Introducing The New APR Open House App
 In the early 1990′s Alain Pinel Realtors was a pioneer in implementing new internet applications for local real estate and they have just introduced their latest ” killer” application: www.Open.APR.com   This website now gets a feed from the MLS database that shows open houses with maps, a street view and a route…
Home Buyers Should Act Now Before Rates Go Up
Interest rates have been stable over the past week but appear ready to rise based on Obama’s budget which among other things promotes job growth, responsible government spending and is viewed as a positive for the economy based on today’s bond trading. There were several other positive economic reports out…
Saratoga Trees Important to Home Values
Last week Jill Hunter, Vice Mayor of Saratoga, CA asked me if trees contribute to home values in Saratoga and I said yes. Acre+ estate properties frequently have heritage oaks that add to the beauty and distinctiveness of the neighborhoods. On the other hand, they also act as a constraint…
Searching Homes For Sale in Saratoga on Google
Search engine giant Google integrated homes for sale searches into Google Maps in July, 2009 and last week added a new functionality that automatically shows listings if the words real estate or homes for sale are added to a city name. Google Maps is an aggregator, showing push pins for…
Are Shared Home Appreciation Arrangements Good for Retirees?
Home buyers looking for homes for sale in Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and other affluent neighborhoods of Silicon Valley are aware that prices in the upper end of the market are currently soft. Astute home buyers are hoping that home values will rebound in the best neighborhoods as the…
Search For Homes From Your Cell Phone
We have just added a great new way you can search for homes in Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and other South Bay Area communities right from your mobile phone. We have partnered with Smarter Agent, the nation’s leader in mobile real estate technology, to provide this mobile search capability…
U. S. Housing Market is Recovering
Good news. According to the National Association of Realtors chief economist, Lawrence Yun, the housing market has turned for the better: “The recovery is broad-based across many parts of the country. Housing affordability is at record highs.” The Pending Home Sales Index reports that contract activity for pending home sales…
Multiple Offers on Silicon Valley Homes For Sale
As inventory is being rapidly absorbed at the lower end of the real estate market in Silicon Valley, it causes upward pressure in the middle market (under $1 million). Here are several examples of recent multiple offers in Cupertino, west San Jose, Sunnyvale and Campbell (compiled by Alain Pinel Realtors…
Mortgage Interest Rates Favorable to Saratoga Home Buyers
There is currently a "rate rally" going on, which means that rates are very low and it is a great time to refinance and/or buy a home in Saratoga. Jumbo rates have come down as well and guidelines will be loosening especially with regard to down payment requirements. The…
Now is the Time to Buy a Home
An article in today’s Mercury News quotes Alain Pinel Los Gatos Manager as saying “It looks as though the valley’s housing market has reached the bottom.  I would say we have been there for about two months. It’s going to be a slow recovery, but we are definitely getting stabilized,” …
Moving In the Moment
Several of my friends are in the process of moving. Some are going through divorces; others are wrapping up employment without clear-cut prospects of where they will be going next; some are embarking on the adventure of building their “dream home.” All this can add up to stress upon stress. This…
California New Home Credit Funds Drying Up
The California Franchise Tax Board announced that as of July 3, 2009, they are no longer accepting new home credit applications. They have received over $100 million in new home credit applications and more than 12,000 applications, because they expect that many are duplicates, revised, or invalid. This tax credit…
Free Housing Affordability Fund Insurance
On April 2, 2009 California Association of Realtors Housing Affordability Fund (CARHAF) launched a new program designed to provide peace of mind to first-time buyers who are hesitant to enter the housing market due to concerns about potential job loss, and subsequently being unable to meet their monthly mortgage obligations. Eligible recipients may recieve…
Do your Homework with an easy Building Permit Search
Homebuyers should search permits for remodeling construction if they have any doubts. Click>here for a link to City of San Jose building permit search. Rick Bonetti | 408-857-8800 | Alain Pinel Realtors | The Art and Heart of Real Estate | DRE#01237009…
FHA Tax Credit Can Be Used For Purchase Costs
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced last Friday that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will allow homebuyers to apply the Obama Administration’s new $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit toward the purchase costs of an FHA-insured home. Donovan said the action will help stabilize the nation’s housing market by…
