NAPA HOMES FOR SALE--10 Reasons why nurses make great Realtors®? Nurses are pretty amazing. Great nurses aren't just compassionate and kind - they have all the medical smarts of a doctor too!   But why should you hire a nurse to be your Realtor®? 1.       We care about you.  Nursing is all about caring.  We want to make you comfortable, take away your pain and make everything feel better.  Buying a home is a big deal.  It can be stressful.  Don't you want a Realtor® who is trained to make pain go away? 2.      We have great communication skills.  As nurses we have to deal with a lot of people and communicate a lot of critical information to ensure the best outcome for our patients.  A great nurse has excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to speaking and listening. Rea... 01/24/2011

NAPA REAL ESTATE-HOMES FOR SALE-BUY WITH A CREDIT SCORE OF 500 Has your credit suffered because of recent economic conditions?  Do you have some cash on hand or have someone willing to gift some money to you?  Then you may be able to purchase a home under the new FHA guidelines. Effective January 15, 2010 certain lenders can now do FHA loans with credit scores as low as 500!  Please see the new policy changes below: Credit Scores 500-579 allowed with a minimum down payment of 10% Credit Scores 580-599 allowed with a minimum down payment of 5% Credit Scores 600 and above remains the same at a 3.5% down payment Together we can get more people into homes!  Make it a great day and go buy a house.  For a list of lenders who can do this, please contact me. For more information on Napa homes f... 01/17/2011

NAPA REAL ESTATE-NAPA HOMES FOR SALE Curious about what homes sold in Napa in December 2011?  Well, in the city of Napa there were 66 single family homes sold.  The average listing price was $433,512.  And the average sales price was $423,089.  This means homes were listed for an average of $255 per square foot and ended up selling for $250 per square foot.  The average time of the market was 117 days or about four months.  This can be accounted for in some properties being priced over fair market value and the price being lowered over time.  This number can also be attributed to the number of short sales that were sold and the length that it takes to close those deals. The total number of foreclosures sold during this time was 20.  The average listing price for a Napa foreclosure was $... 01/12/2011

  When we lived in Napa one of the most beautiful sights in the winter months was the mustard that flowered in the majority of the vineyards.  Mustard is planted as a mulch and green manure and is beneficial to the vineyards.  The effect is beautiful.   On cloudy days, it still felt bright. This picture was taken by Ron on a Sunday across the street from one of our favorite brunch places in Napa. The Boon Fly Cafe.  If you happen to be there on a Sunday, be sure to check out the eggs Benedict, the homemade yogurt and granola, or the pancakes.  The majority of their ingredients are local, fresh and usually organic.  Wishing you a Happy Sunday, Ron & Alexandra Seigel                                                             WATCH VIDEOS-    Buzz-Worthy Luxury Real Estate Websites  Perso... 01/09/2011

Affordable Homes for sale in Napa CA from $200,000 to $300,000. With today's lower interest rates coupled with very low home prices it's realistic to own a great home for the cost of rent money. In addition many homes are priced perfectly for investment opportunities, allow the savvy buyer an opportunity to build a real estate porfolio or add to one. With affordable homes for sale in Napa CA from $200,000 to $300,000 there are many great buys. Many of these homes have been refurbished by the current owner who is looking to short sale or by the previous owner who was foreclosed on. It makes sense to look into this buyers market with your eyes on the real deals in the marketplace. Click the highlighted link to find the opportunities for affordable homes for sale in Napa CA from $200,000 ... 01/06/2011

First Time Homebuyer's Loan Program for Napa Homes for Sale   This CalHFA FHA loan program is designed to enhance affordability and homeownership opportunities by offering a low, fixed interest rate that will not change during the entire loan term. This program is intended for first-time homebuyers who meet specific income and sales price requirements and who are purchasing a new or existing home anywhere in California. How The Program Works The CalHFA FHA offers financing up to 96.5% of the purchase price or appraised value whichever is less.  To make owning your first home more affordable, down payment and closing cost assistance may be obtained when combining this CalHFA first mortgage with CalHFA junior loan programs. Program Elements REQUIREMENTS DETAILS AND REFERENCE SOURCES Firs... 11/29/2010

