A special thanks to all of our readers and Facebook fans for your support in voting 1SiliconValley.com as the ‘Best San Jose Real Estate Blog’ as sponsored by Zillow’s People’s Choice Awards. As promised, we are raffling an Apple iPad to everyone who voted and commented on our Facebook Fanpage to let us know about their vote.

Before we start the raffle, we wanted to acknowledge a few voters:

The Most Passionate Voter Award goes to Christina Yuen. To say it in Christina’s own words, “Voted! 29%!! talktocj is at 32% – BOO!! I’m rounding people up now. It’s war!”

The Most Dedicated Voter Award goes to Tom Yu who while on a business trip voted all the way from Seoul, Korea. Now that’s Rainmaker dedication!

Apple iPad Raffle Entries

OK, so take a look below. Here is a list of all the voters who commented and voted during the 9-day contest and the corresponding raffle number(s). Numbers assigned based on number of Facebook comments confirming votes (limit one per 24 hr. period).

NAME   and  NUMBERS
Aaron Waldo    1
Adam Abed    2
Allen Choi    3-4
Allen Miu    5
Andrew Wu    6-11
Andy Chen    12
Andy Pan    13-14
Atsuko Yube    15
Avery J Lu    16
Ben Cai    17
Brendan Croom    19-21
Bruce Wong    22-26
Chris Abad    27
Christina Yuen    28-32
Dalan Chan    33-34
Dan Choi    35
Dan Shinn    36
Dan Yang    37
Daniel Kim    38
Daphne Chu    39
Darren Lennemann    40
Dayna Wu    41
Dennis Kwon    42
Eric Liao    43
Ethan Henry    44-45
Eva Tsai    46
Felix Lee    47
Geremy Yamamoto    48
Grant Lee    49
Hua Shao    50
Isabella La    51
Ivan Lee    52
Jackson Luk    53
Jiaying Hou    54
Johnathan Tsou    55
Josephine Phan    56
Joyce Chung    57
Julie Fiscus    58
Kaela Hwang    59-60
Kara Okamoto    61-63
Lucia Cheng    64
Luukim Duong    65-67
Marc Biondolillo    68-70
Mark Louie    71-72
Mark Wang    73
Michelle Lin    74
Nancy Domich    75
Nancy Yuen    76-78
Peter Liang     79
Rajeev Golamudi    80
Rick Wang    81
Rob Schulze    82
Scott Yu    83
Steve Kim    84-85
Sue Tsai    86
Tim Yuen    87-94
Tom Yu    95-96
Vicki Kuan    97
Wendy Jones    98
Yu Linda Song    99-101

Now that you know your number, click on the video below to find out if you’re a winner of a new Apple iPad!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Here’s how to get started:

STEP 1: Click on the ‘Best Blog Nominee’ logo below and vote for 1SiliconValley.com (only one vote per 24 hour period) through Wednesday August 25, 2010. (Flash required, sorry!)

STEP 2: Visit Rainmaker Properties Facebook Page and make a comment on the Facebook FanPage to let us know that you voted each day!

STEP 3: IF 1SiliconValley.com wins the “San Jose Best Blog Award”, each of your daily comments/votes (limit one raffle entry per day) will be entered into a raffle to have the chance to win an Apple iPad.

Contest and raffle subject to the following Rainmaker Properties Best Blog Contest Official Rules.

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

As a part of our new Fan Mail Q&A Series, we invited Dave Tang; a Realtor & Mortgage Consultant with Portfolio Lending.

“With all the radio ads for low interest mortgage rates…How  does one discern which are legit and which ones are borderline   fraudulent? “

-Tim

Well Tim…. I am always concerned about ads that just feature a rate   because there is so much room for bait and switch. Since most   people today are interested in a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, the   questions I would always ask are:

-Is this a 30 year fixed rate mortgage?
-Is there a pre-payment penalty?
-What is the maximum loan amount available for this loan?
-What is the APR? [assumes you already know the advertised   rate]
-How long is this rate locked for? Can I get that in writing when I lock?
-What are the points, fees and closing costs associated with this loan?
-What is the loan to value required for this loan?
-What is the credit score required to obtain this loan?
-[If applicable] Is this rate valid on a condo or townhome – or just a single family home?
-Can I get a Good Faith Estimate showing the type of loan, rate, and all closing costs?

This is the info you need to really compare loans across the board – if you can’t get acceptable answers and a written Good Faith Estimate, then you really are at the mercy of the person on the other end of the telephone or keyboard.

I have had numerous clients who have gone down the path with a ‘too good to be true’ rate only to find out what they thought they were getting and what they did get were two completely different thing.

Be especially careful on a purchase transaction to work with someone trustworthy – as there are a lot of mortgage brokers who know that by the time you are signing your loan docs to close escrow, it is just too late to go anywhere else!

