Sellers

East Bay Real Estate: 2010 Update – Short Sales Replacing REO’s!

Banks do not want to repossess homes anymore! They have more bank-owned homes than they ever wanted and there are too many more foreclosures sitting in the wings . Banks have learned that a Short Sale is probably less costly in the long run and instead of taking the home back they would rather work [...]

East Bay Real Estate: Become A Buyer NOW!

Sellers need to have their homes standout from the “crowd” of similar homes currently on the market. Remember in my recent posting that Smart Sellers are on the market NOW!,  well, time is running out for Bay Area Buyers to continue getting the best buys.  Interest rates are rising, and so are home prices in [...]

California “Short Sale” Sellers Facing DISASTEROUS 2009 Income Tax!

There are tens of thousands of homeowners in California who have sold or are selling their homes for less than is owed on them to the mortgage company.  This is called a “Short Sale”. The Federal government has decided not to charge income tax on the amount of the debt that was forgiven because of [...]

East Bay Real Estate Update: 2010 Tax Incentive Windows Are Closing!

Hopefully, all of you know that the first time and second time homebuyer tax credit that the Feds have in place ends next month, April 30th! If you are thinking of buying a home in 2010 that is $800,000 or below,  the time to act is NOW!  The tax credit for first time homebuyers is [...]

The Urban Land Institute’s 2010 “Housing In America: The Next Decade”

It is important for all of us to deal with reality in the midst of one of the biggest housing crisis in decades. You know I am looking for ways to make lemonade out of lemons in all aspects of my life.  So, I don’t know how I missed this very important report regarding the [...]

2010 East Bay Real Estate Update: Mortgage Interest Rates Rising In Q2, Q3, Q4!

The $64 Billion Dollar Question is, “When will the Federal Government stop purchasing Mortgage Backed Securities?”  You may ask why this is an important question.  Well,  the purchase of MBS by the Feds is the method in which they are guaranteeing mortgages so the lenders will continue to write them – assuring the lenders there [...]

2010 East Bay Real Estate Update: Smart Sellers Are On The Market NOW!

If you are a Buyer have you noticed that there are not many houses currently on the market in the East Bay?  Inventory is at one of it’s lowest levels in the last twelve months.  And, those houses that are on the market are not that spectacular.  What typically happens in the yearly real estate [...]

2010 East Bay Real Estate Update: Challenges Facing $1 Million+ Buyer/Sellers

As you have discovered over the years, Jim Walberg is one of the most positive people around.  So, this report is not about positive or negative, it is about reality.  There are still some significant hurdles for Buyers and Sellers to climb over in 2010 in the East Bay real estate markets.  The past two [...]

East Bay Real Estate: 2009 Fourth Quarter Can = BIG Results!

For the past 20+ years Jim Walberg has followed the advice of his mentor given him in 1989, “Why not have the fourth quarter be your BIGGEST real estate sales quarter each year?”  That advice was given without me understanding that it was contrary to the belief of most Realtors in our region.  If you [...]

September U.S. Home Sales UP 9.4%! An East Bay Real Estate False Indicator?

Jim Walberg states that all real estate is local, remember? The Bay Area home sales for September were up 8.4%.  It doesn’t matter what the National averages are, it only matters what the stats are in our local market.  And within our local markets are niche markets.  Do you really care about what the statistics [...]

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