The California housing market has been on a roller coaster ride in recent years. After experiencing a boom in 2020 and 2021, the market began to cool down in 2023. This was due to a number of factors, including rising interest rates, inflation, and a decline in stock prices.

In the second quarter of 2023, the median home price in California was $830,620, down from $880,000 in the first quarter. Home sales also declined by 14.2% year-over-year.

The slowdown in the housing market is presenting some challenges for both buyers and sellers. For buyers, the biggest challenge is affordability. With rising interest rates and home prices, it is becoming more difficult for buyers to qualify for a mortgage and afford a down payment.

For sellers, the biggest challenge is inventory. There is still a shortage of homes for sale in California, which is giving buyers the upper hand in negotiations. Sellers may need to be prepared to price their homes competitively and offer concessions to buyers in order to sell their homes quickly.

Challenges Buyers and Sellers Are Facing Right Now

Here is a summary of the challenges that buyers and sellers are facing in the California housing market in 2023:

Buyers:

• Affordability: Rising interest rates and home prices are making it more difficult for buyers to qualify for a mortgage and afford a down payment.
• Low inventory: There is a shortage of homes for sale in California, which is giving buyers the upper hand in negotiations.
• Competition: The California housing market is still competitive, even with the recent slowdown. Buyers need to be prepared to act quickly when they find a home that they love.

Sellers:

• Pricing: Sellers need to price their homes competitively in order to attract buyers.
• Concessions: Sellers may need to offer concessions to buyers, such as paying for closing costs or offering a home warranty.
• Marketing: Sellers need to market their homes effectively in order to reach a wide pool of potential buyers.

Tips for Buyers and Sellers

Here are some tips on how to buy a home in California in 2023 affordably:

Buyers:

• Get pre-approved for a mortgage before you start shopping for a home. This will give you an idea of how much money you can borrow and what your monthly payments will be.
• Work with a qualified real estate agent who can help you find the right home for your needs and budget.
• Be prepared to act quickly when you find a home that you love. The California housing market is competitive, so you need to be ready to make an offer right away.
• Be flexible on your budget and criteria. You may need to compromise on some things in order to find a home that you can afford.

And here are tips on how to sell your home in California quickly in 2023

Sellers:

• Price your home competitively. Get a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a real estate agent to determine what similar homes in your area are selling for.
• Be prepared to offer concessions to buyers. Buyers are more likely to make an offer on your home if you are willing to pay for closing costs or offer a home warranty.
• Market your home effectively. List your home on multiple real estate websites and hire a professional photographer to take photos of your home.
• By following these tips, buyers and sellers can increase their chances of success in the California housing market.

The California housing market is complex and ever-changing, but it is also a very exciting market to be in. With the right knowledge and preparation, buyers and sellers can succeed in this market.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in California, I encourage you to do your research and work with a qualified real estate agent. With the right team on your side, you can achieve your real estate goals. Renting could be an alternative too.  If you live in Los Angeles, California, or in the area, you can check out apartmentguide.com.

I hope this information has been helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sources:

• California Association of Realtors, “2023 California Housing Market Forecast“
• National Association of Realtors, “Existing-Home Sales Fall in July for Sixth Straight Month”
• Redfin, “California Housing Market Forecast 2023“
• Zillow, “California Home Prices Fall for First Time in Two Years“

“We go through three dozen life transitions in our lives; one every twelve to eighteen months. That’s more often than most people see a dentist.” – Bruce Feiler

I’m glad I was able to enroll in one of the courses being offered at my school. It is about strategies for building a resilient life.

But what is resilience, and how can we build it?

Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity. It is a skill that can be learned and developed over time.

One of the most important things we can do to build resilience is to change our mindset. When we view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, we are more likely to persevere and succeed.

I took down notes on how to be more resilient in uncertainty:

1. Accept and depersonalize. This means accepting that change is a part of life and that we cannot control everything. It also means depersonalizing negative events and not blaming ourselves for things that are beyond our control.
2. Regulate your nervous system. When we are stressed, our nervous system goes into “fight or flight” mode. This can lead to anxiety and other negative emotions. To regulate our nervous system, we can practice deep breathing, meditation, and other relaxation techniques.
3. Build and nurture relationships. Strong social support networks are essential for resilience. Make time for the people you care about and connect with others who share your values and interests.
4. Cultivate self-awareness. Understanding our own strengths, weaknesses, and values can help us to cope with challenges and make better decisions.
5. Mobilize your resources. This includes identifying and using the resources we have available to us, such as our skills, financial resources, and social network.

