Brian Ripp

San Francisco was named the best walking city in America by Prevention magazine in conjunction with the American Podiatric Medical Association and Sperling's Best Places. Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago rounded out the top five. Metro areas were evaluated by using 19 criteria, including population density per square mile, use of mass transit, crime rate, and square miles of public parks.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com Serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Plumbing problems like a clogged drain or selly garbage disposal can be inconvenient, but are fairly simple to correct on your own. Other problems require you to hire a professional and can be quite costly. To avoid plumbing problems, both small and extensive, keep the following maintenance and preventative suggestions in mind:

In the kitchen:

•· Never pour grease down the drain. Wipe congealed grease from pans with a paper towel before rinsing in the sink.

•· Do not put such foods in your garbage disposal as coffee grounds, celery, corn husks, pumpkin or squash, banana peels, raw meat, bones, rice or pasta.

•· Vacuum your refrigerator's coils regularly to help it cool more efficiently.

In the bathroom:

•· Put strainers in your tubs and showers to trap hair and keep drains flowing smoothly; be sure to clean them regularly.

•· Do not attempt to flush facial tissues, sanitary products or diapers. Anything other than toilet paper should be thrown away in the trash, not the toilet.

In the garage:

•· Check your water meter when no water is being used, then check it again several hours later. If you notice a significant change in the reading, you may have an undetected water leak.

•· Annually check the hoses on your washing machine for signs of creacking or weak sots. Replace if needed.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com Serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

The evening news is beginning to sound more and more like the children's fable, Chicken Little - who proclaims "the sky is falling!" With unemployment on the rise and an uncertain economy, buying a house may be the last thing on your mind. But if you've been waiting to purchase a home, now may be the perfect time. Here's why:

* It's actually more affordable now. According to the National Association of REALTORS, the housing affordability index, which measures home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income, is more favorable now than any other time since NAR started the index 1970.

* You get a break on taxes. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, first-time buyers (anyone who has not bought or owned a home in the past three years) can take advantage of a tax credit up to $8,000.

* Big selection and big discounts. There is a large inventory of homes on the market, so you have a variety from which to choose. Many builders and home sellers are also offering incentives to help move inventory. Not only are home prices low, but mortgage rates are lower than they've been in years.

* Price of ownership. Want to paint your bedroom midnight blue? Go ahead. In your own home, you get to make the decorating decisions that reflect your personal sense of style.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Home sales increased 35.2 percent in May in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home declined 30.4 percent, C.A.R. reported last week. "With affordability for first-time buyers at a record high, sales of existing, single-family homes continued to remain above the 500,000 level for the ninth consecutive month," said C.A.R. President James Liptak. "Buyers are beginning to realize that the combination of favorable home prices, historically low mortgage rates, and first-time home buyer tax credits, may not align again for many years.
"The sales gains over last year have diminished in recent months," he added. "This trend is expected to continue through the end of the year, as limited inventory at the moderate and low end of the market constrains sales activity," he said.

I read this great information from my Calif. Association of Realtors e-mail update. www.car.org

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com Serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

A surge in home sales that started in some of California's more affordable inland areas has begun to spread to several more expensive coastal areas, another indicator that the state's real estate market may be in recovery mode.

•· Many homes in the lower end of the market are receiving multiple offers, with some prospective buyers bidding well above asking prices. Inventory levels for homes priced under $500,000 stood at 3.2 months in May 2009, compared with 9.4 months in May 2008.

•· Some buyers, especially those in historically higher-priced markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area, are newly optimistic about buying homes and are realizing that the combination of low interest rates, favorable home prices, and first-time home buyer tax credits may not realign for many years.

•· Some housing economists caution against interpreting signs of increased sales activity as meaning the market has bottomed. Interest rates on 30-year, fixed-rate prime mortgages have risen above 5 percent in recent weeks and could continue to increase as fears of inflation impact interest rates. Additionally, the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers is scheduled to end Nov. 30, which may remove the incentive to purchase.

•· Although the median price in the state has risen for four consecutive months, prices in some higher-income neighborhoods still are declining. Some agents say that declining prices in these neighborhoods are a reflection of borrowers' problems getting jumbo mortgages to make purchases.

Bottom line is - it appears that we have hit the bottom of the market (if not, it's really, really close) and if you have considered buying a home or condo, now is the time to start the ball rolling.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp