Real estate blog entries tagged with oakland real estate by Jean Powers, CRS,e-PRO,HAFA,SFR Broker, Northern California (Kane & Associates call 510.908.9002)

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oakland real estate: Do You Know the Answer? - 04/20/08 04:58 AM

I thought this would be just for fun? Do you know the answer to these riddles? The answer is the same for both
* It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die. What is it?
* What does man love more than lifeFear more than death or mortal strifeWhat the poor have, the rich require,and what contented men desire,What the miser spends and the spendthrift savesAnd all men carry to their graves?
If I do not see the correct answer I will put it in comments later … (11 comments)

oakland real estate: Buyers Who are on the Fence! Read This - 04/18/08 03:12 PM

You've heard reports saying that the housing market is in turmoil, and that home prices are stalling, if not falling, in many areas. And it is tougher to get home financing. So does this mean the game is over-is it too late to buy a home? I listened to David Bach author of the Automatic Millionaire Homeowner give this presentation and I going to use it in my marketing. It makes sense and I feel the public needs to hear the real truth about the market!
Well, before you wtite another rent check, or write off the opportunity to buy another property, … (3 comments)

oakland real estate: Greenspan and more! - 04/14/08 05:48 PM

I am always looking to my state association CAR to find interesting articles and information that will help me in my business. I came across this information and feel that most of it is very helpful and I hope it is helpful to you too!

Former Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan Tuesday said he expects the drop in U.S. home prices will probably end early in 2009 as housing inventory is reduced, and added that "...it is very likely that home prices will stabilize well before that." He noted that the damage from the subprime crisis won't be fully apparent for months but … (2 comments)

oakland real estate: For All You Californians and Realtors! - 04/14/08 02:26 PM

This bill was signed by the governor on October 12, 2007!
SB 559*Property Tax Reassessment Exemption Applied Retroactively for Domestic Partners
This new law retroactively applies the exemption from reassessment for transfers of real property between registered domestic partners back through January 1, 2001. However, no refunds on property taxes will be provided for such reassessment reversals.
Under current law, most transfers of real property trigger a reassessment to the fair market value upon such transfer. Certain transfers are exempt, including iinterspousal transfers, and certain parent to child transfers. A prior law indicated that transfers between registered domestic partners would be exempt starting on January 1, … (0 comments)

oakland real estate: California Disclosures for REO's - 04/12/08 06:02 PM

What are the disclosure requirements for REO sales?
An REO lender is subject to certain legally mandated disclosure requirements and is well advised to provide other disclosures. Note, however, if the bank acquires the property by means other than a foreclosure, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or a tax sale, then the required disclosures are the same as for the resale of any property by any seller (See Cal. Civ. Code § 1102.2(c) and (i)). Please refer to the C.A.R. legal article, Sales Disclosure Chart for REALTORS®.The following is a list of recommended disclosures for a typical REO sale in California--that is the lender acquired the … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: Are Your Sellers Overwhelmed in Relocating? - 04/11/08 02:26 PM

Sellers sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by their upcoming relocation to a new home! There are ways to make the transition easier. One way to ease your mind is to make a list of everything that needs to be done. The following are some helpful tips for a successful relocation:
Start a separate calendar to record your moving tasks. Use it to develop an eight-week plan. This is considered the minimum planning time needed for a stress-free relocation.
Obtain a floorplan of your new home. Based on the size of the new place, decide what you will take you and what you will leave … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: Lenders Let Homeowners's Stay - 04/10/08 02:37 PM

Banks swamped by a tidal wave of foreclosures increasingly may be looking the other way and letting homeowners remain in their homes, according to some sources. Banks say they are allowing homeowners more time to work out financial issues and potentially save their homes by avoiding foreclosure. But some observers have expressed concerns that delaying the foreclosure process may only extend the agony for homeowners and prolong the housing market slowdown.
MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY FOR CONSUMERS
3.6 percent of borrowers were at least 90 days late on their payments in December - the highest percentage in more than five years, reported … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: ZIP Realty MovesUp!! - 04/10/08 03:43 AM

