Today's Guamhome December 2015 by Todays Realty

CONTENTS 01

SOLD! PROPERTY OF THE MONTH Modern Chalan Pago Home

02 03

MARKET REPORT

Residential Market Snapshot from January 1, 2015 to December 1, 2015

5 TIPS TO A LUXURIOUS MASTER BEDROOM 5 WAYS TO START SAVING WITHOUT FEELING THE PINCH

RECENTLY CLOSED LISTINGS

JUST LISTED

FUNDING FRAUD

Recently listed properties in the market.

IS IT TOO LATE TO PREP FOR PRE-HOLIDAY PAINTING?

09 10

HOLIDAY SHOPPING? 7 BAD SPENDING HABITS TO AVOID PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

MODERN CHALAN PAGO HOME Astonishing home with endless amounts of modern features. Lovely bamboo wooden flooring on the second floor. A mini bar with 48 bottle wine chiller, cooktop & oven, trash compactor, 2 drawer dish washer. Each bedroom includes a full bath with custom mosaic tiles. Deluxe fixtures in master bath, free standing tub and glass shower enclosure. Home is situated on a beautiful yard, partially gated, and located in a quiet neighborhood.

List Price: $3,800/mo Closed Price: $4,400/mo Days on the Market: 59 MLS ID: 15-2708

RECENTLY SOLD & RENTED LISTINGS 01 Yigo Home

Listed: $2,800/mo • Rented: $2,600/mo

Spacious 4 bedroom, 2 bath home sitting on a 1/2 acre lot! Minutes to AAFB! Newly done bathrooms and kitchen! Days on the market: 24 MLS ID: 15-3606

02 Yigo Home

Listed: $2,450/mo • Rented: $2,450/mo

Fully fenced 4bd/3ba home approx. 3 miles from AAFB back gate. Back patio with an awning for evening gathering & enjoying Guam’s great outdoors. Large back yard. Days on the market: 25 MLS ID: 15-3633

03 Perez Acres Townhome

Listed: $250,000 • Sold: $250,000

Upgraded throughout, includes 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a kitchen/dining/living open floor plan with an adjacent office/study room and separate guest room. Superb complex amenities.

Days on the market: 111 MLS ID: 15-2635

04 Las Palmas Ph. II

Listed: $1,800/mo • Rented: $1,700/mo

Big can be beautiful! This large Phase II, 3bd/2.5ba rental has been re-kitchened, refloored, re-painted and reloved. Comes with a pool, tennis courts, security, and more! Days on the market: 105 MLS ID: 15-2685

A LIST OF RECENTLY CLOSED LISTINGS TO HELP YOU ASSESS THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTIES

05 Ipan, Talofofo Home

Listed: $2,205/mo • Rented: $2,200/mo

A real southern charmer... This two story, 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath is a spectacular rental. Each upstairs bedroom has it’s own bathroom, plus another 1/2 bath downstairs. The grand room overlooks the beautiful and private garden. Days on the market: 47 MLS ID: 15-3225

06 Paradise Estates

Listed: $310,000 • Sold: $305,000

This is a well maintained 3 bedroom 2 bathroom 1,550+/- sqft home with an attached 2 car garage in the family oriented subdivision of Paradise Estates. Days on the market: 165 MLS ID: 15-1949

07 Mangilao Home

Listed: $244,900 • Sold: $241,500

This house is in Excellent Condition! New doors, paint, window treatments and a 7KW solar system. 4bd/2ba. Lovely kitchen with granite counter tops. Days on the market: 56 MLS ID: 15-3270

08 Flora Pago Condo

Listed: $172,000 • Sold: $165,000

Nicely-kept 3BD/2BA unit in Central Guam with high ceilings and open living area. Beautifully landscaped grounds leading to this back-end unit. Private and quiet. Easy access to downtown Hagatna and Mangilao. Days on the market: 176 MLS ID: 15-1701

