Stats on Facebook and Pinterest See all the numbers for yourself! I don’t know about you, but I use social media every virtually every day. Whether I’m updating a listing on Trulia or Zillow and then alerting Facebook, or I’m blogging on ActiveRain or LinkedIn, I’m constantly in contact with social media and free advertising websites. After a while of doing this, however, I start to feel like sometimes I’m just putting information out there “to the universe of cyber world”. It’s always good to touch bases with reality and see how many people actually are viewing these websites. So here are some reassuring stats I came across about Facebook and Pinterest that peaked my interest. Facebook: Has 845 million active users. Accounts for one out of every five pageviews on the internet worldwide... 06/07/2012

Our current inventory shows 39 homes for sale in Oakmont. For the previous week, there were five new listings, four escrows opened and two escrows closed. For a complete list of all the homes currently for sale in our MLS system, please click on the link below: View Listings For details on any of these homes for sale in Oakmont, please click on Search by MLS Number and select "Sonoma" from the "Choose a County" dropdown box, then enter the MLS number at the bottom of the search screen. Note: This is a live link, so any additions or changes to these listings will be reflected within 30 minutes or less. For more information on the community of Oakmont, please click on Oakmont California. 06/06/2012

DIY Projects! Magazine Flowers and Rolled Paper Collage It’s time for Summer projects. Here are two great DIY videos I found for some home decorating fun with the kids, friends or just on your own. These are great ways to spruce up your home, add color and texture and do it all on a budget. The first video on the list is how to create magazine flowers for your home. These are a fantastic accent either in a hanging vase on the wall or a small vase on the table, mantle or window sill. The second video I’ve picked out is a really interesting way to create a mixed media piece of art using scraps of colored paper and a canvas. Both of these are simple, cost effective and a lot of fun! Great projects for outside in the Summer sun (and even neat staging items for a listed home!). Magazine Flow... 06/01/2012

Marketing Techniques What You Should Consider When approaching how to market our company or increase new reaches I always like to do my research.  One “Guru” I surely follow and put to use his tips is Carl White of Mortgage Marketing Animals or Forbes Magazine. Both of these sources I have always found to have reliable tips that work. So here’s the newest from Forbes and my own experiences on catering to your audience. The first thing I like to think about when marketing the business is the consumer. Of course! Consumer always comes first. “Prior studies have generally found consumers evaluate products based on comparable features, not on new and unique ones.” From Forbes -New or Improved: What Consumers Really Wantwritten by Zoe McKay. For us in the Real Estate and Mortgage game this i... 05/31/2012

Remodeling Your Home for Sale or Summer?  Check Out these Awesome Ideas Here we are in the thick of selling season again.  All of us Agents and Brokers in the business start getting very excited this time of year because this is when the market starts to really pick up. Whether people are taken by the season or they’re preparing for a fall and winter in a new home, buyers have consistently and statistically bought more in the summer months and the beginning fall months than any other season – except this 2012 year did start early!  For the buyers who are also trying to sell their home, there are plenty of ways to increase the value of your home before you put your home on the market.  Many of these are cost effective and easily done, so read on and hopefully you will find some of these ... 05/31/2012

Socialcam: The New Instagram? Anyone out there using Instagram? What about Pinterest? For those of you who are and are also keeping track of the “next best thing” in marketing, I have the latest and greatest:  We now have SocialCam. If you are familiar with the many other marketing/social media websites I would explain SocialCam as a mixture of YouTube and Instagram. In fact, SocialCam has been named the “Instagram of Video”. Let me tell you more: The site that SocialCam is compared to most is Viddy. However, while Viddyonly lets users record fifteen second of video to post, SocialCam has no limits on how long a posted video can be. This is why I say this new channel of media is similar to YouTube.   SocialCam also offers a unique feature that I have yet to see on other video updating w... 05/29/2012

Market Update for April 2012 We're Keeping Steady Okay folks, here is another market update! As I’m sure many of you do, I like to look at the stats at the end of every month to see how home sales have changed and look for trends in the market. So here we are at the end of May 2012 and it’s time to check in with the market. Here are some statistics that are pertinent to look at (from RealtyTimes.com):   “Sales rose by 3.4 percent, bringing the total amount of existing-home sales to 4.62 million.” “Regional prices varied, but all increased. The Northeast has the highest current median price-tag at $256,600. The West followed at $221,700. The Midwest still holds the title for lowest median home price at $141,400”. The reason why the regional price information is so exciting is because thi... 05/29/2012

