Historic Homes Blog

When you think about Floral Park, you always think of the charm and ambience of the 20’s and 30’s and a “kinder, gentler” lifestyle.  And if you ever dreamed of living in a true Tudor, now is your chance.  This beautiful 4 bedroom 2 bath home has been beautifully cared for and loved and maintains the charm of yesterday.  Sparkling Hardwood Floors greet you as you enter the foyer; the expansive living room has beautiful ceiling details and an arched fireplace.  The Formal Dining Room is perfect for entertaining and has loads of windows.  The ceramic tile kitchen opens to the huge, sunny breakfast room.

The park-like grounds are exquisite and so inviting and have a brick patio and separate barbeque area. Upstairs the Master Bedroom has a private deck overlooking the back gardens as well an expanded walk in closet.  In addition to all this, there is a mammoth walk-in attic which provides for great storage and expansion possibilities beyond belief as it has high ceilings and skylights.  Let your imagination go wild!!

Lenders are sending out the alert! Now is the time to Lock Your Rate!! The Feds are on the move and we cannot expect these excellent rates to last!! Jeff Parks at Home Security Financial has been talking about this for weeks and Brian Brady of Mortgagerates.com posted a video yesterday on Youtube saying now is the time. See Brian at http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/long-beach-mortgage-rates-report-june-19-2008 in a one minute video as he explains the market in a capsule.

We are advising all our buyers who are looking at Historic properties in Floral Park and all other areas to Lock in the best rate they can today!!

Currently 9 listings in FLORAL PARK for sale - Average price is $841,877 and the Average days on market is 124 (Soon to be one more listing - stay tuned!)

Currently 18 listings in WEST FLORAL PARK for sale - Average price is $630,588 and the Average days on market is 93

Currently 32 listings in PARK SANTIAGO for sale - Average price is $558,288 and the Average days on market is 125

Currently 5 listings in FISHER PARK for sale - Average price is $740,560 and the Average days on the market is 58

In all 4 neighborhoods the Average price is $631,181 and the Average days on the market is 105. The range of Price in these neighborhoods is from $325,000 to $2,749,900.

In addition, there 2 spectacular Estate Homes for sale in Floral Park, one for $2.650,000 and one for $2,749,900 million! These are both completely unique and remarkable.

If you have been watching the interest rates lately, you have noted that they have been gradually creeping up. We did have a 1/4 point drop on Tuesday, but, by and large, rates have been on a consistent climb. As Laurie Manny has said, “Cheap rates may be a thing of the past” see http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/real-estate/Long-Beach-Mortgage-Information

Even with the new jumbo FHA, we are seeing buyers who just cannot qualify due to the interest rates.

If you or one of your friends are one of those who have been waiting to see the market “turn”, you might take note. The number of sales has been rising and the number of multiple offers is high and rates are rising. Sounds like a combination to push the prices up!!

Sales are really picking up throughout Southern California. We have seen this in Floral Park recently, and as I was reading Laurie Manny’s blog this morning, I noted that she also said things are really moving in Long Beach, see www.longbeachrealestate.com. Buyers have figured out that prices are at their lowest point in a long time and interest rates are beginning to rise. Those buyers who do not have their rates locked in may be surprised when they make a loan application.

Jeff Parks of Home Security Financial said he has seen a lot of volatility in the interest market right now, contact him at 714.809.3022 or jeffreyp@hsf.biz for more information rates and the mortgage market.

All that being said, this is the time to buy… before you miss the window of opportunity.

It was a delightful surprise to be asked to be interviewed by an Activerainblogger. Amanda was looking for veteran agents to comment on this market and real estate in general. It was amazing in reading it, some of the things that came to mind.

Check out this link to read the interview and I invite your comments. http://activerain.com/blogsview/526323/Interview-with-Sandy-De

The number of pending sales has increased drastically in the last month!! Stats and more information about this is noted in the CAR newsletter www.car.org article regarding the tremendous increase in “pending sales”. This is exciting news for sellers and also a little startling for buyers. It is almost commonplace now to have multiple offers with 3-4 offers on well priced homes. While a number of these are short sales and bank owned, the market is obviously changing and the investors coming back.

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In the movie “Father of the Bride,” the parents of the bride could have lived in this exquisite Floral Park Cade Cod home. From the center hall entry to the elegant stairway to the wall of French doors which open to the pool and back yard, this home has it all. Even a private sauna! A newer granite counter top kitchen with a commercial stove and built in refrigerator and even a basement!

Who would have thought you could find such a spectacular Cape Cod in Historic Floral Park, Santa Ana, California? Click on the photo for more information and call for a personal tour!

I look forward to seeing you at the Floral Park Home and Garden Tour on April 26th and 27th from 10-4pm. This home will be open as an added attraction!

It is hard to believe that a fabulous Historic Art Deco home in Floral Park California can be improved upon, but it is true. Floral Park is known for its cornucopia of homes from Cape Cod, Spanish, California Monterey, English Tudor to French Mansard, but an Art Deco home is a rare treasure. And one that has been lovingly and painstakingly restore and enhanced is even rarer. The owners of this home have expanded the kitchen, added a family room with a wall of French doors to the beautiful back yard. They also added a state-of-the-art office behind the garage. From the lush landscaping to the artistic railings on the master suite balcony, this Art Deco home is a dream come true.

And if that is not enough — this home is on the Santa Ana Historical Registry and, therefore, qualified for the Mills Act. This means that the property tax is greatly reduced — about 25% of the regular property tax bill.

You can save a tremendous amount of property tax by using the Mills Act! In fact, many homeowners have saved up to 75% of the regular tax bill for their home. 

The amount of tax you pay is not based on the actual sales price and the tax assessor uses a unique formula to determine the exact amount. 

The property MUST be on an historic registry in order to participate in the Mills Act, but if yours does, you are in for a great savings.  Check out this website for more detailed information.