Friday, May 29, 2009

Testimonials

 
      

 

 I am writing to thank you for all your hard work over the past several years in helping us with our real estate transactions which included the sale of three properties and the purchase of one.

 

In the sale of our properties, your long experience in real estate in Santa Barbara has helped us price our properties realistically to achieve sales at good prices... You also helped us select good buyers from the various offers that we have received. 

 

I have always appreciated that you are easy to reach and to communicate with and are very available to your client. Once you have taken a listing, you have been extremely committed to achieving a sale. 

                                                                                                    - Mimi Lyons

 

 If you or your clients need a good realtor to sell a property, I can recommend Don Haws. He has done a very good job for my clients. He was particularly good in a sensitive, potential dispute between family members by getting a property prepared and sold at an excellent price in a short time frame without triggering the dispute. 

                                                                                                   - Sue H. McCollum

                                                                                                        Attorney At Law

 

We've used Don as our agent on two of our real estate transactions. He has been unfailingly capable, conscientious and dedicated to finding just the home for us and later just the right buyer. Working with Don, we've had no worries about important details falling through the cracks. He knows his stuff ­- and that's worked for us.

 - Leonard Tourney

 

 

Thank you for all your efforts on our behalf. We'll never be able to thank you enough.

-Thomas and Marci Chapman 

 

My father, Winford Brooks, my brother, James, and I would like to say thank you to Don Haws for a job well done. We appreciate all his efforts, which was above and beyond our expectations when he sold my fathers house at 2108 Mountain Avenue in Santa Barbara.

 

We were very satisfied with Don as our realtor. Don took care of every detail in the preparation, the open house, submitting of the bids, and final escrow closure on my fathers behalf. We had additional needs which Don took care of very competently & efficiently. He Made the whole process run smoothly and gave my father great peace of mind.


We highly recommend Don Haws (and have to Dads neighbor) as a very professional Realtor who gets results!! 

 -Sandra L. Heston

 

 ...I want to extend my sincere thanks to you and your firm for a job very well done in getting the property sold and at an EXTREMELY favorable price!

 

Your method of getting the property ready for the market, your persistence in getting the paperwork to me though I'm 9 time zones away...and your expert representation throughout this matter has been truly inspiring.    

  -Bruce Fowler Wolf

 

As an out of area owner, I was dependent on my real estate agent, Don Haws. Don conducted inspections in advance of marketing the property and remedied complicated zoning problems with the City of Santa Barbara. Don had cost effective ideas to prepare the home for market and used skilled tradespeople who charged reasonable rates. In the subsequent marketing of the property, Don did not cut corners on the marketing program. The net result was a quick, competitive sale at a price which could not have been otherwise achieved.

 

Last, he greatly helped me through the escrow process and kept me informed. His knowledge, experience and professionalism were critical and greatly appreciated.

  -Tony Victor

 

We want to thank you again for your superb work in marketing and selling our home. As you know, it was with a bit of reluctance that we decided to use a realtor in the sale of our home. We really couldn't see how it could be all that different from trying to sell the home ourselves.

 

Boy, were we wrong! It was such a relief to turn over the task to a professional and to know that our needs were being taken care of. Everything from advertising, to open houses, to inspections, the last-minute details of the final contract- it was so reassuring to have a pro in charge and on our side. Your dedication and expertise eliminated a tremendous amount of stress for us and resulted in the prompt sale pf our home, something that doesnt always happen. 

 -Kirkman & Nanci Gardiner

 

 Don was invalueable in helping me sell my home. This included guidance in preparing my home for the market, and tireless promotion of my home in the market place. I was absent from my home while it was marketed and Don attended to the details of home care and maintenance. His efforts did not stop with the initial accepted offer but continued through the escrow process and the maze of paperwork until the close of escrow.

 

Don's care and attendtion during the sale of my home far exceeded my expectations. He is a miracle worker 

                                                                                                           - Marjorie Luke

 

I am sending this letter as a commendation of Mr. Don Haws. I am Mr. Pierre Nicolas' property manager and I dealt with Mr. Don Haws on Pierre Nicolas purchase of a home in Santa Barbara. I was very impressed with the service provided by Mr. Haws. He is the best and most pleasant real estate agent or broker I have ever dealt with.

