When it comes time to purchase your Piedmont or Oakland home, you need to be aware of some of the considerations that lenders will be making when they set your mortgage rate.  Obviously, interest rates are still quite low compared to years ago when they were 10% and more, but even with today's lower rates, the elements involved in rate setting are still important to your home's purchase.

Here are some considerations that come into play:

1. Your Credit Score--While this may seem obvious, this score is their key indicator as to how responsible you are about acquiring debt, and paying it back in a responsible and efficient manner.  A good credit score will go a long way to attracting an appealing mortgage rate.

2. How Much You Plan to Borrow--If…

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Montclair Community Park and the walkways along Moraga Avenue are going to be well attended to this Sunday, January 19th, when Montclair residents and their friends will be joining together to make the park as attractive as possible in a special one day event.  The plan will be to clean and clear overgrowth of plants and trees, remove debris and trash from the area, and generally promote the pleasant parklike atmosphere of the area. 

Beginning at 9:00 a.m at 6300 Moraga Avenue, this is promoted as a community wide event, and refreshments will be provided by local merchants like Crogan's Montclair, Crown Wines and Spirits, Starbucks, Colonial Donuts, and many more.

Participants are asked to bring gloves and pruning tools or shears, and an…

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While I am obviously not selling this home, there will be a special home for sale by the Lego Company that should appeal to Simpsons' fans all over the world.  The amazing popularity of  the Lego Company over the last few years has given rise to more and more imaginative products in their Lego line, and the company will be releasing the "Lego Simpson House" on February 1st of this year. 

It is quite a piece of work.  The home includes a removable roof which allows viewing of everyone's rooms just as seen in the television series.  As an example, Bart's room includes his skateboard and Krusty the Clown poster and Lisa's room includes her favorite books and jazz poster.  Six minifigures are included with the set-Homer, Bart, Marge, Maggie, Lisa…

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Piedmont Residents--Have you wondered where you go to get a garage sale permit in your city?  How about obtaining a dog license?  Do you know whom to contact when you have street maintenance issues?  Even though Piedmont is a small town, there are specific places to go, and people to call to get answers to all of these questions.  The good news is that this information is all neatly summarized for you on the following website:     http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/whodoicall.shtml     This page is full of contact numbers for city services.  Other valauble numbers include fire inspection, renting community facilities like the community hall, the hours of operation for City Hall, and so much more.  It is well worth printing and posting…

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In my previous blog, I itemized the variety of services that I am prepared to offer to assist potential home sellers.  As I also indicated, I have many years of experience in real estate on both sides of home sales and purchases.  In this blog, I would like to make you aware of the many services that I can offer you when purchasing a home.  Buying a home is a truly a significant step for everyone, and whether you are looking in Oakland,   Alameda or Piedmont, I can offer you the following services to make your search more comfortable and well directed:

* Meet with you to identify your ideal home

* Provide you with a list of reputable lenders

* Educate you about current market conditions

* Furnish a buyer's information handbook

* Provide…

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If you are interested in selling your home, this could very well be the best time to move ahead.  As I indicated in my December 12th blog, there is a particularly high demand for homes in Piedmont, and as such, many available homes have been selling above asking price recently.  While there is no guarantee that will happen with all homes placed on the market, it give you a sense of the need, by buyers, for a desirable home. 

Because of my many years of real estate experience, particularly in the Oakland and Piedmont market, I am prepared to place your home on the market in an efficient and effective manner.  Here is what I will do for you, as the seller:

* Educate you about the current market conditions

* Prepare a professional Comparable…

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This year, there is no reason for Piedmont residents to go out of town to celebrate New Year's Eve. The Piedmont Center For The Arts is presenting, for the first time, a Musical New Year's Eve Party.  They are encouraging residents to bring their children, their neighbors and their friends to come and celebrate together at the Center.  They will be entertained by strolling cabaret singers and comedic skits.  In addition, Shades of Gray, their resident jazz group will entertain, and dancing will be the order of the evening for celebrants. 

Dress is described as "whatever you like", and there is a no-host bar available, but BYO is just fine.  What a great way to start 2014!

To reserve a space send an email to: info@piedmontcenterforthearts.org.  Enjoy!

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As I mentioned in a recent blog, the competition for homes in Piedmont is very strong, and multiple bids are coming in for many of them, often raising the final price above the initial asking figure.  One of my jobs as your real estate agent, is to help you arrive at a competitive and realistic asking price, so your home will get immediate interest and attention. 

Many sellers, for different reasons, have a tendency to want to overprice their homes, and hope for the best when putting them on the market.  This is just not realistic, and there are reasons for this.  These are some of the top ones:

1. The Home Will Not Be Shown-With the sophisticated buyer having done his/her homework on the Internet first, most are very sophisticated as to current…

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During the busy time looking for a new Piedmont home, every family member has his or her "wish list" of things that they would like to have in the new home, and usually a list of things that they would like to avoid if possible.  Since it can get complex with so many ideas being considered, some things get overlooked.  Here are some important "Must Haves" that should be considered by everyone:

1. The House Must Have Sufficient Storage Space--While this may seem obvious at the outset, some houses are deceptive in the amount of space that is available for use.  Some have lots of closets, larger basements with nooks and crannies everywhere, upstairs under roof space, etc., while others are old fashioned, and have a small closet in each room, and that is…

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Once you have bought your new Oakland home, it is important to make plans for moving, so that your children can make the transition as easily as possible.  Moving can be stressful for parents, and often more so for children.  This is particularly true if you are changing schools, or moving quite a distance from your old neighborhood. Here are some ways to ease the transition--especially for toddlers and preschoolers:

1. Make all explanations about moving clear, simple, and easy to understand.  If the children are very young, maybe put the event in a story form, using toy trucks and furniture that the child can manipulate.  It will encourage questions that you can answer on their terms.

2. When the time comes to pack the childrens' toys, explain…

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