We've all seen them.  And if we REALTORS are honest, we have written some of them as well.  I'm talking about the real estate cliche's that are seemingly in every ad, sign, and description of homes for sale.  Lest you be confused, I have decided to take some of the mystery out of the most commonly used phrases and tell you what they really mean in plain English.  Please understand that I am not in any way suggesting that Realtors are prone to exaggeration.  It's just that sometimes our definition of a word or phrase is somewhat different from what a consumer's definition would be.  Here are some examples."I'm Gorgeous Inside" = I know the house isn't that great on the outside, and neither is the inside, but I have to put something on the sign for crying out loud.  Seems as good a choice... 02/23/2008

If you are in the market to buy a home, you have no doubt heard the term "Short Sale".  No, this does not refer to sellers who are under 5' tall.  A "short sale" is industry jargon for a seller who owes more on the property than what it is worth.  The seller in this situation needs the lender to accept a "short" loan payoff, or in other words accept less than the full amount due on the loan.  So how does that effect you the buyer?First of all, short sales require the lender to agree to the reduced pay off.  Therefore, when you negotiate on a short sale, you are negotiating with two parties:  The seller who owns the property, and the lender who holds the loan.  You need the approval of both parties to get your offer accepted.  It is important to make sure the seller has received prelimin... 02/23/2008

Would smaller class sizes, in class Reading specialists in Pleasanton Schools be worth paying a little extra on your tax bill next year?  Pleasanton School Districts Strategic Plan has come up with its most crucial elements to keep in our schools.  That is the exact issue the Pleasanton trustees were faced with February 12thin there meeting.  Faced with.... To find what Pleasanton is up against please visit...GreenMortgageGroup 02/22/2008

Here’s why: Pleasanton, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore, Danville, Blackhawk, and Ruby Hill homes will be affected by this new legislation… These cities are in a high cost area. What does this mean to you? If you are thinking of selling or buying a home, now more than ever, is the time to act! This means more activity for entry-level homes in our area priced to a million dollars. ~Gail My Site   Question: Can you explain the new "economic stimulus" plan and what it will mean for homeowners? Answer: The stimulus plan - which passed with huge bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate -- will distribute cash to more than 100 million households in an effort to stave off recession. Most importantly in terms of real estate, the stimulus bill will raise both conventional and FHA loans l... 02/19/2008

Live in Pleasanton and walk to 2 wineries! Drive home to the wine country.  The southern side of Pleasanton offers homes from a little over a million dollars to large 20 acre vineyard estates.  The gated "Ruby Hill" community includes eight hundred homes encircling a beautiful golf country club, public parks, walking paths and 2 community pools.  Outside the gates are large newly built.  These homes are built among the vineyards.  I will be offering a new listing in Greenbriar's first phase...Boudreaux...located on a private court with no rear neighbors overlooking Pleasanton's valley and hills.  Pleasanton's award winning public schools, old time downtown and convenient central location completes the package.......Come visit our town soon. 02/10/2008

If you are looking for a home in the Tri-valley area of Pleasanton, Ruby Hill, San Ramon, and Danville, CA. There is gold in them thar hills!!! I have discovered some fantastic deals. Homes selling for discounts that were unheard of. six to ten months ago. Why? Distressed sellers for one reason or another are looking for relief of their financial crisis. No one likes to hear these stories –sub prime - sub prime - but it is a market reality. Homes are selling for less than what is owed on them. In some cases, at a rather large discount. These homes are being sold short. i.e. a Short-Sale. I remember a line my mother always use to tell me and my siblings. “Kids, it never hurts to ask!” If you are a Buyer looking for an investment property or home in Ruby Hill, Golden Eagle, Livermore, Pl... 02/02/2008

Short Sale – What is it? Definition of a Short Sale: A lender agrees to accept less than what is owed on a debt. E.g. If a borrower owes $100,000 on a mortgage and is in default. The lender may be willing to accept $70,000 for full payment of the $100000 mortgage. In short, the lender saves money by accepting less money now compared to possibly losing money, holding onto the property and going through a full foreclosure cycle. My Site 02/01/2008

