Barry Ripp ~ East Bay Area Real Estate

When something breaks down in your home, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could pick up the phone, request a service call, pay a nominal service charge and have the problem fixed? In theory, this is how a home protection plan works.

A home protection plan, also called a home warranty, is an insurance policy that insures homeowners against defects in the major systems of their home. Most policies cover the heating, plumbing and electrical systems as well as built-in appliances like the stove, dishwasher and garbage disposal. Some companies will cover movable appliances like the refrigerator, washer and dryer for an extra charge. And some policies even include roof coverage-if you pay an additional fee.  The basic warranty plan costs about $300. per year.

Home protection plans are popular in the real estate industry because they provide a relatively inexpensive way to take care of home defects that develop soon after the home sale closes. For example, let’s say the water heater quits working the day after closing. That could be a fairly high expense for a new homeowner; however, if there is a home warranty in place, the hot water heater will probably be replaced for the nominal cost of a service charge…about $45 per call.

Some sellers offer to pay for a home protection plan to cover the home for the buyer for one year. If problems arise during that year, the buyers simply call the warranty company and pay the service charge. The warranty company pays for the repair or replacement.

Seller coverage is also available to cover the home during the listing and sale period. Seller coverage works the same as buyer coverage except that there are usually more limitations on the coverage. For example, the furnace is usually covered under both buyer and seller coverage. But, the amount of coverage offered under seller coverage is often less than the amount that’s available to the buyer if the furnace breaks down after closing.

One seller who had signed up for seller coverage was able to have some of the defects that were discovered during the buyer’s inspections fixed by the home protection plan company for the cost of a service charge. This was a great deal for the seller because it saved him money and he didn’t have to pay the policy premium until closing. Seller coverage is usually charged by the day.

If the seller of a home you’re buying does not offer to pay for a home protection plan, you can pay for one. Be sure to order it before the closing date.

 ~ Barry Ripp

Information was obtained in part by the CAR & Dian Hymer (who is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist.)

Home inspections have proved to be an important part of the home buying process. It helps prevent surprises and potential expensive problems. Therefore, it’s important to know what to expect.

When the inspector checks the outside of the house, they will be looking for the following things: drainage conditions, roof, chimney, and more. Inside the house they will examine: doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, appliances, heating system and water heater. They will also crawl under the house and up in the attic as well.

The home inspector will provide a detailed report (about 30 pages) regarding the condition of the home. They might even recommend what steps to take to correct an issue.

A typical home inspection will cost approx $400. And it’s well worth the money, because it can save you thousands of dollars in possible problems.

 ~ Barry Ripp

California’s “Unsold Inventory Index” (UII), a closely watched index indicating the number of months needed todeplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate, declined to 3.8 months in December, the lowest level in five years, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). By comparison, the UII for existing, single-family homes stood at 5.6 months in December 2008.

In December, the median price of an existing, single-family home rose to $306,820, an 8.4% rise from Dec.’08, the second consecutive year-over-year increase, and the 10^th  straight month-over-month increase, according to C.A.R.’s December sales and price report.

 With affordability near-historic highs, low interest rates, and home buyer tax credits, many properties in California are receiving multiple offers and sparking bidding wars. Home buyers who find themselves in bidding wars should work closely with their REALTOR® to ensure they are crafting realistic offers that are more likely to be accepted by the seller.

It appears our local schools need more money. The Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) is considering placing a school funding parcel tax on the November ballot.  According to our sources, the amount of the tax would be less than $100 per parcel; it would generate up to $5 million annually, eligible senior citizens would be exempt and the tax would end in five years.  Individually it’s not too much, but is it what the people want? We’ll see. The tax is only a proposal at this point and the FUSD has not made a final decision about placing the tax before Fremont voters in November.

  ~ Barry Ripp

Here is some information on the real estate market.  In my opinion, if you’re ready to buy a home, start looking now. There will likely be more inventory to chose from in the spring, but by looking now, you’ll be ready to make that final decision when the right house comes along.

Recent good news about the housing market has many home buyers wondering whether now is a good time to buy. For example, home sales activity increased 9.4 percent nationally in September, a 26 percent increase from a low point in January, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit has stimulated the market, and it has been extended. A credit of up to $6,500 is now available to repeat home buyers who qualify.

Many buyers are having difficulty finding a home to buy. The inventory of good listings on the market is low in many areas because prospective sellers who don’t have to sell now are waiting for a better market. To aggravate the situation, many sellers who need to sell now often take their home off the market after Thanksgiving and will bring it back on the market next year.

