San Fernando Valley Real Estate Podcast with Scott Himelstein
82 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Park Regency Real Estate - your professional San Fernando Valley Real Estate Agents.
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Episodes
July 2022 Los Angeles Real Estate Market Update
July 28, 2022 16:10 VideoWhat's taking place in the LA Real Estate Market for July 2022? Scott Himelstein discusses the changes in the LA Real Estate Market we have seen the last few months and if the latest numbers indicate a housing crash! What’s going on with the Los Angeles real estate market for July, 2022? Stay tuned. Hey, Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein group. Welcome back to our vlog. So today, excited to talk to you about the real estate market update for July, 2022. Well, if you’ve been watchin...
LA Housing Market Update! Is a Crash Coming?
July 28, 2022 16:10 VideoWhat's taking place in the LA Real Estate Market for July 2022? Scott Himelstein discusses the changes in the LA Real Estate Market we have seen the last few months and if the latest numbers indicate a housing crash! What’s going on with the Los Angeles real estate market for July, 2022? Stay tuned. Hey, Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein group. Welcome back to our vlog. So today, excited to talk to you about the real estate market update for July, 2022. Well, if you’ve been watchin...
Real Estate Market Shift Changes
July 14, 2022 17:28 VideoEveryone wants to know how the start of the housing market shift will affect current home values. What changes have we seen in the last 30 days? Scott Himelstein discusses the latest in the SFV real estate market. Watch this video to learn more! What type of changes are we seeing during this real estate market shift? Stay tuned. Hey, it’s Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein Group. Welcome back to our vlog. So today, I’m talking to you about what type of changes that we’re seeing durin...
Best Fireworks in Los Angeles
June 29, 2022 15:14 VideoWhere can you find the best fireworks in Los Angeles? This is Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein Group. All right, so where can you find some of the best fireworks to watch on the 4th of July this year, here in 2022? Well, it’s hard to believe, only two years ago during the pandemic, we didn’t have fireworks at all anywhere in Los Angeles County for the 4th of July. So, where I’m standing right now here at the Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, they’re going to have a fir...
Should You Buy a House Right Now in 2022?
June 09, 2022 16:43 VideoShould you Buy Now or Wait? Inflation is out of control, interest rates are rising along with a decline in buyer demand. Should you buy now or wait for a housing crash? Hey Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein Group. Welcome back to our vlog. So the number one question I’m getting asked by buyers right now is, “Should I buy right now or should I wait and wait for the market to come down and the housing prices to drop?” So we’ve kind of addressed that already in some of our past videos ...
Los Angeles Real Estate Market Update for May 2022.
May 26, 2022 18:09 VideoRate increases and adjustable rate mortgages? Housing market bubble? What is going on in the Los Angeles Real Estate market in May of 2022? Los Angeles Realtor Scott Himelstein goes over the real estate market numbers and stats for May 2022. He does a deep dive into the number of New Listings, Days Pending, Inventory, and Days on the Market. He then wraps up by talking about the current interest rates and how you can take advantage of less competition in the market. Let us dive in to the...
Are We in a Housing Market Bubble?
May 19, 2022 17:39 VideoScott answers the question that is getting asked a lot lately and that is, "are we in or are we heading towards a housing market bubble and crash?" In the last two years, home prices nationwide have gone up 34.4%. Just in the last 12 months, it went up 19.8% nationwide. That is unprecedented and we have never seen anything like it historically in the US real estate market. So what are the factors driving these numbers? As we have talked about a lot of times on this vlog, the biggest reaso...
15th Annual Porter Ranch Garage Sale
May 19, 2022 14:45 VideoCheck out what happened during the Porter Ranch Garage Sale Extravaganza held last April 30. Last month was our 15th annual Porter Ranch Garage Sale Extravaganza in which 38 families participated in our neighborhood yard sale. This is one of our favorite community events as it allows so many neighbors to get out, interact, and meet with other neighbors. Plus, you never know what treasures you might find. We took care of all of the advertising including the LA Daily News, several portals o...
