First Quarter 2010 Silicon Valley Real Estate Results
Image via Wikipedia Saratoga – Home sales in Saratoga, CA during the first quarter of 2010 totaled 40 homes, almost double the volume during the first quarter of 2009! Prices were up 4% too, for an average of $1.898 million! Average days on the market dropped from 111 to 69…
What Does a Real Estate Agent Really Do?
When making conversation with someone new to us we often ask “So what do you do?” Here’s my response: “Well, you know when people are buying or selling a home how nervous and stressed out they can get? I take care of all the details and paper work; I support…
Revocable Living Trusts and Real Estate
As a real estate agent I am often asked for advice from home buyers on how title in real estate should be taken and “What are the implications of setting up a Revocable Living Trust?” Â Here I must defer to your CPA and/or attorney, as I am not licensed to…
Palo Alto is Bellwether For South Bay Silicon Valley
The Palo Alto real estate market is often a bellwether in advance of what happens to real estate in the south bay of Silicon Valley. Here are some recent sales activity from Palo Alto Alain Pinel Realtor Carol Li to give you a flavor of what we might expect. (note:…
Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative (HAFA) Program
The new federal Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative (HAFA) Program went into effect on April 5, 2010. This program has new guidelines intended to speed up and standardize short sale and deed-in-lieu (DIL) transactions. In a short sale, the borrower sells the home for less than the amount owed on the…
Alain Pinel Realtors Open.APR.com Website Has Automatic Search Function
You may be aware that 80% of home buyers search the internet first to find their next home and that top real estate brokerages such as Alain Pinel are shifting their media advertising from print to online marketing functionality. However, you may not be aware that you can get good…
Santa Clara County Property Taxes Due Tomorrow
Property Taxes are paid in arrears. The second installment of your 2009-2010 property taxes are due April 10, 2010. This means you must have your mailed in payment stamped by the post office by 4/10/10 or you can pay through the internet (although there is a 2.5% fee for using your credit…
Saratoga Village Character May Change With Proposed Plan
April 7, 2010 at 7 PM the City of Saratoga Council met to review and approve an update to the General Plan 2007-2014 Housing Element and other land use Elements, which include the following proposed changes: Establishment of a new zoning district CNRHD (Commercial Neighborhood Residential High Density) in Saratoga…
Saratoga Has Strong Sellers Real Estate Market
The real estate market in Saratoga, CA 95070 spiked dramatically in March, 2010 with 48 pending sales. Even though there were 51 new listings, inventory dropped to a low 89 homes, which is only a 4.2 month supply at the current absorption rate. 21 homes closed escrow in Saratoga in…
Saratoga Alain Pinel Realtors Office Sales Up in March 2010
March 2010 was a very good month for the Saratoga office of Alain Pinel Realtors with closed sales up 287.5% over March 2009 Â making Saratoga the #2 ranking office in the company. Â Â Written volume in March were also up 93.7% over March 2009. The recession may not be over, but…
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…
Will Mortgage Interest Rates Rise in 2010?
The Federal Reserve has been purchasing mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since early 2009. The purchase program has helped maintain low interest rates for borrowers in Silicon Valley. As planned, the Fed last week announced it will stop purchasing these securities at the end of this…
Low Saratoga Home For Sale Inventory Spurs Sales
 Because of seasonally low inventory, home sales in Saratoga, CA are brisk in the under $2 million range if they are well priced. One year ago inventory of single family homes was 167 – today it is only 106 homes available. Pending sales increased from 17 last year to…
Can Home Sellers Keep Home Buyer’s Non-Refundable Deposits?
Simply put, there are no non-refundable deposits in standard real estate purchase contracts – you either have a contract or an option. If it is a valid purchase contract, specific provisions of the agreement determine whether deposits are refundable or not. Adding a provision to a standard real estate purchase…
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…
