From our family to yours – Merry Christmas!
With love,
Susan & Sabrina
The Caton Team
Study: Half of Phishing Websites Use Padlock Security Icon
A common piece of cybersecurity advice is to look for the padlock icon to appear in your browser bar when you visit websites. This icon, ostensibly, indicates that the website is secure. But that advice may no longer be fool-proof.
New research from PhishLabs, a digital risk assessment company, shows that about half of all phishing websites use technology that displays the padlock icon to visitors. That’s an added challenge for real estate, which was the second-most targeted industryhit with malware events in the second quarter of 2018, according to a recent report from cybersecurity firm eSentire. Cybercriminals are increasingly attempting to infiltrate your transactions and steal your data.
The “https” protocol in website URLs usually signals that data is encrypted as it travels between browser and website. A poll of web users in December 2017 showed that more than 80 percent of respondents associated the padlock with a website that is either legitimate or safe. “Browser makers are fighting back by working with security firms to identify and block new phishing sites, but some manage to evade being flagged,” TechSpot reports on the findings.” The safest option is to not input your details if you have any suspicions about a website, even if it does have a padlock.”
Source:
“Half of All Phishing Sites Display the Padlock, Making People Think They’re Safe,” TechSpot (Nov. 27, 2018)
I read this article at: Realtor Magazine
Got Questions – The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the upmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com
Call us at: 650-568-5522 Office: 650-365-9200
The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat
How to Buy While Selling Real Estate
Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton Team
Visit us at: Our Blog * TheCatonTeam.com * Facebook * Instagram * HomeSnap* Pintrest * LinkedIN Sabrina * LinkedIN Susan
Thanks for reading – Sabrina
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
Sabrina DRE# 01413526 / Susan DRE #01238225 / Team DRE# 70000218/ Office DRE #01499008
The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
Large, Small Markets See Diverging Pricing Trends
A tale of two housing markets is unfolding nationwide, with homes in large cities seeing deep price cuts while those in smaller markets experience growth, according to realtor.com®’s November housing report. “The housing market is a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ as the divergence widens between high-cost, large urban areas and smaller, more affordable markets,” says realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Buyers in large metros are seeing more homes on the market and listing prices decline, while those in smaller markets continued to see price increases.”
Twenty-two percent of listings nationwide saw price reductions last month, up from 19 percent a year ago, according to realtor.com©. Forty of the 45 largest markets in the country saw more price reductions in November, with the most in:
- San Jose, Calif. (up 16 percent)
- Indianapolis (up 15 percent)
- Seattle (up 12 percent)
- San Francisco (up 9 percent)
- San Diego (up 9 percent).
On the other hand, several smaller markets saw home prices still rising last month. For example, prices were on the rise in markets like Chattanooga, Tenn. (up 17 percent); Spokane, Wash. (up 15 percent); and Greensboro-High Point, N.C. (up 14 percent).
I read this article at: Reatlor Magazine
Got Questions – The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the utmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com
Call us at: 650-568-5522 Office: 650-365-9200
The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat
How to Buy While Selling Real Estate
Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton Team
Visit us at: Our Blog * TheCatonTeam.com * Facebook * Instagram * HomeSnap* Pintrest * LinkedIN Sabrina * LinkedIN Susan
Thanks for reading – Sabrina
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
Sabrina DRE# 01413526 / Susan DRE #01238225 / Team DRE# 70000218/ Office DRE #01499008
The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
Resources for Buyers Struggling With Down Payments
First-time buyer surveys consistently show the top hurdle to homeownership is saving up for the down payment. But potential home shoppers may be misunderstanding the amount of money they really need to buy a home.
“Paying 20 percent down is, quite frankly, a myth,” Karen Hoskins, vice president at NeighborWorks, told HouseLogic. “Most buyers pay only 5 percent to 10 percent down—some even pay zero.”
Several assistance programs exist to help buyers with down payment concerns break into homeownership. For example, 69 percent of about 2,500 homebuying programs tracked by Down Payment Resource offer down payment assistance. The average amount of assistance from these programs tops $11,000.
HouseLogic offers several places where buyers can search for down payment assistance, including through national government programs. The Federal Housing Administration offers loans to first-time buyers with down payments as low as 3.5 percent. Programs like the USDA Rural Development Loans and VA Home Loans offer eligible buyers zero down payment loans.
Mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer eligible buyers loans where they can put down as little as 3 percent of the purchase price. When buyers put down less than 20 percent, they pay private mortgage insurance each month to protect the lender’s interest.
Many state and local homebuying programs offer assistance programs too. There are many different forms of assistance, such as forgivable loans and grants (gifts for some or all of the down payment and closing costs) to soft mortgages (down payment assistance loans that are deferred for some period of time based on the program’s requirements).