Short sale is a great way to buy a home or investment property! Depending upon the area, the better buy can be made by going after an REO - i.e. the one which bank has already taken back(real estate owned). In a short sale, the buyer and seller enter into a normal purchase/sale contract. The seller accepts the offer (even though it is less than what he/she owes to the bank). The bank goes through their standard process. First thing they look for is if the seller is already in default. If yes, they will look at the short sale. If the seller is not in default, most likely they will reject the short sale.....with the current heightened financial fiasco, they may look at any and all short sales. Next thing they look for is how long the seller has tried to sell the property. The longer it ha... 02/01/2008

I know this is going to seem a bit soon.. but.... looking at the inventory for existing homes for sale in Pleasanton and Danville areas-- the trend line is downward(click on the inventory button on the chart)!!! Average listing prices are actually trending up in Danville as well. Note, one month does a trend make(sic)... but it sure is nice to a see a graph that notes the change!!!! If this downward trend of available homes continues... a market swing may be occurring. i.e. if the available number of homes for sale continues in a downward trend for a period of 4 - 6 months, the market will be changing from a buyers to a sellers market. ~Gail My Site 02/01/2008

Tri-valley’s area growth comes from the world-renowned Silicon Valley. And late breaking news claims the valley is finally recovering from the dot com days! News from over the hill, claims Silicon Valley is on its way to a brighter economic picture in 2008. Latest job figures for 2007 show employers adding head-count and will continue to do so in 2008. Commercial vacancies rates have decreased by 30% and vacancy rates for residential rentals have decreased by 7%. Home prices in Santa Clara are actually seeing an increase in price over the same period in 2007. John Sloven, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, saying, "Silicon Valley is in better shape than the overall U.S. economy. My overall assessment is the Silicon Valley economy is going to come through t... 01/31/2008

Lots 1 and 4 of Pleasanton's Foothill Road contained acreage that once contained 170 acres. I confirmed it with the City of Pleasanton historical museum.This land was the home of San Leandro's mayor Earl Derry and his wife Stella Derry from 1946 until both of their deaths in the late 1970s.You see Mr and Mrs Derry had a sense of humor about things.  They ran their very own Dairy farm on that site.  Derry's Dairy.The Derry's moved out there when they sold their Superior Avenue home in San Leandro to my Grandparents William and Agnes Greenslade in 1946.I reading old newspaper archives about the Derrys, I also found out that the Derry's still owned some land back in Michigan.  Their property was surrounded on three sides by another property.  Oil was discovered on that property surrounding... 01/24/2008

I do have a feeling......The Pleasanton market is going to do okay for 2008. Interest rates are falling and plenty of buyers are ready to purchase the right home at the right price AND in the right conditon. Sellers: Market your home the best way possible. Declutter, clean, repair and make your home shine! Homes that are remodeled with high quality materials and are priced right will continue to sell. Many people want a turn-key home. A home they are proud of and one that they can move into without worrying about remodeling. If a home does need remodeling and the seller does not want to go to the expense and trouble, then make your home shine with cleanliness...and price your home so you can get the buyers into your home. We have a great community, top schools, and a beautiful downtown.... 01/20/2008

Well 2008 here we come. One thing is for sure... until the tide changes in which more homes are coming off the market via sales than are coming on, the Tri-Valley Real Estate will be a Buyers market. Having said that, what exactly does a Buyers market mean? Prices will be flat and fluid, and the number of days a house stays on the market will remain high. This also means, homes will be fetching a market price as oppose to the premium we saw the last couple of years. And the market price is currently very fluid. This also means, pricing a home for a quick sale will be more challenging than ever and will be more important than ever. In our current fluid market, buyers are continually trying to re-test the seller's price. i.e. Home buyers now are getting more saavy... they want the seller ... 01/13/2008