We did an exercise to develop a more resilient mindset. First, we identified our negative thoughts and anxious feelings. Then, we reframed those thoughts and feelings into a more positive perspective.

Here is an example of how I did the exercise:

Negative:

• Thought: My move is harder than I thought because it is full of variables.
• Feelings: I feel anxious because of this uncertainty.
• Action: I act in ways that affect the present by thinking too much about the future.
• Result: I sabotage what good I have in the present.

Positive:

• Thought: I have resources (family, friends, finances, skills) to support my stay here.
• Feelings: I feel more at ease. I can’t control the opportunities that come my way, but I can definitely take action to make myself ready for it. And you know me, if there are no opportunities, I make one myself.
• Action: I actually sat down and plotted out a structured diagram (path, options, resources) – a personal guide to make this a success. I just need to focus on the work that needs to be done. Everything that I do now, is an investment to a better future.
• Result: I’m actually inadvertently attracting opportunities because I feel my energy shifted from gloom and doom to grow and bloom!

Changing my mindset still does not remove the uncertainty, but it does make me feel more confident and resilient. I know that I will be alright, no matter what challenges come my way.

I am a multipotentialite. I have many interests and I learn fast. But you know, when you suddenly want to settle down on a field, it could get pretty tough. Companies will ask me why did I leave the Bank, went into Social Media, blogged full time and went back to work for a TV network, and then back to working for an E-commerce company?

Well, I think everything is related. Each of my different jobs were not a waste, they all added up to make my consequent jobs better. I go nowhere but up. I continuously learn and innovate and be creative in problem solving (which every job has a lot of).

So now, I sort of regretted making one career decision in my life. But again, at that time, I thought it was the best decision to do so. And now, I am eager to go back to making a difference to society again. Very eager and excited!

Whatever regrets I have, I must continue moving forward. Always keep going… never give up 🙂

When you’re 30, you have already been through a lot of things. At least, this already filters out what you like and don’t like – in love, relationships and career.

Right now, I am happy where I am. I know what I do not want. And I am very excited for my next endeavour.

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. ~Roald Dahl

Just a quick thought for today. I’m so inspired about David Archuleta’s positive outlook on life. He brightens up the room. His positivity is contagious. No wonder his fans are very supportive of him. Beautiful, inside and out.

Follow his journey here in the Philippines at FollowArchuleta.ph

Now, it’s your turn to spread the love and hate no more 🙂

I tried to attempt using digital planners since I have my phone with me ALWAYS!  But I’m old fashioned and I stick with pen and paper.  How about you?  Let me know what you prefer and why…

If you haven’t decided which planner to use yet, here’s a list of the good ‘ol fashion Pen and Paper planners:

1. Entrep Planner 2012

• It has business tips like how to register a business in the Philippines.
• It includes a Tax calendar.
• It also includes success stories and testimonials from renowned business people.

This planner is now on 30% off via Buyanihan.

2. Seatle’s Best 2012 Planner

• The one I currently use
• It includes coupons to free drinks.
• It includes fun stickers!
• 24 hours wi-fi mini coupon
• It has a month-calendar view and a free space for notes
• Note: no daily view, but it suits me well because I need notes more and the calendar view to go with it.

3.  Bo’s Coffee Planner 2012 “The Coffee Book”

• Also has a month-calendar view
• with free space for notes
• simple yet compact

4.  Sun Life Financial Planner 2012

• the planner aids you in achieving your goals
• has a Financial tracker of your goals and expenses

5.  Belle de Jour 2012 Planner

Stay organized in school or at work.  This planner is a chic carry-on!

6.  Starbucks Planner 2012

I’ve been hearing good feedback about this year’s Starbucks Planner for 2012

I know there’s more, but I’ve only highlighted these ones that I have browsed through myself.

What do you have for this year? 🙂

I’m always a planner when it comes to school, work, my daily activities, my own health and even with relationships.  I have a conservative approach in life and always prepare for the worst.  I believe that I don’t have the power to control events, other people’s actions or reactions, and the opportunities or chances that come my way.    But one thing is for sure – I am capable of controlling my own self and the choices I make.

The only constant thing in life is Change.

I can only plan ahead, and I like to plan for the worst to happen.  I’m fexible, and I adjust to the changes that happen in my life.  I believe that preparing for change (which always happens) is the best thing anyone could and should do.  I got this after reading “Who Moved My Cheese.”

I highly recommend everyone to read this – students, office people, moms, dads, everyone!

