Santa Clara CA homes for sale & Santa Clara Real Estate Info

Low Down payment Home Buyer Programs with Santa Clara Down Payment & Closing Cost Help

2009-01-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Buyers of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara New Homes beware of builder’s unethical sales practices

2008-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Lately some of the big builders of Sunnyvale/ Santa Clara new homes have been conducting very questionable sales practices either to avoid repairs or to reduce their cost on inventory holding time. Such as not allowing home owners to have their own “independent home inspection” for the Buyer’s final walk through. With most builders getting nervous of the current real estate market builders are trying to avoid whatever they can to avoid the delay in closing & shove down the building as fast as possible to consumer even if construction & corrections are not completed 100%.

For one of the Sunnyvale New Homes builders the situation is even more serious with the Builder’s agents attempting to intentionally bypass the Buyer’s broker in order to negotiate the terms of closing etc directly with buyer, while denying the Buyer from having proper final walk through conducted by their own Licensed Home Inspector. To make a story short in this case I have to confront the builder’s agent & call upon Realtor’s association’s legal hot line to consult for this unreasonable & unfair practice as a Buyer’s broker. Result: the builder eventually make an exception on my client’s unit & and allow our own home inspector to conduct final walk through inspection.

Though, my clients had already done visual inspection twice on this home without my (his Realtor) presence or the inspector, due to builder’s blockage earlier, upon the new inspection, as I've expected, our home inspector has found several additional issues with the home. First, central A/C unit completely failed to work , there was serious water leaking into basement from side retaining walls, there was also damaged or improperly installed washer dryer hook up & unfinished exposed stucco walls etc .

The inspector’s findings were disappointing because this inspection was actually done 2 days later than builder’s intended closing date, where builder was previously pushing so hard on my client to close or even threatening with per day late closing penalty charges on us. At this stage, this home really should be in , move in ready condition with builder’s own inspector completing & passing the inspection check list. Major items such as inoperative central A/C units should not be missed , if only they have care enough to do a proper job.

As most unsophisticated consumer will, one may think that nothing can go wrong since this is a new building .Right? Unfortunately, there are a lot of common things that can go wrong in new homes & your dedicated Buyer broker shall assertively takes initiative to protect your rights & most importantly protect your investment. For my clients it was a happy ending at the end because we get done with what we needed & all issues were taken care before closing without us paying a penny on late penalty etc. But as a consumer advocate Real estate broker, I wonder how will many of other consumers who walked into the builder's sales office without their own buyer agent defend themselves? In fact, it makes me think, “if consumer do not know their rights then it’s same as they do not have one”.

Here are the some basic points that buyers of Sunnyvale / Santa Clara new homes must remember when dealing with new home builders & their agents:

Builder’s agent do NOT represent you or your interest. Ensure that you have an experience & caring buyer agent of your own who can protect you from builder’s 1 sided contracts & questionable sales practices. Try not to have direct contact with builder’s agent . ( The way builder agent ask questions & communicate, you might not even aware that they are in fact negotiating some of the terms with you, e,g be it a closing date or what items to repair etc)

Always conduct your own independent home inspection before closing of escrow by licensed , experience Home inspector professional & by your Realtor.

If any time during transaction if you don’t feel comfortable talking with builder’s agent or answering their question, state clearly to them that you prefer they talk to you through your buyer’s agent so you buyer agent can properly protect your right through out the transactions. Just because it is new home builder there is no excuse, Builder’s agent are obligated & bind to follow Realtor’s code of ethic article 16 & upon your request , they must communicate you through your buyer agent, as not to take advantage of less experience & knowledgeable consumer .

Remember that , home warranty plan provided by builders should not be an excuse for builder to deliver you an incomplete or defective home in the 1st place. Insist on all repairs, replacement etc are completed 100% before the close of escrow, since builder is more inclined to entertain your request more seriously & promptly before closing & funding . Of course builders like to do repair etc while you are paying the mortgage & taxes. Why not right? It is the same as free borrowed money for them.

