Home Sweet Home

Shrinking Inventory For Fremont CA Real Estate

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Just real quick--the number of homes for sale in Northgate, Centerville, Mission Hills and other areas of Fremont are shrinking. Usually this is followed or accompanied by rising prices.

In my last blog post, I simply laid out the fact that the home prices in Fremont were getting a bit of a boost upward. So, this could be the culprit. What do you think? Let me know.

Antelope Hills Fremont Distressed Homes

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:44:00 +0000

If you go to my site TriCityHome.com, you will find distressed homes for sale in Antelope Hills Fremont.

No matter where you are in the US, you are effected by the decreased value of homes. Antelope Hills is nice but not immune to the crunch. Just go to my site and wait for the thumbnails (small images of homes that change on the screen) to appear. There you will find distressed homes for sale in just about all categories and price ranges. The site uses IDX scripting, so I cannot embed it here, but go and try the site. It is just a click away.

Home Prices In Glenmoor

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Homes for sale in Glenmoor are showing changes in pricing, and this area has always been one of the most desired places to live in Fremont CA that have home values from 500k up to over 1 million.

I like the area too, but I happen to live in the Parkmont area of Fremont. Glenmoor homes for sale have also felt the effect of the price drop. Homes sales since 2007 have dropped on ave

rage of 35%. Some areas only fell 30%. That would be Glenmoor. But recently there has been an increase of about 5% take a look at this chart. It's hard to see, but it shows that over the last 180 days, home prices in Glenmoor increased by about 5%.

Other areas hit by the 30% instead of 35% are:

Parkmont
Niles
Mission San Jose
Indian Hills

They are recovering at the moment. Let's see. Next blog post I will post the supply and demand levels over the last 90 days. It is very interesting.

CA Real Estate Agent License

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:28:00 +0000

CA REAL ESTATE EXAM

CA REAL ESTATE SCHOOL

CA REAL ESTATE LICENSE

CA REAL ESTATE BROKER

Real Estate Listing Agent In Newark--Syndication

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Home Listing Syndication is part of a new buzz jargon that a lot of soon-to-be home-sellers in Newark should have in their home selling marketing plan.

A Syndication is defined by Dictionary.com--a group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific duty or carry out specific transactions or negotiations. When you list a home with us, we combine traditional marketing with newer (syndication) as well. Open Houses are great as well as postcards and flyers, but more and more buyers are starting out on the web, and that's where you need to be too.

If you or someone you know is thinking about selling a home in Fremont, Newark or Union City, then one of the newer things we do is a Home Listing Syndication.

Your home can be advertised on websites all across the web, making sure buyers see your home and everything it offers. Here are some of the national sites where your home will appear:

Why not start here and see what your Fremont home is worth. On one of my next blogs, I will give you a Home Seller's Net Sheet that will allow you to calculate your estimated profits from your sale.

Real Estate Office In Fremont--commitment

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:16:00 +0000

At the time of writing this post, loan rates were down to about 4.5%. Unemployment was up to over 10%. Tempting as the rates may be, some people are scared to commit to a home purchase because they might be out of a job soon.

I spoke with a high level executive at B of A, and they are trying to do something about that. They actually have a home buyer protection program where they will pay 6 months of your home loan (P&I) if you get hurt or lose your job. Not a bad deal, but you do have to commit to the loan at first. No one want a home buyer to lose their job.

I know this next point isn't exactly related, and I am a bit off topic, but I added a link to our site that allows you to see pictures of our office. Nothing new, I know, but we have found that those buyers who come in the office are more likely to be successful in buying their home. It's about commitment. I think buyers feel better knowing that they have a professional office and an agent that is full-time working for them. Likewise the agent feels better about working hard for their client who takes time out of their day and physically walks into the office to get a clear understanding of what they as a home buyer need to do.

So, if I were to try and link he opening paragraph with this closing, I would have to say that commitment plays a big part in buying a home in both getting the loan and sticking with the real estate office that is helping you get one. Let us know how we can help.

Fremont CA Homes For Sale & Short Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:16:00 +0000

If you have found a short sale in Fremont and are getting discouraged at the pace of things, find out if the home you are buying has a B of A loan on it. If it does, you are in luck, well sort of.

I know there have been horror stories about B of A. My father-in-law who also is a broker has a few of his own. But, I do not (yet). I have a short sale in the Parkmont area of Fremont and they buyer really wants to get going. I think they are feeling that they may miss out on the new buyer credit. I was introduced to a VP of B of A a while ago, and he has now been authorized on the account and the short sale is moving quickly. There are a few strings attached.

