At the close of 2011 completed sales were 1.7% higher in comparison to 2010. “The pattern of home sales in recent months demonstrates a market in recovery,” asserted Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR. It’s encouraging to hear these statistics.  Take a look at this article and see the good news for yourself.      01/27/2012

Streamside Place is a beautiful community of 56 homes, custom built by Cobblestone Homes in 2006. It  is located in Rincon Valley on Highway 12, gateway to Sonoma Valley and the wine country, built alongside Santa Rosa Creek.  The homes are affordable because they are so close together, the exterior walls almost touch each other.  They occupy very little land, so many homes occupy a minimal amount of land.  Streets associated with this development are Calloway and Streamside Drive.   The homes average 1500 sq ft +/- and have 3 bedrooms and at least 2 baths.  They are either 2 stories or 3.  The first story is always the garage. These homes are very affordable when compared to the price of other housing in Rincon Valley.  No homes sold in 2013, however in 2012, four homes sold in a price... 01/21/2012

  Supply Is Down — Prices Should Go Up!   As of January 1, 2012, there were only 26 homes listed for sale in Oakmont.  Combined with the fact that 52 homes were sold in Oakmont during the fourth quarter of 2011, this means that we start the New Year with only 1.5 months of inventory.  In any normal market, this would be considered an extreme seller’s market.  In any normal market, this severe shortage of inventory would result in a dramatic increase in prices.  Yet prices remain stagnant and some homes sit on the market unsold even after several months.  What’s going on?   It’s a combination of issues.  First of all, the spike in foreclosures and short sales (in the outside world, not so much in Oakmont) is artificially holding down prices.  The second problem is that buyers think the c... 01/16/2012

Take a deep breath and just look at the prices on the housing market. Now is the perfect time to buy and become a home Owner instead of a Renter.  Take a look at these 5 sweet reasons being a homeowner is great!       01/13/2012

 As a Real Estate Agent who represents Investors “flipping” homes, my eye caught on this article with good tips on simple, cost-effective ways to upgrade a key aspect of the home - helpful if you want to resell the home or just increase your own home value!    01/12/2012

Buckthorn Court is a wonderful townhouse development located in Rincon Valley.  It consists of 28 single story units that are all the same floor plan and size.  The homes are 1246 sq ft, and the lots are 1700 sq ft. All are only 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.  They were built in 1984, and have a cottage look.  The exterior siding is shake shingle.   All units have an unattached garage a short distance from the home. The development is very peaceful.  There is no pool, play structures, or tennis court.  The landscape is thick, mature, and well maintained.  Walking paths meander through the neighborhood, passing under giant eucalyptus, and past sprawling lawns. The development is partially on Indian Creek Drive, and partially on Buckthorn Court.  It is off Hwy 12 (Sonoma Highway) in between Midd... 01/06/2012

Hi All! In several weeks I’ll have a new Flipper Chick listing. I’m mentioning it now, before the house is ready, as I’ve had many requests to do so: This one is a cute 1920 vintage bungalow of 871 sq. ft. on a large lot w/big detached garage.  It’s 2 bedroom 1 bathroom and everything will be new!  This home is at 438 Bosley Street which is popular area with lovely neighborhoods & walking distance to downtown/Railroad Square.  Zoned “high density”, a second unit could be added on this lot.  The expected listing price is $209-219,000. 01/05/2012

Another reason it’s time to buy a home now;  Many banks are jumping into the lending environment in order to make any spread at all & are driving low prices even lower, as well as again lowering credit underwriting standards.  Read more about our economic signs of recovery.   01/03/2012

Real Estate is starting to explode – not only with my listings & sales but also with numerous Agents I’ve spoken to this past week - they have Buyers coming out their ears; “Sonoma Countiers” want to buy homes in this great market!  Working together as a tight-knit team of Agents, we CAN get the right message across to Homebuyers: Market is right now and homes are only increasing in their value so don’t miss out! 12/30/2011

  Do you Have Smart Goals? As we say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new year that’s just around the corner, it’s traditional to take a look at what’s going on in our lives and to set some new goals. Setting a goal is not the same as simply making a wish.  If you make a wish, you just hope that what you want to happen will happen somehow.  If you remember the acronym “SMART” when you set your goals, you’ve got a much better chance of making your goals a reality.  “SMART” stands for “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based”.  If your goals have all these attributes, you’re well on your way to success.    Wishing you all the best for the New Year, Mike and Paula   12/29/2011

