iPad saved the short sale in Tracy, CA   If you've been following me for a while you've read about my short sale that was appraised at $500 less than the accepted offer.   I was at my son's baseball game in San Mateo when my phone rang.  Normally I wouldn't answer my phone at a ball game, but I had already sent the twitter out asking for help from Bank of America on my Short Sale.  When my phone popped us as "Bank of America" calling. I quickly answered only be connected with their "Twitter Monitor" and I explained in detail that we were $500 shy of approved price, our approval date was expiring in 7 days, and the lender can't move forward. She wanted to know the loan number on the file.  UH..... I don't remember numbers well, and to think I KNEW a 12 digit number on a short sale was i... 02/12/2011

  What happens when your short sale appraisal comes in $500 Dollars LESS THAN the OFFER and APPROVAL? Short Sales in themselves are prickly little devils. If you don't know what you're doing, best not touch! The Seller gets an offer.  Everyone wait months for the bank to approve it.  Once you have the approvals the Buyer starts doing inspections, disclosures, and gets the appraisals completed. What happens when the buyer's offer is an FHA offer, and the appraisal comes in $500 shy of the asking price and THE APPROVAL? Keep in mind Sale Price is a $135,500 property. The appraiser also called for a roof certification since there was mold growing on the tiles.  (Roof report came back great but this was another $450 fee that this first time buyer was not expecting.) Back to the $500....  He... 02/08/2011

You can see the rest of this online newsletter manually produced each Monday. The homes in the above newsletter are all the homes that went pending in Tracy, CA  last week.  Notice the color coding to make things easy. (green)=the number of stories (red)=garage size (*)= there is a pool (brown address color)=the house is Tracy country property. Noah's corner is the biggest hit in this one.  It is my 11 year olds version of his world summarized each week.   Noah is working hard on being Gaston in the Beauty & The Beast play coming up. 02/08/2011

Today was a wonderful day but honestly it was just wonderful like every other day.  I got the coolest call from a nearby area code & I was just driving along (thankfully with my bluetooth headset in my ear).  Mrs. Buyer says to me, "You don't know me but I found you online & You are the one I want to help me!!!".  Wow, I said.  This is fun.  Mrs. Buyer wanted me to know that she had been reading online in several different places & she just loved my responses.  They were honest & I was really helpful.  She had already called a few other agents & when she mentioned (a very busy main street in Tracy, CA), one of the agents didn't know which street she was talking about.  She even said, they probably shouldn't be listing Tracy, CA as a town they work in if they don't know the streets (espe... 02/07/2011

19 Year Old Boys from Tracy, CA Don't buy Sketchers - If I do will If I Get KIM's Results! I'm going today to buy some Sketchers Shape-Ups, if you didn't see the commercial during the super bowl it's below and you'll understand why. (If you see me walking around Tracy, CA in them you'll know why, I want to look like Kim in my shoes!) Millions of people watched the Super Bowl for the football game and to see who would be the Victor. Many others watched the Super Bowl to watch the commercials. Either way, the commercials usually spark the most conversation. When my 19 year old SON polled his friends on Facebook regarding what commercial they liked the best, the answer was unanimous..... Can you guess which Super Bowl Commercial he liked best? Yep - Sketchers..... Kim Kardashian, if you mi... 02/07/2011

It's Finally Friday Here is your "Honey Do" For this Week - Week 4.  Remember if you take care of your home in Tracy, CA or anywhere, it will take care of you. Clean or better yet get someone else to clean the duct work in our home.  When was the last time, if ever you had the duct work cleaned?  Bacteria, dust, pet hair, and all kinds of stuff collects in the ducts overtime make them far less efficient that when they were first put in.  You can check Kudzo for more information on how, when and who should clean out the ducts in your home. Outside maintenance in Northern CA right now means closing off your crawlspace if you have one under your house.  Just imagine that 'cute' little critter who is outside in the cold, wet weather, while under your house it is warm and dry.  Guess where t... 02/04/2011

