Cash Out Refinance on a Duplex in Martinez, CA       Most deals don't come easy.  Nearly every mortgage application has SOME type of puzzle piece that's difficult to place.  Thankfully, the complicated loans with lots of moving parts are the ones that make me a better loan officer, and give my team an opportunity to shine.         Recently in Martinez, CA, we had an applicant that wanted to take some cash out of a recently purchased and renovated property.  Easy enough, right?  It was, until we received tax returns that indicated minimal qualifying income, a title report that indicated multiple liens we were never made aware of, and 2 of the 3 lien holders would be out of the country and unavailable for a fairly large portion of the loan process.       There was more than a little creat... 01/17/2019

Rent Payments Can Really Add Up!No matter how much you pay in rent, you might be surprised what it adds up to over the years. Investing your money in a home may be a wiser financial choice. With the current home prices and mortgage rates, this is an excellent time to look into buying your own home in Martinez ,California.Common Concerns of Renters and Homeowners - Advantages and ConsiderationsBUYINGProperty builds equityResponsible for maintenanceTax deductible mortgage interest*Responsible for property taxesFree to change decor and landscapingResponsible for hazard insuranceNot dependent on landlord to maintain propertyRENTINGLandlord is responsiblefor maintenanceNo equity gainsLandlord is responsible forproperty taxesRent payments are not tax deductiblePossibility of evictionNo contro... 02/15/2016

  Pending home sales in California saw the first double-digit annual increase in three years in February and also the largest gains since the housing crisis. According to a report from the California Association of Realtors, pending home sales increased by 15.6 percent year over year in February, the most significant annual increase since April of 2009. The Bay Area also saw double-digit percentage increases which suggests that the pace of sales will pick up across the state in the coming months. This may finally give buyers a more level playing field. Martinez real estate fared well in the month of March with no major decreases throughout the month. The median sale price in Martinez increased year over year by 22%, from $451,200 to $552,000. The number of sold properties was down 18% y... 04/02/2015

  The market has been pretty quiet among many Bay Area cities over the last few months of 2015, including Martinez. Home sales declined in all nine Bay Area counties in the first month of 2015 which was the the result of limited affordability, according to a report released by the California Association of Realtors. Additionally the sales drop-off in the Bay Area was attributed to intense demand and inventory shortages, which have driven up prices. The report also stated that the Bay Area was the only region in the state where the average home seller could expect to take in about 100 percent of original asking price. This is obviously great for sellers but buyers are in a state of limbo. With that, homes haven’t been moving as quickly as they were in 2014. In Martinez, the median sale ... 03/04/2015

The number of Bay Area homes on the market tightened as 2014 ended and continue to in the first month of 2015. According to the California Association of Realtors December home sales and price report, the months’ supply of inventory for single-family homes across the Bay Area dropped to 1.7 in December, down from 2.3 in November. With that, the Bay Area real estate market remains heavily tilted in favor of sellers, as it did one year ago. Along with inventory levels, home prices also dipped across the Bay Area. Even with the month-over-month slips, Bay Area counties remain the state’s most expensive with CAR stating that homes are selling for an average of 0.6 percent above asking price. January real estate in Martinez saw slight increases in a few areas but for the most part, most are... 02/05/2015

Happy 2015 to all! What a year 2014 was for the real estate market. Overall, the market in Martinez was steady but like all of the Bay Area, it was nothing to write home about. Employment statistics released earlier in the week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fall right in line with analysts’ recent predictions that the housing market will make a comeback in 2015. Reports from economists at CoreLogic and Wells Fargo released in December indicated they believe housing will rebound in 2015 after a disappointing 2014, and they cited improvements in the U.S. labor market as a main reason why. The national unemployment rate in November was 5.5 percent, more than a full percentage point lower than the rate reported for November 2013 (6.6 percent). A total of 200 metro areas had a... 01/07/2015

2014 has been a great year for the Martinez real estate market. And with recent 2015 projections coming out for the U.S. real estate market, 2015 will likely be even better. Freddie Mac’s economic outlook for 2015 calls for 3 percent growth in the U.S. economy, which means good news for Bay Area housing. Home value appreciation is expected to drop slightly which is a positive for buyers and sellers. Home values have appreciated so much throughout the last year so many homeowners are all in all in a good place. This also means buyers will be more active. As far as interest rates are concerned Freddie Mac projects mortgage rates to average 4.6 % and increase up to 5 % by the end of the year. So, if you’re looking to buy, now is the time, as rates have dropped below 4% in the recent weeks... 12/04/2014

With only two more months left of 2014, most are wondering how 2015 projections are looking for sellers and buyers. A recent forecast by the California Association of Realtors gives much hope to homebuyers for the coming year, with a prediction of a growing supply of inventory, leveling home prices and less competition with investors. There is also a prediction that mortgage interest rates will remain at historically low levels throughout 2015. This is an incredible outlook for the coming year. And with that being said, 2014 has been a very solid year in the real estate market. The Martinez real estate market has seen a lot of ups and downs throughout the past ten months, though the median sale price has remained pretty steady. There was an 11% year over year increase, from $412,500 to... 11/06/2014

The U.S. real estate market is nearly stabilized and Martinez, like many local markets, is recovering quicker than the nation. In September 2014 the median sale price had a year over year increase of 32%, from $417,300 to $550,000. Additionally, the number of new properties that came on the market in September is up by 31% year over year from 39 t0 51. The correlation between these two increases speaks for itself. Home values are increasing so sellers are eager to put their homes on the market. The number of properties sold is only down 1% year over year, from 112 to 111, not bad. And the average days a home was on the market went from 29 in September 2013 to 22 in September 2014, a 23% decrease. Overall, Martinez finished off September very strong. We are still seeing an increase in h... 10/13/2014

