Cotati Farmer's Market tel. +1 707.795.5508 La Plaza Park, Downtown Cotati, CA
FHA Increased their loan limits ---> Announced TODAY!
As many of us have heard the news today, the Congress and Senate has passed the new stimulus package. This means that FHA increased its loan limits until the end of December 2008. These new loan limits will be increased from the former California FHA loan limits of $362,000 to the new maximum loan limit of $729,000. For Sonoma County it will be raised somewhere in the area of $662,500.
To view the full article click the link below:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/03/06/BUJBVEACQ.DTL
Contact Crystal
Cordova-Davis today at
(707) 576.1300 ext. 404
or email me directly at
Crystal@RealEstateHelpTeam.com
The following chart shows median and average price trends plus Sonoma County single-family home sales. The chart uses a 12-month moving average to eliminate any seasonal variation.
The next chart is the same as above but uses a 3-month moving average. This smoothes out month-to-month variations yet shows seasonal variations.
The next series of charts shows the same thing as above but for condominiums and town homes.
Contact Crystal
Cordova-Davis today at
(707) 576.1300 ext. 404
or email me directly at
Crystal@RealEstateHelpTeam.com
The following chart shows median and average price trends plus Santa Rosa single-family home sales. The chart uses a 12-month moving average to eliminate any seasonal variation.
The next chart is the same as above but uses a 3-month moving average. This smoothes out month-to-month variations yet shows seasonal variations.
The next series of charts shows the same thing as above but for condominiums and town homes.
Contact Crystal
Cordova-Davis today at
(707) 576.1300 ext. 404
or email me directly at
Crystal@RealEstateHelpTeam.com
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Born and raised in beautiful Sonoma County.
Your Neighborhood Realtor!
I just wanted to thank you for your good work in getting this deal done. I chose you because I knew you as a person, I would choose you again because now I know you as a realtor. Great job! ---Nelson S.
Whether you are buying or selling your home, it is one of the most important decisions you will have to make in your life. That is why I am here to help you! I have had the pleasure working with Jeff Thompson and the Real Estate Help Team for the past 4 years. I am knowledgeable, caring, a good listener, organized, focused, & friendly.
I look forward helping guide you through the process of buying or selling making this experience positive!
Here is some information about Me:
I was born and raised in beautiful Sonoma County! When my husband and I were married there was no question that we would live anywhere else but in here. We happily live in Santa Rosa with our two dogs; our boxer Layla and our Fox Terrier Whitie.
I look forward meeting you and making every transaction a successful and great experience.
The Real Estate Help Team services Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sebastopol and the rest of Sonoma County, CA and surrounding areas. For all your real estate needs, please contact us!
SELL YOUR HOME FAST AND FOR TOP DOLLAR!
When selling a house, we all share the same goal - to sell it quickly and at the highest price possible.
If you've placed a house on the market, you may have possibly enjoyed the thrill of receiving that first offer. Unfortunately, you may have also experienced the disappointment of a much lower offer, or one that doesn't come for weeks or months.
Most people buy a house for emotional reasons, most real estate professionals agree. The desire for a comfortable home and lifestyle propels buyers to purchase a specific house.
The easiest way to understand this is to remember your own experience of purchasing a home. You had some idea of what you were looking for, and you probably clutched a list of desirable features. You may have looked at several houses, but none of them seemed just right. Then one day it happened when you least expected it - there it was. Within minutes you knew this was the one; you were overtaken by a powerful emotion. If two houses are similar, buyers will choose the one that touches them emotionally.
The same mind-set applies when the roles are reversed, when you are the seller and not the buyer. Only when a buyer "feels" as if your house can be a home will they acknowledge that it could be. The emotion that overpowers the prospective buyer can be compared to love at first sight.
There are several ways to approach a buyer, but one of the most important ways is to make sure when your house is ready to be placed on the market, it plays to the largest audience. Selling your house should go quickly, smoothly and profitably. Dressing your house to achieve a profitable sale can help you buy your dream home.
Gertrude Singer, a REALTOR with National Realty in Florida, said that the first and most important step to dressing for success is uncluttering.
"Clutter makes rooms and the entire house feel smaller. Uncluttering makes every room in your house look and feel more spacious. Your goal is to create a roomy, comfortable feeling that's inviting to prospective buyers,".
