Looking for something to do to start off the 4th of July Celebration??  Check out Tracy, CA.CITY HALL DEDICATION & COMMUNITY CELEBRATION - JULY 3, 2007 (TRACY, CA) - After nearly 20 years of saving money and two years of construction, Tracyresidents are invited to dedicate and celebrate the new City Hall building at 333 Civic CenterPlaza on Tuesday, July 3. The event will begin at 5 p.m. and will be hosted by the Mayor andCity Council.The event will begin in front of City Hall. It will include the raising of the American andCalifornia flags by local boy scouts, the burying of a 50-year time capsule next to the flag pole,and a ribbon cutting ceremony. Rosemary Brooks 07/02/2007

Visit the Questions for Real Estate ProfessionalsHave you checked out the question and answer section of AR? There are some really good questions asked on that section and it just might be a place to get a lead or two from. This is a good source for consumers to ask questions that they need an immediate answer to.  It is another opportunity to add value to someone that is looking for answers. It is also interesting to read the answers from other agents.  So really its another learning tool that AR offers.Every time I come on AR I learn something, am able to share information and find new ways to use AR to better myself and profession.  By reading questions, using your thought process it is a way to enlighten yourself and by providing answers to others is a way of helping out. Might get ... 06/28/2007

San Jose Fireworks Display, San Francisco Fireworks Display, Bay Area Fireworks Display and other Bay Area Fourth of July Festivities A list of Bay Area Fireworks and 4th of July Festivities: July 2-3 San Jose Giants Fireworks Extravaganza. Fireworks after the game at 6:30 p.m. July 2-3. San Jose Municipal Stadium, 588 E. Alma Ave. $10, $7 children. (408) 297-1435. July 3 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. 7:30 p.m. July 3, fireworks 9:30 p.m. July 3. Frost Amphitheater, Galvez Street and Campus Drive, Stanford University. $44, $22 children. (650) 725-2787, http://livelyarts.stanford.edu/.  July 4  South Bay Cupertino Fourth of July. Pancake breakfast, children's parade, festival and fireworks. 7 a.m.-dusk. July 4. Multiple locations in Cupertino. Free. (408) 777-3120. For more details, see www.cupe... 06/28/2007

Visitors...You will be one of the first to land upon the brand new Homes In Tuscany Hills website @ www.HomesInTuscanyHills.com - a website designed with you in mind, in this case, readers, realtors and residents (current and prospective) of the Community of Tuscany Hills in California's Silicon Valley, County of Santa Clara, City of San Jose, Area of Blossom Valley.  Whew!  Home to (currently) 750+ units situated on Communications Hill, this Hill undoubtedly has so many unique qualities to offer it's residents from the rare find in San Jose - that is, lots of developable land among the rolling hills (relatively speaking for California) for growth, schools, future parks,  retail, walking trails, the landmark Grand Staircase and views galore from every angle.  Along with the vast History... 06/19/2007

Want updates on upcoming San Jose Festivals and Events? Sign up for my email alert. I feel like we always miss out on the best festivals in the Bay Area, never again!  06/13/2007

Dancin' on the Avenue in Willow Glen is back for the 12th year running! Bust out the dancing shoes, call your friends and neighbors, and come to Downtown Willow Glen's annual street party for fun, folks, food, and music! We've got four stages of music and a kids court lined up for fun for all. Hope to see you at this fun event!Click Here for More 06/13/2007

 As you are undoubtedly aware, the 1031 qualified intermediary business has received a great deal of press over the past few weeks, as a well known QI in San Jose filed for bankruptcy last month (on the heels of a Las Vegas-based QI folding earlier this year).  I have received numerous inquiries from Realtors, investors, escrow officers and others about this situation and about IPX1031's security of client exchange funds. While investment property sellers must use a qualified intermediary in 1031 transactions, the qualified intermediary industry is not regulated.  How the QI decides to protect the clients' money during the transaction is up to each QI.  Some smaller QI companies may only have little or no fidelity bonding or E&O insurance coverage 06/13/2007

I suspect I am like a lot of people, hurrying through life - not noticing a lot of the detail of my surroundings. As a Realtor, looking at so many homes has caused me to become astutely aware of my own taste in everything from architectural style (Tuscan, Craftsman, Tudor) to the way light falls in the backyard (unfortunately, my own back yard is dark - I never paused to notice this fact before I bought my house, almost ten years ago). Working with buyers (and representing sellers), I have become more aware of the subtle nuances of features that create mood and make a house feel right and comfortable. I believe one of the most important features to effect mood is natural light.Being a person who is somewhat directionally challenged (I can find anything on a map, but if someone asks "is ... 06/03/2007

Hard Money loans is an effective way of getting fast money with almost no documentation. Hard money loans are collateral-based real estate loans made by private investors instead of banks. These loans fill a need for funding when banks won't lend for any reason, there are credit problems, or there isn't time to obtain conventional financing to secure a purchase or get cash from the equity in a property. These types of loans are sometimes referred to by different names such as private money loans, private equity loans, or  bridge loans.  Sometimes it is easier to get a hard money loans, than conventional loan.  Especially if time isthe essence of the deal.     05/05/2007