Do not just stick to what builder’s lender offer. Always ask your Buyer Broker (agent) to help find you a better mortgage deal. In my client case e.g , one major builder’s lender offered my client their so called unbeatable rate of 6.5% for 5 years fix , where I managed to help my client secure 6.5% with 30yr fix loan while my lending partner paying more than $5000.00 as buyer closing cost helps for my buyer client.

Before start shopping on your Santa Clara new homes or other Bay Area new homes, be sure to request & read FREE report on : 6 Secrets Every New Home Buyer Must Know & Builders do not want to talk about.

First time home buyers bay area , having sf bay area real estate and cities compared ahead will SAVE your Money & Time. Here is how:

2008-09-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

During my many years of experience as a Local Realtor, I have seen again & again that most educated & prepared buyers always get the best value deal for the money they paid. So, next time before you jump into house hunting trip, prospective home buyers you should get the feel of the bay area housing market first. The best approach is applying top down approach, where prospective buyers get sf bay area real estate and cities compared , ahead of house hunting to get the bird eye view feel of each cities & prices. Though you may certainly feel bay area as a whole, by doing your homework & having sf bay area real estate and cities compared , it will reveal that, prices & quality of neighborhood varies significantly from cities to cities.

This VERY important "must do" step of having sf bay area real estate and cities compared ahead of time will not only allow you to make informed decision about where to live but also will save you time by keeping a reality check on your home ownership goal from the day one and help you focus on finding the best deals in your affordability price range.

By carefully studying sf bay area real estate and cities comparisons , you will start to get a good feel of which cities most likely would be within your budget & your choice of future home. At that stage most first time home buyers bay area ,make error of rushing out for the house hunting or run straight to their banker for loan approval. But wait, if you and your spouse are
first time home buyers bay area , know that there are several government & non-profit home buyer programs where you can get down payment helps , closing costs helps & below market rate interest rates. These programs are especially design for first time home buyers bay area .

Most first time home buyers bay area mistakenly assume that these help programs are for low income family etc. However consultation with area specialist Realtor will reveal that most median income family will eligible for these programs. By zeroing in, on which city or county you will most likely be purchasing ahead of time, your first time home buyers bay area specialist Realtor should also be able to point you to correct programs to help save your MONEY & at the same time point you to qualify Bay area homes that are eligible under these program guide lines, thus help you save your TIME.

If you are first time home buyers bay area (California SF-Bay) & need a quick way to have
sf bay area real estate and cities compared please Click Here "To Receive Your Copy" of handy & easy to read " sf bay area real estate and cities comparisons chart " .

To help kick start the process, you can also register & attend a FREE 1st time home buyer classes offer by http://www.bayareahomebuyerhelps.com/ where you can learn all your options in one 2 hours evening.

City Service Directory for Santa Clara Home Owners & Movers

2008-09-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Moving is such a chore whether you just leased or moving into a Santa Clara Condos or New Santa Clara homes. Here I have compiled a list of service directory for your convenience. Hope this will make your move a little easier. Happy moving & welcome to your new Santa Clara Home !! =)

Service, Company, Phone, Address

Electricity/Gas, PG&E , 1-800-743-5000, web site
Electricity/Gas, Silicon Valley Power , (408) 615-2200, web site
Water, Water Utility , (408) 615-2000, web site
Water, Santa Clara Valley Water District , (408) 265-2600, web site
Garbage, Public Works Department , (408) 727-5365, web site
Garbage, Clean Green , (408) 615-2051, web site
Garbage, Specialty Solid Waste & Recycling , (408) 565-9900, web site
TV, Cable Comcast, 1-800-945-2288, web site
Phone Local, AT & T, 1-800-222-0299, web site
Long Distance, AT & T, 1-800-222-0300, web site
Long Distance, Sprint, 1-800-877-4646, web site

For All Emergency - Police & Fire: Dial 911
Police, Police Department, (408) 615-4700 ,web site
Fire, Fire Department, (408) 615-4900, web site
Animal Control , Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, (408) 764-0344 , web site