Congrats to Tim; Great question! You’ve won a free gift card to the store of you’re choice!

Think you have a question for us? Send it in!
If Rainmaker answers your question, you also win a free gift cart of your choice!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Attention pancake lovers everywhere!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Shoot ‘Em Up trailer

• Daddy Day Camp film

Rainmaker Property’s own Ceci Ellis presents our newest listing in Belmont, California!

Located in the beautiful Belmont Estates. Video Produced by Alvin Shen.

Best of Belmont Estates – Fabulous, executive home with bay views adjacent to park and just steps from hiking/jogging trails and tennis courts — the perfect home for the active family who enjoys the outdoors and entertaining. This large, single story home features an open floor plan with cathedral ceilings in living, dining, family and master bedroom, a large walk-in pantry and walk-in closet in master suite. The over-sized, totally useable lot includes a back yard with both patio and lawn areas and a big side yard off the dining room perfect for an additional secluded patio and/or storage space for RV or boat. download Shaun of the Dead

Bad Taste on dvd

Automobile enthusiasts will appreciate the 3-car garage which is large enough for 3 full-sized cars, a large workshop area or a combination of cars, lots of extra storage and workshop.

Belmont Estates is a private enclave of executive homes surrounded on three sides by parks and open space without any through traffic where rabbits, deer and raccoons are among the neighbors. All conveniently located just minutes from highways 280 and 92, shopping centers and schools – yet a world away from the hustle and bustle of suburban life.

Cliffhanger divx

Special Features of this home:

*2,210 sq. ft. of living area
*7,800 sq. ft. useable lot
*Coveted single story Carlmont model with large walk-in pantry
*4 bedrooms and 2 full baths
*Spacious kitchen with large eating area, breakfast & wet bar
*Master suite with cathedral ceilings, walk-in closet and sliding glass doors to patio
*Dramatic courtyard entry with double doors
*Bay views from living and dining room
*Dining room with sliding glass doors to side yard/patio area
*3-car garage
*Backs to open space
*Adjacent to park, hiking/jogging trails and tennis courts
*Convenient to highways 280 and 82, shopping and schools
*Great Belmont schools including Fox Elementary, Ralston Middle and Carlmont High
*Freshly updated with new paint, carpet and copper pipes

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Rainmaker Properties presents our newest listing.

Huge town home located in the highly desired Mountain View neighborhood of Cuernavaca. Presented to you by Alex Wang. Video Produced by Alvin Shen.

Private Mediterranean villa in beautiful gated Cuernavaca complex. This luxury home is perfect for entertaining, relaxing in the private, wraparound, lush yard or enjoying the country club complex amenities such as tennis courts, pool, sauna or spa.

In addition to many designer touches, this home features an open floor plan with cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, large cook’s kitchen with top end appliances, a lavish master suite and more.

Features of this home include:

A Prairie Home Companion download

• Patriot Games psp

*4 bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths, approximately 2,493 sq. ft.
*Lavish, totally private yard & patio
*Cathedral ceilings
*Fireplaces with gas starters in family room and master bedroom
*Hardwood floors in living, dining, kitchen and family room
*Cook’s kitchen with granite counters and top line appliances including Jenn air cook top & ovens
*Maple kitchen cabinets with built-in wine rack
*Family room with state of the art built-in entertainment speaker system
*Romantic master suite with balcony, fireplace, large soaking tub and heated marble bathroom floors
*Custom window coverings
*New ADT alarm system
*Huff Elementary, Graham Middle and Mt. View High Schools

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Do you have a question about Real Estate? Need help trouble shooting? Or weren’t sure who to ask? Let us help!

Submit your question here and if we pick it as our “question of the week”, as a thank you for participating; you’ll win a free gift card (i.e. Starbucks, Movies, Lowe’s, Etc) on us!

And be sure to visit us at our Rainmaker Facebook Page

The Hairy Tooth Fairy video

Walking Tall 3 film

, where we’ll post the answers to all your questions. Rainmaker will be regularly rolling this out as your questions come in, so ask away!

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

Stop Child Trafficking Now (www.sctnow.org) is having fundraising walks nationwide on the weekend of September 26-27. Our local event takes place in Palo Alto on Sunday the 27th, from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Check out the event info and register here if you’re interested.

It’s a 2 mile walk in Pato Alto. The benefit walk seeks to raise awareness and fund the fight against child trafficking; the walk itself is open to everyone.

When: This Sunday, September 27th – Arrive between 9:30-10:30 AM for registration. The event is scheduled to end at 1:30 PM.
Where: Gunn High School, Palo Alto

Phenomenon divx Trailer Park Boys: The Movie move

Charlie Chan at the Race Track buy Gang of Roses move

Devil’s Knight

Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!