To find a program, HouseLogic recommends NeighborWorks, which provides housing counselors to discuss mortgage options for free, and the Down Payment Resource, where buyers can check their eligibility for assistance programs. Mortgage brokers should also be able to supply buyers with information about programs in their area and help determine eligibility.
Read the full scope of your buyers’ options and share the available resources for down payments—or no down payments—on HouseLogic.
Source:
“Known Ways You Can Buy a House With No Down Payment,” HouseLogic.com (December 2018)
I read this article at: Realtor.com
Got Questions – The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the upmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com
Call us at: 650-568-5522 Office: 650-365-9200
The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat
How to Buy While Selling Real Estate
Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton Team
Visit us at: Our Blog * TheCatonTeam.com * Facebook * Instagram * HomeSnap* Pintrest * LinkedIN Sabrina * LinkedIN Susan
Thanks for reading – Sabrina
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
Sabrina DRE# 01413526 / Susan DRE #01238225 / Team DRE# 70000218/ Office DRE #01499008
The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
House hunting for first-time homebuyers: is there a right way?
A lot of buyers, especially first-timers, worry about whether or not they’re going about their home search the right way.
On the one hand, buyers fret that if they find their “dream home” too early, they might be missing out on something better. But, on the other, if the process takes a while, they worry that they’ll never find a home that works for them. The FOMO is real.
Keep reading to find out if you’re on track with your home search and what you should do if you find that you need to go back to the drawing board.
How many homes should you see?
Honestly, that depends. While we understand the impulse to try and rely on hard-and-fast statistics, homebuying is a truly personal experience rather than a science.
Trust your intuition. You know your needs, likes, and dislikes better than anyone else. You’ll know when you’ve landed on the property that makes the most sense for you to call home.
That said, though, there are a few things you can do to help speed your search along:
If you’ve been looking for a while and haven’t really found anything that meets your needs, it might be time to redefine search criteria. Sit down and take some time to think about which features you really need to have in your new home versus which are more nice-to-have, wishlist items.
Narrowing your search
Sometimes, narrowing search criteria can get tricky. If you’re unsure of where to start, try using the following as a starting point.
Neighborhoods
Focusing in on a particular area is one of the easiest ways to refine your search. You can start by doing research into different neighborhoods by you. Think about what you commute to work will look like, if the area has amenities that you enjoy, the quality of the school district, and home values.
With that in mind, though, you getting too hung up on a particular zip code can also limit your criteria. The key is keep an ideal location in mind while still staying open to possibility.
Bedrooms & bathrooms
When searching for a house, you should have a firm idea of how many bedrooms and bathrooms you’re after. Whether you’re just looking to accommodate yourself and the occasional guest, are thinking about starting a family in the near future, or want the option to convert a spare bedroom into an office, this information will surely help narrow your search.
We advise against compromising on this feature because, while it is possible to put an addition on later, doing so takes a substantial amount of time and effort. More often than not, homeowners find that they would rather put their home on the market than go through the hassle of trying to renovate it to fit their changing needs.
Sale price
This is the big one. Once you have the above two details settled, it’s time to narrow your search results further to only those homes that you can truly afford. If you’ve already applied for a pre-approval, that number can be a good place to start. However, remember that a pre-approval shows the maximum amount that you can ask for in a loan. You may not want to borrow up to that amount once you factor in the rest of your monthly expenses.
To find a more comfortable sale price, we recommend using a mortgage calculator to get a sense of what your monthly payment could look like at various loan amounts and interest rates. Then, once you’ve landed on a number that works for you, try plugging that into your monthly budget to get a sense of how the payment will feel in addition to your other costs.
Now what?
The good news is that once you’ve narrowed your search down, your pool of available properties will likely be much smaller than it was before – and much more targeted to meet your needs. From here, your search will be about zeroing in on your perfect match on the basis of which property was the best fit for your personal tates.
You’ll know when a property feels like it could become home versus when you’d be trying to make the best of an imperfect situation. Keep hunting until you find the former.
This article originally appeared on OpenListings.
Got Questions – The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the upmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com
Call us at: 650-568-5522 Office: 650-365-9200
The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat
How to Buy While Selling Real Estate
Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton Team
Visit us at: Our Blog * TheCatonTeam.com * Facebook * Instagram * HomeSnap* Pintrest * LinkedIN Sabrina * LinkedIN Susan
Thanks for reading – Sabrina
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
Sabrina DRE# 01413526 / Susan DRE #01238225 / Team DRE# 70000218/ Office DRE #01499008
The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
From our family to yours…
Happy Thanksgiving
This is my favorite holiday. To sit around the table with family and friends, to share good food and love – we are blessed.
