For Buyers

Nov
20

Berkeley bungalow cute as a button

Posted In: Berkeley, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Listings, Neighborhood Businesses
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Broker’s Tour today didn’t produce much. Inventory is down, WAY down. Perhaps people are wanting a place to live to cook their turkey’s. I don’t blame them! But I did see something worth mentioning: 2705 Mathews in West Berkeley. This 1 bedroom Craftsman bungalow is located on a wonderful tree-lined street in Berkeley’s Left Bank. It has been remodeled with [...]
Jun
25

Website rates “walkability” of a home

Posted In: First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For the Heck of It
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With gas prices reaching an all time high (last week I paid $4.89/gal) people in Seattle are turning to a new website called http://www.walkscore.com. The creaters of Walk Score measured the Walk Score of 77 Seattle neighborhoods and created a walkability map to help you find Seattle’s most walkable places to live. The site sizes up restaurants, schools, parks, shopping [...]
May
22

Important: New financial guidelines for investors

Posted In: For Buyers, Investing, Mortgage & Finance
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Freddie Mac Cuts Maximum Number of Financed Properties Freddie Mac recently announced guideline changes that will greatly affect residential real estate investors. Beginning August 1st, 2008 the following changes will go into effect: A borrower may not have more than four financed 1-4 unit properties, including the subject property. For cash out refinances the borrower must own the property for [...]
Mar
13

The house that someone built

Posted In: For Buyers, Listings
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Have you ever walked into a house, be it a friends house or a house you wandered into during a Sunday open house, only to think: Whut??? Yes, it happened to me today. Only this was during a broker’s tour. The outside is a typical home for the neighborhood: 1940’s ranch style, surrounded by beautiful Oak trees and nice views [...]
Feb
03

Catch me on Forum- NPR Radio

Posted In: Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, General Real Estate News
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On January 25th I was part of a panel on KQED’s Forum. “In light of ongoing housing woes and with real estate sites popping up daily on the internet, we look at the evolving role of the realtor.” Host: Dave Iverson Guests: Enrico Moretti, associate professor of economics at UC Berkeley and co-author of “Can Free Entry Be Inefficient? Fixed [...]
Jan
31

In the mind of a buyer…

Posted In: For Buyers, Listings
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There was a great house on tour today: 748 Elm in El Cerrito. 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, partially updated, nice neighborhood, 2100+ square feet, $645,000. So WHY is it still on the market? It has been on for quite some time and has seen numerous price reductions. I spoke with the agent today to get a glimpse into what he [...]
Jan
24

Welcome back

Posted In: Economy, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, General Real Estate News
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After returning to work from a nice, long holiday vacation, what do I see in the headlines? 1. “Feeling Misled on Home Price, Buyers Sue Agent.” 2. “Foreclosures are up by 67.8% nationwide.” 3. “World Braces for Subprime Fallout.” 4. “Hold on for a Recession.” Wow, this is depressing. No wonder the housing market is in trouble. Look at what [...]