Barry Ripp ~ East Bay Area Real Estate

1. Don’t buy if you don’t plan to stay
If you can’t commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner – even in a rising market.

2. Start by shoring up your credit
Since you probably will need to get a mortgage to buy a house; you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.

3. Choose carefully between points and rate
When picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points- a portion of the interest that you pay at closing- in exchange for a lower interest rate. If you stay in the house for a long time- say three to five years or more- it’s usually a better deal to take the points. The lower interest rate will save you more in the long run.

4. Hire a home inspector
A home inspector can let you know about potential problems. At best, you can move into the house confident that it’s in good shape; at worst, the inspector’s report can let you back out of the deal if the house has major problems. Most typically, the home inspection can allow you to negotiate the home price to account for necessary repairs.

5. Get professional help
Even though the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings, most new buyers (and many more experienced ones) are better off using a professional agent. Look for an experienced agent, who will have your interests at heart and can help you with strategies during the bidding process.

6. Bonus Tip: Be patient
Buying a home is one of the largest purchases most people will make in their lifetime. The key to avoiding buyer’s remorse is to be completely comfortable before signing on the dotted line.

Union City Eases Up (slightly) on Rental Owners: Rental property owners in Union City will now have until July 31 to comply with the businesses license requirement.  Any property owner renting a single family home, condo or multi-family development must have a business license. Those who do not currently have a license must also pay one year in arrears.

Union City staff will be sending a letter that includes this updated information to property owners early next week.

For more information please contact Christina Nitoff at (510) 675-5343.

Now that the real estate market is picking up, so is the rental market.  I have several homes and condos for rent, some available for immediate move in.

Please click the “RENTALS” link at the top of my website for information and a photo tour of these properties.

Please contact me for an appointment for viewing them.

 Thanks,   

  ~ Barry            510-794-7690   or   510-386-5066

I’m back from a week in paradise.  We stayed a week in Maui.  We all had a great time…of course, any week in Hawaii is better than a week at work.

It was a real family vacation…wife, daughter, my mother and mother-in-law.  I’ve been there several times, but this was my mother-in-law’s first time to Hawaii. She was pretty excited.

We visited my sister and her kids who live in Maui.   We also did many other “tourist” things. The Luau, underwater sub, and the trip to Hana.   On the way to Hana, I highly recommed making stops along the way. Bring a bag lunch and see the sights. And stop at the black sand beach and see the lava rock formations there.

We had a lot of clouds and a little rain almost every day, but we still warm weather dispite the rain.  I had plently of time to read a book and sit by the pool.  So now it’s back to work, and there’s plenty to catch up with.   Thanks for reading…and I hope you can take your own vacation soon.