Melissa Urena & Associates

10/23/2026

"𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧?" It's the question that keeps a lot of homeowners in a house they've outgrown.

The answer depends on your situation. If you have your down payment ready or can tap your equity, you can shop first and stay put until the new house is ready. If you can't access your equity until you sell, the order flips, and you can still move just once with an open escrow and a rent-back.

I break down both paths in my latest post. Read more

10/22/2026

Putting a home on Zillow is the easy part 🏡

What sells a home is everything that happens before anyone clicks on it. How it’s positioned, who it’s speaking to, and what story the photos and video are telling.

Today’s buyers are scrolling Instagram on their lunch break and falling for homes they haven’t toured yet. If your listing isn’t built to stop that scroll, it becomes one more address in a long list.

That’s where I spend most of my time with sellers. My job is to find the right buyer for your home and give them a reason to fall in love before the first showing.

Thinking about selling in the next year? Send me a message and let’s talk about what your plan should look like 💌

Melissa Urena | DRE # 01900591 | ΓEA⅃ Broker

10/21/2026

More homes for sale than buyers. Higher rates. Sellers dropping prices. Is that what’s actually happening in Long Beach?

Those headlines are national averages, and the local numbers tell a more nuanced story. In my Fall 2026 market update, I break down where mortgage rates are (about 7.4%), how houses and condos are performing differently, what homes actually sold for by zip code, and where the opportunities are for first-time buyers, upgraders, and sellers.

10/20/2026

Some of my favorite Long Beach traditions happen right around this time of year 🌺

Día de los Mu***os is about remembering the people we love, and this city shows up for it in such a beautiful way. Music, color, food and families gathered around ofrendas filled with photos and stories.

Both of these celebrations are free, which makes them an easy yes for a weekend outing with the kids or a slow afternoon with friends.

If you’ve never been, put one of these on the calendar this year. And if you have, you already know why I keep going back.

Want more spots like this? Comment LOCAL and I’ll send you my guide to living like a Long Beach local 💌

Melissa Urena | DRE # 01900591 | ΓEA⅃ Broker

10/19/2026

Long Beach only has a couple of pumpkin patches, so I rounded up 10 worth the drive across Lakewood, San Pedro, the South Bay, Cerritos, and Whittier.
Get the list: https://melissaurena.com/pumpkin-patches-near-long-beach/

10/16/2026

If this is your weekend routine, you’re not alone 🌊

So many people in LA find themselves heading to Long Beach every chance they get. Here’s what keeps pulling them back:

→ The ocean breeze that keeps things cooler than inland LA

→ Neighborhoods with a real sense of community, like First Fridays in Bixby Knolls and 2nd Street in Belmont Shore

→ Homes with yards and more space for your money than much of the Westside

→ Long Beach Airport, small and easy, in and out in minutes ✈️

→ Close enough to LA for work, dinners, and shows whenever you want them

If Long Beach is where you keep ending up on weekends, it might be worth a look as home.

DM me and I’ll show you which neighborhoods feel the most like your favorite weekend 🏡

Melissa Urena | DRE # 01900591 | ΓEA⅃ Broker

10/15/2026

10/15/2026

Waiting for rates to drop before buying your first home? Here's the playbook I use with my clients instead: real dos, don'ts, and real numbers
Read more: https://melissaurena.com/buying-first-home-high-interest-rates/

04/04/2026

The best advice I got as a young woman buying a home? Came from my mom. 🧓

I was 29, no kids, no husband, and I thought I was too young, too broke, too “not ready.” She told me: “If you can buy now, there’s no reason to wait.”

So I bought a major fixer—leaks, shaggy burgundy carpet, in Compton CA—because it was all I could afford.

🏠 That stepping stone? It eventually let me buy in Naples Island, Long Beach, something 20-something me could never have imagined.

In honor of Women’s Month, I’m sharing the sage advice from the wisest woman I know. Share this with a woman who needs to hear it: 🗣️don’t wait—buy and wait 🏠