San Bruno Coats For Kids 2009!

October 8, 2009 · Karin Cunningham · 2 Comments

Coats “Coats for Kids” in San Bruno is a wonderful community tradition coordinated by San Bruno Garbage and The City of San Bruno every year as the weather starts to get chilly!

You can help someone stay warm this winter by simply donating a clean, gently used coat at one of many drop-off locations in San Bruno!

Click here to see which drop-off location is nearest you!

I love helping at this event every year. It’s a great fun way to get to know the neighbors and give back a little to the community.

The coat giveaway day is Thursday, November 19th 4:00-7:00 pm at the Fireman’s Hall/ San Bruno Chamber of Commerce, 618 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, Ca. All are welcome. Limit one coat per person. Children must be present to receive coat.

Karin Cunningham

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Bank or Mortgage Broker? Who to Use?

October 5, 2009 · Kathy Wall · 4 Comments

Where is the best place to get your home loan….a bank or a mortgage broker? Over the course of my many years in real estate, I have waffled back and forth over this question. Many times my decision on whom to refer would be based on the credit of my buyers. If they were self employed, had a small down payment or not-so-good credit, I would usually suggest that they talk to a mortgage broker. If they had excellent credit scores and a good down payment, I would usually suggest that they might be better off going directly to one of the major banks.

Now, after an incredibly negative experience with one of the largest banks operating here in California, I am leaning much more towards referring all clients to mortgage brokers, because I know that they will do the job and, most importantly, will actually care about my clients. Read more

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Market Trends

October 2, 2009 · Adam Chinn · 4 Comments

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I have done research and compared the market last year in September 2008 to this year in September 2009. These numbers are for single family homes. Here are some of the results:

Daly City:

Inventory down 49%
Properties under contract up 12%
Months supply of inventory down 79%

South San Francisco:

Inventory down 60%
Properties under contract up 90%
Months supply of inventory down 88%

San Bruno:

Inventory down 60%
Properties under contract up 9%
Months supply of inventory down 66%

Millbrae:

Inventory down 34%
Properties under contract up 67%
Months supply of inventory down 69%

In all four cities the inventory is down while properties in contract are up. Meaning supply is low and demand is high. Competition for homes in these cities is high, but it is still a great time to buy. This also means that home owners considering selling their home may want to contact a Realtor to see what their home is worth and think about weather it makes sense for them to sell or move at this time. The market has definitely changed for the better and this is a great sign for things to come not only for the housing market, but for our economy as a whole.

This Real Estate Blog is by Adam Chinn

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Some People Would Sell Their Grandmother!

September 22, 2009 · Julie Cleland · 4 Comments

Senior Either that, or try and sell something to them. This was the first thought that went through my head when a fellow agent handed me a flier an elderly friend received with an offer to sell them a copy of the deed of trust on their home. As with most things…one should always read the small print and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

In all fairness, this particular notification did print in very large letters that the program was not endorsed by the government. In addition, they went so far as to say that one doesn’t actually need what it is they are selling, a copy of your deed, to prove home ownership. While their “fine print” was actually legible and clear, many offers don’t always come with such warning. Read more

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Simple Tricks to Show Your Home Like a Champ!

September 21, 2009 · Annie Chang · 3 Comments

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First impression counts! The most saleable properties are those that show pride of ownership. That’s why most of the new developments display model homes and home-sellers hire professional stagers to “dress up” their home for prospective buyers. This may come with a price as staging may cost anywhere from $1,000- $3,000 depending on the size of the home and the elaborateness of the project. However, the reward is bigger! Sellers “have received 2-8% above market asking price and listings have sold in half the time of a non-staged home” according to Let’s Stage It (www.letsstageit.com).

On the other hand, if you still live in the property and/or you don’t want to pay the money to give your home a complete make-over, start with these simple “5C’s” tricks: Read more

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Buyer (Still) Beware

September 16, 2009 · Dean Rizzi · 4 Comments

We warn once again that it will not be a buyer’s market into perpetuity, though others have a different opinion. Some forecasters – Goldman Sachs being the most prominent – project the Federal Reserve will hold the fed funds rate low for “many years” in order to help U.S. consumers and companies pull out of their funk. If that were the case, then it would appear that mortgages rates ranging between 4.5% and 5.5% could be the norm deep into 2011.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that homebuyers are still negotiating good discounts based on data released in July’s Zillow Real Estate Market Report. Zillow notes that buyers paid 3.3%, or nearly $7,039, less than the last listing price on homes for sale during July. What’s more, 22.8% of all homes listed for sale on Zillow during August were listed for a median 96 days, up from 91 in July.

It sounds like the trend will remain the buyer’s friend through 2011 – until you dig a little deeper. Zillow also noted that the 3.3% discount is down from June’s 3.5% discount and substantially down from January’s 4.6% discount. It is also worth noting, yet again, that the usual hard-hit burgs in Nevada , Florida and California skew the data.
“Even if prices stabilize and rise, we can still finance at cheaper rates,” so the counter argument goes. Yes, that is the case today, but we think Goldman and others are underestimating how quickly an economy can turn and how quickly inflation can conflate. It is a buyers’ market today, so buyers should take advantage of it today. As for tomorrow? We are much less sure.

http://wwww.deanrizzi.com

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Is a Condo the Right Choice?

September 14, 2009 · Lee Ginsburg · 4 Comments

I recently showed a condominium in Redwood Shores to a young couple that was considering single family homes under $490,000. They grew up in a middle-upper class neighborhood and wanted to own in the same type. Most homes under $490,000 in San Bruno, San Mateo, Redwood City, South San Francisco were run down and needed some work. My clients made several offers on short sales and were overbid on at least 5 REO offers. I was concerned with the necessary work since they did not have much money in reserve. I did not want them to start something and not be able to finish it like many of the homes we were looking at.

They were not looking forward to doing yard work so I convinced them to look at condominiums. They were hesitant because of HOA fees but I explained the costs of ownership over a period of time were basically the same as of single family homes or.
http://www.pruvoices.com/2008/10/hoa-dues-junk-fees-or-good-budgeting/

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