With a title like that, you probably think I’m going to talk about paint colors, changing the toilet seat, or should you add splashes of wallpaper or not. Probably the most important decision you will make once you buy a house is…drumroll: Which brand of cordless power tools will you commit to? Why is this…
With relish, I devoured the Wall Street Journal “Retirement Rookies” article by Stephen Kreider Yoder and Karen Kreider Yoder. The title was “We Considered Leaving the City in Retirement. We’re So Glad We Didn’t.” Mind you, this isn’t the “city” as in New York; some people insist that’s the only city that deserves that moniker….
Is the reward worth the risk of collaborating with a flipper / developer to update an older home in an affluent neighborhood before selling? The idea of transforming a million dollar home into a $3 million property — rather than selling it to someone else who will do just that — is worth exploring. Partnering…
“Eighty-two percent of home buyers express regrets about their recent property purchase. Their most common regret: buying a home that requires too much maintenance.” (Clever Real Estate survey) Is fear stopping you from buying a home when you really want to own and invest in your future, instead of renting? The answer is to address…
Does your house have the comfortable feel of an old shoe? Are you embarrassed to have people over? Or if you do, are you constantly apologizing and wondering what your guests think? Susie thinks: “check!” “check!” and “check!” A little known technique to re-invent your house is to do what real estate agents do when…
Open houses provide an invaluable opportunity for prospective buyers to explore properties firsthand at your leisure. Open houses are usually held on weekend afternoons, open to the public. Rather than private home tours, open houses give early home buyers the chance to explore neighborhoods and home features without “bugging” your agent over the weeks, months,…
All along the Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito and Richmond hills are homes with incredible San Francisco Bay views…with more houses, condos and townhouses along the waterfront from Richmond to Alameda and San Leandro. How do waterfront house prices compare to Marin County and San Francisco prices? For the most part, buyers find home prices are…
How can a home buyer make a winning offer on a house that has multiple offers for which the seller is looking for the “highest and best” offer? Good question! All along the East Bay near the Bay, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, home sellers are countering multiple offers asking for “highest and best.” In short, it’s…
Buying a new house before selling your own house or condo in cities like Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda can be a challenging process. Yet, who doesn’t want to avoid moving twice? To buy a house before selling there are many factors to consider, including: financial planning to know what you can afford deciding if it’s…
