Home Sweet Home

Fremont Landlords & Property Managers Are Seeing Eye-to-Eye on New Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Renting a home after a short sale can be done

Although Fremont-Union City home renters looking for homes to rent in Fremont have to do so in some very trying times, despite challenges, many of them are excellent renters. A lot of Fremont renters have been recovering from a short sale in their recent history. That's a rough situation to be in. Not only can they can no longer keep their home, they must now have their recent financial woes made known to their soon to be landlords and the property management. Albeit embarrassing, landlords as well as property management should read between the lines of the back round report. The people looking to rent in Fremont-Union City, who have come out of short sales, can be very reputable renters. Landlords and property management professionals should look at the whole picture.

In order to rent a home in Fremont and Union City, you have to show some consistency in paying the utilities among other items. The loan history may not look good, but some loans are not good either. Landlords and property management cannot always blame the borrower. Renters Fred and Sue, who now rent through our property management division, had to short sale their Pleasanton home and find a Fremont home to rent. Their back round checks and credit checks were showing red flags in areas like the delinquent home loan, but utilities and other important subscriptions to services have been paid for on time. Moreover, they earned a very stable income. It's just that the Pleasanton home loan was too much to bear. Being a Fremont Union-City property manager, http://www.tricityhome.com/pmc.html, I made a positive recommendation to my client/landlord to accept their application immediately to rent the home to Fred and Sue. So, even after my new tenant's horrible experience with the big banks, they now pay the rent every month early and even pay me a visit at my Fremont real estate office http://www.tricityhome.com while they hand me a cashier's check. Now, with their stable income and determination to rebuild their credit, collecting rent is from Fred and Sue is the easiest part of my job as a property manager in Fremont.

Bugs Bunny Bytes

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:14:00 +0000

The name Mel Blanc may not have been too well known to many young children growing up in the 60's and 70's, but he was one of my childhood heroes. You may have remembered him as Barney Rubble, Bugs Bunny (not to mention ALL of the Looney Tunes characters all the way down to even Black Jacque Shallac). They were all the voice talents of Mel Blanc.

Last week was a tough week at my real estate office here in Fremont CA http://www.tricityhome.com. One real estate lender was particularly persnickety. At the end of the day, on may way home, I heard the voice of Bugs Bunny singing the old Danny Kaye scat routine my head. A half smile made its way to what must have already looked like a genuine curmudgeon's face.

You might say that I just had to scratch that old Bugs byte. So, after I found it, it not only did it make me laugh all over again, but it seemed to cause a lot of delightful childhood memories to come flying back in my mind as well. Life was not so bad after all.

If you want it--Here it is--Bugs Bunny mimicking Danny Kaye "scat'n." download it here (very small .wav file) or find it here -- It's at the bottom of the page.

If that one does not put a genuine smile on your face, find one that does. It's worth browsing for. Some other good ones are:

You know I just bet we shoulda toined left at Alberquerque
Nyah, pardon me Mac
My stars, where did you ever get that awful hairdo

Bookmark this blog post if you ever need to hear the voice of an old friend. Thanks Mel.

Mel Blanc Wiki

Popcorn Ceiling Removal for 60's and 70's Fremont Homes

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:04:00 +0000

His name is Retro. Initially, it was one of those 70's retro popcorn ceiling light fixtures. "He" was later created by dotting on a little mud on after removing him from our popcorn ceiling during our popcorn removal fest in our Fremont home. Frugal as we are, my wife and I were sure that we could remove the stuff ourselves--keep in mind that the living room has a 12 foot high ceiling that measures 28 X 12. The 1700 sq ft task was labor intensive, exhausting and messy--and we supposed to have been prepared. We were not. Pooped out from popcorn removal, I tried to inject a little humor into the project. I run around the house while holding "Retro," making robot sounds and chasing the kids with it during breaks.

My Fremont real estate office http://www.tricityhome.com recently sold another home in Fremont. We had the popcorn ceiling removal done on it after the close of escrow. No, we did not remove that popcorn ourselves, the Fremont home buyers did. I had a chance to walkthrough it after there removal was completed. The contractor who did the popcorn ceiling removal made it seem so unproblematic.

Our new “non-popcorn” ceilings are still in the making. I still have to prep and paint. If you are thinking about removing your Fremont popcorn texture, call me for a real contractor who knows how to do it right. They prep, scrape, sand, float (more on that later), and professionally apply the spray texture perfectly perpendicular to the ceiling. They are perfect ceilings when finished. Floating the ceiling involves 24” to 30” troweling a light coat of material to make it flawless prior to primer and paint. Yes, contrary to what you may hear, there are amazing contractors doing great work in Fremont. If you ever need the numbers, let me know.

Fishing for a Blog Post

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:01:00 +0000

There was a time where I blog posted every day about Fremont real estate and homes in Fremont CA. Since then, I have not blog posted about Fremont homes or anything for that matter until now.

In the Brookvale Elementary School area, a couple things are stirring. First, my Fremont home for sale on 3670 Alder Ave is back on the market and getting many showings--we need the exposure. It is a good Fremont home at a good Fremont sales price. The Trulia link is here at http://www.trulia.com/property/3028428984-3670-Alder-Ave-Fremont-CA-94536. Second, and not so related, is that significant sized trout are being caught in Fremont CA at the Quarry Lakes. I have seen Fremont trout being caught twice just by observing the Fremont fishing enthusiasts giving it a try. During the most recent bike ride through Quarry Lakes, my two kids and I had watched a Fremont fisherman catch a decent sized trout. I'm hooked. This Sunday, I am taking my kids out to Quarry Lakes for a go.

Our office is finishing the sale on two Fremont homes for sale this Friday, so it will be nice to take a well-earned, relaxing break. With two second-timers--I will try to relax as best as I can. Wish us luck.

When More is MORE

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:11:00 +0000

Do you love it when a provider "finally" gets it? By provider in this case I mean the Multiple Listing Providers or MLS providers for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. This month our Alameda and Contra Costa County Bay East Association of Realtors created a shared database with Santa Clara County and many others.
You heard the expression, "less is more?" Well I am happy to report that when I am using a computer to search for homes for sale ion Fremont, more is MORE. Multiple Organization Reciprocal Exchange. Cool? Yes it is.