The Martinez real estate market, like many Bay Area cities is slow during the summer months and tends to pick up after school has started and vacations have passed during Fall. This summer has been more quiet than in recent years likely due to intense demand and constrained inventory. This, coupled with increased prices has some homebuyers sitting out the action as they wait for the supply-and-demand ratio to stabilize. The median sale price has increased by 9% year over year, from $437,500 to $475,000. Additionally, the number of for sale properties by month is down 22%. Another number that supports the unstabilized supply and demand situation is the average number of days a property is staying on the market. There was a year over year decrease of 12%, from 26 to 23. With all of that ... 09/08/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Martinez CA and 100% VA Loans - the best loan program in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the great features of this fantastic program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Martinez CA: You must first verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Martinez CA VA mortgage loan lender to order your COE quickly, or you can... 08/14/2014

I  have posted the monthly MLS Statistics for both attached and detached homes in Martinez, California.   Easy to read charts and graphs to provide you with accurate up-to-the-minute information for the local Central Contra Costa County real estate market.   To learn how to interpret this information or further discuss, please feel free to contact me directly or post a comment to the blog. Contact me at (925) 297-5335 (PST) or send an email to Pete@ContraCostaLiving.com. Visit Pete's web site www.ContraCostaHomeSearch.com     07/11/2014

  The Martinez real estate market, like many Bay Area cities has remained very consistent and strong since the beginning of the year. The median sale price is up 23% year over year, from $422,000 in June 2013 compared to $519,700 in June 2014. The median sale price dropped slightly from May to June but not enough to have any effect on the success of he real estate market. And similar to other nearby cities, the number of properties sold is down a whopping 50% year over year, from 43 in June 2013 to 22 in June 2014. This is probably the most drastic fluctuation the Martinez real estate market has seen since January. Things have remained pretty consistent in Martinez. We’ll see what changes July has in store.   Martinez Community Event - July  The Main Street Martinez2014 Peddlers Faires... 07/10/2014

The median sale price in Martinez is up year over year by 32%, from $392,500 to $520,000 in May of this year. So far this year we have seen a big spike in January ($520,000), then it leveled back out and since then it has slowly increased. The median sale price has remained pretty consistent throughout the year, with small variances from month to month. In contrast, the number of properties sold has seen many fluctuations. Year over year, the number of sold homes has increased by 25%, from 36 in May of last year to 45 this past May. And since January, that number has been on a steady incline, starting with 22 at the beginning of the year. In a few months time that is an increase of nearly 105%. That is pretty significant. And like many Bay Area cities, homes are flying off of the marke... 06/04/2014

I  have posted the monthly MLS Statistics for Martinez, California real estate for both attached and detached homes.  Easy to read charts and graphs to provide you with accurate up-to-the-minute information for the local Central Contra Costa County real estate market.  To learn how to interpret this information or further discuss, please feel free to contact me directly or post a comment to the blog. Contact me at (925) 297-5335 (PST) or send an email to Pete@ContraCostaLiving.com. Visit Pete's web site www.ContraCostaHomeSearch.com     06/02/2014

Median home prices in Martinez are up 4% from last year, from $427,500 in April 2013 to $445,000 in April 2014. Not a drastic increase but on an upward tick. In January there was a spike in prices with a median sale price of $499,000. We saw a drip in February but since then there has been a slow and steady increase. The same goes for the number of properties sold in Martinez. Last April the number of sold properties was at 54, compared to 44 this April, a decrease of 19%. Though, in 2014 so far we are seeing a slow and steady spike in the number of Martinez homes sold. With that being said, properties are flying off of the market in Martinez. The average amount of days a property was on the market was 20 in April. This past January that number was around 54 so homes are not lasting lo... 05/12/2014

2014 is shaping up to be a balanced market so far. Things are not growing fast and quick but rather slow and steady in Martinez. In March, the median sale price for Martinez was $451,200, up about 20% from last March which was $380,000. This is especially great, given that the inventory has increased and continues to. Last month the number of new properties on the market was 44 and in February that number was roughly 41. Not a drastic increase but still an increase; a good sign in the market. There is still a high demand for properties but that is beginning to shift with more buyers and more properties. We'll see what April has in store for Martinez. 04/15/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Martinez California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the great features of this fantastic program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment.   So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Martinez California? You must first verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Martinez Califo... 03/05/2014

Martinez is starting 2014 off on a great note…the real estate market is on fire! The days of $300,00 homes is no longer. The median sale for January 2014 was $546,000 compared to $349,000 in January of 2013, that’s an increase of 56%….wow.  And like many other Bay Area cities the number of new properties by month has decreased 7% from January 2013 to January 2014. This is what in part is driving up the median sale price. Either way, Martinez is making its way in the real estate market and is proving to be a great city. It is rich in history, has a wonderful downtown, plenty of trails for hiking and what could beat the beautiful waterfront. Martinez is definitely on its way up. Click Here to get more updates.  02/09/2014

2013 was a great year for the real estate market in Martinez. When comparing December 2012 to December 2013 the median sale price increased a whopping 18%, from $355,000 to $417,500. You can’t ask for more than that as a home seller. For homebuyers it was a little tougher, considering the high bids that were coming in well over asking on most properties. It’s all about supply and demand, as one can tell by the sale prices compared to the units that were sold. In December 2012 there were 41 units sold, compared to just 26 in December 2013, a decrease of 37%. Though this was tough for some homebuyers, in the end the real estate market came out on top in 2013 and we’re hoping for the same in 2014! Click Here for more updates in Martinez. Martinez Community Event Every Sunday and Thursday, ... 01/22/2014