Isi Wu's Blog » eastbay http://isiwu.com Realty World - Blue Property Group Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:35:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Are Your Sure Your Realtor is Licensed??… http://isiwu.com/2012/02/01/are-your-sure-your-realtor-is-licensed/ http://isiwu.com/2012/02/01/are-your-sure-your-realtor-is-licensed/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:35:36 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=1291
Logo of the National Association of Realtors.

HELLLOOOO My Most Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area!!…  The “Question of the Day” is … Are you sure your realtor is licensed to do business?

Most sellers, buyers, soon to be in the market consumers and yes even fellow realtors probably don’t think too much about the licensing status of the agents they work with! And we all should know!! In fact its crucial to know… why would you work with someone who isnt licensed, why would you work with someone who has been disciplined or has complaints placed on his/her record?… As with everything else in life we must scrutinize the who, what and whys which includes “making sure your realtor is licensed and current” when it comes to working closely with that person regarding your home or any kind of property and where a huge amount of your life and money  is involved… Use a Licensed Realtor!

Jim Malmberg wrote a very insightful article on why its important to know the status of the realtor you work with…please take a minute to read it… and enlighten yourselves… http://bit.ly/A5hHlw

(the DRE – Department of Real Estate License Lookup link is inside Jim’s article… its FREE to use…do yourselves a favor and do this…)


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]]> http://isiwu.com/2012/02/01/are-your-sure-your-realtor-is-licensed/feed/ 2 Latest Housing Snapshot for you… http://isiwu.com/2011/08/04/latest-housing-snapshot-for-you/ http://isiwu.com/2011/08/04/latest-housing-snapshot-for-you/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:58:50 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=1191  HELLLOOOO My Ever Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area… here’s some interesting stats for you regarding housing activities in the following counties….they may give you a better insight as to what the average List prices are in high and low price points … Enjoy!!

 

I hope you will find the following snapshot of local Real Estate   
inventory interesting. The table represents aggregated values based on 
MLS data for the specified date.     
Housing Inventory Snapshot  July 28, 2011
  Average List Price Median List Price Average Days On Market
Santa Clara County, CA
Single Family under $1M $592,091 $580,000 69
Single Family over $1M $2,302,785 $1,650,000 77
Condo/Townhome under $600K $346,370 $349,000 75
Condo/Townhome over $600K $746,892 $708,000 67
San Mateo County, CA
Single Family under $1M $614,943 $588,888 74
Single Family over $1M $2,806,758 $1,728,000 80
Condo/Townhome under $600K $370,848 $359,900 88
Condo/Townhome over $600K $779,907 $719,000 65
Santa Cruz County, CA
Single Family under $1M $563,733 $559,000 79
Single Family over $1M $1,952,887 $1,645,000 108
Condo/Townhome under $600K $353,149 $333,703 107
Condo/Townhome over $600K $800,226 $759,000 120
Monterey County, CA
Single Family under $1M $449,639 $375,000 87
Single Family over $1M $3,139,852 $2,195,000 125
Condo/Townhome under $600K $310,009 $279,000 80
Condo/Townhome over $600K $1,074,440 $897,000 111
San Benito County, CA
Single Family under $1M $363,682 $319,900 92
Single Family over $1M $1,983,890 $1,500,000 199
Condo/Townhome under $300K N/A** N/A** N/A**
Condo/Townhome over $300K N/A** N/A** N/A**
Alameda County, CA
Single Family under $1M $439,582 $400,000 77
Single Family over $1M $1,861,976 $1,498,000 87
Condo/Townhome under $600K $272,242 $249,000 85
Condo/Townhome over $600K $757,419 $699,000 61
Contra Costa County, CA
Single Family under $1M $389,133 $314,900 77
Single Family over $1M $1,930,678 $1,450,000 113
Condo/Townhome under $600K $228,331 $177,000 88
Condo/Townhome over $600K $718,012 $679,950 82
       
If you know someone who is considering buying or selling a home, please 
give me a call. I will provide professional & courteous service along with 
knowledgeable guidance through the process.   
       
