Sacramento Real Estate Views

Archive for April, 2009

Got College Plans?

You Could Save Thousands

I have a very good friend, Michael Mathews, who I’ve known since my family moved to the Rocklin/Roseville area.  Michael is one of most kind hearted guys that I know and never does anything other than the right thing.  He’s just “one of those guys”.  His wife, Kris, is one lucky lady.  So is Mike.

He created a business that, until recently, was doing well.  Like a lot of other folks, he needed a change of pace and to get involved in something he could really believe in.  Being the kind of person he is, it’s a higher calling thing for him and he’s found a perfect fit.

College Funding Adivsor Group

Mike has 3 kids.  Twin girls, Melanie and Natalie, and a son, Jordan.  They are great kids and the family has a wonderful, Ozzie and Harriet/Leave it to Beaver of the 21st century type of relationship.  Just a great family.

When the girls graduated from high school, of course college was the next step.  Although both college grads, Mike and Kris really didn’t know the process of applying, as Mike explained to me, and they just flew by the seat of their pants getting the girls into the college of their choice.  Of course, they did what they thought was the right thing to do.

They provided the colleges what they asked for not knowing that they could have negotiated a much better price for the kids education had they had help in preparing for and understanding the process.

Negotiated?  With a college?  That was news to me and it was news to Mike and Kris.

FACT

Only 48% of the 3 million new students who begin college each year actually graduate. Lack of money and the failure to plan ahead are the top two reasons so many students are forced to drop out of college and, in most cases, compromise their futures.

This is where Mike comes in.  College Funding Advisor Group has a program that explains the process of getting your child successfully through the college application process and into a great school, affordably.  Their program walks you through the strategies it will take to give your child the highest probability of success.

What Mike spoke about astounded me.  His depth of knowledge about the subject, having just been through it 4 years earlier, was amazing.  He’s also kicking himself for not knowing about this program before his kids were college age.  It would have saved him thousands of dollars and provided an even better experience for his kids.

Don’t kick yourself.  Find out about this program early.  Mike is talking to people whose kids are at the freshman level in high school.

Contact Michael Mathews at (916) 216-9022 or by email michael at cfagroup.org.

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: college sacramento

Selling Your Home? 5 Simple Interview Questions

Know What Questions to Ask

Interviewing Realtors to help you sell your home can be incredibly frustrating.  My inlaws sold their home in Brentwood, near Antioch, to move here and be closer to us when my son was born.  I helped them interview 3 agents.  It was then that I knew what I had only heard from my clients.

What a pain in the butt that was.  Sifting through the BS was incredible and I was one of them!  Invariably, it always seems to boil down to who you feel the most comfortable with or who has the best communication skills or who seems to have the most effective marketing strategy.

Often, it’s a gut feeling that most people go with.  Whoever they feel like they can get along with, that’s who they hire.

That said, here are a few questions that will help you get to know, if you don’t already know, the Realtors you’re hiring to represent you:

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: selling a home in rocklin, selling a home in roseville

Worst MLS Photo of the Moment

Can You Say “Open House”?

Wow, two in one week.  That is a record for this category but I couldn’t resist this one either.  I mean, who is going to take a picture like this..did the camera just happen to click as it was falling off your arm?  And an open house sign no less.  Sheesh!

Buying or selling, either way, we can help you get there AND we guarantee we’ll get better pictures to represent your home than this!  Video too AND domination of the search engines for your home address.  What else is there?

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: worst mls photo roseville homes

The Foreclosure Wave Is Coming

Banks to Release “The Shadow Inventory”

Through moratorium after moratorium, it appears now that the wave of foreclosures that we’ve heard are out there will be coming on the market over the next 60 days.  An article of the front page of the Wall Street Journal, “Banks Ramp Up Foreclosures” alludes to just that.

Chase, B of A, Citi and Wells are preparing to release the homes that have been foreclosed on over the last 6 months or more to the open market.  Let’s hope there is something less than reckless abandon in this release.  Home values in the Sacramento/Placer counties area could be severely impacted by a less than restrained approach.  The doomsayers are having a field day with this one.

Delay Rather than Prevention

Is there really anything that can hold off foreclosure other than a healthy economy?  I was at a party last night and listened to an appraiser who believes that there is nothing at this point that can be done to prevent the crushing wave of foreclosures from coming on the market in the coming months.  “The banks have to get these off their books”.  That may be more true than he knows.

(Here is something from the blogosphere..can you say “National Moratorium”?  That should give the government plenty of time to take over all the banks rather than just a few!)

