Drew & Christine Morgan Belmont California Real Estate

This Podcast delves into the Frequently Unasked Question, "What's the difference between large brokerage firms and smaller independent firms?" We discuss several important differences that most people would never know to ask.

If you are considering selling your home you’ve no doubt driven around to see what real estate signs are in your area. Big corporate broker signs are everywhere due to the large volume of agents they employ, but what are you getting when you hire an agent from a big branded firm, substance or brand image? More importantly, what might you be missing?

Listen to our Podcast as we ask and answer some important questions.

For example, are you aware:

1)      Most large corporate firms control the fess their agents charge and why negotiating a good commission rate may be harder than you think?

2)      Often buyers calling on your home’s ads are directed to new agents who have never seen your home?

3)      Why your ad may not appear in the newspaper at all!

Thanks for tuning in!

Download Myths.mp3

It was a busy week for Belmont real estate which was expected now that summer vacations are over and agents get back to work like everybody else.

Out of the gate there were seven new listings, two re-lists, seven pending sales and three homes closed escrow bringing the inventory of single family homes for sale to 47-just like last week.

NEW LISTINGS

1132 Tahoe 3 Bed 2 Bath 1,610 Sq Ft. listed for $899,000. This home was purchased in June of 2006 for $900,000 and it was a major dump back then. The new owner has done a lot to the home and although it's not quite finished, it's pretty nice-especially for $899,000. Put this one on your short list if you're out this weekend.

925 Waltermire 3 bed 1 bath 1,120 Sq Ft home for $749,000. If you don't mind living next door to Safeway this home could be for you. Better yet you can run a business out of it since it's zoned commercial according to the listing agent.

3410 Hillcrest Dr. 3 Bed 2 Bath 1,640 sq. ft. home for $849,000 is even better yet. It's in great shape with a level yard. The street is busier than Tahoe but it costs a lot less too. Move-in condition and our BEST DEAL OF THE WEEK.

2827 San Juan 3 Bed 3 Bath 2,380 Sq. Ft. home for $630,500-no-that's not a typo. It's an REO and there are no showings until 9/17 but drive by and you'll want to at least take a peak. In its prime I used to drive by this house on my way home with it all lit up and wish I could see inside. It looks like a grand old southern estate on the hill. OK, there won't be a big level yard and who knows how bad it is inside...yet. We'd make that the Best Deal of the Week except that it could need more work than even we anticipate. Sorry-no picture available.

1908 Valdez 3 Bed 2 Bath 1,290 Sq. Ft. Home for $ 939,000 is no steal. I'll bet that one will be around for Thanksgiving turkey.

2606 Carlmont 4 Bed 2.5 Bath 2,268 Sq. Ft. home for $1,068,000. What can we say? Those homes are in a nice canyon and all seem to be selling around this price. They're technically attached though only conjoined by the garage (a small zoning concession to the city). Great square footage at a reasonable price and only 13 years old.

2012 Monroe 3 Bed 2 Bath 1,830 Sq. Ft. home for $942,000 was going to be our BEST DEAL of the week but some savvy buyer snapped it up one day one. Very nice indeed.

1726 Terrace 4 Bed 2 Bath 1,710 Sq. Ft. home RELISTED for $1,099,000 from $1,299,000 in April. In Belmont most homes fall into two categories with the exception to the rule being ones with level yards. They are either cliff hangers (down slope homes) where you need a bungee cord to get to the rear yard or Cliff Clingers (upslope lots) where the side of a hill is your rear yard retreat. This home falls in between with some useable yard. Don't get me wrong, I'm not beating up on hillside homes-they can have amazing views.

2016 Lyon 3 Bed 2.5 Bath 1,781 Sq. Ft. home RELISTED at $959,000 (old price $964,500).

►If you want to see any of these homes don't forget about our Buyer Incentive Rebate program for first time buyers to help you close the deal.

SALES

STEAL OF THE WEEK goes to:

↓2581 Somerset 3 Bed 2.5 Bath 2,210 Sq. Ft. home in Hallmark Area never hit the market and sold WAAAY under what it should have for $1,040,000. To put this in perspective, the last two models like this home sold this year for $1,400,000 and $1,300,000 and there wasn't a hack of a lot of difference.