]]> http://isiwu.com/2011/08/04/latest-housing-snapshot-for-you/feed/ 0 Your Own Real Estate… http://isiwu.com/2011/05/16/your-own-real-estate/ http://isiwu.com/2011/05/16/your-own-real-estate/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 18:05:43 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=1166  

HELLLLOOOO… Good Day to All My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area!!… Real Estate will always be in our lives… no matter how you look at it… we all have something to do with real estate…  we all need it, use it and live in it everyday… so why not strive to make it something you can call your own??… I’d like to be first in line to apply for the job of helping you get there…  I am proud to submit as part of my qualifications the following… (please also refer to my testimonial page for your consideration…)

“I have been a realtor in Northern Arizona for the past 25 years.  When my daughter told me that she was thinking about buying a home in the Bay Area, the first thing I said to her was “Find a good realtor. One that you like and can work with and someone who has lots of experience and knows the market. ” She did just that when she found Isi Wu.  Isi was the perfect realtor for her. She found her a loft that she absolutely loves (one that she might never have found on her own) and that she could afford.  Isi negotiated a great price and took care of  all the details all along the way right up to closing.  She also found a mortgage broker who worked long and hard to get the financing done and closed the loan even before the close of escrow date.  For a first time home buyer, Isi’s expertise and professionalism were invaluable. 

Cheryl K

 

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2011/05/16/your-own-real-estate/feed/ 0 Buying a Condo in Berkeley or Oakland… http://isiwu.com/2011/03/06/buying-a-condo-in-berkeley-or-oakland/ http://isiwu.com/2011/03/06/buying-a-condo-in-berkeley-or-oakland/#comments Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:07:57 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=1046
  
  
 
 
 
HELLLLOOOOO My Wonderful, Beautiful Bay Area!!… Good Day to you… today I have another question and answer regarding buying  a condo in Berkeley or Oakland, CA… I hope my response is helpful for any of you who may be considering a purchase no matter what the price range or location…
  
Question… Where is a good place to look for a condo in Oakland or Berkeley for less than $300,000??
I would like to be in an area close to BART (preferably walking distance), reasonably quiet but has lots of places to walk to (and where I will feel safe walking around), and will be in an up-and-coming neighborhood as far as property value. I do not want a fixer-upper.
 
I’ve seen some places in the Adam’s Point, Uptown, Jack London Square, Harrison St.,and Downtown areas that look good on paper at least, but I don’t know too much about them. Any advice?
asked by Krabappel… Just looking…94117
 

 

BEST ANSWER

Hello… These days its very possible to purchase a nice little place with the parameters you’ve listed… the areas you listed are some of the more popular areas to purchase in but not necessarily the only areas… when you look in the more desired areas you may end up in multiple offer situations (especially in the price point you’re looking at)…as well as other things to consider…Price points are naturally key but not the only criteria you should consider… you didnt mention how many bedroom/baths/sq.ft. you require… First and foremost I would suggest getting pre-approved for a loan before you do any looking… feel free to contact me if you’d to discuss your options further…
Cheers…
Isi

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2011/03/06/buying-a-condo-in-berkeley-or-oakland/feed/ 0 Please Consider Me for the Job! http://isiwu.com/2010/10/30/please-consider-me-for-the-job/ http://isiwu.com/2010/10/30/please-consider-me-for-the-job/#comments Sun, 31 Oct 2010 06:40:53 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=914
Alway's real estate agent, c. 1913

HELLLOOOOO My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area!!… Are you looking for a realtor to work with?… I’d surely like to apply for the job!… I love this job I do and the very best compliment is to have Happy Satisfied Clients!… The best way for you to get an idea of how I work would be to hear it from my clients… so yes I’m toooooting my own horn…

Mike and Nicole just sent this one today…  and I’m very proud to share it with you…

Isi is very professional and personable.  Being property virgins, she was able to point us in the right direction as to the reality of where and what we could afford.  She kept a close eye on our wants vs. our needs and kept us in tune.  If an opportunity came about, she was quick to notify us and was always willing to speak to us after hours.  After the close of escrow, we found some issues with our new place.  Instead of washing her hands of it, Isi was on top of it and ready to battle the previous Realtor, Owner, and HOA. We are very happy with Isi’s efforts and would recommend her to anyone looking to sell or purchase a home.  She also lined us up with great Mortgage and Title companies too. 

