Escrow in California
Escrow is a neutral, impartial third party that acts on the instructions of the principals in a real estate transaction. Most California real estate Purchase Agreements (CAR or PRDS contracts) are also escrow instructions, that give authority to the escrow company to transfer title when all terms of the Purchase…
Los Gatos, CA Interactive GIS Maps
I love interactive maps and potential homebuyers can get lots of important information online at the official Los Gatos City website about property they are considering purchasing. Â You can search by street address or assessors parcel number and get maps showing topography, zoning, general plan designation, buildings, lot size and…
Does The Real Estate Brokerage Brand Really Matter To The Consumer?
My answer to the above question is emphatically, yes! At least in my experience, where I work. Alain Pinel has been adding new offices during these difficult times, because now more than ever, consumers realize they need the most professional, competent and experienced Realtor they can find. Real estate transactions…
Multiple Offers In Saratoga and Cupertino Homes For Sale
The real estate market in Silicon Valley from Saratoga north to Cupertino and Sunnyvale is hot in moderate price range with multiple offers.  Here’s an update detail in Cupertino this past week: 5073 Shady               Listed at $899,000      Sold for $970,000      13 offers 10607 Glenview         Listed at $1,099,888   Sold for ~$1,150,000 17…
May Home Buyers Write Simultaneous Offers On Multiple Homes For Sale?
The short answer to the question is no, unless they intend to buy both! Two situations are prompting homebuyers to want to make simultaneous offers on multiple properties: 1) a hot market with multiple offers, and 2) a short sale where it may take a bank a long time to…
Saratoga Real Estate Heats Up With The Super Bowl
The Silicon Valley real estate market regularly starts to pick up about the time of the Super Bowl (wasn’t that a great game)! Inventory of homes for sale in Saratoga, CA 95070 is climbing, but is still a low 86 detached and 11 attached homes. Last week 21 detached homes…
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 Real Estate Market Is Hot
Ten homes went sale pending last week in Saratoga, CA! Several went to multiple offers. The Saratoga real estate market (or at least part of it) is hot. All but one of the sales was priced less than $2 million. Included in the group were homes on Sobey Road, Oak…
How’s The Real Estate Market?
The question if get asked most frequently is “How’s the real estate market?” It used to be that everyone read the newspapers and got their somewhat distorted news from the headlines; now people get their news online and from multiple sources. I hope I have earned the right for you…
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…
Can Interest Rate Buydowns Help Saratoga Home Sellers and Buyers?
Mortgage interest rates are currently low, but home sellers can give extra motivation to potential buyers their Saratoga home by offering an interest rate buydown. Private Mortgage Advisors, an affiliate of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Alain Pinel Realtors has a temporary rate buydown option that can lower home buyer’s…
Home Buyers Taking More Time with Home-Buying Process
In contrast to peak years when they were at record lows, inventory levels over the past several months have been in the range of the long-run average. With many homes available on the market at more affordable prices in the past year, home buyers have been devoting more and more…
