June 2008 Bay Area Home Sale Activity reported in the San Francisco Chronicle show that sales are up in cities that have been hit hard by foreclosures. The chart below shows comparison of number of the sales to last years sales for the month of June and is reporting resale single family residences and condos as well as new homes. To view the complete chart with additional details click here.

Contra Costa County	Sales	Sales % Change
Alamo	94507	14	-39.10%
Antioch	94509	96	74.50%
Antioch	94531	125	145.10%
Brentwood	94513	120	62.20%
Byron	94514	1	-97.10%
Clayton	94517	25	-16.70%
Concord	94518	28	47.40%
Concord	94519	27	42.10%
Concord	94520	38	81.00%
Concord	94521	51	10.90%
Danville	94506	43	-20.40%
Danville	94526	26	-51.90%
El Cerrito	94530	18	-47.10%
El Sobrante	94803	19	72.70%
Hercules	94547	35	20.70%
Lafayette	94549	32	-33.30%
Martinez	94553	40	0.00%
Moraga	94556	22	-8.30%
Oakley	94561	102	85.50%
Orinda	94563	22	-31.30%
Pinole	94564	18	-18.20%
Pittsburg	94565	134	139.30%
Pleasant Hill	94523	33	-29.80%
Richmond	94801	29	45.00%
Richmond	94804	30	-33.30%
Richmond	94805	10	-44.40%
Rodeo	94572	9	80.00%
San Pablo	94806	59	22.90%
San Ramon	94582	81	-36.70%
San Ramon	94583	33	-47.60%
Walnut Creek	94595	29	7.40%
Walnut Creek	94596	19	-9.50%
Walnut Creek	94597	28	-22.20%
Walnut Creek	94598	24	-41.50%

Your kids (or family members) need a little help with the down payment to get them into the world of home-ownership. You have a lot of equity just sitting in your house “Lazy Money” and need a place to invest it that will offer security and good potential gains. The stock market is not appealing to you. What do you do?...... Try an equity share!

This a win-win situation that is very satisfying to everyone. Your kids are responsible and need a break to get started. They’ve been throwing money away on rent for years. By becoming a home owner they get stability, tax benefits, and, quite often, lower payments than they were paying in rent.

INVEST In Your Kids…...How Equity-Shares Work

By structuring your equity-share properly, you go on title and have security in your investment. You both share in the appreciation. You do not have to be a landlord. They make all the payments for the mortgage, insurance, property taxes and maintenance of the property, just like a normal home-owner. They can improve the property as much as they want because they OWN the property.

Most equity-shares are structured for 2 or 3 years. After this pre-set time limit your kids will sell or refinance the property and cash you out. If you sell the property, then you select a Real Estate Agent, sell it and split the proceeds after you receive your original investment back. Your kids would also be repaid for any cash they put out for improvements or any reduction in the principal (the loan balance).

You are not charging any interest for the money you put in because you will participate in any appreciation on the property. Additionally, they are not charging for any of the labor that they put into fixing up the property because they will also get a portion of any appreciation.

If they are buying you out, then you get an appraisal (or two, if desired) and decide on a fair market value for the property and refinance it. It’s pretty simple.

YOU CAN CHANGE A LIFE

An equity share can truly change a persons life by helping them get their start in the world. The risk for both parties is usually pretty low and the rewards can be very good—both financially and spiritually.

Know before you Go! Buy or Refinance.

1. Pay all bills on time each month. 30-day late payment can affect your credit score up to 107 points.

2. Do not quit your Job while in a Real Estate transaction.

3. Do not open or close any accounts, Do not purchase an Automobile (while in a real estate transaction and or credit repair) .

4. If you pay off a credit cards or an equity line of credit, do not close the account.

5. Try to keep your credit card balances below 30% of the High Credit Limit for that card at all times. (Example: if my Visa has a Limit of $1000, than I would try not to exceed $300 owed on that Visa) This will help in keeping your score high.

6. Keep your credit cards active. If you carry No balances each month and if you hardly ever use your credit cards, At least spend 5-20 dollars every 4-5 months.

7. Do not have multiple inquires into your credit.

8. Avoid large money transfers from one account to another or large
deposits/withdraws before and during your Purchase/Refinance.

9. Avoid at all cost using a Consumer Credit Counseling Companies.
(CCC ).

10. Do not carry your Social Security Card on you; Keep in a safe location at home or safe deposit Box.

11. Share this information with your friends and family.

Good Credit = Great Dreams

The following chart shows the current real estate market data available today from the Contra Costa MLS. Click on a link to view the current listings of REOs (real estate owned or bank owned properties) in Concord, Clayton, Martinez, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lamorinda area, Brentwood, Bay Point, Antioch and Pittsburg.

