February 2009

Feb
12

Investor Mortgage Programs

Posted In: Investing, Mortgage & Finance
This just in from Chet Gohd, mortgage broker extraordinaire, and owner of RPM Mortgage in Berkeley. “I’ve just heard some exciting news and thought I’d pass it along. Fannie Mae, who buys most of the loans which are placed up to $625,500, has just announced that they will be lifting the restrictions for Investor buyers. Currently, there is a maximum [...]
Feb
10

Bidding On Probate Sale Overbids

Posted In: Court and Auctions, For Buyers
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Ok, so you put in an offer on a probate sale, along with another buyer, but you didn’t get the house.  The other offer is now headed to court for overbid and confirmation.  You still want the house.  Can you get it? Know these facts: 1) Be sure a Notice of Sale was published by the Executor, the contents of which, [...]
Feb
09

The Tops: What Do Buyers Want

Posted In: For Buyers, For Sellers
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The two rooms that consistently make the biggest impressions to buyers are, without a doubt, kitchens and bathrooms.  So what can you do to assure your kitchen and bath will be appealing to buyers?  The National Association of Realtors recently conducted their “Profile of buyer’s home feature preferences” survey.  Here are the results: FIVE KITCHEN + BATH FEATURES BUYERS WANT [...]
Feb
05

William Wurster home for sale in the Berkeley Hills

Posted In: Berkeley, Listings
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William Wilson Wurster (1895 – 1973) was an influential American architect and architectural teacher at the University of California, Berkeley and at MIT. Wurster was born in Stockton, California and is strongly associated with the Bay Area and its regional style, along with Wurster’s mentor Bernard Maybeck, the landscape architect Thomas Church, and fellow architect Joseph Esherick. Wurster designed hundreds [...]
Feb
02

Red Oak R.O.O.F.

Posted In: Community
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In 1985, the owners of Red Oak Realty sought a way to give back a portion of their business earnings to the communities they serve. To that end, Red Oak Opportunity Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable organization, was formed. Funding comes from Red Oak Realty agents, owners, staff, local businesses, clients, and private contributors. Grants are awarded annually to deserving [...]
Feb
02

Great Marketing Lines

Posted In: For Sellers, For the Heck of It, Good ol' Fashion Humor
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I love the way agents describe their listings.  It is almost as if they A) cut and pasted the description from another listing or B) never saw the property themselves.  And the rest?  What the heck were they thinking? Here are some of my favorites: “Don’t open the back door…the staircase is missing.” “Wonderful property…move-in condition…needs a lot of TLC.” [...]