With increased scrutiny by the goverment, the banks have to get healthy.  I read this week that the 24th or 26th bank of the year has failed.  While some of the chaff will be shed during an economic downturn, that seems like an excessive number of failures in such a short period of time.

What Does This Mean to You?

If you’re selling a home in the Sacramento area right now, price it to sell and be done with it.  If the wave that looks like it could be coming does indeed materialize, you’ll get a better price now than you will in 3 months.  More supply  means less demand and lower prices.  Simple economics.  The sharks are circling!

If you’re in the market to buy at the moment, you could either hold onto your hat and sit tight hoping that values will further deteriorate or buy now thus assuring yourself a home at prices not seen in the region since 2000 or earlier (depending on where you’re shopping).

I never like betting on what might happen.  Too much luck involved in that.  No one knows what will happen in the next 60 days but we sure know what’s happening right now.  It looks pretty good if you’re buying.

Buying or selling a home in the region?  Either way, we can help you get there.  Give us a call.

Thanks for visiting!

Tags: sacramento foreclosures, sacramento homes for sale

Open Houses In Rocklin & Roseville Today

Google Interactive Map for Open Houses This Weekend!

(Click on the category to the left “Open Houses In Rocklin & Roseville for the most current map. Thanks!)

I’ve created a interactive Google map with all of the open houses scheduled in the MLS for Sunday, April 19th. This map has  been updated with all of the open houses for the coming weekend.

The schedules in the MLS sometimes don’t get posted until the last minute, ie. on Friday mid day or sometimes early Saturday.  I’ll be creating these every Friday evening and checking for updates on Saturday morning.

It happens that the agents scheduled to hold any given home open have to cancel at the last minute for whatever reason.  If you’re interested in a specific home and would like to see it, why not give me a call for a private showing?  This will ensure you get to see the home you’re interested in and minimize frustration.

The weather forecast for this weekend looks beautiful.  Give us a call to see any home in the South Placer County or Sacramento County areas.

For a private showing of any property on the map, please click here to contact me.  For a larger version of this map, click the link “view larger map” at the bottom center of the map.

Tags: Open Houses in Rocklin & Roseville This Weekend!

Weekend Events in Roseville

Looking for Something to Do This Weekend?

My friend over at Guild Mortgage, Pat Murphy, sends me updates every week about the coming events for the weekend and I thought I’d pass them along.  If you have any questions, please call or email. (I know my son would love to get out to the railyard and see that display.)

Here are the happenings in Roseville this weekend:

Earth Day Celebration
Sat, Apr 18th 10:00a to 3:00p
Roseville Utility Exploration Center
1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd
Includes live music, food and educational exhibits for children,
parents, gardeners and homeowners. Free. (916) 746-1551

Locomotives on Display
Sun, Apr 19th 12:00p to 3:00p
Railroad yard along Atlantic Street at Vernon Street
Union Pacific “Then & Now” Locomotives on Display. Get a rare
view of the Union Pacific steam-powered locomotive No. 844 which
traveled from Cheyenne, Wyo., in honor of Roseville’s Centennial.
On display will also be UPs newest low-emission vehicle, a Genset
Switcher, other engines from the heritage fleet, the Union Pacific
mini-train, and handcar demonstrations. Visitors will be allowed to
view the trains from the railyard; no interior tours will be
offered.

Downtown’s 1st Antique Market
Sun, Apr 19th 8:00a to 4:00p
Downtown Roseville:
Oak Street between Taylor Street and South Grant.
Collectors, dealers, families and friends are invited to attend this
inspirational market and reclaim treasures from the past.
Featuring 50+ Quality hand-selected vendors from throughout the
West Coast selling: Antique & Vintage Furnishings for the Home &
Garden, Decorative Items & Accessories, Vintage Inspired Jewelry,
Handcrafted Galore! FREE ADMISSION * FREE PARKING.
(916) 772-7700.

Looking to purchase a home or need some mortgage advice?  Give Pat Murphy a call at (916) 212-9451 or email her at: pat at patmurphyloans.com.

Tags: roseville community events

Worst MLS Photo of the Moment – Roseville Homes for Sale

Look at the AWESOME Storage!

Admittedly, this agent is one of the best in the area and this photo was added with the disclaimer that normally it wouldn’t be included in her picture set for any listing but….here we are.  Of course, I couldn’t resist being the wisenhiemer that I am!

I wonder if all this stuff is included with the sale? Is that quality insulation or what?  I think it’s time for a garage sale..:)

Tags: roseville real estate