burlingame: 6 Essential Spring Cleaning Chores to Make Your Home Shine - 04/12/13 07:50 AM
If the thought of cleaning your Burlingame home this spring doesn't bring a smile to your face, you're not alone.
To help you get going now, here is a short list of the 6 essential spring-cleaning chores.
1. Store winter clothes.
It's time to pack away your winter clothes.
Coats, sweaters, and bulkier clothing need to be inspected, cleaned and packed away.
Store your clothes somewhere clean, cool, dark and dry.
2. Wash window treatments.
You'll be surprised at the huge amount of dirt and grime that a thorough window cleaning removes.
Wash blinds, launder curtains that are machine washable and … (2 comments)

burlingame: Federal Jobs Report Shows Biggest Increase Since 2008 - 04/10/13 04:43 AM
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) issued its Job Openings and Labor Turnover report for February on Tuesday, June 9th, 2013.
The data was mixed with preliminary figures for all non-farm jobs increasing from 3.62 million jobs in January to 3.93 million jobs in February.
This was the highest month-to- month increase in jobs since May 2008. 
Non-farm jobs increased by 399,000 jobs from 3.53 million in February 2012 to 3.93 million jobs in February 2013, an increase of 10.2 percent year-over-year.
More Jobs Means More Opportunities For Home Ownership
More jobs generally means higher incomes and stability which enable more … (0 comments)

burlingame: Should You Fix And Flip Or Buy And Hold Your Investment Real Estate? - 04/09/13 06:51 AM
When you make an investment in Burlingame  real estate, it's important to consider your options for turning a profit even before you write an offer.
It might be best to rent out the property to cover your mortgage and build equity providing the home cash-flows with solid rents and demand.
Or, you could fix up the home and flip it so that you can sell it quickly for a larger amount than you invested.
Both strategies may be appealing options, so here are some important factors to consider before making your decision.
Flipping May Lead To Short Term Profits
Flipping a … (0 comments)

burlingame: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - April 8, 2013 - 04/08/13 06:31 AM
Last week's economic news includes several factors that drove U.S. mortgage rates lower.
The Bank of Japan announced that it would increase its purchase of bonds by $1.4 trillion over the next two years. 
This news caused yields on Japanese bonds to fall, which made U.S. bonds more appealing to international investors, that in turn increased MBS prices and caused mortgage rates to fall.
Bumpy Employment Numbers Support Lower Interest Rates
Other significant economic news involves an unexpected drop in the number of new jobs created last month.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Nonfarm Payrolls Report issued Friday indicated that … (0 comments)

burlingame: Don't Get Fooled By Tricky Terms When Purchasing Real Estate - 04/05/13 06:47 AM
When looking to buy or sell San Carlos real estate, confusing terminology can leave you feeling somewhat uneasy.
From a multitude of numbers to marketing jargon, property listings can provide you with an overwhelming amount of information — and it's hard to know what's important.
So, brush up on the terms below and don't get fooled this April.
Sale-to-List Ratio
This is an important number to pay attention to when choosing a real estate professional to sell your home.
The percentage is calculated by what a home was initially listed for, divided by the actual sale price.
The closer an agent's … (0 comments)

burlingame: Simplified Home Loan Modification Program Recently Announced - 04/04/13 09:12 AM
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced a new, streamlined home loan modification program to help San Mateo home owners who are behind in their payments or own a home with a mortgage that is under water.
The purpose of the recently announced program continues to focus on helping troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.
Simplified Modification Criteria Creates More Opportunity For Home Owners
Beginning this summer, on July 1st to be exact, the new Streamlined Modification Initiative will be available to home owners that meet certain criteria.
Interestingly, this new program will require home loan servicers … (0 comments)

burlingame: 5 Top Tips For Purchasing Your New Home - 04/03/13 05:03 AM
It's a great time to buy a new home because there are quite a few San Mateo homes for sale and interest rates have continued to stay comparatively low. Whether it's your first time purchasing real estate or you're a seasoned professional, here are a few tips to make shopping for a new house more pleasurable.
1. Get Help Searching through all of the available properties on the market can be mind-boggling. Find a professional real estate agent to help guide you through the homes for sale and select one that meets your family and financial needs.
2. Start Looking Now … (1 comments)