  Why So Many For-Sale Signs?   We’ve been asked why there seem to be so many for-sale signs out there in Oakmont these days.  Is there something wrong with the market? At the beginning of the month, our Multiple Listing System (MLS) showed a total of only 47 homes for sale in Oakmont.  If you thought you were seeing more for-sale signs around than that, you’re absolutely correct.  In addition to the 47 homes that were for sale in Oakmont, there were another 31 homes in escrow.  Some of these are waiting for loan approval or buyers’ approval of inspection reports.  Some of them have cleared all the obstacles and are just waiting to close escrow.  But it’s very interesting that of the 78 total homes that appear to be on the market, 40% of them are, as we like to say in the biz, “under co... 12/29/2011

  Diamond Certified® We are delighted to announce that Century 21 Valley of the Moon, along with its parent company, Century 21 North Bay Alliance, has received the prestigious Diamond Certified® rating.  The Century 21 North Bay Alliance family of local offices is currently the only real estate company in Sonoma County to receive this certification. To become Diamond Certified®, a company must submit a random sample of at least 400 past customers.  The Diamond Certified® organization then performs a telephone survey to determine the candidate company’s customer satisfaction score based on quality of service.  To qualify as Diamond Certified®, the candidate company must score “Highest in Quality,” earning at least 90 points on a scale of 100. In addition, the Diamond Certified® organiza... 12/29/2011

Despite the real estate  market having it’s ups & downs in 2011, it’s up to us Agents to pass along the truth of the upcoming 2012 year: Home values are improving and selling prices WILL increase - so stop pushing those low-ball offers.  Here is an interesting fact sheet I came upon that gives a good view of the 2012 market prediction. 12/28/2011

We are all very excited of the Christmas holiday here at Sun Pacific Mortgage & RE.  We hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends this weekend…make it joyful! 12/23/2011

Some other really good reasons why buying and/or selling a home during the wintery Holiday seasons IS beneficial: http://www.marycraneproperties.com/index.asp 12/21/2011

Ok everyone, my new listing on 124 Fernwood Dr is up and running with a virtual tour on YouTube! This is a charmingly remodeled (yet still affordable) 3 bed/2 bath family home and could be yours, a friend’s, a family member’s or a client of your’s perfect New Year’s home!  So don’t hesitate to check it out and pass it along!    For more information and photos, please visit our postlets page or our home website, both listed below.    Postlets: http://www.postlets.com/res/6729048 Home Website: http://www.sunpacmortgage.com/home-search Lynn Tardibuono, Ari Walker 800 Mendocino Ave, Suite 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707.523.2099 DRE # 01014873  12/19/2011

I'm frequently asked if there are any condominiums or Planned unit Developments (aka: PUD) that I recommend in Rincon Valley.  YES !  There are several.  Which one really depends on your needs, and financial consideration.  Here is a list of the most common ones that I list or sell.  Click on the name of the development and you'll be taken to a specific web page for each development. If you don't know the difference between a condominium and a Planned Unit Developement, click on this link:Condominium or Townhouse (PUD) ?If you have specific questions, or would like to tour any of these developments feel free to call me.Brush Creek Villas:Villa Los Alamos:Mission Creek:The Cascades:Redwood Village:Saint Francis Woods (AKA: Schoolhouse Creek)StreamsideIndian Creek (Buckthorn Court)Mission... 12/19/2011

Check out this article for good home maintenance tips – no more 1-800-Landlord! You’d be surprised how you can save money on your home….if you do it right especially for you first time homeowners. 12/16/2011

Happy Holidays! Christmas and the New Year are right around the corner and everyone is buzzing with excitement about new homes on the market. What better way to celebrate then to look for a new home to make your own?! Here at Sun Pacific Mortgage and Real Estate we have two incredible homes available for viewing This Sunday 12/11 from 1-4 pm. The first home available is at 369 Myrtlewood Drive and is priced at $227,000. This is a four bedroom, one and a half bathroom 1200 square foot house with a two car garage. Fantastically remodeled, this home has granite in the kitchen, refinished original hardwood floors, new carpet in the bedrooms and new paint inside and out. The home sits on a 6098 square foot lot and has both front and back yards to offer! Great for barbeques, play dates and ga... 12/09/2011

Happy Holidays! Christmas and the New Year are right around the corner and everyone is buzzing with excitement about new homes on the market. What better way to celebrate then to look for a new home to make your own?! Here at Sun Pacific Mortgage and Real Estate we have two incredible homes available for viewing This Sunday 12/11 from 1-4 pm. The first home available is at 369 Myrtlewood Drive and is priced at $227,000. This is a four bedroom, one and a half bathroom 1200 square foot house with a two car garage. Fantastically remodeled, this home has granite in the kitchen, refinished original hardwood floors, new carpet in the bedrooms and new paint inside and out. The home sits on a 6098 square foot lot and has both front and back yards to offer! Great for barbeques, play dates and ga... 12/09/2011