A while back I wrote about an awesome work around to get new listings from different MLS providers forwarded to me automatically here http://tricityhome.blogspot.com/2010/01/handheld-device-redfin-new-killer-tool.html I still use the work around a lot. In short, I wanted the whole picture. I needed homes for sale in Fremont from brokers everywhere, even those who did not possess a local Alameda Contra Costa MLS subscription. It costs a pretty penny to have one.

Until now, those homes for sale in Fremont from "out of area" brokers would never be seen by a Fremont Realtor in their own Bay East Association of Realtors database. The home for sale in Fremont simply will not show up. I have had the opportunity to begin using the new MORE platform. And, as a result, have been using MORE more. It will take some time getting used to the look and feel of it and its functionality, but I am willing to give it a go.

It has a few minor drawbacks. For example, if I, as a Fremont real estate broker list a home for sale in Fremont using the Bay East Association of Realtors data base, (BEAR), then, if I belong to Santa Clara Association of Realtors (SCCAOR) too, and input the Fremont home for sale there as well, the home will show up twice when it is found in MORE (Multiple Organization Reciprocal Exchange). Is it a big deal? Not really. In fact, the MORE exposure the better right? The puns keep coming.

In closing, I am happy that Realtors in Fremont can tap into, "the whole picture" when helping their clients buy a home in Fremont. http://www.tricityhome.com/

Good Real Estate Agent

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:05:00 +0000

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Fremont, Newark or Union City. Or, if you know someone who is, you can take a look and listen to what Jeff Pereyda's observations are.

Naturally, there are many aspects of choosing a good real estate agent in Fremont, Newark and Union City and the slide cast is presenting the idea of choosing a good real estate agent in a unique point of view. You click here if the slide screen is not below http://www.tricityhome.com/podcasts.html

Broker/real estate agent Jeff Pereyda shares his experiences from "behind the desk" and "out in the field."

If you or someone you know has finally decided to buy or sell a home in Fremont, Newark and Union City--See if this helps to choose a god real estate agent.

Good real estate_agent

View more webinars from Jeff Pereyda.

Short Sale Slide Cast

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 01:42:00 +0000

I wanted to put something together for the would-be Fremont, Newark, Union City home buyer who may not know about short sales and how they affect all of us in some way.

If you have a moment or two, please take a listen to this Slidecast on Short Sales here http://tricityhome.com/podcasts.html and click Short Sale How To.

Pass on any knowledge to those who may not have insight on how to approach these short sales when looking for a Fremont, Newark or Union City home.

Some may recognize the format I use (chalkboard in Powerpoint (tm)), but I re did the audio a little with a change or two.

Thanks for listening.

How to Buy a Short Sale

View more webinars from Jeff Pereyda.

Fremont Real Estate Office Is Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Driving up to my Fremont real estate office, (get directions here) I noticed something just a little out of place. I knew about the crane, but it is another thing to see it in action on your way to the office.

Turns out our office needed a new air conditioner. I wonder if my new tenant had anything to do with it. I do not mind a comfortable 70 degree office, but the moment he steps in the Fremont Real Estate office, http://www.tricityhome.com/fremont-office-visit.html he needs to turn the AC on. He says it keeps him focused.

Before you think ill of it. Adam Arant, Attny at Law is my Estate Planning attorney in Fremont. I trust him with--well basically my life. I have referred Adam to other friends and co workers, and they are glad I did. Adam has great ethics which is well needed in the business.

Here are some images of the crane and the AC guy.

Buying Homes in Fremont--A Shift Towards a Collaborative

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:38:00 +0000

Fremont home buyers have changed they way they search for homes from 10, even 5 years ago. I have been selling Fremont homes since 1999, and I have seen an interesting change in the goings about. Apart from the recent Fremont short sales and Fremont REO properties for sale causing havoc, the ease to search real estate in Fremont has never been better, and for all of us searching for these Fremont homes, the Internet has certainly arrived.

Back in '99 you could search for Fremont homes on the Internet using some giant sites. Realtor.com was the biggest real estate search platform for searching Fremont homes for sale. Regardless, now, there are hundreds of sites that do the same thing. Moreover, if you add up all the IDX sites you'll reach perhaps a million.* However, Fremont home buyers having access to this information has created a double edged sword. Fremont home buyers feel empowered as they should, but woe to them who feel that they can fell the heavy shodden feet of the giant. Real estate along with its financing is a huge animal yet to be tamed. Consumers go into the real estate arena sometimes all on their own and come out hurt and discouraged.

There is hope. Many deals fall apart because the financing was not solid. Lenders have a lot of requirements for the soon-to-be home owner, and a short visit to the real estate office was the old way to take care of this mishap. The other reasons for DFT's (deal fell through) are that Fremont short sale buyers get exhausted just waiting to get to the short sale lender approval so they can go ahead and buy the thing. When searching for a Fremont home, you will need to be prepared for a great many things as I will allude to in a bit. This is where I have seen the collaborative take form. Consumers have adapted to the chaos and may have a way to deal with this thorny market.

Here's one example. Judy wants to buy a Fremont home for sale. Judy's parents live in Missouri and will handle most of the financing. Judy also has an uncle who already lives in Fremont who happens to really be handy with fixing things. Judy has Jeff Pereyda at TriCity Real Estate Brokers http://www.tricityhome.com/, a Fremont real estate agent helping with the search for homes in Fremont and the contracts for escrow. Just as important, Judy has many friends on facebook who want to help as well. Add all that up and now Judy has multiple laptops, handhelds and iPhones gathering data for one goal--Get Judy a good deal on a Fremont home for sale. By the time we are ready to make an offer, the group could easily have uncovered and dealt with many "Judy exclusive" home buying hurdles. Comparable home prices, good loan programs, the proximity to her work, traffic flow, the noisy neighbors, the nice neighbors, as well as near by amenities, and "walking scores" are all placed in the working space for the collaborative to come up with an overall score for the home.