burlingame: Home Prices Accelerate In 2013 WIth Double Digit Growth - 04/02/13 08:39 AM
Last week, the S&P/Case-Shiller Index showed home prices gaining 8.1 percent during the 12-month period ending January 2013, marking the largest year-over-year increases since the summer of 2006.
The Case-Shiller Index measures changes in home prices by tracking same-home sales throughout 20 housing markets nationwide; and the change in sales price from sale-to-sale.
Detached, single-family residences are used in the Case-Shiller Index methodology and data is for closed purchase transactions only.
All 20 Case Shiller Index Markets Show Growth
Between December 2012 and January 2013, home values rose in all 20 Case-Shiller Index markets, with previously-hard hit areas such as Phoenix, … (0 comments)

burlingame: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week: April 1st, 2013 - 04/02/13 08:34 AM
European Market Jitters Continue To Affect The US Economy
Mortgage rates fell last week as investor concerns over the European economy grew.
Fears of growing differences between wealthier European nations and European nations needing economic aid brought higher bond prices and lower mortgage rates.
Positive news for Cyprus came when an agreement for an EU bailout was reached, but strict terms indicate that Germany and other nations are growing less enthusiastic about bailing out the banks of EU nations with shaky economies.
Meanwhile, the Italian government has not been able to agree on a coalition government, which reduces the chances for … (0 comments)

burlingame: 3 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes Can Cost Thousands - 03/30/13 11:29 AM
Buying real estate for the first time is a very exciting step in life.
It is likely to be one of the biggest financial commitments that you make, so it's very important to navigate the purchasing process wisely.
Many first-time home buyers make rookie mistakes that bring on negative consequences and a lot of frustration.
Outlined below are common errors home buyers make, so you can learn from their missteps and avoid them yourself.
1. Buying More Than What You Can Truly Afford
Just because the bank says that you qualify a certain amount for a mortgage doesn't mean that you … (5 comments)

burlingame: Rising Sales Prices Are Excellent News For Homeowners Across America - 03/27/13 06:28 AM

The National Association of REALTORS® released its monthly Existing Home Sales report on March 21 and gave investors and home sellers something to cheer about. 
While February sales of existing homes didn't meet investor forecasts of 5.00 million homes sold on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, the actual number of existing (previously owned) homes came close at 4.98 million homes sold.
This number surpassed January's revised reading of 4.94 million homes sold by 0.8 percent.
Sales of existing homes comprise approximately 85 to 90 percent of homes sold in the U.S.
Investors watch existing home sales for evaluating housing markets … (0 comments)

burlingame: 7 Great Tips To Help Your Kids Adjust to Their New Home - 03/26/13 06:27 AM
You've finally made the decision and are moving to a new city.
And while a move can be an exciting new adventure - new work, new friends, new life experiences - moving to a new home is a big deal, especially for a young child.
They might not understand what is happening, and even feel apprehensive, overwhelmed or stressed during a move.
However, there are ways that you can help your children adjust and make the transition of moving to a new house easier.
Here are a few tips to help you, and your little ones, beat the moving blues.
Talk … (0 comments)

burlingame: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - March 25th, 2013 - 03/25/13 04:33 PM
Last week's economic news was dominated by events in Cyprus and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday.
Mortgage rates fell last Monday as investors became concerned over news that a Cyprus bank bailout was in the works.
Federal Reserve Holding Course With Mortgage Backed Security Purchases
The FOMC met on Wednesday and in a press release after the meeting, noted that no immediate changes to the present economic easing program would be made.
The Fed officers will continue to monitor the nation's economy, and are eventually expected to implement a gradual reduction of their monthly bond and mortgage … (0 comments)