Buyers may find there’s very little on the market to choose from for the next several months. However, they may also find that some buyers will drop out of the market over the holiday season, leaving less competition for the listings that are on the market during this period.

 ~ Barry Ripp
Information provided by C.A.R and used with permission.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/06/REAI1ARGC5.DTL&type=realestate#ixzz0ZnrVz7Rf

It’s hard to believe, but between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week. Here are some suggestions of ways to go green this holiday season, and you just might save some green in the meantime.

Start with your gift giving. Giving an experience, like tickets to a movie or ballgame can create much less waste than toys and gadgets. And some of the best gifts can be homemade like cookies and cakes.

As you do begin wrapping up those presents for family and friends, consider reusing gift bags, tissue paper, and bows.

If you need to ship your presents this year, avoid Styrofoam packing peanuts and try using crumpled up newspaper instead.

As you search for that perfect tree, keep in mind that if you purchase a tree from a tree farm you’re not damaging forests. Artificial trees are also a good choice since they are reused every year and that saves on the gas you would use driving to the tree farms.

If you’re buying lights, be sure to purchase Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. These lights have been around a few years and are 90% more efficient than traditional Christmas lights. They also last longer.

And start the New Year off on the right foot try treecycling. By recycling your fresh tree you can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of ending up in a landfill, Christmas trees can be ground into wood chips and be reused as mulch gardens, or to prevent erosion.

And remember….have a very Merry Christmas

 Well,  here’s another program designed to help home owners in loan trouble. I hope it helps, but I’m not so sure lenders will go along with the idea of being landlords.

 Fannie Mae last week announced a new Deed for Lease™ program. The new program allows borrowers to voluntarily transfer their property back to the lender and then lease back the house at market rate. The lease period is for up to 12 months, with month-to-month contract extensions after that period. The program is designed for borrowers who do not qualify for or have not been able to obtain other loan-workout solutions, such as loan modifications.

 To participate in the program, borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens on the property. Homeowners interested in this lease program must be able to document that the new market rental rate is no more than 31% of their gross montly income.

 Homeowners thinking of participating in the Deed for Lease™ program should visit Fannie Mae’s loan lookup

website at http://loanlookup.fanniemae.com/loanlook… to see whether their loan is owned or guaranteed by Fannie. Mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration and other government agencies are not eligible for the Deed for Lease ™ program.

 To read the full story, please click here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/11/06/qa-how-to-rent-your-home-from-fannie-mae/

 Reprinted with permission of the Calif. Asso.of Realtors.  Nov. 2009

  ~ Barry Ripp

Some homeowners wonder what would happen if they were to stop paying their mortgages.  

When lenders do not receive payments, the first action taken by the lender is to report the missed payment to the credit bureaus by the first day of the next month.  Sometimes this can happen in as little as two weeks from the due date, depending on when the payment is due.  Generally, this action will leave a negative mark on a credit report and decrease the homeowner’s credit score by as much as 200 points.

Because of the negative mark on the homeowner’s credit report, within the next 30 days, homeowners can expect their other creditors to take note of the late payment and to take action.  Credit card issuers may raise interest rates, lower credit limits, or close credit card accounts.  The borrower’s auto insurance, student loans, and other forms of credit also may change, as these are tied to the borrower’s credit score as well. 

If the homeowner does not pay for 90 days, the lender likely will start calling, trying to persuade the homeowner to enter into a loan modification.  If a loan modification cannot be agreed upon between the homeowner and the lender, and the homeowner continue missing payments, the homeowner likely will be served with a foreclosure notice. 

Homeowners at risk of defaulting on their mortgages, or those who already are behind, should contact their lender immediately to work out a repayment plan and/or loan modification.  

Information obtained by Calif Asso of Realtors and the Modesto Bee.
To read the full story, please click here.

If you’re ready to sell your home, there are probably many questions on your mind. Let’s address a few right now.
1) How long will it take to sell? Well, that will depend on many things; asking price, condition, & location. (are just a few). We can’t change the location, so let’s talk about the others. If you’re priced too high for the area, your home will take longer…priced too low, and you’ll sell faster. Generally, the better the condition, the faster it will sell (that’s true in any market).
2) What should I price it at? Well, this can be tricky. Look at home sales in your neighborhood and then surrounding areas. See which homes compare with yours. Always use the most current data…old comparables won’t do much good since the market is changing.
I hope this helps with some of the many questions you may have. For more answers to your questions, please feel free to contact me directly. It will be my pleasure to serve you.
~ Barry