Jean Joh

5 Tips To Improve Your Odds in a Multiple Offer Situation
June 23, 2009 · Jean Joh · 9 Comments

auction“Multiple offers?  I thought we were in a Buyer’s Market?”  Well, it certainly IS a great time to buy in that we are seeing interest rates that are still at historical lows coupled with housing prices that are more affordable.  But on the other hand, here in the San Francisco & Peninsula area, we are seeing an increasing number of multiple offer situations.  For example, on the last home my clients submitted an offer for, there were 26 (yes TWENTY-SIX!) offers, all of which were put in within the home’s first two weeks on the market!  Whatever the reasons for this, it’s become clear that if a home is well priced or below market value, there’s a good possibility that prospective home buyers will find themselves in a multiple offer situation.  Here are five tips to help make your offer stronger:

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Francis G. Bautista

Short sale?
May 12, 2009 · Francis G. Bautista · 6 Comments

thumbnailcak8m4paWhat is the ubiquitous term: short sale mean? Many people may have an idea of what that term means, the following is a condensed version of a short sale.  A short sale is when the owner of a property is upside down meaning they owe more than what their property is worth and they cannot refinance for that exact reason. They have fallen behind on there payments in many cases due to a jump in interest rate or loss of job. One option is to short sale the property and attempt to sell it before it goes into foreclosure. A short sale may satisfy a sellers outstanding debt (if the seller did not pull equity) and is not as bad as a foreclosure for their credit. The operative words are ”as bad” I want to be clear it will negatively impact the sellers credit to some degree.       Read more

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Francis G. Bautista

Sunnyside…a little neighborhood in San Francisco
April 9, 2009 · Francis G. Bautista · 6 Comments

montereyphoto1I share with you all a quaint little place in San Francisco called Sunnyside. It is nestled alongside Glen Park and highway 280. The story is that the name Sunnyside came about when the developers were marketing this area. They wanted to attract buyers to this (kinda) foggy part of town so they came up with the clever name of Sunnyside.  It has a gorgeous view of the Brisbane Mountains.  It is a small neighborhood, but conveniently located and easily accessible to all parts of San Francisco.  The commercial strip if you will,  is mainly along Monterey Blvd where there are several restaurants and a small but convenient Safeway grocery store. The Glen Park neighborhood is also so close that Sunnyside residents can easily walk to the great restaurants like, Chenery Park or Sangha among others for a nice dinner. The recent opening of  Canyon grocery store has also been a great addition. The Glen Park BART station is conveniently a quick walk away as well. Read more

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Kathy Wall

Real Estate Jargon…What Do All of These Terms Mean?
April 6, 2009 · Kathy Wall · 11 Comments

We Realtors often bandy about tons of real estate jargon.  We talk to our clients and friends about short sales, REO’s, contingency periods, etc.     I have come to realize, however, that just because we know what all of this stuff means, not everyone does, so I thought it would be helpful to describe some of the terms we use.   Hopefully, this will give you some idea of what we’re talking about as we rattle on and on and your eyes are going bleary!  Here goes:

Contingency Periods:    We, generally, refer to these when doing our contracts.   As an example, we tell you that you will have a 10 day period to “remove  your property condition contingency” or 20 days to remove loan and appraisal contingencies.   What this really boils down to, is that these are the time frames during which you will have  the right to get your deposit back if  you cancel the contract.   Once you “remove these contingencies,” you are no longer entitled to get your deposit back, unless you can prove some sort of fraud.  Read more

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Nicole Machado

The “Runaway Buyer”…
March 12, 2009 · Nicole Machado · 9 Comments

pk-grannyJust a quick post on a funny note… I have encountered a “runaway” buyer at two of my open houses in South San Francisco, two months apart from each other in two different neighborhoods. The first time I met her; she was so nice and friendly and seemed genuinely interested in the home. She said she liked it so much she wanted her husband to see it (he was waiting in the car). I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but once she went out to the car the husband slammed on the accelerator and took off down the street. I thought it was strange, but in this business nothing fazes me. It was about two months later Read more

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Francis G. Bautista

What lays behind the front door?
March 9, 2009 · Francis G. Bautista · 7 Comments

front-doorHave you ever wondered how people live? I have always been fascinated by the interior of homes, what lies inside and how people live. Perhaps its my education and background in interior design/art history or maybe curiosity.

Well, boy was I taken aback and surprised to see what I found in this one particular home in Daly City.  It was new on the market, a short sale so I previewed it for my clients prior to showing it on Sunday. The listing agent did forewarn me that the home was in shambles. And Yes it was a mess, however I did not make it down to the garage/basement that day because it was dark and the electricity was shut off and boy was I in for a big surprise.  Read more

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Julie Cleland

There is no “I” in Real Estate Team!
March 2, 2009 · Julie Cleland · 3 Comments

You’ve decided to buy or sell a house so you gather all the players you’re going to need around you. You have your lender, your Realtor ®, escrow officers and any inspectors needed. You’ve gathered them around with the intention of meeting your goal of buying or selling that home. You’re all on the same page so how hard will it be to get along. That depends. Read more

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Shokoofeh Nowbakht

Sellers looking at Contract Terms
February 10, 2009 · Shokoofeh Nowbakht · 8 Comments

Buyers and their agents need to be very careful about not only the offer price, but also the terms of the contract. Sellers do not always just accept the highest offer, as one might think.They want to SELL the property and the only way that would happen is Read more

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