- Ed Mamer

 

We have personally known you for 6 years now, and I have enjoyed working with you on the past four (4) real estate transactions, (3) three of which have taken place in the neighborhood of Bel Air Knolls. 

 

Before moving back to the Santa Barbara area, we were involved in renovating residential property in Seattle, Washington. Of the several realtors we worked with on our transactions there, none of them compared with the exceptional service you have shown us.  

 

Of the multiple homes we have bought and sold with your assistance, we have experienced nothing short of professional excellence. Your Honesty and Integrity are impeccable. Whether we were selling or buying, you had our best interest in mind.

- Jeff Doubet

 

It is with great pleasure that we pen a letter of recommendation for Don Haws for his well orchestrated and effective effort in the recent selling of our home in Goleta.  Don Haws set high personal and professional standards that other agents would do well to emulate. It was a pleasure doing business with him and he has our gratitude and special thanks.

- Kent and Vonzzaa Humpherys

 

I briefly attempted to market our home myself. However, we subsequently decided to list our home with Don Haws. Dons knowledge of the market place, attention to detail and quality service, helped us to quickly sell our home at a higher price than anticipated which more than offset the payment of his commission. 

 

Because of my many years of work experience overseeing real estate escrows, witnessing some "shaky details" and supervising escrow officers, I feel fortunate to have selected Don as my agent and highly recommend him without hesitation.

- James L. Dodd

 

Job requirements necessitated our family move to the Santa Barbara area. We selected Don Haws as our agent and the results were excellent. Don found us a home based on our needs before the majority of agents knew it was on the market.   He was able to negotiate an excellent and equitable agreement which was accepted over other offers in a multiple offer situation. 

 

As for the value of the home we purchased through Don, a full price back-up offer was accepted by the sellers and, in addition, we were offered $10,000 and the payment of Dons full commission by the would be back-up buyers to cancel escrow. Needless to say, we did not.  I highly recommend Don to you and know you will find him to be very knowledgeable, extremely hardworking, honest and a pleasure to work with.

- F. Dean Fletcher

 

When my wife and I first decided to sell our home, a good friend, Bill Draper said to us, "If you want the best realtor in Santa Barbara, Don Haws is your person." Taking his advice proved to be an excellent decision. From our first meeting with you we felt confident that you would take care of our best interests.

 

Through the months that we worked closely with you, we found you to be a person of honor and integrity. It has been a privilege to know you. Thank you for all you did in our behalf.

- Martin S. Tidwell

 

 

Thanks for your patience and professionalism in the representation of the sale and purchase of our         properties. Your knowledge and experience were critical to the transaction that involved a 1031 tax exchange and property tax basis transfer.

Having been a real estate agent myself, I understand the difficulties involved and the coordination necessary for a property sale or purchase. Our transaction was particularly difficult...The coordination efforts involved in finding a cooperative, qualified buyer and a replacement property in a specific price range with a cooperative seller. We ultimately had a successful concurrent closing transaction that my wife considered a miracle.

Your patience to work with us in this endeavor has extended over a year and a half. Your efforts of walking neighborhoods and talking to the residents resulted in helping us locate the perfect replacement property. We could not be more pleased with the new house as it provides all of the needs we were seeking for my mother as her primary residence such as downsizing, low maintenance, and a quiet neighborhood.

I have found you to be knowledgeable, professional, considerate and understanding.

Sincerely,

Skip Szymanski

 

We are truly blessed to have Don and Bill represent us in a speedy sale of our home in the Bel Air Knolls area. They hit the market with an infusion of energy and our house was only eleven days on the market! We received a good price considering the present market. Don and Bill were great negotiators during the sale and escrow because of their strength, skill and knowledge of the area. We highly recommend them as real ‘go-getters’!

Stephen and Fredrica Skov

 

Home First Aid

While today’s real estate market offers many opportunities to first-time buyers, it is important that buyers don’t view the purchase primarily as an investment. Historically, homeownership can build wealth over time, but buyers should not count on home values quickly rising in the short term.

 Most homeowners should budget for 1% of their home’s purchase price each year toward maintenance and repairs, according to financial experts. If the homeowner is hiring someone else to do the work, they should spend a little bit more. To help these costs, experts recommend setting aside some money each month in an emergency fund.

Buying Foreclosed Homes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – A study released yesterday by RealtyTrac.com and Trulia.com shows that more Americans than ever are interested in buying foreclosed properties.

