Angwin, CA

ANGWIN REAL ESTATE-WHAT ARE CLOSING COSTS?

Closing on the purchase of your new home, also known as "settlement," involves a good deal of coordination. Costs and fees are paid at closing to cover many of the elements that accompany the purchase.

All closing costs are outlined in the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) you receive - a written list of the approximate closing costs associated with your transaction, including charges from us, the local closing agent and other third parties. Closing costs may be added to the amount of your mortgage loan, and a seller may sometimes cover closing costs you would usually pay. Ask us for details.

All closing costs can be divided into two basic groups:

•· State and local government charges and fees - These include city, county and state transfer taxes, recording fees, and property taxes.

•· Mortgage costs - These include title insurance, survey, appraisals, credit checks, loan origination and documentation fees, and commitment processing fees, and mortgage insurance and interest prepayments.

Fee Details

Typical Lender Fees

Loan Origination Fee A fee to cover the costs of evaluating and processing your mortgage loan.

Points A percentage of your loan amount, paid at closing.

Appraisal Fee The fee for having your new home appraised may be rolled into the closing costs. The cost may vary based on the amount of your loan, and the type and use of the property (i.e. condo, rental, etc).

Credit Report The fee for a credit bureau's detailed report of your credit history.

Interest Payment you may pay interest on your mortgage loan to cover the time between the closing date and the date your first mortgage payment period begins, because interest on a mortgage is usually paid in arrears - at the end of the time period it covers. For example: If closing is on May 15, and your first monthly payment starts to accrue interest on June 1, an interest payment covering the period between May 15 and May 31 may be required at closing. Consider this timing when scheduling your closing - it is a fee you can reduce by closing near the mortgage due date.

Typical Escrow Fees

Escrow Account A trust account created by a third party to hold money. We generally use the money to pay property taxes and insurance. To fund the account, your monthly mortgage payments may include 1/12 of annual property taxes and insurance charges, and the first escrow fee may be due at closing.

Typical Title Fees

Title Search The examination of public records to ensure that no one but the seller has a valid claim to the property.

Title Insurance Insurance that protects the lender and you from losses that may result from disputes over the property's title. Typically, you purchase the Lender Title Insurance.

Typical Other Third Party Fees

Document Preparation Fee A fee charged for the preparation of documents needed for the closing.

Underwriting Fee A fee to cover the costs of the underwriting process, which is the analysis of the risk involved in making a mortgage loan.

For more information on Angwin real estate, please contact via phone, email or text. To see what's for sale throughout the Angwin real estate, please visit my website at: www.soldbynicole.com and click on search the MLS. If you want to know how much your current home is worth, click on CMA and I will happily provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, "Current Market Analysis" of your Angwin home. I also write a blog about market statistics for most of the bay area markets. Click here to view my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/nicolemonary

Angwin Homes for Sale--I want to move up to a better home. What can I afford?

Each buyer is unique - and we'll help you find out just what you can afford. You already know that monthly income and financial obligations are most important in determining your price range. It's simple to make an estimate: just run the numbers for yourself using our Affordability Calculator.

I'm buying a second home. Is it a different process?

No. Whether you need to be near the water or in the mountains, a vacation home offers an opportunity for fun and relaxation - and we make it just as easy to obtain a mortgage. But keep in mind you'll need to identify sources for your down payment, since you're not selling your current house and using the proceeds, and you'll need to expect a larger monthly obligation for housing expenses. We'll work with you to create a customized loan program with the best combination of rate, points, and closing costs for your needs - we call it our personalized rate because no two are alike!

What about my less-than-perfect credit report?
Our special solutions program can help:

• We offer loan options ideal for those who have a few "dings" on their credit report.
• We try to work with every customer to develop an individual mortgage program - we call it your personalized rate, because no two are alike.
• So we try to develop a custom program based on your credit worthiness.

Will I need an appraisal on my new home?

Not necessarily. You may qualify for a more streamlined loan process. We can look at your credit history and consult our property assessment model to determine if we can complete your loan application without an appraisal.

Do I have to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?

Private Mortgage Insurance is not required on our loan programs for down payments of 20% or less, however beginning with your first payment we will collect a monthly Low Down Payment Fee in lieu of PMI.

Once your loan reaches 78% of the original appraised value of the property or sales price, whichever is less, this fee will no longer be required.

What if I don't sell my current house?

You may qualify for a new loan without even selling your current home. We'll help you determine what might work for you. It's simple to run the numbers for yourself on our handy Affordability Calculator. You may also want to discuss a bridge loan.

What if I'm building a home?

If you are working with a builder within a sub-division or development and just making carpeting, lighting and appliance selections for a brand-new home, you can probably obtain a standard mortgage loan. But if you're hiring contractors, electricians, plumbers, and painters, you probably need a construction loan, which provides funds to pay subcontractors as work progresses.

For more information on Angwin Real Estate, please contact via phone, email or text. To see what's for sale throughout Angwin, please visit my website at: www.soldbynicole.com and click on search the MLS. If you want to know how much your current Angwin home is worth, click on CMA and I will happily provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, "Current Market Analysis" of your home. I also write a blog about market statistics for most of the bay area markets. Click here to view my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/nicolemonary

Thank you.

ANGWIN HOMES FOR SALE--DO I NEED MY OWN AGENT WHEN BUYING NEW CONSTRUCTION?

A common misconception when purchasing new construction is that you don't need an agent.

