2. Interest rates are a low 4% and below. With interest rates low and prices down, people who have had the same income for the past 2 years can qualify for home loans easier.

3. FHA loans requires only 3.5% down.

4. The Bay Area is the leading real estate market next to New York. There is always a demand for housing here whether it’s San Francisco, San Mateo County, Marin, or East Bay. If you buy in 2012 and hold on to your property you may prosper in the years to come!

5. It’s a great rental market! If your desire has always been to invest, you won’t have trouble finding renters in 2012.

Karin Cunningham

www.KarinCunningham.com

www.FaceBook.com/SanBrunoLife

650-438-3504

San Mateo County is made up of 20 cities that have their own individual characteristics AND real estate prices. The first place that people search when they are priced out of San Francsico but want to feel like they are living in “the City” is Daly City. Daly City is the very next town south of San Francisco. In many parts of Daly City you actually have awesome views 

of San Francisco, even better than some of the City’s residents! Along the top of Croker Amazon and Southern Hills neighborhoods you can buy a 2 bedroom townhouse or condo for around $300,000-$400,000 and feel like you live in the City. The views of downtown, the Bay Bridge,  and some facing west towards the Ocean are phenominal. The price is worth just the view itself, some people say! This is a picture I took right after sunset with Lake Merced, SFSU, Marin Headlands, and the Pacific Ocean in the background.

A lot of homes in Daly City are well situated on a track along the Pacific Coast Highway. They are cookie cutter homes that fit the economic needs of many with families or who just prefer extra space. The mostly 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage homes, built in the 1950-60′s by Henry Doelger, are reasonably priced from the $300,00′s-$500,000 depending on precise location and condition.

It seems like the main reason for the affordability of these homes would be the foggy weather that the residents endure during the summer while the rest of us are enjoying warm sunshine with sprinklers and picnics! It’s heaven for those who prefer the cool wet fog and convenient location close to San Francisco and the coast. It’s a quick drive to Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz! Perfect for those who like to go fishing off of piers, which is free, by the way!

For more info on Daly City and other San Mateo County homes feel free to contact me, Karin Cunningham 650-438-3504 www.KarinCunningham.com

People love San Francisco! It’s a diverse city with tons of character and charm. Its real estate appeal attracts people from all over the world! It hasn’t always been easy to purchase a home in San Francsco because of its sky high prices but things have changed! For example, you can buy a home in the Sunset/Parkside or the Mission District for around $500,000+.

The City is an awesome place to live. I know this because I grew up in the Sunset where the streets are wide and Ocean Beach is our backyard. Contrary to belief, there is actually plenty of parking for those who own their own homes in San Francisco. Houses come with garages and driveways and if you lived in the Sunset like me, there was always places to park on the street. Not true when you live downtown or rent an apartment and there are some people who don’t even bother owning a car in the City because there is a bus stop on almost every corner!

Rents are still high in San Francisco so if you want to live there, it would make sense to buy at this point and time. If you put 3.5% down on a house that’s $500,000 ($17,500) your payment would be $2,300 per month. That’s a 30 year fixed with a 4% APR. That’s not including property tax or PMI but it would be around the same amount as renting!

There are other deals to be found in San Francisco as well! There are smaller houses that require a little handy work for $400,000 in some areas like Visitation Valley and Silver Terrace or you can buy a very cool 2 bedroom condo in the Ingleside or Diamond Heights for the same price!

Anyways, there is always something for someone in San Francisco and if you can’t find exactly what your looking for, then let me tell you about the San Mateo peninsula but that’s another blog!

www.KarinCunningham.com

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Thursday November 10th 6:30pm-8:00pm San Bruno Home Owner Workshop Prudential California Realty 180 El Camino Real, San Bruno 94066 R.S.V.P. today! Call 650-989-1220 or register online:

www.SDIHomePerformance.com

To search for homes www.KarinCunningham.com

For San Bruno community events and activities www.Facebook.com/SanBrunoLife

It’s that time of year again! Hooray for San Bruno Music in the Park! This is a FREE event sponsored this year by Artichoke Joe’s, San Bruno Cable, San Bruno Rotary Club, the Shops at Tanforan, La Petite Baleen, Inc, and Lunardi’s Supermarket! The City of San Bruno Community Services Department is the one who put it together as well as some help from the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce. It should be a great experience this year with some new twists, I hear! Are there going to be food trucks?? I don’t know but it sounds like a great idea!