If you as a buyer have a loan approved already with a non B of A provider, you will have to dump them. The VP wants the loan in order to provide leverage for the workings in the B of A system. We have seen this with Wells Fargo and other lenders too, but this is a bit different. Then, you have to hire B of A to do the loan, and authorize the VP using the short sale authorization letter.

What you get is:

executive negotiations at the top level with the short sale decision makers
6 mos. mortgage protection
quicker sale time reduces buyer frustration
quicker sale time reduces seller frustration

Pinch me, but I think I am on to something. Let's wait and see.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Bank-Owned Property In Fremont--We Call Your Bluff

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:48:00 +0000

We were given the MOD (Multiple Offer Disclosure) from on of the major banks today. We offered a fair amount for a property for sale in Fremont, and got the MOD in return.

It is the bank's way of flushing out any possible chance for a bidding war to get it's last word or dollar in. The notice only states that the bank is "letting you know" that they know there are multiple offers on the property. It sometimes comes with an attachment from the listing agent saying that any Counter Offer (extra bid from us or you if you are the buyer) needs to be in writing and so on.

We called their bluff today and stood our ground. The buyer simply acknowledged the MOD and sat back and is now waiting. Lets see those cards Mr. Lender.

I'll keep you informed.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Fremont CA Foreclosure Found

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:17:00 +0000

It's a Fremont short sale actually. My point however is to remind home buyers in Fremont that your short sale deal needs to be well-cared for while it is in the bank's "system." Many brokers and agents feel a bit indifferent about referring to the bank's process of handling a short sale anything remotely close to a "system." It's a bit of a sore subject among us real estate professionals.

In a recent blog post, I mentioned that B of A was going to assist in one of my short sales. A VP was personally going to see that it got done fast. Last week I received a call from B of A. It turns out that my short sale file was sitting in the wrong department for a significant length of time. It was discovered by none other than the VP himself. It was quickly remedied and then brought to my attention.

I felt bad that something like that had slipped past me. I was assured that there was nothing I could have done to prevent that. It was all their doing. Now that I know, I think there is something I can do about it. I am going to tell you how to prevent this from delaying YOUR short sale significantly.

Here is what I found. It turns out that the bank has several short sale divisions, not one like they tell you, and only one can handle a Freddie Mac loan, a secondary mortgage market loan. Mine was one of those. For more on Freddie Mac reading go here. Ask the rep or negotiator if the laon is a Freddie Mac loan and if it is being handled by the right short sale division. Ask to be transfered to the manager of the shortsale division if they cannot answer the question.

In short, my VP came through. He broke the door down and rescued my short sale from sure abandonment. I hope that someone can use this info to rescue their short sale as well. Let me know if I can help.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:14:00 +0000

Fremont CA Foreclosures Found

A test blog entry from mobile device.

Bank Owned Homes in Fremont

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Own An REO Property In 2 Weeks

View more presentations from Jeff Pereyda

The slide cast above has sound. You just have to hit the small green play button at the bottom of the chalkboard.

If you are in the market to purchase a home at a reduced price, then you have a real good chance at getting one if it is a Bank-Owned home. You can visit my slide cast to just get a quick inside look at how to get a Bank-Owned home or REO.

Not that it matters terribly what I think, but for the sake of argument, I think that I would never have seen a market such as this one. There are REO's everywhere and what is more puzzling is that most people do not know how to buy one. Banks have made it harder than you think.

REO Buying 101 would have to include just a few things:

Include wording in the offer that says that your offer is the highest and best that you can do--when it comes to an REO, banks do not want to waist time with a counter offer on your offer to purchase. So, make it a good one the first time around.
It should be an "As Is" deal or what they now call "As Disclosed."--As Is does not mean you are stuck with a lemon if you find out anything is wrong with the property. It simply means the seller is "preconditioned" not to have to fix anything that is known or discovered as damaged in the escrow process.
Be cash or close to it--Your offer must have an approval letter from a major bank, not a mortgage broker. I am a mortgage broker, and although it hurts a bit to hear that, I understand. They want the approval from the horse's mouth.
Clean it up--watch out for pesky, "seller pays this and seller pays that." You will be in competition with many other buyers who want that house too. Be careful so as not to appear as a nickel and dimer. The bank will not see the offer in the best light if you appear that way.

