Pleasant Hill Real Estate and Area
Monday, February 18, 2008
Where can I get a good deal, you ask? Wherever you can find a realistic home seller; someone who is not emotional about their price, someone who is objective about the market and what it takes to sell. Here is one of those homes.
http://www.321strand.com/ The owner, may he rest in peace, was an immaculate person who took such care with his home. The kitchen is original 1948 and looks as good as a new kitchen! If vintage mid-century is your thing, if art deco attracts you, if beautifully colored tile work grabs you, this home is a must see! On top of that it offers a large workshop with a tiny utility room that used to be a dark room. Plus a two car garage. Two bedrooms, two full baths, hardwood floors. Last, but not least? Mature Oak trees and a creekside setting complete the pastoral setting for this charming Strandwood Estates Pleasant Hill home listed just today for $499,000! Call now for a viewing!
Posted by Don and Norma Flaskerud at
4:10 PM 0 comments 
Labels:
creekside,
home for sale,
mid-century,
Oak tree,
pleasant hill,
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vintage kitchen Before the fall of '08? Or before the fall of real estate prices further? What does Before the Fall refer to? You can answer "either one" as both will come and if you are a home seller my advice is you need to see before the fall of '08, and before the further decrease of prices.
An appraisal done last week on a property we sold stated prices drop 1% a month and will continue to do so, giving credence to the advice, sell sooner for more, or later for less. That being said, what if you are a buyer? What if you need to buy now, to get on with your life, to enjoy living in the home you need for getting on with life? You will want to buy for several percent less than today's value to avoid buying and losing value right away, which means today's home seller has to be flexible and understand what it takes to sell in today's market. It means home seller's have to compete with banks selling bank owned property which is deeply discounted to sell today. It means your house has to be seen as a really good deal for the buyer to want to jump on it! So there you have it! Price it today as a really good deal, and it will sell. Buyers? Look for those really good deals, make a good offer, get into a property you like and enjoy, and get on with your life! Within a few years you will be so thankful you did!
Posted by Don and Norma Flaskerud at
3:55 PM 0 comments Labels:
appraisal,
buyer,
good deal,
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property prices,
propety,
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seller Monday, February 11, 2008
Wow; we are in a market never before seen! With short sales, foreclosures and just plain ol' sales we are seeing a variety of property for sale.
I will say most short sales (where the owners owe more than the house is worth) and foreclosed/REO (real estate owned/bank owned) houses fall in the lower price range, especially under $500,000. Why?
Probably because in the past 2-3 years first time buyers bought them to jump on the gravy train of appreciation. They qualified for a loan with liberal underwriting guidelines. They were assured the house value would go up and they could refinance into a better loan before their payment adjusted higher. Well, that did not happen. In fact home values began falling and the payment increased and they, and many others today, found themselves stretching to make payments on a mortgage for a house worth less than the mortgage. In an attempt to preserve their credit worthiness, they contacted a local Realtor and put the house on the market, planning to sell for less than they owe, a process called a "short sale". Some might say, just stop making payments; live there rent free until the bank forecloses, but the damage to their credit is way more severe and probably longer lasting. Thus short sales are seen all over the state at this time and those in the know predict there will be many more forthcoming, that we have seen only 1/3 of the ones that will flush out.
Bargains? Yep; short sales, REO/bank owned sales are a bargain compared to two years ago! Get yourself pre-approve for a loan and start shopping! Visit www.PleasantHillRealEstate.com to search all active listings in the area!
Posted by Don and Norma Flaskerud at
4:12 PM 0 comments Labels:
foreclosures,
mortgages,
pleasant hill,
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Don and Norma
Overlooking Pleasant Hill
About Us
- Don and Norma Flaskerud
- Pleasant Hill, East Bay, Northern California, United States
- Realtors 20 years; #1 in sales in Pleasant Hill for 13 years. Here to help you! Call 925-676-5859
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