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contra costa real estate: Real Estate Bargains for Buyers With Vision - 12/07/10 02:04 PM
While it's true that many buyers can't see past what a house IS for what it CAN BE, buyers with vision can reap the rewards of numerous real estate bargains currently on the market in Contra Costa county, California.Picture this, the house is in a great neighborhood and your preferred school district at a great price but the house is awful.  The kitchen and bathrooms haven't been updated in 20 years, the orange shag carpet is horribly stained, the flowered wallpaper would give your children nightmares and the amount of deferred maintenance throughout the house is beyond daunting.  You can see … (0 comments)

contra costa real estate: Buyer of a Bank-Owned Home has Buyer's Remorse - 03/03/09 11:00 PM
I just received an interesting email from another Realtor's buyer - a complete stranger - through my website.  This buyer purchased a bank-owned home using VA financing and the bank to agreed to pay for Section 1 repairs.  That's the good news.  This buyer is having second thoughts because there are other "equivalent" homes available in the same market for less money.  He wrote to ask my opinion.
Let me preface my response with the following information:  I am located in Contra Costa county (northern California) and VA financing hasn't been used in this market for close to 10 years.  So the fact that his realtor got a bank to accept $0 down VA … (3 comments)

contra costa real estate: Full commission just for writing an offer? - 03/03/09 06:29 PM
I'm flummoxed.  Perhaps I naively hold the belief that a receiving a commission inherently implies that that the job for which you are paid is actually conducted.  Call me crazy.
I received several phone calls on my listings this week that caught me by suprise.  I will share the two common themes of those conversations.#1:  "I would like you to arrange a time for you to meet me and my buyers at your listing."  When I respond "The home is vacant and has a lock box so you can arrange to visit the property any time that works for your schedules." I am told "I only about sell one house a year as a … (21 comments)

contra costa real estate: I will ONLY deal with the Listing Agent - 02/26/09 07:42 PM
When holding my listings Open, I have repeatedly been asked the same question by potential buyers, "Are you the listing agent?".  When I confirm that I am, they proceed to say, "Good, I will ONLY deal with the listing agent."  When I look suprised and say, "Why would you do that to yourself?" The reponse is"I'll get a better deal because you know the sellers bottom-line and you will cut your commission!"
Then the conversation gets interesting. 
I explain that as a basic business practice I won't act as a dual agent and double-end a transaction. My seller has hired me to get … (29 comments)

contra costa real estate: My Lunch with a Lender's Short Sale Negotiator - 02/22/09 07:08 PM
I list short-sales.  No, let me clarify, I successfully list and sell short-sales.  Ok, it's true that I spend hours on the phone trying reach the short-sale negotiator and it's also true that the majority of that time is spent on hold (the perfect time to catch up on paperwork and emails). But, although Realtors continue to beat the drum that "short sales DON'T get approved", they DO get approved and my sellers won't have "foreclosure" on their credit record. 
On a recent transaction I was extremely fortunate to get a Wachovia short-sale negotiator who is absolutely amazing.  He immediately picks up his phone and when he can't, he returns phone calls … (17 comments)

contra costa real estate: Life Lessons - What I learned from Short-Sale Sellers - 12/22/08 05:23 PM
I list Short-Sales.  As I type this, I can sense the shivers of dread running down your spine and, you're right, they are time-consuming, frustrating and downright grueling to get closed.  The trial of lender negotiations and our role as the sole person between the seller and potential foreclosure is not the purpose of this post.
I want to share two quick stories that I call Life Lessons.  These lessons are not new but resonate more deeply given the circumstances  My short-sale sellers didn't lie about their income to qualify for their loan, didn't stretch beyond their means and are hard-working … (4 comments)