There is a bit more to it than that, but the above 4 items are a good start in understanding what the bank wants. Want more? Contact me direct and make an appointment. There is real estate to be had.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Selling Fremont CA Real Estate--Have you considered the proposition?

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:47:00 +0000

In a recent blog post, I wrote about a Proposition 60, 90 and 110 client of ours that was denied the claim to transfer their tax to the replacement home.

In short, the replacement home was too expensive for the transfer. The tax assessor will only allow a certain increase in the replacement properties sales price. It was not even close, but we thought we would try. The comment from my client was, "Well, I had to have this house, so it was not even a question." I agree. The replacement house is a beautiful house in the Niles area of Fremont.

In closing, if you are over 55 or disabled and are selling your home in Fremont or any home in California and Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, look into the Props before you plan your move. That is unless you just, "gotta have that house."

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Fremont CA Short Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:25:00 +0000

A client visited with me in my office in Fremont last night. He makes a good income and is capable of buying a home in the Mission San Jose Area of Fremont, which more most is no easy task. As we talked further, he disclosed that he recently got out of a short sale. It closed escrow in August.

If you know just one thing about buying a home it is that the lender will look at your credit and put it into the long equation on the home qualification formula. What do you think his credit showed?

After we both sighed, he authorized me to pull his credit. His credit showed that he now had two "derogs" on the credit report. A derogatory event on a credit report is never a good thing. If someone you know has had or is going through a short sale in California several things will appear in the credit report when it is all over. The first thing they may notice is the highlighted derogs. This will specifically show as three, thirty-day lates on the credit report. It will show as a ninety-day ding. What's more is that say the owner had a first and a second loan, or HELOC, a home equity line of credit, and they were both settled after the short sale closed escrow--now the owner will have two ninety-day dings on their credit report. How does that effect one's FICO score? Say someone had a shining 740 FICO score just prior to all this mess. After all is said and done with the short sale proceedings, their score will be reduced down to a 617 FICO or somewhere thereabouts. Good luck getting a loan with a 617.

Can it get worse? Yup. If the short sale lender recorded an "NOD" (notice of default) against the owner during the "lates" or at anytime during the short sale proceedings, many new lenders (when the short sale seller goes out and tries to get a new loan for another home) will treat this little bit-0-history as a foreclosure against the owner. A foreclosure means no loans period.

In closing, we certainly saw that he had the money and a great job with scores of income. But, because he had to choose the short sale of the prior home, his FICO score went poof. What is good about California is that it is almost impossible for a lender to go after a deficiency judgement for the difference of the loan and taxes. That's good for consumers, but bad in other areas. The lender will report the short sale to the credit bureaus and the ninety-day dings will appear. You cannot have your cake by getting the loan forgiven and the debt reduced to zero and eat it too.

I promised that I would do my due diligence, pull his prior HUD 1 settlement statement too to see if the lender recorded a NOD and call my banks to see what his options are. I will let you know.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Fremont Real Estate Agent--Selling A House in Fermont

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Once a homeowner decides it is time to sell their house, They'll need to do a few things. First, owners should psychologically become sellers in their actions and in their frame of mind. After this transition, what follows next is that they should find homes that are comparable to theirs. It's usually called a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). Lately, Internet companies call them a Home Value Report. Either way, it should contain these things in it:

Homes like yours sold in the last 3 months or so
Homes like yours pending a sale
Homes like yours still on the market and
Get the story behind each one.

Then, they should perform a net profit analysis on the sale of their home on a simple excel sheet. And, needless to say, they should have a place to live after they sell the house. They need to be able to afford the change of venue. Somewhere in all of this, they need to find me.

Some people who need to sell a home in Fremont are on the Internet with the goal of finding the right tools to achieve all of the above mentioned items. They want to do it on their own it first in private. I do that with a lot of things I set out to do. When I built my Fremont, Newark and Union City website called, tricityhome.com, I built it myself--see what I mean. Anyway, I put these home-selling tools in place to help homeowners transition from owner to seller.

Here at Tricityhome.com they can request a home value report that I create by hand, old school, where driving the area and finding homes that are not on the MLS may help the value along too. You simply fill out a small form and ask for one here. Remember I do it by hand. Zillow and others can be off as much as 40-50k in their estimates.
On the website, Fremont home sellers can download a working home seller net sheet that is easy to use, so they can find out what their profit will be from the sale. "Will it be enough?" is a common question that gets asked across the kitchen table when the sellers are trying to figure things out.
They can also get peace of mind by downloading our TriCity Real Estate Brokers, Inc. Seller Certification that allows the seller to fire us on the spot if we ignore something that the seller wishes to change in our marketing efforts or purchase offer negotiations. We haven't used one yet, but it is there.

