How do I find an affordable house in California?
149833
buy a Malibu Barbie house at Wal-Mart. Sorry I just don't think affordable is in the vocab out there, I have friends who bought half a house for 350K, it just doesn't make sense to me.... Sorry I couldn't be of more help... \nBut I would check out web sites like realtor.com, and homes.com, they have lots of listing plus you can put in all kinds of options, # of bedrooms, # of baths, square footage, pool no pool, basement or no basement, I think it will even tell you the length of time it was on the market which can help with maybe bringing down the asking price... good luck.
594395
you might want to try remax or coldwell banker depending where you are looking because each state is different
798902
have you considered buying.. if this is the going price for what you are looking for, in your area, then you could probably buy a home.. besides there are many 1st timer gov money (lot free $). programs you can web search or check with a realtor... i have no problem in paying a realtor their commission they work hard for it you too may want to talk with one ( i suggest using a well established firm.\n\ni would suggest that you check for the sellers list, owners  where you shop ect (network your desire to buy a home )
26733
California is among the most overheated markets in real estate so buying now MAY get you into a financial mess by overpaying. Renting is always a waste of money. If you can get LAND at a reasonable price then building a home will avoid the profit you would pay a homeowner for an existing home. That's just my opinion.\n\nImran
433916
You could check the Census tract figures for the area you are concerned with--I included a link to figures for San Diego. If it works, it should take you right to the page listing housing costs.
560723
California is very expensive.  Even a modest house can cost a million dollars.  Land is at a premium because of heavy development.  Since you have a professional skill, it shouldn't be very difficult for you to submit your CV to potential employers, who can help you line up a work visa.  check out http://www.state.gov for more information on visas, or visit your nearest U.S. consulate or embassy.\n\nThere are numerous sports academies to be had.  Hell, in the urban coastal cities, whatever you want, you'll probably be able to find it.  But if I were you I'd avoid living in the really big cities like L.A., San Francisco, and San Diego.  They are crowded, impersonal, and have become dog-eat-dog business centers.  The outlying suburban towns and villages surrounding the major cities are much more likely to be receptive to a new immigrant.\n\nBear in mind, many people who were born and raised in California (like me) have left.  It has become chaotic, crowded, and expensive.  If you want to move to the U.S., please research other parts of the country that might be better for settling in.  Particularly consider medium-sized cities like Denver, Omaha, or Kansas City, where housing is more affordable and the job market isn't quite so cut-throat.
173930
100% financing!!!!!  I live on the central cost of california where the average home price is over $600,000.00.  How do people buy homes in this type of market?  100% financing!  Do some research and find a reputable company with a loan officer that you work well with.  Make sure that you get payments that you are comfortable with.  Some people are anxious and end up buying too much house and go through foreclosure.  As long as you stay within your means, you should be find.  Also, in the area I live in, most seller's credit the buyers X amount of dollars for their closing costs, so you truly come in with almost no money to close.  This is typical in my area, but may not be in yours, but do yourself a favor and find a good agent that has a lot of experience, and a good loan officer that can get your pre-approved.  You want to know how much your payments are before you start looking at homes.
467908
It shouldn't cost much.  Standard realtor commission is 6% (not sure in CA) though you should be able to negotiate this down.  Do an internet search for "flat fee realtor orange county" and you will likely find someone who will put your house on the MLS for $200-400.  You will have to show it, etc., but they will provide you with contracts, etc.  The key is being on the MLS and after that, realtors add very little value.  SO a flat fee realtor is an excellent alternative to paying someone 6%.  Finally, you should go to craigslist.org and put a listing on there.  I sold my house that way.  \n\nKeep in mind that if you want realtors to bring their clients to you, you should make clear that you will pay their commission.  When I sold my house, I stated that I would pay a 2.5% buyer agent fee, which was less than the standard 3%.  I had over 20 agents bring clients.  I'd list on craigslist first and if you dontt sell it that way, find a flat fee realtor and offer a 2 or 2.5 % commission.
