Roger Clark

With our alliance with Restoration Hardware, we are allowed to offer the “Friends and Family” of Dublin Ranch Lifestyle the 20% discount offered by Restoration Hardware this coming weekend. This discount includes to both sale and non-sale items.

Owners of Dublin Ranch homes can receive this discount at the Danville store this weekend only; store hours are Friday and Saturday from 9am – 8pm , Sunday from 10am-5pm. You will need to fill and bring this coupon with you.

Think of how much it must cost to build a new-home subdivision. Start to finish, the costs must be endless. Still, there’s a reason why builders do it and make a ton of cash -- the profit centers are endless as well! Some buyers in Dublin Ranch are savvy enough to know what real estate fees are typical. Unfortunately, most people who are buying new construction get the short end of the stick.

Here’s an example: in Dublin Ranch, the buyer normally pays their own title and escrow fees. In this market if a seller really wants their home sold they will likely pay these fees and maybe even buy down the rate of your loan; you just have to have an agent with enough guts to ask. If I’m representing a seller and the buyer wants my seller to pay these fees, I normally stipulate that my seller gets to pick the title company. That seems fair right? If YOU are paying, YOU want to choose who YOU are paying.

That’s not how a new home builder sees it. Their agreements often stipulate you will use the title company they choose, and that you will pay all the title and escrow fees surrounding the sale. What’s worse is the title company they often use is First American Title Company, New Homes Division. In all the transactions I’ve done, I have found them to be the most disorganized, and most expensive, company out there. You probably won’t get out of using them, but you can definitely escape paying their astronomical fees. Plus, if you use me, you’ll have an agent who stays on top of them to assure a smooth transaction.

Before you go looking at new homes in Dublin Ranch, let’s talk. It’s not worth it to go it alone and because my commission is paid by the builder my services, for you, are free of charge. Give me a call today at 925.230.8375 or send me a message.

Many times, when faced with financial difficulties, the easiest reaction is to avoid the issue. We stop answering the phone; we quit checking the mailbox. Some people with Dublin Ranch real estate have simply given up and moved on, leaving behind a home for their bank to foreclose and a dead lawn for their neighbors to enjoy. Know this: giving up is not your only option. Your lender does not want to foreclose, and they want YOU to stay in your home if at all possible.

I was reminded of these facts by a commentary I read this morning on CNN.com by Gail Cunningham, Senior Director of Public Relations for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). If you are struggling to make the mortgage on your Dublin Ranch home, condo or townhome, or even if you are behind several months on your payment there is help, and there are options, for you. Take a couple minutes to read this article.

The biggest thing I wanted to share is how important it is to act now -- stop procrastinating. Call your lender and tell them you're in trouble, that you want to pay, but that you need help. The longer you wait, the less options you have because the process can take several weeks. They should renegotiate your loan; they should work on your behalf, but if they don't, email me and I can help you find someone to help you.

New Home Builders do not use this form; instead, they write their own. Well, not them, technically, it’s worse -- their attorneys write it for them. Then the Agreement has to be approved by the California Department of Real Estate. Let me ask the obvious question: when an attorney is hired to write a contract, to whose advantage do you think that agreement is written? I’ll give you a hint -- it’s not to yours.

“Well they can’t be that different!” I hear you saying; respectfully, I disagree. Here’s the reality: the C.A.R. Purchase Agreement is eight pages long, a New Home Builder contract can be over 30 pages long!

Because I help people in Dublin Ranch buy and sell real estate all the time, I can read through contracts and instantly fish out the cruddy stuff. In this market, everything is negotiable. I know what’s typical in our area and will help you negotiate a better deal.

Because my commission is paid by the builder, this is a FREE service to you! Give me a call today at 925.230.8375 or shoot me an email.

In real estate, “Months of Inventory” is a measurement used to determine the “velocity” of the the market. The measurement is made by taking the number of homes on the market in a given month and dividing it by the number of homes that sold in that same month. This information tells us whether the market favors buyers or sellers, and how strongly it does so.

As a general rule of thumb, between three and four months’ inventory is considered a market that favors neither buyers nor sellers, while four or more months is considered a buyer’s market. From the above chart, you can see that the market for Dublin Ranch condos and townhomes was at its slowest in November last year, and it seemed to hit its maximum speed in June ’08.

Home prices aren’t what they used to be, but a well-priced condo will sell -- even in this market! If you are thinking about putting your townhouse on the market, don’t miss the great tips in our Special Report How to Sell Your Home in a Buyer’s Market (and Get the Best Price Faster than Anyone Else Around!). To receive your free copy, just send us an an email that includes your mailing address.