Real estate brokerage company Web site ZipRealty.com improved its ranking to fifth among the top-20 most-visited industry Web sites in March -- the company ranked seventh on the list in February and ninth in January, metrics company Hitwise reported.
The top four companies on the list remained unchanged from February to March. Realtor.com topped the list with a 4.75 percent market share of visits to real estate Web sites, followed by brokerage company RE/MAX's remax.com Web site with a 2.85 percent market share, Yahoo's realestate.yahoo.com site with a 2.35 percent market share and valuation and marketing site Zillow.com with a 2.2 percent … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: California Agents Representing Investment Buyers! - 04/09/08 05:37 PM

California agents have not been able to represent investors on properties which there is a notice of default filed because the law stated that buyer's agents needed to be bonded. The issue is that the bond didn't exist. Below is information from the California Association of Realtors legal department with the latest news on this subject!C.A.R.'s Member Legal Services team has published a revised legal article, "Notice of Default and Investor-Buyer Transactions: Home Equity Sales Contracts," which has been revised to reflect the holding in the case, Schweitzer v. Westminster Investments, 157 Cal. App. 4th 1195 (2007), review denied March 26, 2008.The Fourth District Court of … (2 comments)

oakland real estate: Marriott Turns Green! - 04/08/08 05:29 AM

From left, Eduardo Braga, governor of Brazil's state of Amazonas, J.W. Marriott Jr., of Marriott International and Vigilio Viana of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. Marriott pledged $2 million to protect the Brazilian rain forest. (By Michael Temchine -- P.r. Newswire) Marriott International announced a broad strategy yesterday to reduce its impact on the environment, pledging $2 million to protect the Brazilian rain forest and promising that by the end of the year its guests will be able to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their hotel stays.
The Bethesda firm's new greening tactics, detailed among singing birds at the National Zoo's Amazonia … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: It's Your Choice, what would you like to do? - 04/07/08 03:47 PM

I had the privledge of listening to Bernice Ross at my Northern CA CRS networking luncheon. Here are a couple tips that she spoke about at the meeting. She also promoted Point 2 NLS website when I heard her a couple of years ago and I feel it is the best website around!
1. It's your choice, what would you like to do?
This may be the most important question in real estate. Agents who try to control the negotiation often lose the transaction. Ultimately, it's your client's house and your client's decision. Instead of trying to be the expert, act as a … (4 comments)

oakland real estate: Alameda Schools Beg City For Parcel Tax Help! How About Yours? - 04/04/08 03:41 PM

I sat in on a meeting last night in my city "Alameda". This is the second school parcel tax in 4 years proposed for the June ballot. We already have parcel taxes for our library and hospital! The controversy is that many homeowners are tired of an easy fix to slap another parcel tax on property owners instead of finding a way to tax all citizens in the city. Alameda owns our electric company and there is no reason why they can't impose a tax on our electric bill so that everyone pays for the schools! The problem is that our school board doesn't … (2 comments)

oakland real estate: Did You Know?? - 04/04/08 11:57 AM

A discarded printer cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose? With more than 350 million cartridges thown out every year with a mountain of ewaste steadily forming thoughout the nations's landfills it makes sense to refill empty ink and toner cartridges!
As Earth Day approaches, it is a perfect time of year to remind consumers ofthe ways to create a "green" home and work environment Consumers can simply swap out an empty, original cartridge or purschase one already refilled and find a great savings compared to purchasing a new one!
The facts from Cartridge World:
It takes about … (6 comments)