In closing, there is a sea of real estate agents in Fremont alone, some are good ones. On the Internet, it is hard to weed through some hand picked ones. Sherry did just that here. My hope is that someone who needs to sell their home in Fremont, Newark or Union City can find me through the forest of agents out there. I love doing a good job.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Welcometofremont: It's Our New Home

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:34:00 +0000

Before anyone gets too sentimental, welcometofremont.com is a new home for the blog. It's all part of a blog syndicate (blog once and having it populate to different blogs automatically). It's in the rough stages, so needless to say it may take a while before the real content get published on a regular basis.

So far, the blog is mirrored on 3 sites, so a total of 4:

tricityhome.blogspot.com--lots of good stuff you can do like widgets and more
active rain blog--a real good starter blog
localism--a local blog community that is strictly Fremont/Parkmont
the new welcometofremont.com--the new one

So, I post to one and the all get posted, except for blogger (blogspot). I just can't seem to let it go. It's like an old friend. Bye for now.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Consider This Proposition--Prop 60, 90 & 110

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:37:00 +0000

For the most part, if you are 55 and over, you can have your existing property tax payments carry over to your replacement property. This is mostly for replacing a Alameda County property in Alameda County and a Contra Costa County property in Contra Costa County. The two counties here also cooperate with each other. Other counties participate with each other too, but they are very slim to none.

I carry a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation as do some other real estate professionals. The SRES requires that the agent undergo a certain number of hours and courses geared to helping seniors attain qualified professional help regarding real estate matters. Although I am not a tax professional, and this is by no means tax advice, the courses introduced a few propositions that tend to spill into our line of business. And, they tend to be a bit tricky, so please consult a tax professional before considering the move and the benefit.

I recently helped a couple sell and replace an Fremont CA home--Alameda County property with another Alameda County property. In a nutshell, the properties must close escrow the same day--we did. One of the claimants must be 55 or older or disabled (prop 110--is for disabled)--we did have a 55+ claimant. We filled out the forms. We called the tax assessor's office, etc. We were ready.

For reasons beyond the scope of this blog post, our claim was denied, temporarily. We will appeal the case because everything was in place exactly the way we needed it. Basically, the only variant was that the claimant was removed from the purchase contract 1 week later by order of the lender for the purposes of financing only. He was to be added back on title after the close of escrow. Trying to redraw loan documents and have the claimant added as a "non-borrowing spouse" would have cost us the most crucial part of the requirement, and that is closing escrow on the selling property exactly the same day as the replacement property. We did that against many odds. The title thing we had to deal with later. I will keep you posted on the appeal.

Advice to those who are considering the Proposition:

close escrow on the same day
be over 55
all buyers be on the contract if lender likes it or not--be a "non-borrowing spouse" if applicable. DO NOT let the lender push you around AND
remember #1 again.

Please consult a tax professional for further information on Prop. 60, 90 and 110. Here are two good links to get your started.

Prop 60, 90 FAQ's

Prop 110 FAQ's

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Fremont Homes For Sale
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

So, How Was Your Day Showing Homes For Sale In Fremont??

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:47:00 +0000

Some Fremont home buyers find me on the Internet. Recently, Agnus was no exception. She is a senior real estate home buyer who wants a home in Fremont. I met her briefly and had gone over the procedures (in detail) as to where we would meet on Saturday to look at homes for sale in Fremont. We were to meet at 9:00 am sharp where a cute condo for sale in Fremont was located. We had blocked out an hour and a half to view 5 homes so we should have been fine.

I had a feeling that something was going to slow things down when I remembered the last time we had looked at homes in Fremont. We got separated and the last two homes we were supposed to look at were never viewed except by me. Agnus got lost.

The day before we were going to meet, I sent her a Google map, a chronological list of homes to view along with an agenda as to when we were expected to be at any given time. We confirmed the first location and waited for Saturday 9:00am to come. Saturday 9:00am came; Agnus did not. A few minutes later, I called her, and this is how it went:

Me: Hello Agnus... Where are you?

Agnus: I'm at the Home Depot in Fremont.

Me: That's a long way from where you are supposed to be. Did you get the map?

Agnus: Yes, I got it.

Me: So, can you get here soon?

Agnus:I am on my way. How do I get there?

Me: I thought you said you have the map.

Agnus: I do, I just... Well... I got lost.