Yeah!  Spring is here and walking your farm is much more fun in this weather than in the cold winter.  The best time to walk seems to be dusk.... right after dinnertime when people are out puttering in their yards.  It is cool enough that I am not a sweating fool, but not so late that people are ready for bed.I generally bring newletters, and flyers with my advert on one side and coupons from parter vendors on the other.  Sometimes I put in short articals about neighbors that love to share their fruit ie. lemon tress, blackberry bushes, and good recipes on how to use these fruit products.  Think "How to make perfect Lemonaid"This allows me to think I am buiding community spirit - connecting neighbors with neighbors and advertising  the best small businesses in the neighborhood. For exam... 04/28/2007

submit your property to MLSsubmit copies of your listing to all our agents and their potential buyersprovide a customer info box on sign post for direct buyer exposurepromote your home at the rea estate board meeting to create maximum exposure to the other agents in the areadevelop a list of features and benefits of your home for the cooperating agents to use while showing the property to their potential buyers.make suggestion and advise you as to any changes you might want to make in your property to make it even more marketable to the buyer.constantly update you as to any changes in current market conditionsadd additional exposure through a professional sign and lock boxhold anopen house when necessary.advertise when necessarypre-qualify, when possible, all prospective buyers.make you... 04/27/2007

Check it out - http://sanjoserefinance.blogspot.com/ 04/27/2007

http://www.bayarealoanguy.com/refinance.htmlI'm getting some refi business (mostly Neg Am loans), I wanted to make it easier for my clients to find the REFI page.Thanks for your feedback! Have a terrific Weekend!Exchange Links?  04/20/2007

     We all know how Real Estate is very competitive with so many Realtors and Brokerage companies.  I have been providing a great service and a generous incentives to my new buyers by helping them with closing costs.  Do Buyers really need help on closing costs?  Is it okay to share my commission to help other buyers in making that big purchase?  04/12/2007

   Are lenders trying to be an alligator, the whole foundation of the mortgage business has increased the volatility, and shaken the big position investor.  I did have a talk to a big financial hedge fund manager, according to him the mortgage industry is taking a big hit from the media, legislators, short term investors.This has made the wound more deep than expected.  It has really made the real people in refinancing, or purchasing the propertmore difficult.   Even all most all the presidential candidateshas made some bru- ha ha about the supprime meltdown, making the tightening of the credit more clear, andaffecting the average hard working middle class american in achieving the american dream.  We have to face the a lot of family's would be losing their hard eaned home because of th... 03/25/2007

     I was astound to get a quote from the biggest A paper lender in the mortgage industry.  Is it a mortgage spill over, added with the tightening credit, and not getting the right terms from the big investment backers has shaken the whole mortgage credit spectrum.  In one county in California last week, 179 homes were put up for auction at the courthouse, with a reserve price of the mortgage value set by the lender.  The catch is that these were 100% lender-financed homes.  The lenders did not sell one home. They are still hoping that buyers will come in and pay full price.  I wonder how many of those homes had very high appraisals." 03/22/2007

Who says startup companies are the only reason Silicon Valley is glamorous?  Who says you need to head up to San Francisco for the urban scene?Santana Row is a uniquely Northern Californian fusion of design, culture and accessibility, recreating the atmosphere of Paris' Champs Elysees using a distinctly Silicon Valley neo-Mediterranean architecture.A bustling farmers market lines the streets on Sunday mornings in quaint contrast to the exotic car meets on Saturdays.But for all the testosterone from the horsepower and club life of the weekends, Santana Row is an amazingly eccelctic place where strollers share the spotlight with Ferraris and people of all walks of life can enjoy the live music.This walking tour starts from the garage on Olin Avenue, which is most easily accessible from Wi... 03/19/2007

    The Capital of Silicon Valley is suffering from the foreclosure wave throught out the country, or is it just a meltdown of the market, which is taking all over the nation. Pundit's, financial expert has been going "ga-ga" over the foreclosure loom which would be sweeping the country for the past two (2) years.    Time would justtell if it is just a "meltdown", or a real bust, like what happened five (5) years during the tech bubble.  At thattime, every one invested all most all their equity in the tech stock's, for the most part a big portion of their retirement has just evaporated.   At that time over $9 trillion dollar just "gone in the wind", but the sub prime sector which is the biggest loser in this sector is not as big as the tech bust was ! unless it does not go through out t... 03/17/2007

  Rumors have sprung up that Goldman Sachs is interested in buying Accredited, which helped their stock price yesterday.   National City said that it wrote off $11 million stemming from subprime home loans, expects to write off more, and may boost reserves by $50 million because an insurer is rejecting mortgage-related claims.   IndyMac Bancorp Inc., who is the ninth biggest U.S. mortgage lender with $90 billion in fundings last year and who has seen its stock drop 36% this year, said its exposure to subprime mortgages is small. The company stated that most of its loans were prime loans to borrowers with high credit scores, or Alt-A which had high credit score borrowers with alternative documentation. 03/16/2007

  Check this one folks !    This people are making our industry a bad reputation !  Whether you believe it or not, we have helped thousands of people save a lot of money, thru taxes, debt consolidation, lowering the house payments, etc...  But some folks right here, has just made us a mock, and a commodity in this professional field. There are two ways you can make money $$$, the right way, or the wrong way. These people have tried to make their money through their way ! Check this news:  http://origin.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_5412059 http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2007/02/19/story2.html     C'mon, let's make our industry based on trust worthiness, integrity, and full of trust.  03/11/2007