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home buyer: I Don't Need No Stinkin' Realtor - 11/12/11 10:59 AM
I Don't Need No Stinkin' Realtor
A few days ago I was attending a meeting and struck up a conversation with a man who is house hunting to buy a home in Walnut Creek. He does his own research, he knows the school district where he wants his family to live and the individual API scores of those schools, he has driven through every neighborhood in the school district to determine the neighborhoods he likes the most, he's been tracking the average sold prices and days on market and he has signed up for auto-alerts on multiple websites.  He has definitely … (8 comments)

home buyer: 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)

home buyer: The house may be cracking up, but I ain't laughin'! - 09/16/10 10:22 AM
 
This is valuable information from Chrissy Doremus, Home Inspector.  It is a good addition to the "look past pretty" articles that discuss what to look for when viewing homes.
 
Via Chrissy Doremus ~ U.S. Inspect ~ Home Inspections (U.S. Inspect):
Most of us have seen cracks in our homes. Some of us may have even seen cracks appearing on the foundation of the home. But do you know how to tell if a crack is structurally deficient?
There are many variations of cracks, but there are three primary cracks that are commonly found--vertical cracks, horizontal cracks and diagonal crack. The … (3 comments)

home buyer: What Men/Women Want.....How About An Article Called "What Realtors Want"? - 04/18/10 01:54 PM
 
Via Karen Parsons-Fiddler Broker/Realtor (Great Western Realty Group):
Realtors aren't from Venus or Mars...although I've met some pretty spacey ones. We are just professionals with a few needs. Pick up any magazine and you will see titles like:
"How to ask for what you need from your partner""Put your mate first in the relationship and get much more in return""Be the qualities you wish your partner has....and he will respond""How to give your partner a great ****" oops.....how did that get in here. :)
But you get my point....no kidding, these titles are in magazines on my coffee table right now. … (2 comments)

home buyer: Smart Home Buying - Sewer Lateral Inspection - 03/04/10 04:18 PM
One inspection that home buyers often choose to waive - and shouldn't - is the Sewer Lateral Inspection.  Why is a Sewer Lateral Inspection important?  A homeowner is responsible for the maintenance of the sewer lateral (the sewer line) from their home to the sewer main at the center of the street.  This can be a very expensive repair. The sewer lines in many Contra Costa County cities (including Alamo, Concord, Clayton, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek) are made of clay and are reaching the end of their intended useful life.  Some additional problems include:
 
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home buyer: No FHA Financing Accepted - Buyers and Sellers Lose. - 09/16/09 10:03 AM
I recently received a phone call from a frustrated mortgage lender.  She has a significant backlog of pre-approved FHA first-time buyers that can't find homes that will accept FHA financing - and the deadline for the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is looming.  She asked, "What's going on?" In order to answer her question, I pulled the Active single family home listings in the $275k - $350k price range ("starter" homes in our Northern California market area) in the three cities with the most homes in this price range.  The results shocked me.  Of the 43 active listings: NO FHA … (62 comments)

home buyer: If I was paying you $100 per hour, I would feel bitter right now. Instead, I feel bad. - 08/14/09 04:44 PM
This is a fun story about my wonderful buyer clients who I will call Mark and Joan (not their real names).
Mark and Joan are first time home buyers who have saved for years in order to have a 20% down payment.  I met them at an Open House and quickly discovered that they are the exact buyer clients I love to work with.  In addition to being interesting people, they:
spent time educating themselves about their target area are preapproved for a mortgage have realistic expectations for their price point are technologically savvy and use internet tools to research and … (2 comments)

home buyer: 1749 Ruth Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA - 01/17/09 08:44 AM
Upgraded and Immaculate Contemporary Charm

This light, airy and charming home is upgraded and immaculate.  The kitchen has granite tile counters, a breakfast bar, Golden Maple cabinets with brushed stainless cabinet handles and stainless steel appliances.  Additional amenities include laminate hardwood floors, Couture carpet in the bedrooms, crown molding, dual pane windows with plantation shutters, updgraded lighting indoor and out,
Three sets of french doors lead to the back yard and private patio.  Perfect for outdoor California living and entertaining.
Please visit 1749 Ruth Drive for more photos and information.Offered at $470,000
 
… (0 comments)

home buyer: Discovering The Truth Behind Realtor Marketing – The Fabulous versus The Prolific - 09/11/07 02:20 PM
I have been a mortgage lender for 20 years and have learned a healthy skepticism about the personal marketing of Realtors.  In my capacity, I have the back stage pass to view the behind-the-scenes performance and have created categories for Realtors.  (Stick with me on this because an important question follows).
The Fabulous Few:  this elite group excels at both personal marketing and professional execution of the job.The Quiet Performers:  this group doesn't excel at marketing but put their hearts and souls in the professional care of their clients.  The Prolific Pushers: This group is the whole point of my blog.  They … (40 comments)