Tips for Easter Egg Hunt in Orange County, CA

Take out those plastic eggs in your holiday storage boxes and get an awesome Easter egg hunt organized for your family, friends, neighborhood, church or community this year. Use these 9 tips and ideas to plan a egg hunt that is sure to become an Easter tradition.

Organizing Your Hunt

Specify the Hunting Area  (preferably gated) – Obtain permission if the space is shared for an entire community such as a local park.  Take into account that if you are using a public area for a private egg hunt, you may discover other uninvited children wanting to join or strangers getting too close. This is why it’s best to use an enclosed or fenced area.

Have a Plan B in case of bad weather – Depending on the forecast, look at booking a substitute site like a school or daycare facility. A daycare facility may be perfect as they should already have many areas that are child safe.

Offer Healthy Goodies – Before the hunt, ward off kids overindulging in candy, chocolate, and peeps by asking parents and guardians to bring a healthy snack  like fresh fruit, pretzels, veggie chips, and nuts for non-allergic kids.

 Determine How Many – The saddest thing is not having enough eggs for each kid who is attending. Promote the event on Facebook or your South Orange County groups social media channel. Prepare to have about eight to 10 eggs for each guest.

Separate Hunts by Age – Create egg hunting adventures for certain age groups  Arrange kids based on their age; three to five, seven to ten, 11-14 and 15 to 18 . Give each group around 15 to 20 minutes per hunt.

 Do No Allow Helpers – This rule needs to be clearly understood by attendees. Ask parents not to help children unless they are under three years old or have special needs. Ideally, there should be no pointing, hinting, or walking near where eggs are. It’s all in fun, not a sudden death sports event.

Puzzle Pieces – An imaginative way to get kids brain’s working collectively is to put puzzle pieces inside some of the plastic eggs and have kids put the puzzle together following the hunt.

Easter Eggs of Fortune – Besides the traditional hunt, make a card with letters or words and then put those on same color eggs that are well hidden at your hunt.  Once all the eggs are found, assemble them into a phrase like the “Wheel of Fortune”. This is ideal for the older kids.

Organize a Potluck Brunch – If adults want to hang out once the hunt is over, ask them to bring a dish, and have older children play games such as running or hopping in a sack or an egg toss contest.

4 Great Rules for Home Buyers to Follow

#1 – Check out the surrounding community not only the home
If you have to commute everyday or have daily errands outside of home it is a wise move to feel comfortable with your immediate neighborhood, instead of focusing on just the home.

This can be a really important factor to keep in mind for people relocating to a brand new city, because these buyers are privy to all that goes on aside from any friends they know. It is important to figure out the parts of the city that are ideal, and to start thinking about things such as distance from your job and local shopping options.

This just reinforces the slogan that real estate is all about location, location, location, and that is definitely the situation here.  Going through the home buying process and becoming a homeowner in a bad area can be a huge mistake that can take years to correct.  Prospective home buyers can get a sense of the community just by driving around at different times of the day and early evening.

Rule #2 – Be reasonable with your offer
If you ever want to make the seller not negotiate with you, just make a deceptively low offer. Keep in mind that you can effectively change your purchase price after the inspection.

One way to do that is after your professional home inspection you can request the seller to credit you a certain amount for whatever repairs are necessary now or in the near future.  Who knows the seller may credit you $15,000-$50,000 because they are under time constraints to buy their next home and need this home to sell.

In addition, you could simply ask later for something you just thought about or overlooked that could use some upgrading like the flooring, roof, cabinets, etc.  It is also important before you make an offer to diligently assess the local real estate market and review comparable homes and what these similar homes in the neighborhood were sold for.

Reviewing comps is without a doubt the leading method to determine what the fair value is and to make a respectable offer so you are not wasting the seller or agent’s time.

Rule #3 – Always get a home inspection
As mentioned above the home inspection help you in negotiating a lower effective price. Just like buying a car you want to discover if the home has any current problems or small issues that can lead to future issues prior to putting in an offer.  The cost of a home inspection by a licensed professional is paltry compared to the cost to buy the average home.

Therefore, do not overlook the value of a home inspection prior to buying it unless you have extensive knowledge about homes.  It is a smart choice to use word of mouth referrals because a lot of the best home inspectors get their business from referrals.

Rule #4 – Never become unfriendly with the sellers
Lots of real estate transactions are cancelled by the buyer or seller due to increasing hostility between the parties.  It is important to avoid alienating the seller of the home during the process and to finding faults for every little aspect throughout the contract process.

Putting the seller in good spirits gives them confidence about you completing the purchase. It also can make the transaction finish without problems or delays, and provide the ideal atmosphere for both the seller and buyer.