Have Bidding Wars Come to an End in Los Angeles?
May 12, 2022 20:01 VideoWhy are we getting less bids on properties nowadays? What factors are affecting this change in the real estate market? Have bidding wars in Los Angeles come to an end officially? To answer that, we need to answer another question: Why was January, February, and March of 2022 crazier than the previous two years combined? The answer to that question was that buyers were trying to get in before the impending interest rate hikes that we are now seeing. At the beginning of the year, the inter...
Is the LA Real Estate Market Shifting?
April 28, 2022 19:02 VideoHow are the increase in interest rates affecting the LA real estate market? At the beginning of this year, we were looking at an interest rates at around 3.25%. But now, after just four (4) months, we are looking at interest rates of 6.0% or higher (woah!). Prices in that same amount of time have increased more than 10%. What does the interest rate increase mean to both buyers and sellers? First, there will be less competition. Currently, there is already 50% to 60% less traffic at open ho...
Why Do You Need to Get Reapproved?
April 08, 2022 15:26 VideoIf you're a buyer and you haven't spoken to your lender in a while, you need to make sure that you get reapproved. In today’s current market, with the interest rates on the rise, it is really critical that you discuss with your lender where you currently stand. Due to the fact that the fluctuation in prices in the stock and bond market, you’re seeing rates increase. Now, when the rates increase, obviously, that affects the buyer’s affordability. As an example, let us take a house with a $...
You're Invited: 3rd Annual Doggy Photo Day
March 24, 2022 20:44 VideoIt’s almost time for our third annual Doggy Photo Day, and you’re invited to join us. Our third annual Doggy Photo Day is coming up on April 2nd at Porter Ranch in Viking Park, and you are cordially invited. From 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., we’ll have a professional photographer on hand to take photos of you and your family pet. We’ll even provide costumes so every pet looks sharp. “The proceeds of every sale will be donated to an animal rescue organization.” If you plan on attending, you c...
3 Questions to Ask Your Lender in this Highly Competitive Sellers Market
March 10, 2022 19:49 VideoYou need to ask your lender these 3 questions if you are looking to buy a property in this highly competitive market. So you are in the market now to buy a home and have already chosen your lender. We recommend for you to ask these three (3) questions to your lender so that you can ensure your offer will be competitive and be accepted. 1. The first question: How long does it take for your lender to be able to close escrow? Although the typical escrow is 30 days, you should aim to do bett...
Los Angeles Real Estate Market Update February 2022
February 24, 2022 18:05 VideoWhat's happening in the LA real estate market for February 2022? We're going to answer that question today. What’s happening in the LA real estate market in February 2022? We are going to answer that question today. We’re going to talk a little bit about what’s going on in the real estate market, which is changing a lot. It’s crazy, crazy, crazy right now. If we look at and compare the number of houses that sold back in January of 2021 and compare it to January of 2022, there is a decre...
Tips on How to Make Your Offer Standout
February 10, 2022 18:38 VideoIn this competitive seller's market, how do you make your offer standout? In this highly competitive seller’s market with extremely low inventory, it’s critical as a buyer that your agent takes extra steps to ensure your offer stands out from the rest. I’m going to tell you 5 simple steps to help differentiate your offer from the competition. Number one, always talk to the listing agent before the showing. This is an opportunity for you to find out about the agent you may be working with...
How to Make Your Offer Stand Out
February 10, 2022 18:38 VideoIn this competitive seller's market, how do you make your offer standout? In this highly competitive seller’s market with extremely low inventory, it’s critical as a buyer that your agent takes extra steps to ensure your offer stands out from the rest. I’m going to tell you 5 simple steps to help differentiate your offer from the competition. Number one, always talk to the listing agent before the showing. This is an opportunity for you to find out about the agent you may be working with...
How are the Rising Interest Rates Affecting the Real Estate Market?