oakland real estate: How Do You Feel About This!! - 04/03/08 04:01 AM

Zilow has a new service for consumers. Here is a little bit about their new endeavor. For more information go to Zillow or the Mortgage Markeplace.
The foray into the mortgage realm provides consumers with the opportunity to anonymously view mortgage professionals' rate quotes for a variety of loan types while protecting consumers' privacy.
The platform serves as an intermediary to guard consumers' contact information and other personal details from mortgage industry professionals while passing along some information to serve as the basis for a rate quote. Consumers decide if and when they want to reach out to participants in the Mortgage Marketplace platform.
Consumers can … (4 comments)

oakland real estate: Agents Who Team with an ASP!! - 04/02/08 05:39 PM

Being an ASP Realtor, I feel that staging a house is more important than ever in this market! Below are some tips on staging a house inside and out!! It is also best to partner with an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) ! To locate an ASP in your area, go to www.StagedHomes.com They can do miracles in preparing your listing for sale!
INSIDE:
Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn't been used for three months... put it … (6 comments)

oakland real estate: Go Green!! - 04/01/08 03:53 PM

Here is the latest newsletter from David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire, who travels around the world speaking to people of all walks of life on how they too can purchase a home. I have attended 2 of his conferences and found he truly cares about people and helps them to be a homeowner. Now he has a new book, Go Green, Live Rich! I hope you enjoy his books as much as I do!
Today's the day we're launching our Big Book Campaign for my ninth book, Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying). As part … (1 comments)

oakland real estate: Will This ever End! - 03/30/08 03:14 PM

Mortgage Scams Target HomeownersEarlier this week, federal prosecutors charged 19 suspects in a nationwide mortgage scam that robbed cash-strapped homeowners of their home equity and title, reports the Los Angeles Times. The defendants defrauded homeowners using foreclosure rescue pitches and so-called equity stripping schemes to steal $12.6 million and obtain the titles to more than 100 homes. In one variation of the alleged crime, the defendants contacted homeowners who were behind on their mortgage payments and offered to help them avoid foreclosure. Financial institutions are on pace to report 60,000 incidents of suspected mortgage fraud this year, up from 28,000 in … (3 comments)

oakland real estate: Do You Qualify for a Home Office Deduction? - 03/29/08 04:33 AM

This article is by CRS instructor, Chris Byrd who is well known for his tax strategy seminars He has been a speaker for the Northern CA CRS Chapter and we find him to be very good! Chris@ChrisBirdSeminars.com or http://www/.chrisbirdseminars.com
Qualifying for the Home Office Deduction
The deduction allows you to deduct a pro-rata portion of your residential costs as a business expense when it's used as your principal place of business. The percentage of allowable expense (found by dividing the square footage of the office by the home's total square footage) can be applied to mortgage interest, insurance, property tax, rent, depreciation, utilities, and other home-related … (3 comments)

oakland real estate: Alameda's Crab Cove near Crown Memorial Beach! - 03/28/08 03:42 PM

Have a pinic, wind surfing or just walking Alameda's Beach after your children enjoy visiting Crab Cove!
Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda features all new exhibits opened in April 2004. You can see bay creatures in the 800-gallon aquarium system, use interactive stations for varying age groups to view microscopic animals, build a crab from the inside out, or get a lug worm's view of the mudflats. You'll see amazing depictions of the underwater world of San Francisco Bay. At the Visitor Center you can also plunge into San Francisco Bay without getting wet, or travel … (2 comments)

oakland real estate: Helping Homeowner's to Save Their Homes - 03/28/08 04:37 AM

Here is great information from the NAR website to help your homeowners who are in trouble paying their mortgage!
Lending NeighborWorks® America National Association of REALTORS® The Voice for Real Estate ================================================================== YOU'RE NOT ALONE IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING YOUR MORTGAGE The housing boom led to a record homeownership rate of nearly 70 percent, but some homeowners now face problems making their mortgage payments and can't refinance their loans. Over the last few years, lenders invented new types of mortgages to help families buy their first homes and refinance their existing mortgages. Many of these mortgages helped families without cash for a … (3 comments)

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