970123
Well, the average home price in Orange County is $600,000.  That's AVERAGE...not even high end.  It's outrageous!  It's about the same in LA.  So if you want something cheaper (what? Like $500,000?? Haha!) you could probably find it but it probably will be a smaller house, something that needs repairs, etc.  Anything really cheap is going to be a total dump in a bad neighborhood.
886461
Find your local housing authority or HUD office.\n\nCheck out the following link:\n\nhttp://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/\n\nIt should assist you in finding subsidized housing until you can get on your feet.
1006129
Housing prices in Los Angeles County as of May were still rising, but at a much slower rate than in previous periods.  In most other parts of Southern California, housing costs are either flat or are beginning to drop (most notably Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties).  In other parts of the country, housing is starting to decline.\n\nI believe that in LA County housing prices will follow the rest of the country and decline for awhile.  Unfortunately, much of that decline will be triggered by rising interest rates.  So you have to ask yourself: do you want your payments to go into a house that is declining in value, or to interest payments to the bank?\n\nLong term, it doesn't matter when you buy.  Housing will always rise long term.  Many people who bought during the housing boom in the early 90s in LA County were downside for years after the bubble burst in 1991-1992.  The decline bottomed out about 1997 and many people had recovered their losses and were in the black by 2000.  People who held on through 2005 make a killing.  If you're planning to stay for a long time, buy now.  You'll be able to enjoy your new home longer.\n\nIf you're planning to stay a short time and perhaps move to a bigger house in a few years, wait awhile.  Once you buy, you can't negotiate a lower price for the house, but you can always refinance your mortgage if interest rates decline.
186553
check with your local real estate agencies; they would be able to point you in the right direction.
188932
if you only want just pictures, I would suggest getting a webfetcher programmed, but you are looking for listings. Agents are all not bad as long as you find the right one and you are clear about your request not to be bothered. if you start looking and find a home you like, it would be a lot better for you and your success at getting a home if you were building a relationship to a realtor. I would suggest getting an e-pro realtor and making sure they have access to client gateway or virtual office software. I'm a realtor in san diego. I set people up on an automated service that will get them links for exactly the kind of property they want in a personalized website. I check in with them and make sure they're clear on things and answer questions for them once in a while. Some of the people on my service are just like you and I have them on the service and I only talked to them 3 or 4 times in the last 8 months. that's the way they like it, that's the way I will do it. The other good thing is that you will be able to see the homes if you like them and not have to talk with the listing agent(the agent that is selling the property). dealing directly with them to see a house can be very annoying. they will deffinitly try and sell you. \n\ngood luck,\n\namir\n\nP.S. I can help find you some one in northern california if you like. just contact me and I will even tell them that you only want photos and you don't want to be bothered unless you want to see a house etc.
1025294
CA is soooo expensive. It's true. The housing prices are hyperinflated....as for job opportunities....it's hard to tell without knowing what your background is. CA is also overpopulated.\nI'm a former CA girl.
407197
move out of California. It is like the Devil made a deal with the state's first governor. "Oh, I'll give you sunshine...when i knock the roof off your house, home boy!" \n\nYeah, stay away from Cali.
737768
The cheapest way is to have at least 20% of the down payment saved up before purchasing your house.  Not only will you have a smaller monthly mortgage but you will avoid paying Private Mortgage Insurance every month.  \n\nThe best way of looking for a house is to find an area that you want to live and do some research of the area via the county's auditor website for recent sales and by searching listings via realtor.com or other realty firm's website.  \n\nAlso by subscribing to a legal newspaper you can get the heads up on who is getting a divorce, who died, and who's home is in foreclosure, or filed for bankruptcy.  These circumstances often lead to substantial savings if the owner is willing for liquidity.  \n\nGood Luck.
21304
Pick up a Sunday Sacramento Bee or try online http://www.Sacbee.com and look under the classifieds.\n\nIn addition http://www.realtor.com is a good resource. You can check by price, city, zip code, photo's, visualtour etc.