January 27, 2022 18:45 VideoInterest rates are on the rise coming from an all-time low last 2021. How does this affect the real estate market? Interest rate is one of the key indicators on determining how the real estate market is faring. In 2022, it has increased significantly from an all-time low last year. Scott Himelstein discusses in detail how does this affect the real estate market. The first thing that we need to do is to compare the numbers. Last year, rates were at an all-time low of about 2.5%. Currently,...
2022 Los Angeles Real Estate Market Predictions
January 13, 2022 21:35 VideoWhat can we expect from the 2022 Los Angeles real estate market? Scott Himelstein gives his predictions. Happy New Year! Here we are in 2022 and Scott gives his top 3 predictions on what to expect for the Los Angeles real estate market. First, inventory will still be scarce. In the Porter Ranch area, there are currently only 15 homes for sale of nearly 14,000 single family units in the entire 91326 zip code. In Granada Hills there is also a total of just 15 homes for sale in the whole 913...
Real Estate Video Bloopers 2021
December 17, 2021 22:03 VideoHere are some of our bloopers from our videos in 2021. For the whole year, Scott Himelstein has been giving relevant, useful and SERIOUS real estate market updates for his clients in Los Angeles. These tips have helped our clients navigate the intricate world of buying, selling, and investing in real estate. When it really comes to real estate, we want to make sure our clients have all of the information so they can make the best decision possible. “At the Scott Himelstein Group we hav...
December 2021 Real Estate Market Update Los Angeles
December 02, 2021 22:07 VideoWhat's happening with the Los Angeles real estate market for December 2021? In all of our past market updates, the most important thing to look at in assessing the real estate market is to look at all of the leading indicators. For that, we need to ignore and throw out what the media is saying about the market because a lot of times they use outdated stats and numbers that are nationwide and not specific to our market of Los Angeles. This is significant because the market is different in S...
Does Adding a Pool Add Value to a Home?
November 04, 2021 18:37 VideoShould You Add a Pool to Increase Your Home Value? Does adding a pool to your home in Los Angeles actually increase the value? Hey there, it’s Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein Group and Park Regency Realty here in Los Angeles. And in today’s video, I want to talk a little bit more about the value of a pool. Now let’s just get this out of the way first. 99% of the time, you are never going to get the value out of a pool as to what you put into it. If you put a $200,000 pool in,...
Should You Rent or Buy a Home in 2021?
October 20, 2021 14:51 VideoIs it cheaper to rent or to buy? If you’re looking at the price for a rental these day and looking at the payment for a comparable home, it probably seems like it’s a little bit cheaper to rent right now than to buy, but in the long-term, it is way more expensive to rent than it is to buy. Scott Himelstein, with the Scott Himelstein Group, and today I’m going to talk to you today about renting versus buying. A lot of people think that buying a home is risky, but what they don’t think abou...
Should We be Expecting a Foreclosure Wave This Fall?
October 06, 2021 21:43 VideoScott Himelstein talks about forbearance and how it could affect the real estate market. At a conference last month of mortgage service companies that work with real estate agents on bank-owned properties, they announced that over 80% of homeowners that went into forbearance after the pandemic started are now current on their mortgage. What is a forbearance? It is when a mortgage service company, lender or bank allows homeowners to pause making payments and move those missed payments at t...
What are the Leading Indicators When it Comes to Assessing the Real Estate Market?
September 21, 2021 20:58 VideoLos Angeles Realtor, Scott Himelstein walks you through the leading indicators to look at to assess how the Los Angeles Housing Market is doing. Hi there, it’s Scott Himelstein with the Scott Himelstein Group. As a realtor I often get asked the questions on a daily basis, what is the market like? Or how is the market? Today, I’m going to detail how the these leading indicators can help you assess the market whether you are looking to buy or sell a home. The first indicator is inventory. ...
Are Homes Taking Longer to Sell in Los Angeles?
September 08, 2021 15:25 VideoAre homes sitting on the market longer in the San Fernando Valley? “The gap between the number of properties in escrow versus the number of properties coming into the market has decreased.” Scott Himelstein, again, gives us a timely update on what is happening on the real estate market in Los Angeles. Today, he will answer the question: Are homes taking longer to sell in Los Angeles? Well, here’s what the data’s telling us right now. Like we’ve seen for many, many months in a row, the n...
