15402 GRAMERCY, Gardena (SOLD | Jason Ma, PhD represented Seller)

Buying a home can often be a time-consuming undertaking - but it doesn't have to be. Want to speed up your purchase? Here's how: Act fast when there's a home you like. If you like a property, put in an offer that day. Get preapproved for your mortgage. This will speed up your loan approval. Have all your financial documentation organized for your preapproval.This should include recent bank account statements, pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, etc. Respond quickly. When your agent needs your input or your loan officer requests something, respond immediately. Remember that any delays on your end will only delay your closing, so act with urgency and stay in touch.

If you're on the fence about buying a home, now's the time to hop off. With national rents at all-time highs, American renters are now paying more than ever to live on someone else's property. On top of this, renting also means: Less design freedom and flexibility Little privacy, peace and quiet Parking, space and storage issues Building equity for someone else (not yourself!) No long-term ROI or credit benefit, despite making on-time payments With rents only continuing to rise (meaning saving money for a down payment is getting harder), there's never been a better time to get out of the rent race.

Buyers selected outdoor space as an important feature in a home. About half of all buyers said that decks, patios and yard were required or desired. But guess what other home feature is far more important to buyers? Air conditioning! That's right, according to a massive annual consumer study from the Zillow Group, most buyers – 62 percent – want air conditioning in their homes. The good news is that 65 percent of all homes in the U.S. have central air conditioning while another 27 percent have individual air conditioning units. With those numbers, it's no surprise that keeping cool is more important to home shoppers than decks, patios and yards!