I just love referrals.  It truly never gets old.  Another wife in Tracy Fire Dept just referred this awesome seller to me last week.  I met with him late last night.  There are quite a few things that just make this such a fun one to sell.  It's on Ali Ct in Tracy, CA.  I sold 2 houses on that street (same side of the street also) last year.  They were right next door to each other which made some buyers question what was happening on the street.  Both houses were a short sale & both got approved pretty quick. Fast forward to this morning: My husband & I go over there to take pictures to get it up for sale.  Last night I told my seller that I would help get the rest of his garage cleaned out so he didn't have to stress about getting rid of it (he was happy).  As we were emptying the gar... 02/02/2011

   You can see the rest of this online newsletter manually produced each Monday. The homes in the above newsletter are all the homes that went pending in Tracy, CA  last week.  Notice the color coding to make things easy. (green)=the number of stories (red)=garage size (*)= there is a pool (brown address color)=the house is Tracy country property. Noah's corner is the biggest hit in this one.  It is my 11 year olds version of his world summarized each week.  "I got to do the honor guard at the Stockton Thunder Game.  I learned all my parts for Gaston & I'm singing a lot by myself." 01/31/2011

  It's Finally Friday - Honey Do List time again- Week 3!  3 quick things to help take care of your Tracy Home. Remember if you take care of your home in Tracy it will take care of you. #1 Spend this weekend getting organized.  I had no idea January was GO-Month, get  organized month. According to the National Associations of Professional Organizers, this is the month to get organized. So take today and organize your bills, closets, drawers, etc.  Ok in all fairness for me, this would take far more than one Saturday.  Start small, work your way through each room, until every room has been done.   #2 Check your cars Anti-freeze.  Here again in Northern CA, this is not necessary unless you are heading to the mountains.  It certainly feels like the weather has been freezing lately.  Perha... 01/28/2011

   You can see the rest of this online newsletter manually produced each Monday. The homes in the above newsletter are all the homes that went pending in Tracy, CA  last week.  Notice the color coding to make things easy. (green)=the number of stories (red)=garage size (*)= there is a pool (brown address color)=the house is Tracy country property. Noah's corner is the biggest hit in this one.  It is my 11 year olds version of his world summarized each week.  Baseball practice started this week.  I practice everyday to be Gaston in the Beauty & The Beast play.  it's coming up soon.  i have lots of singing parts alone. 01/26/2011

Ever wish it was Friday, even though it's Wordless Wednesday? I did that yesterday - could have sworn tomorrow was Friday... nope it's only Wednesday today. Olive Garden In Tracy, CA makes the best martinis. No I didn't have one. However it sure is a pretty drink. There are days when you just wish you could have a treat.   01/26/2011

Tracy, CA has 44 Homes for Sale for under $150,000.   Which home do you want to purchase?  You are always paying a mortgage, sometimes it's your landlords in which you get NO BENEFIT. However, if you are paying your own mortgage you get tax benefit, appreciation benefits, security of longevity, and so many more benefits.    If you're ready to buy a home in Tracy, perhaps this is your first house, call me. Let's discuss your options.   First Time Home Buyers have FHA loans available to them that only require 3.5% as a down payment.   Investors, many of these properties, with 20% down will have positive cash flow if rented.   What are you waiting for?  Interest rates are low, prices are low.  Contact me TODAY!   01/26/2011

It's all about Perspective - Is this an OCEAN view to YOU? I got a chance to sneak away to Monterey, CA only about 90 minuntes from Tracy, CA.  A great place to go for a little R&R. As I opened the curtains in our hotel room, my Active Rain blogging brain saw an opportunity for yet another blog. It's all about Perspective - Is this an OCEAN view to YOU? This video will show in photos what I can't possibly express in words.   it's all about perspective.  If this was a home I'd advertise the ocean views.  I take photos, zoomed in highlighting that you can indeed see the Monterey Bay.  However, being a hotel room, that charges extra for "Ocean Views" I'll disagree.  Yes, I suppose in reality I can see the bay, there was even a sailboat that was visible.  However, I don't want to pay a prem... 01/23/2011