August 2021 Market Update Los Angeles Real Estate: What's changing?
August 26, 2021 19:44 VideoWhat's going on in the Los Angeles real estate market here in August of 2021? What’s going on with our Los Angeles real estate market here in August of 2021? Hey there, it’s Scott with the Scott Himelstein Group and today we’re talking about the changes that are taking place in the real estate market and how it can affect you. This video contains information that’s really valuable today so if you’re actually looking to buy or sell, you can make the best decision for you when you actually g...
Why’s the Market Slowing Down?
July 30, 2021 08:00 VideoHere’s why our market is slowing down a bit but still very active. In 2021, the majority of us have been dealing with a frenzied seller’s market. This is the strongest seller’s market in U.S. history! Back in April, there were only 18 properties for sale in the 91326 ZIP code—that’s 18 properties out of 13,000 single-family units. That’s how low inventory was. Fast forward to July, and the average median price for a single-family home in the San Fernando Valley is $955,000. It’s been over...
Where Can You Get the Best View of Holiday Fireworks?
June 29, 2021 07:00 VideoWe’d love to see you at Shepherd Church for their amazing fireworks show. Last year, we didn’t have any firework shows due to COVID-19. Over the last month, a lot of the traditional firework shows around L.A. have been scheduled at places like the Hollywood Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and Disneyland. Our pick for the best spot to check out 4th of July fireworks in the SFV this year is Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch. For all the details about the event, check out this link. To hear my full messag...
My Market Predictions for the Rest of 2021
June 18, 2021 08:00 VideoHere’s what I believe will happen to our market in the near future. A lot of people are wondering about what might happen with the real estate market throughout 2021, so today I’ll be sharing my predictions. Real estate, like any other market, revolves around supply and demand. In order to predict what we may see in the coming months, it’s important to look at what affects these two factors. Demand is typically influenced by the economy, which has been doing great lately, and our incredib...
Sellers: Don’t Buy Into These 3 Misconceptions
June 02, 2021 16:16 VideoThese three misconceptions can prevent you from selling for top dollar. At this point, I’m sure you’ve heard on the news that we’re in a hyper seller’s market. If you follow my blog, you’ve probably also heard me describe right now as being one of the best markets ever to sell a home. That said, there are three common misconceptions sellers have about this market that you need to know: 1. You need to plan for your next home before selling your current one. Planning where to go next is one...
Why Buy Now?
May 19, 2021 16:52 VideoIf you're able to buy now, you’re better off doing that instead of waiting. Should you buy now or wait until the market cools off? If you’re thinking of buying in 2021 (or have already made a purchase), you’re aware of how insanely hot the market is right now. We’re seeing homes fetch multiple offers and sell in a matter of days. It’s difficult just to even show a house, let alone get an offer accepted. It’s normal to think about taking a step back and wait until the end of summer or the ...
Don’t Leave Money on the Table
May 05, 2021 17:58 VideoHere’s why selling your home in just one day isn’t beneficial to sellers. If a home sold in one day, the seller likely left money on the table. I see other real estate agents on social media boasting that they’ve sold a house in one or two days. Today I want to explain why that’s so detrimental to sellers. First, you should know that our local board says that for-sale homes are currently averaging 34 showing requests. Here in 2021, our team is averaging 60 showing requests per listing, a...
Are We Heading for a Housing Bubble?
April 21, 2021 15:28 VideoHere are five main factors that indicate why we aren’t in a housing bubble. The main question I get asked many times daily is: Are we in a housing bubble? I can’t predict the future (and if I could, I’d be in a different line of work), but there are plenty of factors that indicate the real estate market isn’t going to crash. Here are the five main factors in our market that reveal a crash isn’t imminent: 1. Inventory. Inventory is very tight; this is the best seller’s market in U.S. hist...