Me: Okay, we still have time, but we are running late. Just come straight down Fremont Blvd and follow it to Grimmer then go left then right to Osgood and Warm Springs.

Agnus: Oh.

Me: See you in a bit.

15 minutes later

Agnus: (my cell rings) I tried to call you.

Me: What's the matter? Where are you?

Agnus: I know where this is. I used to work here. I'm here.

Me: Oh, you see my red car. I am out in the street waiving my arms. I am in a charcoal grey suit. Are you by the fire station?

Agnus: What fire station? I'm here at KB Homes.

Me: Where is that. That is not around here

Agnus: It's where I used to work.

Me: What is your cross street. The seller has been waiting for us here for over 20 minutes.

Agnus: I'm on Milpitas Blvd.

Me: Oh. Agnus. You passed us. You need to turn around and go north to East Warren.

Agnus: Oh.

Me: Look. I am out on the street waiting for you. Just turn around and drive. Can you please?

Agnus: Oh, okay. I am on my way.

Me: Okay.

10 minutes later, Agnus drives up from Warm Springs Blvd. (busy street) to the security gate . You know the kind of gate that if it's half way closed or open that it will still open again if you just trigger the sensor outside or inside? Well, Agnus stopped well before the sensor and simply waited. She was half way out onto Warm Springs Blvd. and half way into the drive way. Not only was it dangerous, but I for one had waited long enough at that point, so I had to use miming gestures for her to move forward in order for the gate to open again before it closed up. It turns out, she did not understand the international mime language of "hurry up and just go." It varies from country to country but for the most part it is usually indicated by frantic waiving of the arms while the hands point erratically forward. Miraculously, either she got the message, or my yelling, "GO!-GO!" did the trick. She drove into the complex.

After we viewed the first property 45 minutes late, I decided it was time that she no longer followed me, but rather I drive. When we miraculously convoyed to the next stopping point, I gestured for her to get in my car and that we would go together. She said, "no way." Taken aback a bit, I asked why. She said that she had just driven through a red light and been in horrible car accident the week before and totaled her other car and that this car she was driving now was a loaner. She said I would have to ride in her car. I gulped, hesitated then reluctantly got in with all my stuff.

I had to show five properties, and I've been pretty good at estimating over the years, so the rest of the appointment should have taken one hour and fifteen minutes max. Five hours later and recovering slightly from motion sickness, I helped her to write an offer on a property, a short sale property in Fremont.

Over the course of the day, we got honked at three times, missed a green light. (not going while it turned green) and all the while I wondered. Just plain wondered.

I lived to tell the tale and we are supposed to go look again at more properties soon. I'm driving.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Loan Modification Help
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Fremont Bank In Centerville--Will They Do It Again?

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:31:00 +0000

Last month one of our Fremont CA home-buyers found us on our website and after talking some things over with me, hired us to buy and sell their home. She is very happy with our services click here (then click Keniki). She wanted to use Fremont Bank for the purchase. She knew the reps there and naturally felt more comfortable in doing so. I would too.

It is still unknown to everyone as to why, but on three separate instances, Fremont Bank acted strange to put it mildly. Events 1-3 are completely true.

During the home buying process, they asked the buyer to come to the office and sign their "refi documents." They did not know it was a purchase loan. Seems harmless on the front, but one of the revered real estate preambles is, "Time is of the essence." So, it freaked some people out. Yours truly was no exception.
Later, they then asked the buyer to come in and sign the loan documents. According to them, it had to be done right away. The buyers rushed over from work and showed up 10 minutes to closing. Breathless, they asked for the documents, but no one from the bank knew what they were talking about.
The next day, they received another call saying that they found the documents. They were on the desk the whole time. They needed to come in and sign right away.

Fremont Bank's closing costs were great, hardly anything at all when you compare, but at what cost was it to the buyer's well being. It's a good thing my buyer was quick thinking and dealt with stress extremely well while Fremont Bank dropped the baton, so to speak.

I now have another buyer who wants to use Fremont Bank for her home purchase in Fremont. I expressed some concern and explained the story to the new buyer. This was all done from an objective point of view, and I only recited facts. Her decision is to move forward with Fremont Bank. Let's hope the baton is passed successfully this time.

Thanks for reading. Why not take some free things back with you? Visit these links below.

