CJ's Blog

When to hire an assistant?

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:25:27 -0600

I think it is true when you have an assistant you can certainly spend more time finding and building business. However, I am not clear on how many went about hiring an assistant. At what point did you decide there was enough steady income to hire an assistant? Is there a certain level of transactions that make is worth while? Just in blog and forum management I could occupy a part time assistant. For those who have multiple blogs and participate routinely on multiple forums, how do you do it? Thanks in advance.

Well Maintained home in Blossom Valley - Ready to move in?

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:03:00 -0600

4 Bedrooms, 2 Baths – 1640 sq ft* SEE PHOTOS AT www.4972Narvaez.com - Owner will review all offers presented. Owner is open to paying buyer's non-recurring closing cost. Reduced 40+K $688,000

This is a wonderfully maintained home in Branham Estates. With lots of space, a great floor plan, and vaulted ceilings, it is ready for your family. There is a large openly designed kitchen and large patio area with arboretum to create a perfect space for entertaining your guest. There
is an extra patio in the back already wired for your new hot tub!

The master bedroom creates an oasis with double entry doors, vaulted ceilings, and lots of space. With three more bedrooms, an extra living room with fireplace, your family will have plenty of room to spread
out and enjoy home.

Low maintenance landscaping all around with low-voltage path lighting and security lights, this home is as easy to take care of as secure. The neighborhood boasts low traffic with no thoroughfare streets making
it perfect for families.

Conveniently located near Oakridge Mall and VTA light rail Branham Station.

* formal entry with parquet flooring
* new double-paned low-e windows
* new furnace
* water softener
* garbage disposal
* newer water heater
* washer, dryer in garage
* range, microwave,dishwasher,refrigerator
* upgraded interior doors and hardware
* 2 inch high quality blinds throughout
* auto sprinklers front and back
* finished garage with newer electric door
* 50-year tile roof.

Best Value and Lots of Space near Santana Row!

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:55:47 -0600

This is a wonderful home located in between Santana Row and downtown Campbell. With lots of room and large lot, your family will be able to spread out or entertain easily! See more at www.890Opal.com. Offered at $978,000. Call me about agent incentives! MLS 961901

4Bedrooms & 3 Full Baths
4th Bedroom is bright, large loft
Lots of living space with 2647 square feet*
Large, oversized lot - 10,454 square feet*
Formal living room with fireplace & large windows
Formal dining room with terra cotta flooring
Large great room with high celings & fireplace
Beautifully designed kitchen ,second dining room
Master bath has jetted tub and Italian ceramic tile
Second bath has been updated and has jetted tub,
Double-paned low E windows throughout
Additional permitted sunroom

Serene courtyard outside master bedroom
Very large, private backyard patio for entertaining
Custom cabinetry in garage for storage
Large attic space for extra storage
New landscaping with auto sprinklers
Campbell School District

Are Short Sales Real Deals?

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:49:11 -0600

Coming from an analytical background, I find myself digging through the local real estate statistics for San Jose and Santa Clara County into the wee hours of the morning more times than I should admit. I am always in search of a trend whether it is about one of the neighborhoods I work for or for an entire city like San Jose. Lately I have been digging through the short sale numbers in order to get a better handle on how these homes are affecting the average sales price, closed contracts, and days on market (DOM).

Now as most of us know, these short sale homes are not the easiest to close. I pulled one zip that I know is heavy with short sales and the average days in escrow was about 52 days. For the 4 troubled zip codes I researched, there was an average of 14% of the listings with the term short sale attached to the agent remarks.

The more interesting statistic I found was regarding the average price per square foot. I looked at sold and active listings over the last 6 months and I found that if there was a deal on a short sale it was only about $25/square foot compared to similar homes in the neighborhood that were not in a short sale situation. Of course, in California that $25/square foot is the difference between a $600,000 home and a $637,000 home. But what I was surprised to find was that in most cases the short sale homes were actually selling at a higher price per square foot then the non-short sale homes in the same neighborhood with comparable bedrooms and total square feet. I found on average the difference was anywhere from $10 more per square foot to $35 more per square foot.

In the end, when I looked up at the clock and it was getting close to 2 a.m. and I realized that I had spent a lot of time proving to myself something I think a lot of folks in this business already know. The banks are not motivated sellers. They are not motivated to accept the request for a short sale without blood on the hardship letter. They are not motivated to review the offer(s) placed on the home in its "as-is" condition in a timely manner. And they certainly are not motivated enough to offer a true deal on a distressed property via the price per square foot average.

I also realized that even in a "buyer's" market, the due diligence necessary to make sure my client's get the best deal is worth red eyes and lots of coffee the next day. I for one am motivated to help my clients through this market and make sure they get the best deal on whatever house they fall in love with. Back to the stats I go.

Keep up with crime in San Jose, easily!

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:36:39 -0600

Recently,Connie Skipitares with the Mercury News wrote an article about the new release of two web sites that will help residents keep up on crime in the San Jose area. This elaborate database will pin point reported crime to a specific street number. You can also receive automatic email alerts for your specific neighborhood. Take a look at these two great resources. Very few cities in the country can brag to have the same. www.crimereports.com or follow a link from www.sjpd.org.

Good Use for Car Keys!

CJ Brasiel (Fireside Realty) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:34:04 -0600

A good friend of mine recently sent me these great tips about a ready made alarm system. I believe the source was a Yahoo! forum.

CAR KEY TIPS!

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the intruder will not stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.

Call me for more great tips! CJ