What Our Highly Competitive Market Means for Buyers
April 07, 2021 15:06 VideoHere’s what it means to be a buyer in today’s market. As you most likely know, right now we have one of the most competitive real estate markets in U.S. history—definitely the lowest inventory we’ve ever seen. If you’re a buyer, what does this mean for you? It means you have to be a lot more competitive and aggressive. We’re seeing a lot of buyers remove all of their contingencies (loan, inspection, appraisal, etc.) just to make sure their offers are competitive, in addition to where they...
Your Latest San Fernando Valley Market Update
March 25, 2021 14:35 VideoHere’s the latest update from our San Fernando Valley real estate market. Here’s the latest update from our San Fernando Valley real estate market. What’s happening in our real estate market here in March? Back at the beginning of 2021, we had the fewest homes for sale in history. That trend of extremely low inventory has continued in today’s market. The number to pay attention to is pending sales because ‘solds’ are houses that sold 30 to 45 days ago. Pending deals are more recent and ha...
Are Rates on the Rise?
March 10, 2021 20:45 VideoHere’s what a rising rate environment means for SFV buyers and sellers. Back in early February, interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate conforming loan were hovering around 2.5%. As of the last few days or so (prior to the recording of this video), the average rate on that same loan was closer to 3.2%—up from 3% at the beginning of March. Believe it or not, you have to go way back to July 2020 to see interest rates this high. It’s clear 2021 won’t be a second consecutive year of watching r...
Inventory Shortage Is Worse Than We Thought
February 24, 2021 19:24 VideoHere are the latest numbers to put our inventory shortage into perspective. At the end of 2020, it was announced that we had the lowest number of homes available for sale ever recorded in the national market. The same story played out here in our San Fernando Valley market. To have a balanced market where appreciation can progress naturally, you need to be working with about six months of inventory. At year’s end, we were hovering between a one- and 1.5-month supply of inventory, which is ...
Houston, We have a problem in Los Angeles County!
February 24, 2021 19:24 VideoWe are facing a massive inventory crisis in our San Fernando Valley market! At the end of 2020, it was announced that we had the lowest number of homes available for sale ever recorded in the national market. The same story played out here in our San Fernando Valley market. To have a balanced market where appreciation can progress naturally, you need to be working with about six months of inventory. At year’s end, we were hovering between a one- and 1.5-month supply of inventory, which is ...
What 5 Things Should All First-Time Homebuyers Know?
January 27, 2021 15:52 VideoHere are five great tips for first-time homebuyers in 2021. If you want to buy your first home in 2021, here are the top five things that you can do right now to prepare and make sure you’re ready: 1. Check your credit score. Take steps to improve it if necessary. Your credit score and history play a huge role in your interest rate and whether or not you get approved for a mortgage loan. It’s best to start monitoring your credit report by getting free copies and work on your score by payi...
If Unemployment Is High, Who’s Buying All These Homes?
January 13, 2021 16:44 VideoHere’s how home values have been appreciating despite high unemployment. How is it that prices continue to shoot up while unemployment hovers around 7%? The Case-Shiller Index, which tracks homes, announced that September 2020 had the highest level of appreciation for a single month in the last 20 years—that means it was higher than the run-up of 2012 and 2013 and the run-up of 2005 and 2006! A lot of this has to do with the historically low interest rates fueling demand while inventory re...
Do Our Videos Always Go as Planned?
December 16, 2020 22:29 VideoHere’s a quick blooper reel of some of our funniest moments of the year. Did you know that a lot of our videos just simply don’t go as planned? I know 2020 has been a challenging and difficult year for all of us, but we wanted to bring a smile to your face this holiday season. We hope you enjoy some of our best outtakes and bloopers from our videos this year. We also wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season.
Why Is Winter a Smart Time to Sell?