What YOU can expect about Santa Clara Homes & Santa Clara Condos

2008-09-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

Based on the stats following is what you can expect as house hunter in Santa Clara city. The majority i.e ~70% Of Santa Clara Homes & Santa Clara condos were built between 1950 to 1979. Less than 10% of homes of entire city stock is 10 years or younger. If you are looking for newer home this could be an issue & challenge. However,if you are thinking of more established neighborhood with relatively larger living spaces, easy & convenient access to work place etc, this city could be an ideal place for you. Being center of Silicon Valley, santa clara also boast very highly educated & relatively young work force. Santa Clara Real Estate Occupy 3 zip codes 95050, 95051, 95054 (Not including P.O.Boxes)

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Figures presented below are soley to see the Santa Clara Housing make up . For up to date median/average prices & market trend please see the updated Santa Clara Homes & Santa Clara Condos market reports.

(City) Santa Clara Real Estate Snap shot:
Median Home Age =>38
Median Home Cost =>$784,300
Homes Owned =>43.70%
Homes Rented =>53.64%

How new Santa Calra Homes & Santa Clara Condos are?
YEAR BUILT & % of Buildings
1999 to 2005 =>5.99%
1995 to 1998 =>3.19%
1990 to 1994 =>3.68%
1980 to 1989 =>9.97%
1970 to 1979 =>19.21%
1960 to 1969 =>22.79%
1950 to 1959 =>26.47%
1940 to 1949 =>5.47%
1939 or Earlier =>3.23%

What are the majority of OWNER-OCCUPIED Santa Clara Real Estate worth ?
Home Prices & % Of Home In Price Range
$200,000 to $299,999 =>6.01%
$300,000 to $399,999 =>13.94%
$400,000 to $499,999 =>23.98%
$500,000 to $749,999 =>38.17%
$1,000,000 or more =>2.02%

You can visit U.S Census Bureau Santa Clara City for detailed neighborhood demographics.
or you can also visit Sperling's Places for other details.

6 Correct & Effective Steps To Find & Own YOUR perfect Santa Clara Home

2008-09-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

Many 1st time home buyers or even veteran Buyers love the thought of weekend house hunting & window shopping. However if you are a home buyer, seriously in search of true good value home there are certain steps you must take in correct sequence to be efficient & effective with your home search.

1) Avoid the mistake of what most average home buyers do & Find & Seek the help of quality neighborhood specialist Realtor early in the house hunting process, to see what are the Government, Non-profit & other helps that you may be eligible for.

Why?: Because based on which county(Santa Clara, Alameda), city or property type you are planning to purchase, your neighborhood specialist Realtor can help you secure the best Down payment, Closing Cost, Below Market Interest Rates & other financial helps available to you as well as point you to correct properties that can qualify for those helps. Because most banks & loan brokers will not talk or discourage you from obtaining these helpful programs since it is more tedious & less profitable for them. (e.g, Currently eligible 1st time Home Buyers purchasing in Santa Clara City can get up to $75,000 of down payment help with 0% Rate for 1st 5 years of ownership)

2) Seek loan approval 1st before starting house hunting to know exactly how much maximum Home Loan you can afford monthly & qualify for with your income , intended downpayment & YOUR eligible Government & Non -profit helps etc?

Why?: (Because based on the pre-approval purchase amount, it will realistically help narrow down YOUR target selection choices of house type (such as condos , town homes or single family home) as well as the neighborhood. And because most loan approval is FREE.

3) You must sort out your NEEDs and WANTs & come up with forced rank priority must have features (e.g (1) must have minimum of 2 bed/ 2 baths ,(2) must have in house laundry, (3) Fire Place etc)

Why? (Because: based on your family's current & future priority NEED list YOU may decide to have a smaller townhome & condo in better school area or as alternative purchase a bigger Single family home in less posh convenient neighborhood for comfortable living)

4) Discuss YOUR ultimate goal with your trusted professional REALTOR, good & experience one will tell you both the pros & cons of each choices you proposed & what the challenge might be since there is no 1 size fit it all answer when comes to choosing "Where, What & When" to buy.

