From the moment we get out of bed to the time we come back to sleep, we make decisions that affect our climate and increase the carbon emissions that contribute to the greenhouse gas effects that are causing our climate to change. What is the amount of land and ocean area required to sustain YOUR consumption patterns and absorb YOUR wastes on an annual basis?
Almost every activity in our lives has an effect in our planet’s climate. The choices we make in our homes, when we travel, the food that we eat, what we buy and throw away, they all leave behind our very personal carbon footprint that could affect the world climate for future generations. The USA National Average for a 2 person household is 53 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year. The world average is only 11 tons per year, what is yours? What is YOUR impact in this earth? Use this Carbon Footprint Calculator and find out where you stand.
Making environmentally friendly home improvements not only beautifies the house but also adds to its value. It is a win-win for everybody, your house will have a better return on your investment and you will be helping to save the planet. Here is a list of simple items that can be accomplished very easily:
As you see, you can reduce your personal environmental impact by making a few simple chang
es in your everyday behavior. Your efforts plus mine multiplied by many others will make a big difference in the fight to slow climate change.
YOU have the power to change the world! Even to the end when you can choose to be buried in an Ecoffin, a unique casket made from naturally hardened 100% recycled paper to make a graceful exit… and a final contribution to the planet, way to go...! Bravo!
With the number of people displaced by foreclosures and short sales, the real estate rental market is very active. Scamers have taken notice and are out there trying to extort money from renters. This is not a new trend, as a matter of fact this is not the first time I have had one of my listings taken over, pictures and all, posted on Craig's List as a bargain rental. When I start getting phone calls from renters on my listings I know someone is trying to extort money from them using my listing ads.
In a recent episode, I went to Craig's List and looked for the ad. Sure enough, there it was, my pictures and my description of the house, address and all. The rent was very low which explains the number of calls. I decided to send an e-mail and ask to be considered as a tenant. I filled out a simple questionnaire and gave my real e-mail address, I promised to pay up to 3 months in advance if I was chosen as the tenant. The landlord explained in an e-mail that he and his family were in Lagos, Nigeria on an assignment from their church and won't be coming back for about a year.
The response was quick and I was offered the house for rent, the landlord asked that I send the $850.00 first month rent only, and that I could send the second months rent the following week and then the third month on the third week. The reason, I learned later, is that there is a process where if you send more than a $1,000 via Western Union you will need to fill out a few tax forms and this transaction could be flagged. These people know the rules about international wires and their limits and conditions, you can tell they have done this many times over.
I responded that my wife wanted to see the house before signing the rental agreement which the landlord said will be sent with the keys as soon as he gets the money. We even suggested that we could call the Realtor and ask him to show us the house. An immediate explanation come back saying that they wanted to sell the house but they had changed their mind and had not told the Realtor yet. We were warned NOT to talk to the Realtor at all.
Playing along with the conman I ask if we could see pictures of the inside of the house and since he had said he will come and visit us, we wanted to see pictures of him and his family too. A set of very nice pictures of a newer home arrive, and also a family shot of a Caucasian family, including 2 small children. Very detailed steps were sent to us about how and where to send the money. We insisted on seen the rental agreement first, within minutes a California Rental Agreement was sent, I was surprised to see how accurate the legal the document was. We agree to send the money as instructed.
Within the next two days the conman send us e-mails asking if we had sent the money. We told him we did, but also told him that we had gone to the house and saw the Realtor and had an opportunity to see the house, we confided that we had left a back door opened and that we planned to take possession of the house within the next day or so.
Our conman insisted that we give him the 10 digit number for the wire, we did, he become frustrated because no such number existed and demanded to see a copy of the wire transfer, we told him we were already in the house and planned to have a BBQ the next day. But with the moving we could not remember where the receipt was... but that we were enjoying his house.
His frustration grew and he become rather hostile, while he wanted to know if we had followed his wire instructions step by step, we kept telling him about the colors we were thinking of painting different rooms in the house! I think that at one point he knew he had been duped and asked if we were playing with him and taking him for a fool, we quickly confirmed his suspicions and told him that his e-mail has been blocked and he will never be able to communicate with us anymore.
