Jane Pacheco's (pachecorealty) Blog

  When you apply for a mortgage, whether this to pre-qualify you or you are actually in contract, it is helpful to anticipate the various documents that will be required by your loan officer. With the increasingly tight underwriting guidelines imposed upon borrowers, preparedness for documents i...

We all know what it means when best friends ask favors from each other. It’s difficult to turn down the request of a friend whom we have shared our most intimate secrets with, or who has stayed by our side through thick and thin, or whom we’ve known for the most years of our lives.   To my fello...

Current homeowners know it by heart – property taxes are due twice a year, and there are important deadlines set in California for paying the two installments: April 10 – last day to pay the 2nd installment December 10 – last day to pay the 1st installment Property taxes are based on a percentag...

When the news came out about banks having a shadow inventory, and how they are holding on to their REOs, it made me realize the power that rests on banks to influence the market. With the law of supply and demand strongly manifesting its effect on home prices, the banks’ ability to swing home pr...

This has been a heck of a ride! I’m working on the buyer’s side of this short sale, and I still remember the very first time my buyers stepped into this house. This was the home for them. The vibes were good. The wife said ok. The kids picked their rooms.   The buyers were serious in their inten...

An old friend related to me how he had bought a house for $60,000 in 1981. It was a pretty decent 4-bedroom home, and all of 2100 sq ft on a sprawling 6800 sq ft lot. By any of today's standards, a $60,000 home of that size is a very good deal! Of course, the cost of living then was much lower, ...

I just recently sold this petite condo in Fremont, CA. It was a bank-owned property that was on the market for 23 days. After a diligent marketing push, we found a buyer that went to our open house twice, and patiently waited for the bank's acceptance. This is the postcard we sent to nearby home...

The golden age of "silent movies" occurred when Niles was at the center of it all. It was in these rustic streets of Niles where the most famous silent films of all time were made, including Charlie Chaplin's The Tramp. In 1912, Essanay Studios chose to make Niles its hub for its film making end...

Union City is an ethnically diverse community of about 74,000 residents. It is located north of Fremont, and about 40 minutes drive to San Francisco. Real estate activity is moderate - as of 9/12/10 and based on MLS data, there are 99 single family active listings, and 56 condo/townhome active l...

The small but history-rich city of Newark is located just west of Fremont, on the other side of Freeway 880. As of 9/12/10 and based on MLS data, there are 128 residential property listings in Newark, broken down as follows: 88 Single family homes 40 condo/townhomes  Single family listings are f...