Why? Because based on the goal YOU share they may recommend alternative neighborhood etc that can meet your goals or proposed a entirely NEW strategy that YOU may not have thought about.

5) Once neighborhood is decided upon, be really familiar with the type of homes & going prices in target neighborhood.

Why? Because : that's the only way YOU will quickly recognize & take action to seize the great deal home , when YOUR Realtor eventually call YOU to come out and see that 1 great value home, after a long wait & search period. And do know that true good deal home sells quickly regardless of it is buyer or seller's market.

6) Be fully prepared for presenting a complete offer. (i.e Have written loan pre-approval letter in hand, know how quickly your lender can complete the appraisal, fund the loan or remove all contingencies etc to make your offer strong, clean & competitive -without paying more $$)

Why? Because anyone can make an offer but most well prepared Buyer are the one that secure the best deal homes, while other buyers are still struggling to get the approval & funding in place etc. Plus: If you are a seller & if 2 offers are presented to YOU at same purchase prices, Why wouldn't YOU pick the better prepared buyer -No Seller wants many conditions to close the sales?

Should you need helps with any of the above steps please e-mail or call us Alex Team @(408)-646-4622 we will be happy to discuss & assist YOU achieve your goal in "time frame specify by YOU"

Santa Clara Real Estate Sales Report for period (08/01 - 09/01)

2008-09-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Santa Clara Real Estate SOLD Prices & Market Summery

The notable changes in market last month August report was that number of Santa Clara Homes For Sales that went pending "i.e accepted the buyer's offer but not closed yet" increase from 7 units to 33 units (i.e ~400+%) jump in a month time. Sudden increase in pending units is usually caused by closing delays associated with Foreclosed & short sales transactions , where selling party is typically lending institution, rather than individual. This is also the another indication that buyers started to absorb the inventory but usually on good deals only. So for Santa Clara home sellers & individual owners ,what does it mean? Do we have Buyers in market -YES we do -in fact quite a bit of side liners watching to jump into action, but be prepared to compete aggressive against institution sellers with Asking prices. For current buyers - you want a good deal ,then be prepared to deal with these institutions & don't be suprise to find yourself competing with other buyers who are also bottom fishing.

Single Family Santa Clara Homes
Total Average # of Days to Sell :48
Average Sold Prices : 654,515
Median Sold Prices : 616,500
% Ratio of Sold Price To Ask Price : 98.01 %

Santa Clara Condos & Townhomes
Total Average # of Days to Sell :50
Average Sold Prices : 467,404
Median Sold Prices :412,000
% Ratio of Sold Price To Ask Price : 97.06 %

Total # of Active Santa Clara Real Estate For Sale : 344
(Single family) Santa Clara Homes For Sale : 236
Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes For Sale : 108

Total # of SOLD Santa Clara Real Estate : 67
SOLD (Single family) Santa Clara Homes : 42
SOLD Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :25

Total # of (New On Market) Santa Clara Homes For Sale :124
Newly Listed: (Single family) Santa Clara Homes For Sale : 89
Newly Listed: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes For Sale :35

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that went “Pending” : 33
(i.e. Seller Accepted the offer but not closed the transaction yet)
Pending: (Single family) Santa Clara Homes : 23
Pending: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes : 10

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that went “Expired” : 24
(i.e. whatever reason OWNER can not sell)
Expired: (Single family) Santa Clara Home : 13
Expired: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :11

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that were (either Withdrawn or Cancelled) :50
(i.e. owner intentionally decided Not to sell)
Withdrawn or Cancelled: (Single family) Santa Clara Home :33
Withdrawn or Cancelled: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :17

*All data deem reliable but not guaranteed. Consumer should NOT make any purchase, selling or leasing decision based on the information provided. Author shall NOT be responsible for any financial losses by any party as consequence of either direct or indirect use of the data & information provided.

Who is Alex Local Advisor & How YOU can Benefit?

2008-09-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hello,
Welcome to Alex Aung - Real Estate Consulting Team!
I am Alex (Real Estate Broker & Owner) of Home Solutions Realty, Cupertino.