How to Ensure a Smooth Homebuyer Experience

There is a proper etiquette for doing many things in our everyday lives and that also includes buying or selling a home. When going out to view Orange County homes for sale as a buyer, there are some behavioral constraints to do that will help provide a simple and beneficial experience, regardless if you’re the buyer or seller.

The following are home buyer manner’s and guidelines:
1. Pre-Approval – Get your financing pre-approved before going to search for a home. It can be a tremendous waste of time to view homes you may not qualify for. The seller, including any family members, their listing agent blocked out some time to show the home and have a justifiable reason that the prospective buyer(s) entering their home are qualified to buy it.

2. Scheduling – Consult with your agent to establish a reasonable schedule of homes to view during the day. If you are the kind of person who prefers to take their time when viewing a home, tell your agent from the start so they don’t try to jam in a lot of showings in a couple of hours. Conversely, if you prefer to walk through properties fairly quick, tell them that as well.

Be respectful of time schedules and the procedure to look at homes during a pandemic. Each home you see is unique. Some homes are occupied by the owners or tenants, have children or pets, some sellers work flexible hours from home, and so forth. Developing an acceptable schedule for showings can be accomplished by your agent who’s aim is to work through a variety of unique situations and showing instructions.

Some home showings require 2 or 4-days advance notice than other properties, important instructions to follow, and more. Making an appointment to see homes results in agents and offices communicating with each other to coordinate all details.

If you drive up then decide the home is no good before ever setting foot inside is not a good method. Give the chosen properties an opportunity to win you over.

Keep in mind, there is a seller that blocked out some time to let you see the inside of their house. You can never be 100-percent sure until you see the home’s interior and you may not have a lot to see in a low inventory market.

3. Viewings – How long should you view the home? Although there is no official rule, anywhere from 15-30 minutes at maximum for a first showing is regarded as appropriate.

If you only have a handful of homes to see, taking longer may be acceptable. However, if you are scheduled to see 10 properties, viewing every house for 30 minutes will become a very long day and you may not have time to fit them all in your allotted time.

The ones you like can always be viewed again. Before you make an offer on a home visit the home twice if possible. Don’t forget you will have a physical inspection in the beginning if it’s in the contract so you’ll have the opportunity to see the home again at that time.

The important things to bring with you are a tape measure to see if your furniture will fit or if the room has enough space for a dining table, couches, wall units, custom bedroom furniture, and your things for other rooms in the house.

4. Personal Opinions – Avoid talking about the property in the open while in the home or nearby outside. Talk it over in your vehicle or somewhere else private. The sellers or the neighbors may be able to hear your conversation.

It is the sellers property and they likely can hide a audio recorder somewhere inside and outside the home during your scheduled time! Many sellers already have video surveillance equipment to catch house thieves so audio recording is not off limits.

5. Groups – Try to reduce the field trip effect of inviting your friends, relatives, or associates trampling through a home showing. It is best advised that relatives and friends that are real estate experts are better served to tag along once you have made a decision on two or three homes. Keep in mind it is essentially your choice and your mortgage payment unless someone in your group will be co-borrower or invest in the property.

How Much Are Closing Costs in Orange County, California?

Closing Costs for Orange County Home Buyers in 2021
When you buy a home in Mission Viejo or anywhere else in Orange County, California, there’s a host of additional items besides your mortgage that you need to cover. You will also find a number of other costs involved with purchasing a home, which are called “closing costs”. The uncertainty home buyers have is how much will they have to pay.

Home buyers in Orange County (and other cities and counties in California) for the most part spend from 1% up to 3% of the contract price of the home in closing fees. What this means is that a high-priced home in Laguna Beach for $2 million could end up with higher closing costs starting near $20,000 and the same is true for lower priced homes.

According to Zillow, the median home price in Orange County was around $792,000 as of Nov. 2020 showing a 7% gain year over year. So, the buyer’s closing costs on a median-priced property in the city could range from $7,920 to $23,760.

Based on ClosingCorp. , a real estate statistical reporting company, California ranked number nine for the top 10 states with the most expensive closing costs. This is despite having a 1.05% average closing cost on a home. A low percentage is good but a higher average selling price makes up for it.

Home buyers throughout the golden state pay an average of $6,537. However that’s dependent on an average home price of $622,881, which “was the average” for the whole state in 2019. As of now, the average home price is $640,300. Houses are more expensive in the Orange County area so naturally closing costs will be higher there too.

How much you’ll actually end up paying in closing costs in Orange County depends on several factors. If you want the lowest interest rate, are you willing to pay points at closing? It’s one of numerous factors that can determine the total amount you pay on the date of closing where you get the keys.

