Buyers’ Tips

How do I build equity in my home? Five steps to building home value.

Because real estate is cyclic and none of us have much control over a global economy, it is important to do everything we can to maintain and grow value in our homes. Here is an overview of some ideas on how you can build equity even in a down housing market: 1.) Leveraging your home [...]

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Why buy a house?

Ahhh, the question that will be on everyone’s mind for at least the next decade. I bought my first house in the late 1980′s. I sold it about a year and a half later and had to pay at the closing table. My interest rate was about 8% on that loan. The first month I [...]

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Moving? Want to help someone with extra household items?

Whenever the moving process begins, inevitably there are items you don’t really want to move with you but are in good condition and could be valuable to someone else. You can try to organize a yard sale to help reduce the belongings but many times only the ultimately organized can make time for sorting, pricing, [...]

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Where are the buyers’ markets in San Jose and Santa Clara County?

The median price for single-family, re-sale homes reached its highest level since August 2008: up 34.6% year-over-year to $632,450. The sales price to list price ratio, a good indicator of demand, for single-family, re-sale homes in Santa Clara County was 101% in April. This is the tenth month in a row the indicator has been [...]

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How Will New Lead Regulations Impact Home Renovations?

Lead poisoning is a serious issue. According to researchers, “Lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities, behavioral problems and, at high levels, seizures, comas and death”. Children under the age of six are at a higher risk due to their natural tendency to place things in their mouths. This new regulation requires professional renovators [...]

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Does a Pool Add Value to a Your Home?

This is one of those questions like the chicken and egg type debates. It depends. It depends on where you live, what type of pool it is, the condition, and a couple of more small details. Understanding more details about pools will help evaluate what value it brings to your home. Whether you are looking [...]

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Are You Ready to Buy a House? Or are you shopping?

I admit that I am not a window shopper. I do not go to a store without a purpose to buy. Generally, I have already determined what I want, what brand I want, and where to get it the cheapest before I ever get into my car. I have my wallet and the only challenge [...]

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Why Rainy Days are Best Days when looking for a Home to Buy

In the past two weeks San Jose, California has been experiencing almost continuous rain. I have been out almost everyday previewing or showing homes. It would be nice to stay in the office and hang out on Twitter but the reality is, these are some of the best days to learn about houses and neighborhoods. [...]

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Waiver on 90-day flipping rule will help FHA buyers find a home.

It is not uncommon over the last two years to find a statement on the multiple listing service that reads “no FHA loans 90 day rule applies”. Which basically meant that an investor had purchased a home, most likely and REO (foreclosed home), completed repairs, new carpet, paint and then placed in back on the [...]

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Is your refrigerator ruining your kitchen floor? Simple protection device.

In my daily travels, the most common problem I see in homes for sale is water damage. One of the first things I do as an agent previewing a home is look underneath every sink for drippy pipes and water connections. Even the smallest drip can cause incredible damage over time. The water slowly penetrates [...]

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How the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) Affects Home Buyers.

Scores of home sellers and other home-buying stakeholders are operating under a new set of rules when it comes to the appraisal process. Since May 1, Freddie Mac has stopped purchasing mortgages from sellers that fail to adopt the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. A joint agreement between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the [...]

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FHA Updates Policy. Not Good News for First Time Buyers.

FHA loans have been a large part of Silicon Valley housing recovery in the last two years. Previous to 2007, the loan limit for an FHA loan was $417,000 and there simply were not that many homes in the Bay Area that were priced low enough to utilize FHA. In 2007 the government increased the [...]

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