My first career as some of you might already know is Accountancy.  We studied the art of balancing for years!  Am I good at it?

yeah, you can say that I’m good at balancing 😛

On a serious note though, life needs a balance of everything.  You need to spend time for a little bit of work (for some, maybe a lot 😛 ), for your hobbies, for your loved ones, and for yourself.  You also need to balance your money. Simply put, you need to know how to balance what you ‘re earning and what you ‘re spending and of course, what you ‘re saving. And I know that ‘s not a simple task.

I think the biggest challenge anyone of my age has to face nowadays is the transition from being Daddy or Mommy ‘s little girl (or boy) to an independent woman (or man) and totally learning to live by your own means.  By the time we hit our 20s, it is imperative for us to learn the ropes on how to survive and manage our lives not just emotionally, mentally or psychologically but all the more, financially.

Case in point: myself. Talk about thinking where I ‘ll get the money to pay for my monthly bills! Lots of bills!  And on top of that, I have tons of expensive hobbies that will definitely exhaust my wallet if I don’t manage my expenses well.  I also happen to own a car (a gift from my mom) and I am grateful for such a luxurious gift, but I also have to pay for maintenance and everything else.   Most of you ask me – “How do you do it Hannah?”

All the credits go to my mom.

My mom is pretty 🙂 but sorry guys she is already taken!

I studied college without any worries because my mom got me an educational plan when I was born.  I have been freelancing for two years now but she keeps on reminding me to pay for my SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig to make sure I have some source of fund in case something unexpected happens.  She also opened a bank account so that I can put aside a part of my allowance for my needs.

I learned to prepare for the future from my mom. She taught me the value of saving up for my needs at an early age – whether it be in a bank account, an educational plan, an investment account or an insurance plan. I know most people shy away from the word “insurance” right at the minute they hear it but I believe that  insurance is a necessary expense.  Life insurance, in particular, secures your loved ones future in case something bad happens to you. Imagine, if you were the breadwinner of your family and an unexpected event happens. That will not only take a toll on the bereaved ‘s emotional and psychological health. It will definitely take a toll on their finances as well. A lot of families have to lower their standards of living just so they can make the ends meet.

But don ‘t think that insurance is only about death. In fact, there are a number of insurance plans you can purchase as a savings or an investment plan which can give you cash benefits while you ‘re still living. In fact, there is even a potential to gain higher returns with these than your typical bank savings account.

You can read more about the  Three Most Often Ignored Necessary Expenses  at my friend Fitz’s blog (i.e. Emergency Fund, Insurance, Retirement Plan).

I learned all about these from my mom, but my mom learned the hard way.  When I was 2 years old, tragedy struck – my dad was diagnosed with cancer and needless to say, we weren’t expecting it. Nor did we prepare for it. We were able to financially support the treatments and medications he needed then but it would have definitely helped if we had other liquid sources of funds that time.

Today, there are health and critical illness plans offered by insurance companies that cover for hospitalization expenses and pays out a lump sum upon diagnosis of a critical illness, such as cancer, heart disease and many others.

Take Connie Dizon, for example, a cancer survivor and a Philam Life policyholder.  She had everything going her way. She ran a successful business; she takes care of her mother; she was generally happy with her life – until the day she found she had Breast Cancer.

Buti na lang, she bought a plan from Philam Life that helped her with her hospitalization expenses. Today, she is in remission and is back to running their family business.

Like Connie, you can easily prepare and save up for these unexpected events with the right advice and the right plan from the right company. The cheapest health plan you can actually get is Philam Life ‘s Cancer Life Shield. This plan pays out a lump sum amount, say P1M, upon diagnosis of the illness. This money can definitely help you be on your road to immediate recovery.

Connie is just one of the many fortunate people who benefited from planning ahead.  Real people with real plans €“ stories of those who had the foresight to plan ahead for their and their family ‘s future. You can read more about them in the links below.

*click image to enlarge and read

I hope you are all enlightened in someway on the value of planning ahead and would soon start your journey towards Financial Freedom. You can take small steps at a time but once you get the hang of it, you can venture to get more out of your money! Remember, you can make your money work for you instead of you working for your money.

So here are a few  guidelines on how to start planning for your future.  Most are based on my experience, but don’t forget to share your own tips on the comments below!

Road to Financial Freedom

1. Be curious, Be aware, Know

This is your life and your future we are talking about.  Be curious.  Why are other people successful in managing their money?  What is their secret?

Be aware that you too can learn how to manage your finances and make your money grow.

