Pat Costello's Blog

5 TIPS HEATING SEASON

1/10/2020

As the heating season approaches here are some low cost no cost tips to help reduce your energy bill.

1. Seal Drafts. Keep doors and windows closed and block all gaps, cracks and openings to the outdoors.

2. Turn down the thermostat while at home. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower to heat your home. Each degree lower is the equivalent of 3% reduction in heating costs.

3. Set your thermostat at 55 or 60 degrees when you are away for an extended time. Especially in zones that freeze.

4. Heat only when at home and awake. If you have resistant heat such as ceiling heat, wall heaters or baseboards, turn down the thermostat before you go to bed at night & when you are away from home.

5. Clean heat sources. Clean furnace filters regularly during the heating season and follow manufacturer's recommendations for replacing filters. Filters help clean air and keep the furnace operating more safely and efficiently.

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Disaster Relief Available

8/1/2018

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Pat Costello
· Have I ever told you how proud I am to be a REALTOR®?

REALTORS® Disaster Relief Program can provide up to $3,000 per individual for housing assistance. National Association of REALTORS®, California Association of REALTORS®, the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS®, and the Ventura County Coastal Association of REALTORS® have set up a relief fund to provide to those affected by the fire by establishing a relief fund of up to $650,000.

Click on the photo below if you want to know more about the grant.

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DO YOU NEED HELP SLEEPING AT NIGHT AND WANT TO STAY NATURAL?

7/19/2018

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CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO BE TAKEN TO COSMOPOLITAN

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WHY KELLER WILLIAMS

7/5/2018

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What my move to Keller Williams, West Ventura County does for you as a seller or a buyer? Your property reach goes beyond the 2,000+ brokers, agents and affiliates of the Santa Barbara association by bringing an additional 200,000 agents through the California Real Estate Technology Services (CARETS) and the CRMLS Datashare network of joint MLS's. It is well known in real estate that other agents bring buyers to the table. There are buyer specialists that will only find properties on the MLS. When they are looking at properties through their membership in a participating network, they will have immediate access to my listings. My buyer clients will have access to many more properties including commercial properties throughout the State of California that may or may not be on other internet platforms such as Loopnet. Along with all of the syndicated websites below, you will get this awesome service when listing with me. THIS IS BIG and it shows that I look at opportunities to enhance you as my client. I will prudently take advantage of these opportunities to get you the best price in the shortest amount of time. This is my guarantee.

It's a Formula For Success!

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April 06th, 2017

4/6/2017

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July 24th, 2016

7/24/2016

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WHAT ABOUT THOSE COMMUNITY COUNCILS?

Lately, I've been going to community council meetings in Ventura and Oxnard. The benefit I received by going was acquiring first hand knowledge of local and state jurisdiction on safety, roads, or development. The widening of the port at Port Hueneme could cause increase of truck traffic through the Simi freeway in Somis and the 101. The County of Ventura pitched for an additional transportation tax in Ventura County and told how it affects local residents. It was interesting to see how several people are joined as a community at Bell Arts Factory shaping the future of areas around Ventura Avenue. All of the citizens that are present are caring individuals that volunteer their time to make improvements in their section of the world.

Have you ever thought you had a point to make, but, weren't too enthusiastic about going to City Council to express yourself? Do you want first hand information from city, state and county officials about events that are going to affect your neighborhood and be heard when you input your concerns? I'm encouraging you to consider getting together with your neighbors to create Neighborhood Councils. Contact me if you need more information as I could direct you to the right group for information on how to organize and stay valid.

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DAYS ON MARKET

8/5/2015

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WHAT’S THE IMPORTANCE?

What is the importance of Days on Market of properties that just sold and how does it relate to positioning and pricing of your home? There are a few things to look at while estimating the price of your real estate property; including location, condition, market economics, recent activity and days on market.

It is important to know how long your property is likely to be on the market. Days on Market of previously sold homes are strong indicators of your selling success. This indicator helps to paint a clear picture of what today’s buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours in a typical market. Why? Because an overpriced property will linger and get stale, even at a reasonable price.

TO CALCULATE DAYS ON THE MARKET

To determine the average days on market, an agent would take the most recent sold listings, add together the days on market (before each listing went pending) and divide that total by the number of listings. In extraordinary circumstances, properties that have been on the market for more than 6 months are tossed out of this particular equation to get a more accurate indicator of success in a typical neighborhood.

WHAT IS THE COMPARISON?

Which is more important? Is it the average days on market or the number of days on market of each listing? If the average days on market was 16 days and you are a seller whose home has been on the market for 17 days, you will have fallen into the lower 50% of homes that sold over the previous month. This is an indication of either the need for a price change or a different strategy.

HOW BUYERS LOOK AT DAYS ON THE MARKET

When buyers see extensive days on market, they figure the seller is desperate to sell because the home is still on the market or they believe there might be something wrong with the home that caused other buyers to pass it up. Both of those assumptions, however, can be wrong.

HOMES CAN LINGER ON THE MARKET FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS

• Overpricing (the most common reason)

• Little seller motivation

• Unavailable to show due to property condition or tenants and/or

UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS/PRICE

Finally, it is important to examine if your home has unusual characteristics, or is in a higher price bracket. It could mean there’s no one qualified to buy it. If your home is in these categories, you may be in for a long wait.

Remember that every neighborhood is unique. Days on market are considered an important indicator for price positioning.

To find out more about how Days on Market has an affect on the value of your property, call Pat at (805) 451-3977.

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