All I wanted to know is how far these people go to steal money from potential renters, obviously they know how international wires work, how much money is allowed to be sent without arousing suspicions from the financial entities, and what the process entail.
This process created by others on the other side of the world bring unnecessary attention to a house for sale by people that will not be buying, once their money is taken, they might even come to the seller to find answers as to why they lost their money. Renters be aware: DO NOT SEND MONEY OVERSEAS, YOU'LL NEVER GET IT BACK. If there is a for sale sign, call the Realtor and get some answers!
One of the most difficult parts for a Professional Realtor to do is to have the buyer write an offer to buy a house on an "as-is" condition without asking the seller to do any repairs at all. The obvious fear of having to spend money fixing items that they did not expect is a reason why home buyers are reluctant to pay full price on a house they have not inspected, but inspecting a house prior to buying it is not a feasible possibility either.
But when the buyer is competing with others for the same house, an "as-is" clause on his contract will make a huge difference for the seller when choosing which offer to accept. The seller will always take that offer instead of one that has an inspection contingency. 
Most properties on the market have some deferred maintenance, especially listings that are in foreclosure or bank-owned, home buyers would like to know what the true condition of the property is before they buy it, hence the inspection period of about 10-15 days from the moment the offer is accepted. Here is where the seller can speed up the sale of the house by getting a complete home inspection before putting the house on the market.
If the buyer reads the home report before writing the offer, then he can waive the inspection period and speed up the closing. These reports should be offered at the property so the buyer can examine them while looking at the house. I suggest EVERY HOME SELLER take the following steps BEFORE the house goes on the market:
Buyers will pay better prices for properties that are in good condition and only a recent full inspection report from a Professional Home Inspection Company can tell them that. The cost in the San Francisco bay area for a home and a pest control reports is around $550. If the property is in good condition and those reports confirm that fact, the buyers will probably pay good prices and haggle less.
The buyer of course reserves the right the call his own inspections. This is when the professionalism of the home inspection company the seller chooses comes into place. It must be reliable, stable and professional enough to stand scrutiny. After 25 years of experience I use one of the most Professional companies I know out of Walnut Creek, CA. 1 (800) 466-2466 National Building Inspectors. The photos in this post are from an actual report from NBI. Buyers: don't go at it alone, this company will be your best ally when purchasing a home.
Antonio & Alexia Cardenas, "The Realtors In Motion" CRS, GRI, E-Pro Certified. Serving the East Shores of the San Francisco Bay. Alameda and Contra Costa counties; San Leandro, Castro Valley, Oakland, Hayward, Pleasanton, Dublin. Visit us on line at: www.listedbyantonio.com Call us, we'll come and TANGO with you! (510) 326-4263
Bay-O-Vista Neighborhood is located in the rolling hills east section of San Leandro. This is generally the most expensive area in this town of only 75,000 people. Situated right in the middle of the San Francisco bay, it has easy access to the Bay the San Mateo and the Dumbarton bridges. Only 20 minutes to downtown San Francisco, 10 minutes to Oakland International Airport and 45 minutes to San Francisco Airport.
Bay-O-Vista offers homes that are very spacious, typically ranchers with an average of about 2,200 square feet mostly in one level, most homes here have at least 3 bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two fireplaces and a spacious 2 car garage and boast very generous sized lots. The streets are wide and the views are impressive. There is no public transportation in this area, nor miradors or places for the general public to come and enjoy the views of the bay, this helps keep Bay-O-Vista a very quiet, and low traffic area.
The most impressive part of Bay-O-Vista are the panoramic bay views, in the distance you can see the bay and in a clear summer night, (like in the picture below) you get presented with a show of lights at dusk, sunsets are the best part of the day for the views. At the back of the hill, the views are of the park and the lake.