Free Home Buyer Stuff	Free Home Seller Stuff
Fremont Schools & Lottery Map	Jeff In the News
Search Homes In Fremont	Streaming References
Send Homes to Your Email	Remodel or Move? Cost vs Value Report
TriCity Area at a Glance	Loan & Short Sale Forms
Streaming References	Loan Modification Help
4 Fast Buying Tips	Top 9 Selling Mistakes

Parkmont Elementary School Report

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:44:00 +0000

My website has a Fremont Schools page. It is actually a popular page. Today I was asked to create a report, but not one report but seven. I was taken aback at first, but we have a system that helps create multiple reports for the website visitors who want to do some research.

We managed to get the report out right away because, like me, after searching on the web for awhile, you want instant gratification when you think you found what you are looking for.

We gave it. And, Parkmont Elementary still rules--want to see the report?

As always, feel free to take a break and visit some of the links below.

What are Homes-in-Parkmont Worth? (quick form)

Instant Parkmont-Homes-For-Sale Search (can be customized)

Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Washington Hospital

Parkmont Elementary School Attendance Map

Peet's Coffee in Fremont (one of Jeff's favorites)

Our Office on Google Maps

Our Office on Google Business

See Jeff now

Fremont-Newark-Union City Site

Fremont CA Short Sales Can B of A Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:07:00 +0000

A VP of Bank of America Home Loans gave me a call the other day and provided me with something that eased the pain of the short sale disease I have been battling. He said that If I had a short sale with Bank of America, meaning that the home being sold has a loan greater than all the selling expenses combined, he had help.

Simply put, he was going to do something about the short sale I just listed and went into a purchase agreement with. For example, I have a short sale in the Parkmont area of Fremont That recently got an offer on it. The existing loan on the property is with B of A. Turns out, the new buyer had sought out a B of A rep to fund the loan for the short sale purchase. To paint a clearer picture here, the loan is going from B of A to B of A, so I guess it is a bit easier.

The real magic takes place within the B of A system. Instead of going through the whole "90" day process they once told us, (we had another B of A short sale for 6 months now), the bank said it will take about 60 days. Shocked, we had to move a few things along somewhat closer to the normal speed of doing things. It looks like they may move in before the Holidays after all.

Lowes of Fremont Has Something I Want

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:27:00 +0000

I met with a two representatives from Lowe's in my office today because they have something I want. Granted Lowe's has a lot of things I want, like a new refrigerator or washer/dryer, but that's besides the point. So, what do I want? As a real estate broker in Fremont, I want home owners who are thinking about selling their home in Fremont to know who I am. I want them to listen to our new streaming real estate agent testimonials and so forth. In short, I want Fremont, Newark and Union City home owners to know that I do a great job when it comes to selling their property, and Lowe's is going to help me do just that.

I used to do a lot of mailing for my business, but I slowed it down a bit. Actually, that is an understatement. I plain old stopped all together during the real estate crash of 07. I started up a bit recently, and now Lowe's wants to help by running promotions next to my handsome face when I send out postcards and newsletters to the Parkmont homes of Fremont and surrounding areas. I have a feeling that they will be promoting upcoming sales or distributing coupons that relate to remodeling programs or the like. I like Lowe's, and I will certainly give it a go. And, I will certainly keep you updated on what Lowe's and I can do for you.

As a closing aside, it is important to remember that moderately fixing up your home is very smart when it comes to maintaining or increasing your Fremont home values. To find out how Lowe's and a little elbow grease can help--Take a peek at the 2007 Cost vs Value Report here. At the time of writing the report, the home values showed an increase in return on investment value mostly found in moderate kitchen remodels and moderate bathroom remodels. In this linked report above, the economy did not "crunch" yet, so you will see the return as over 100% in some areas. You can also view the 2008 report on the public website free to the public. In these latter reports, the economy crashed already. It shows the relationship between the cost of an upgrade and it's estimated value at the resale of real estate. It's always free to the public and good to know, so you can get on the ball when the economy comes back strong.

Maybe you'll see yours truly in the your mail box along next to your local Lowe's sign.

Want to see a bit more stuff? Take a break and visit these places below.

What are Homes-in-Parkmont Worth? (quick form)

Instant Parkmont-Homes-For-Sale Search (can be customized)

Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Washington Hospital

Parkmont Elementary School Attendance Map

Peet's Coffee in Fremont (one of Jeff's favorites)

Our Office on Google Maps

Our Office on Google Business

See Jeff now

Selling a Home In Parkmont--Fremont CA

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Sell that Fremont CA Parkmont home quicker! Tips for sellers to bump up that curb appeal.

Regardless of the Fremont CA Parkmont real estate market, sellers need to do everything possible to help get their home looked at. Here are some basic tips.

