sonoma county real estate: PT III "Buying Country Property" TLC? Tear down,Level,Condemn - 10/23/16 04:11 AM
Buying Country or “Rural” Property PT 111  
  In Part I and II of “Buying Country or “Rural” property I explored the differences of a “Town” versus a “Country” property.  The major difference between Town and Country? Onsite “waste disposal systems” and “water supply” residing on the same property as your home. Many consumers will back off buying a rural property simply for this reason.  However many will sally-forth undaunted as owning country property brings with it many rewarding years of living closer to nature.
You just need to do YOUR HOMEWORK when buying. Part I of this series dealt with septic … (0 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Did you SURVIVE the Fed Rate Hike? - 12/18/15 09:00 AM

O.K. folks--let's all take a deep breath and start the mantra, "Interest Rates are still at historic lows", repeat, "interest Rates are still at historic lows"--Then please click on this link to read research by Berkshire Hathaway on the effect, perceived by the consumer, of the Fed Interest rate hike. In case you've been under a rock or "snow-birding" on a sunny atoll, the FED finally, after 10 years, raised the Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points or 1/4 of 1%.
  On a $300,000 mortgage the increase amounts to $43.00 more per month (3.75 to 4:00%) or $1432 per month Principal and … (1 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Your county's median income buys HOW much house? - 10/20/15 11:24 AM
Here in the greatest state of California and the world-class "wine-country" region of Northern California , our prices lead the nation and seem to be originating in a galaxy far, far away! Our chief economist of the California Assoc. of Realtors (CAR) gave her annual real estate prognostication for 2016. Leslie does this every year in October. What impressed me about her presentation? the affordability charts.  By the way, here is the LINK to her presentation in my DropBox account.
  This chart shows California by "County". I'm in "Sonoma County" (underlined in red). This shows the percentage of the households who can afford … (0 comments)

sonoma county real estate: What can go wrong in a Real Estate Transaction? Let me count the ways! - 09/05/15 07:16 AM
“So What can go wrong with our escrow?” Let me count the ways! ESCROW POTENTIAL DELAYS
(My apologies for the formatting issues with this post--did not translate very well!) It is the wise client who prepares for problems before they happen! As a Realtor who has slogged through the real estate trenches since 1978, there are many ways an escrow can be delayed or “DFT”--deal fell through. The smart, savvy Realtor knows delays are part of the process and like a chess master, attempts to anticipate move and counter-move. For this reason I would like to share my problem checklist that keeps … (20 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Condo's & PUD Marketplace-Sonoma County ON FIRE!! - 06/04/15 02:53 AM
 
  The "red-hot" condo and PUD (Planned Unit Development) market in Sonoma County, California "Wine Country" is still roaring right along. The reason--affordability. With a county-wide median home price of $550,000, up +15% over last year, this marketplace is a bargain. However, the median home price for this segment beats the "detached" home market with a median home increase of +25%.
  Scarcity rules the roost in all price segments in Sonoma County except the $1,000,000+ range. The Condo/PUD segment the DOM or Days on the Market is ONLY 26 Days compared to 37 days for the "Detached" homes and a MSI or … (1 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Does the CAR you drive matter to your Real Estate Business? - 05/13/15 12:57 PM
  There was an interesting column on Inman.com regarding what type of car you drive for your real estate practice. The thoughts and comments centered around which "market" do you work? Upscale? Mostly middle class? First timers? Each segment they suggested would mean a different type of car. The article warned of being TOO upwardly "mobile" (Sorry-couldn't resist that one!) as this would turn off some consumers. One comment noted, "If a Realtor drives up in a very expensive auto will the Seller think, "Hey, s/he's got tons of money. I'll get a commissson reduction!". I do think if you work certain … (7 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Sonoma County Housing Market Report-Median +15% - 05/08/15 04:49 AM
  Here in the "Wine Country" of Sonoma County, California we are once again seeing double-digit homemedian price increases. Why? Lack of inventory, big buyer demand fueled by our relative "affordability" for the bay area counties, super low interest rates and fears that surging home prices may leave many behind. As you can see from the chart below our sales increased nicely over last year and the median home price is up 15% over last year to $540,000+. Now many of you viewing this from afar will wonder how in the heck is a 1/2 million $$ Median Home price affordable! … (2 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Over Personalizing Your Home or “This house is SO You!” - 04/13/15 03:44 AM
 
                In my 38 years as a Realtor exclusively here in "The Wine Country" ,Sonoma County, Califirona,  I have viewed homes which can only be characterized as being “overly personal” to the owner. These “personalized” homes can present certain traits which can be a white elephant in any real estate market.  That being said, no seller should live under the tyranny of a future buyer. Just be aware that over personalization will need to be removed or the price discounted for the home’s uniqueness. Geodesic domes, ultra-contemporary architecture, garden structures resembling a Scandia golf center, Cedar Kit-Homes, Tahoe style chalets, “love-pits”, … (3 comments)

sonoma county real estate: 25 Billion Settlement for Robo Signings and Foreclosure mis-deeds--BIG for California! - 02/10/12 04:53 AM
The below quote is from DSN NEWS. Click on the highlighted lettering to be taken to the story. Could this mean a huge bonanza of Short-Sales coming down the pike? Remember, one of the key players in the settlement was BofA which BOUGHT COUNTRYWIDE HOME MORTGAGE. You may recall that Countrywide was a HUGE player in the California marketplace. California got a big portion of the overall settlement.
Here in Sonoma County, California the "Short-Sale" is HUGE in the "under-contracts" section of our local MLS. With over 3100 properties in escrow as "Continue to Shows" or not yet firmed up … (0 comments)

sonoma county real estate: Sonoma County Homeowners IN DISTRESS! Don't worsen things by falling for SCAMS! - 12/07/11 03:22 PM
 
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