I may be overstepping a bit to call it a collaborative, but the pains of buying a home in Fremont lately have caused some to form a team and mobilize what resources they have. My job as a Fremont real estate agent is still the same, but I am part of a mobilized, tech savvy group contributing to a project that will benefit all. Seems like a wiki real estate collaborative is the next step. Is there a Google lab for that?

*IDX sites are MLS search sites that run from a remote database mainly designed so Realtors can have visitors search for homes on these Realtor/agent websites without the agents having to carry huge server/data maintenance and all the while providing customers with more flexibility while visiting their agent's site).

Fremont CA Real Estate Broker Put On The Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 19:03:00 +0000

The NUMMI Plant here in Fremont has been providing jobs building cars and trucks up until 2010 when it had been decided that after kicking the tires a bit it was time to finally slam the doors shut. No pun intended. The mayor of Fremont, Bob Wasserman, wants Fremont to be a model city in how it chooses to revitalize and reuse the site once shut down. It is part of what is amicably called NUMMI Revitalization and Reuse Plan.

KTVU news in March 2010 had completed a story on the topic that you can view here http://www.ktvu.com/news/22973164/detail.html.

Fremont has hired a study group out of Berkeley called Strategic Economics Inc. to assess the positive impact and other effects revitalization may have on the incisive city of Fremont.

I had received a call into my office TriCity Real Estate Brokers http://www.tricityhome.com from one of the Strategic staff. The Strategic employee was hoping to gain information on what effects the revitalization may have on the housing market in and around Fremont. We set up a telephone interview on September 24th to go over the survey questions. The survey was mainly focused on the the housing impact in and around the Warm Springs area, but also encompassed different areas of Fremont and its surrounding cities.

I have been interviewed several times about housing and the real estate market over the last couple of years, and I usually can give clear, concise answers to the questions. However, once in a while there is that string of information during the interview where I sometimes wonder if I am really helping or if the interviewer is thinking about how to get me back on topic.

In regards to a question intended to gain my opinion on the effect on the housing prices in Warm Springs East of Mission Blvd. (So, Jeff, if BART should build a "multi use" facility around the intended BART station extension, what effect would it have on the housing prices in Warm Springs East of Mission Blvd.)?--I paused. First, Mission Blvd is a long road that covers several different micro markets in real estate. I think she meant down where Mission bends back towards 880 by East Warren, but at that point the homes on the east are really south east. That's when there was that awkward pause on my behalf. Then I started to talk about true east versus south east, then I started yapping about Weibel versus Mission San Jose--Oi! Get back on topic Jeff.

After the interview, and many other questions that were answered in a more succinct fashion, she had mentioned how helpful my input was and that the interview went really smooth. I could only say the next thing that came into mind at that point. The stereotypical reply of, "hope that helps." Argh! Why couldn't I just say, "you're welcome. If you have further questions, please feel free to give me a call."

Fremont CA Real Estate Is Growing Good Habaneros

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:41:00 +0000

Although hard to see it here in this image, Fremont CA real estate grows good Habanero peppers. Habenaros are quite touchy and slow to germinate from the seed and even slower to grow--especially when you are watching them daily.

Why the mention of Fremont CA real estate? Because I was told that the native soil found in and around Fremont CA (real estate) is composed of a good amount of adobe clay and not the best for peppers, much less the slow and temperamental Habenaro. It was hard for me to make the adjustment from where I grew up in Sunnyvale where the black soil there grew almost anything without even trying. Here using Fremont real estate, I will tell you what I did to get them this far.

I bought a few nice golden Habenaros from the store and, after using them for a few fiery recipes, I carefully (with gloves) washed the seeds for drying. After a day or two, the seeds were clean and dry. Believe it or not, certain molds love to grow on hot peppers. I then did a bit of research. Strangely, a blog post with the headlines of something like, "Use Your Dryer to Germinate Habenaros." here at http://www.urbanchiles.com/growing/022805.html. The post/page caught my eye. Intrigued, I delved into the article. The short of it was that the normal household uses the dryer a few times a week. the top of the dryer reaches a snugly 90 degrees or more for moderate durations. The writer discovered that setting the seeds in a container with moist soil, provided 100% germination. Mine was 50%, and I blame my cat for hogging the heat.

As you can see, I have mine in a pot now. I did the dryer method and then transplanted them outside in a pot with a mix of Fremont soil and a bit of stuff from the worm bin out back.

I will let you know how they taste. My favorite is Mango Habanero salsa.

Fremont Short Sale Negotiator Tactic Hurt$$$

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:06:00 +0000

I was going to wait until it closed escrow, but my Fremont short sale negotiator pulled a fast one. And I wanted to write about it. I also really do think it was the negotiator and perhaps the short sale lender together on this one.

Some time ago, I was helping a Fremont CA home buyer look at homes. We looked at a few good ones along with others that may not have been top on her list of a good Fremont real estate deal. There was one other home I was not going to show her because it was not ready. It was one of my own homes for sale in Fremont. It was a short sale, like some of the others.

Long story short, after much discussion about the home in Fremont that I had for sale, she really wanted to see mine. She bought my short sale listing and during the negotiations with the short sale lender it was disclosed that I was the agent for both buyer and seller--a bit easier to swallow when it is a short sale because the seller just needs approval and to be forgiven of the debt instead of getting a high net profit.

After the lender discovered the dual agency, they wrote back and said I was only going to get half of my percentage of the commission instead of the whole commission. They wrote, "sorry, their rules." and that was that.

Our office did not take this lying down. After a few calls and some firm words, it was remedied to my satisfaction. I found out later that this was a new tactic negotiators are allegedly using. I know this because my sources revealed that an earlier escrow with the same short sale lender just closed with dual agency (both buyer and seller represented by one office) and was paid full commission. I never used that piece of evidence in my dispute, but I was ready to.

The short sale lenders are perhaps praying on the tired disposition of agents who have become exhausted after months and months of work with commissions dangling by a thread. A lot of agents see that anything is better than zero when it comes to getting paid.

