Are you trying to time the real estate market?  Don't forget the impact of rising interest rates. Many home buyers are struggling with the decision to purchase.  Are home prices at the bottom? Will they decline further?  Should we buy now or wait?  But there is another factor that many home buyers fail to consider when making their decision to buy or wait, the impact of rising interest rates.  Mortgage lenders issue their loan approvals based on a Qualifying Monthly Payment which is typically the maximum payment at which the lender will provide your mortgage financing.  The qualifying monthly payment is on a seesaw between interest rates and home prices.  As interest rates rise, you will have to look at lower priced homes to qualify for your mortgage financing. Let me give you an exampl... 12/12/2010

Yesterday I couldn't see the sunrise in Walnut Creek CA because of all the fog... but Oh what a spectacular Sunset!!!!!!! It's the same in Real Estate. You want listings... you get out there and look for them but if you just can't find them because of the "fog" then look around and before you know it you will be surrounded by buyers.  Just as there will always be a Sunrise and a Sunset, there will always be buyers and sellers. Just be ready to be amazed by either. If you are lucky enough, some days, you might have an abundance of both. I took this photo driving over the San Mateo Bridge last night. 12/12/2010

December 10th: I woke up early this morning to watch the sunrise over my neighborhood. At first I was disappointed because of the fog, but then I realized there was a lesson to be learned. With Sunrises and Real Estate ... ya just gotta roll with it.  I spent some time posting my photo of the fogged in sunrise over Walnut Creek and then read and responded to a few more AR blogs. Wrote some Christmas Cards, Skyped my Cousin in the UK, chores around the house and then back to more Real Estate. We have a client that wants to purchase a condo so badly that this will be our 4th or 5th offer we are writing for her. It is so nice to have a client that is enthusiastic and positive. Which ever offer comes in first, she is OK with. These Short Sales are just frustrating to wait on... but we keep... 12/11/2010

My Challenge was the fog. I couldn't see the sunrise. That's OK... I know the sun came up this morning whether I saw it rise or not.  Here is the photo I took. Believe it or not Mt. Diablo is behind all that fog. Maybe some others had less challenging times.  But this just reminds me that even in Real Estate, you never know what the real Challenge is going to be so just roll with it. 12/11/2010

1 day Nationwide Challenge - "SUNRISE OVER MY NEIGHBORHOOD" -for Saturday Dec 11,2010  I'm still trying to get the word out, so just in case you didn't see this the first time, here is my challenge again. I'd like to send out a challenge to all ActiveRain Members across the United States For just one day, Saturday Dec 11, 2010, everyone up for this challenge grab your cup of coffee, your camera (or cell phone camera) and get outside early enough to take a photo of the sunrise over your neighborhood and post it to Active Rain. I'm in California so I would be one of the last, along with Hawaii,  to see the sunrise but it would be so cool to see The one-day collage of "SUNRISE OVER MY NEIGHBORHOOD" Take  your photo, post it to Active Rain noting the time and location. Title it : SUNRISE O... 12/10/2010

December 9th: Yesterday I tried to get into ActiveRain only to find the AR server was down. It's hard enough getting a routine going to efficiently do all the tasks I need to do each day, but I learned something yesterday. Routine is good but flexibility is even better. I started getting frustrated that I couldn't Blog early in the morning which I really enjoy doing. Went to my next task... yoga and then came the realization that getting frustrated was a waste of time and that I would just get to it later. Sounds good, but as the day went on, all I really had time for was to check AR comments and respond to one. Oh well... better to have tried... at least my attitude changed and that's big! I did learn something valuable from another AR member, Craig Snead (Quality Home Investments, LLC... 12/10/2010

  December 7th-8th: Since I mostly do AR first thing in the early morning, not sure which day I'm to write about. Either way it's all good. Yesterday I began my morning discovering what the 31 Days in December Challenge was all about, and then spent the rest of the day playing catchup. I managed to back-fill my Real Estate related activities for Dec 1st - 6th by using my gmail. I know a lot of agents keep a written log of their daily activities, mileages, expenses etc. I found that emailing myself my daily log and my to-do, keeps everything in one place, automatically cataloged, date a time stamped and easily searchable and accessible, no matter where I am. With gmail, I see all my clients, the listings I've sent them, my to-do's and my done, and all my other email accounts. Google tool... 12/08/2010

December 6th: I'm almost caught up. Yesterday I started the morning with Active Rain followed by 30 minutes of yoga, all before 6 am. I love beginning the day this way. I want to add more facebook to my morning routine, but it's not happening yet. It will in time. Maybe I'll add that to my 2011 list. First Monday of the month means more follow-up on all my own Real Estate investments. Keeping a finger on the Real Estate investing pulse is even more motivating when it's your own investment. One thing our buyers like about us is that we are investors also, not just agents, so we see things similarly to how they see things. If we don't see a property as a good investment, we tell them. We aren't driven by the commission. Our client's trust and our integrity, are priceless. More searches f... 12/07/2010

