Have you picked up your pumpkin yet for Halloween?  Its not too late.  October 31st is still nine days away.  East Bay pumpkin patches have everything you need to make your jack-o-lantern the best it's ever been.  There are several different patches to choose from.  And each offers so much more than picking pumpkins to get you in the holiday mood.East Bay Pumpkin PatchesWhere: Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm (1060 Pine, Clayton, CA) When: Now through October 31st 9am to 8pm Cost: Free admission, fee for activities Contact: Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm (925) 672-5198 or via emailBefore you go searching for just the right pumpkin for your Halloween decor, make your way through the giant straw tunnel in the Plumpkin Playground.  Join the duck races at the Little Carver's Barnyard.  Try your han... 10/22/2015

Walnut Creek, CA Active Homes for Sale as of 10/7/15 Are you looking to buy a home in Walnut Creek, CA? You're probably wondering how much are the homes selling for in Walnut Creek, CA ? How long does it take to see homes in Walnut Creek? Before you start driving aimlessly around Walnut Creek, CA searching for your next home, or going to open houses on the weekend. I have provided an updated list of homes that are showing active as of 10/7/15. Some of these homes may have pending offers, so just keep that in mind. If you click on the links below it will have detailed information on the homes as well as multiple pictures to view. Not working with a Real Estate...Contact me, and I can help you find your nextWalnut Creek homes for sale.    10/07/2015

Real estate has been quite favorable for sellers recently, with homes selling for above asking all over the Bay Area, including in Walnut Creek. This is primarily due to the lack of inventory. With all of the hype around this being a sellers market, there is also reassurance for buyers out there, as interest rates are at historical lows. If buyers wait out this market for prices to cool, interest rates will likely spike and therefore negate the lower price that buyers are hoping for. So, in summary right now is a time to sell and buy in the Bay Area. With that, let’s take a look at how May numbers fared as far as sale prices, number of properties and more.The median sale price in May was up year over year by 11%, from $900,000 to $995,000. The month to month difference saw a small spike... 06/04/2015

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. Walnut Creek’s real estate market has remained quite strong throughout the last year. The median sale price increased year over year by 6%, from $902,740 to $955,000. The number of sold properties also increased year over year by 6%, from ... 04/02/2015

  The market has been pretty quiet among many Bay Area cities over the last few months of 2015, including Walnut Creek. 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 Walnut Creek, the medi... 03/04/2015

Walnut Creek California - Homes, Schools and Community Of the city of Walnut Creek lies directly over the intersection of I680 and Highway 24 just north of Danville in Contra Costa County. It 60 miles east of Oakland and the San Francisco Bay area and serves as a hub for the neighboring cities with in the county due to its central location and junction of the highway. There are approximately 65,000 residents in Walnut Creek.   History First inhabited in 1772 by Spanish explorers, Walnut Creek grew into the city it is today and California became part of the United States territory in 1850. It was first known as "The Corners", with the two roads leading from Lafayette and Pacheco converged and continued growth led to the establishment of the US Post Office in 1862. The community was renam... 02/26/2015

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. There were year over year declines across the board in the Walnut Creek real estate market in Janua... 02/05/2015

Let's put this myth to bed. For the last six months all I have been hearing is the everybody wants to wait until Spring 2015 to do something.   I think that is a mistake and I will tell you why. How many agents or so-called experts tell you that December is a terrible time to sell?  Most do.  This December I had my best month of the year capping it off with a sale for a full 10% over asking.  Why?  It's simple.  People do not want to move in December.  They HAVE to move in December.  That equals extremely motivated buyers who are willing to over pay for the slim inventory available in December.  Agents tell you December is slow because theyd on't want to work or never have worked.  Every single December since I got into this business has been my best month of the year.  This is real est... 01/24/2015

Happy 2015 to all! What a year 2014 was for the real estate market. Overall, the market in Walnut Creek 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 h... 01/07/2015

2014 has been a great year for the Walnut Creek 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 w... 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 Walnut Creek real estate market is booming, along with many Bay Area cities. There were some year over year decreases but nothing out of the ordinary. Median sale prices are continuing to slowly rise with a ... 11/06/2014

  The Walnut Creek real estate market in September was pretty strong. The median sale price is up by 8% year over year, from $813,000 to $875,000. Median sale prices among Bay Area cities has only been increasing and will likely continue to and potentially start to level out within the next few months. The number of properties sold and the number of new properties in Walnut Creek is down slightly, by only  2% year over year. And the average days on the market is up by 8%, from 34 to 37. September was very stable with no real major fluctuations . 2015 is nearing quickly and it will be interesting to see how the numbers shift. Community Events       Downtown Trick-or-Treat Friday, October 24th / 2-5pmEnjoy as much candy as you can at all participating downtown retail shops. Come dressed ... 10/13/2014

