Real estate blog entries tagged with alameda realtor by Pacita Dimacali, Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA (Alain Pinel)

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alameda realtor: Dear First Time Buyer: We can help but please listen to our advice - 02/25/14 08:24 AM

A colleague had a conversation about some shared buyers who are experiencing "teachable moments" as they continue to lose out to higher offers.
My colleague said “Our message to them right now: If everyone really used comparables all the time as a guide for what to offer, prices would be the same today as they were 40 years ago.”
TEACHING MOMENT
It's challenging to teach people anything unless they have a willingness to learn or listen.

FIRST TIME BUYER SKEPTICISM
I am experiencing a similar challenge, trying to provide guidance to first time buyers who rely purely on numbers and … (29 comments)

alameda realtor: Short sale in Alameda CA --- still multiple offers at above list price - 02/09/14 04:28 PM

Although the market in my neck of the woods has rebounded considerably, some clients' properties have not recovered their market value at the peak. And as such, yes, I'm still working with short sales.

California short sale homeowners get a tax break
Fortunately for California home sellers facing short sale...
"With the Franchise Tax Board’s clarification, underwater home sellers also are assured that they are not subject to state income tax liability, rescuing tens of thousands of distressed home sellers from California tax liability for debt written off by lenders in short sales."

Short sale process --- still s-l-o-w !
… (1 comments)

alameda realtor: Should short sale sellers care how they present property for sale? - 02/04/14 03:25 PM

Unattractive house, unattractive situation
I have seen short sale listings where it seemed the sellers have given up and didn't care what the property looked. Some sellers try to get money out of the situation and rent out the property to tenants who can be uncooperative, making it impossibe to show the property.
So it's a whammy for the buyer --- unattractive house, unattractive situation, unattractive terms, unattractive waiting period.

Should short sale sellers care how they present the property for sale?
Absolutely!

My newest listing is a short sale....and we are on a critical deadline to get in … (5 comments)

alameda realtor: Kudos to my cooperative home seller who cleaned, decluttered.... - 01/31/14 04:50 AM

When I first met with my client and took a tour of his home, I was a bit worried about how we can present this Alameda CA Victorian home so that it will appeal to a potential buyer.

MEN AND THEIR TOYS
Here's the situation.....and this is not a put down of men....but these guys are real heavy into the men "stuff".
The father and his two grown up sons are avid motorcyclists and bicyclists. As such, there are multiple bicycles, motorcycles, helmets, riding gear, tools, etc. scattered throughout the house. There is no dining room table....just couches and chairs … (5 comments)

alameda realtor: Where do we get leads for homes buyers and home sellers? - 01/24/14 02:50 PM

One of the things we learn as salespeople is that we can't depend on leads to be handed down to us, nor can we assume the leads we get are quality leads.Several real estate trainers like Brian Buffini , Joe Niego, Tom Ferry, Mike Ferry as well as motivational sales speakers like Zig Ziglar have taught us that we essentially create our own leads. First we identify the opportunities, then we cultivate and nurture those opportunities.In the last few years, I tracked sources of leads that turned into actual sales for me, and then later either as repeat clients and/or sources of referrals.
Traditional methods
When I was a newbie … (8 comments)

alameda realtor: Waterfront home for sale in Brittany Landing, Alameda CA - 01/22/14 11:06 AM

Life in Alameda.....wonderful duet opens to WATERFRONT. Fabulous home by San Francisco Bay Location: Brittany Landing in Harbor Bay Living in Alameda is quite a blessing. And to live in a home with direct access to the trail along San Francisco Bay....that's glorious!
Having an extra large patio where one can entertain outdoors, enjoy views of the Bay, commune with nature, or go on the trail especially with Alameda's ever-beautiful weather....that's joy!
Fabulous home with open plan that integrates indoorwith outdoor living areas. Exceptionally spacious living room with gas burning fireplace and wet bar. Superlative master bedroom with bath en suite, its … (5 comments)

alameda realtor: Realtor’s bad behavior at another realtor’s brokers tour/open house - 01/22/14 09:52 AM

