Drew Burks
By Drew Burks
2010 Real Estate Connect San Francisco
This is one event I have always wanted to attend but never have. Well, this year I made the choice to not only attend the event but to participate with my fellow YPNers during the afternoon session of Agent Reboot.
Life is what we make it and we get out of life whatever we put into it!
Anyone who has attended RE Connect in past years will most certainly tell you this event is a smart investment of your money and time, so why would you not attend?
That is a great question! I figure some of you may be on the fence about whether or not you should take the time away from family and work, or to spend the money just to attend this three-day conference, so I came up with the following for you to consider …
… 3 reasons not want to attend the 2010 RE Connect SF event July 13-15 Continue reading »
Heather Soldonia
By Heather Soldonia
In the spirit of October and Halloween, I think it’s a perfect time to discuss the many superstitions, beliefs, and practices held by home buyers (and sellers). As I’ve implied before, the San Francisco Bay Area is a cauldron pot of ancestries, religions, family, and marital statuses. But with that diversity there is a cobweb of belief systems and practices.
Examples of Taboo Features:
Structural
- Home (or front door) faces North– doesn’t encourage harmony, natural flow, warmth, protection, etc. as it would if it were facing other directions.
- Staircase (or backdoor) visible from front door – means any good fortune in the home will quickly flow out.
Conceptual
- Death in home – the person’s spirit may still remain in the home.
- Numbers in address or purchase price are unlucky – 4 and 13 are unlucky, or any number ending with a downward stroke (1,4,7,9).
Determine the Root: Continue reading »
By Heather Soldonia
Heather Soldonia
The San Francisco Bay area is known for being progressive. In San Francisco we have more than 40 LEED-registered municipal projects in the pipeline, real estate agencies who promote themselves exclusively as “green” and (did I forget to mention…) Berzerkeley.
As real estate agents we use a lot of paper, electric, and energy resources. The following are things you can do to be more environmentally conscious and promote yourself as an Ecopreneur:
By Heather Soldonia
Heather Soldonia
Despite the condition of the nation’s real estate market, California still holds some of the strongest property values in the country.
Forbes Magazine recently released its annual article of America’s 500 Most Expensive Zip Codes. And it’s actually easier to identify which San Francisco Bay area towns aren’t listed. The median home price in Sunnyvale (#498) was $499,000 and the median home price for Atherton (#2) was $3,850,000.
Simply put, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the toughest housing markets for first-time home buyers to break into. Entering this market requires strategy. It’s not for the faint-of-heart and it’s not for the uninformed.
The following are things I believe will help your clients succeed in this, and any market:
- Manage your clients’ expectations.
- Get them pre-approved before you show them a $700,000 home when they are only approved to finance a $500,000 home.
- Remind them that their first home DOES NOT NEED TO BE THEIR DREAM HOME!! It is just a step to get them in the game.
- Direct them to ethical mortgage brokers.
- The Life of the Loan is the most important aspect to consider. If they have no intention to grow old in this starter home, it’s not imperative to obtain a conservative loan.
- Creative Financing is what will get them into a $500,000 home here. It’s important that you direct them to someone who will educate them about the financing process and potential problems so that they can make informed decisions.
- Suggest Home Buyer Programs.
- Local Programs: http://www.hud.gov/local/ca/homeownership/prgmscity.cfm
- State Programs: http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homebuyer/programs/index.htm
- Federal Programs: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/index.html
Heather Soldonia is a Broker/REALTOR® in the San Francisco Bay area with Windermere Welcome Home. She can be found at www.heathersoldonia.mywindermere.com.
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