So, short sale lenders out there. Give a listen. Agents work very hard contrary to what some may feel. We make real estate move and fully represent our clients seriously. Lately, it seems like you are simply throwing us a small bone for a job well done. I will be glad when this short sale era goes away.

Fremont Garage Sale Tip or Two

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:29:00 +0000

Whether your purpose for a Fremont garage sale or moving sale is to clear out stuff (junk) from your house or to recap some cash on items not used anymore--or both, you should do the garage sale. Moving sale, tag sale, estate sale, and garage sale all bear the same rules for success. My family and I, in Fremont, just did a block sale last weekend, and here is what I want to share with you on how we got things done. Some things we did well, and others okay.

My goal was two fold. First, being a Fremont real estate agent, I wanted to get the immediate Fremont community involved in order to glean a little name branding for my Fremont real estate office http://www.tricityhome.com from the event. Second, was for me to get some things cleared out of the house and garage. I needed my space back.

You should opt for the block sale first, even if you are not a Fremont real estate agent. Block sales build your event from one driveway of attractive garage sale items to perhaps twenty or so driveways of attractive garage sale items. Once, I had the pleasure of attending a city-wide garage sale in Burlingame. The idea is to build demand by way of building traffic. People are much more likely to attend a block sale than visit a single, isolated garage sale or tag sale.

Naturally, someone has to step up to the plate to get the garage sale or block sale going by way of a little resource mobilization. Flyers, board meetings and the like are a great start. Craigslist now has a garage sale category as well. Real Simple Magazine did an article on the tag sale and provided many tips and tricks of the trade. http://www.realsimple.com/tagsale.

I believe I had a little edge in the way of signs due to the fact that I am a Fremont real estate agent. I had a good deal of open house signs I converted to block sale signs. With some bright construction paper, a fat felt-tipped pen and some double sided tape, I was in business. With 10 signs in prominent areas leading visitors to our garage sale, we ended up having to actually direct traffic from 10:30am to around 12:00 noon (these were the busiest times) for some of our visitors.

In a nutshell, here is what I learned:

Get at least $200 in change first from your bank--$50 in ones, $30 in fives, $50 in tens, $60 in twenties, and $10 in quarters (one roll). Do not let the smug guy hand you a $100 bill when buying a $5 item in hopes that you will not have change and then you end up giving the item to him.
Use lots of signs
Do not do Sunday unless you have to--Saturday had four times the visitors.
Stop at around 2:00pm--seriously drops off after that.
Use a large umbrella for shade and use sunscreen
Drink lots of water
Hot items asked for at our garage sale are: (were in our case) bicycles, video games, tools, cell phones (did not understand that one), jewelry and clothing.
Cold, hard to move items at the garage sale were: dolls, plastic toys and our previous tv that weighed near 100 lbs
Have bags
Have fun

Feel free to call me at my Fremont real estate office at 510 742 3212 or visit my Fremont real estate website at http://www.tricityhome.com.

Selling & Moving From Fremont, Newark or Union City

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:40:00 +0000

The Winner!

I recently listed a home for sale in Union City for one of my clients selling & moving from Union City to what is known as La Morinda. During the process of selling the Union City house, the sellers and I talked about many logistics regarding selling a Union City home, and ultimately, discussed moving from Union City. Cutting to the quick, after interviewing the major movers for the area like Mayflower and Bekins, etc. my client selling his Union City home, chose Bekins as the service provider in moving from Fremont, Newark and Union City area. Although the moving company's prices were competitive with each other, Bekins had an edge of professionalism that was found lacking in the other moving company's sales staff.

Naturally, the selling staff and the actual people who would be doing the moving would be altogether different. Simply speaking, you may not get the shiny professional salesperson lifting your boxes of dishes. You will get, "the crew." Fortunately for Bekins and my client selling a Union City home, Bekins has stellar independent teams for the areas of Fremont, Newark and Union City. But what struck me as interesting after talking a bit more with my client who was selling his Union City home, was the fact that this particular team that was going to help with the move from the Tri-City area was Tri-Valley Bekins--a moving team that has stuck together for many years.

I spoke with Miss Owens, a 13 year Operations Manager for Bekins in Alameda County yesterday afternoon, so I could get some facts. The team that had helped my Union City home seller was Tri-Valley Bekins lead by Javier Angiano, an Independent Contractor and sole proprietor of 18 years with the company. He and his crew have been working together for 6-10 years. Much can be said about their professionalism and performance according to my Union City home seller.

Well-protecting items before they were placed into boxes was a given, but when the crew began to make wall protectors from heavy duty card board and laid out stair protectors as well to protect the walls and steps from damage, it got my client's full attention. They handled the whole move with efficiency and even stuck to their quote even though my client's Union City home had an excessively stocked kitchen full of many different sets of dish ware that called for more boxes and more wrap work than previously thought.

I mentioned earlier about the "shiny" salesperson and how the first impression made a difference. Alex Arsenault, a 20 year selling coordinator for Bekins was the deal maker. Although, Arsenault went toe to toe with the rep from Mayflower, Arsenault was the one who asked the relevant questions and had a genuine concern about my clients and their Union City move. My sellers chose Bekins, and they were glad they did to say the least.

Thank you Bekins for indirectly being an important part of my successfully selling this Union City home.

If you happen to be thinking of selling your Fremont, Newark or Union City home, contact me from my Fremont real estate agent office site here http://www.tricityhome.com --and if you want a great moving experience, make sure you include Bekins in your list of interviewees.

http://www.bekins.com/moving/Tri-Valley-Worldwide-Moving-and-Storage

Moving From Fremont CA To...?

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Most people move from Fremont, Newark and Union City from time to time. I myself moved about 8 times in my life so far--moving from various areas in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are thinking about moving from Fremont, Newark or Union City CA to another area you will want to know a few things, and I hope this post can help.

If you enjoy moving, then you are one of the very few who do. The rest of us, we need help in any way, shape or form. This short post will simply provide a list of helpful tools in the form of websites and some tips we learned along the way.

