Posts Tagged ‘today’s market’

Problems with Real Estate Listings on Trulia…

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HELLLOOOO My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area!… Its a bright sunny day in our neck of the woods today…  I know many of you out there are searching and searching the awesome world of the internet for the best “deals” available in your chosen areas, including # of bedrooms, # of baths, square feet, space for parking your cars, space for play and gardening and the best absolute best (most rock bottom) list price possible!!… Tell the truth… you are right??  Of course you are!!… In this “down” market we’re in… why wouldnt you?… if you’ve spend any decent amount of searching online… you must also be wondering why those doggone listings at places like Trulia, Zillow etc… always have properties posted that are no longer available, have gone pending, have sold and not just sold but sold perhaps years ago, or perhaps they’re not actually on the market at all… the following is a partial explanation…

Trulia: Problems with real estate listings info are pervasive (INFOGRAPHIC) | Inman News

Source: inman.com

Survey shows accuracy is key priority for consumers, industry pros. A real estate data-quality study released by online portal Trulia found that about 69 percent of errors in online real estate listings information were directly related to third-party syndication of information by non-multiple listing service sources. The company reviewed about 1.2 million listings from about 250 data sources during the third quarter and found about 120,000 inaccuracies in listings information. More than half (51 percent) of those inaccurate listings had errors in price, 41 percent had status errors, and 8 percent had errors in both price and status.

My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area… please keep the above in mind as you search the internet … when you’re ready to make that “decision to purchase”… please do yourself a major favor and enlist the help of a Licensed Realtor who can assist you every step of the way and provide you with bonafide “real time properties for sale” … properties that best fit your parameters…

Trust me… Licensed Realtors are here to guide you and assist you in everyway possible to help you get that home you’re looking for…  you can be assured they abide by the Code of Ethics… if they belong to the NAR (National Association of Realtors)… If you dont know how to find a good licensed realtor I’ll be happy to help you find one…

Cheers to you and Happy Searching…

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This is a Great Reminder… Support Local Small Business!

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Certain Tax Deductions Are Going Away…

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HELLLLOOOO My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area… Those of you who have enjoyed taking certain deductions yearly… be forewarned… certain tax benefits will be going up up and away… (the article below comes from Inman News)… please make your notes and be sure to take what you can before they disappear…

Real Estate Tax Talk. There are several tax credits and deductions set to expire at the end of the year, and given the federal deficit problem, there’s a good chance they won’t be extended. If you want to take advantage of them, you need to act before Jan. 1, 2012. Mortgage insurance premium deduction If you itemize deductions, you may deduct the premiums you pay for mortgage insurance, just like you do mortgage interest. However, this deduction is phased out if your income exceeds certain levels. To qualify for the full deduction, a couple or a single taxpayer must have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. The deduction is phased out completely if AGI exceeds $109,000. For further details go ahead and check out the full article…click open the hyperlink below…

http://shar.es/oh6zE

Buying a Condo in Berkeley or Oakland…

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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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A Q and A…

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HELLOOOOOO…. MY Wonderful, Beautiful, Wet and Cold Bay Area!!… Today we have a Q and A for you… check it out… (Send me your questions anytime…)

QUESTION… In today’s environment (February 2011) can one purchase a home with 10% down, credit score of 740, $200,000 income and a short sale in 2009?

Asked by Donsfan – Home Buyer in Oakland – Home Buying

ANSWER… Hello… As you must know the current market is not exactly a wonderful one to be in… one would think its very much to the advantage of the buyers to be able to buy lower than ever before… because of all the challenges in the lending process these days and because of all of its ever changing requirements it can be a huge headache to maneuver through… I suggest that you connect up with a realtor who has some years of experience to counsel and guide you through what can and cannot be done… Good Luck to you… Isi

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Life in a Small House… under 100 sqft.

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HELLLLLOOOO My Wonderful Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area!!… What a beautiful day we’re having today… We’re so fortunate to live where we do… Life here is the best!!…  Today for your amusement and consideration as a possible very viable alternative to the high cost of homes as we know it… There’s big interest brewing for this option… what do you think??….