We hope you and yours has a marvelous Thanksgiving!
With love,
The Caton Family
12 Things to Do to Keep Your Home in Tip-Top Shape
Whether you just bought your first house (and spend your weekends ripping up the heinous shag carpeting) or you’ve been living under the same roof for the past 15 years, there are certain things every homeowner should do. Since that list can feel daunting fast, we’ve put together a run down of just the essentials. Here, 12 things to do to keep your home in check.
Annually:
Schedule pest control maintenance. This one’s nonnegotiable. Get your house inspected once a year for termites, even if you don’t spot them outright. (There’s a reason termites are called the hidden invader.) We recommend hiring a Certified Sentricon Specialist who can install and service the Sentricon system, a trusted and proven termite baiting system. The system effectively eliminates those pesky colonies and protects your home from future colonies moving into the neighborhood. The cost and headache of termite damage is not something anyone wants to deal with.
Inspect the roof. Thanks to good ole Mother Nature, your roof takes a hefty beating while protecting you and your family from the elements. That’s why it’s critical to inspect for holes and cracks. To check for water damage, look at the walls and ceilings for signs such as moisture marks, brown stains or peeling paint. Also, if you notice missing or damaged shingles, have them replaced immediately.
Check the foundation. This sounds more intense than it really is. All you need to do is walk around the outside of the house and look for overgrown vegetation around the exterior of the foundation. Plus, take notice of any evidence of pests, mold or mildew that might need your attention. What’s more, if windows and doors that once operated smoothly aren’t working anymore, you most likely have a major structural issue.
Monthly:
Clean your washing machine. File this one under housekeeping tasks you had zero clue you needed to do: Wash your washing machine. Yep. Apparently, all those sudsy cycles can cause mold and mildew, which in turn causes your “clean” clothes to—ew—smell. Here’s an easy fix for both top- and front-loading machines.
Disinfect your range hood and oven. These heavily used appliances can become caked with grease and grime. To make the hood shine like new, remove the filters, soak them in a solution of hot water and dish soap, and then brush clean. For the oven, coat the interior with a mixture of baking soda and water and let it sit overnight. Spritz it with vinegar in the morning and wipe down.
Clean faucet aerators. In order to produce a consistent flow of water, every faucet in your home is fitted with an aerator. Over time, aerators can become clogged with mineral deposits, causing low water pressure (and we all know that’s a big no-no). To prevent this, clean the aerator once a month to remove blockage-causing debris. It’s not difficult, we promise.
Weekly:
Wash your bedding. This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many people neglect this simple chore. Even if you shower before hopping into bed, your sheets and pillowcases still collect dirt, debris and dead skin cells. Yuck. Toss your bedding into the washer once a week on a hot or warm cycle to kill any germs.
Wipe down ceiling fans. They might be out of sight, out of mind—until you give that baby a whirl and start an indoor allergen tornado. Give your sinuses a break and save yourself a vacuuming session with this clever trick. All you need is a pillowcase and a sturdy stepladder.
Clean the garbage disposal. Sure, these guys are great for devouring our leftovers, but if they don’t get a little TLC, you’re asking for trouble. Well, more like smell. Here’s our favorite five-second trick for banishing odors from the garbage disposal: Simply use a knife to strip off a lemon rind and drop it down the disposal followed by tap water. Run the disposal for a few seconds and revel in the fresh scent of lemony goodness.
Daily:
Reset the room. Nightly TV binges, scattered toys and misplaced items can take a toll on some rooms in your home, especially the living room. Before going to sleep, take a moment to reset. Fold the blankets, straighten the couch pillows and put away all the toys. This way, everything will be nice and neat when you wake up. Plus, your house will look put together if you have unexpected company.
Wipe down surfaces. Kitchen, bathroom, side tables, dressers…you get the picture. Between grimy fingerprints, drink stains and general use, you’d be surprised how dirty these surfaces can be. Put on some music, grab a bottle of disinfectant and start wiping.
Check your fridge before you take out the trash. If anything smells funky or is clearly past its prime, chuck it now while you have the trash bag in hand. Once this becomes part of your garbage routine, you’ll be amazed how much cleaner (and less moldy) you’ll be able to keep your refrigerator.
I read this article at: purewow.com
Got Questions – The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the upmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com
Call us at: 650-568-5522 Office: 650-365-9200
The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat
How to Buy While Selling Real Estate
Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton Team
Visit us at: Our Blog * TheCatonTeam.com * Facebook * Instagram * HomeSnap* Pintrest * LinkedIN Sabrina * LinkedIN Susan
Thanks for reading – Sabrina
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
Sabrina DRE# 01413526 / Susan DRE #01238225 / Team DRE# 70000218/ Office DRE #01499008
The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
