Happy New Homeowners Day!

Hey, I didn’t know this was a thing! But it’s an awesome celebration of all those who are new homeowners today.

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Hey, I didn’t know this was a thing! But it’s an awesome celebration of all those who are new homeowners today. I know firsthand the long slog and the struggle in finding the right home, budgeting, getting a loan, doing all the paperwork and inspections, and then finally settling into the home of your dreams.

I am so honored to represent all my incredible clients who have recently (or ever!) taken the exciting step into homeownership. Congratulations to all of you for achieving such a wonderful milestone. And here’s to countless cherished memories in your new homes!

If you’re thinking about moving soon, give me a call. The home-selling and buying processes are not for the faint of heart, and that’s where I come in with over 21 years of experience! Whether you’re moving across town or to a whole different part of the East Bay, or even out of the area, I can help your homeownership dreams become a reality.

Happy New Homeowners Day to everyone!

Congrats on the closing!

I met Lisa and Grant in the middle of November and by the middle of January, we closed on their new home. They lived in Daly City, work in San Francisco and just had a baby and decided it was time to buy a house – the East Bay is more affordable than the city or the Oakland area.

They were initially not in a hurry, but were very active right out of the gate; then I found out that it made sense for them to purchase before Lisa’s maternity leave was over in February, thus a couple of weeks later we were in contract! There was one other offer, we got a Seller Multiple Counter and in the end their offer was accepted.

After all the inspections were completed, they received a credit and a slight price reduction because of a couple of unfinished portions of a recent remodel job. I have to give a big shout-out to Tobi, the Escrow Officer at Fidelity, on this transaction. She went above and beyond to work through a title issue. Overall, the process was smooth, JVM (the lender) was on point, and they got the house before Lisa goes back to work.

They now are in the process of doing some repairs prior to moving in and putting their personal touches on the home. They were so excited! I wish them many wonderful memories and happiness.

Congrats to my clients who bought in Pleasant Hill!

I want to congratulate my recent client Vimi and her partner Liz for closing on their new home! They celebrated in a unique, cultural way that I found really interesting and was thankful to be included in such a personal experience. As you can see in some of the pictures below this was a house blessing which they called a puja. It’s always exciting to help a client find their home, get their offer accepted, and then close. This was definitely a first; they were not allowed to move in until the blessing occurred and they spent the night in the vacant home after the blessing!

Vimi is of Indian (Hindu) descent and this is how it was explained to me: A “puja” ritual, which is performed many times to mark lifetime events (birth, wedding, new home, etc.), is not required in their religion but many do it. Some Hindus do a daily puja ritual in the home, some do it at regular temple ceremonies or festivals, and some don’t do it at all! It was a very cool spectacle to witness. We started with an incense stick, flower petals, bananas, spilled rice, boiling milk, fire, and red and yellow powders (that, when mixed with water, allowed them to mark the Om symbol on the frame of the door). There were songs and hymns, and personal prayers. A Ganesha statue was also part of the ceremony, who is the remover of obstacles. As the god of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rites and ceremonies. What a beautiful way to honor and celebrate a new home.

Everyone has their own way to celebrate buying a new home. I was honored to be a part of this ceremony, and am really happy that I was able to help Vimi and Liz find their home.

Congratulations Jose, Roxana & Sophie!!

I blogged at the beginning of the year of getting a couple into a home in 3 days [see our “Motivated Buyers” post from January 8th 2015!!]. It was a very smooth process and great experience for all with a Super Star Team from the listing agent, sellers, to JVM Lending and wonderful clients. We delayed closing by 5 days because Obama changed the law and reduced the Mortgage Insurance, since the lender is so pro-active, they called and asked if we could close a few days late to get a case number with the lower MI.

Home Sweet Home

I asked the listing agent who had to get approval from the seller. Everyone agreed, thus closing 5 days late, the buyer was able to save $200 a month! This is the third buyer who has moved from the peninsula or the city for more affordable housing after having a child.

Closing the Deal 🙂

~Kristin

Motivated Buyers

This is what happens when somebody’s rent is going up from $2500 to $2800 – why waste it on rent, when you can own…

Met clients for the first time on 12/31 @ 2:30 spoke about the market, their needs and how I work – showed them 3 properties, drove by 2. They liked one and decided to sleep on it. I got an email on 1/1 saying they would like to write up an offer. We met on 1/2 at 3:30 after I found out their lender could not do the financing.

I set them up with JVM Lending, who was so efficient and top notch, they got fully approved that afternoon, so we wrote the offer and it was ratified at 10:30 the same night – whew! I would like to do that every week. I love motivated buyers.

~Kristin

“Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.” Basho Matsuo