680 Homes

Search

Subscribe



subscription and feed options

Sign up to receive new posts via e-mail:

About

Doug Buenz
Real Estate Broker
Alain Pinel Realtors
(925) 463-2000 Email me!


I am a local Real Estate Broker with Alain Pinel Realtors serving the Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley area. I am an avid watcher of the local real estate market, as well as cultural and political events. But that is what I do, not who I am... » read more

Reader Poll

What will home prices do in the Tri-Valley area in 2011?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Most Popular Posts

Categories


Archives

» Full Archives

Other Cool Blogs




5 Tips For Showing Your Home During the Holidays

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

The holidays are upon us, and if you find yourself with your house on the market, you’ll want to make that first impression a great one as potential buyers come in and out of your holiday bungalow.
Five things you should do include:
1.      Clear the clutter. This is important whether it’s during the holidays or during

Read More > |

Q & A: Do I Have to Stage my Home?

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Q: I am thinking about selling my home, and I have read that staging a home is a good idea.  However, I have limited resources, and the thought of staging my home is overwhelming to me at this point.  Do I really have to stage it?  Alice in Pleasanton
Alice, that is a great question.  The

Read More > |

5 Reasons Why Buying Now Shouldn’t Spook You

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

It’s scary out there.  There’s no denying the wobbly state of the economy. And certainly in the Tri-Valley real estate market has been an up and down affair.  But if you’re in the market to buy a house, there really are some great reasons to consider buying a house now.
Those include:
1.      Low interest rates. The

Read More > |

5 Indoor Maintenance Chores You Should Tackle This Fall

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Once you take care of your outdoor fall maintenance chores, you should turn your attention indoors and get things in order before the winter chill hits.  Some preparation before the cold weather will make your home environment, and perhaps your energy bill, a bit more manageable, even though our weather is pretty mild here in

Read More > |

5 Must-Do Outdoor Fall Home Maintenance Chores

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Most of us enjoy the crisp, cool weather, football games on TV and on local playing fields, and children’s excitement brewing over Halloween.
But fall brings a list of home maintenance projects that need to get squeezed in among the pumpkin picking and NFL viewing.
Five tasks you should add to your to-do list are:
1.   Get to

Read More > |

California Association of Realtors Predicts Modest Recovery in 2012

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

There’s a bit of optimism on the statewide housing outlook for next year. The California Association of Realtors predicts home sales and the median price will improve slightly in 2012.  That is certainly good news, and bodes well for the Tri-Valley real estate market.
The California Housing Market Forecast for 2012 says there will be a

Read More > |

5 Ways to Add Instant Curb Appeal in the Fall

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Fall has come to Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Tri-Valley.  And with the official turn of the season, it’s time to help your house bring out its inner autumn.
Whether your house is on the market, you’re getting ready to sell, or you’re simply ready for your house to scream “fall,” here are a few quick ways

Read More > |

Contingent Offers - The Good and the Not So Good

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

One of the questions that comes up quite often from home sellers in Pleasanton, San Ramon, and the Tri-Valley is “should I consider a contingent offer?”  So first of all, let’s define contingent.  In this case, we are talking about offers that are contingent on the sale of another property. As is often the case

Read More > |

When does “As Is” mean “As Is”?

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

One of the most misunderstood concepts in Real Estate is the concept of “as is”. In it’s truest sense, “as is’ means the buyer is accepting the property in its present condition with no obligation for repairs from the seller. Not surprisingly, most sellers would love to sell their home “as is”.

Read More > |

Q & A - Should We Counter That Offer?

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Our home is currently for sale in Pleasanton. We have only been on the market for about 2 weeks. We received an offer yesterday, and while it is a really good offer, we think we should give the buyer a counter offer to see if they will go up. Is this smart?
This

Read More > |

The Ins and Outs of Seller Disclosure Statements

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Disclosure Statements are required in virtually every real estate transaction. They are an important part of the process, and crucial in terms of managing liability for a seller and creating a level of trust for the buyer. And most sellers think completing disclosure statements is about as much fun as filling out an

Read More > |

Real Estate and “Perfect Information”

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

The residential Real Estate market is imperfect. What do I mean? In the U.S., the stock and bond markets are based on the concept of “perfect information”. Prices of these assets are reported in real time, showing what the latest price paid by investors. It changes… sometimes rapidly. Information is

Read More > |

Q & A: My home is priced high. Why don’t buyers make me an offer?

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Hi Doug. My home is currently listed for sale for around $1,400,000. It has been on the market for 168 days. At this point we have only had one offer, a verbal offer at $1,100,000, which I of course turned down. We are not getting many showings, and no one is

Read More > |

Reminder: Property Taxes Due

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about lights, eggnog, jammed shopping malls, etc. Property taxes for the first half of the tax year are due on Friday, December 10th, and must be postmarked by that date.

Image by DavidDMuir via Flickr

Property taxes in California are based on the fair market

Read More > |

Should You Sell Your Home During the Holidays?

Permalink | Make a Comment » | Print This Post Print This Post

Mistletoe. Lights. Warm fires. The holidays are a special time of year, and most people have a “Rockwellian” soft spot for these festivities (at least until they get the credit card bills for all of the shopping). The natural assumption is that having your home on the market from late November

Read More > |