July 16th, 2007 Categories: Dublin Real Estate, Home Buyer Tips, Livermore Real Estate, Pleasanton Real Estate, Uncategorized
It is important to review and complete a buyer’s checklist prior to shopping for your home. Narrowing down the number of homes that meet your specific criteria can go a long way towards streamlining your home search.
Developing the parameters for your home search will also allow your professional real estate agent to gather information on the homes that fit your home search criteria and eliminate those homes that would waste your valuable time.
When you discuss the buyer’s checklist with your real estate agent, you will want to be prepared to review your “wants” versus your “needs”. For example; a need would be a minimum amount of square footage for living comfortably, and a want would be the color of carpet in the home. Think of the “needs” as necessary and the “wants” as items that possibly could change or be added later.
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 12th, 2007 Categories: Livermore Community Info, Livermore News, Livermore Real Estate
Recently, in 2006, Money Magazine named Livermore, California in the Top 100 Finalist of "Best Places to Live".
To be exact, Livermore placed 31st. Here are some of the details as reported by Money Magazine:
- The median family income for Livermore, California is $92,989 which is higher than the Best Places average of $76,893.
- Personal and property crime risk in Livermore, California is well below the National average.
- The air quality index is remarkably higher than the National average.
Certainly the average high temperature of 89.1 degrees in July and the average low temperature of 37.4 in January help to make Livermore a desirable place to call home.
As your California real estate experts, we serve the areas of Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin.
Click here to view the area map. We would be happy to assist you in making your home purchase here in one of the "Top 100 Best Places to Live".
Send us an email if you would like to see the detailed report of Livermore’s ranking on
Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live.
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 11th, 2007 Categories: Dublin Real Estate, Livermore Real Estate, Market Update, Pleasanton Real Estate, Weekly Market Updates
Weekly Commentary
We can sense a trend now. Mortgage rates are gradually rising. The number of new applications for purchase money mortgages remains relatively strong, though the multiple applications from most prospective homebuyers inflates the number of expected sales. New home sales continue to fare better, generally, than do sales of existing homes.
Let’s look at a couple of these aspects of the market a little more closely.
It is actually somewhat amazing to this observer that the Fed has remained so concerned about the possibility that inflation would rise—but it has (at least, in its public pronouncements). There is a general belief that the economy will continue to grow at an adequately rapid pace, despite the slowing of the real estate market. So far, this seems to be true. It is difficult, though, to be confident of this unless the real estate market remains fairly warm.
In the context of this belief, however, it makes sense for interest rates to climb gradually out of the deep lows they recently experienced…back to more “normal” levels. (This is all a matter of perception, of course. Bill Gross, the bond market guru, seems to be certain that the Fed will lower the fed funds rate within the coming six months, as the subprime mortgage problems continue to erode both the real estate market and overall credit quality.)
What we have to the left, in any case, are the average interest rates on mortgage loans currently being originated. It is worth reminding you that these are almost always higher than the best available rates, which are published by bankrate.com and other sources. The average rates, published by HSH Assoc., tend to be a better initial guide to the current market for potential borrowers, because they may be able to do better, whereas with the best available rates, they are very likely to face higher rates for their own loans.
As for the better sales performance from new homes than from existing homes, the fact is that builders tend to have better promotional techniques at hand for a market like this. They can offer to pay the buyer’s points, to help the buyer sell his or her own home, to throw in landscaping or carpeting for free. Notice, though, that private homesellers can do many of these things, including interest rate buydowns for their buyers. Perhaps the existing homes market would improve somewhat if private sellers studied what is working fairly well for new home builders.
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 9th, 2007 Categories: Home Seller Tips, Livermore Real Estate
Home Staging Defined
MSN Encarta defines home staging as beautifying the home for sale: cleaning, repairing, and updating the decor and furnishings of an older home to make it more attractive when shown to potential buyers
Home staging is to the inside of your home what curb appeal is to the outside of your home. By removing household clutter and arranging furniture you can highlight your home’s best features. As a bonus, you will be allowing potential buyers to subconsciously “move-in” to your home.
The company, StagingHomes.com found in a 2004-2005 survey of homeowners that staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more than homes that were not staged. It is also believed that a staged home sells faster.
Contact us for more information about home staging, or to be referred to an expert..
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 6th, 2007 Categories: Dublin Real Estate, Livermore Community Info, Livermore Real Estate, Pleasanton Real Estate
Originally settled by Costonoan Indians, this region was part of Mission San Jose. Established in 1869 by William Mendenhall, it was named for Robert Livermore, an English sailor who settled in the area in 1835.
Livermore is located in the Tri-Valley region, East of San Francisco on Interstate 580. Living here allows for easy access to the San Francisco Bay metropolitan area and the Central Valley.
The Tri-Valley area includes the cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon and Danville. Each community has its own unique flavor, from vintage main streets to restaurants and shopping.
