General Real Estate Tips and Advice

In considering the affordability of your Berkeley home, you tend to focus on the sale price, and then the calculated monthly mortgage payment.  While this is perfectly normal, it is important to be aware of other, unexpected costs that will occur as you move towards finalizing the purchase.  Money should be set aside to cover whatever may develop. While not all of these things will apply to your situation, you should be aware of them as possibilities.  Additionally, some of these costs and fees are often negotiated between the buyer and seller, so not all will apply to the buyer, only. Here is a good summary:

a. Professional Home Inspection Fees: It is a wise idea to pay for and have the home thoroughly inspected before making the final purchase.  Costs…

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One of my jobs as your listing agent is to assist you in pricing your home correctly in order to attract the most interest among potential buyers and area brokers.  It is important that you consider the problems that can arise if you overprice any home, whether it be a Piedmont home, a Berkeley home, or an Oakland home.

Here are the basic problems to consider before deciding on your final price. Should you overprice:

a. There Will Be No Showings:  With the Internet available to everyone, today's buyers are very sophisticated as to comparable pricing.  In fact, many real estate web sites will furnish them with comps at the click of a mouse.  They, and their broker, will know very quickly when a house is overpriced.  They will not want to see or…

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If you are a senior citizen, 55 years or older, and are considering selling your home in Alameda county, you may have surprising tax benefits waiting for you.

Normally, if seniors have been in their home for a long time, and are enjoying the tax benefits of Proposition 13, they have had their current home assessed at a very low yearly tax rate.  However, when considering selling their current home, and moving into another, perhaps smaller home, they may experience what could be called "sticker shock" when they see the property taxes on the homes in the marketplace today.  These taxes could be considerably higher than what they are used to, and often for less property in terms of size.  

A solution has been offered in the form of California…

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At sometime in our lives, we have all had to move from one home to another.  Some people may just move from a Berkeley home to an Oakland home, while others need to move cross country.  When we make the preparations to sell one home and buy another, it is very easy to get caught up with all the financial and operational details involved in making this very important transition.  Very often, because of so many intersecting events during this time, young children are left out of the planning stage, and are asked to make some major adjustments at a very confusing time.

Below are some common sense suggestions that can make the whole event a lot easier.  (One note, however, is that if the move is preceded by a stressful event such as a death, divorce or…

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When your Oakland home is on the market, you are going to find that you are showing it a lot to potential buyers and their realtors, whether through private showings, or through having an Open House.  If your schedule is as busy as most, you may not have time to stop everything and clean up the entire house just before they arrive to view your home. Here are some suggestions of things to do on a weekly basis, as needed, so there is no need for last minute scrambling:

a. Wash Your Windows, Mirrors and Shower Doors-Windows are one of the most overlooked items, and as such are often the most in need of attention.  Dirty windows, mirrors and glass doors, besides being unsightly, give the impression that less obvious things are being overlooked, as well,…

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As you begin your search for that perfect Tudor style Oakland home in the hills, there is always the concern about whether or not you will qualify financially, so that you can buy it.  This is not uncommon concern, and below are some tips on how to analyze where you are financially, and get a sense of just "how much home" you will be able to afford.  While it is not the final say, and there are many more elements involved, it will give you a general sense of what the banks will be looking for. 

Overall, the lenders are concerned about three things regarding future borrowers:

1. Credit Rating: In an earlier blog, on July 13th, I wrote a detailed blog on how a credit rating is arrived at.  But, in quick summary form, a credit rating is based on a FICO…

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In the past, we have discussed how important curb appeal can be to potential buyers.  We have made some suggestions about making the home as appealing as possible-both inside and out.  Now let us reverse the roles.  Let's assume you are looking at an Alameda home or an Alameda Bay Farm Island home with the intention of buying it.  It looks right.  It feels right.  However, you have only been inside on a tour once, or possibly a few more times.  What is the next step towards making the decision?  How can you avoid discovering unpleasant surprises once you purchase the home?  Besides the obvious home inspections and disclosures that you would be receiving, an additional plan towards making your decision is to drive around the area-a lot!

 You really…

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In a previous blog, I stressed how important is is to have your home inspection done before you put your Piedmont home on the market.  It will give you a sense of how ready you are to sell, help with proper home pricing, and motivate you to fix things first, before potential buyers discover them, causing future negotiation issues.

While this is not a comprehensive list, I would like to give you a general idea of some of the most important things that the inspector will be checking on the inside of your home:

1. Heating and Air Systems:  Are they efficient?  Do they serve your needs, or are they worn out?  Have you replaced your filters on both at least once a year?  When was the last time they were inspected?

2. Ducts and Vents:  These are…

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One of the simplest, yet hardest things for sellers of Oakland homes to consider when preparing their home to be shown to potential buyers is the concept of "decluttering".  I, as your agent,  will encourage sellers to go through their house and begin to remove unnecessary items from each and every room in order to make them open and appealing when being viewed.  While this sounds simple, it is often a very difficult thing to carry through, because of the emotional attachment that sellers have to so many items located there.

Why bother?  Why is it important?  Why do all that work?  There are two reasons:

1. Buyers Need to Envision How The Home Fits Their Needs:  You are selling a home to potential buyers, and they must be able to envision your home as…

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There are so many elements that go into selecting the ideal neighborhood for your new Alameda or Bay Farm Island home.  Over the last few days, we spoke about selecting the type of home that you might like. This time, we will consider choosing the best  neighborhood fit for you and your family. 

Each family has different needs, wants and finances.  One family will put a stress on the school district, another will want proximity to parks, recreational facilities, or transportation sources.  When all is said and done, however, the family wants to feel comfortable, welcome, and secure in their final choice, and looking forward to spending many years among their new neighbors.  There are certain basics that make any neighborhood one to consider.

1.…

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