Farm Talk with Paul Ward

Farm Talk: Buying and Selling with Unpermitted Structures

Should you pull permits for unpermitted structures on your property?

Paul shares stories from his perspective about buyers and sellers deal with properties with unpermitted properties. He shares his point of view about what to do.

Farm Talk with Paul Ward – Maximizing Your Budget When Selling a Home!

In today’s Farm Talk, Paul has some very valuable tips on maximizing your budget when getting your home ready to sell. Paul shares a real case scenario about a home he is planning to list, and what challenges he & the current owners are facing in the process of getting the property ready for listing.  Paul tells us about the good, and the not-so-good aspects of the property, and answers the question: what really needs to be done before selling?  Obviously, a seller doesn’t want to spend money, if they don’t have to, but remember: You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

Paul starts with a list of what is non-negotiable.  First off, anything that is FREE, is non-negotiable – in other words, picking up personal items and putting things away is free and NEEDS TO BE DONE.  Also pruning dead flowers & plants needs to be done.  And there’s more!  This is an excellent show that is full of great info & advice.

Farm Talk with Paul Ward – Chatting Real Estate With Uber Drivers

In this week’s show, Paul tells us about his recent business conference in Las Vegas. Over the course of 5 days, he utilized Uber for transportation 10 times, and during those rides, he had an opportunity to chat with each of the drivers. The info he gathered, although not statistical, was really quite interesting!

Paul learned that, out of the 10 drivers, only one was a native to Las Vegas – all the other drivers had come from different locations, and 2 had even come from different countries. They were attracted to Las Vegas for the low cost of living and were able to earn approximately $30,000 being an Uber driver.

When one of the Uber drivers asked Paul if he had any important tips about real estate, he was very happy to help! Tune in and hear what valuable info Paul shared with her – it’s great info we all need to know!

A Pre-listing Inspection?

In today’s edition of Farm Talk with Paul Ward (Home of the worry-free listing!), Paul talks about the importance of having a pre-listing home inspection, and what a pre-listing home inspection is.

He explains that the owner of the property can actually have a home inspection, before the sale of the property, rather than waiting for the buyer. And Paul tells us why this is a good idea.

This show is filled will lots of great information that you need to know. Listen in and learn how having a pre-listing home inspection can save you time, money and lots of anxiety.

Ventura County Fair 4-H Auction Day

The 2019 Ventura County Fair is here! Paul is very dedicated to, and involved with, lending his support to the 4-H kids who enter the Ventura County Fair with their animals. They send him letters and photos of their animals!

Today, on Farm Talk, Paul reads some of the letters that he has recently received from a few of the 4H kids he has helped with his sponsorship. Paul makes what is called an “add-on contribution”. Add-on contributions are a great way to support the 4-H participants, and help offset the cost of raising the animal.

Today’s letters are from middle school kids & upper elementary school kids. The letters give us an idea of what kinds of kids are involved in the 4H program.

The first letter is from Clara, who is 14 years old, and is going into 8th grade in Camarillo, California. She says she has raised a lamb, named Roger, and a goat, and has recently been elected co-vice president of her club. She invites Paul to visit them at the Fair.

Tune in to hear more great stories on this heartwarming show that is sure to bring a smile to your face!

Farm Talk with Paul Ward – Zoning in Ventura County

Paul Ward educates and enlightens us concerning everything we should know about zoning in Ventura County.

Did you know that there are zoning ‘categories’? Paul explains that there are 2 specific categories to be aware of: AE and OS.

AE refers to ‘Agriculture Exclusive’ which allows for most farming activities and also allows for building a primary residence, building a guest-house, a workshop barn or an equestrian barn on the property.

OS is all about ‘Open Spaces’, which you might think would be the easiest to obtain because it allows for more uses such as: a dog kennel business, Wedding venue, B & B and other businesses. The challenge is that you must have a Conditional Use Permit to obtain these businesses and those are not always that easy to get. Often, the neighboring residents get involved because of the potential increase in traffic and noise.

Paul breaks down the description of each zoning category as well as the Conditional Use Permit.

This is a very interesting episode full of excellent information. Tune in to learn more!

Farm Talk with Paul Ward: Liquid Gold

In today’s episode of Farm Talk, Paul discusses liquid gold (or water, as it’s known in California). Farm properties in California are all about water – not just the availability of water, but also the cost of water.