Uncluttering also means organizing. Show buyers that you have a place for everything and everything in its place. By putting everything away neatly, buyers will feel that by living in your house they, too, could be well organized. Ultimately, less is more.
Another important step is cleaning - not just everyday cleaning, but a thorough spring-cleaning. According to John Kuehne with Pruitt Real Estate, Inc., "a deeply clean house not only looks great, it feels uplifting, and as new as when you first bought it."
Kuehne also suggests removing any old and stained carpeting and replacing it with light colored tiles to give the impression of a large, clean room. An unclean house will create doubt and apprehension in a prospective buyer.
If anyone in your household smokes, consider smoking outside, and use a carpet freshening agent each time you vacuum. Singer also suggests burning scented candles or baking a batch of cookies to give your house that homey, lived-in feeling.
Now that you have done away with the clutter, your house is sparkling clean, and the scent of cookies baking in the oven permeates the entrance to your house, your next step should be to concentrate on repairs.
A house will not sell for top dollar if any detail, whether large or small, is in need of maintenance. These would include a leaky faucet, a cracked tile, or peeling paint. These may signal a warning to a buyer, creating the fear that larger maintenance problems could be lurking beneath the surface.
Kuehne suggests the seller make a complete list of repairs, small and large. Look at the house through the buyer's eyes. Replace any cracked or broken window panes, repair wood rot, re-caulk where needed, patch all cracks and nail holes, replace missing or loose tiles, replace old carpet, tighten loose doorknobs, and lubricate squeaky hinges. These fix-ups will ultimately help you receive the offer you want.
And, finally, a word about a beloved member of your family: your pet. Pets that live in your house will make a strong, possibly negative statement. Research shows that half of all potential buyers are either allergic to, dislike, or are afraid of pets. While your house is on the market, keep Fido outside as much as possible. If that's not possible, be sure to clean, vacuum and neutralize odors daily to keep your house smelling fresh. Consider asking a neighbor to watch your pet in their home while you're showing your house to prospective buyers.
There is no magic to getting the most for your home. Every house will sell;, eventually - it's just a matter of when and for how much. It only takes one buyer, but which one? You decide.
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THE SMART SELLING SOLUTIONTM
Featuring Flexible Commissions
Try our Special No-Risk Offer!
With the Smart Selling SolutionTM you have complete flexibility.... From "Full Service" to "Do It Yourself".
For a FREE No Obligation Information package simply complete the form below. You will be mailed a complete pre-listing kit.
Selling Your Home Has Never Been Easier!
*some conditions apply.
You can recieve more information on our Smart Seller Solution as well as a free, quick, over-the-net home evaluation, based upon a comparison of other homes currently listed and/or recently sold in your area.
There is no cost or obligation for this valuable service.
For this FREE service, Please CLICK HERE.
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SETTING AN APPROPRIATE PRICE- EASY STEPS TO FOLLOW
At any given time, three general factors affect the sale of your house: the current real estate market, the location of your property, and the competition - other houses like yours competing for the same buyers. These three factors are always in flux. For example, interest rates rise and fall; neighborhoods lose or gain cachet; similar houses suddenly arrive on the market; and the pool of active buyers changes. No one can control these factors, and you cannot wait until all the conditions are absolutely perfect to sell your home. Smart sellers don't put themselves at the mercy of these factors - they maximize conditions to their advantage.
Let's review the three factors mentioned above: market, location and competition.
Market
Packaging will make your property stand out from the competition whether the market is booming or not. In a buyer's market (where there are more houses than buyers), preparing your home is the best way to make it memorable and easy for buyers to recall at the end of a long day of house-hunting.
Location
We've all heard it before, "location, location, location" is important. If your house is in a less-than-ideal location, you can't move it. If that's the case, try to make the most of it. Turn your house into the most appealing house in that location. Remember that if your house doesn't stand out, another will, and it will get top dollar.
Competition
When a number of houses with similar features are on the market, yours needs to shine. If two houses are similar in structure or layout, buyers will choose the one that feels as if it could be their home.
Now that you have considered the above factors, how do you decide how to price your house?