The natural boundaries of Bay-O-Vista are; on the west side Highway I-580 and on the east side Anthony Chabot Park. On the South is the border with Oakland. Bay-O-Vista Family fitness, Tennis and Swim Club located right in the neighborthood gives preference to those who live in the area. The location is ideal for those sports aficionados, there are within walking distance a semi private park and picnic area at the end of Estudillo Avenue, hiking trails, fishing and boating are offered by the Chabot Park year round.
The real estate in Bay-O-Vista maintains very good values, most of these homes are either custom or semi custom with a bevi of features that are very unique. There is a mansion that has 6,700 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms, 2 kitchens, family and rumpus rooms plus an indoor swimming pool with a retractable roof, topping that with a beautiful view of the bay and the San Francisco skyline. As of mid 2009 this home was on the market for only $1,400,000. This is only one of the many custum homes that are very unique to this great area.
Most of the people who are the original owners bought their lot and had the house built to their specifications. Bay-O-Vista residents are very proud of their neighborhood. It is by far the very best area to live in San Leandro. Call, us, we would love to take on a tour of available homes for sale in Bay-O-Vista.
The process of sale of real property through Probate Sale with Court Confirmation is a court regulated series of steps that must be clearly and carefully managed. The deadlines are unforgiving, the documentation is specialized, the time elements are critical and the court's oversight must be honored at all times by all parties.
If you bought a house with a tag that reads: "Probate Sale with Court Confirmation" required. What is the one question you don't want to hear at the court confirmation hearing? Are there any over bidders? After being in escrow for 30-45 days, having your loan approved, maybe even having the moving van packed and ready, someone might stand up in court to answer that question and buy the same house on the spot, or at least make you pay more for it. Being ready to deal with this situation could bring this type of purchase to a happy ending.
A Probate sale is a legal proceeding used to liquidate and settle a person's legal and financial affairs after death. Here in California, these sales are conducted in the Superior Court of the decedent's county of residence at the time of death. Court confirmation is either chosen or required, there are probate sales that do not require court confirmation and are handled just like any other sale.
Why is there a Probate? How much does it cost? When does it happen? How long does it take? These are all valid questions that are better left for an attorney to answer, that is why you should not take this information as legal advise.
From the Realtor's point of view, if you see a house for sale with a label: "Probate Sale With Court Confirmation" be aware that this tag affects the offering price, the condition of sale, the paper work used and most important of all... you will not know whether you bought it or not until about 30-45 days after you get your offer accepted, and you'll need the judge's gavel to confirm that you are the new owner. Understanding the following steps ought to help you stay on course:
* The offer must be written on a Probate Purchase Agreement form. These documents clearly specifies some of the most important time elements involved, plus it clarifies the differences between 3 different Probate Sales.
* An offer on a Probate Sale with Court Confirmation must be at least within 90% of the asking price which is the Probate Referee's Appraisal Value. Offers below that will not be accepted.
* A 10% deposit must be presented with the offer; often times it must be a cashier's check issued in the name of the decedent's estate. Buyers with no down payment VA, or FHA loans with minimum down payment might not have a chance.
* Once the offer is accepted it will have a "conditional acceptance" and the time periods for physical inspections and appraisals begin at this point. After the buyer's removal of such contingencies a court date for the confirmation hearing of the sale is scheduled.
* On the day of the court hearing (which is 30-45 days after removal of contingencies), all parties must show up in court. During this hearing, the previously accepted bid may be overbid by another buyer, this interested party must appear with cashier's checks in hand and be ready to raise the price under the supervision of the judge.
* Buyers must fully understand the overbidding process, each court will handle the rules differently, but for the majority it is A) 5% above the accepted price plus $500. Or B) 10% of the first $10,000 plus 5% of the balance of the accepted offer. In each case the judge will announce the minimum amount of the overbid after that; it could be $1,000 or $10,000 depending on the price range. The winning bidder must deposit at least 10% of the final price with a cashier's check.
