Bay Area Real Estate & Development Blog | Oakland, Piedmont & Cupertino - General Real Estate Tips and Advice

Buying An Oakland Or Piedmont Home-Your Final Walk-Through

You are thrilled that we have negotiated your new Oakland or Piedmont home purchase.  You and I together have come up with a final list of the ways that the home should be delivered, and now, before closing, we need to check the following elements, to see that all of the agreed conditions were met:

1. Have there been any major changes to the property since you last saw it? 

2. Are all the requested repairs that were to be made done, and done correctly?  Get copies of all warrenties and paid bills. Test each item to see that all repairs were done properly, and to your standards.

3. Are all the appliances working?  Be sure to include all the kitchen appliances, the heater, air conditioning, alarms, etc.. If possible, obtain all instructional…

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Buying Your Oakland Home-Getting Pre-Approved For Your Purchase

As the busy Spring housing market arrives this year, you may find that there is a lot of competition for some of the choicest or best priced homes in Oakland and Piedmont.  It is important that you get pre-approved for a home loan, so that you will be an excellent choice among potential buyers for that ideal home that you want.  It is especially important  that you leave nothing to chance about your ability to finance that home.

Lenders are looking at a number of things when they are considering your request:

1. Your Credit Score--While this may seem obvious, this credit score, and your credit history tells lenders a lot about you.  In essence, this score is their key indicator as to how responsible you are about acquiring debt, and then paying…

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Find Your Oakland Home For Sale-Discover Oakland's Neighborhoods!

 Whether you want hillside views, cozy tree lined streets, sweeping bay views, or downtown  vibes, there is a home for you in Oakland.  Here are just a sample of the many neighborhoods that you can choose from, and if these don't fit, there are plenty more!  Just let me know what you need, and we will find it.  

Oakland Neighborhoods

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Selling Your Oakland Home-How To Price It Correctly

 The Spring selling market is now upon us. Whether Oakland, Alameda or Berkeley,  this is one of the busiest times of the year for home buyers who are looking for their perfect new home.  While some marketplaces are especially stong, and competition is extremely heavy for the few houses on the market, that is not necessarily true of all Bay area homes.  For that reason, it becomes very important to price your home correctly to attract the maximum attention in the shortest period of time.  No matter what the area, my job, 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 a variety of reasons, have a tendency to want to overprice…

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Buying An Oakland Or Piedmont Home-How I Help You Purchase Your Home

As your real estate agent, I am thoroughly prepared to assist you in purchasing your new home.  With my many years as a real estate professional in the Bay area, I have developed a sophisticated sense of the area, and I know where the homes are that will fit your specific needs in terms of price and location.  In this blog, I would like to make you aware of the many services that I can offer you when purchasing your new home.  Buying a home is a truly a significant step for everyone, and whether you are looking in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley or Alameda, or anywhere else in the San Francisco Bay Area, I can offer you the following services to make your search more comfortable and well planned:

* Meet with you to identify your ideal home

* Provide…

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Buying Or Selling An Oakland Or Piedmont Home This Year-Looking At Prices

While there are many elements that you must consider in deciding to buy or sell an Oakland or Piedmont home, there is one very important element that you will want to consider-the marketplace of  the home. The basic question to ask yourself is " What is the direction of current Bay Area real estate housing sales?" "What is the direction of Northern California housing sales?".

Right now, the direction is "up".  Here are some quick summaries courtesty of the National Association of Realtors' "Median Sales Price of Existing Single Family Homes For the Metropolitan Area" :

1. Median existing single family homes in the Western US rose 4.8% to $299,500 in the 4th quarter of 2014.

2. In the Sacramento/Arden/Roseville area, the median single family…

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Buying A Piedmont Home-A Family Checklist and Plan

When it comes time to seriously consider buying a Piedmont or Oakland home, there are so many elements that you will want to consider, since this will be your family's home for quite a while.  You will want to be comfortable in your final choice.  In recent blogs, we have considered how to qualify financially to purchase your home.  But your home has to qualify in for you in so many other ways. As with financial prequalifying, it is important that you analyze your requirements for your new home, so you don't waste time viewing homes that will not, in the long run, meet your needs.  

So, while some of these questions may seem obvious, the answers to them may surprise you when you sit down with your family to get a consensus for their next home:

…

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Buying An Oakland or Piedmont Home-Extra Costs To Consider

 Often, as we begin to make plans to purchase an Oakland or Piedmont home, we have a tendency to decide what we can afford by looking at the asking price of the home for sale.  While this is certainly a sensible place to start, some other issues come into play that should be considered when deciding what one can pay for the home.

There are, in fact, other costs involved in purchasing a home that will need to be included in any buyer's budget.  While many things are negotiable between buyer and seller, it is a good idea to include these elements into your purchasing plans. 

1. Professional Home Inspection Fees: It is extremely important to have your future home thoroughly inspected before making your purchase, especially if you have concerns…

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Oakland and Piedmont Homebuyers-Check Your Credit FIRST

Whether you are interested in buying a home in the Piedmont hills, or among tree lined streets in Oakland, it is important that you know exactly where you are financially, so that you won't be disappointed when you begin to search for your perfect home.  Nothing can be more disturbing than to find that the homes that you want are out of your reach because of a credit history problem. Luckily, gathering proper credit information is just a matter of investing just a bit of research time.  

Even if you have been paying all your bills on time, and staying within the ideal credit limits, there may be issues in your credit reports that you may not be aware of.  Some may be due to clerical error, incorrect reporting by creditors, or incorrect attritution…

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2015 Oakland Restaurant Week-Celebrating Oakland's Culinary Sucesses

The announcement of the 5th year of Oakland's Restaurant Week has brought a great deal of excitement to those who enjoy the many opportunities for delightful cuisine that this event offers. As in the past, this year, restaurants in the area will be offering special prix-fixe lunches and dinners to diners.  There will be $20, $30, and $40 price ranges offered, and these meals represent a special treat from each of the almost 75 participating restaurants this year.  

Running from January 15th through January 25th, you will be able to search for menus especially created for this event, and additionally, you can search by type of cuisine, lunches or dinners to help you decide where you would like to go.  Reservations are strongly encouraged.  

So if…

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