About Folsom's Broadstone

Happy New Year! Turning the page on 2009 marks my 5^th year as a Folsom resident and my 18^th year as a real estate brokerage owner. 2010 will hold many opportunities for home buyers and sellers in the local real estate market. Housing affordability continues to rise and the chance for the growing family to upsize in to a roomier home has never been better. I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010!

Recent Folsom Housing Stastics: We closed out December of 2009 with a total of 69 home sales in Folsom, CA. Of the sales, 19 were foreclosure / bank owned, 15 were short sales and 35 were non-distressed home sales. The average dollars per square foot was $176, the aveage home sales price was $387k, the number of available homes stood at 220 and there was a three month supply of inventory on the Multiple Listing Service.

The year in review:

Sacramento Area housing prices drop less than 1% in 2009

The year ahead:

Welcome to 2010 - "The Year of the Short Sale"

Short sales are on the rise

Completing a short sale is getting easier

Who should consider a short sale?

Are short sales too good to be true? What's the catch?

Should home buyers attempt to purchase a short sale?

Short sale tips for sellers and buyers

Mortgage watch:

Its official... FHA loan costs are on the rise

January 2010 Mortgage Rate Watch - Western Region

Home buyer tax credit:

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended & Expanded

Home Sellers:

Pay a commission as low as 1% of the sales price

Home Buyers:

Brokers Inc. will give you up to $2,500 when you buy a home

Aaron Cullen is a Realtor, Real Estate Broker, and Owner of Brokers Incorporated Residential Real Estate. Aaron lives in Folsom, CA and specializes in representing home buyers and sellers in Folsom, El Dorado Hills and the Greater Sacramento Region. Having relocated from the Bay Area in 2004, Aaron continues to work with home buyers in all cities lying between the Bay Area and Sacramento Area.

In the spring of 2004, while having a cup of coffee with my wife, she prompted a discussion that included the hustle-n-bustle of the Bay Area, it's high cost of living, and her desire to live in a smaller city that was known for family values and that would be conducive to raising our new-born son and (hopefully) growing family.

After investigation of the Sacramento area (including Rocklin, Roseville, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova, El Dorado hills and Folsom), we came to the conclusion that Folsom was the next city we would call home.

As the old saying goes, "to each their own," we chose Folsom, CA for the following reasons:

• Great schools - Several nationally recognized schools within the city.
• Lots of parks - Just about every home in every neighborhood is within walking distance of a local park.
• Small town feeling - Coming from the Bay Area, we found Folsom to have a slower "pace" without us having to sacrifice the "big town" amenities of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, outdoor activities, etc.
• Beautiful scenery - Rolling hills, oak trees, open spaces, Folsom Lake and miles of hiking, biking and walking trails.
• Excellent Infrastructure - Folsom is a city, not a township, and offers an array of municipal services, including administration, police, fire, recreation, parks, and public works.
• Family based community - My wife joined "Sierra Moms," a grass-roots organization, made up by the mothers of newborns, toddlers and preschoolers, which provides moms with play groups, advice/information exchange, social interaction and an abundance of other services/activities. Most of the moms my wife met live in Folsom or El Dorado Hills. This organization was invaluable to my wife's integrating into the community.
• Cost of living- With Folsom's affordable home prices, you may be able to enjoy the luxury of one parent working and the other one raising your children... This was of major importance to us and we were able to afford it here in Folsom.

Today, after living in Folsom for several years, we could not be happier! Our family grew with the addition of our daughter in 2005 and my father relocated from the Bay Area to El Dorado Hills that same year. We have made lots of new friends, our kids love the parks, schools and nature walks and my transplanted, 16 year old real estate business is growing on a daily basis. There is no question that making the jump from the Bay Area to Folsom was the best family decision we ever made!

If you are considering a move from the Bay Area (or anywhere else) to the Sacramento Region, the City of Folsom, El Dorado Hills or any other area town or city, I encourage you to visit me online at www.BrokersCorp.com. As the principal broker and owner of Brokers Inc., my focus is providing my clients with outstanding service and exceptional value. I will also give you up to $2,500 to help you pay your closing costs when you buy your next home. Whether you are a first-time home buyer or seasoned investor, I will tailor my services to fit your exact need. Aaron Cullen, 916.850.0484 - mailto:Ac@BrokersCorp.com .

If you are a first-time home buyer, looking to purchase in Folsom and get the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit currently being offered, time is running out! Barring an extension by Congress, you now have 40 days left to close escrow on your purchase or you will miss out on the tax credit which expires on 11/30/09. If you still want to a shot at the free money, move quickly! See my last blog posting on this topic:

ORIGINALLY POSTED in September: In an effort to off-set last year's fincial meltdown and the ensuing recession, the current administration created a tax credit of up to $8,000 for certain first-time home buyers in the $787 billion Economic Stimulus Package that was passed in February, 2009. Through this program, you are eligible to receive an $8,000 tax credit when you purchase a principal residence if you have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less (or $150,000 for married couples), you have not owned a home during the three years leading up to the purchase, and, you close escrow on your purchase prior to November 30, 2009.

