Jan

14

When CFL’s Break- You Need To Know!!

Posted In: Home Improvement, Home Maintenance

We are all making an effort to become more green.  The easiest switch is changing out your lightbulbs.  So when I walked into a house over the weekend I noticed that one of the CFL’s was broken.  I thought, “Hmmm, this can’t be good.”  It never occured to me what would happen if it did break.  Here is what I [...]

Jan

13

Rate Watch for the week of Jan. 12

Posted In: First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, General Real Estate News, Mortgage & Finance

Fixed rates, no points.  Adjustable rates, 1 point 30 Year Fixed Conforming: 5.125%/5.161%APR 30 Year Fixed Agency-Jumbo: 5.625%/5.650%APR 5 Year Fixed Conforming (1 Point): 5.375%/4.361%APR 5 Year Fixed Int. Only Conforming (1 Point): 5.000%/4.298%APR 5 Year Fixed Int. Only Jumbo (1 Point): 5.750%/4.618%APR

Jan

12

Rubber Chickens?

Posted In: Good ol' Fashion Humor

Yesterday I took some client’s out to take a look at a four houses.  At 2 of the houses, neither of which are related, we found chickens.  Rubber chickens.  Yes, rubber.  In all of my years in the biz I have never come across rubber chickens, yet on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, I came across two. The first chicken was quite a suprise.  We were in [...]

Jan

10

Contra Costa County Homeowner Repair Loans

Posted In: El Cerrito, General Real Estate News, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance, Kensington, Mortgage & Finance, Richmond

          Did you know that there are programs out there to help low-income homeowners fix up their homes?  In Contra Costa County there is a program called the Neighborhood Preservation Program which is operated by the CCC Building Inspection Department.  The program, created in 1975, makes loans to very-low and low-income homeowners to help fix up [...]

Jan

09

Explore A Neighborhood

Posted In: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, For Buyers, For the Heck of It, Kensington, Neighborhoods, Oakland, Richmond, Schools

      Frontdoor.com has a really groovy interactive map for checking out what is available in a particular zip code.  Just pop in your zip code and using the nav bar on the right, find schools, cafes and more. Way cool! http://www.frontdoor.com/Explore-The-Neighborhood/

Jan

08

Real Estate Predictions for 2009

Posted In: Economy, General Real Estate News, Local Market Statistics

As promised I have put together my real estate predictions for 2009.  Ok, if I could really make predictions, I’d be rich.  Don’t get me wrong, I have my opinions, and I am certainly entitled to them.  But just keep in mind, these are just predictions and while they aren’t terribly optimistic, take them with a grain of salt… 1.  [...]

Jan

07

FHA Appraisal Facts

Posted In: First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage & Finance

Are you going to be obtaining an FHA loan to do your next home purchase?  If so, read below. An FHA appraisal is simply a conventional appraisal but with more detail paid to, and more documentation of, the subject property’s characteristics, overall functionality, and condition (noting any deferred maintenance). An FHA appraiser will actually perform what amounts to a smaller, [...]

Jan

06

Future of Point Isabel in Richmond

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond

A developer is proposing to amend Richmond’s general Plan Land Use Map from Light Industrial to a Regional Commercial District, demolish all buildings at 2700 Rydin td and 4903 Central Ave., and construct a 99,000 square foot Kohl’s department store with almost 400 parking spaces near Costco on Pt. Isabel.  The plan also inclsudes reservation of a 76,000 square foot pad [...]

Jan

05

Krista’s list of what to read in 2009

Posted In: Economy, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, For the Heck of It, Foreclosures & Short Sales, Good ol' Fashion Humor

This just in, the ultimate reading list.  I love to read.  I love to be inspired.  I love to learn.  This list, in no particular order, combines a little bit of each. 1.  Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.  This sly and lucid book discusses why we make the decisions that we do, including why headaches disappear after [...]