Any person who bids in court must make an unconditional offer. Obtaining financing or approving inspections should not be a condition of the offer. In the event the buyer defaults after a court confirmed sale, the buyer may lose the deposit. If the court confirms the sale to an over bidder rather than the original buyer, the original buyer's deposit shall be refunded.
Real estate commissions are also subject to the approval of the court, and the rules are very different and very clear. If the over bidder has a Realtor, or worse, if there are other bidders with Realtors, what happens with the commission? Is the first purchaser's Realtor entitled to a commission if his buyer is not the winning bidder? What happens if the over bidder does not have a Realtor? Once you are involved in this type of sale, either as a buyer or a Realtor, or Executor, you better know how the rules apply to you. A Realtor should encourage the home buyer to familiarize himself/herself with this process. 
Above all: AVOID THE PROBATE PROCESS... CREATE A TRUST! Sorry, I did not mean to shout! But you'll better not get caught dead without a will; your family will make you pay for it! (By not cleaning your grave yard for example)It will save them lots of time and money so have your affairs in order just in case, no matter how young or healthy you think you are. AMEN!
Antonio & Alexia Cardenas, "The Realtors In Motion" GRI, CRS. Serving the East shores of the San Francisco bay. Alameda and Contra Costa counties, particularly the cities of: San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward, Oakland, San Lorenzo, Pleasanton and Dublin. Visit us at: www.listedbyantonio.com Call us, we'll come and TANGO with you! (510) 326-4263
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Selling real estate since 1985. We are GRI CRS & E-Pro Certified. Serving the counties of Alameda and Contra Costa. We make Virtual Tours of each & every listing we take and post them on the Internet.
We are "The Realtors In Motion" our title derives from the fact that we are Amateur Ballroom Dance competitors. We love to volunteer to perform ballroom dance demonstrations around town. Since 2005 we have performed at over 200 places for free. From Schools to Boys & Girls Clubs to Senior Centers plus Fund raisers and Church Events. We even dance in the corridors of a Hospital!
We believe that competitive dancing is akin to selling real estate. Passion, rhythm, timing and etiquette, plus anticipating road blocks, accounting for everybody whereabouts starting on time and finally... finishing on time is of the essence... sounds familiar? Call us, we are ready to TANGO WITH YOU!
We specialize in the areas of Bay-O-Vista, Assumption Parish and Estudillo Estates. in the beautiful city of San Leandro. We are only minutes away from any of our clients in those areas.
Our web site is by far one of the most user-friendly web sites you'll ever see! we show you our listings without asking you for any personal information at all! Check us out at: www.ListedByAntonio.com We even hired a helicopter and a professional photographer a few years back to fly over our farm area and take pictures of the neighborhoods to use in our visual tours. We also include a picture of us in dance competition attire at the end of each visual tour. Check us out!
From a letter received 3/14/07
Wilma, age 92, had a difficult time letting go of the home that she lived in for over 50 years, not to mention all the possessions she had accumulated during that time. You worked very hard to make this transition easy for her.
You found a licensed, estate agency to sell and dispose of all her things and to clean her home. You met with her on a regular basis at her asisted living complex to keep her informed on what was happening and then you personally pick her up and took her to the necessary appointments that were needed to complete the home sale (lawyers, banks, title companies). Unbelievable!
You were always very respectful and took great care and understanding when dealing with her. Considering that I live 4 hours north of San Leandro, it was comforting for me to know that Wilma was in such trusting and honest hands. Dede Raisanen
Antonio & Alexia, I wanted to write you a quick note to let you know how much I appreciate the way you handled the sale of my parents house in Bay-O-Vista. I know it wasn't easy for you to deal with my 2 brothers and their different opinions and knew that you were not obligated to address their concerns or deal with them at all, you still did, and that helped a lot making this a smooth transition for all of us in the family, I was most impressed by your knowledge of the neighborhood and by how many neighbors were pleased that we have chosen you to sell the house. Like my mother said to me one day; this couple works like they dance! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Sandra Hurd (View Drive)
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