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The Four Biggest Mistakes when Planning your Move
In the journey of life, moving homes is comparable to a long-distance road trip. It is not a project you want to take on without a lot of thought. A few tips from the experts can keep you from taking some unhappy detours. Try to avoid these potholes:

1. Getting a Late Start
It's four weeks until moving day, and you realize you're facing a mountain of responsibilities and you waited too long to tackle them. Well, there's no time like the present! Assuming you've already donated or sold the belongings you aren't taking with you, you may want to consider temporary storage for other pieces. And time is ticking for such tasks as making necessary repairs for the next homeowner and informing necessary contacts about your pending move.

2. Failing to Hire a Mover
Don't be fooled by how easily you think you can pack up your entire house and move everything to your destination. Sure, you may have lifelong friends willing to help, but there are good reasons to reconsider utilizing their help. First, wrap your head around the scope of the project - and then double it! The range and details involved in moving a household may surprise you. The physical toll of moving your own furniture can affect your health; and if friends are helping, you're risking their backs and necks, too, whereas professional movers have the skill, experience and equipment to move all your household items safely without harm to themselves or your property.

3. Not Understanding your Moving Contract
Maybe you did hire a moving company. What could possibly go wrong? Before you choose a company, make sure you receive all the information up front. Issues like fuel or overtime charges should not be afterthoughts. Details that should be covered in your contract with a moving company include scope of the job; what items need to be packaged and if your estimate includes this; accessorial charges; replacement value; and inventory sheets.

4. Lack of Preparation at Your New Home
Is your new place ready for you? If you bought a house that needs new flooring, a change of appliances or a new interior paint job, you want to get those tasks done before moving your belongings into place, if possible. You want the wind at your back and a smooth, newly-paved route before you when you're moving day arrives. Of course, certain bumps come with the territory when you're moving, but planning and preparation act as shock absorbers in the process. Just keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the prize!
Camelot Moving & Storage 255-3112

Save the Date!
Monday | June 11
RE/MAX Presents SCV Youth Project Golf Classic
Held at TPC Valencia, the Golf Classic begins with a 7am registration and 9am shotgun start. Early registration and sponsorship opportunities are available. The SCV Youth Project is a non-profit organization that provides free counseling to teens dealing with depression, suicide, drug and alcohol addiction, LGBTQ issue, abuse, neglect, grief and loss, pregnancy and bullying. Active on 10 SCV school sites, it has served more than 30,000 teens and families by providing one-on-one counseling, support groups, outreach and crisis intervention. Co-chairs Kathy Watterson and Danny Walsh of Kathy Watterson of RE/MAX of Santa Clarita are co-chairing, so you know it's going to be a great event! 510-0321

Finding a Perfect Mortgage Fit
Buying a home is one of the most exciting, and oftentimes overwhelming, decisions we make. We dream of a place to call our own and build our future - and that's exciting. But it also comes with a lot of questions and unknowns. You might be pondering, "What are the costs of homeownership - really?," "How much can I actually afford?," "What could the benefits be to buying a house now?" and "What kind of loan should I get?"

These questions can really stress you out - unless you have a team of financing pros by your side. An experienced, service-driven pro, like those at Fit Mortgage, will help you consider your budget as a whole - factoring in homeowner's insurance, association dues, maintenance costs, property taxes and more. They'll also help you estimate how much "home" you really can afford. A good estimate is two to three times your annual household income, but it also depends on your savings and debts, your down payment size and your credit/employment history. As for types of loans, the options can be overwhelming without a clear guide - but once your team has an understanding of your goals, like how long you hope to live in this home, a "best fit" can be selected.

All this thinking and calculating might seem like a lot of work, but the benefits are worth it. You'll enjoy savings when you deduct your property taxes and mortgage-loan interest and it will feel good to build equity, which can function like a savings account that you can cash in when you sell or borrow against it. (Consult your tax expert!).
Fit Mortgage pros are always available to answer your questions, whether you're looking to buy your first home or ready to move up. 818-524-1678

Grand-opening Anticipation with Move-in Jubilation
New Luxury Homes from the Low $700,000's
At Plum Canyon in Santa Clarita, you'll like what you see: spacious single- and two-story homes built with renowned Toll Brothers quality - all with remarkable views, an appealing community recreation center and easy access to great public schools, major freeways and outdoor recreation. And that's not mentioning the future eight-acre park scheduled to open in the winter of 2019. Want an up-close-and-personal look? You're invited to experience the grand opening of the Avalon Model on Saturday, April 7 from 11am to 2pm at Toll Brothers at Plum Canyon.
tollbrothers.com

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Finance of America Mortgage is a Real Estate Pro Partner
by Haley Freeman
With the strength of Finance of America Mortgage behind them, Mike Ross and his team are delivering unprecedented support to Realtors. They are standing with real estate partners to preserve the integrity of their profession and elevate their service to clients. "We are hearing a lot these days that the real estate sales community is in trouble and being challenged by online brokers and even lenders that are trying to put them out of business. Our goal is to shoot those down by helping agents increase their business and make more money. We're focused on finding ways to bring leads to our agents, not the other way around. As we're building out our office in Valencia, we are catering to the real estate community. We have what we call our 'wow room,' equipped with a green screen where our real estate partners can come in and create videos and marketing. They can also hang out and do business. We want to offer something different," says Ross.

An energetic leader with a glass-half-full outlook on life, Mike is attracting other professionals with a positive spirit and people-oriented approach to business. "Nobody works for me who doesn't care about the person they're serving. They have to care about the community and the person who is making the biggest investment of their lives. When I interview someone, I like to find out about their family, their hobbies, where they've traveled. Through those things you find out what kind of person you have in front of you. That's what matters to me. We want quality, not quantity. I think we have a great story to tell here. We're an amazing group made up of individuals who have won every production award out there. But we're also enjoying a lot of fun and laughter, and we service the heck out of our customer." from Executive Agent Magazine
Finance of America Mortgage 481-2015
2018 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide NMLS ID #1071 (nmlsconsumeraccess.org) 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044. (800) 355-5626. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversightunder the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act