Realtors’ bad behavior at another realtor’s brokers tour/open house

Broker’s tour
Yesterday during a broker’s tour, I was reveling in the good and positive comments from agents and neighbors who came to see my newest Alameda listing. As always, I served Chinese dim sum, which helped provide a festive atmosphere where agents lingered and talked among ourselves.
Here comes Ms. Sourpuss. She didn’t say hi, and proceeded to complain that I should have put on the gate what the access code is to enter. I told her that I provided that info under confidential remarks on the MLS listing, … (5 comments)

alameda realtor: How long does it take to prepare a home for sale? - 01/18/14 06:01 AM

Someone asked me how long it takes to prepare a property for sale. The usual answer is “It depends”. For the benefit of potential sellers, this should give you an idea of the process.

ONE DAY
The shortest period of time I enjoyed from start to finish was just one day.

I was lucky enough to get a call from a couple who said they wanted to talk with me about selling their home in Alameda CA. We set up a meeting that very afternoon. And when I arrived, they said they were ready to sign the listing agreement … (7 comments)

alameda realtor: My mother's friend's daughter gave me a lead for a listing! - 01/08/14 11:14 AM

We need a REALTOR!
Early morning of December 30, 2013, I received a call from someone I didn't know. She identified herself as the daughter of my mother's friend. She was the caregiver of another elderly lady who just passed away in her sleep. The son just flew in from out of state, and was going a little crazy with the many details pertaining to his mother's affairs. He mentioned that one of the things he needs to do is to find a realtor to help him sell the house.

Caregiver continues to care
How lucky for me that the … (6 comments)

alameda realtor: Alameda CA --- what's happening? Is it still a seller's market? - 09/21/13 08:34 AM

In Alameda CA, it is still viewed as a seller's market because we are experiencing multiple offers at over list price in most of the homes listed in Alameda. And...as far as some markets go, an average of less than a month on the market is good news for sellers.
It's sometimes strange to hear this comment about a listing ---- "There were only two offers, both in cash, at over list price...."
"ONLY"? Yes, "only" because the sellers were expecting a lot more offers to review. But they were happy to get two very good offers.
It really depends … (1 comments)

alameda realtor: Luxurious home in sought after Bayport community in Alameda CA - 08/23/13 05:12 PM

OPEN HOUSE
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24-25, 2:00 -4:30
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31-Sept 1, 2:00 - 4:30 Luxurious home in sought-after Bayport in Alameda CA Location: Bayport For the most discerning buyers who want to live in desirable Bayport community in sunny Alameda, this home offers more than a touch of elegance. As soon as one enters the dramatic two-story foyer, one can immediately sense the richness and quality of finishes that make this home exceptionally pleasing.
Sellers lovingly and painstakingly selected approximately $150,000 in high-end options and upgrades to this home, a Plan 9 -- the third largest model … (7 comments)

alameda realtor: Seller was not in a hurry to sell....but buyer was in hurry to buy - 07/01/13 11:47 AM

Seller was not in a hurry...but buyers were
For this short sale listing, the seller was not quite in a hurry, but decided to go ahead and put her house on the market. She hoped she'd have a lot of time to prepare to move out.
Buyers wanted to submit their offers right away.
Activated the listing on Friday.
The seller went out of town for the weekend to have uninterrupted showings. Seller also chose not to have an offer date.
Held open house Sunday, and the broker's tour the following Tuesday.
By the end of the … (34 comments)

alameda realtor: Alameda CA Victorians --- wacky, blighted and sublime - 06/07/13 02:55 AM

Alameda CA has the highest number of Victorians per capita in the world, so it's always a delight driving around looking at some of this island's Victorian treasures.
We do have an Alameda Historical Society. And we even have a Guide to Residential Design. But I am not sure what can be done to ensure that the remaining Victorians are saved and preserved, or what standards should be followed and/or enforced to ensure Victorian design remains classic.

