Ann Stefanucci's (annstefanucci) Blog

In a new report from NAR (okay, it was in May), they state that international buyers of US real estate properties have increased 24% over the past 12 months. Pretty incredible, and an interesting picture of our economy and just how much international consumers are having an impact on the real est...

The Orange County, California real estate market has been called “hot” in the news quite a bit lately.  A “hot” real estate market means there is competition not only between different homes but between mutiple offers for one home. Having your home in the best possible "sell-ready" condition make...

Summertime is upon us!  The fun, the sun, the friends, the family, the vacation...the jump in your electric bill. Yep, running the air conditioner makes a big difference in our electric bills, but you would be amazed at the other things we don't think about that also make a big difference.  The C...

It's not too late to do your spring cleaning if you haven't already.  Many people get so busy that it's summer by the time they get to it.  If that's the case with you, here is a handy checklist to help you get it done. Kitchen: Dust and vacuum your refridgerator coils - This can not only save yo...

It's been fascinating to watch the ups and downs of the slow recovery of our real estate market in Orange County and, as I stated numerous times last year, we're not there yet and we still have a ways to go. Good news does keep trickling in, however, and the latest report by Jon Lansner in the Or...

  One of the most important considerations in planning your move is to find the right neighborhood for you and your family. Beyond the practicalities and aesthetics of your new home, there are important points to consider about the area you're looking at possibly moving to. Here is a checklist of...

The number of foreclosures in Orange County continues to drop and over the past two weeks we have reached our lowest total of foreclosures countywide since June of 2010...nearly 2 years! What this means to you as a home buyer is that there will be fewer and fewer of these deals available as exper...

The beauty of stone countertops and ceramic tile has become more and more popular over the years.   It's no wonder, as these surfaces add a nice upscale touch to your home and actually add to the resale value. Though people love stone and tile for both the look and the durability, both do require...

A business associate of mine, Robert E. Toffel from USA National Title, shared his article with me concerning the usual beginning-of-the-year predictions that are surfacing in the real estate world. If there's anything to be learned here it's 1) improvement has been predicted, 2) decline has been...

There was a great article in the Orange County Register recently regarding 2012 and what real estate experts and insiders are predicting.   The overall concensus seems to be that we should see slight improvement in 2012, but the real improvement won't be realized until 2015 at the earliest. Camer...