136-138 Pontiac St., San Leandro

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This is a wonderful story about a smart woman. My client is in her mid-20’s and an ICU nurse at Stanford. At her mother’s urging, they were looking for a duplex where she could live in one and rent the other. We had looked early last year and there wasn’t anything she liked. I got a call when I was coming back from Thanksgiving in Reno and she wanted to see this one in San Leandro.

I called and they had offers, but we could still write. It had been sitting for 44 days and was listed for $699,000 moving into the holidays when business tends to be slower and people are looking for deals. So, I dropped off my bags and dog and met her to see the duplex. One unit had had a fire and the other had tenants. The back unit was completely remodeled. Everything was brand new. They didn’t even put a mirror in the bathroom.

We wrote a bit above $700,000, but I was told the other offer was higher and we would have to go $750,000. Was the other agent not telling the complete truth? Maybe, but the comps supported it so my client wrote for $760,000 and $10,000 back for some closing costs. He like my communication and wasn’t sure about the other agent involved. So, my client got the home!

The renters in the first unit have been there many years and that one is much more of an original build (we got extra home warranty coverage on it).  There were a couple of caveats to getting this closed. We were to close on January 6, but the seller wanted to close a month later because he would have owned it one year and his tax account gave him the savings in taxes, so we agreed to that. My clients lease was up by the 20th, so my client was allowed to move in early, subject to a few conditions (including the seller paying the lock extension, which was in the $4,000 range).

The day my client moved in, I got a call that the hot water and gas stove were not working. I thought it must have been turned off at the main, but it was fully permitted and signed off on, thus the gas was working. The listing agent said it was our responsibility because we removed all contingencies. But, technically, my client didn’t own it yet (these are the pitfalls of allowing someone to move in before closing, which I typically do not recommend). We called PG&E to come check it out. Ironically, there had been an earthquake near San Leandro a week or so before my client moved in and it auto-shut off the valve (usually it takes a 5.0 earthquake or higher, which this one wasn’t, so PG&E was a little surprised it shut off).

At the end of the day, agents do a lot more than just show you homes and write offers. It takes some time to figure out who will fight for you in odd situations, who communicates well, and who has the experience to know to make the seller pay for the rate lock, for example, when it was what they needed.

If you want to work with an experienced agent, then give me a call.

Views, and more Views! in Concord!

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979 Via Montanas

I can’t get enough of this new home on Lime Ridge in Concord. My new listing is officially live and I hope you like it as much as I do! It is a single-story home on nearly an acre of land with views from the house and the yards to die for. A 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 2,310-square-foot gem going for $1.25 million. Take a look:

The home has vaulted ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, hardwood floors, and gardens, giving it a comfortable and welcoming air, perfect for hosting guests or relaxing alone. You can’t beat 180-degree vistas from your patio, with plenty of space to expand creatively with a deck, pool, or other landscaping dreams.

There are additional exterior living areas and room to add an ADU. You’re just steps from the Lime Ridge Open Space and the Contra Costa Canal Trail for miles of walking, running, biking, and hiking. You’re also just five minutes in the car from shopping and a BART station, meaning you’re all set on both tranquility and accessibility.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make this extraordinary home your own. Built in 1985, it is a sturdy and well-constructed house; move-in ready, or a blank canvas to be expanded on! Give me a call today if you are interested in touring 979 Via Montanas.

Nobody Knows Homes Better

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I work for Better Homes and Gardens, and I wanted to share their new campaign here because I think it is pretty cool! They are sharing ads like the one in the video below to encourage clients and potential clients to see why Better Homes and Gardens knows homes better, and how that can help YOU!

As an employee of Better Homes and Gardens Reliance Partners, we are the only company under the Anywhere Brand that is under the BHG umbrella and thus associated with the BHG Magazine. We got a new CEO this year named Ginger Wilcox and I have to admit she is really on point with updating the brand. The magazine is iconic and melds so nicely with real estate, thus our new tagline. I am excited what new ideas she will bring to the table. I am proud to work under this brand, I now think it is cool and promotes the lifestyle clients want to lead. We act as personal property curators. We pay attention to all the little details that make a future home a source of joy and pride, whether it’s a fixer with tons of charm and potential or a fully remodeled estate. A BHG real estate sign is a sign of a home where better living begins. 

Relocation Success: 1148 Empress Ln. (Brentwood)

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I recently had the pleasure of working with amazing relocation clients moving from Minnesota to Livermore. With only three days to find their perfect home, we toured 10 homes in a single day. It was a long day, but well worth it in the end. They really wanted a pool, and the property on Empress Ln. in Brentwood checked all their boxes.

The seller did quite a bit of work refinishing hardwood floors, replacing windows with broken seals, and painting. There was still some work to be done at the end, so we got a $15,000 credit (the water heater, for instance, needs to be replaced and there was a leak in the pool).