In regards to selling your Fremont, Newark or Union City property and buying a replacement home, a Fremont real estate agent will play a a vital role in assuring that the sale of the old home and purchase of the new one work together. Here is a testimonial of a Union City home seller purchasing a Fremont replacement home. http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand.html (click Keniki)

When selling a home in Fremont then moving right into the home in another area, you need to allow a little time between the two transactions. This is important to ensure both feasibility and peace of mind knowing that no one will be on the street without a place to go. A good Fremont real estate agent will place proper assurances in the purchase contract. Careful real estate contract wording is needed to set things straight when trying to accomplish the double deal.

Many helpful moving websites I have used are also available below for you to visit and use when the time comes for you to move from Fremont, Newark and Union City.

http://www.onesimplemove.com--interactive calendars and up to date articles.
http://www.mayflower.com/moving--a little overwhelming but really loaded with tools.
http://www.whitefence.com--mostly compares utilities, then helps hook them up online.
http://www.moving.com--no calendar that I could see, but ok.
http://www.relocation.com--great new tools and articles.
http://www.pods.com--store your stuff, then move it.when you want to.

So, in closing, you'll want a good Fremont Newark, Union City real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com and some State-Of-The-Art web tools for all the stuff in between.

Fremont Short Sales & Short Sale Lenders--Once Bitten Twice Shy

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:16:00 +0000

The last two short sales in Fremont that I performed were by no means smooth. And, I have become a little short sale shy as a result. Yet, other short sales in Fremont we recently closed had performed exceptionally well--Fremont short sales are sort of a mixed bag. What made the difference? The last two sort sales in Fremont were bad, but others were not. We discovered that it has everything to do with the lender of the original borrower or what we might refer to now as the short sale lender. Worst on the list was Bank of America who took an average of 10 months to perform a short sale and still not short sales were completed. And, what’s more, B of A was full of surprises. In fact, just about everything they did was a surprise. Imagine staring at a cocoon that has not hatched, waiting for something, anything to happen. That’s kind of what it was like. Everyone had to wait for very long periods of time even to acknowledge that the bank had received a document. Like watching the cocoon, any movement what so ever made us sit up surprised that something took place, even if it turned out to be nothing. Some things they did were remarkably abrupt and surprising. For example they upped a Fremont short sale price right out of thin air even after everyone agreed on B of A’s counter offer on price. They simply told us (oh, by the way) it was going to be $5,000 more. Then, at the final stretch of the transaction, B of A left out any considerations for the second lien holder and gave them zero on the approval certification. They later back paddled on that one, fixed it using a bad Microsoft Word edit that actually highlighted their mistake, then blamed my title co. rep with 30 years experience. Oh, I almost forgot one more thing. Another B of A Fremont short sale simply ended after an investor phoned and said they had just bought the property in foreclosure and for me to please remove my sales materials. This is the one where I even had a B of A rep authorized on the seller’s account watching carefully to assure us everything would go smoothly.

What makes a good Fremont short sale lender as opposed to a bad one? Most people if asked to judge a short sale lender would grade them on the speed in which the lender can process the approval of the transaction. Bank of America seems to take the longest. They boast about a 90-day turnaround, but unless the planets are aligned just so, it can take over a year to complete. Keep in mind that there are other conditions that can effect the time it takes to complete the transaction as Bank of America will be quick to tell you. The fastest short sale lender we have experienced was Bridgefield, a small lender who simply handled the whole thing over coffee.

Our Fremont short sale real estate agent office here http://www.tricityhome.com is now performing another short sale in Fremont who's lender is Chase. Chase is large too, but they are more organized than B of A. The Chase negotiators (the ones that either handle the short sale approval themselves or present the short sale package to the investor) are very quick to act. Emails are returned the next day or same day. They also order the BPO (broker price opinion--sort of a snapshot appraisal for the bank to review) just as soon as possible.

But since we had been bitten by B of A, the Nosferatu of short sale lenders as of late, I am now shy to believe any short sale lender when they ask for something out of the norm. For example, our most recent Fremont short sale was in need of a BPO. I drove to the property to make sure the lockbox was still there 1. I opened the door and walked through the Fremont short sale. Suddenly, I discovered a tingling sensation at my ankles. Upon further inquiry, I realized I was being bitten by what must have been hundreds of fleas, and they were growing in number. What must have looked like a scene from America’s Funniest Home Videos, I darted to the door, locked up the house while running in place then ran into the parking lot. Once there, I swatted, shook, pinched then as a last resort, out ran all the fleas to be sure none followed. When I told Chase what had happened, they told me they would send Property Preservation out to take care of it. A red flag went up, and I got quite defensive. Once bitten twice shy, I thought they were going to execute some acceleration clause and foreclose on the house once Property Preservation was called due to fleas. They assured me this was not the case. Regardless, I told them not to call this third party, and that I and the BPO person would find a way to get it done. In short, we got it done without calling Property Preservation.

I will work on my uneasiness when it comes to trusting Fremont short sale lenders. After all, a Fremont short sale lender does not have to B of A pain in the neck.

1. For a period of time in 08, I happened upon many homes for sale in Fremont that were supposed to have a lock box only to find that they were missing. I would call the listing agent who would often be taken aback by the fact that it was just there a few days ago. I later found out that this was happening quite often on vacant properties. Perhaps squatters or desperate agents took the boxes so that no one else can show the house, I am still unsure.

HOA Demands?--You're Tell'n Me

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:12:00 +0000

As with all blog posts from me, comments are welcome--especially welcome on this post. I am a full-time Fremont-Newark-Union City Real Estate Broker, http://www.tricityhome.com and I work hard in the office, on the phone, face to face and on the Internet. You probably work hard in your profession too.

BUT--Can I have some of your salary if I ever need your services?

No? Why not?

I have been asked to give away some of my commission from time to time since I started real estate in 2000. Perhaps it is just part of the business. But why? Do you ask a lawyer to lower their retainer? Do you ask the accountant to credit the expense column in your favor? Surely not!

