Katie Cotter

Call me! I'm outstanding and I'm liberal with referral fees.
Katie Cotter
Century 21
562 230-0896 - Wed Jul 16 2008, 14:13

Cherie's answer sounds good about the credit scores...

However, I actually have income property of my own, that I manage, so I can help you in thinking about "renting" your condo in general.

Credit scores are great. Most landlords require reports.

I look at rental history, too... how long do they usually stay in one place? And do they have references?

Some people credit scores than aren't perfect (like me after my divorce) -- and some people have great credit, but they move alot, which means vacancies.

Great question, good answer from Cherie-- but remember to "go with your gut" when selecting a person to live in your property! - Wed Jul 16 2008, 14:09

Hi Buttercup:

There are areas in Long Beach that are "more popular" and usually price says it all! Long Beach is a big city! I work it all the time and there are lots and lots of neighborhoods to consider... I live here, too.

The good news is that since prices are lower right now, you money goes a lot further than it did a couple of years back.

Let me give you a brief run down "hotspots:"

Naples, Belmont Shore, Park Estates, Bixby Knolls -- higher-end, very popular
Belmont Heights, Los Altos, California Heights, parts of Lakewood -- higher-end of moderate, still pretty popular
Rose Park, Wrigley, Alamitos Beach, other parts of Lakewood -- more affordable, somewhat popular
The Westside and North Long Beach -- more affordable, some very happy residents

Does this help? Best thing to do is get pre-qualified at a house payment you can afford and then look with an agent, highly experienced in this area (me), and see if you like what you can afford?

Katie Cotter
562 230-0896 cell - Wed Jul 16 2008, 14:03

I really liked Jim's answer! He's right. A lot of top-producers go on about how many and how big -- but there's a huge difference between a LOT of work and GOOD work.

Here's some subtle ways to help you evaluate an agent...

Are they listening to you when you talk, or do they do all the talking?

Look at some of the current listings in your area on the computer and see how they look in comparison to others! That's how I get business... people see my advertising and my "solds" and call me!

While you're making your decision, see if the agent is easy to contact, if they answer your messages promptly, if they are polite while they're waiting -- or if they pester or ignore you.

These are usually signs of things to come! - Wed Jul 16 2008, 13:31

Dear Connie:

I live in California where common fences are prevelant in my area of Long Beach, Lakewood, etc. I have two myself. One with my side neighbor and one with my back neighbor.

I try to always start with the "best case" scenario. It is highly likely that the new owner will be just as upset as you are about not having a fence...

Depending on who buys the house -- you could find that the neighbor will be "delighted" that you're willing to pay for half!

In my case-- with my own fence-- I had one neighbor who wanted an extremely EXPENSIVE fence and one neighbor who was willing to go with something reasonable.

(And then, there was me, who wanted something CHEAP).

We worked it all out. We each got estimates.

We all compromised and went with "reasonable" because that was a good compromise -- and we each paid the contractor individually, so no one had to worry about collecting from the other neighbor. The contractor took checks from us independently and didn't start until they cleared.

Good luck...sorry about the mishap. - Wed Jul 16 2008, 13:20