All Homes for Sale on the MLS - 7/28/2008
	Single Family Homes	Condo/Townhomes
Concord	389	288
Concord REOs	83	92
Short Sales	141	79
Clayton	46	9
Clayton REOs	4	0
Short Sales	6	1
Martinez	156	44
Martinez REOs	22	7
Short Sales	17	8
Walnut Creek	185	132
Walnut Creek REOs	3	16
Short Sales	11	29
Pleasant Hill	100	24
Pleasant Hill REOs	7	3
Short Sales	17	7
Lamorinda	209	44
Lamorinda REOs	5	2
Short Sales	5	2
Bay Point	199	37
Bay Point REOs	87	20
Short Sales	77	11
Pittsburg	547	60
Pittsburg REOs	253	41
Short Sales	196	6
Brentwood	394	16
Brentwood REOs	106	7
Short Sales	164	5
Antioch	918	132
Antioch REOs	441	82
Short Sales	327	32

I recently started using the Money Merge Account System which will effectively pay down my mortgage in a fraction of the time. This is an amazing interest reducing stand-alone software program which helps manage your income and expenses to pay down your home mortgage. This is not a new concept, but it is relatively new to the United States. Please view the video on Stephanie Scwartz's web site regarding United First Financial. If you are interested in this program, please call me for more information at 925-207-8992.

The re-assessment of property taxes is due!! I talked with the assesor's office this morning and they would like the decline in value form filed by the end of May 2008. However, the form may be filed later, but the assessment may be delayed. Please call or email me for a free comparative market analysis to accompany your assessment review request.

What is Proposition 8 and How does an Contra Costa County Home Owner Exercise Their Rights? Proposition 8 passed in November of 1978 and amended Proposition 13 to reflect declines in value. As a result of this the Assessor is required annually to assess the value of property. As a home owner you would fill out a form indicating the decreased value of your home based on comparables of sold property in your neighborhood. If the assessor agrees that value has declined, your property taxes would be re-assessed at the lower property value.

Decline In Value 2008-2009 Form:
Prop 8 Form

he Assessor’s Office also stated that they are aware of a “decline” with current market values and are therefore reassessing the value of properties that sold in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Assessor’s Office will be sending out a “Notice of Assessed Value” to property owners in July of 2008. If the owner receives this “Notice” and does not agree with the value they then have until September to file an appeal or have the option of completing the 2008-2009 “Prop 8 Reassessment” form.

A recent article regarding Proposition 8 was in the San Francisco Chronicle: Click Here to View

The real estate market in Contra Costa County is showing definite signs of recovery. The table below shows that east county (Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood and Oakley) is improving dramatically with an average of 2.4 months of inventory on 5/27/08 compared with an average 9.7 months of inventory on 5/29/07. These figures are compiled from the Contra Costa Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

I received a phone call from Barbara Hernandez, staff writer for the Contra Costa Times last week. She published the front page headlines, "Home sales inch up in April" on 5/21/08. The article mentions the month-to-month jump was the strongest for any March/April in DataQuick's statistics, which date to 1988. View the article here..

	May 29, 2007		May 27, 2008
	Active	Pending	Months of Inventory		Active	Pending	Months of Inventory
Walnut Creek	304	93	3.3		347	93	3.7
Pleasant Hill	162	47	3.4		135	57	2.4
Concord	779	99	7.9		728	210	3.5
Martinez	275	46	6.0		216	72	3.0
Clayton	84	20	4.2		59	33	1.8
Pittsburg	505	55	9.2		591	196	3.0
Antioch	1100	105	10.5		1116	429	2.6
Oakley	360	41	8.8		338	164	2.1
Brentwood	652	62	10.5		471	218	2.1

The 13th annual Clayton Art & Wine festival is this weekend, May 3rd and 4th starting at 10am each day.  This is a great way to spend the day (or part of it anyway) tasting wines, perusing the arts and crafts and visiting with family, friends and neighbors. And of course enjoying the ongoing live music. 

My favorite artist last year was playing music of the Andes.  I purchased several CDs to give as gifts and wish I had kept one for myself.  Hopefully, that musician will return with his wonderful music. 

On Sunday, I will have an open house from 1 to 4 pm just a few blocks away from the festival at 108 Mt. Whitney Way in Clayton.

I received a call this morning from Carol Lloyd, who is writing an article for the San Francisco Chronicle Business section regarding the real estate market conditions in Antioch, CA. She found my web site because I have been reporting real time market stats (example to the left). She asked me to analyze the data in more detail for her article. I went to the Contra Costa County MLS and searched all single family homes sold since 1/1/05 through 3/31/08.

The number of homes sold in the 1st quarter of 2008 has increased to 204 compared with the 1st quarter of 2007 at 176. However the price per square foot has decreased dramatically with $154 in the 1st quarter of 2008 compared to $260 in the 1st quarter of 2007.

This lovely Dana Hills home sits on approximately .23 acre of beautifully landscaped, level property. The grandeur begins as you enter the tile entry and hallway opening into the living room ~ featuring soaring ceilings and a separate formal dining room. The downstairs includes a full bedroom and bathroom. Upstairs features a spacious master suite with a beautifully appointed master bathroom.

Enjoy fine living at the base of Mount Diablo

5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bathrooms
Spacious Living Room
Formal Dining Room
Eat-in Kitchen
Comfortable Family Room with Fireplace
2481 Sq.Ft. (per public record)
Landscaped Front & Backyard
with Automatic Sprinklers
.23 Acre (per public record)

~ $755,000 ~

www.108MtWhitneyWay.com