Market Updates from Trulia: What the stats say I like catching up on where our market is at on Trulia’s website. They’re Chief Economist, Jed Kolko, is a good resource for where the market is going and why. Today’s article was particularly enlightening as it was the “Housing Barometer Charts”. I felt that many details in his report are applicable to many people in the industry of Real Estate. Within this report Trulia summarizes the three key housing market indicators: 1. New Construction starts 2. Existing Home Sales and 3. Delinquency plus Foreclosure Rate. For each category of these indicators, Trulia compares the month’s date to the previous numbers when they were at their worst and the pre bubble “normal” levels. Construction Starts: Brand new home starts have increased from 699,00... 05/24/2012

Update on the Housing Market  What Realtor Magazine Has to Say Several housing markets across the U.S. suffered a great deal more than the rest, however they are now back on track for recovery! Check out this top five places where prices are expected to rise. The number one is an area of California that’s not too far from the Bay Area! We’re expecting a 21.5% home price increase from now until 2013 and this can only be extrapolated to get better. Very exciting stuff, so check out the list: 1.  Madera, CA – Median Home Price: $125,000. 2013 forecast for home prices: 21.5% increase 2.   Medford, Oregon – Median Home Price: $144,000. 2013 forecast for home prices: 20.1% increase 3.  Yuma, AZ – Median Home Price: $105,000. 2013 forecast for home prices: 16.7%  increase 4.   Corvallis, OR – ... 05/24/2012

Latest and Greatest in Real Estate I was perusing the latest and greatest in the Real Estate world this morning and I discovered a very recent update on how the market is doing on average. There were some great facts in this article and video such as home sale rates, price averages, distressed home averages and more. Check out the link below for the full details. Here are some of the great facts within:   “Median Existing-home price for all housing types was $163,800 in March, up 2.5% from March 2011.” “Investors purchased 21% of homes in March… and first-time home buyers accounted for 33% of transactions in March” up from last month. “According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30 year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.95% in March.” “All-cash sales slip... 05/22/2012

Stepping Stones to Success When it comes to success just about everyone has their own opinion, usually a very strong one, on how to go about it. If you’re a business owner, your definition of success will most likely be different than a General Manager of a store or a Real Estate Agent.  I believe that no matter what level of success you’re trying to achieve, the steps toward this goal are the same. So, let me add my part to this, though I have had 24+ years to put to the test my opinions – and by trial and error come up with the ones that DO work.  Thought I’d share. Success is not a brilliant idea or being CEO at daddy’s company, success is achieving what you want for yourself through hard work. Here is a list of great tips and strategies that I’ve compiled to help you succeed at what... 05/22/2012

Here at Sun Pacific Mortgage and Real Estate, our Broker and Co-Owner Forest, the Guy in the White Hat, likes to get in touch with all of you out there in the housing business for a lender's viewpoint article. Here's the lastest and greatest from Forest, Enjoy!  LENDER’S VIEWPOINT By: The Guy In The White Hat, Broker Forest Tardibuono   “Home prices, sales jump”           This is today’s front-page headline from my local newspaper.  It must really be good news as they usually are such gloom and doom about real estate – in spite of the facts within their own articles.  But I digress.           The current market is hot, hot, hot, where I live in Sonoma County, California.  This article also stated that the market, which is already hot, is expected to strengthen.   Check these statistics ... 05/17/2012

The Market is Picking Up The Raw Statistics My peers and I in the real estate industry have been saying for months that “now IS the time to buy!” before the market picks up this year, which we were sure it would. Well folks, here it is! We have the statistics, we have the hard evidence: the market is no longer in the slump we’ve been in since 2007!  Here in this blog are some of the raw statistics on why we think this is and why NOW, more than ever, is the time to buy before time runs out on the good prices and interest rates – and inventory! Since the crash in 2007, home prices have dropped nationally about 35%... which is just ridiculous. It’s no wonder everyone in the industry’s jaw dropped when the prices did. In the areas that got hit the worst sometimes the drop was 55% or more. H... 05/15/2012