Oversized Fountain
Just one block from the heart of downtown, and around the corner from City Hall is this Victorian whose owner installed … (5 comments)

alameda realtor: The REO bank told contractor not to bother with getting permits - 06/06/13 04:18 PM

Our offer on a bank-owned property in our fabulous island city of Alameda CA was accepted.
In the course of our buyer investigation period, we discovered that there was extensive work done, but the only permit pulled was for the roof.
So what was done and by whom?
We were surprised at how much work was actually done. Worse, it appears there was serious mold issues. The contractor selected by the REO bank, was also a mold inspector and remediator and he supposedly took care of this.
When asked where are the permits to the extensive work they did, the contractor's representative … (55 comments)

alameda realtor: Alameda County CA ---- what's happening in real estate? - 05/08/13 10:07 AM

Real estate truly is local.
The Marketing Department of Alain Pinel Realtors provides our REALTORS as many tools as we need to educate our clients. The easiest and most popular tools are charts like these. Take a look at what's happending in Alameda County, CA, since July 2012 through mid-May 2013.
Sales price going up Days on market shows properties are in contract in fewer days after they are listed for sale Price per square feet also on the upward trend Inventory still quite low, but showing an uptick as we approach summer

… (1 comments)

alameda realtor: Alameda CA: home values are rising, recovering. Hallelujah! - 04/27/13 12:04 PM

How does the first quarter in 2013 compare to same period of time the preceding years for Alameda CA?

Like many cities in the Bay area, and perhaps in other cities/states as well, the common plaint seems to be that there’s a dearth of inventory of homes for sale. Further, multiple offers at above list price seem to be common as we define the entry into a Seller’s Market.

What does Alameda CA’s market look like? The best way to find out is to look at the historical data of sales of detached single family homes during … (2 comments)

alameda realtor: Home Sellers, note: He who represents himself has a fool for a client - 04/24/13 04:24 AM

“He who represents himself has a fool for a client” Several months ago, I met with a potential seller who was interviewing a few agents. Days later, he called and said he had decided to do something else. And it turns out he wanted to sell the property himself. He met with the agents only to pick our brains and get an idea of what his property is worth.
He had pictures taken, got his property-specific domain, and put up a website, using Circlepix. It looked great. But months later, it is still not sold, while the other properties that have … (7 comments)

alameda realtor: Alameda Point in Alameda CA: Future plans for development. Mixed-use? - 04/11/13 08:24 AM

What is Alameda Point?
Alameda Point used to be the home of Alameda Naval Station (NAS) . This station, one of the largest and most complete naval stations in the world, closed in 1997. It was turned over to the city of Alameda in 2011. Most recently, the Navy received an additional $10 million in clean-up funds.
Since it closed, there have been numerous plans for what to do with this fabulous piece of real estate that is nearly one-third of the entire land mass of the island of Alameda CA. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has a dedicated site … (2 comments)

alameda realtor: Floating homes a.k.a houseboats --- oh, the romance of this lifestyle! - 04/11/13 04:58 AM

There have been three popular movies where living on a houseboat, a.k.a. floating home was romanticized. Later, I learned that folks who live in these homes prefer to call them as "floating homes" since they are berthed all the time and do not move around on their own propulsion.
Growing up, I only knew about these homes as "house boats". And my only knowledge of them is what I saw in the movie "Houseboat" with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. In the 70s, there was the "Foul Play" with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn. In the 90s, "Sleepless in Seattle" with Meg … (1 comments)

alameda realtor: Year 2013: Is there overbidding when buying homes in Alameda CA? - 04/08/13 10:52 AM

Someone asked if there is overbidding in our little island town of Alameda CA so she would know what to expect year 2013.
Like most Bay area cities, we are seeing our share of overbidding. However, we should be careful on how we characterize the market because it really depends on the pricing strategy of sellers and their listing agents.

Some sellers may think that because it is a sellers' market, that they can price as high as they want. As we know and as we've seen, price is still the primary factor that drives the sale. If the property … (2 comments)

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