A Few Bad Pennies….
About 3 weeks ago, I wrote an offer on a bank owned property in Hayward for a client of mine. I tried contacting the agent representing the seller to let her know that I was sending an offer, but wasn’t able to reach her. So, I emailed the offer and, also, faxed it to make absolutely sure that she received it by the deadline.
Over the course of the next 3 weeks, I tried diligently to reach this agent. I tried both calling and emailing. Sometimes when I called, I would get her voice mail. Other times, I got her husband who was listed as the co-lister, but knew nothing about the property. He indicated that he had “taken the phone away from her, because if she kept taking calls, she would never get anything done.” Read more
San Bruno Posy Parade 2009
The Posy Parade in San Bruno is held every year in June. It is put on by the San Bruno Lion’s Club. This year it will be on Sun. June 7th at 1:00. The theme this year is “The Many Cultures of San Bruno”! It is a parade dedicated to children and it’s themes are always deocrated with flowers!
At its height in the 1960s, the parade attracted as many as 3 thousand participants and 20 to 30 thousand spectators. This year is the 69th Annual Posy Parade in San Bruno. The parade includes all of our baseball teams, school floats, orginization floats, marching bands, a Posy Parade princess and her court. The mayor passes by in a fire truck and the city council in old fashioned cars throw candy to the crowds who are lining the street! The end of the Posy Parade is in San Bruno Park which holds a ceremony for the best floats, hot dog sales and 2 MAJOR San Bruno baseball games! See you Sunday June 7th for the 69th Annual Posy Parade in San Bruno, Ca.!
http://sbpsd.k12.ca.us/schoolhouse/posy-parade.html
Picture taken from website above.
Is the Tax Credit Working?
I recently came across an article by the (CBIA) California Building Industry Association entitled, “New-Home Sales Still Historically Slow in February”. The title does suggest that this is indeed another sub-par month for the real estate business as well as our economy but as I read on I did find some very positive news that will hopefully bring us closer to the bright future. Positive news such as, us finally seeing the bottom of the housing declines.
I am current working with some clients who are interested in purchasing their first home in a New-Home Community. They would be Eligible for both the $10,000 New-Home Tax Credit as well as the $8,000 First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit. This of course would make a huge difference for them financially, who wouldn’t want an extra $18,000 in credit when purchasing a home?
If you would like to view the article please visit California Building Industry Association.
Prudential San Bruno’s 3rd Annual Shredding Party
Prudential California Realty San Bruno office is hosting its 3rd annual shredding event. This event is a complimentary event we host for the community. Each year has been a huge success and continues to grow every year. Last year the shredding truck was filled to the brim. The driver had to drive the truck around the block to try and level the paper out in hopes of getting everyone’s documents shredded. By the end of the event both sides of the truck were protuding out, but we did manage to get everyone’s documents safely shredded. Last year we shredded an excess of 12,ooo lbs of paper.
Cars start piling in early as Prudential agents assist them at their cars to off load their documents. Some people drive in with a truck load of boxes and Read more
Highlights of the 2009 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit
Recently, I have received many questions from prospective homebuyers about the 2009 homebuyer tax credit bill — which provides $8,000 tax credit to first-time homebuyers for the purchase of their principal residence between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009. I wanted to share with you a very informative FAQ (http://tinyurl.com/b8mysm)from National Association of Realtors (NAR) to address many of your questions and concerns about the details of the bill.
Here are some highlights:
- You must be a “first-time” homebuyer, which is defined as someone who has not owned a home in 3 years prior to the day of your 2009 purchase.
- The 2009 tax credit is refundable (i.e. IRS will send you a refund check if your tax liability is less the $8,000).
- The income restriction for a full tax credit is $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples.
- You may receive partial credit for income up to $95,000 for individuals and $170,000 for married couples.
- The home must be your principle residence and owner-occupied.
- You do not have to repayment 2009 tax credits; However, if you sell the property within 3 years of the purchase, your are required to pay back the full amount of any credit, including any refund you received from it.
- You can claim your 2009 tax credit when filing your 2008 tax returns by April 15, 2009.
- Close of escrow must occur on or before Dec. 1, 2009; if the property is under construction when purchased, you must occupy the home before Dec. 1, 2009.
It is starting to trickle down?
A question that comes up when talking about today’s housing market is if the recent economic stimulus packages and federal bailouts that we are all paying for will actually help the average homeowner. I wish I could tell you that I understand how it all is suppose to work. You wonder how pumping billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars into bleeding financial institutions will actually trickle down and help average hard working families who are struggling to keep ahead of their daily expenses and keep a roof over their family’s heads. I can’t tell you how it is all suppose to work but I can tell you that I can now see it on my newest mortgage statement. Read more
“You’re The Best”
That is a comment I received recently. Can you guess from whom? After 30 years of marriage my wife does not tell me that anymore. My mom; maybe; but she didn’t. This comment came from an agent I was in contract with. I removed contingencies on time. Wow!! I lived up to my legal obligation and she took the time to comment “You’re The Best”. It should not be that way. We as Real Estate professionals should live up to our legal obligations and we should treat each other and our clients with more respect. We should all live up to our legal obligations or request an extension in a timely manner. This should be the norm not an oddity. Read more
Is it a “Buyer’s Market” or a “Buyers Market”?
The short answer is BOTH! What’s the difference and how can the market be both? A buyer’s market refers to a market where the conditions are more favorable toward the buyer. In real terms, the buyer has an upper hand in negotiations due to conditions. But what do I mean when I’m referring to a “buyers market”?
I’m referring to the incredible number of buyers we are now seeing in our local market signaling what may be the end of the the real estate free fall, at least in parts of the bay area. Just this morning, in my office’s weekly meeting, we discussed open house traffic over the weekend. Read more
-
Join us on Facebook
-
Join us on Twitter
-
Recent Posts
- Top 5 Reasons to Buy a House in the Bay Area in 2012
- After Christmas Sale, – Bay Area Homes up to 60% off
- San Bruno Eye Sore is about to Go
- What If My Offer Is Rejected?
- It’s a Buyers’ Market for Real Estate Investors, too
- How to choose the “Best” real estate home loan.
- Is it a Good Time to Buy a House in San Mateo County? Part 1
- What’s the difference between inspections and the”final walk-through”?
-
Categories
-
Archives
