Saugus, Invest In Real Estate, Investment Properties, Saugus Community, Short Sale Properties, , , , ,

Incredible opportunity for first time home buyer or investor!

The Lichen-Hooper Real Estate Team proudly presents their latest offering.

This is a condominium located in Saugus CA. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with a separate vanity area and walk-in closet in the master bedroom. It is a short sale, but the property has been well kept. Located in a quiet complex, this condo also features a large patio and easy access to parking, swimming pool and amenities, and is within walking distance of the Bouquet Plaza shopping/dining center, Bouquet Canyon Park, and award winning schools. read more

Golden Valley Bridge Widening To Aid Traffic Flow

Santa Clarita News, ,

Improvements to current two-lane roadway will relieve traffic bottleneck during rush hour.

Golden Valley Bridge
Golden Valley Bridge

It wasn’t so long ago that Golden Valley Road was a very short street that ran between Sierra Hwy and the 14 freeway in the eastern section of Newhall bordering Canyon Country. Originally developed as a causeway to Highway 14 that included Park N Ride lots on both sides of the street, it was a great (and easy) way to access the freeway without too much effort.

Over the years, Golden Valley Road has expanded greatly in both directions; spanning east and west of Sierra Highway, it’s now part of the Cross Valley Connector that can take Santa Clarita Residents from Highway 126 and Interstate 5 across the SCV to Highway 14 and the Fair Oaks Ranch community in Canyon Country. Aside from the expansive housing developments now located on both sides of Sierra Highway, the Golden Valley Shopping Center has become a premium destination for residents on that side of town. read more

Foreclosures Drop To 2006 Levels

Santa Clarita Real Estate, Santa Clarita Real Estate Update, Sellers, Selling Your Home, ,

As the real estate market continues to flourish, we’re seeing an even bigger drop in homes lost to the bank.Short sales are down 82% over March of 2013

As 2015 moves forward, we’re continuing to see signs of a real estate rebound nationally, and especially here in Santa Clarita. Home prices climbed on average 12 percent last year, and we’re seeing continued value stabilization during the first quarter of this year when prices typically drop.

It wasn’t so long ago that many real estate agents (Ourselves included), had at least a noticeable percentage of our business come from distressed home buyers, many of whom were facing foreclosure by their lender. Last month, the SCV saw a total of 12 short sales on the market, with only 8 foreclosures being sold. read more

Where In Santa Clarita Should I Move? Part IV: Acton and Agua Dulce

Acton Community, Agua Dulce, CA Community, Santa Clarita Communities, Santa Clarita History, ,

Two ranch communities at the north end of the SCV come with a rich history.

Wide open spaces, horses, small town lifestyle…That’s what the Santa Clarita Valley ranch communities of Acton and Agua Dulce are all about. These

Vasquez Rocks
Vasquez Rocks

two areas, while not technically within the City of Santa Clarita, are definitely a big part of the SCV lifestyle, where you can commute to the big city of Los Angeles during the day, and retreat to your ranch at night.

In fact, most of the properties in Acton and Agua Dulce are zoned either for agriculture and livestock, with most of these being dedicated horse ranches. The homes that aren’t are typically unique in design with larger than normal lots. read more

Where In Santa Clarita Should I Move? Part III: Castaic and Stevenson Ranch

Santa Clarita Communities, Santa Clarita History, Uncategorized, , , , ,

How a once popular tourist spot became a lakeside bedroom community, and when is a ranch not a ranch?

In this article, we’ll talk about two very distinct Santa Clarita Valley communities that aren’t actually part of the City of Santa Clarita, BUT…They’re

Beale's Cut
Beale’s Cut was the only way to the San Fernando Valley in the 19th century.

still a very big part of the valley and the Santa Clarita experience.

Prior to the invention of the automobile, the Santa Clarita Valley was a fairly remote place to live. To get to the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles, you had to squeeze your wagon through Beale’s Cut, and pay a fare to do so…not an easy trip! read more

Where In Santa Clarita Should I Move? Part II: Saugus and Canyon Country

Canyon Country, Santa Clarita History, Saugus Community, , , , ,

The first tract homes in the SCV, and how Mint Canyon changed its name.

As we mentioned in our last article, while Henry Mayo Newhall may have landed in Santa Clarita, he actually did not name his settlement after himself. Rather, Saugus was the town of his birth…In Massachusetts. Thus, he paid homage to his hometown by naming the first town in the SCV.

Although, after his death, Saugus remained little more than a train station, a restaurant (Saugus Cafe, which has the honor of being the oldest continually operating restaurant in Los Angeles County), and a few sheep farms. From the late 1800’s through World War II, Newhall was the predominant population center of the Santa Clarita Valley. read more