  After many years of studies and meetings we have created a gem of a golf course.  Callippe Preserve is a city owned public facility that combines a difficult flat valley style golf course with a target style hill course. Hannah Montana says it is the best of both worlds. Landing areas are critical.  Hit your drive incorrectly and you create a whole lot of aggravation.  Once you get to the greens your fun continues.  Although the greens are not as slick as some, they are very tricky with multiple elevations.  I may start with a good putting stroke, but I never end my round with one as I can only think of a frosty beer at the club's bar.       You may think that I don't like playing Callippe Preserve...WRONG... this is a very good test for most golfers.  You have to think.  You have to ... 01/09/2008

The birds are on the street signs....Raven, Blackbird, Mallard. Birdland is a wonderful, centrally-located neighborhood in Pleasanton, CA that was developed by Morrison Homes in the 1960's and 1970's.Many Birdland homes are walking distance to the Pleasanton's award winning public schools, incredible city aquatic center and 105 acre sports park. Drive around and see the kid-filled, tree-lined streets. You can raise your children and enjoy bird watching in this moderately-priced Pleasanton neighborhood. 12/25/2007

I am sure that when Morrison Builders selected the street names for their Pleasanton Valley residential development they may have not thought that the "Birdland" tag would endure through the decades.Pleasanton's Birdland neighborhood has mature tree-lined streets full of children riding their bikes to Walnut Grove Elementary and Harvest Park Middle schools, the Pleasanton Aquatic Center and the Pleasanton Sports and Tennis Parks.The homes in Birdland are mostly priced under $1 million, near the mean for Pleasanton homes. There is a great mix of people in Birdland, from those who are just starting to raise their families to seniors who have already sent their children off to start their own families.Birdland is located in the center of Pleasanton with easy access to the major north-south... 12/25/2007

Main Street in Pleasanton, CA offers over twenty restaurants, many which feature outside seating. The premier Main Street restaurant patio is at The Blue Agave.They advertise the restaurant as Pleasanton's high-end Mexican restaurant with extensive Margarita and specialty Mexican menu selections.We enjoyed sitting under the trees, stars and the butane heaters while gobbling down chips, salsa and guacamole while watching the Saturday evening crowd stroll down Pleasanton's Main Street. The Margaritas are wonderful and most dinner selections are both unusual and delicious. The servers seemed to be well trained and attentive.The Blue Agave is a little pricey, but it's wonderful setting and well executed dinners and drinks are worth the drive or short walk to Main Street in Pleasanton. 12/25/2007

You have had a long and busy work week. Saturday morning arrives so you look out the window and check out the weather, make a pot of coffee, open the newspaper and plan your walk down to Pleasanton's Farmer's Market.You live in one of the most interesting areas of Pleasanton: Pleasanton Heights.Pleasanton Heights is located above First Street and several blocks to the east and west of Neal Ave. When you tour Pleasanton Heights you see old Victorian homes to newer homes...historic to new construction...all located on beautiful tree lined streets.All of the homes in Pleasanton Heights are within an easy walk of Pleasanton's Farmer's Market, Main Street's festivals, parades, unique shops and restaurants. Visiting Downtown Pleasanton is like a vacation, whether you choose to purchase fresh ... 12/25/2007

Little over six month ago a parcel tax on Pleasanton homes was presented in an economic development meeting at the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. Today it's going public. The Pleasanton school board has requested an independent consultant to conduct a survey of Pleasanton homes residents. The survey will petition Pleasanton homeowners to see if the amount of parcel tax homeowners would be comfortable with.To share your view please visit....Pleasanton Schools 12/20/2007

As an ongoing topic in Pleasanton Real Estate I find myself looking deeper and deeper into what surrounds Pleasanton Oak Grove. It seems weekly that Pleasanton Oak Grove is a topic that comes back to the land that is being donated to the City Of Pleasanton to be kept as open space and increase our green belt...To read more about this topic please visit my rambilings at...Pleasanton Real Estate News 12/04/2007