Homes For Sale Walnut Creek CA August 2014 Market Report September 27, 2014 Walnut Creek CA Real Estate Monthly Commentary Homes for sale in Walnut Creek CA as of September 27, 2014 total 62 single family compared to 65 on the same date last month) and 66 attached vs. 75 last month) currently on the Walnut Creek CA real estate market. Homes sold in Walnut Creek CA during August 2014 totaled 51 for single family, vs. 61 the prior month, while attached homes closing escrow totaled 34 compared to 44 the prior month. The median price for single family homes sold in Walnut Creek CA in August 2014 was $895,000 compared to $885,000 the prior month while the attached home median sold price was $485,000 vs. $422,500 the prior month. Remember to consider the small number of homes sold when evalua... 09/27/2014

      The Walnut Creek real estate market has remained pretty steady throughout typically slow summer months, though we saw decreases across the board in August, aside from the median sale price which is the case in most Bay Area cities. The median sale price in August 2013 was $812,500 and this August that price increased by roughly 10% to $895,000. Prices are continuing to increase due to the high demand for Bay Area real estate. Home prices continue to rise which is probably why the number of properties sold in August has dipped 23% from last year. Homebuyers are likely sitting out this market until supply and demand stabilize.  The real estate market tends to spike during Fall and more properties are projected to hit the market so buying then might be better. It’s all a gamble with ... 09/08/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Walnut Creek CA and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment 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 main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - Monthly mortgage insurance is not tacked on to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs . Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Walnut Creek CA: You must first verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Walnut Creek CA VA loan lender can order your COE for you, or... 09/02/2014

Homes For Sale Walnut Creek CA July 2014 Market Report August 27, 2014 Walnut Creek CA Real Estate Monthly Commentary Homes for sale in Walnut Creek CA as of August 27, 2014 total 65 single family compared to 60 on the same date last month) and 75 attached vs. 54 last month) currently on the Walnut Creek CA real estate market. Homes sold in Walnut Creek CA during July 2014 totaled 61 for single family, vs. 48 the prior month, while attached homes closing escrow totaled 44 compared to 44 the prior month. The median price for single family homes sold in Walnut Creek CA in July 2014 was $885,000 compared to $882,000 the prior month while the attached home median sold price was $422,500 vs. $427,650 the prior month. Remember to consider the small number of homes sold when evaluating these p... 08/27/2014

This is a conventional loan product that is available to owner occupants and investors.        We have been consulting and providing final draw inspection services for HomeStyle Renovation loans since the late 1990’s. This is an interesting loan product as it is available for owner occupants and investors. Unlike the FHA 203k this loan can be used by investors. We can still assist you with your bid specifications and create your “scope of work” if you like or you can get a bid from a contractor and do it yourself. The key is again that you must address all health and safety issues.       The fantastic part of this loan product is that you get upfront money to get the project started and it can be used by investors. I know that many of you can pay cash for the property and then like to u... 07/23/2014

During the past twenty-one years we have done many FHA 203k projects in Pittsburg and Bay Point, Antioch, Oakley, Bethel Island, and Brentwood. There are numerous investment type properties there that we refer to as "mixed use" properties. These are, in many cases, difficult to get financed. Therefore the FHA 203k loan took them in. You can finance a mixed use building using this program and the appraiser gets to consider comps that are only residential in nature. The mixed use building can have only the residential aspects of the property renovated and the exxterior of the structure. Of course any structural issues with the bulding may be addressed with the renovation funds as well. If you have a three story building that was a hotel at one time or another it must be configured to cont... 07/18/2014

I  have posted the monthly MLS Statistics for both attached and detached homes in Walnut Creek, 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

  In June, Walnut Creek’s  median sale price increased year over year by 11%, from $805,000 in June 2013 to $897,000 in June 2014. The number of properties sold has decreased by 32% year over year but since January of this year the number of sold properties has been on a steady incline. Also, the average number of days a property stays on the market has decreased slightly year over year, from 21 last June to 19 this June, roughly 10%. And similar to all Bay Area cities, the number of new listings has decreased year over year by 14%, from 72 to 62. Inventory levels have been low for quite some time but they are beginning to increase and have been month by month since January. The Walnut Creek housing market shifts so quickly so it will be interesting to see what the close of another mon... 07/10/2014