Here is : How You Can Benefit From What We Do & How We do?
Following 3 are my real estate team's Areas of specialization & expertise:

1.Representing First Time Buyers Purchase their (Silicon Valley) Santa Clara Home
2.Representing Buyers Purchasing Bank Owned / Foreclosed homes.
3.Helping move up Buyers to market their Entry-Level Homes.

Here is our simple & unique formula of how We Make Santa Clara Homes & Other Silicon Valley Homes Affordable ®

Copyright © 2008 by Alex Aung

What makes our service & approach unique is that unlike traditional "sales centered" real estate agents , we understand the full challenge of affordability issues faced by many of the would-be 1st time home buyers in Bay Area. Thus, making "purchase of" or "Selling of" entry-level homes difficult to many young families. We educate our clients & address this affordability issue directly in 2 ways:

1. We help all our home buyer clients secure many of the special Home Buyer Programs offer by Government & Non-profit organizations. These programs provide Down Payment Helps, Closing Cost Assistance, Below Market Interest Rates & lastly "Low" or "No" downpayment home loans to make the Silicon Valley & Santa Clara home ownership affordable.

2. We have specialized extensive & unbiased Area Real Estate Knowledge knowing which area homes are available and fit for many of these first time home buyer programs.

For Home Buyers: All these helps means new found affordability.

For Sellers, all this non-traditional finance helps we offer to buyers as a way to market your Santa Clara home or other Silicon Valley homes mean, we can now expose your home to many additional potential buyers who otherwise would not be able to afford this home. That's a win-win proposation for all parties.

Click Here to see many of our client's Success Stories in their own words.

Alex Aung - Formal Education & Qualifications:
(Broker/Owner) of Homes Solutions Realty
Real Estate Broker Licensed (Lic# 01435381)
Realtor®
BS, Electrical Engineering (Iowa State University)

My Professional Associations & Affiliations
Member: NAR ( National Assosiation Of Realtors® )
Member: CAR ( California Assosiation Of Realtors® )
Member: SCCAOR ( Santa Clara County Assosiation Of Realtors® )
Contra Costa County Assosiation Of Realtors® MLS Member

Santa Clara Real Estate Sales Report for period (07/01 - 08/01)

2008-09-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

Santa Clara Real Estate SOLD Prices & Market Summery

Single Family Santa Clara Homes
Total Average # of Days to Sell :64
Average Sold Prices : 771,046
Median Sold Prices : 673,500
% Ratio of Sold Price To Ask Price : 97.84 %

Santa Clara Condos & Townhomes
Total Average # of Days to Sell :82
Average Sold Prices : 480,336
Median Sold Prices :426,500
% Ratio of Sold Price To Ask Price : 97.77 %

Total # of Active Santa Clara Real Estate For Sale : 361
(Single family) Santa Clara Homes For Sale : 243
Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes For Sale : 118

Total # of SOLD Santa Clara Real Estate : 68
SOLD (Single family) Santa Clara Homes : 42
SOLD Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :26

Total # of (New On Market) Santa Clara Homes For Sale :139
Newly Listed: (Single family) Santa Clara Homes For Sale : 99
Newly Listed: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes For Sale :40

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that went “Pending” : 7
(i.e. Seller Accepted the offer but not closed the transaction yet)
Pending: (Single family) Santa Clara Homes : 5
Pending: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes : 2

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that went “Expired” : 25
(i.e. whatever reason OWNER can not sell)
Expired: (Single family) Santa Clara Home : 12
Expired: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :13

Total # of Santa Clara Real Estate that were (either Withdrawn or Cancelled) :52
(i.e. owner intentionally decided Not to sell)
Withdrawn or Cancelled: (Single family) Santa Clara Home :36
Withdrawn or Cancelled: Santa Clara Condos & Santa Clara Townhomes :16

*All data deem reliable but not guaranteed. Consumer should NOT make any purchase, selling or leasing decision based on the information provided. Author shall NOT be responsible for any financial losses by any paty as consequence of either direct or indirect use of the data & information provided.