This month Eileen Burns and Kathy Streib are hosting the ActiveRain challenge for September titled Crazy Real Estate Agent Stories - September Challenge.  For this challenge we are challenged to tell a story about the craziest situation we have been a part of during our career in Real Estate. I Can't Believe They Did That!I have been in the Real Estate business since 2004 but definitely one of my craziest days in Real Estate happened back in 2010. At that time I was listing and selling lots of short sales and bank owned properties (REO's) I was also doing a lot of broker price opinions (BPO's) for banks and asset management companies.  The Broker Price Opinions were pretty simple in most cases.  A lot of the time it was just a drive by of the property.  I would take the required exterio... 09/14/2022

I just sold this house in Delhi Ca. at 9753 Driftwood Ave.   My buyer's sold their family home in San Jose Ca and had cash to purchase a new home here in the Central Valley.  This home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and a 3 car garage.  The large back yard was cool and shady with some large redwood trees providing the shade.  There are also 3 redwoods in the front yard.  As you can see there is plenty of room for off street RV parking too!  As you can see the interior of the house was very nice with updated floors and new paint. The house was listed at $425,000 and was on the market for 14 days.  My buyers were able to purchase it for the asking price of $425,000.If you are thinking about buying or selling in Stanislaus, Merced or San Joaquin counties here in the Central Valley give me a ca... 09/27/2021

VA Mortgage Loans in Atwater  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 both honorably discharged Vets and active duty military personnel. 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. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs. So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan inAtwater  CA? The first step is to verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Windsor  CA VA mortgage loan lender to order your COE qui... 05/05/2015

How many times have we heard that? About  every week someone tells us that and it is likely the worst thing you can do or for sure one of the worst things you can do. Why? There are no guarantees in life, and I don't want you to become a slave to your house. Get it fixed up like you want to live in it. Yahoo, then enjoy the heck out of your new home. Take the weekends off and have fun. Invite your friends over for a BBQ, swimming party, or just to play cards. So many times I see people that put so little into the home for fear of the mortgage payment... a real concern for sure, but not the only concern.  I don't want to hear that you came up short of funds for the repairs due to something discovered during the course of construction that was more than your contingency reserve. It happen... 03/21/2014

Here are some sales statistics for Merced County.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent sale date for this county is 12/21/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Nov 2012 - $-   Nov 2011 203 $122,500   Oct 2012 139 $121,500   Oct 2011 250 $118,250   2012 YTD 2,100 $120,000   2011 2,933 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Nov 2012 - $-   Nov 2011 2 $62,500   Oct 2012 5 $63,500   Oct 2011 4 $81,500   2012 YTD 31 $80,000   2011 40 $67,000  02/10/2013

Here are some recent sales statistics for Merced County, CA.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 12/07/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Oct 2012 139 $121,500   Oct 2011 250 $118,250   Sep 2012 192 $138,250   Sep 2011 231 $116,400   2012 YTD 2,100 $120,000   2011 2,933 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Oct 2012 5 $63,500   Oct 2011 4 $81,500   Sep 2012 3 $30,000   Sep 2011 7 $60,500   2012 YTD 31 $80,000   2011 40 $67,000  01/08/2013

Foreclosures in Los Banos seem to be on the wane. This area was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, and the actuality of actually buying a home at auction at a greatly reduced price seems to have faded a bit over the past year. There are, however, some great bargains to be had and rented out if you are an investor if you can buy a bank-owned property. Los Banos,CA - Foreclosure Filings Foreclosure Filings—Notice of Default filings are the first step in the foreclosure process. Notice of Trustee Sale filings set the date and time of an auction, and serve as the homeowner's final notice before sale. Los Banos,CA - Foreclosure Outcomes Foreclosure Outcomes—After the filing of a Notice of Trustee Sale, there are only three possible outcomes. First, the sale can be Cancelled for reasons that... 10/15/2012

Here are some sales statistics for Merced County.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent sale date for this county is 08/10/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Jun 2012 262 $114,750   Jun 2011 293 $118,000   May 2012 280 $122,500   May 2011 288 $115,000   2012 YTD 1,577 $116,000   2011 2,927 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Jun 2012 2 $79,000   Jun 2011 1 $85,000   May 2012 5 $85,000   May 2011 - $-   2012 YTD 20 $82,500   2011 40 $67,000  09/02/2012

Here is a market report for Merced, CA County.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 06/22/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   May 2012 280 $122,500   May 2011 288 $115,000   Apr 2012 211 $114,000   Apr 2011 236 $115,000   2012 YTD 1,196 $115,000   2011 2,927 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   May 2012 5 $85,000   May 2011 - $-   Apr 2012 3 $112,000   Apr 2011 5 $40,000   2012 YTD 17 $85,000   2011 40 $67,000  07/29/2012

Here are some sales statistics for Merced County, CA.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 06/08/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Apr 2012 211 $114,000   Apr 2011 236 $115,000   Mar 2012 230 $115,000   Mar 2011 302 $115,000   2012 YTD 1,093 $115,000   2011 2,927 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Apr 2012 3 $112,000   Apr 2011 5 $40,000   Mar 2012 2 $112,250   Mar 2011 1 $60,000   2012 YTD 15 $85,000   2011 40 $67,000  07/15/2012