Know.  Know how to do this, read about financial literacy and learn about money.

Suggested reads:

• Fitz Villafuerte’s Blog “Ready to be Rich” – a good friend of mine to whom I often ask for financial and career advice.
• Ano ang plano mo?   (What’s your plan?) – Philam Life’s Microwebsite about financial planning.  Read testimonials of  plan-holders  who benefited from their Philam Life Plans
• BabyPips – Kindergarten approach on learning all about Forex, if you’re interested.  I know most online entrepreneurs are affected of forex so in case you need to understand more, it’s the website to read.

2. Make your pet pig fat!

In other words – SAVE!  This is the very important part of all – the first step to your financial freedom.  Supposedly, it’s just simple to do – but the temptation to spend is a challenge.  I cannot stress enough the importance of saving.  Think about this (based on my own experience):

• If you lose your job, how long will you live with the money you saved?
• If I get sick, how will I pay for my hospital bills?  Do I have a health card? If not, is my money enough?
• If something breaks in my house, do I have money for repair?
• If my car bugs down, is my money enough for repair?  It is very important that my car is safe for driving so having my car in great shape is very important – else I can die!

These are scary scenarios but they all happened to me at my young age.  Start early – if you are a student now, start saving even just one peso a day!  and never touch it – ever. Forget about that money you saved.  Budget your money and bring enough money you intend to spend for the day.

3.  The Need to Want Less

This is related to saving.  Separate wants and needs.  The more you focus on only the things you need, the more you can save.

When you cannot distinguish between  wants versus needs, or if you can’t identify a want as a want, you set yourself up to live in a constant state of craving and disappointment – and you keep on wanting more!

• live within your means
• live the lifestyle you can afford, else you will be caught in a debt trap
• simplify your life

4.  Make more baby money!

I took up a lot of investment courses, stock trading and many other financial instruments training all in the hopes of making my money grow.  Don’t we all want our money to make baby monies?

I figured with the many things I do, I better let the experts manage my  portfolio.  If I trade myself, it will be a gamble – because I don’t know how to really do it.  I can learn how to, but I have other priorities as of the moment.  I know the basics though so I am aware how my money should be working even if I let a fund manager or an agency to handle it. That ‘s exactly where insurance companies or other asset management companies can come in. Scout for some and look at which ones have established background and a proven track record that you can trust with your hard-earned money.  🙂

I gave up on time deposit and the interest I get from savings account.  Yes, it’s a temporary place to keep my money, but again (back to my point on #1) knowledge and awareness is key – that there are better places to put your money too.

Don’t underestimate the power of compounding interest!

How about you guys?  Anong plano mo? May plano ka na ba?

your move 🙂

*This post is sponsored by Philam Life.

Know more about financial planning on their official website http://www.philamlife.com

You can also visit www.anongplanomo.com.ph to share your “Sana” (plans in life) or your “Buti na lang” stories (for Philam Life policyholders and beneficiaries) for a chance to win an iPad 2 and more!

Our life has transformed and most of us have a digital life.  We book tickets and hotels online, shop online, pay apps for our mobile phones and tablets etc. If you’re a conservative online shopper like me, you can’t help but be afraid that your credit cards or bank accounts may be compromised.

We all aim to protect our digital life from hackers, online and off-line thieves, but how do we do it?  BPI has come to a solution for this problem.  It’s like managing the risk of getting your cards compromised online, when you’re traveling or just on a daily basis.

Let me break it down for you as I am one of the Beta testers to these new products!

The new BPI Card site and profiler

This is the new website of BPI that holds the different cards suited for your digital life.

It is an interactive all-in-one site that hosts up-to-date information on BPI cards features, promotions, and other relevant information. What’s great about this site is that you can apply for a Credit Card or a Prepaid Card online.

If you want to know more details, you know what to do – go to BPI Cards official website:

http://bpicards.com

This website also has the “Profiler” where you answer a series of questions that suits your personality and in the end, it will recommend you the card best suited for you.

BPI Dealmania.ph Shopping Site

BPI is the first bank to launch a shopping site.  Dealmania is a special deal-buying site featured at the BPI Cards home page that provide BPI card holders with exclusive access to great online deals.  I have tried buying on the website myself and using the new BPI Prepaid card (to discuss more below), it was a seamless transaction.

I got this deal from dealmania.ph 🙂 I really think I need a good body scrub and massage and got it at a super discount of 63%

Buying was easy like that.  You can check out other deals that may interest you.  Shop online in a safe and secure e-commerce environment.

http://dealmania.ph

BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard

This is the first ePrepaid card that empowers people to transact online via straight purchase.