Mike and Nicole

If you’d like to see more Client Comments… please go to “Testimonials Tab” … It would be my pleasure work to with you… Please call or email me anytime… we can discuss what you’d  like to do and decide the options available to you.

Please Consider Me for the Job!!

Thanks for checking in…

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay!

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2010/10/30/please-consider-me-for-the-job/feed/ 11 Foreclosures Halting… Now What??!!!@#$%^&* http://isiwu.com/2010/10/12/foreclosures-halting-now-what/ http://isiwu.com/2010/10/12/foreclosures-halting-now-what/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:09:01 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=866
Half million dollar house in Salinas, Californ...

Image via Wikipedia

 

HELLLLLOOOO My Wonderful – Beautiful Bay Area… The news is out… A number of major banks have volunteered to temporarily suspend foreclosures in 23 states and Bank of America is temporarily suspending foreclosures nationwide…

This situation is changing daily… this is just part of what we know so far… so far only Bank of America has extended its foreclosure moratorium to California, where the vast majority of foreclosures are conducted without a court order… the other 22 states are processed through the court system.  However non-judicial foreclosures in California do have legal requirements that lenders must follow… Other lenders and servicers placing foreclosure moratoriums are… Goldman Sachs Group Inc’s Litton Loan Servicing, Ally Financial Inc’s GMAC Mortgage unit, JPMorgan Chase and PNC Financial… please keep in mind they are only Temporarily halting the foreclosure process until they have reviewed whether some lenders/servicers were following correct procedures prior to foreclosing on properties.  This is all taking place voluntarily there has not been any mandates by either State or Federal entities. The bigger question is… just how long will it really take to straighten this mess up??!!!

The immediate impact of this moratorium on your transactions may cause delays and may even remove the listed foreclosures.

Lets all hope these latest events will be resolved swiftly to minimize the impact on our housing market in the Bay Area!

Stay tuned in and check back for updates as they become available…

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay!

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2010/10/12/foreclosures-halting-now-what/feed/ 0 Taxes Due IRS… Short Sales and even Foreclosures… http://isiwu.com/2010/06/19/taxes-due-irs-short-sales-and-even-foreclosures/ http://isiwu.com/2010/06/19/taxes-due-irs-short-sales-and-even-foreclosures/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:23:56 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=762
Seal of the United States Internal Revenue Ser...
Image via Wikipedia

 

Greetings My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area!!…  Today I want to revisit what can happen to you if you enter into a Short Sale or if the Bank Forecloses on your property and sells it.

There is NO FREE LUNCH when it comes to the IRS… whenever your home is sold… whether by regular conventional means or if you sold your home at a loss and you paid the difference or by short sale approved by the Bank or involuntarily by foreclosure… be warned you may be subject to taxes!

It doesn’t seem fair and what’s worse… you may not even find out that you owe taxes until the day you open your mail and find a 1099.

The IRS has tax rules for foreclosures or repossessions by lenders of homes belonging to owners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.  There can be severe and unexpected tax consequences for any owner who simply walks away just because he or she has little or no equity and the lender takes over and sells the property.  When a mortgaged property is foreclosed or repossessed and the bank re-acquires it or the bank knows the owner abandoned the property… the bank will send Form 1099 to the owner and the IRS… it will include the foreclosed bid price, the actual debt (loan) amount and the amount short of the debt amount… that amount will be taxed as ordinary income… the same as for your salary.

Sellers of residences acquired within the past two years or so are going to incur losses.  Even assuming no price declines, losses will result because of expenses for real estate brokers, lawyers and the like.  Sellers will not be able to deduct those losses… it makes no difference that they are forced to sell because of ie)… job changes or health reasons.