Translation: Under the current First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program, if you would like the opportunity to get an $8,000 gift from the Federal Government, you have 71 days left to get pre-approved for a loan, find a home you would like to purchase, negotiate the contract, complete all the inspections and close escrow. The clock is ticking... Now is the time to take action!

Will Congress and our President allow this program to expire? Will it be extended? Will it be replaced by a different program? At this point, the answer is a resounding "Who knows?" If you want to move forward with any certainty, close escrow on your home purchase by November 30, 2009, meet the criteria outlined above, and you'll qualify for a juicy $8,000 gift from Uncle Sam.

-Aaron Cullen, Realtor, Broker, Owner Brokers Inc. Residential Real Estate

Thank you for considering Folsom , California - CA as the next place you will live. Folsom is beautiful, has affordable homes / real estate and is centrally located in Northern California between Lake Tahoe, the Wine Country, the Bay Area and Central and Northern CA. Outdoor enthusiasts, families, retirees and singles love Folsom as it has something for everyone. If you are a home buyer and you are considering Folsom, California, you have come to the right place to satisfy your real estate needs.

Why do home buyers decide to buy real estate in Folsom, CA? There are many reasons, but here are the things that appealed to me and my family the most:

• Small town feeling - Coming from the Bay Area, I found Folsom to have a slower "pace" without having to sacrifice the "big town" amenities of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, outdoor activities, etc.
• Great schools - Several nationally recognized schools within the city.
• Lots of parks - Just about every home in every neighborhood is within walking distance of a local park.
• Beautiful scenery - Rolling hills, oak trees, open spaces, Folsom Lake and miles of hiking, biking and walking trails.
• Excellent Infrastructure - Folsom is a city, and offers an array of municipal services, including administration, police, fire, recreation, parks, and public works.
• Family based community - My wife joined "Sierra Moms," a grass-roots organization, made up by the mothers of newborns, toddlers and preschoolers, which provides moms with play groups, advice/information exchange, social interaction and an abundance of other services/activities. Most of the moms my wife met live in Folsom or El Dorado Hills. This organization was invaluable to my wife's integrating into the community.
• Cost of living- With Folsom's affordable home prices, you may be able to enjoy the luxury of one parent working and the other one raising your children... This was of major importance to my wife and I and a key reason why we relocated to Folsom from the Bay Area.

Why buy a home through Brokers Inc?

• Brokers Inc. is owned by Aaron Cullen who is a Folsom resident and has 17+ years experience helping home buyers and home sellers. Aaron Cullen also has experience with transacting in bank owned homes / foreclosure properties / REO real estate.
• Brokers Inc.'s "Helping Home Buyers Save Program" credits up to $2,500 to every home buyer that purchases a home through us. Just visit our website or call us to find out the details.
• Brokers Inc. has relationships with local banks & lenders to insure your loan will get the attention it deserves. If you don't have a solid pre-approval and loan lined up, you may end up wasting your time. Brokers Inc. will help you get pre-approved so you can focus on buying the right home.
• If you are interested in purchasing a bank owned home / foreclosure property / bank repo, Brokers Inc. has bank owned homes lists that are updated daily for you to look at.
• If the above reasons above are not enough, then perhaps you should consider the fact that we take your best interests to heart and we want you to be happy throughout the home buying process. Happy home buyers tell their friends and it helps us build our business!

Folsom CA Real Estate areas served include: Empire Ranch , The Parkway , Willow Creek Estates , Broadstone , Hillcrest , American River Canyon ( ARC ), Sierra Woods , Willow Springs , American River Canyon , Altura Villas , Provance , Lexington Hills , Natoma Station , Briggs Ranch and more!

Folsom finishes tops in the Sacramento area...2008 Real Estate summery of homes sold in Folsom Ca. Average days on market 53 is below the the Sacramento average of 135 days. Folsom counties to grow and be a disirable place to live. Some new futures in Folsom would be the new Folsom bridge to open..In and Out Burger..New Palladio mall..Starbucks drive thru..and more to come.

Summary Price Information

John Hayes

RE/MAX Gold

www.johnhayesrealestate.com

www.realestatemartini.com

Apricot Mango Martini*

2 measures gin ½ measure apricot brandy ½ measure simple syrup ¾ measure fresh lemon juice 1 slice of fresh mango In the bottom of a glass half of the boston shaker muddle together the mango, the syrup, and the lemon juice, add the apricot brandy and the gin and shake well with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.