1. Beware of grand gestures: Exterior improvements should be in keeping with the scale and proportion of your house and fit in with the neighborhood. So as lovely as a formal colonnade might look on the front of your ranch house, it may seem over the top when viewed in context with the simple house next door.

2. Don't stand out like a sore thumb: When picking paint colors, it's best to match the intensity of your neighbors' shades. If pale blues are the norm, try a creamy yellow. Contrast that with a more saturated accent color for shutters and doors, and a lighter one for windows and trim.

3. Be a tree hugger: If an old maple is obscuring the front of your home, don't cut it down. Hire an arborist to trim it instead. Raise the canopy. Eighty-three percent of Realtors say that mature trees enhance the value of a home.

4. Plant for all seasons: Your landscape should be eye-catching year-round, even in the dead of winter. So choose a mix of plants to provide four seasons of interest-spring and summer flowers, bright fall foliage, and colorful berries or showy bark in winter.

5. You can have too much of a good thing: Over-improving your facade can mean recouping less of the cost when it comes time to sell. Gauge how much to spend on renovations by checking home values to see what gussied-up homes are going for in your community, and stay under their bar. See my Cost .vs Value Report here.

6. Do sweat the small stuff: New house numbers, a special light fixture, and potted plants are inexpensive and go a long way toward dressing up an entry.

7. Preservation pays: Before you apply stucco over those weathered clapboards for a clean, low-maintenance look, consider that restoring architectural details may offer more bang from your renovation dollar. In some areas, the value of homes in historic districts where preservation is required has risen up more than in non- historic areas.

These are basic notes to consider, so if you want more "front line" marketing tips, call us 1-866-967-9137 or contact us

Selling Fremont CA Real Estate--Take It One Day At A Time

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:17:00 +0000

After spending a few months with a client who is selling a home in Fremont CA, a real estate agent's dedication to the task should be quite evident and play a key role in building a good relationship of trust with the owner. Thanks to all the real estate horror stories out there, owners are weary of the promises being made across the kitchen table during the real estate agent interview. The owners/sellers could have been through a rough time with an agent before.

So what can an agent do to ensure trust?

Communication--the phone call: although one of the easiest things to do, some agents wait too long to call the owner or they call the owners far too infrequent. Just hearing the agents voice and tone of confidence goes a long way in building trust. Spending time in front of the client, is called, client time. It is very important, and it too reads very high on the trust meter.
Knowledge base: If the owner asks about the consequences of not removing a contingency of the contract, or the owner needs one or more of the many forms explained, the agent should explain these things clearly, with confidence and propose a plan.
Performance: The agent needs to get things done. Time is of the essence in real estate. Whether it means driving documents around, or calling vendors and the escrow company over little details as well as the big, the agent should get items completed in the time tables given by the real estate contract.

Building the relationship is important, but business is still business, so take it one day at a time. Some clients or agents might get too close or cross boundaries. Agents need to keep it professional, but be a real person at the same time.

I especially got a kick when Chris (a seller/owner in Fremont) called me his brother at the end of his real estate reference-testimonial. He had a rough go with some other agents before. I enjoyed working with 99% of all my clients. I am always striving for 100%, but some people are just plain... how would you say? "challenging."

PG&E-Service Connect Dialog in Parkmont area of Fremont

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Utilities in one of our homes for sale in the Parkmont area of Fremont had its gas and electricity off. The house had an offer on it and the signed offer was submitted to the bank. We knew it would be a while before any development took place with the lender.

Remarkably, the lender called 2 weeks later and was scheduling a Broker Price Opinion/appraisal or BPO. We were caught by surprise. It normally takes 2 months, and that is when all the planets are aligned just so. The poor appraiser could not do his job due to lack of utilities. I immediately stepped in and called PG&E. After the preliminary account verifications and so forth, this is sort of how it went:

PG&E: It will take 48 hours, so that will be Wednesday the 7th. And, the appointment will be from 8:00am to 8:00pm.

Me: That's a pretty long span of time there. Could I have a lockbox on the front door as well as place a letter there with our company letterhead, and account verification granting permission for the tech to enter? The code is D-L-M. The technician is aware of how they work right?

PG&E: Yes, we will take care of it. We do that all the time.

Me: OK, so let's go over that just one more time before I let you go. Since today is Monday, you will have it on by Wednesday, no later.

PG&E: That is correct. It will be turned on on Wednesday sometime between 8 and 8.