Well, there isn't an exact formula to arrive to a magic number, only a price range. Why? Because houses are a commodity subject to the laws of supply and demand, and market conditions keep changing. Prices rise when there are more buyers than sellers; they decline when there are more houses for sale than buyers. The availability of mortgage money also affects sales, but ultimately what the buyer feels about a house is what determines the price he'll pay. While the buyer determines the selling price, you establish the listing price of your home.
When you put a house up for sale, there is a high probability that the asking price will be lowered. The key is knowing when to lower and how much to lower. Keep in mind that timing is everything. If you have had your house on the market for some time and as a last minute effort decide to lower the price, it may not do you much good.
It is during the first two weeks when your home will get the most traffic. This is when the home is fresh on the market and in its peak sale time. If you wait too long to bring down the price, the current buyers will have already seen the house and won't necessarily show new interest.
That doesn't mean that another group of buyers won't come along, but buyers are bunched in price ranges. Therefore, in order to grab the attention of the next price range of buyers, you would probably have to make a significant reduction.
To arrive at a realistic listing price, research your competitor's pricing. Find out what similar houses have sold for recently as well as what "comparables" haven't sold to give you a good idea of the price buyers are and are not willing to pay for houses similar to yours. Remember, a buyer will be looking at a number of houses with similar features and amenities.
Usually the specific features in your house will determine its price range. For example, a three-bedroom, one-bath house in a certain neighborhood will sell for less than a three-bedroom, two-bath house in the same neighborhood because buyers are willing to pay more for a second bathroom.
Pricing your home can be very emotional for the entire family. How do you put a dollar amount on memories? Many sellers are offended if the market value of their house does not reflect their emotional attachment. However, you need to consider that buyers won't pay for your memories - they don't qualify as a feature.
Don't overprice your house - that usually backfires. As mentioned above, the first two weeks a house is on the market is when the most serious pool of buyers arrive ready to buy. They've done their homework. They won't buy a house that's overpriced. If a buyer is interested in your home, they still have to secure a mortgage. In order to obtain that mortgage, your home has to come back appraised at the asking price. An example would be if you were selling your home for $100,000 but the appraisal came back at $95,000. In this case, the deal would fall through or you would have to lower the asking price to match the appraisal.
If this happens where the deal falls through and your home has come out of escrow or, it stays for sale on the market longer, the chance of it taking longer to sell has greatly increased. So, if you are the seller of a house, make sure you either get an appraisal first, or work with a qualified real estate agent who can guide you into an appropriate asking price.
Finally, it's your responsibility to price your house so that it will sell quickly and profitability.
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E-SEMINAR: "Home Selling Tips"
Welcome to our FREE E-Seminar entitled "Home Selling Tips". In this seminar you will receive professional advice and insight into the home selling process. As a result, you can save thousands of dollars and avoid common selling mistakes!
Your topics will include:
To Get Started with your Seminar CLICK HERE.
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DO YOU NEED A REALTOR? - THE TRUTH!
You are selling your home, and you want to get the best price you can to maximize your profit. Do you need a Realtor? Can't you sell it yourself and save on the commission?
It's best to have an agent on your side who will coach you through the process, be your advocate in negotiations, advise you on preparing your home for sale - and provide access to the most powerful home-selling tool of all. That tool is the database of homes for sale, locally called the MLS.
What's an MLS? When you hire a Realtor to sell your house you sign a contract to sell the home, and your home is "listed." Locally, most of these are exclusive arrangements, meaning the sale of the home will result in the Realtor getting paid.
A multiple listing service (MLS) is what it sounds like - a collection of thousands of listings in one database. The service allows Realtors to see what's available throughout a region. Moreover, such Internet sites as Realtor.com offer nationwide listings, exploding the power of the MLS.
How can a sign in your yard and some ads in the newspaper compare with thousands of Realtors seeing your house in that database? How are all the potential buyers working with buyer's agents going to find out about your house?
Today's market is very hot, and it does favor sellers because of the low number of listings and the large number of sales each month. So you might be able sell on your own, but for how much and after how long?
The advantage of the MLS is exposure. By letting a large number of people know about your home, you are more likely to get a good price for it in a reasonable amount of time.
Well, what if you didn't sell the house at all? You might try in vain month after month to sell, and miss out on that great home you wanted to move up into, just so you could save a bit. Worse yet, you might buy that perfect house assuming you would sell yours soon and wind up paying two mortgages for awhile.
