Picture of the month!

I love to travel!  Here I am on Kangaroo Island waving to you from the Remarkable Rocks!  Look for a new picture next month!  Have you been to Australia?

 

Buying your first home?

Some thoughts…

 Meet with a lender to find out what price range you would qualify for and be comfortable with your monthly payments (even though you might qualify for a higher priced home).

Once you have located neighborhoods within your home price range, walk around the neighborhoods, visit them at different times, try out the commute and talk with the people who live there.

Do it Yourself Staging!

DO IT YOURSELF STAGING! 

Home staging is more than just redecoration.  Buyers want to see themselves in your home. Here are some things you can do yourself.  Start with the outside – first impressions are very important!  Clean up the yard and plant some flowers. Does the house need a fresh coat of paint – maybe just the trim or garage door?  Consider a new front door and/or new porch light. Keep the sidewalk and driveway clean and avoid any possible trip hazards.

Welcome!

 

Whether you are planning to buy your first home or your last, I hope you will find helpful information at this site.  I am a seasoned realtor located in the “Lamorinda” (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda) area of Contra Costa County.  I assist buyers and sellers in other parts of Contra Costa County as well as parts of Alameda County.  The title of my Blog indicates that I hope the information I share will be of interest to the first time home buyer, the buyer who needs a larger home and the “empty nester” who may be considering making the transition from a large to a small home.  License # 00955596.

Rossmoor

ARE YOU AN “EMPTY NESTER” CONSIDERING A SMALLER HOME WITH LESS YARD WORK?

 Let me tell you about Rossmoor – a planned community for senior adults.  Rossmoor is located on approximately 1800 acres about two miles from downtown Walnut Creek and 25 miles from San Francisco.  With a population of over 9000 and about 6400 properties priced from $82,500 to $1,390,000 (data taken from the MLS on May 4, 2009), it offers a wide variety of activities and floor plans.

I am very familiar with this community.  Contact me should you wish further information or an area tour.

Market Trends

The Absorption Rate is the number of weeks it takes to sell the current inventory at the present rate of sales. The Absorption Rate is not an exact science but looks for trends in the real estate market.  The April 2009 figures for several towns are as follows:  Lafayette 122 active properties, 32 pending/sold, Absorption Rate 16.5 weeks: Moraga 60 active properties, 21 pending/sold, Absorption Rate 12 weeks: Orinda 82 active properties, 29 pending/sold, Absorption Rate 12 weeks: Walnut Creek 235 active properties, 137 pending/sold, Absorption Rate 7.4 weeks: Rossmoor 155 active properties, 52 pending/sold, Absorption Rate 4.3 weeks.

The Absorption Rate changes if only the number of properties that go into contract (pending) are considered.  Lafayette 26 weeks, Moraga 20 weeks, Orinda 18.6 weeks, Walnut Creek 12 weeks and Rossmoor 25 Weeks.

Please contact me should you wish the Absorption Rate for other towns in Contra Costa or Alameda Counties.