Me: Ok. Your technician's permission letter is at the front door as well as the lockbox. Everything you need is at the front door. Call me immediately if there is a problem. I can be there in 5 minutes.

PG&E: Yes, we have it all taken care of sir. And we will call you if there is a problem.

So, after that I called the appraiser and asked them if they could please keep the appraisal order open until Thursday. After I explained everything to him, he agreed, but it would be a stretch.

All was well.

Thursday morning, I get a call from Stephanie at PG&E.

Stephanie: Hello Mr. Preada. This is Stephanie from PG&E. I am calling to see if we can turn on the utilities at the property at 264...

Me: Pereyda. 2645 Oak St? But that was supposed to be all taken care of yesterday.

Stephanie: Oh, let me see. One moment... (1 minute hold) Okay, the order was never given. I'm not sure what happened.

Me: Can it get done today?

Stephanie: It usually takes 48 hours after the order is given. This order was never given to the Fremont dispatch.

Me: You can't be serious? Is there a driver in the area that can just get this done now. I placed the order on Monday.

Stephanie: Oh, I see here that it was. One moment ( 2 minute hold)... Okay, I called the Fremont dispatch and they should have it turned on today.

Me: What time (dreading the answer)

Stephanie: It's an all day opening from 8 to 8.

Me: Okay, just get it turned on ASAP. Do you have all my order information from the last time I called? Your technician's permission letter is at the front door as well as the lockbox. Everything you need is at the front door. Call me immediately if there is a problem. I can be there in 5 minutes. The combination for the lockbox is written there right? D-L-M.

Stephanie: Yes, it is all here. All I had to do was forward it to the right person there. It should be done today.

I call the appraiser and explained again. He would wait.

At 1pm, I got a call. It was Stephanie.

Stephanie: I just wanted to call because you requested if there was a problem to call.

Me: Okay I'm here. Do you need me to go to the property? Is the lock box not working?

Stephanie: The technician put in a property non-accessible code in the work order. He could not get in the house. He had to leave to go on another job.

Me: What happened? Did't he see the lockbox through the screen door and his letter?

Stephanie: Apparently not.

Me: It's there. Did he open the screen door to give it one last college try? I'm not going to put the letter on the front of the door with big bold PGE letters on it. People break into homes that are marked that way. They will know that it is an easy target. Come and squat here! No one lives here!

Stephanie: Mr. Preadia, I understand, but the technician did not find the letter or the lockbox.

Me: It's Pereyda. Did he at least get out of the truck? Or, did he just drive by with a, "welp, I don't see noth'n. Guess I better keep goin."? He needs to go back and open the screen door.

Stephanie: I will try again, but it may be tomorrow.

Me: NO. He needs to go back and do his job. Don't you agree?

Stephanie: I will get it re dispatched and see if he can go back.

Me: okay, but we need to hurry.

At 1:50pm Roger: (PG&E technician) calls

Roger: Hello... Mr. Pareidre, I'm out at the property, and I found the letter.

Me: It's Pereyda. Great. Can you turn everything on?

Roger: The lockbox doesn't work. Are you sure you gave us the right combo?

Me: (after verifying the tech was from PG&E) Yes, the combo is D-L-M.

Roger: Oh, I have here the combo is S-C-I.

Me: Nope, not even warm there. Try it again with D-L-M..

Roger: That did it. I should get it all up and running in 15-20 minutes.

My goodness. Next time I will put the lockbox on the PG&E gas meter. The tech will know where that is right? I'll let you know.

Fremont Real Estate Values--Perry Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Real Estate values will grow stronger. Hopefully, owners of real estate will take good care of their property in order to keep its value up. Some properties have literally rotted away during this tough economic time. In as much, the soil itself on which our real estate improvements rest needs nuturing. Once a year, except last year I believe, Perry Farms opens its gates for the public to enjoy the pumpkin patch amongst other things during the fall season. Last year the farmers felt that the real estate (land) needed rest and that the soil would be better off if it had the chance to do so. I spoke to the farmer last week to ask him a bit about it. He said that the year long rest not only helped this years crops, but one of the pests they had to previously deal with, a squash beetle of some kind, simply went away during last year's soil sabbatical. Taking good care of the land and its improvements are the best thing you can do to ensure that your Fremont real estate values will stay on the top of the heap.

Perry Farms, one of the last operating farms in the area, is a fun place to go to unwind and reconnect if need be to the small piece of this tricity area's own Heartland. The farm usually has seasonally relevant themes and activities throughout the year.

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