Bay Area California

All the lovely properties

The suspect in question here is - a nice weekend.

You, have one.

View of kitchen / dining / den -  Montclair, Oakland, California

 

Rents continue to rise, as home prices become more affordable

The pendulum  swings with time.

A few years ago, many homeowners lost their homes, and had to rent.  The demand for rentals has now driven up the costs of monthly rents, around the country.

So guess what?  Price declines as a result of foreclosures, short sales and lower mortgage rates,  has again made buying a home more affordable.  Even for the entry-level buyers, opportunity abounds.

 It goes without saying that owning your own home is still superior to renting.  For the very main reason that you rarely have control over increasing rents.  With a mortgage, you have control and can eventually pay your entire mortgage off, living mortgage and rent free!

Home Sweet Home.

 

A captivating, gorgeous, picturesque traditional

2059 Mastlands Drive, Oakland, CA 94611 - Piedmont Pines Neighborhood

Has all the appeal that is needed to fall in love (if you go about falling in love with real estate, as I do).  At 2,168 square feet,  there are only  2 bedrooms; and thank goodness  2 baths.  Fear not for guests, or that additional housemate, there is  additional space located  in the au-pair quarters over the garage. 

Built in 1949 and priced at $599,000, this is a honey of a home. 

Wait, what does a loan for this amount  look like?  Well... if you can come in with 20%  down   ($119,800), that will estimate a monthly mortgage - borrowed at a  3.50% rate of interest - (including taxes and insurance) around - $1900. 

Now if 20% down is a bit rich for you at the moment, let's look a a monthly payment with a 10% downpayment ($59,900). Same terms and interest rate - $2,100.

Now, let's take a look at this captivating beauty I am presently taken with:

Kitchen, kitchen, begin with this absolutely warm and inviting kitchen.

 

Not bad, good start.  Let's go on to the living room for a chat, as we take in the view.

And, then there is the seperate dining area with a view of the patio. Mornings will never be the same.

You must see at least one bedroom (built-in window seating!)

and... the graceful bathing quarters a of well-cared for vintage home.

Backyard view is made for the weekend and pure relaxation.

Oakland always has a lot to offer.

 

 

 

 

Still struggling to keep up with mortgage payments?

Are you :

• On unemployment?
• Unable to catch up with your mortgage payments?
• Wanting to stay in your home, but the monthly payments are too high?
• Sure that you just can't afford to stay in your home any longer?

There is a federally funded state program offering assistance to homeowners who have suffered a financial hardship.  If you are eligible, there are outstanding benefits.

The program, Keep Your Home California, still has funds available from the federal Hardest Hit Fund to give to California homeowners who have lost their jobs, or are having trouble making monthly mortgage payments.

Homeowners who need to catch up on mortgage payments can receive up to $20,000, and unemployed homeowners can receive extended benefits from six to nine months. 

Keep Your Home California also offers a principal reduction program to lower the amount owed on your mortgage by as much as $50,000. 

Call (888) 954-5337 for more information, or visit the links above.

 

 

Home upgrades aimed at saving energy

Following are a few basic energy-saving upgrades and improvements that can be performed on a single-family home.

• Sealing all air leaks at door and windows.
• Wall insulation / duct sealing
• Attic insulation
• Carbon monoxide detector.
• Thermostatic shower control
• Energy-efficient hot water heater
• High-efficiency furnace
• Hot water pipe insulation

After upgrades like these, you will love your warm cozy energy-efficient home even more. Acquiring the money to get these things done can also be an issue these days. So Energy Upgrade California to your rescue.

California homeowners can tap into the financial rebates that this program offers, after completing some basic energy-saving improvements on their home.

There is definitely money to be made in them there rebates, but even better will be the personal satisfaction of a home well done.

March is marching in.

Questions and Answers

 

Sell with a tenant or without?

 

Ideally, a tenant-occupied property should be put on the market after the tenants move-out.  Then the owner can paint, if necessary, and complete needed fix-up. Furniture can be rented and accessories moved in to give the home a lived-in look.

Exterior Paint Problems

If  you want to improve the value and appearance of your home, a coat of exterior paint can do the job.

The fundamentals of a  successful paint job require:

• Proper preparation
• Superior materials
• Quality workmanship

Or, problems like:

• blistering
• peeling
• chalking
• rust and mildew

can occur.

Blistering  can usually be traced to a moisure problem.  Other causes can be excessive heat, painting in hot weather, overly thinned paint and poorly prepared surfaces.

Peeling can have many causes :

• too many coats of  old paint
• moisture
• a poorly prepared surface that is chalky, dirty, greasy or slick.

Chalking , is that powdery substance often found on exterior siding.  It can be caused by inadequate priming or overly thinned paint.

Those rust stains are generally the result of deteriorating nail heads. When possible the rusty nails can be replaced with galvanized nails or ceramic-coated construction screws. Or when removal is not practical, lightly sand heads with sandpaper or a wire brush, dabbed with a rust converter. The stain can be killed with metal primer, and the surrounding siding should be treated with a shellac-based primer-sealer (stain-killer).

The stains and mildew will bleed through paint.  Kill mold with a  bleach solution applied along with a stain-killer, then finish with a coat of paint. 

The Best Mortgage for you

1. Good credit score.  A high credit score can lead to low mortgage rates. Check your credit, and repair what you can.
2. Compare mortgage rates. Shop around.  Feel free to kick some tires here.
3. Paying points can lower your rate (which translates into a lower monthly payment for you).  Ask the seller's to buy down your interest rate; which pays those points for you.

January - National Radon (Awareness) Month

During the month of January, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) urges all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes for radon.  You can't see smell or taste radon but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. 

Indoor Radon Facts:

1. Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas.
2. Second leading cause of lung cancer (number one cause among nonsmokers)
3. Radon has been found in radiated levels in every home in every state.

The surgeon general recommends that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon.  This link has more radon information and how to get a radon testing kit (local hardware store): facts

Or here for EPA Consumer Information: and here - California has a contact person who can also provide a list of providers of radon services.

Protect your family. Test your home.

The FICO score

Is still important.

It is still a track record of our payment history. (This includes the times many of us were seriously financially overextended, and could barely pay for food, let alone any bills owed).

Among many other things, FICO still considers:

• The total amount you owe on all accounts
• The types of accounts owed one
• The number of accounts with zero balances
• Amounts still owed on installment loans in comparison to the original loan amount.
• How long the accounts have been established is also an important factor.

There are a few loan programs where FICO is not so important; NACA is one of them.

 

To Everyone - All the happy things that go with a New Year. Go Ahead.