BPI My ePrepaid Mastercard is a reloadable prepaid card that empowers everyone to finally buy what they want from the widest selection of MasterCard affiliated shopping stores here and abroad, and even online.  What separates My ePrepaid MasterCard from other is its offer of 100% approval, no maintaining balance and no surprising card bills.

I think one of the benefits of this card is that you can also use it with your online transactions.

I have friends who don’t want to get credit cards and they often borrow my credit card to use it when they need to buy airline tickets online.  It can be frustrating sometimes when you there are great seat sales and you don’t have a card to use.  With My ePrepaid MasterCard, you can do this easy.  You just get one, no need of complicated application forms.  It’s like how we use Prepaid SIM Cards on our phones.  Reload it anytime and use it immediately!

And since this is accepted wherever there are MasterCard affiliated stores, you can also use this to swipe on real stores here in the Philippines and abroad.

Checking the balance of your ePrepaid MasterCard is also easy, you can do it via landline or Mobile phone.  Check out how at: http://bpicards.com

BPI Master eCredit Card.

It is the first virtual credit card.

BPI Master eCredit Card is the first ever virtual credit line exclusively designed for online shopping.  It now has a modern new look!  This companion card of the BPI Express Credit MasterCard enables everyone to shop securely on the internet as it uses different card number from one’s BPI Express Credit MasterCard, with its own sub-limit that can be adjusted as needed.

This is perfect if you don’t want to expose your real card number and details.

I know you have a lot of questions because interestingly enough, I know you also need these for your online purchases and at the same time, require the same security features so that you are protected.

Everything you need to know about these different cards can be found at BPI Cards’ official website.  Check it out!

http://bpicards.com

My problem recently is how to sync all of my calendar in different places into one.

That’s what cloud is for right?

I want to be able to use Google Calendar and sync it everywhere – my android phone(s), my macbook, iPad and Blackberry Playbook.  And if ever I am away from all of these, I can still access my calendar as long as I see a PC (mobile or desk) and an internet conenction.

Now, my problem is – how to sync iCal with Google Calendar?

I know I can sync the calendar to my iPad – but not on my mobile phones… and I don’t want to use multiple calendar platforms – I want to use only 1 Google calendar.

And thus the question: How to Sync iCal with Google Calendar?

If there’s a will, there’s a way!  And here is the solution:

http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=99358#ical

Ta-da!!! I love it!

And I am syncing all my calendars because I’ve gone crazy with my schedule.  I use multiple calendars (the physical notebook planner and digital) and it’s a bad habit!  So I put my calendar into one server but at the same time I can access it everywhere!

Also, I am going to have a new job which I am very excited about.  But I know for sure that it will be a stress fest – but it’s one that I need to channel my creativity and extort my workaholic mood.  So this calendar, is a start!!!

TAFN,

xoxo Flair Candy 😀

I always love writing – hence I started blogging. And even when I was a kid, I always kept a journal or a diary. And I had a notebook full of made-up stories. I don’t know where it is now because we often moved houses.

This class really helped me put structure to my writing. I love free-writing but I believe that my readers would appreciate more if it has more flow 😀

Anyway, our first assignment was to make our own Fairy Tale story. I will post that on my blog too soon… but for now, here’s a parable I wrote on my own. It’s our second assignment!

I can’t believe it! I’m writing stories now!

Lucky Girl
By Hannah Villasis

A girl always thought she has an amazing gift! That is, a gift of luck. She couldn’t complain, but often wondered why she’s always so lucky. In almost every situation, she gets what she desires. She got the lead role for the play, got elected as class president and was cheer captain of their squad. On top of that, she has many friends and has always lived a positive life.

At last, their final results for the exam are out. Failing the exam means one cannot take the course and must shift to another. As she approached the bulletin board, she saw some friends weeping.

She let the board clear before she searched for her name.

Of course she passed! She’s lucky.

The teacher passed by and said “Congratulations.”

I feel bad for my classmates who didn’t make it, said the girl. Why can’t they be as lucky as me?, she asked.

The teacher replied, “There is no such thing as luck my dear. I’ve seen your passion for everything that you love to do and the hard work you put through every role, every task. You make your own luck. It’s like making a wish but you yourself made it happen.

She paused and reflected on what the teacher said and it took her a moment to realize that the teacher was right.

——–

In case you are interested in taking Aileen’s creative writing class, check out their banner below 🙂