August 31, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Check out the Suprising Results: Has your home’s value gone up or down? Depends on where you live!

All real estate is local. Okay, yes, we are all affected by national and international economics, such as the recent credit crunch. BUT, how we are affected depends on where we live. California is not equal. San Francisco is not Fresno. Alameda is not Albany. And so on. Want to know how your City and County faired this year over last. Check out the attached PDF with the Median Home Sales Price July 2007 compared with July 2006. The results are surprising… San Francisco City and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic News & Market Updates, Home Selling, Real Estate Investing, San Francisco Real Estate
August 17, 2007 by Leave a Comment

5 Powerful Homebuying Strategies for San Francisco Homes, Lofts, Condos, & TICs: Part 4

Don’t Be Pushed Into Just Any House… Your agent should show or highlight every property available that meets your requirements. Don’t make a decision on a house until you feel that you have seen enough to pick the best one. For some people, this means seeing 5 properties while for others, it means 20. Just be aware that San Francisco is a competitive and active market. If you wait too long or are too picky, you may very well lose the right home for you. Often, it takes more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Buying, Real Estate Financial Knowledge
August 13, 2007 by Leave a Comment

Wanna Win Ben Stein’s Money? Follow His Sage Advice!

Tired of the Chronicle’s gloom and doom? Want a different perspective? Check out Ben Stein’s column, “Everybody’s Business,” from yesterday’s New York Times. Entitled, “Chicken Little’s Brethen, on the Trading Floor,” Ben Stein follows the panic around Wall Street, Main Street, and yes folks, our own San Francisco Streets! “This economy is extremely strong. Profits are superb. The world economy is exploding with growth. To … [Read more...]

Filed Under: San Francisco Real Estate
August 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment

5 Powerful Homebuying Strategies for San Francisco Homes, Lofts, Condos, & TICs: Part 3

Play the Game of Nines! Before house hunting, make a list of 9 things you want in your new home and 9 things you do not want. I call this “Nine of This and None of That.” You can use this list as a scorecard to rate each property you tour.   The house, loft, condo or TIC with the most things you want, wins! Why bother making this list? Having a concrete list you can refer back to helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective as you compare homes. You may see … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home Buying, San Francisco Real Estate
August 9, 2007 by

Mortgage Crunch & What it Means for San Francisco Buyers

Right now, there are a lot of headlines a lot regarding the mortgage meltdown. What’s hype, what’s not? In general, I stick to my usual soap box of don’t believe everything you read and proceed with rational observance b/c “If it bleeds, it leads.” (In case you are wondering, I welcome you taking my opinions with a grain of salt too! I am educated, aware, and in the trenches though I certainly don’t know it all and am only one person with an opinion.) What’s happened? In … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic News & Market Updates, Home Buying, Real Estate Financial Knowledge, Real Estate Investing