burlingame: How To Spot And Treat Mold In Your Home - 03/22/13 01:07 PM
The first sign of mold you notice may be a musty smell in your home.
After looking around, you spot what looks like mold -- don't panic!
You can remove unhealthy mold from your house without it costing a small fortune.
Check To Be Sure It's Really Mold
Mold can look many different ways, which depends on the type.
Some are grayish-white or black and can look like a dirty smudge.
If you're in doubt that a spot is mold, you can do a test with chlorine bleach.
Simply put a drop on the spot. If the color immediately fades away, … (1 comments)

burlingame: Fed Meeting Statement Reveals Good News For Real Estate - 03/21/13 02:27 PM
The Federal Reserve's statement after yesterday's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting left no doubt as to the Fed's dual commitment to keeping long term interest rates down and encouraging economic growth.
No changes to the Fed's current bond-buying program were made during today's FOMC meeting.
The Fed's monthly purchase of $85 billion in bonds and MBS works by boosting bond prices, which typically helps with keeping mortgage rates lower.
The Fed reaffirmed its position that it will not withdraw or reduce monetary easing until the unemployment rate is substantially lower.
Unemployment Rate Improving Nationally
Fed predictions for the national unemployment … (0 comments)

burlingame: NAHB Housing Market Index Shows Builder Confidence Slip In March - 03/20/13 03:16 PM
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for March on Monday.
The HMI measures builder confidence in the market for newly constructed single family homes.
A reading of 50 for the NAHB Housing Market Index (HMI) indicates that more builders are confident of housing market conditions for new single family homes than those who are not confident.
Home builder confidence fell for the third consecutive month with a two-point drop to a reading of 44 in March.
Several Factors Create New Home Bottleneck
An NAHB leader noted that several situations are causing a “bottleneck” … (0 comments)

burlingame: Great Staging Tips To Set A Buyer's Mood At Your Home For Sale - 03/19/13 03:23 PM
Staging is the art of preparing your San Carlos home for sale before showing it to prospective buyers.
The point of staging is to highlight the house's strengths, downplay its weaknesses and make it more appealing.
With the right decorating techniques, you can win buyers over the moment they step through the door.
Below are a few staging tips to help make your house irresistible to potential buyers.
Put Everything Away
The first step is to put away anything that is not essential. This will open up the house so that it appears more spacious.
Even if you have to rent … (2 comments)

burlingame: What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week: March 18th, 2013 - 03/18/13 03:17 PM
Last week's positive employment reports were good news for the economy, which typically causes mortgage rates to rise, but mortgage rates ended the week lower.
As of Thursday, Freddie Mac reports that the average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage was 3.63 percent with borrowers paying their closing costs and 0.8 percent in discount points.
The average mortgage rate for a 15 year loan was 2.79 percent with borrowers paying their own closing costs and 0.8 percent in discount points.
Strong Retail Sales Show Consumer Confidence Improving
In other economic news, retail sales for February surpassed Wall Street expectations … (0 comments)

burlingame: 5 Quick Tips To Get A Better Price On Your Home Purchase - 03/18/13 03:12 PM
When you are looking to buy a home, it is important to keep in mind that no real estate price is set in stone.
There is always room for negotiation, and with the right techniques you may end up saving thousands of dollars on your dream house.
However, it can be tricky to get the right reaction when you are negotiating.
Here are a few tips that will help you to haggle your way to the best deal.
Find Out The Seller's Motivation
If they really need to move and sell the property, it will be easier to convince them to … (3 comments)

burlingame: 4 Critical Tips When Purchasing Foreclosure Real Estate - 03/14/13 02:46 PM
Buying a foreclosed property in San Mateo and the surrounding area can be different than buying other types of real estate.
In many cases you will be able to get a fantastic deal on a home, but you will need to go through quite a bit of work and negotiation.
Here are four tips to help you navigate the foreclosure buying process:
Find the right real estate agent The first thing to keep in mind is that your real estate broker will deal directly with the bank that owns the foreclosed property.
The bank has the final say in whether they'll … (2 comments)