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
Newark seeks input on Southwest Specific Plan: The City of Newark is holding public meetings about a new residential community in southwest Newark. The meetings are the latest step in a 3 year process to develop a specific plan for the neighborhood. Preliminary plans call for up to 1,260 new homes; a neighborhood park near Cherry Street and Stevenson Boulevard; a school site; trails; open space and a golf course or other recreation facility. According to Newark staff, actual construction will begin no earlier than 2011.
The City Council will be holding a work session about environmental impacts and potential mitigation measures on Thursday February 25. Another meeting on Thursday March 11 will focus on financial issues related to the planned development including expected City revenues versus and the cost of providing services.
These meetings will be held at 5:30 pm in the Newark City Council Chambers: 37101 Newark Boulevard. For more information, please contact Terrence Grindall, City of Newark Community Development Director, at (510) 578-4208
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 10th 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
Governor Proposes $10K home buyer Tax Credit: During his final “state of the State” speech on Wednesday Jan. 6, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed a state income tax credit of $10,000 for first-time home buyers. The proposal would expand the tax credit for those purchasing newly constructed homes to include the purchase of existing homes by first-time home buyers.
For more information, contact me.
~ Barry
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
Great news for your first-time buyers: The Mortgage Protection Program has been extended through 2010.
To continue to provide first-time home buyers with peace of mind when purchasing their first home, the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund has extended the Mortgage Protection Program (MPP) through December 2010. To date, more than 1,700 first-time home buyers already have been approved for the program, and the numbers continue to increase.
On April 2, 2009 the Housing Affordability Fund launched a new program designed to provide peace of mind to first-time buyers who are hesitant to enter the housing market due to concerns about potential job loss, and subsequently being unable to meet their monthly mortgage obligations. Qualifying buyers can receive up to $1,500 a month for up to six months in the event of job loss, a qualified co-buyer can also receive a $750 benefit for up to six months to help pay the mortgage.
TO QUALIFY FOR THE MORTGAGE PROTECTION PROGRAM APPLICANTS MUST:
· Be a first-time home buyer – someone who has not owned property in the last three years
· Open escrow on or after April 2, 2009
· Use a California REALTOR® in the transaction
· Purchase the property in California
· Be a W-2 employee (cannot be self-employed)
This is a great opportunity for first-time homebuyers.Contact me for more information or: Click here for more information, requirements, and a downloadable application.
~ Barry Ripp
Information obtained by the Calif.Assoc.of Realtors. November 2009
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/loanlookup/ 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