HELP!!!  MY INVESTMENT PROPERTY IS BLEEDING ME DRY-NAPA REAL ESTATE-HOMES FOR SALE Do you feel that you your investment property is no longer making money for you?  Don't want to wait to see if the market is going to come back?  Do you feeel you are you stuck with a bad income investment property forever? There are ways out, though some will prove easier than others. 1. Loan Modification - Meeting with your lender and working out a mortgage with more favorable terms is your best bet. Most likely not going to be as successful as other strategies and may take up to six months to finalize. 2. Refinance - Currently, it's nearly impossible to get a lenders to refinance an upside down mortgage, especially if you've been late or missed payments.  3. Offer to Sell to Your Tenant - Offer to sell... 10/12/2010

CALIFORNIA NURSES HISTORICALLY INFLUENCE STATE ELECTIONS-NAPA REAL ESTATE Having been previously employed as an RN, I have seen firsthand the impact that California Nurses can have in an election year or in a heated political debate.  Just ask Arnold how strong nurses can be when it comes to defending their ability to serve their patients.   In my career as an RN, I was both a part of CNA as well as an exempt employee.  Union member or not, nurses are a strong force to change the political landscape of our state. With no incumbent running for governor, there is a tremendous potential for nurses to have a say in which direction our state will go in next.  I encourage you as nurses to go out and get involved in whichever candidate that you believe will do the best for our state, our patie... 10/06/2010

  Streamlined “k” limited repair program While many of us have heard that the Streamlined “k” doesn’t require a consultant we need to examine that word “require”. A consultant can easily keep your loan on track. If you are doing only the Streamlined “k” then it is clearly in your best interest to use a 203k consultant to do a “plan review” and verify it is in fact a Streamlined “k”. Nothing is worse than getting up the day before closing and having some underwriter notice that there are “structural issues” with this project and it becomes a Full 203k. If you don’t do the Full 203k all your work just went out the window. Some of our largest clients only do the Streamlined “k”. The other issue is appraisers aren’t being paid enough to flag anything right now. If you hire one to do an appr... 10/03/2010

Why women are falling victims to the housing market--NAPA REAL ESTATE Short sale or walk away? Women are among those most affected by the housing crisis. I estimate that 75 percent of my clients are women who are the only mortgage holder on their home. The remaining 25 percent are couples.  Most of my clients are professional women who were recently laid off or unexpectedly separated from a partner and are having trouble making their mortgage payments.  I see a lot of situations where a couple's relationship suffers because of economic issues, and married couples may even go through divorces. Lately I've had a lot of women coming to me and asking for help. Alternatives to foreclosure I want my clients to know there are alternatives to foreclosure. If you want to stay in the home, I rec... 09/30/2010

   NAPA HOMES FOR SALE- NEW LISTINGS FOR 9/29 AND DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE There were 28 new lisitngs in Napa in the last 7 days. 2 have already gone pending. Click Here to see all 28 new Napa Homes For Sale. The Napa market continues to show signs of improvement. In fact, I have several buyers looking for homes in Napa right now. If you, or someone you know is interested in selling for top dollar, email, call or text me. Now for some really big news...  DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR NAPA HOMEBUYERS Grant Funds Are Available For Napa Homebuyers! You can get up to $ 12,635 available for Down Pyament and/or Closing Cost Assistance. No repayment of grant required-this is a true grant. Grants are available for single family homes, Condos & PUD's--no income producing properties. Owner... 09/29/2010

Driving up to Napa this afternoon for a little R&R...If you've ever wondered why the California State Colors are Blue and Gold, some will tell you the 'gold' is for the poppies (or the gold discovered decades back)...However, the real gold is where the hills touch the sky!  It's my favorite time of year right now, so I'm off to enjoy some of it before it disappears.I just took a little video of the Napa exit off the 80...(really love my iphone)...   ...will check in later after a couple of glasses of vino. 09/21/2010

NAPA VALLEY REAL ESTATE-RECIPE OF THE WEEK-- Pollo Cacciatore                                                            1 pound chicken breast 2 green peppers, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 1 yellow pepper, sliced 16 dry black olives 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1 yellow onion, sliced 4 ounces red wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 12 ounces marinara sauce 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup flour 1 cup vegetable oil Salt, pepper, oregano to taste Cut chicken into chunks and dip in flour. Put vegetable oil in frying pan, add chicken and fry until golden brown. Discard oil. Add wine, let it evaporate, then add butter, salt, pepper, oregano, peppers, mushrooms, olives and onion. Add chicken broth, cook for about 4 minutes. Add marinara sauce, cook for 5 more minutes. Serves 4.   For more information on Napa ... 09/11/2010

