General Real Estate Tips and Advice

I just read an interesting article on the state of home sales in parts of Oakland.  Low priced ($200,000 and less) homes are becoming very attractive to investors. They can buy a home, rent it out, and still have positive cash flow because of the strong rental market. Many investors are coming in with all-cash offers for a smooth transaction with the bank.

The median price of a home in Oakland is now $330,000 which is roughly half of what it was only 18 months ago. What is driving homes sales up and prices down is the amount of REOs (bank-owned) and short-sales being sold. 50% of homes sales last month involved foreclosed homes, but foreclosures only represented 14% in Dec. 2007.

Banks are also starting to list their homes low and let the market…

2023 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

It's that time of year again, Tax time! One of the first things I do for the new year is send my clients a copy of their Settlement Statement (or HUD-1) . If you bought or sold a home last year it is time to get all your paperwork together and send it to your tax preparer (or just do it yourself!) The HUD-1 sheet is a breakdown of all the costs incurred in your recent home sale /purchase. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) requires that the form be issued in all real estate transactions in the United States which involve federally related mortgage loans. I always give my clients a CD copy of all the disclosures and Escrow paperwork but sometimes a hard copy in the mail saves a lot of frustration and time. Trust me, whoever does your taxes…

1926 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

I always take info from the internet with a grain of salt but here are a few figures I found. 

 

Top 10 Worst States For Foreclosures

Top 10 Worst States For Foreclosures in 2008

1. Nevada – 1 in 61 households
2. California – 1 in 88 households
3. Florida– 1 in 95 households
4. Michigan– 1 in 102 households
5. Ohio– 1 in 107 households
6. Colorado – 1 in 109 households
7. Arizona – 1 in 112 households
8. Georgia– 1 in 142 households
9. Indiana– 1 in 196 households
10. Texas– 1 in 205 households

Top 10 States With Least Amount of Foreclosures in 2008

1. Vermont – 1 in 12,294 households
2. South Dakota – 1 in 4,693 households
3. North Dakota – 1 in 4,288 households
4. West Virginia – 1 in 3,071 households
5. Mississippi – 1 in 2,501…

2084 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

First off, I realize that blogging requires a commitment to the 'art' . I am not a writer by training ;-). You have probably already figured this out in my first sentence or two. I am a poor speller and never was confortable in Mrs. Singaras' English class at Skyline (1984). But I hope that I can entertain and amuse you all with some stories and histroy about my real estate adventures. It is Nov. 2008. Obama was elected days ago and the country and the Bay Area in general are in for a lot of changes. What will this mean for Oakland and the neighborhoods, remains to be seen. But we are hopeful and because I love Oakland so much, I am not moving anywhere else, so stick with me and let's experience Oakland together.

 

1965 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post