Here in Southern California, summer is the arid time of year and farming is completely reliant on transporting water long distances. So, how we value farm properties is largely based on the cost of water. Neighboring properties can have drastically different water costs. One property could be low and yet the property across the street could be twice, three times, or even four times as expensive!

So when people are looking for farms, one of the primary questions is “What is the source of water?”. If it is county water, it can be significantly more expensive than well water.

Paul explains in detail how the water costs vary, and he breaks it down so that it is very easy to understand things like “acre feet”, and what the water cost of each acre of your farm may be per year. Water can become so expensive on some properties that it makes certain properties better for equestrian use, rather than farming.

This is a very interesting episode full of excellent information. Tune in to learn more!

Farm Talk With Paul Ward: Virtual Staging vs. Traditional Staging – Cost-Effective, Professional, Beautiful!

Welcome to another edition of Farm Talk! Today Paul talks about staging – both traditional and virtual staging, a newer option.

If you have a house to sell and your furniture is a bit dated or it is an empty house you have two options to attract more buyers:

1 – You can go the traditional way and stage your house with professional stagers who will bring in nicer furniture that will match the style of your home. Traditional staging is pricey but very effective.

2 – Virtual staging: When viewed online, the rooms look amazing-often you can’t tell it is virtual! Of course, in reality, the furniture does not exist so when the people physically arrive at your property, there is no furniture. Virtual staging will get people to your house and give them an idea of how furniture will look there.

Paul has staged houses both ways. He has literally spent thousands with traditional staging and virtually staged houses for two hundred dollars!

Listen to Farm Talk and find out important details and helpful tips. Present your house in the most attractive way and do it cost-effectively!

About Paul:

For the past 17+ years I have specialized in selling country estates and ranches throughout Ventura County CA. This niche stems from my childhood, working long summer days on my grandparent’s citrus and avocado ranch near Santa Paula, just east of Ventura.

I love these types of properties, and it is my desire to help families, individuals and investors from all walks of life achieve their dream of owning a ranch or country estate.

The Paul Ward Home & Ranch Selling Team is committed to the specific needs of every client we serve. We understand that trust is built over time, not instantly.

Providing our clients with the tools they need to make an informed and conscientious decision is an integral component of our mission. We act as trusted advisors while you, the client, are the ultimate decision-maker.

You can contact us at (805) 479-5004 or e-mail: Paul@homeandranchsellingteam.com

Farm Talk with Paul Ward: The Benefits of Using Pods

Paul Ward discusses moving with the use of pods.

FarmTalk: With Paul Ward - Your Dream Home - What To Consider When Planning to Build On Vacant Land

In today’s Farm Talk show, Paul Ward shares valuable facts and on what to consider when planning to build your dream home on vacant land.

He tells a story of a woman, a land owner, who came to him with a problem – she had bought a parcel out in the country four years earlier but had never built on it.

They found, after reviewing the comparable sales in the neighborhood, that she had paid too much for the land and would probably take a loss on the property.

Paul helps people analyze the pros and cons and crunch the numbers on buying property.

What To Consider When Buying Vacant Land:

• Land costs money and building costs money. Add that together and the cost may exceed other houses in the neighborhood.
• What is the cost per sq foot? It varies on the materials used. (It could range from $300 to $600.)
• Multiply that number by the number of square feet you are building.
• Permits cost money – you need a permit for everything you do.
• Utilities – how far is your parcel from a city or county road? If you are way out in the backwoods, water, electricity, natural gas, or propane needs to be routed to the house.
• There may be sewage issues. Properties out in county don’t have sewage – you will need a septic tank.
• Earthquake requirements – you might need caissons.
• Fire access: You will need a 20 foot wide driveway. Fire engines also need a large turn around.
• You need a water source – a 5,000 gal tank or a swimming pool.

Building a house on vacant land could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars before you even put up a wall!

It may be good to do a cost comparison between building and buying a fixer upper out in the country. Depending on how long you plan to be in your house, you may be upside down when the house is first completed.

Listen to Paul’s show for more important details that will save you work and save you money when planning to build your dream home!

You can contact us at (805) 479-5004 or e-mail: Paul@homeandranchsellingteam.com