JUST LISTED 01 Business Opportunity Tumon • $25,000

Rare opportunity to take over a unique yogurt and coffee shop in Tumon. New coffee machine, yogurt machine, refrigerator, water softer and all kitchen equipment has met the latest fire department code and DPW. Guamhome.com/15-2943

02 Commercial Building Tamuning • $44,000

Put your business here! Great opportunity for maximum exposure. Building is fronting Marine Corps Drive in Tamuning. Your business can occupy the entire building or just one floor, which is 8,000 +/- sq. ft. Guamhome.com/15-3854

03 Chalan Pia Tituka

Ordot-Chalan Pago • $2,450/mo

Beautiful 3 bedroom and 3 full bathrooms and fully fenced! Lots of storage space, detailed finishings, extra large master suite, walk in closet and exquisite master bath. Don’t miss out on this gem! Guamhome.com/15-3837

04 Bobby Street

Yigo • $2,450/mo

This 4bd/2ba home has been newly repainted inside & out. Patio deck overlooks neighborhood & sparkling night time lights & distant sunset. Separate dining area. Fully fenced yard. Garage with lockable accordion doors. Guamhome.com/15-3863

AVAILABLE LISTINGS RECENTLY ADDED TO THE MARKET

05 Tamuning Villa

Tamuning • $2,450/mo

Newly renovated, partially furnished 4bd/3.5ba house in Tamuning, seconds away from the Hospital. This gem also has an extension that is handicapped accessible and perfect for those who have elderly family to care for. Guamhome.com/15-3839

06 Mil Flores Street

Mangilao Home • $295,000

Newly renovated kitchen and bathrooms and ideally located in an established neighborhood puts this home at the top of the list for your house buying options! Spacious 4bd/2ba home on a large corner lot. Guamhome.com/15-3754

07 Nino Perdido Street Asan • $4,500/mo

You would definitely want to go home and welcome the sunrise or sunset with this 4bd/4ba ocean view house. Elegantly designed with a contemporary touch. A must see! Guamhome.com/15-3191

08 Beverly Palms Condo Tamuning • $219,000

Incredible two-story 3bd/2ba Tamuning condominium with gorgeous open loft overlooking the downstairs. Brand new and chic woodenfloor-look, new paint, open kitchen concept with corner pantry, and 19-foot high ceilings. Guamhome.com/15-3866

FUNDING FRAUD

Indianapolis and his name does not appear in the underwriters system at all.

It is highly unusual for an escrow company to make a check payable to another title company rather than the owners of the proceeds. The British passport provided by the “buyer” appeared legitimate, but the photo does not appear to comply with international passport photo requirements. A transmittal letter that accompanied the check referred to A few weeks ago a very experienced Realtor called me to Chase Bank, but that was not the bank on the check. discuss a transaction. Her instincts were telling her something If I were to speculate, I would imagine that the fraudster’s was just not right. A man contacted her via e-mail and wished plan was be to cancel the transaction and have us “return” to purchase (sight unseen) a condominium she had listed the funds to him. Fortunately our close-knit community had for sale. He signed a purchase agreement and escrow was some great tools working in our favor! The team at Security opened with our office. All communication was via e-mail, Title worked closely with our Realtor and Banking contacts without even one telephone call. and our combined quick action uncovered the fraud before the The buyer asked for wire instructions so that he could wire internet buyer was able to cause any financial harm. funds into our trust account. Instead of receiving a wire Kim Anderson Young, President of Security Title, has over 30 transfer, the bank received a check for $99,000 in the mail from years of experience in the real estate industry. a title company in Indianapolis. The bank credited the check to our trust account and sent us a notification of the deposit. The buyer was supposed to provide an additional $40,000 to complete the sale. As a member of the American Land Title Association and as an Agent for Stewart Title and First American Title, our company receives fraud alerts on a regular basis. While interesting, I felt our close-knit community has contributed to insulating us from the sort of fraudulent actions that appear rampant in the mainland US. Was I ever wrong about that!