The biggest issue we found was that the solar was only producing about one-third of the energy it was supposed to, and the bills were still very high. We had to search high and low for someone to do an inspection on that, and someone finally come out and give us some details. Older solar panels, when you don’t know who installed it, got bought out and the owner did not have the name of the new company is never an easy task to get resolved or find someone to repair.

This was a whirlwind process from start to finish, but them through the process and working with amazing clients made it all worth it. The home is a 5-bed, 3-bath, 3,844-square foot home and they couldn’t be happier! Whether relocating or buying locally, I’m here to make your journey easy and stress-free!

Just Sold ~ 2111 Brandywine Ln.

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I first met Matt through his brother, Dean. They were on the hunt for a fixer-upper in Hayward/Freemont area and the first house we put a bid on was a probate property – a complete burnout home, listed in the low $ 400,000s. When it went to court, the bidding shot up to $747,000, which just didn’t make sense to them.

Matt (front) and Dean (gray shirt in back).

After that, I showed them several more homes, all with significant issues and price tags in the $800,000 + range. Then we found Brandywine, a house that had been sitting for six months. It came with a massive $45,000 pest report. The trim and deck were completely rotted – the original wood was cheap, and the house hadn’t been maintained (likely rented out to students at Cal State Hayward).

We got bids from contractors, ranging from $12,000-$18,000, but they ended up going with Dean’s guy. He did all the section 1 work (damage to wood), even found a bunch of termites inside the framing of one window. Now, they’re gutting all three bathrooms, painting inside and out, installing a new dishwasher, and building a brand new deck. The last sale in that development was $904,000. This home started at $908,000 but had dropped to $799,000. After some back-and-forth negotiations, Matt bought it for $750,000.

This wasn’t a flip – Matt and his family are moving in. I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

How A Second Offer Sealed the Deal in Record Time – 2126 Vaquero Way (Antioch)

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I was covering for another agent who was on vacation and got a message from someone referring Mitch and Mallory to her. With that agent unable to be there, I stepped in and showed Mitch and Mallory a house that we wrote an offer on but did not get. We went to look at another house and it all came together!

That house was 2126 Vaquero Way in Antioch. It actually had another offer on it when we arrived but we offered what was recommended (basically asking price) and ended up winning the bidding. Mitch and Mallory also got a $3,500 credit after inspections.

Luckily, Mitch is an electrician so knows many people in the trades and can do quite a bit of work himself. I’m sure they will get this place in tip-top shape for their first home! I love working with first-time home buyers and seeing all the possibilities a new home brings to people.

I’m thrilled for Mitch and Mallory on their new adventure and can’t wait to see the finished product. There is something about when a buyer is ready, they are really ready. They had been thinking about this for months and finally acted, so it’s no surprise it happened so quickly!

15 Home-Buying Myths, Busted

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I stumbled upon this Zillow article a little while back and thought it would make for an interesting rundown of things I sometimes see clients struggling with. Some of these things are simply not true. Others are exaggerated. Either way, buyers and sellers need to unlearn certain things about the real estate process before engaging in it. Read on for more.

MYTH: You need a 20% down payment. This hasn’t been required for decades! In fact, you can put as little as 3% down, depending on the loan or the location of the home.

Credit: Zillow.com

MYTH: Your pre-approval rate is the rate you’ll get when you close. Interest rates adjust every day. So, what you see at pre-approval is based on current market conditions and other factors, and it can’t be “locked in” until you sign a purchase contract with the seller.

MYTH: You should wait to buy a home until prices are lower. Buying a home after prices go up can be risky, but so can waiting. In popular neighborhoods (like many in the Bay Area), it’s often better to go for it and not wait.

MYTH: Buying a home is always cheaper and a better investment than renting. Renting a home can be cheaper than buying in many places! The benefit to owning a home, of course, is that it will appreciate over time and build generational wealth.

MYTH: You should find a home before you apply for a home loan. It’s smart to get pre-qualified for a loan. It will give you more information to shop with.

MYTH: Buying a fixer-upper will save you money. Sure, maybe on the sticker price. But fixer-uppers need a lot more than just a fresh coat of paint. Generally, there are major issues that need to be tackled, not all of which are visible up front.

MYTH: You have to get your loan from the lender who pre-approves you. No, you have no obligation to stay with the lender you start with. Shop competitive offers and find the best fit before you go under contract.

MYTH: You shouldn’t buy until you can afford your ‘forever’ home. Selling a home can be costly, but if you wait to buy until you can afford that dream home rather than invest in a starter home, you may never buy at all.

MYTH: A 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is always the best choice. Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) can save thousands of dollars of interest over the life of the loan. That’s one example. There are other options!

MYTH: You can’t buy a home if you have student loans. Actually, those loans can hurt OR help your chances of buying a home – it can boost your credit scores but it can also raise your debt-to-income ratio for approvals. Consider every angle.

MYTH: You have to pay the seller’s asking price to buy a home. Definitely not. The seller’s asking price is simply what he or she hopes you’ll pay. Offers and counter-offers will bring you to a point of agreement in the end.