Livermore offers community spirit and hospitality to the visitor and a tendency towards the futuristic for you as a fulltime resident. Boasting urban amenities and a relaxed California lifestyle, it’s no wonder the golden valley is a great place to call home.
For more about the lifestyle here in the Tri-Valley area,
click here.
Livermore has a rich agricultural history. Today, ranches and vineyards continue in this area. Visit our website for a
map of the local wineries and let us know if you would like to see homes for sale in Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and San Ramon.
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 5th, 2007 Categories: Dublin Real Estate, Livermore Real Estate, Market Update, Pleasanton Real Estate
Weekly Commentary
Thumbnail Sketch: Consensus forecasts are being adjusted downward—meaning that reliable, conservative economists are now expecting the real estate market correction to last longer than they thought at the beginning of this year. Specifically, these experts do not expect the market to fully bottom until the very end 2008 at the earliest, and they expect bigger home value reductions along the way.
They do not, however, expect the lengthier correction to weigh down the overall economy very much, even though the real estate market’s woes are caused largely by the unraveling of untenable subprime mortgages.
Aaron Smith and Ryan Sweet, of Moody’s Economy.com, write the following in their July 3 article, “Housing Bottom Watch”:
“May housing data generally conformed to expectations. The housing correction, which looked poised to bottom earlier this year, is back on a downward course, thanks to the turmoil in the subprime market. The correction is now expected to run another year, with sales and construction bottoming sometime very late this year. The impact of the housing slowdown on the labor market will hit full-force this summer, as job losses hit construction in greater numbers. House prices will decline on a year-ago basis through next spring, depressed by the still-high level of inventories. The peak-to-trough decline in house prices is now expected to be near 10%.”
This is difficult stuff. They add, though—“Despite the dark outlook, the housing correction will not cripple the broader economy. It will, however, limit an acceleration in growth in the second half of the year. It also leaves the Fed more likely to drop its inflation bias and take an explicit neutral stance than to signal tighter money over the 2007-08 forecast horizon.”
This doesn’t mean it’s time to hide under a rock, though. People still need to buy and sell houses. Lives change. Opportunities arise. It will just be more difficult for the number of professionals who thrived during the now-fading real estate boom to make as good a living as they did not long ago. But a more difficult time to make a living creates even richer rewards for a newly-strengthened marketing program. Now is the time to increase your market share, whatever your field. That is where opportunity lies.
We will continue to watch this evolving market closely, and to report what we see in this weekly update.
Written by John Kurtzer |
July 4th, 2007 Categories: Livermore Real Estate
Written by John Kurtzer |
June 29th, 2007 Categories: Livermore Activities, Livermore Community Info
Don’t miss the celebration!
- Live music
- Family games
- Food
…and of course, aerial fireworks show synchronized to music.
All the fun takes place on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 at Robertson Park located at 1100 Arroyo Road in Livermore. Enter on Concannon Blvd., or Arroyo Road.
The fun begins at 4 p.m. and lasts until 10:00 p.m. They close the parking lots at 8:30 p.m. unless the lots fill up earlier. The pedestrian gates will close at 9:30 p.m. and pedestrians may enter from the bike path at Arroyo Road and Chateau Way.
Admission is $10 per car load or $3 per walk-in.
See you there!
P.S. If your out-of-town guests would like to view available homes while they are here, we would be happy to help! Contact Us.
Written by John Kurtzer |
June 26th, 2007 Categories: Livermore Activities, Livermore Community Info
Come on out to the county fair!
A full 17 days of events to enjoy, bring the family for some good old-fashioned country fun.
Our county fair runs from June 22nd to July 8th, 2007.
Come see the live acts and concerts, or try your luck in the carnival midway. Concerts run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. nightly and are included in your fair admission. There’s entertainment for everyone here, from Boyz II Men to Chuck Magione.
View the list of performers and dates here.
Be sure and see the Competitive Exhibits and don’t miss the daily sign-ups for the $10,000 Putting Contest.
See you there!
If you’re considering making Pleasanton, Dublin, or Livermore you’re home, we would be delighted to assist you.
Contact us today.
Written by John Kurtzer |
June 22nd, 2007 Categories: Dublin Real Estate, Home Seller Tips, Livermore Real Estate, Pleasanton Real Estate
Is it Time to Sell Your Home?
Your home may very well be your largest single investment so when it’s time to sell, your choice of real estate agent can either make, or break the deal.
Keep in mind that the individual agent you hire is more important than the agency they represent.
Here are some quick pointers to help you make your choice:
- Look for an experienced real estate agent
- Find an agent that is devoted to real estate full time
- Seek out an agent that possess the following qualities:
- Knowledgeable
- Negotiating skills
- Loyalty
To learn more about how we can put our years of experience, top-notch negotiating skills and client loyalty to work for you, contact us today!
Curious about how much your home is worth? How about a no-obligation Comparative Market Analysis? Click here.
Written by John Kurtzer |
« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
