We’ve all seen them. And if we REALTORS are honest, we have written some of them as well. I’m talking about the real estate cliche’s that are seemingly in every ad, sign, and description of homes for sale. Lest you be confused, I have decided to take some of the mystery out of the most commonly used phrases and tell you what they really mean in plain English. Please understand that I am not in any way suggesting that Realtors are prone to exaggeration. It’s just t... Read Full Story

The long discussed Catholic High School, proposed for North Livermore, finally got the approval of the Oakland Diocese, and is moving full speed ahead. Named after Pope John Paul II, the coed high school will be the first high school built in the East Bay in over 40 years. As planned, the new high school campus will encompass 32 acres of a 122-acre plot owned by the diocese and annexed by the city of Livermore. The remaining 90 acres, including segments of two arroyos, will be kept as open s... Read Full Story

At least according to the Contra Costa Times. Now I know I live a sheltered life, because I have not been to any of these on the list. But this critic has, and here is his list of the 10 best. Most of these seem to be new restaurants, so maybe I get a pass for not having eaten there. Some of them definitely look interesting. 1. Wood Tavern. An instant success, the restaurant’s tempo blends the best of urban sophistication and neighborhood charm. Rich and Rebekah Wood, previously own... Read Full Story

Lost in all the negative news about real estate and the on again off again talk about recession (mostly on again lately) is the fact that mortgage rates are down… a lot. As I have written about on numerous occasions, long term mortgage rates are not generally directly effected by Fed rate cuts. Long term mortgage rates are more closely tied to long term bonds and treasury securities. It is the long term outlook for inflation, and the strength of the economy that has the greatest impa... Read Full Story

If you are in the market to buy a home, you have no doubt heard the term “Short Sale”. No, this does not refer to sellers who are under 5′ tall. A “short sale” is industry jargon for a seller who owes more on the property than what it is worth. The seller in this situation needs the lender to accept a “short” loan payoff, or in other words accept less than the full amount due on the loan. So how does that effect you the buyer? First of all, short ... Read Full Story

The Pleasanton CA real estate market behaved as expected in December, with both inventory and sales declining. Many sellers took their homes off the market in December, and sales slowed as the holdiay season hit full swing. This is typical of a December market, and this year was no different. Overall, the inventory of available homes in Pleasanton dropped to 136 single family homes at the end of December, down from 176 at the end of November. It is identical to the inventory on the market... Read Full Story

So here’s the deal. It’s the holidays. You know, the season of rushing around in 10 different directions, worrying about office parties, shopping, Holiday cards, finding a parking space at the mall, and all the other assorted stresses that send most of us into overload. And if you are trying to sell your home, certainly the last thing you want is to have some Realtor calling you 2 days before Christmas wanting to show your home when you have your whole family coming in from Col... Read Full Story

The Pleasanton CA real estate market slowed as expected in November. While the month of November started out reasonably well, the market stalled towards the end of the month thanks to Thanksgiving (recent studies have suggested that the tryptophan in Turkey not only makes you sleepy, but also slows a person’s desire to buy real estate). Overall, the market was slow but steady. Pending sales were down for the month, ending at 31 pending sales, down from 45 in October. Inventory is al... Read Full Story

This is one of the questions I get asked a lot. Like most questions dealing with real estate values, the answer is … it depends. Certainly, no one can deny that in the Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon area, a sparkling pool on a hot sunny day is hard to beat. But pools can also be a detraction from a home’s value. There are many factors that go into the impact of a pool on a home’s value. Here are some to think about: 1. Lot size. In general, the smaller the lot, the more ... Read Full Story

This is one of the questions I get asked a lot. Like most questions dealing with real estate values, the answer is … it depends. Certainly, no one can deny that in the Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon area, a sparkling pool on a hot sunny day is hard to beat. But pools can also be a detraction from a home’s value. There are many factors that go into the impact of a pool on a home’s value. Here are some to think about: 1. Lot size. In general, the smaller the lot, the more ... Read Full Story