Lately, buyers and sellers have been asking for significant portions of my commissions on a regular basis. I cannot discuss commission rates due to laws governing the subject, but I believe my skills, and knowledge of the real estate contract and the skill sets I possess in negotiating sales and the like merit my pay as well as other agent's and broker's pay. As awful as that may be, still another person has been asking for my commission as of late. Can you guess who it might be? The Home Owner's Association in a short sale of a condominium, that's who.

I have a short sale in Fremont that has been, for reasons beyond the scope of this post, in escrow for 1 year now. Now that we are on the very cusps of closing escrow, the HOA (of all people) wants me to "pitch in" in order to settle an assessment that is due upon the sale of the property. Whaaat?

Here is the math:

My pay on a successful close of the above-mentioned property is $6600 divided by 12 months of calling, disclosing, coordinating, compliancing, faxing, emailing, logging, filing, problem solving, driving, (my job) equals $550 dollars a month. Only if it closes escrow.

Another property in the same boat is $1060 divided by 10 months of the same equals $1060 dollars a month. Only if it closes escrow. And believe me--they do not always close escrow.

Asking for a piece of the broker's commission will never stop because that's how it is set up. It is illegal to fix a commission in real estate understandably, and brokers must disclose that commission is set by each individual broker and that it is never a "standard" rate. It keeps it competitive. So, in a sense, we advertise that our commission is negotiable. But what a broker can do is simply say, "no" when asked to "pitch in."

The reason why I and other brokers give their commission when they really should not (myself included) is because we work very hard and only get paid at the end of a successful close of escrow. The threat--if you will-- of losing all that hard work unless a little or sometimes a lot of commission is given away is the only way to get any money at all. I guess it is human nature to be so bold to ask for a piece of the broker commission. The only way for it to stop is for the broker to simply say, "no" and suffer any consequences that may fall.

In a moment, I will try to ask for a piece of my dentist's fees today when I go get my teeth cleaned. I will report back to you.

A few hours later

She said, "no."

Fremont CA Parkmont Home Values Up

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:34:00 +0000

FREMONT CA PARKMONT HOME VALUES http://www.tricityhome.com/Parkmont_homes_sold.html

FREMONT HOME PRICES http://www.tricityhome.com

HOME VALUE CHECKER http://www.tricityhome.com/Parkmont_homes_sold.html

FREMONT REALTOR http://www.tricityhome.com

Fremont Homes For Sale--You thought your garage was bad

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:08:00 +0000

I see a lot of homes for sale in Fremont http://www.tricityhome.com and their garages. Some owners are creative in they're use of the space while other homeowners are in survival mode. Some of my homes for sale in Fremont have used shelving and built-in fixtures to make the space very workable as a hobby shop and the like. I was taken a back lately by this townhome for sale in Fremont.

Do you remember the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoon? He and is pal Chumly would escape from the zoo on a mission to solve a problem. Armed with the voice characterization of Don Adams, Tennessee Tuxedo would demand that they visit Mr. Whoopee, a brilliant professor who knew all the answers. Upon arrival of Mr. Whoopee's office, it only took a matter of a minute or two until the professor had to open his closet to get use of his "3D-BB," his three dimensional blackboard. However, the closet was packet to the ceiling with stuff. I wonder why a tennis racket sticking out always seems to make it as a stereotypical junk thing. Anyway, when the closet is opened--all the junk spills on top of Mr Whoopee. Well, that almost happened to me.

While showing homes for sale in Fremont, an owner had stepped out prior to me showing one of the homes, and there were no images of the garage in the Fremont home for sale on the MLS. "Can we see the garage?" the buyer asked. "Sure," I replied. This is what we saw. I could not help but think of Mr. Whoopee's closet.

Here is an episode of Tennessee Tuxedo on YouTube (They want to make a light and learn about Thomas Edison). And, yes, the tennis racket is in the pile of junk in Mr. Whoopee's closet--see if you can find it.

SF bay area craigslist > for sale / wanted > garage & moving sales > Fremont CA

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:26:00 +0000

It was not too long ago, that I and many others suggested to Craig Newmark or staff that he should definitely have a section for Fremont garage sales & moving sales or estate sales on Craigslist.

We were heard. There is now a Fremont garage sales & moving sales section on Craigslsit.

Craigslist had created a Fremont garage sales & moving sales section in the Craigslist website some time ago, and now I will get to try it out. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/gms/

My wife and I have come to realize that we have too many things, especially now that we have two new children and no additional storage. In a very real sense, our garage has become storage. Naturally, some things we do not want to part with like Halloween decorations and such, but why keep abandoned toys, clothes, and kitchen items that are never going to be used? I even found a dusty old Saguaro Cactus made of tissue paper in there. Maybe the Saguaro could be a FREE item.

Our goal is to find these things a new home soon by way of Fremont garage sales & moving sales. The items we do not want that did not sell at our Fremont garage sales & moving sales will be donated to charity.

One benefit of being a Fremont Realtor http://www.tricityhome.com is having lots of signs to use in situations like this. I simply get out my Open House signs, reface them using a 20 X 24 piece of cardboard to say Fremont garage sales & moving sales and done!

Anyone need a large bin of Beanie Babies?

Near Washington Hospital On Mowry Ave

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:33:00 +0000

There is an awful lot of new construction going on in Fremont near Washington Hospital on Mowry Ave. The hospital itself is under somewhat of a facelift just north of the main building. Furthermore, BART has undergone a massive project not near Washington Hospital on Mowry Ave but off of Stevenson, just across from the Fremont Police Station. Apparently BART is digging the tunnel for the new line. In addition, there is one building in particular that I pass by every day on my way to my office here http://tricityhome.com/fremont-office-visit.html. You may know it. It is on the corner of Stivers and Mowry, a brand new medical building.

I'm sure there must be some harried individual or two, being that workers are getting pressure to meet deadlines. The image above was taken one morning right on the corner of Stivers and Mowry-near Washington Hospital on Mowry Ave. Blinded by the rear of the lift device, a worker unknowingly moved the boom over and bent the stop sign a bit. Being that it was right there near Washington Hospital on Mowry Ave, it must have received a bit of attention. Perhaps he crane/boom/lift operator is now pushing a broom inside the building instead of operating the lift device.