Less than a week later, we received a notice from the bank that they believed the check to be fraudulent. When we contacted the title company in Indianapolis, they confirmed the following: Their office had not issued the check. The signature on the check does not match the signatory for their Indianapolis office. Standard escrow procedure requires that we include a file number, but none appeared on this check. The buyer has not been a recent party to any escrow in

by Kim Anderson Young PRESIDENT, SECURITY TITLE, INC.

kim@securitytitle.net • 671.647.8100

Finding simple solutions to complex real estate transactions.

IS IT TOO LATE TO PREP FOR PRE-HOLIDAY PAINTING? By John Voket I recently shared the Paint Quality Institute’s projections of the hottest new paint styles for 2016. But there’s plenty of time to get some painting done before the New Year arrives. With the holidays right around the corner, Paint Quality Institute color expert Debbie Zimmer and the PQI experts suggest prepping for your pre-holiday painting party by taking stock of things with a careful visual inspection. • • •

Focus first on the space near your front door, where guests and family members will get their initial impression of your home. Then check out the family room, dining room, and bathroom or powder room. Look at the kitchen, too, where company often congregates.

If your interior is wanting, Zimmer says get busy now – create a list of the rooms that require attention, noting whether it’s the walls, the trim, or both, that need painting. Then prioritize projects based on the importance of the room, and the amount of time visitors will spend there. Zimmer says can’t-miss neutral colors like off-white and easy-on-the-eyes green and blue pastels fit the bill, and are expected to be in vogue next year. And if you want to fully embrace the holiday spirit, Zimmer says consider painting your walls in the colors of the season zeroing in on the red and green color families. Hues like crimson, burgundy, and forest green are not only seasonal favorites, but are wonderful choices for dining rooms and other spaces where food will be served. Add a few gold or silver accents in the room, and Zimmer says it will be picture-perfect. When buying paint, Zimmer says higher sheen levels are more stain-resistant and washable. Satin finish is a good choice for the walls in most rooms, but maybe go one better in the kitchen or other high-traffic areas with a semi-gloss. As for the trim, gloss or semi-gloss paint is best as well - and will prove it when the post-holiday cleanup comes, she added. To learn more about paints, painting, and interior paint color, visit www.paintquality.com. Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING? 7 Bad Spending Habits to Avoid Holiday shopping may be fun, but it can also negatively impact your finances if gone unchecked. Avoiding debt, says American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation Executive Director Corey Carlisle, is the goal. “The holiday season is an exciting and inspiring time of the year that promotes giving, but spending within your means is the best gift you can give yourself,” says Carlisle. “Managing a realistic budget and developing a shopping list that compliments it will help you start the New Year with a clean financial slate.” Below, says Carlisle, are seven bad spending habits to avoid: • Forgetting to Plan Ahead – Before you start shopping, develop a realistic budget. Consider your income, subtract your normal monthly expenses and then add any savings to whatever cash is left over. If you need to use your credit card, think about what you can afford to pay back in January. • Losing Track of Other Costs – Don’t forget costs beyond gifts, like postage, gift wrap, decorations, greeting cards, food, travel and charitable contributions. • Winging It – Make and list and check it twice. Keep your gift list limited to family and close friends, noting

how much you want to spend on each. • Waiting until the Last Minute to Shop – Avoid shopping while rushed or under pressure, which can lead to overspending. Make sure to comparison shop online first, or download an app that lets you compare prices before you buy anything in a store. Before you head to the cashier (or online checkout), make sure your purchase is within the budget you set. • Shopping Impulsively – Finding a spectacular sale on something you’ve been wanting can easily throw you off course. Stay strong and stick to your budget. And don’t apply for store credit cards you don’t need just to get a one-time discount. • Using Credit Recklessly – Limit the use of credit for holiday spending. If you must use credit, use only one card—preferably the one with the lowest interest rate—and leave the rest at home. Pick a date when you can pay off your holiday credit card bills, and commit to paying off the balance by that time. Be sure to check statements for unauthorized charges and report them immediately. • Throwing Away Your Receipts – Not only will you need them for possible returns, you’ll need them to keep track of what you’ve spent and to compare with your credit card statement. Knowing how much you spent will help you plan for next year, too. Source: ABA