I enjoy this event every August with my family and friends! My kids usually walk around with a bucket of home made popcorn for sale! I’m trying to teach them to be entrepreneurs!

                                                                                                   Anyways, here is the 2011 schedule for Friday evenings 6:00 pm, Music in the Park!

July 29  Just For Kicks & West Bay Rhythm (Classic Rock & Soul)

August 5 Houserockers (Rock & Roll and R & B)

August 12 The Plastic Onion Band (Beatles Cover Band)

August 19 Tin Man (Classic Rock)

August 26 Groove Kings (Rock & Soul)

By the way, if you have been thinking of buying a house lately, you are on the right track! Two bedroom condos on the San Mateo peninsula are starting in the $200,000′s and single family homes are starting at $350,000! I am a full time real estate agent, if you didn’t know, and I would love to help you find a deal! It costs more to rent these days than to own your own place! We have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Call or email me! I’d love to help! Thanks!

Karin Cunningham 650-438-3504 karinc@prucal.com

http://sanbruno.ca.gov/parks_sbpool.html

Rec Swim is Mon-Fri 1-3:30 and Sat. and Sun. 1-4:00 It’s only  three bucks! You can’t beat that!

I love bringing my kids to the pool because they always run into other kids from school.  It’s also right in the park so we can hang around afterwards and picnic. The staff is also very nice and friendly!

Being a Realtor in San bruno is a pleasure when you get to talk about all of the city’s ammeneties, the pool being in the top 10!

www.KarinCunningham.com

www.Facebook.com/SanBrunoLife

• Drive the coast! We don’t HAVE to go as far as Santa Cruz! There are lots of cool beaches for us to stop off at. Just need to pack homemade sandwhiches, plenty of apples and bannanas and water. Am I right? Am I right?!
• Drive Golden Gate Park from the windmills at the beach to the Children’s Playgroud off 7th. We can hit up various picnic grounds, playgrounds, ponds, climb trees, Stow Lake, etc…
• Fort Point: http://www.nps.gov/fopo/index.htm It’s FREE and only open on Fri., Sat., and Sun. I used to like going on filed trips there as a kid. We’ll see what it’s like now! Ha!
• Japan Town: Anime, Pokemon, Yugio, and Dragon Ball Z….and they have GOT to have a ramen house and what kid doesn’t like Top Ramen? I can’t imagine it being very expensive.
• China Town: Lot’s of walking and wandering to do! “Fortune Cookie” alley, Trans America Pyramid, some of the cheapest trinkets in the world can be found here.
• Cliff House Caves: The walk down to the old Sutro Baths brings back my fondest memories of exploring as a kid. It’s a pretty quick hike so a picnic at Kelly’s Cove where I used to hang out as a teenager is a must!
• Russian River: With an early start, it could be a great day trip! Johnson’s Beach is still there and waiting for us to jump in the river! There has GOT some inexpensive hotels, just in case we get tired!
• Kids Bowl Free!: I have never taken advantage of these coupons that get sent home from school but we will this year!
• Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto: This place looks like so much fun! The weather is usually nice there during the summer, too! http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/activities_and_recreation/aquatics/default.asp 

So, budgeting for GAS, food and sometimes bridge toll, I think we could manage a great summer vacation and make some awesome childhood memories. If you have any economical ways to spend a vacation in the Bay Area or Northern California, feel free to add to the list. I’m sure a lot of people could benefit besides me! Talk soon!

Karin Cunningham