I have not been by again yet at the time of writing this blog, but I am wondering if they discovered it after the fact then used the lift to try to straighten it back again. Regardless, it may never look the same.

Re Facing Closet Doors Fremont-Parkmont

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:25:00 +0000

I purchased a home in Parkmont of Fremont (I wish I knew about http://www.tricityhome.com CA back in 99. It was built in 1978, so if you are like me and purchased a home built back then or even one built in the eighties, you may have those closet doors with the off white panels. These are the ones that look like fake wood grained contact paper over a wood panel framed in gold metal trim. My wife and I gave our bedroom a face lift recently that included re facing closet doors.

We got a whole new look re facing closet doors that we are very pleased with. Basically, we wallpapered the panels. But, in re facing the closet doors, there was more to it than that. First, we had to remove the panels from the guides by lifting up and pulling the bottom out of the tracks. Second, using a electric drill in reverse, I removed all the screws holding the panels in place being careful to place all the screws in one bin. In our case it was an old hat. Then using a hammer and a piece of soft wood, I tapped all the gold metal frames off of the panel. Since the closest doors take up practically the whole length of the wall, they are quite long and somewhat difficult to move around in the bedroom. The ceiling fan got whacked once or twice before I developed a technique that required both a certain movement together with an awareness of space--almost a zen thing. While removing the frames, it may be important to number the parts as you remove them to ensure proper replacement to the right panelswhen re facing the closet doors. I did mine by writing a-1 on the top frame as well as the panel, and then I wrote a-2 on the first side frame, a-3 on the bottom and a-4 for the last or left side. The next door would be the "b" series and so on. When you get to the rollers, be sure to observe how the went in. Some have different mechanisms and require an adjustment or two.

Once all removed and dismantled and organized in re facing the closet doors, it was time to get the supplies in re facing the closet doors. Here is what we used:

3 rolls of desired wall covering (we used a faux grass burlap texture with greens and browns in it. Our closet doors measured about 133 sq ft--get some extra) See image above.

1 box of wallpaper paste (even if you have self-pasting wall covering) I used Golden Harvet because it was inexpensive. Image below.

3 cans of spray paint that either matches, contrasts or complements your design choice of wall covering (we used a chocolate brown epoxy enamel satin finish)

2 cans of spray metal primer paint (paint will just barely stick to the metal unless you use a good primer--ask the store personnel)

I will have a short TIPS section below after the post.

So now we had to prime and paint the frames outside. This was a bit hard, but it was worth it. If you go to an auto body paint store (there is one on Peralta and Fremont you can buy a self etching primer spray). After priming according to directions and painting the frames, we realized that we needed to wall cover the back of the panels, not the front. The paste would work better against the wood back instead of the contact paper fronts. You could peel the contact paper off, but ours was hard to peel and peeled off in little bits at a time. So, wall covering the back it was. We chose to cover the panels after the frames were reassembled. Due to the tight clearances of the frame slots, adhering wall covering all the way to the edge of the wood panel first would create a thicker dimension along the edge, and fitting the frame slot would be difficult over both the wood and the wall covering. When the frames were brought in, it was time to assemble.

Assembling the frames on the panels was just a matter of following the letters and numbers mentioned earlier. With a tap here and there being careful not to scratch the frames, the frames were assembled. keep in mind, that if you are reversing the panels, that is covering the back, you will need to place a-2 side frame onto a-4 side panel. Remember you have to reverse. Now with panels done, it is time to cover. But first, do not forget to prime and paint the upper closet door slots attached to the ceiling. Just remove, prime and paint then place back on the ceiling with the screws.

Covering the panels, you may find it easier to place the panels on the bed (covered of course) or you can wall cover the panels when they are upright in the slots. It is up to you. I did both. You may want to review wall covering tips on the Internet if you need a refresher course. See TIPS below for a fast list of things to know. Once we had the panels covered, we trimmed the excess and placed them in the upper slots then on the rollers.

In short, we transformed our room into something that Martha Stewart would be very proud of I'm sure. I still can not get over the huge contribution the new closet doors made to our redesigned bedroom.

I hope you find this post helpful, and please feel free to write with questions or testimonies.

TIPS:

Don't forget to "book" your wall coverings--do not rush it.
Prime the wood with the box paste according to instructions before you adhere your wallcovering--this will prevent lift up.
Do not put seems together, even if you "book" the coverings. Your seems may separate and reveal the wood beneath. Instead overlap by about 3/16ths of an inch depending on your width.
Trim wallcovering after it dries not wet.
There are many different wall paper resources on the Internet (even though I may disagree on some points) Good luck.

Golden Harvest Paste worked well for a paste primer.

Fremont CA Real Estate Market

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:56:00 +0000

I got a kick out of the movoto website today when it listed the least expensive and the most expensive homes for sale in Fremont. I felt it was timely because I had a recent experience that identified with this somewhat. I while back I received a follow up call from a client who was in the market for a very expensive home in Fremont of several million in price. In preparation for the new home buyer in Fremont, weeks went by with much planning for the upcoming appointment--phone calls were made, calendars rewritten, plans changed, etc. in order to make room for the high priced Fremont home buyer coming into town. The time finally came when we were scheduled to go out looking for multi million dollar homes in Fremont, and they were a no show. Even worse--no call, no email, no text, zero. Even now, I still do not know what happened. I hope they are okay.

Meanwhile, I had a client following homes for sale in Fremont on my website diligently for some time. On the same day of the multi-million dollar cancellation, this faithful Internet home buyer emailed me and wanted to view one of the lowest priced condos in Fremont on Paseo Padre Parkway. with my day cleared off anyway, I had free time to go see the condo. I showed it to my client, she loved it and wrote an all cash offer. But wait, alas, the lower-end Fremont home buyer pulled a fast one.

Several days later, when we were about to get our reply to the offer, the buyer writes, "Are we too high in price?"

I replied, "actually, no you're perfectly priced."

She writes, "Rescind my offer, there is too much crime there!"