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Crime in Your Neighborhood?? Find Out Now…

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HELLLOOOOOO My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area!!… Safety- Safety-Safety… Location is a key component to how we go about our daily lives.. our Safety is right up there with Location choices… Ever want to know what kind of crimes are going on in a specific area??… search by street address, neighborhoods, sort of crimes, sex offenders…one of the better sites I’ve found is …Welcome to CrimeReports.com … easy to use and very informative… you can even sign up for email alerts for any activity in a specific area…Check it out and pass it along to your family and friends…very useful information… please give me your feedback…

Thanks for checking in… visit me again…

Isi

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay…

Isi Wu
the right agent makes all the difference
Realty World – Blue Property Group
DRE#01258838
Cell 925.997.2426
isiwu@comcast.net
www.isiwu.com

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More on the Foreclosure Situation… A Mortgage Consultant’s View…

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Helllooooo My Wonderful Beautiful Bay Area!!…

Today… we have an extension of  my posting on Tuesday October 12… Foreclosures Halting… Now What??!!!…

The breadth and ultimate effects of  this latest Foreclosure Issue may not be realized anytime soon, while we wait for more solid information to come down the pipeline etc… I thought you’d like to hear  from a trusted very experienced loan consultant and good  friend of mine, who was kind enough to share his personal perspective on the Foreclosure Situation…

(The content below is not be construed to be anything more than his own personal opinion)…

 

Hi Isi,

My personal belief is that lenders have been very patient with homeowners and to add this extra burden to already stretched banks and lending entities is simply suicidal for our economy.  Homeowners that are behind know very well they will lose their home.  Just like you and I know that on a clear day, the sky is blue.  Banks need to be able to move on their assets and eventually be solvent again.  Banks are not our adversaries.  Heavy and costly government along with the heavy and costly regulation that comes with it, is the problem. 

My business is so laden with regulation now that the average applicant is paying a higher rate and more fees to obtain the same product and the new regulations have done very little to enlighten the consumer to what they are getting.  Sadly, the only benefit the consumer has received is the privilege of paying more for the same product.

 On a different subject.  The economy starts with the consumer ( you and I and our neighbor) – not with business as these administrations keep pushing.  If the consumer has money at the end of the month and is not worried about the future and heavy inevitable taxes, then the consumer will spend which then leads to demand for services and products.  Hence employment.   The only way the consumer is going to have money to spend and feel good about the future is heavy federal and state tax cuts along with heavy government spending cuts.  If I had an extra $10,000.00 at the end of the year and I see a government heavily cutting back and behaving fiscally responsible, I might just purchase that couch we need or maybe I will get a new car.  Multiply this spending by millions and hence demand will jump, businesses will see this demand and expand hiring people and the future would be bright.

This government is poised to spend and unless you are willing to cut government way back it is useless talking about tax cuts.  So vote them out and replace them with leaders who tremble at the thought of big government and spending.  In order to prosper, government must be squeezed, regulation must be loosed, and tax burdens must be lifted.  There is no other formula for a great and prosperous America. 

 Hope this helps. 

Tom Erbil
Mortgage Broker – DRE License# 00934494

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

Isi

Isi Wu… the realtor for you!

Serving Clients All Over the Eastbay and Beyond…

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Foreclosures Halting… Now What??!!!@#$%^&*

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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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Remembering My Friend…

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Hellllooooo My Beautiful Wonderful Bay Area… How are you all doing?… Today I’d like to bring up Friend-Friends-Friendship… over the course of our lives… there are many many people that cross our paths, some touch our lives in the most unexpected ways… some we only know for a very brief period of time…  I was very blessed and fortunate to meet a woman of great warmth, care and stature but for a very brief period of time… we were only beginning to grow our friendship… this wonderful person Brigitte who always had nothing but warm loving words to share… had a very sudden illness which went into an equally sudden terminal status… was taken from her loving family and all who were touched by her in so many different ways… Brigitte was my Friend… I will miss her dearly… people who exude the warmth, care and friendship she did is sooooo rare these days… she’s someone I will keep in my heart and thoughts forever… I hope you’re blessed with a Friend like Brigitte sometime in your lifetime… 

Her loving Husband Steve told me she wept when she received her first bouquet of flowers from him… not because she didnt like them… she had never received flowers from anyone before… from then on he sent her flowers every Friday no matter what… that was the beginning of their weekend together every Friday…  What I failed to remind him is that Brigitte will always be his bouquet of  flowers… and what a bouquet she was… Cheers Brigitte!! 

Thanks for checking in…

Isi Wu…the realtor for you…

Serving clients all over the Eastbay…