Here are some sales statistics for Merced County.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 03/09/2012  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Jan 2012 172 $114,250   Jan 2011 213 $110,000   Dec 2011 213 $112,000   Dec 2010 284 $120,500   2012 YTD 415 $115,000   2011 2,927 $115,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Jan 2012 2 $92,250   Jan 2011 3 $40,000   Dec 2011 2 $93,000   Dec 2010 2 $115,750   2012 YTD 6 $80,000   2011 40 $67,000    Merced County is the home to Los Banos, CA 04/10/2012

Here are sales statistics for Merced County, CA.  Data is from Realist: Sales Statisticsfor MERCED County CA Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 09/23/2011  Single Family Residence  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Aug 2011 152 $119,750   Aug 2010 256 $127,000   Jul 2011 221 $115,000   Jul 2010 283 $120,000   2011 YTD 1,928 $115,000   2010 3,452 $120,000   Condominium  Time Period Number of Sales Median Sale Price   Aug 2011 5 $51,000   Aug 2010 - $-   Jul 2011 7 $69,500   Jul 2010 - $-   2011 YTD 25 $65,000   2010 15 $95,000  10/24/2011

Into October we go one of my favorite months in part due to the change to cooler weather and also due to Halloween. With the change of seasons also comes a flood of memories. Perhaps you’ve experienced the same thing. Places and faces come flooding back during certain times of the year. Not sure why for me it’s October but it’s a great month. One thing that hasn’t changed is the passion we have in working with people. With each conversation whether it be with our clients, their mortgage lenders, title companies, inspectors, repair companies even those sometimes troubling short sale negotiators it’s about establishing great relationships and getting along for the benefit, the good of our clients. It doesn’t matter if we are representing the seller in listing their home or the buyer in pu... 10/02/2011

  It's not every day that I can say that sold home was the best deal in Merced in the past year, let alone 2 years. Today is that day! My clients were looking to purchase a home with their son who goes to UC Merced. After looking with another agent and making a series of offers that went nowhere he came to me and asked for brutal honesty. He asked me what I was seeing in the market and what it would take to purchase a home less than $80,000. Fortunately the answers he was looking for is exactly what we practice as part of our "You're The Focus" real estate services. When it comes to real estate and working with our clients it's all about setting expectations. We don't want our clients to fail and with this in mind we set buyer and seller expectations from the start of our relationship. ... 09/19/2011

Rates continue to be historically low so it’s a great time to buy. The tricky part is that short sales remain high and although the short sale success rate has been going up we are seeing some long waits of 60 days plus just for a decision to a buyer’s offer. In addition some sellers are making it difficult for the listing agent to provide exposure of the home. Once listed the goal of any agent and seller is to receive offers at the highest price possible. However many sellers are limiting access to the house to restricted days or times. This past week I made several calls setting up appointments but often was told that Seller X didn’t return their call or that Seller X was only available to show it on Sunday between 5 and 7pm. An agents job is to get the home sold. It still amazes me ... 09/19/2011

Find a home in Stockton, Modesto & Merced Our central California home search sites at http://www.stockton-home-search.info/ & http://www.central-california-homes-for-sale.info/Clients want home search tools and we offer access to the local MLS at no charge. Call us if we can help...or  to view these homes. http://www.sacramento-home-search.com/ 07/02/2011

With You're The Focus service it's all about setting expectations for clients looking to sell or buy homes. Too often mistakes are made by not understanding all the variables that go into selling or purchasing a home. This blog entry will review some common problems that could impact your purchase or sale. Knowing these things in advance so you can be prepared will be helpful. The first example is with lending options. The most popular program continues to be FHA loans due to lower down payment amounts and generally lower interest rates. Many clients I meet with expect to have 3.5% for their down payment not realizing that closing costs could run closer to an additional 6% (that's 9.5% total needed to purchase a home). The closing costs include such items as home insurance, property tax... 05/19/2011

We have entered a very popular time of the year for moving as school will soon end and many sellers and buyers consider relocating or upgrading even downsizing. It's a great time to purchase a home as interest rates remain low (currently 4.75% FHA financing on qualified buyers) and home prices in Merced and Atwater remain affordable. A snap shot into our market reveals that currently we have approximately 352 homes listed for sale in Merced (277) and Atwater (75). Area inventory is  around 2 ½ months and homes priced well are receiving offers during the first few days. For buyers looking for a deal this means moving fast usually the same day a home is listed because if you wait you'll find multiple offers have been made on the property. Another challenge buyer's face is investors paying... 05/05/2011

  Both the fed and the adjustable are great reverse mortgages, but before you jump the gun and pronounce the fixed rate reverse the winner.  There are some things to know about the adjustable.The adjustable rate reverse is the reverse that allows you to take your money in differing ways:  A line of credit, or monthly payments (either term or tenure), all cash or a combination of all methods.  With the fixed, you must take all the money up front. (Which means you start to accrue interest on the entire amount borrowed)Here’s some things to consider: If you need the most amount of money to payoff an existing mortgage, the fixed is a good fit. If you have a small or no current mortgage and are looking to supplement income, the adjustable is probably the best fit. There is also a newer, lowe... 04/20/2011

I recently attended a Turning Point seminar this past Tuesday and Wednesday in Monterey. Turning Point is an event from Buffini and Company, one of the leaders in training for real estate professionals. This event was inspiring as I heard many stories of people overcoming great odds to build their business entirely based on relationships and referrals. I'm a big believer in building long lasting, life changing relationships with my clients. It's starting to drive my business and it's what I'd like my business to look like throughout my career. Accountability means the state of being accountable, liable or answerable. So who are you accountable to? Ultimately it's ourselves. I'm accountable for making sure my life is full of riches and when I say riches I'm not talking about cash. There ... 04/08/2011