December 09, 2020 17:40 VideoHere’s why a winter home sale makes so much sense this year. Despite COVID, the winter months are a perfect time for you to sell your home. As we begin the holiday season, it makes even more sense for you to sell your home now rather than waiting until spring. Throughout 2020, COVID has created a sense of urgency with buyers to purchase homes while interest rates are low. With inventory also low, home prices are up because supply can’t keep up with demand. The numbers over the last 35 ...
Do You Still Believe These 3 Homebuyer Myths?
November 18, 2020 20:49 VideoIt’s time to put three big home-buying myths under the microscope. If you’re in the market to buy a home, you’ve more than likely received a barrage of buying advice from friends, family, news headlines, talking heads on the TV, and trending social media posts. However, much of that information is conflicting, which can leave you struggling to separate fact from fiction. What are the home buying tips you truly need to know? To help you gain some clarity, I’m sharing the three most common m...
Where Is the Demand Coming From in Our Market?
November 04, 2020 20:52 VideoHere is what you need to know about the demand for homes in our market. To understand where all of the demand in our market is coming from, it’s important to realize how drastically COVID-19 has changed buyer behavior; for many people, everything central in their lives now takes place at home (e.g., work and education), and this has spurred the need for more space. Whether it’s in the form of a home gym, office space, or dedicated classroom, buyers are out in force looking for properties t...
What If the Appraisal Comes in Below the List Price?
October 21, 2020 16:55 VideoBuyers: You have options if the appraisal comes in below the list price. So your appraised value came in below the purchase price. What do you do now? Today we’re discussing this issue that’s happening more and more in today’s real estate market. If you’re a buyer obtaining financing, your lender or bank is most likely going to require that an appraisal be done at the property. They’ll send out a licensed appraiser to determine what the fair market value of the home is. This is because th...
Which Mistakes Do Porter Ranch Buyers Need to Avoid?
October 07, 2020 00:00 VideoWhat are the three mistakes that you need to avoid if you’re buying a home in Porter Ranch? When it comes to buying a home in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, there are three key mistakes you need to avoid: 1. Failing to consider the commute time. Obviously, COVID has altered commute times here in Los Angeles, but now that things are starting to creep back toward normality, many people are back out on the roads, which inc...
What Doesn’t Zillow Know About Home Values?
September 22, 2020 20:04 VideoZillow doesn’t know these three things about home values in Porter Ranch. Like so many real estate portals on the internet, Zillow provides an estimate of a home’s value called a Zestimate. However, there are many things that Zillow does not or cannot take into account when it comes to the value of your home: 1. Market conditions. Since it operates based on an algorithm, Zillow’s Zestimate doesn’t truly take into account what’s going on in the marketplace. We’re currently in a very strong...
How Has COVID-19 Impacted the Remodeling Process?
September 10, 2020 18:28 VideoHere’s how COVID-19 is impacting people’s remodeling plans. Ever since COVID-19 forced people to shelter in place near the end of March, many homeowners who weren’t looking to buy a new home decided to make changes to their current one. They want to make these changes for the same reasons buyers want to buy—they want more elbow room, more space for their kids to do their schooling at home, etc. In that regard, COVID-19 has affected the remodeling process in a few different ways, one of w...
What Will Our Autumn Market Bring?
August 26, 2020 17:24 VideoHere are several reasons why our strong market will continue through fall. Typically, spring is the best time to sell fast in the San Fernando Valley, and that has a lot to do with better weather, a larger pool of buyers, and open houses galore. Obviously, the outbreak of COVID-19 back in March changed everything; the real estate market got flipped upside down. We found that, in some senses, summer became the new spring busy season, as pent-up buyer demand got released into the market. So,...
What Are the Benefits of Selling Off-Market?
August 12, 2020 17:33 VideoHere are the benefits and drawbacks of selling your home off-market. If you’re intrigued by the idea of selling your home as a pocket listing, there are a couple of advantages and disadvantages to this type of sale you should know before proceeding. First, let’s define “pocket listing.” This is a listing in which the agent doesn’t market the home on the MLS. It’s only listed to other agents and the listing agent’s database. Not being on the MLS means the home isn’t syndicated on sites li...