Digging deeper I send a crime report to nip this Internet weed in the bud. I sent the comparative crime reports to the buyer.

She writes back, "Wow! Okay, thank you, let's stay in the game. I'm in."

Next day, the lower, cash buyer writes, "It's too soon, we need to back out. Rescind my offer."

I had too much at this point.

I replied, "If your situation changes..." meaning--when you find your motivation for buying a home in Fremont, "call me." At the risk of sounding like a rant, I felt--when you find your motivation for buying a home in Fremont, go become some other agent's energy drain.

Ouch, both of those buyers hurt a bit.

Will they call? maybe not at this point. But, a short message to all Fremont home buyers out there. Contrary to a some beliefs, real estate agents work very hard for you. And, it costs a good deal of money just to be an agent, even more to be a broker. Please respect their time and their commissions. A colleague in my office, who is also a financial planner, told me that when someone asked her for a piece of her commission, she replied, "Well, it's not a good idea, see, the lender may think you cannot afford the house." Touche.

New Homes For Sale--Union City Near BART

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:01:00 +0000

New Homes For Sale--Union City

Ryland Homes brought three decades of experience to the table when they decided to build new-homes-for-sale in Union City near BART. The Ryland Woodbury subdivision, off of Decoto Road and Alvarado Niles Road, was actually built in 1999. New-homes-for-sale in Union City near BART have thinned out recently, so when I did a search for New-Homes-For-Sale-Union-City on the Internet, the closest I found was Hayward and some parts of Fremont.

If new homes for sale in Union City are something you are looking for, then there is at the time of writing this post a Ryland Woodbury home getting ready to go on the market. A ten year old home is still relatively new to most buyers, and this Union City new-home-for-sale near BART is a real winner.

This new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART was hand-picked by the original buyers for several reasons. Although not a huge concern to the current owners, the front door faces North-North-East which can be important to many buyers seeking to buy a new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART today. A feature which carried more weight was having the option to choose the fifth bedroom instead of the loft--which they did. The Greenbrook model with the optional fifth bedroom instead of a loft ads flexibility as well as value to the new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART. Moreover the living room and dining room are combined into one great room and has a high ceiling which adds to the open feeling upon entry. The owners had no choice but to place this home high on their home buying list when they were shopping for a new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART back in 99. Some of the other reasons in choosing this new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART was that the Greenbrook elevation has a separate family room that is adjacent to the eating nook and kitchen area, and many home buyers want to be able to have that kind of "flowing" kitchen which does not cut off conversation with guests as they relax in the family room near by.

This new-home-for-sale in Union City near BART is located in a large cul-de-sac which has plenty of room for guest parking and residents can play on the street in a safer environment here than on a through street. It is very close to the Union City BART station and lots of shopping. It even received an above average walking score which only half of Union City can boast about. So, one might say that this is the "better" half of Union City.

Many home buyers out in the market now are getting frustrated from getting out bid on multiple offers, dealing with REO stress, and the worst of all, waiting for short sales that never come to fruition. I know this first hand because I have buyers who are frustrated of getting out bid on multiple offers, have REO stress, and the worst of all, they are waiting for short sales that never come to fruition. This home, however, is being sold by regular, common-sense sellers, real people who want to sell the house. No stress, but do not wait too long to decide to make this your new home. This new home for sale in Union City near BART has been well-maintained by the original owners who simply want to move closer to their careers. It is ready to sell, but it will not last long.

Take the first step. If you want a new home for sale in Union City near BART, you should give me a call--510 742 3212 or grab your agent and point them to this blog post.

San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate Has Something No Other Place On Earth Has

noreply@blogger.com (Museman) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Besides boasting the Golden Gate Bridge and a few other San Francisco Bay Area things, (cable car, etc.), I recently read that San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate http://www.tricityhome.com has had something unique to the rest of the world and has for hundreds maybe thousands of years. San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate has nurtured an environment that produces Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis, a world famous wild bacteria. Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis is used to create San Francisco sourdough starter. It builds the foundation for dough in many baking recipes--most of all San Francisco sourdough bread. Actually, the bacteria has been shipped to bakeries all over the world for quite some time, so it is not unique entirely, but it is nice to know that it lives its naturally existing microbial life right here in my back yard, literally.

For a wiki read simply go here-- http://www.search.com/reference/Lactobacillus_sanfranciscensis

I also read that "starter" (in this case using a wild yeast) can be used in many other forms of breads. Italian Panettone, German Stollen, Greek Christmas or Easter Bread and of course, Hot Cross Buns, of which this latter bread inspired this post and its image above. Naturally, these a fore mentioned national breads have their unique starters, but I happen to be biased a bit towards our very own San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate sourdough starter. Apparently, it does the same job as regular bread yeast with a twist— Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis, while eating away at the flour, harbors a safe environment for other bacteria to grow together with it, giving it the one-of-a-kind label it deserves.

Why mention it now? Once in a while I bake--sort of a downtime therapy that has its benefits. Spring has sprung, Easter is here and for my birthday I recently received, Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day, a practical book that takes Reinhart's world-renowned expertise and politely inclines it to our kitchens here at home. Aside from the Baker's Percentage Formulas in the back of the book, it's very straight forward. Intrigued by some of the recipes, I knew I had to try the San Francisco sourdough "seed culture" and work my way to sourdough "starter" pages 38-43 (a bit involved). Carefully following the directions, I mixed the San Francisco sourdough ingredients in front of my open window, just to be sure the bacteria flew in the mix. Slowly but surely, over the time span of about a week and a half, it worked. I thought I would share the interesting fact that San Francisco sourdough yeast lives here in our San Francisco Bay Area. This Easter, my family will get to enjoy genuine Hot Cross Buns from scratch with white fondant glaze.

Some day I may move from the San Francisco sourdough capital of the world, but even if and when I do, I will have to sneak some "culture" with me. The fact that I was born in San Francisco will always be a bit special to me, and taking a small piece of it with me wherever I end up will certainly be necessary, even if the piece of San Francisco is only microscopic at best.