Have you ever been on a roller coaster? Then you know the feeling of going up, and up, and up... and then there is a point when you realize you are about to experience one of the most basic laws of nature: what goes up, must come down! Yes, I am a Realtor and this analogy is very real in my business. Since 1985 I have experience a few of those turns... this one however, is by far the most long lasting, meanest and most destructive business periods I have ever seen in my profession I believe most Realtors are on a survival mode right about now, here in sunny northern California, the inventory of homes is still way too high, the banks are not helping anybody, the home buyers are scared and those who can afford and qualify for a loan are waiting to see what happens next. Not a friendly atm... 12/10/2010

Hello blog readers. I recently came to the mindset that I needed to sell my San Leandro home and move back in with my mother and be her live-in caregiver.  I had my house that was only two houses North of hers and it just made no sense to have two households to support and maintain. So I put my house on the market.  Being a Prudential California Realty Agent, it was the company's policy that agents do not sell their own homes.  That policy is in place to avoid any conflict of interest claims and future lawsuits.  I had no problems with that.   So Nick Falconio and Jason Dwyer from my office took the listing.               My San Leandro home     We priced the house at $380,000 with the knowledge that it was priced to move and we expected multiple offers.  We set the offer date for one w... 07/08/2010

But by far, the most important document in the Short Sale Package is the sellers hardship letter. This document will be the very first one read by the Loss Mitigator. It will give this person an idea of what to look for in the package, or if is even worth his/her time to read it. Banks are receiving short sales requests in record numbers, the rejection rate however is very high, in part due to the package not being complete. Lack of important documents to analyze the request is the cause of delays, and in most cases the difference between loosing the house to foreclosure or negotiating a short sale with the lender. Most homeowners requesting a short sale approval of their loan, are shy about their situation,  and this letter is not an easy one to write. As a professional Realtor, this i... 04/13/2010

Hi there blog readers. I just wanted to let you know that I will be placing my own home up for sale later this month.  It has been interesting being on the side of the seller.   I have spent countless hours prepping my home to get it ready for the sale. It will be a good deal.  I will have it priced to move quickly.  It's a wonderful 2 bedroom 1 bath Normandy  Storybook Style Tudor in San Leandro's "The Broadmoor" neighborhood on Superior Avenue.  We are targeting the last week of January to have it hit the MLS. Nick Falconio and Jason Dwyer will be representing me.  Prudential California Realty's policy is that they will not allow agents to represent their own properties due to conflict of interest and E&O (Errors and Omission Insurance) issues. Being a caregiver for my mother, it's ti... 01/05/2010

Having seen the three homes on San Leandro's Superior Avenue that create the elevation for the home on Hayward's Prospect Avenue home. illustration #1 537, 527 and 521 as they are on San Leandro's Superior Avenue  illustration #2 As photographed the same three houses as diagrammed above illustration #3 537, 527 and 521 as they would be combined together. illustration #4 The above combination is then mirror imaged and then you get "The house on Prospect" in Hayward. illustration #5 As photographed, the house diagrammed in illustration #4 Recently, I've noticed that two homes on Superior Avenue when joined together also create a common variation to the storybook style architecture theme.  The home in this puzzle features a shed dormer style roof over the window of the second house.   Most... 09/08/2009

My mother is having her roof redone.  This is the same house that my Grandmother purchased from the builder developer / mayor of San Leandro Earl Derry.  It was Earl Derry's very own home until 1946 when Grandma purchased it. My father grew up in this house.  I grew up in this house. I did the same thing to my house a few years ago.  You can see it in the picture above.  Mom's house is the one with the old roof being peeled away.  My house is the brown house with the brown singles two houses to the right. In my restoration of the house I made a mistake on the roof color.   When looking up from within the attic, I would assume that the orignal roofing layer was cedar or redwood shingles.  When the layers of my old roof came off I noticed I had it all completely wrong.  The roof color was... 07/15/2009

Dec 7, 1941 and the outbreak of World War II surely had an impact on development on The Broadmoor.  Below is the listing of homes built in The Broadmoor for the year of 1942. With home owners and construction works going off to war, work on the area homes came to an almost standstill. One street was the exception to this rule and that would be Georgia Way off of East 14th Street. Street Number 101  GEORGIA WAY 89  GEORGIA WAY 149  GEORGIA WAY 137  GEORGIA WAY 161  GEORGIA WAY 658  VICTORIA CT 111  GEORGIA WAY 875  VICTORIA AVE 162  GEORGIA WAY  138  GEORGIA WAY 125  GEORGIA WAY 173  GEORGIA WAY 05/21/2009