↓2613 Coronet 2 Bed 1 Bath ONLY 910 Sq. Ft. listed for $763,800 and SOLD for $758,000 great home but TINY!

↑1134 North Court 3 Bed 2 Bath LISTED for $749,000 SOLD for $810,000. It sold for $ 951,000 back in 2005.

In our last "Streets Around Us" blog we included a teaser about Belmont's first and only golf course.

Unfortunately for fans of the sport, the course is not some well kept secret-in fact it has been gone for years.

(Historic registery home in Belmont on what was once the golf course perimeter).

Around 1925 the team of Lyon, Monroe and Miller had a grand scheme to create an 18 hole golf course adjacent a tony clubhouse complete with swimming "tank", tennis and handball courts and a children's wading pool that would be the envy of the Peninsula. The clubhouse would be called "Belle Monti" and cost $65,000 to complete. An innovative tactic was employed to attract would-be buyers which included free bus rides from San Francisco where prospective buyers were plied with beer and induced to buy a home. Membership for the club cost $100 but was included with every home sale on the very streets that bore their names.

Around 1929 the Belle Monti project fell on financial hard times and an attempt to salvage the operation was launched by opening the club to the public. But in 1929 the stock market crash forced members to either drop out or move away and the corporation went bankrupt. The "Hillcrest" golf course was eventually subdivided into lots for the WWII returning veterans and today we find only remnants of a bye-gone era with street names such as Fairway and a few stately homes (now on Belmont's historic registry) which lay on what was once the perimeter of the course.

On the topic of streets, did you know William Sharon, a U.S. Senator from Nevada, has a small street, Sharon Road, named after himself in Belmont? Find out why Belmont also had a lake named after Sharon in our next issue or visit our Belmont blog website BeautifulMountainBlog.org

Belmont's best weather is upon us in the month of September and this event should be a fun day for the whole family.

Belmont Picnic in The Park

Sunday, September 21st 2008

11AM - 3PM

Twin Pines Park Meadow

Celebrate National Neighborhood Day! Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch for this day

of bringing families and neighbors together promoting a stronger community.

Come for great fun with children's games & activities including

• Tug Of War • Disaster Preparedness by Belmont/San Carlos Fire Dept.

• Public Safety by the Belmont Police Dept. • Music and much more!

Sponsored by: Belmont Youth Action Committee,

VOICES (Volunteer Outreach Involvement in Community Events &

Services) & the Belmont Parks & Recreation Department.

For more info: 595-7441

Tuesday's are tour days of agents. We get a chance to see all of the new listings in one fell swoop. Some of these homes have been open the previous Sunday and you may have already seen them. If you haven't, here's my update on the Belmont Homes that were in my Weekly Update last week but toured today, September 2^nd 2008:

2422 Hastings 3 Bed/ 2.5 Bath 2,250 Sq Ft Attached Home LISTED for $1,038,000. These are attached homes in the Belmont Hills. You tend to get a lot of home for your money but not much land. This home needs some updating. On the plus side it's an end unit home so you only have neighbors on one side. Nice canyon views from the rear of the home.

1909 Lyon 3 Bed 2.5 Bath 1,600 Sq. Ft. home LISTED for $912,000. This is a nice home with a lower extra room. It's in move-in looking condition and on a nice quiet portion of Lyon.

2014 Lyon 2 Bed/2 Bath 1,761 Sq Ft Home. I'm skeptical about this home's reported square footage but nevertheless it's an excellent deal for a west side Belmont hills location and wins our Best Belmont Deal of the week at only $779,000.

512 Alameda de Las Pulgas 2 Beds/ 1 Bath 1,230 Sq Ft home. Don't let the busy address fool you. This home sits back on a quiet driveway off of the Alameda. LISTED for $804,000.

Bring your contractor to this home. It's on a busy street as you know but it does sit way back. I like the older Spanish style architecture it has but that also translates into some much needed work to be done.