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I recently purchased my first house and according to the escrow agreement the seller received 3 days after closing to move. Well after three days I called the seller to verify a time we would meet to exchange keys and he told me he needed THIRTY days!!! To make a …
I entered into a contract to sell my house a couple of weeks ago. Because the market is slow, I ended up taking a lot less for my house than I was planning on. Now the buyers have had inspections, and they want me to credit them $3500 for repairs, …
We are currently making an offer on a house we would like to buy. We have gone back and forth with counter offers, and the seller sent us counter offer #5, which we promptly rejected, as we felt the seller was being too unreasonable. In fact, we have decided we don’t want to …
The tragic San Bruno gas explosion has a lot of people thinking about their own risk, especially since San Bruno is right here in the Bay Area. Could this happen to me? Am I near a gas line? How can I find out? If I am near one, do I need …
If you have practiced real estate for any length of time, you have likely encountered situations where sellers want to cancel a purchase contract during escrow. Sometimes sellers have a change of heart and simply decide they don’t want to move any more. Other times, there are circumstances that change such as a …
I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) instituted new changes at the beginning this year regarding disclosures that home buyers and refinancing homeowners must file to obtain a loan. It was all intended to reduce shady loan practices and make …
Back in the good old days when mortgage underwriting consisted largely of checking for a pulse, seller incentives were a common way for sellers to enhance their home’s marketing without lowering the price. Sellers sometimes offered cash, a TV, exotic vacations, or even cars as an inducement for buyers to purchase their home. Ultimately …
So, I read a facebook posting the other day from a local realtor. Something to the effect of “The market is HOT! Just sold my $1 million plus listing with multiple offers!” Statements like this are very common in real estate, and can be misleading. We are in a classic “dalmatian” …
With interest rates at historical lows, many people are refinancing their mortgages. Perhaps you’re considering it. If you refinanced your home before, you may think it is an easy process. And if you have a huge salary, no debt, high credit scores, and lots of equity, you might be right. But …
The average household in the United States will spend about $2,140 on energy costs in a year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Do you want to track the energy use in your home? The first step may be to you learn how to use your PG&E SmartMeterTM, if it has been …
Do you like a lot of space? How about gothic architecture? Do feel peaceful when in a church? If you answered yes to these questions, then I have the perfect house for you. Overlooking Dolores Park, on Dolores Street in San Francisco is an amazing Gothic Revival church turned into a …
Are you thinking about refinancing your 30 year mortgage but don’t really want to extend it out a full 30 years? Are the monthly payments associated with a 15 year mortgage more than you want to take on? Maybe a 20 year fixed rate mortgage is the answer.
download it’s kind of a funny …
With the summer heat right around the corner here in the Tri-Valley, you might be thinking of ways to reduce your energy bill while staying comfortable this summer and then into the following winter. Two new books offer some great advice on how to do just that. They are “Green Sense for the …
We’ve all heard of Feng Shui but do we really know what it’s about or how to use it? From People Comment: “Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice. It is the art of placing and arranging matter and space in the correct manner such that harmony with the environment is achieved. This …
The appraisal contingency is a standard clause in most real estate purchase agreements. It is a clause that essentially says “this contract is subject to the property appraising at the contract sales price (or more), or the contract may be canceled by the buyer”. While the intent is fairly clear, what is less …