Mortgage lenders and brokers will provide you a loan estimate of your Orange County closing costs in the beginning. Some lenders go a step further by providing guaranteed closing costs. Once the lender fees are disclosed they are guaranteed to not change unless you choose to get a lower rate later in the process.

Third-party fees such as settlement agent, title insurance, appraisal are also supposed to not change. The loan estimate gives you a more accurate snapshot of your total costs to have funds ready for the final closing date.

The following are some of the usual items that reflect a home buyer’s closing costs:
• Fees for running the borrower’s credit report(s).
• Fees for loan or broker origination
• Fees for loan processing.
• Underwriting fee, which covers the cost of evaluating the loan and borrower.
• Discount points or fees, which borrowers may use to get a lower interest rate.
• Home appraisal fees (many times these are paid in upon ordering).
• Title search and insurance fees, for the lender; optional for home buyer.
• Property survey to confirm property lines, encroachment, etc.
• Attorney / legal fees, in some cases.
• Recording fee paid to Orange County County Clerk for recording new ownership records.

This list may be incomplete but it shows you some of the common closing costs when buying a home in Orange County, California. Extra fees and changes may be necessary in certain situations.

Still Have Questions About Closing Costs in Orange County?
Are you all set on the topic of closing costs in Orange County or are you ready to apply for a mortgage, we’ll be glad to help you and refer you to our recommended licensed professionals.

Cities in OC Best for Families

When you think of California it’s normally something about L. A., San Francisco, or San Diego but Orange County, is often the best option to raise a family.

With that said, did you know that four of the top five cities on the NerdWallet’s best places for young families list in Southern California were in Orange County.

The frequent reason is Orange County’s higher quality of schools, a strong labor pool and has alloted funds for infrastructure improvements. Examples of this are expanding Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine where Interstate 5 is located.

Home affordability in Orange County is reasonable compared to adjacent L.A. county and San Diego down south. The monthly cost of homeownership, which includes mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance, utilities, and other bills is affordable.

Best cities for young families in Southern California

  1. Irvine

The incredible city of Irvine attracts families with its top-rated public schools and some of the nation’s best, including the renowned UC Irvine. In addition to the honor of a top score of 10 by GreatSchools, Irvine schools have strong backing from the community.

Irvine is a safe, clean, diligently planned city with high-tech, bio-tech and financial companies based there. It has many parks for walking, hiking, and biking and has been awarded America’s safest city by the FBI since 2005.

The majority of the city was developed within the last 25 years, so there’s many neighborhoods, each with different styles of home design from French, Greek, Italian, Mediterranean, to Spanish architecture.

According to Realtor.com, Irvine homes for sale have a median listing price of $921,097 as of Oct. 27, 2020

The city’s high home values are on par with the quality the city provides. There’s convenient access to the beach just 20-30 minutes away in Laguna or Newport &Huntington Beach not to mention the many parks residents can enjoy.

  1. Rancho Santa Margarita

Only a 10-20 minute drive from Irvine or the beaches, this late 1990’s master-planned city features a healthy trend of increasing income since 1999. The city features two excellent school districts, Capistrano Unified School District and Saddleback Valley. The evidence is supported by students’ state test scores, which are particularly high in science.

Home values in RSM, CA have a median list price of $641,950 which is below the county limit for a conforming loan with rates currently at decades lows.

  1. Cypress

Despite being only 6.6 square miles, Cypress is ideally located for commuting to L.A. or south Orange County for work. The city has seen redevelopment projects in pockets near Lincoln & Moody.

It’s considered a nice quiet middle class community with very highly rated public schools like Oxford Academy, Cypress High and Margaret Lindell Elementary as well as Cypress Junior College. As a result housing demand is constant with apartment rentals, condos, townhomes, and single family homes.

Home values in Cypress, CA have a median sales price of $812,000 which means a down payment of 6% or more will get you a conforming loan rate in 2020.

  1. Yorba Linda

Yorba Linda is an upscale neighborhood within the hills right near the 91 and 57 freeways.  If you enjoy riding horses, there are some equestrian centers, along with trails for horseback riding, hiking and biking.

Many residents say it’s the perfect place to raise kids as its very family oriented and tends to always earn 9 and 10 rankings from GreatSchools which include Fairmont Elementary, Linda Vista Elementary, Bernardo Yorba Jr. High and Yorba Linda High School at 19900 Bastanchury Road.

Recently, the city has undergone multiple redevelopment and expansion initiatives to update roads, public areas, and construct new schools.  The median price for a home is $901,753 according to Zillow in Oct. 2020.