Who pays the commission? Besides, the commission is really paid by the buyer. How can that be possible? It winds up in the seller's column on the settlement sheet, but buyers pay commissions in a certain sense.
Consider this: An automotive manufacturer sells cars to dealers, who then sell them to consumers. Consumers pay for the car, plus they pay the dealer. The dealer's profit is built into the price listed on the window. This practice is so common, we don't think we are paying the cost of the car plus the dealer's profit. We just consider the price vs. the value of the vehicle and, after a little negotiating, pay for it.
In a similar way, the 6 percent or 7 percent commission is really built into the price of the home. Because Realtors' fees are such standard practice, a 6 percent commission probably was included in the price of your house when you bought it 10 years ago. Now you are selling it, probably for a fair bit more, and that 6 percent is still built into the home's value and price. And it is the buyer who pays that price, which includes the Realtor's fee.
Finally, if you want to sell your home quickly, safely and for a good price, nothing beats listing it with a Realtor.
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SEMINAR: "Home Buying Tips"
Welcome to our FREE E-Seminar entitled "Home Buying Tips". In this seminar you will get information necessary to save you thousands of dollars and avoid making careless mistakes when you purchase your home.
Topics include:
To Get Started with your Seminar CLICK HERE.
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Why You Should Move UP!
Why Should YOU "Move-Up" Now to a Nicer Home, Given Today's Market Conditions?
Due to the huge appreciation homeowners have gained in the last 7 years (some lost in the last 2), the uncertainty in making a "move up" can be perplexing. The idea of purchasing a home for the benefits of comfortable living, proximity to services and schools, neighborhood preferences, etc., have all been muddled and now redefined by the boomers and the "echo" boomers. For some, homes have become investments for lost years of retirement funding. This phenomenon has created a speculative and uncertain condition that can fog the reality of why we have homes in the first place: to enjoy the benefits of home ownership!!!!
Let us discuss some of the opportunities of moving up TODAY, in a down shifting market:
•1. Given interest rates are still at 50 year historic lows, the lending environment is still in our favor.
•2. The availability of low cost money aside, perhaps the most significant advantage to moving up in a down market is the large selection of homes available. (This can also work against you as the selling homeowner.)
When a market has a glut of homes, as is the present condition, one of the first adjustments the real estate market experiences is for homes to return to values based upon the "foundational" criteria of the home value: location, quality of the home and neighborhood integrity. These are the primary aspects that buyers begin to distinguish a value between one home and another. Buyers become more selective because they seek specific characteristics that specifically satisfy their family's needs and add extra value to the quality of their lives. Homes must scream out "added value" to sell. This concept may be the most compelling of all reasons to "move up"...to get a better horse for the long term race.
The vast majority of homes will struggle to sell and the large inventory can cloud the vision of choice. Many "good" properties are on the market, but selecting the right property with added value becomes more complex and can be confusing. (A good agent will exploit these advantages in the market place. After all, the real key to successful real estate investment is in the PURCHASE. Every great investor knows "it's on the buy side where the money is made!!"
•3. A third major consideration in taking advantage of the move up market is the big jump in the growth of your current home's equity. Even the less expensive properties have improved disproportionally to historical trends. This chance to leverage "up" NOW gives more opportunity to purchase a superior property with inflated dollars. (Note: Since 1850, California property has appreciated 2% over inflation (2.5-3.5%). California appreciated nearly 100% from 2000-2005. These dollars are more valuable now because capital is extremely difficult to acquire, and this appreciation cycle may not be experienced again in the near future, if ever.) Now is your chance to leverage the "rapid" equity growth you've achieved.
•4. The fourth advantage of the move-up opportunity is that "upgraded" properties have more qualities that bring greater enjoyment in the present, and greater financial protection overall in a down market. Regardless of any one person's opinion, real estate has become an "investment vehicle" for the boomer generation, as much as it is a dwelling to enjoy and live in. These two uses have merged and the phenomenon of living in YOUR most prized and valuable asset, can't be under estimated. With an entire nation participating, who can complain?