•· That friendly and helpful salesperson works for and represents the builder's interest and the builder's interest only. Shouldn't you have independent representation?

•· An agent can give you objective professional advice and insight during all phases of the process, such as contract, construction, walkthrough, and closing.

•· An agent is your exclusive advocate and will help you understand your contract and obligations including when to schedule construction inspections.

•· While the sale representative will always give the appearance that sales prices are non-negotiable, and experienced agent can use recent and historical sales data to aid in the negotiation. Data that is not always readily available during new construction.

•· An agent has knowledge of and can leverage contracts, real estate law and the real estate community when things go awry with the builder. AND THEY CAN AND OFTEN DO.

•· A buyer's agent costs you nothing as the builder has allocated a sales commission to be paid to a buyer's agent as most consumers are represented for the above reasons. When a buyer does not use a buyer's agent, the builder either pays their sales representative a higher commission or pockets the savings. I have dozens of examples of situations where my clients were better off having me on their side. Once just the mention of a good faith estimate saved my client $4500 when buying new construction when the builder's in house loan have an unexpected charge.

For more information on ANGWIN homes for sale, please contact via phone, email or text. To see what's for sale throughout ANGWIN please visit my website at: www.soldbynicole.com and click on search the MLS. If you want to know how much your current ANGWIN home is worth, click on CMA and I will happily provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, "Current Market Analysis" of your home. I also write a blog about market statistics for most of the bay area markets. Click here to view my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/nicolemonary

ANGWIN HOMES FOR SALE--10 Reasons why nurses make great Realtors®?

Nurses are pretty amazing. Great nurses aren't just compassionate and kind - they have all the medical smarts of a doctor too! But why should you hire a nurse to be your Realtor®?

1. We care about you. Nursing is all about caring. We want to make you comfortable, take away your pain and make everything feel better.

Buying a home is a big deal. It can be stressful. Don't you want a Realtor® who is trained to make pain go away?

2. We have great communication skills. As nurses we have to deal with a lot of people and communicate a lot of critical information to ensure the best outcome for our patients. A great nurse has excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to speaking and listening.

Realtors® always need to be on top of their game and make sure that their clients' needs and wants are clearly understood. A truly stellar Realtor® is able to advocate for her clients to get them the home they want, at the best terms and with the least amount of stress.

3. Nursing is a stressful job where traumatic situations are common. The ability to accept tough situations without letting it get personal is crucial. Some days can seem like non-stop gloom and doom.

As Realtors®, we have a lot of the same types of issues. From finding out we didn't get an accepted offer, or dealing with a bad appraisal, we have to rise above and get the job done for you.

4. Great nurses have empathy for patients. They are able to feel compassion and provide comfort. Patients look to nurses as their advocates - the softer side of hospital bureaucracy. Sometimes, an empathetic nurse is all patients have to look forward to.

As Realtors®, we advocate for you. We negotiate on your behalf and look out for your interests, before, during and after your home has closed.

5. Being flexible and rolling with the punches is a staple of any career, but it's especially important for nurses. A great nurse is flexible with regards to working hours and responsibilities. Nurses, like doctors, are often required to work late and weekends.

As Realtors®, this is an amazing quality to have. You never know what your day will turn out to be and being able to switch gears quickly benefits you, our clients tremendously.

FOR THE REST OF THE LIST, VISIT MY BLOG AT WWW.SOLDBYNICOLE.COM

For more information on ANGWIN Real Estate, please contact via phone, email or text. To see what's for sale throughout ANGWIN, please visit my website at: www.soldbynicole.com and click on search the MLS. If you want to know how much your current ANGWIN home is worth, click on CMA and I will happily provide you with a complimentary, no obligation, "Current Market Analysis" of your home. I also write a blog about market statistics for most of the bay area markets. Click here to view my blog: http://activerain.com/blogs/nicolemonary

Thank you.

Instead of usual colors that we associate with wine such as white or dark red, our color paradigm might shift to say Gold. With the CADE Winery just about to open, this solar powered and organically farmed winery, hopes to garner LEED Gold status and if so, would be the first Estate Gold LEED certified winery in the Napa Valley.

When visiting a winery, people’s olfactory system normally goes into overdrive but instead of inhaling the aromas of vanilla, rosemary, oak and sage here we took deep breaths of the air. As in indoor air quality. No stuffy AC here as the building relies on natural ventilation. While others admire the wines, we admired the other green aspects. CADE will utilize 100% solar power and organic farming methods which both sound tasty to us.

From top to bottom, we got our buzz from the other building features like the concrete composed that contains a generous amount (30 percent) of fly ash, steel made up of 98 percent recycled material, FSC glass and wood, as well as blue jeans for insulation and its own concrete mass for cooling.

The Green aspects just don’t stop at the building. It’s too bad that we didn’t bike or drive our electric car (we did carpool) because the winery offers a plug-in base for hybrid electric cars; and bicycle racks. Even better, they offer a shower (hopefully with low flow showerhead) so cyclists can clean up before tasting or event.

One the eating side, they will have a full-time chef on site who will focus on organic, sustainable cuisine grown on site. We haven’t had the chance to sample some of the sustainable cuisine but we’ll report back when we do.

We, like many people, wondered about the name. The winery name CADE derives from a Shakespearean term used for an oak cask or barrel, -- comprises more than 60 acres, 23 of which were planted as vineyards in 2003. Of the remaining land, 28 acres will be protected in a land trust to ensure that they will always remain open space. Now there should be a big “Cheers” to that fact.