  One of my clients toys with the idea of buying a vineyard in Napa.  I came across this article projecting the 10 strongest housing market by 2014.  Napa came in number four on the list.   It was the only California city to make the list.  There are no crystal balls in real estate, but it stands to reason that a portion of the loss will be recovered as the market begins to rebound.  Housing Markets That Will Be Strongest by 2014   By Venessa Wong, Bloomberg Businessweek Aug 4, 2010     4. California Biggest home price increase projected in 2014: Napa metro   Forecast 4-year price increase: 31.7 percentCurrent median price: $355,000Prices to reach trough in: 2010 Q4Median family income: $79,600Population: 134,650   Prices in the Napaarea have dropped an enormous 44.6 percent since peaki... 08/09/2010

Nature's Beauty Enhanced by Humankind - A Visit to Artesa Winery in Napa CA     I have a special fondness for Artesa wine. We discovered it at what is probably our favorite local restaurant back in our old stomping grounds of Cambridge and Somerville, MA. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) offers a wonderful dining experience - a rare combination of creative, flavorful food using the best of fresh ingredients, an upscale ambiance, and a comfortable neighborhood feel arising from the owners, Peter and Colleen McCarthy, and their staff (who got to be friends over the many visits we had). As I recall, Colleen's brother Dan introduced us to Artesa Chardonnay (which I highly recommend) and it became a regular friend of ours. So of course a visit to the Artesa Winery while in Napa was a "must do."... 08/01/2010

I'M A NURSE AND I NEED TO SHORT SALE MY NAPA HOME Hey fellow nurses.  Do you find that mortgage is adjusting and you have to work overtime just to keep up on the payments?  Are you recently separated from a significant other who was helping you with the mortgage and has stopped contributing, leaving you to make payments on your own?  Has your position been downsized and your take home pay just isn't what it used to be?  Are you stressed at home and work trying to figure it all out and not sure where to turn?  Tired of trying to work with your bank, only to be met with rude people and inconsistent answers? As a registered nurse and real estate agent, I found myself in the same boat.  I was working so much overtime to pay for a home I wasn't able to enjoy because I was never there.  When ... 07/31/2010

Nicole Monary of Coldwell Banker Identifies Five Topics to Discuss With Your Real Estate Agent When Buying a Napa Condo If you're looking for home-buying information, you've come to the right place. One of the first questions in deciding to buy a home is house or condo? If you're leaning toward a condo, read on. Here are five important topics to discuss with your real estate agent before beginning your home buying search: 1) What You Can't Live Without If your version of the American Dream doesn't include mowing the lawn, a condo might be a great choice. If you can't live without your own backyard, a big garage, or plenty of space between you and your neighbors, your needs may be better suited to a detached single-family residence. However, if the idea of a condo sounds right, talk to y... 07/24/2010

Tips on how to handle low-ball offers on your Napa Home For SaleIf your home has been on the market for months (three to six) and the price was already reduced, you are probably beginning to wonder how much lower you can go. A potential buyer may come along and present a low-ball offer, which can be 10 percent or more below the list price and involves some sort of strategic negotiations. Before slamming the door on such an offer, review these helpful tips from Nicole Monary at Coldwell Banker® to help guide you through the process:Don't reject the offer right away. It is important you recognize this is a negotiation game and the buyer is serious or s/he would not have put in the bid. Analyze your own goals and needs. How much do you need from this deal in order to move to your next home... 07/21/2010

Nicole Monary of Coldwell Banker Presents--Roadmap to "SOLD!" A marketing plan for selling your Napa Home. Looking for the most profitable path to selling your home? Using a marketing plan is your map and an experienced real estate agent is your guide. A knowledgeable agent will keep you on course with a complete marketing plan that includes fact-based market analysis, signage, virtual tours, brochures, MLS placement, direct mail, home showings, open houses, and the resources of their active network. Know-how also counts on the road to "sold!" I am an agent with a proven track record who will aggressively market your home, anticipate problems, and skillfully resolve any unavoidable issues. Online real estate marketing in this day and age is the real key to selling your home. Here are a ... 07/21/2010

Napa Homes--Tips for Single Home Buyers from Nicole Monary at Coldwell Banker - Today's housing environment has more single home buyers entering the real estate market than ever before. With inventory levels high, interest rates near record lows and affordability up in many areas across the country, many people who may have never considered buying a home in the past are recognizing that a mortgage payment on a house can actually be the same or less than what they would spend on renting an apartment or home. For most people, buying a home is the most significant financial investment they will ever make, and perhaps even more so for singles who are making the transition on their own. With that in mind, Nicole Monary at Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific has come up with five tips to help sing... 07/13/2010