Hello All!   For the past couple of years I have been representing a Buyer/Seller in Sonoma County, CA who fully remodels/renovates homes.  I then “certify them” as a flipper chick listing:  Turn-Key, Move In Ready and Affordable.   I have had quite a lot of requests to be notified when upcoming “turn-key, move-in-ready & affordable” houses will be on the market….. so I thought you might want this list of our coming attractions!   Here’s what my buyer/seller has in the works:   ● 1224 Caribou Court (off Mayette) – 4/3 of 1700 sq. ft, room for boat/RV.  Probably 2 or 3 weeks before it’s finished. Listing price will be $350,000 “ish “.   ● 1821 Cody Ct - Close in June, finish it end of June/early July - probably $339,000.   ● 5976 Yerba Buena – should close today or tomorrow.  It’s going ... 05/11/2012

Sonoma County stats are in! Here’s the raw data. In April 715 houses went into contract to purchase, up from March’s 647 homes in contract to purchase. This number has been increasing steadily over the past several months and will hopefully continue to rise! Check out this graph to see the info for yourself: If you haven’t thought about it, now may be the perfect time for you to invest in or purchase real estate. Now is the time while it’s still considered to be a buyer’s market. Prices are low, interest rates are rock bottom and value is starting to improve. Give us a call today!   Lynn Tardibuono – Flipper Chick- Real Estate Agent and Co-Owner of Sun Pacific Mortgage and Real Estate.  Serving Sonoma County since 1988.  Her number is (707)523-2099 and you can also visit our redesigned ... 05/10/2012

When Looking for a Home, Where do you Start? Get Pre-Approved! When thinking of purchasing a home what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Generally speaking the answer to this question is usually, if not always, “Money”. While the housing market is on the rise and value of homes are increasing, now is the perfect time to buy! However, many people see the question of money not as a bump in the road, but as a huge roadblock. Well, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that hard if you take it one step at a time. I’m talking about getting pre approved for a loan which is the first step of many in purchasing a home. What is a pre approval? Why is it so important? Well, a pre-approval means that you have a written commitment from a Lender to lend you a certain amount of money to purc... 05/10/2012

Credit Score How to get the magic number.. Can you remember when you wanted some “plastic” so you could purchase without the worry of paying right away? How care free and amazing it seemed until Wham!! you were hit with the bill and interest rate you couldn’t afford?  Suddenly, when you want to buy your very own first car or get approved for a loan from the bank your credit score is not so nice… so how do we prevent bad credit scores? It just makes life easier, yes? After all, preventative actions are much simpler than corrective actions the majority of the time. Trulia offers a pretty thorough checklist to ensure your credit score doesn’t slip below standards: Check Your Credit Report You want to do this a couple times a year just to touch bases with how well your finances look to othe... 05/01/2012

How Builders Are Keeping Up With the Economy It seems that everyone in the real estate business is changing their game up to keep up with the market. Many realtors are marketing more than ever, trying new methods for selling their homes and also trying new ways of remodeling homes for a higher sale price. However realtors aren’t the only ones in the business stepping up their game, builders have also jumped on the bandwagon. And with the low inventory the market is currently experiencing many builders have increased their productivity as well as changing how they build homes. Here is a list of some of the things builders have incorporated into their projects due to the economy. Energy Efficiency: with fuel costs on the rise contractors are now making their homes more energy efficient an... 04/27/2012

Mapping Out Sonoma County's Real Estate How things have been going.. Hey all you real estate sellers and buyers out there,  it’s always my goal to ensure my investors, borrowers and buyers are informed on all the market trends. I want all of my clients to be well aware that they are making the right decision to buy or invest and I do this through statistics and facts. Here’s the newest tool I’ve found for purchasing, selling or investing in Sonoma County real estate. Link to the Graph. This graph is from RedFin.com and allows you to see several trends within the market to compare your options. The options for trends to view are price of the listing vs. it’s square footage, what it was actually sold for vs. square footage, the sale-list percentage, the amount for sale on the market and t... 04/26/2012

Here's the Scoop on Flips What to look for and what to avoid.. As anyone who’s searching for a home knows, it’s nearly impossible to find a move-in ready home that’s still affordable. This is why flipped homes are on the rise. However, there are “flipped homes” that claim to be remodeled and the remodel is purely cosmetic, leaving the buyers with work still needing to be done on the home. So why should you care if it’s a “flip” and how do you sort out the good from the bad? The research is not very difficult and is very worthwhile to invest time and energy into if you’re considering buying a flipped home. I’ve compiled a list from my own knowledge as well as an article that covered all the bases I didn’t. You can find the article information at the bottom of the page (Article Title: “No... 04/26/2012