Robert Savage - Bakersfield short sales, property management, cash offers

Want to find out what school district a Bakersfield CA home is in?

The most reliable resource is the SAG guide at http://www.bcsd.com/stories/storyReader$348. This is a fairly large pdf download.

Open the attached pdf and do a search for the street name. Some streets are in multiple districts so you will need to check the addrerss range. If the address range is listed twice then that means the street is the dividing line and you will need to look at the column labeled "O/E" to determine whether the street number is odd or even. Once you find the correct line you can look at the column labeled "SGrid" near the middle. Take the number for the SGrid and scroll back to the top of the document to locate the corresponding SGrid and it will show the elementary, jr. high and high school.

Another easier option is School Site Online at http://www.schoolsiteonline.com/schoolsitelocator/?districtCode=72347. However, I am not sure how often this information is updated so use at your own risk.

This morning I will be showing homes to a long time friend.

She called yesterday and told me that after being a renter for 30+ years she is finally ready to buy a home. We have talked many times about the possibility of her purchasing a home but there was always uncertainty with regard to income, employment or other personal issues.

On her own she has sought out a lender and been pre-approved.

Her $80,000 preapproval will allow her to buy a home in Bakersfield CA and her payment will be less than the rent she is currently paying.

She has lived in her current apartment for a number of years and she has calculated that over the time she has been there she has paid her landlord $90,000. That is certainly a strong motivator to think about purchasing.

I am looking forward to our time together today.

It is never too late to become a first time home buyer.

Should I rent my Bakersfield house to a section 8 tenant?

Owners often ask me this question. Here is what I can tell you. I have rented houses under the section 8 program for 20 years. In my experience section 8 tenants tend to stay a long time. And I always tell owners that the most expensive thing you can do is have a tenant move out.

It is important to carefully screen all potential tenants, even section 8 tenants. Just like tenants out side of the section 8 program there are a variety of tenants in the program. Some are a joy to work with and some are a real pain. Some take good care of the properties and some not so much.

Section 8 has a strict no drugs policy. Tenants know that if they or a family member are convicted of a drug charge they will loose their assistance.

In my experience, section 8 tenants tend to see the value of their section 8 voucher and they are motivated to do whatever is needed to continue to participate in the program.

An upfront inspection of the property is required which can take a couple of weeks to schedule adding to reduced vacancy on the front end. It can also add to repair costs but the things the section 8 inspectors look for tend to be things that a conscientious owner would want to take care of anyway. An annual re inspection is also a part of the program. If the inspector finds problems caused by the tenants then the tenant is required to pay for the repairs. If the inspector finds problems not caused by the tenants then the owner is expected to pay which can increase the owner's costs but again, the items the inspector is looking for tend to be items that a conscientious owner should be taking care of anyway.

On May 3, 2011 Bob and Etta May Urquhart went in to Stuart's Oak Street Mobil station in Bakersfield and purchased a Mega Millions lottery ticket. On Thursday it was confirmed that they were the winner of the $51 million jackpot. If they choose the cash option their estimated payout is $32 million.

So what kind of house could a person buy in Bakersfield for $32 million?

They answer to that question is "pretty much anything they want."

Bakersifeld is one of the most affordable cities in California. Our median home sales price is currently hovering around $120,000.

Currently there are seven homes listed on the Bakersfield MLS for over $1,000,000.

What kind of home in Bakersfield sells for over $1,000,000? Our highest priced current listing is 14009 Yokuts Lane. This is a 6100 square foot home located on 1.35 acres on the Kern River. It features 5 bedrooms, 5 baths and a guest house.

In the past year there have been four sales reported in the mls over $1,000,000. The highest sale reported was 2902 Cormier Dr. located in the Seven Oaks neighborhood of south west Bakersfield. This home has over 5100 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths and an office.