**  There’s also information floating around that Banks where distressed properties have overtaken the area in certain markets…are taking steps where even after they approve and close a property for short sale… they will be actively tracking the owner of that short saled property over the next 6 years… during that time if their credit rating goes up and if they attempt to purchase another home they will be pursuing them for the  “short amount” they lost when they approved that person’s short sale 6 years prior… This bit of information is not fact – as of yet here in California… yet people… Everyone please do everything you can to protect yourselves BEFORE A FORECLOSURE OR SELLING… PLAN AHEAD… especially before attempting to sell on a short sale or going through a foreclosure… please get legal and tax advice… do the planning BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!…

Thanks for checking in…

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay!

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2010/06/19/taxes-due-irs-short-sales-and-even-foreclosures/feed/ 1 24 Ways to Make Quick Money When You’re Unemployed… http://isiwu.com/2010/04/09/24-ways-to-make-quick-money-when-youre-unemployed/ http://isiwu.com/2010/04/09/24-ways-to-make-quick-money-when-youre-unemployed/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:00:30 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=724  

Hello My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area… Its just a fact these days… many many people are in need of a way to earn some money for food, shelter and basic necessities… I happened to come across this article and thought it might be helpful and might shed some great ideas to keep going… at the bottom of the 24 ideas are various comments made by readers… pros and cons to ideas suggested but give it a whirl and check it out… Please share with others if you find it helpful…

http://bit.ly/bDcUW7

I wish everyone a way to find some sunshine in their lives…

Thanks for checking in…

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay!

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2010/04/09/24-ways-to-make-quick-money-when-youre-unemployed/feed/ 2 Our Wonderful Tree… http://isiwu.com/2010/03/04/our-wonderful-tree/ http://isiwu.com/2010/03/04/our-wonderful-tree/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:56:39 +0000 Isi Wu http://iwu.blogs.rwnetwork.com/?p=654 Hellooooo My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area…  All throughout the country and our neck of the woods on the west coast specifically the San Francisco Bay Area… we’ve all been experiencing some unusual weather… Any time we experience unusual times as these … it certainly causes us all some unplanned for situations…

This was our prized “shade” tree… over time & incremental weather… no more trimming back… its time to cut down and remove today… we received this tree as a little baby as a wedding favor… they asked us to plant it in our yard… we did & were amazed at its growth & majesty over the years… & enjoyed spending time under her cooling branches…we’ll miss her… Thanks for the memories our wonderful tree…

Thanks for checking in… Your comments are always welcome…

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you…

Serving clients throughout the Eastbay

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]]> http://isiwu.com/2010/03/04/our-wonderful-tree/feed/ 8 YEAR OF THE TIGER… Happy Chinese New Year… Gung Xi Fa Csai http://isiwu.com/2010/02/14/year-of-the-tiger-happy-chinese-new-year-gung-xi-fa-csai/ http://isiwu.com/2010/02/14/year-of-the-tiger-happy-chinese-new-year-gung-xi-fa-csai/#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:03:50 +0000 Isi Wu /?p=624

Good Good Day to My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area….

We have a double whammy to have a bright day today… Its a Day to Love and Be Loved and its the beginning of the Year of the Tiger!!…  The Chinese celebrate each new lunar year with an animal sign… 12 animals in all… every 12 years the same animal is welcomed for that year… there’s much meaning and celebration, optimism, hope and remembrance of the past… its a very exciting time for those whose birthdays falls within that year’s animal sign…

The Tiger is my sign… I’m very excited that its my year this year! its been 12 long years since it was the Year of the Tiger…  to make it memorable I had an opportunity to travel to the Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand and visit the Tiger Temple and commemorate this year with a foto with a Tiger!!!!!…   Very Very Special… Hope you enjoy this foto… and Enjoy this New Year along with other Tigers and myself… What sign are you?? Gung Xi Fa Csai!!… Gung Xi Gung Xi… Happy Chinese New Year to All…

Thanks for checking in… Your comments are always welcome!

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you

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