About Jean Joh

Jean has worked and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) and now specializes in buying and selling homes in the SF Peninsula area, including Millbrae, Burlingame, San Bruno, Daly City, South SF, San Mateo and beyond. Jean looks forward to helping all of her clients realize their real estate goals and hopes that this blog will become a valuable source of information and enjoyment to others.

Email Jean Joh
Phone: (650) 636-3147
My Website
DRE#: 01830950

Here is a selection of recent posts by Jean Joh:

San Bruno Coats for Kids Program…Share the Warmth!

October 7, 2008 · Jean Joh · Comment here

Parents often tell their children that one of the best ways to remain grateful is to remember those less fortunate than ourselves. Here’s one way to practice that and “share the warmth” with others in our community. The San Bruno Garbage Company and the City of San Bruno are having a Coats for Kids Drive throughout October. Prudential San Bruno is participating in this drive again this year and is one of the drop-off locations for clean, gently used coats through FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st. Although this is a Coats for Kids program, all sizes will be accepted. So look through your closets and don’t miss this opportunity to help someone stay warm this winter!

Coats will be distributed on November 20th.

You can drop off your gently used coat or jacket at Prudential California Realty, 180 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066.

For more information, see http://jeanjoh.com/page/coatsforkids2008.

The Human Cost of the Troubled Economy

October 5, 2008 · Jean Joh · 1 Comment

Last week, I was “on the floor” answering phone calls for our company, when I received a call from someone who was interested in one of the rentals we had available. We arranged to meet the following day to look at the house of interest during his lunch hour. When we met, I was surprised to learn that this gentleman actually lived right down the street from the house we were viewing. He shared with me that he currently owned his home but that his mortgage payments had become unaffordable and that he was already several months behind. He said he had no choice but to put it on the market as a short sale, rent for a little while and hopefully try to buy a home again after a few years. He also told me about his large family and how difficult it was to be going through this process right now.

How To Be A Great Real Estate Client

September 14, 2008 · Jean Joh · 1 Comment

“How can I be a great client to my real estate agent?” Okay, this is probably not on the top ten list of Frequently Asked Questions…probably not even the top one hundred…I’ll admit it – I have NEVER in my real estate career been asked this question by a client. I have invested countless hours into preparing to be the best agent I can be – reading books and articles, attending classes and seminars, keeping on top of the inventory in the area – but I have yet to see a book called, “Being a Great Real Estate Client for Dummies” or the like. And so, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to turn the tables and talk a little about what it takes to be the type of client that a real estate agent would love to work with. Read more

What do you get when you cross an FHA Loan with a Short Sale?

August 30, 2008 · Jean Joh · 8 Comments

In my case, a roller coaster ride of emotions ending with a happy client in his new home. Last week, the escrow was closed successfully on my client’s short sale purchase of a home with an FHA loan. When the process started, I knew that it might not be easy. Read more

Just how SHORT are short sales anyway?

August 6, 2008 · Jean Joh · 5 Comments

Want the “short” answer?… But seriously, a short sale transaction can actually take much longer than a regular sale. First of all, what exactly is a short sale? A short sale is when a home is being sold for less than what is owed on it, i.e. the proceeds from the sale would not be enough to pay off the loan and thus fall “short.” Because the lender is taking a loss, the sale cannot take place without approval from the lender. Unfortunately, the process of getting that approval can sometimes take weeks, even months, depending on the lender.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about buying a short sale: Read more

“Can I really buy a house at the mall?”

July 29, 2008 · Jean Joh · 2 Comments

This question was posed to me as I sat at our Prudential kiosk in the Serramonte Mall. I was caught a little off guard. “Well, sort of…” was my awkward response. The amiable woman followed up with another question, “So, can I just buy a house here like a pair of shoes and then return it if it doesn’t fit?” We had a nice laugh together over that one.