 What’s the best way to buy a property?

 Buy from a bank and look for a REO, a real estate owned property. These are homes that fail to sell at auctions and are then put back on the market by the banks that own them.

 The bank clears any outstanding liens or loans against the house. And you’ll be able to inspect it firsthand, instead of just driving by.

 As you evaluate listings, make sure you don’t buy in a neighborhood that has an unusual number of foreclosed homes. It could keep prices constrained for a long time.

 Also, know that the Federal government is working to make the $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers available immediately to qualified buyers. This could help you close the gap if you don’t have enough for the down payment.

A Plan for Refinancing Your Mortgage

Homeowners seeking to refinance their mortgages may be surprised by the amount of paperwork required. During the “easy credit” years, some lenders did not require proof of income or documentation. Nowadays, most lenders require borrowers to provide pay stubs, banks statements, brokerage statements, and possibly tax returns. Self-employed individuals may be asked for a profit-and-loss statement. Those relying on bonus income should expect that most lenders will assume this year’s bonus will be a lot less than last year’s, which could make securing approval more difficult.

 Determining the amount of equity in the home is key to being approved for a new loan. Homeowners whose mortgage obligations are less than 80 percent of the home’s value are more likely to have refinancing options available to them. Other homeowners who are current on their mortgages, owe 80 percent to 105 percent of the home’s value, and have a loan owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac may be able to refinance under the government’s “Making Home Affordable” program.

 Other factors to take into consideration when refinancing are the property’s appraised value, the homeowners’ credit scores, whether or not the property has second mortgage, and the length of the original loan.

Source: C.A.R. Mortgage Update

Thursday, May 28, 2009

1043 Portesuello Ave - SOLD


Inviting & Distinguished Bel Air Knolls Home
This home features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and is located in a natural setting. The floor plan is very spacious, light and open. The kitchen has a resurfaced butcher block island counter, pull out pantry shelves and lazy susan shelves in one corner. The dining room has oak hardwood floors. The master bedroom has crown molding and French doors that lead to your spa. Outside there is a walkway up to a deck that has captivating views of the city and mountains. This home is located in Bel Air Knolls which is an upscale neighborhood close to shopping and leisure pursuits.

$1,029,000

Property Type: Single Family
MLS Number: 09-69
Year Built: 1961
Square Feet: 2303
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Lot Size: 27,878
Stories: 1
Company: Coldwell Banker
Agent: Don Haws, Bill Coker
Phone: 895-7653
Email: donhaws@coldwellbanker.com

3706 Lido Way - JUST SOLD!



Hidden Valley home with 4 bedrooms 2 baths, hardwood floors, used brick fireplace in living room. Bright cul-de-sac location, detached 2 car garage with extra parking in driveway. Needs updating but is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to make it their own.

$729,000

Property Type: Single Family
MLS Number: 09-1263
Year Built: 1959
Square Feet: 1779
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Lot Size: 85x100
Garage: 2
Stories: 1
Company: Coldwell Banker
Agent: Don Haws, Bill Coker
Phone: 895-7653, 689-7415
Email: donhaws@coldwellbanker.com, billcoker@coldwellbanker.com



Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Current Market Conditions

The current drop between a seller’s initial list price and eventual sales price for the month of April is approximately 13%. There is approximately 7 ¼ months of housing inventory on the market. The tipping point between a Buyer’s and Seller’s market is 6 months of inventory. Therefore, we are in a Buyer’s market, but by no means overwhelmingly so.

The Hot Spot for sales is between $500,000 and $850,000 in sales price with one hot anomaly between $1,000,000 and $1,011,000 with 5 sales during April.

Historical Perspective:
If we take a 4 year average for the first 4 months of the year (years 2005 thru 2008) and compare it with the first 4 months of 2009, we get the following results concerning single family homes for the South Coast County (Carptineria thru Goleta).

Sales are Down 28%
Median Sales Price is Down 31%
Homes with Sales Pending Down 18%
Homes falling out of Escrow Up 84%
The Fall-Through percentage for Jan-Apr is Up 16.4%
New Listings is Up 9%
The Median List Price is Up 2%

The following 2 graphs for Home Sales Price and Median Sales Price for the year 2000 to the present , from January thru April is shown below: