Megan’s Message

Holiday Toy Drive organized by Megan Beauvais & Associates

You’ve decided to make a move, but have no idea where to start preparing your house for sale?

Happy New Year, Ken-Tal! The 2022 holiday season was full of much needed love, laughter, celebrations, and cheer in spite of the roller coaster of an economic ride we have all been on for the last two years. So many of us are anxious to see what 2023 brings, but only time (and the Fed) will tell.

What the heck is happening in San Diego real estate?! Are homes even selling? Can I even get a loan right now? These are some of the questions I get on a daily basis in the midst of our COVID19 shelter in place period.

Whether you wait to take action after you call your trusted real estate advisor, or want to get a head start, I can guarantee that some de-cluttering and re-organization is in your new future. Keeping a variety of time and budget constraints in mind, I have gathered these tips over the years from my trusted professional organizers…

Homeless Clutter: To get you started, it’s easy to begin in the areas where the clutter is out and just needs to be put back in its place. If you are short on time, you can still get started. For the clutter that doesn’t have a home, start by putting it all in a box. Every time you have a few minutes, tackle another room with a separate box. Save up these boxes for a weekend when you can sort through the items and decide what you want to keep and what you will donate or throw away. Cost: Free

Many home buyers and sellers will try to time the market perfectly. I can’t tell you how many people I have heard relay to me recently that they are going to wait until the market crashes to buy. Having worked in the real estate industry for 25+ years, I can attest to the fact that we never know whether we were at an all-time “high” or “low” until we are on the other side of it. It is true that, as a home seller, one would have done much better if selling 6-9 months ago rather than right now. It is also true that as a home buyer, one would have benefitted from half the interest rate being charged now. The fact remains that people still need to move, and need housing, which will continue to push the movement in the real estate market in a forward direction, particularly in areas that benefit from vast and varied work sectors and suffer from a lack of sufficient housing units, such as our beloved San Diego.

Our Ken Tal Holiday Toy Drive was a total success, we were able to collect over 65 toys with the help of my clients and our community! Special thanks to those who participated in the Toy Drive donations! These gifts really do make a difference in the lives of our community’s youth that would otherwise receive nothing for the holidays. This year was our first year partnering up with the YMCA & Toys for Tots for their annual toy drive, I look forward to next year, my goal will be to collect over 100 toys! Want to know what distribution day looked like at the Y? Visit https://www.instagram.com/ ymcasandiego/ to view their Holiday Party Toys for Tots Event!

Cabinets & Storage: When selling a home, you never want it to appear that you don’t have enough storage space. In these vintage neighborhoods, that can often be a challenge, but not completely impossible! Start with the spice rack and medicine cabinets. Look for expired dates on all and throw those away. You may be surprised at how much you can get rid of. Then go to your linen and hall closets and re-fold and neatly arrange all items contained there. Be sure to leave empty ßoor space in the hall closet for a neat and tidy appearance. Cost: Free

My advice is this: and benefit thanks to their service!), and if you are borrowing $701,500 or less, which puts you in the conventional financing category, many lenders will still allow you to put as little as 5% down. All loans and all lenders are not created equal, nor are their financing programs. Contact me for a referral to a trustworthy lender that can provide you the information you need to get started in your research.

The 8th Annual Holiday Lights Bike Ride

Tuesday, July 4th at 11am

Fido’s Stuff: The dog walking zone often becomes a tangle of toys, treats, and leashes and more. While it’s understandable that you and your best friend still need to live your lives while your home is on the market, itÕs important that this area be as presentable as it is functional. If you Þnd some space on your wall ideally near the back door where you can hang a row of hooks, you can easily arrange all your gear necessary. Keep a storage basket on the ßoor nearby for toys, waste bags, treats, and dog walking shoes. Cost: $10 to $50 depending on supplies needed.

If you are considering buying a home this year, think LONG TERM. Gone are the days when you can count on making a profit within a 2 year time frame and then move on/up. This has always been the advice I gave to my clients, even prior to pandemic times and remains as such. 10 years from now, chances are you will be glad you paid that extra $10-$20k that the seller dug their heels in for. With that time frame in mind, consider the longevity the home offers. Is this a space your family can grow in, will you be able to be comfortable here for 7-10 years?

I am here to tell you that indeed, homes are selling and people are getting loans. It’s still a bit early to see any price adjustment trends as we tend to measure that trend over a 3–6 month time frame and we just don’t have that hindsight as of yet. But I can tell you that I am still consistently seeing multiple offers on properties in San Diego, particularly in the $1.2 million range and below with both my buyer and seller clients. Of course, this depends on the location and overall presentation, but with an already very limited set of housing inventory for buyers out there to choose from, it’s even tighter now. Those that can still qualify for a loan are able to take advantage of the still low rates and achieve their dream of homeownership, moving up, or downsizing.

If you would like to explore buying and/ or selling in this ever changing market, give me a call at 619.944.2798 or email me at Megan@MeganB.com. I’d be happy to discuss with you what sets my service apart from the rest!

Play Time: If you have young children, this may be the biggest challenge as the toys can often take over half of a room (or more). Take this opportunity for a rotation of play things and start packing up those that are not often played with for the time being. Grab a few boxes, pack away all but 10 toys, and put them out of reach. Then rotate the 10 toys once a week or so.” For those packed away, it will feel like Christmas for your little ones after you’ve accomplished your move and they open the box of delights they haven’t seen in a while! Cost: Free

That Which Is Often Overlooked Shall Be No Longer: The garage and basement are two of the most overlooked regions of the home. Tackle whichever one is the ofÞcial Òdump zoneÓ for all your stuff (if you are lucky enough to have a basement!).

Loans can be a little tricky these days for a primary residence and trickier still for an investment property. For a primary residence loan, with many (but not all) lenders, you should count on having at least 20% down if you are needing to borrow $701,501 or higher as this puts you in the “jumbo loan” category. Most lenders are still processing VA loans up to $1 million $0 down (always an incredible opportunity

If you are a home seller, get ready to rumble! Buyers have more negotiability these days, but that doesn’t mean you are getting the short end of the stick. Likely, you are still benefitting from a significant profit, albeit not what it would ave been in the spring of 2022. Remember that selling a property and buying a property is most successful when there is a win on both sides. Prepare yourself for this and be strategic - both in your pricing and in your preparations. It is imperative to set your property apart from the others. You can do so by following the advice of a real estate professional regarding premarketing suggestions (paint, repairs, inspections, and staging for example).

Start by pulling everything that doesn’t have an obvious home out. Get rid of all the obvios trash and recyclables, break down boxes (or set them aside for packing). Get rid of any paint and building materials such as old tiles, etc. that no longer go with the homeÕs current Þnishes. Check with local charities like Habitat for Humanity to see if building supplies can be repurposed.

Next step is to categorize the contents. Group like items with like items: sports equipment, household supplies, car supplies, tools, old furniture, discarded toys. Determine what’s trash, what can be recycled, donated, and sold, and what you want to keep. Pack away and neatly stack the boxes anything you won’t need before your big move. Then, sweep out the area and organize it, doing your best to keep everything off the ground (unless its packed moving boxes tidily stacked). Use vertical space and invest in some utilitarian shelves if necessary. Label everything, so anyone in the household can Þnd what theyÕre looking for as you move toward putting your home on the market.

Cost: $100-plus depending on shelving system you use

If you have been considering buying and/or selling real estate, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss what my proven strategies can do for you in 2023. Contact me at Megan@MeganB.com or 619.944.2798!

May this year prove to be prosperous and joyful! I look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood!

We had an amazing turnout at our Kensington Annual Holiday Lights Bike Ride! Despite the morning showers we still had around 200 riders and skies were cleared during the full and family rides! Congratulations to our House Deocration Winners at 4119 Palisades, 5341 Marlborough, & 4207 Hilldale, our team of judges voted these house as best decorated along our route, thank you to everyone who decoreated their beautiful homes it was hard narrowing it down to just 3. Special thanks to our community for coming out and joining us, hope you had a great time! This annual event is organized by the Kensington Talmadge Business Association, for more information visit KenTalBiz.org.

This would be a good time to remind you of my ongoing moving box exchange. I will gladly accept donations of used, ßattened moving boxes and arrange to Þnd them a new home. (Cost: Free) the way Reynolds moved to San Francisco and after 20 years in the Bay Area, she decided she needed a change and made the move back to her hometown of San Diego. After going to area open houses, she came across Talmadge. According to Reynolds, “I loved the friendly neighborhood vibe and all the planned activities. I haven’t seen a neighborhood quite like Talmadge.”

When I Þnd myself helping clients decide what to keep and what to put away when preparing for marketing, I often remind them that they need to start packing anyway! If you are in need of some moving boxes and a full service, experienced real estate advisor, please give me a call at 619-944-2798. I’d be happy to roll up my sleeves and help you get started!

Welcome to Summer! You are invited to The Annual Talmadge 4th of July Parade, where the neighbors ARE the parade! Meet at the Talmadge TrafÞce circle, (intersection of Adams Ave. & 49th St.) at 11am.

Be sure to decorate your bikes, scooters, furry 4-legged family members and of course yourselves!

If you would like to participate by decorating your vehicle and lining up, please park yourselves along 49th St. at the trafÞc circle just south of Adams Ave. by 11am sharp!

As always, I will bring waters, popsicles, and a festive spirit to the event. If you’d like to set up along the parade route, look for the route markers the week prior.

I am really looking forward to seeing all of you this year!

The Annual Talmadge Caroling at the Circle

For more information you can reach me at 619.994.2798 or Megan@MeganB.com.

Another one for the books! The Annual Caroling at the Circle is one of my favorite neighborhood events in Talmadge, I love putting this event together for our community. What a huge success we had this year, it was a great time catching up with Friends & Neighbors, we laughed and we even sang some Hanukkah songs to kick off the first night of the festival of lights! Special thanks to all the Talmadge neighbors who decorated the traffic circle so beautifully, and to Tom Barb, who makes a terrific Saint Nick! Hope to see you December 2023!

In May of 2019, Reynolds made Talmadge her home. A graphic designer for 25 years, she has owned her own design business, Olive Design for 20 years and is currently freelancing. Ultimately, she is looking for a permanent employee position (hint, hint). You can find her online portfolio at wendyreynolds.myportfolio. com. In her free time, Reynolds loves hiking, mountain biking, print making, art shows and happy hour. Her passions include travel, photography and she loves her adorable dog, Diego. If you see them out in the neighborhood, be sure to say hello! Happy to have you here, Wendy!