•5. Lastly, we must look at the value of home improvements made on a "better" property compared to a lesser valued home. Capital dollars spent on improvements increase the value as well as enhance the personal enjoyment of a home. A home in greater demand due to "foundational issues" will retain and appreciate in value much faster and for a longer period of time due to the "upgrades" put into it. Hence, money invested in a "better" home will yield a greater return for the homeowner.
Ultimately, regardless of the advantages of selection or improvements or even personal needs, fundamental economics must be the final conclusion when considering property changes. Speculation in a fast moving market can be financial suicide. BUT... Complete non-participation can be even more costly! It is essential that any home selling or buying strategy must include good planning and proper financing.
So in summary, the fundamental advantages of moving up in today's market NOW are:
•1. Hugh selection let's you choose a BETTER home without overpaying
•2. More upside appreciation with better properties over the long haul
•3. Equity gained from current home results in more buying power
•4. More personal enjoyment, better amenities, services and schools
•5. Protection from a severe down market, and
•6. Better return on improvement dollars
For the past several years, we have been consulting with homesellers and buyers on proper move-up/down strategies, advising them with respect to protecting their financial investments, helping them to find and negotiate the "right" deal on the right home, and striving to protect their futures. If we can help you, or someone you know, make the right decisions in today's market, please call us today at 707-576-1300. Ask for Kelly or Jeff.
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You can become a VIP Buyer and beat other buyers to hot new listings!
To receive daily updates of ALL hot, new listings that match YOUR home buying criteria, e-mailed or mailed to you FREE of charge and without obligation, Sign Up Today!
Here's how it works...
You recieve via e-mail (or mail) priority access to new listings (complete with pictures) of properties that match your home buying criteria as soon as the home is listed for sale.
Your time isn't wasted viewing homes that don't interest you, and you are among the first to know about a hot new listing.
It's easy to get started! Just fill out the form below and become a VIP buyer right away! You'll be amazed at how easy this premiere service makes finding your dream home!
To Find Out More Information on How to Become a VIP Buyer CLICK HERE.
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Foreclosures and Distress Sales produce great opportunities for home seekers and investors.If you're looking for homes that could represent a good "deal", look no further. At no cost or strings attached, you will be provided with access to current listings for your desired area and price range.You also have the option to be added to our state-of-the-art computerized home-hunter service that alerts you daily about hot, new bargain homes "just listed" on the market. No more scouring the papers to find the deals, your list can provide you an advantage over other buyers.
Simply fill out the form below and identify what type of bargain home(s) you're looking for. Once completed, please click the "Submit" button at the bottom. You will recieve the listings that meet your preferences via email.
For More Information about Foreclosure and Distress Sales please CLICK HERE.
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Knowing what your home is worth is CRITICAL information if you are thinking of selling your home!
By completing the form below, you can recieve a free, quick, over-the-net home evaluation, based upon a comparison of other homes currently listed and/or recently sold in your area.
There is no cost or obligation for this valuable service.
For this FREE Home Evaluation, please CLICK HERE.
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MLS Search AccessGain FREE access to the local MLS (Multiple Listings Service) and receive a free list of homes for sale for your desired area.
What is the MLS?
The MLS is where agents place their listings so other agents are able to find exactly what their clients are looking for. If you are looking for a home to buy, this can be a place to start!
Receive Full Access Instantly By CLICKING HERE.
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"My home sold in just TWO days for $22,000 more than the last home sold in our neighborhood." - Dan G.
"You sold my home for 102% of my asking price and you sold my fiancé's home for 106.2% of her asking price in just 14 days. We could not have been happier with your service. I want you to know that I would recommend you whole-heartedly to anyone in search of a Real Estate Agent." - Ranald B.
"As an out of the area property owner I needed to make sure that all of the details were taken care of on my behalf. The Real Estate Help Team sold my property for 108.5% of the asking price in just 10 days. Every detail was handled professionally and efficiently which made the whole transaction a pleasant experience." - Lucy D.
"When I sold my home I needed to make sure everything was timed perfectly with my purchase so that I was never homeless. The Real Estate Help Team saw to it that all the dates were met perfectly and I had enough time to move from my old home to my new home without hassle." - Keith L.
"The Real Estate Help Team sold our house in 18 days and for $25,000.00 more than any other home in our neighborhood had ever sold for. His marketing really works". - Alan H.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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