While it's true that many buyers can't see past what a house IS for what it CAN BE, buyers with vision can reap the rewards of numerous real estate bargains currently on the market in Contra Costa county, California.Picture this, the house is in a great neighborhood and your preferred school district at a great price but the house is awful.  The kitchen and bathrooms haven't been updated in 20 years, the orange shag carpet is horribly stained, the flowered wallpaper would give your children nightmares and the amount of deferred maintenance throughout the house is beyond daunting.  You can see the potential and could easily afford the house at the bargain price but you don't have the additional cash to upgrade it to a nice home.  Should you walk away and find a more expensive, upgraded h... 12/07/2010

December 4th & 5th: It's the weekend and ordinarily we'd be out doorknocking or holding Open House or my favorite, showing clients houses and writing contracts. But this weekend we are going to take it a bit easy, get some Christmas stuff taken care of and enjoy time with friends... who am I kidding! I just love Real Estate so even when I think I'm going to not do anything Real Estate related for a day, I can't help myself, so... ...searched for more properties for our clients and sent them links to listings we found for them. Expanded our search to neighboring neighborhoods and discussed them with our clients. Read more articles about Short Sales. Have I told you how frustrating it is to work with these lenders... even when we have cash buyers! And then I couldn't help myself... had t... 12/07/2010

December 3rd: Started the day logging in to Active Rain and helped on a Blog Where the heck did my draft disappear to! I just love the support system and networking AR offers. The more I blog, the more I begin to recognise other bloggers and follow their posts. I don't feel so alone out there in Real Estate world. Read various World news reports to gain a better understanding of local economy, housing trends, politics, unemployment etc. Something about seeing the forest for the trees ... if you know what I mean. Responded to a potential new client requesting more info on a property she saw on Zillow. Did some research and sent requested info. Followed up on emails regarding lead generation and training on various new tools, Sprint offers for agents... there are so many new real estate ... 12/07/2010

December 2nd: Started off the day checking-in on my facebook page. I don't spend enough time on facebook. Somehow I need to build it into my routine. Read the Trullia newsletter on selling your home during the holidays Watched the sunrise Sent a few more listings to clients.  Inman news story about Zillow launches agents ratings   12/07/2010

The following numbers represent the Real Estate Market Review for Walnut Creek, CA  94596, 94597 & 94598 for the month of November 2010. Walnut Creek has 74 homes currently "pending sale" with a high price of $2,750,000 and a low price of $310,000.  There are  75 condo/townhomes "pending sale" with a high price of $569,900 and a low price of $75,000. October 2010 market activity in Walnut Creek, California 94596, 94597 & 94598 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94596 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94597 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94598 12/06/2010

A Marvelous Monday morning to all, No economic news today: The FED spoke about the lack of inflation, and the ability to control it. Have a great day! 12/06/2010

The following numbers represent the current Foreclosure Sales inventory data as well as the current "Active" and "Sale Pending" data for Bank Owned (REO) properties in Walnut Creek, CA 94596,94597,94598 for the month of October 2010. Current market activity in Walnut Creek, California Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94596 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94597 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94598 11/30/2010

A Terrific Tuesday Morning to all, Economic News: Case -Shiller Home Prices came in under expectations, Chicago Purchase Managers Index better than expected, Consumer Confidence was much better than the past. Consumer Confidence + Chicago Purchase Managers Index will put pressure on bonds be careful! Have a great day! 11/30/2010

The following numbers represent the current concentration of Short Sales in Pending Sale Status versus Traditional Sales in Pending Sale Status for Walnut Creek, CA for the period ending October 31st, 2010 Please keep in mind that this only reflects the market on the specific day quoted.  Short Sales take time and may be represented over several months in this data while traditional sales close escrow in the 30-60 day range. Current market activity in Walnut Creek, California Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94596 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94597 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94598 11/29/2010

The following numbers represent the comparison of homes sold from January through October 2009 versus January through October 2010 in Walnut Creek, CA 94596, 94597, 94598. Keep in mind that real estate markets are local in nature and there will be micro markets in every town.  Walnut Creek has experienced stabilized values, a nice increase in homes sold and a reduction in the days on market. Current market activity in Walnut Creek, California  Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94596 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94597 Community information for Walnut Creek, California 94598  11/24/2010

2011 Education Series at The Gardens at Heather Farms (Walnut Creek, CA) Turns out the Heather Farms Garden is not just a beautiful place to visit, it is also a great place to learn! Their 2011 Winter Adult Education Series (you can register online or find out more information at www.GardensHF.org or call 925.947.1678): Botanical Motifs in Silver Clay with Lois Inman Engle, Artemis Designs, Certified Precious Metal Clay Artisan. This is a full day workshop for beginners as well as experienced students. $45 is the average material cost.  The class will take place Saturday, January 15, Time: 9am-5pm.The cost is $55 for GHF (Gardens at Heather Farms) members and $65 for non-members. Ecology for Healthy Gardens with Jennifer Berry, Ecologist and Garden Designer. This workshop combines best ... 11/23/2010

Marvelous Monday Morning to all, No earth shaking economic news today. Expect choppy trading with many traders off for the holiday weekend! Tomorrow will set the tone for the markets direction. Tuesday Economic News: GDP , Existing Home Sales, Richmond FED Manufacturing Index, FOMC minutes. Have a great day! 11/22/2010