MYTH: You need excellent credit to buy a home. It’s good to have good credit, but there are great home loans and rates available for people with less-than-perfect credit too.

MYTH: Fall and winter are bad times to buy a home. It can actually work to your advantage to buy a home in seasons when most shoppers think it’s “bad.”

MYTH: You cannot buy a home if you are self-employed. The rules for getting a mortgage may be different for those who receive a W-2 from their employers, versus a 1099-NEC for being a gig or freelance worker. But it won’t stop you from buying!

MYTH: All lenders are the same when buying a home. You don’t just shop houses and rates when buying a home. There are also significant differences among lenders and you should find the best fit for you!

Happy House hunting an buying a home you love. We are currently seeing many price reductions, inventory is still low, but rates have come down. Thus if you have been on the fence, now may be a great time to buy with hopefully further rate drops and you can refi at that point. When I bought the home I am currently in, the rate was 8.5%. I ended up refinancing more than 8 times and currently have a 2.75% rate. Call me if you would like to chat about buying a home.

Just Sold: 3354 Betty Ln., Lafayette

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I recently co-listed 3354 Betty Ln. in Lafayette with Rose Brudigam. It was listed at $1.35 million and sold, all cash, for $1.50 million. It had been a rental for about 20 years but was recently transferred to six siblings due to the passing of the family matriarch. They made several upgrades over the years, from shoring up the garage foundation to remodeling the kitchen to adding dual pane windows and a new electrical panel. They also painted the exterior and landscaped the front yard to be lower maintenance.

Before going on the market, though, there was still much work to be done. The interior had to be painted, new fixtures had to be added, and new sod had to be laid in the backyard. It was staged for a mid-century look. Once on the market, an agent looking to buy for herself wanted to know if we would accept a preemptive offer (this can be very confusing to sellers – trying to understand the pros and cons of looking at preemptive offers).

We opted to market with a weekend open house and mid-week broker tour before entertaining offers. The sellers ended up with a beautiful offer from a woman who thought it would be perfect for her and maybe, sometime in the future, for her daughter.

Though it all ended well, it wouldn’t be a home sale without a couple of small snafus along the way. The sod we replaced started browning on the edges, so we increased watering time for two very hot days in a row before the offer was accepted. Shortly after, we checked the house again and the sod was going brown and gophers had pushed up dirt! We found a broken timer in the sprinkler system and the sellers agreed to replace the sod again and add gopher wire underneath.

Also, when the buyer did her final walk-through, she thought there was fencing around the yard (there was some fencing, just not complete fencing). Since she has a dog, it caused some stress, so we delayed the closing by five days to get the new sod in and to get bids for a fence around the main part of the backyard. The seller agreed to split the cost of the fence with the buyer, too.

All in all, we have happy sellers and a happy new homeowner in Lafayette with a peek-a-boo view of Mt. Diablo and we couldn’t be happier for both parties!

Now Listed: 3141 Ferngrove Way (Antioch)

Welcome to your dream home on a serene, quiet street! This stellar, well-maintained property is ready to impress with its array of upgrades and features.

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Welcome to your dream home on a serene, quiet street! This stellar, well-maintained property is ready to impress with its array of upgrades and features. Enjoy peace of mind with newer dual pane windows, a fully paid-off solar system at closing, and newer A/C, heater, and ducts.

Garage doors have LiftMaster motors and battery backup. Step outside to your private oasis featuring a wisteria-covered patio, fruit and redwood trees, and an oversized, permitted shed, perfect for extra storage. The finished garage, complete with drywall and epoxied floors, adds both utility and style. 

Inside, the eat-in kitchen seamlessly flows into the family room, creating an inviting space for casual gatherings. For more formal occasions, the elegant dining area boasts vaulted ceilings. This home offers the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and charm. Don’t miss the opportunity to make it yours!

Open House Sunday 1-4 pm. See you there.

Just Listed: 1831 Jefferson St. (Concord)

Just Listed: 1831 Jefferson St. in Concord. For Instagram users: to learn more, click on the blog link in my bio.

Just listed in Concord: a 4-bed, 2-bath, 1,719-square-foot home in Bishop Estates. This beautifully-remodeled home includes a reconfigured kitchen with sleek quartz counters, a Bosch dishwasher, and a charming breakfast bar flowing into the family room.

You can entertain in style with a cozy living room and wood burning fireplace, gather for intimate meals in the formal dining room, and enjoy a true sense of community with your neighbors in friendly Bishop Estates. The primary suite offers an updated bathroom and all bedrooms offer hardwood floors.

Outside, enjoy privacy on the patio with no rear neighbors and spacious side yards. Safe, confined, and low-traffic streets make it perfect for children to ride bikes. Open Houses are occurring this weekend (April 13-14 from 1-4 p.m. each day), so come swing by!

Another bonus about Bishop Estates: it has cherished traditions of open porch nights, weekly Macaron Mondays, and events at the Cabana Club. It is suburban bliss! All of this and more for just $949,000. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in buying this wonderful home, please reach out!