  Finally Friday - Honey Do List For The Weekend - Week 2 - Tracy CA Today is the day for this weekend's list of Honey Do's.  For some of you - you are the HONEY that gets to Do, for others, you're going to happily print this list out and post it in a predominate place for you Honey to see. Remember is you take care of your house in Tracy, your house will take care of you! Interior - This Honey Do when not done accounts for over 1 BILLION dollars annually and injuries to over 1000 people.  Electrical Fires, and guess what, electrical fires happen more often in the winter than the summer.  This makes sense since more electricity is used, more lights are on, more appliances, heaters, etc are used in the winter months than the summer.  How to prevent these fires, trip your circuit breaker ... 01/21/2011

You can see the rest of this online newsletter manually produced each Monday. The homes in the above newsletter are all the homes that went pending in Tracy, CA  last week.  Notice the color coding to make things easy. (green)=the number of stories (red)=garage size (*)= there is a pool (brown address color)=the house is Tracy country property. Noah's corner is the biggest hit in this one.  It is my 11 year olds version of his world summarized each week.  This last week he lost his IPOD touch.  He left it on my car & we never found it.  It was his only Christmas gift.  makes me sad.  He is bouncing back pretty well from it now. 01/20/2011

Mr. Buyer says, "Now that we are in contract, is there anything that will keep me from getting the house?" As their realtor I tell them, "There are many things I would love to spell out & here are some of the most common ones for you. Your lender might not approve you in the end, because they do have to verify everything & sometimes their rules change in the middle of escrow.  The appraisal might come in lower than our offer, then we will have to re-negotiate our deal. The city of Tracy not approving the down payment assistance that you qualified for in the beginning. You can change your mind, but after the loan/appraisal & inspection contingency removal, you will be walking away from your good faith deposit. Sorry to be so vague, but honestly it's never over till it's over." Mr. Buyer ... 01/19/2011

Wordless Wednesday - I prefer to think of it as CLOUD 9! - CA Central Valley FOG There are days in the Central Valley of California that the fog rises up from the ground, causing Tule Fog.  This can be dense and spotty.  Today the fog wasn't so bad that you couldn't see at all... I figure i had about a 1/4 mile of visibility, not much when traveling at 40 -50 mph. (Or slower) There are a lot of trees in Lincoln Park in Tracy, CA However the only one you can clearly see through "Cloud 9" is this one. 01/19/2011

Are you a professional or a Hot Mess? I was in the Crown Key Realty office in Tracy, CA Saturday cleaning.  Painters were there painting.  (It's a new office so there is still a lot to be done.)  Anyway, I had on jeans, sweater, hair in a pony tail, minimal make up on... basically I had left the house quickly, knew I was going no where except the office to clean, and I'd fix myself up later. For those of you that know me, know that I wear skirts 95% of the time.  My makeup, well lets just say I don't go downstairs without it on.  My dogs would bark at the stranger in the house.  I usually have on heels, and my hair is usually down and curled.  Perhaps I'm a bit strange, but I always want to be appear professional and ready. So imagine my surprise when I hear the front door to the office... 01/18/2011

Great Fun today Celebrating AR's 200K Member - As a Result I BLEW UP my followers phones.  OOPS If you haven't been on Active Rain today then you completely missed the big announcement. ACTIVE RAIN REACHED 200,000 MEMBERS IN HONOR  of they day there were Twitter Contest all day long.  If you aren't on Twitter, or don't follow Active Rain on Twitter @activerain you should. The last contest of the day - I think, was a chance to have a personal blogging training with none other than BOB STEWART.  @ActiveBob  "Enter as many times as you want for the next 10 mintues why you joined Active Rain." That's when the problem started.  I did, and I know others did,  cut and paste the reasons, with minor changes to our tweet. Such as: I Joined to learn bloggin. @activerain #AR200K I joined to meet gr... 01/17/2011

  250,000,000 million people are expected to watch the Golden Globes tonight, will you be one of them? The Golden Globes coverage of the awards starts at 5:00 p.m. in Tracy, CA.   I know my TV in Tracy, CA will be turned on to the Golden Globes, going to try to watch the "Red Carpet on E!" first.... starts at 3:00 PST. Award Season 'officially arrives' tonight with the Golden Globes. If you are an actor, actress, director, producer you're hoping that tonight is YOUR  party night.  The Golden Globes air tonight with the Hollywood Forgien Press Agency, HFPA, votiing on the best in entertainment, TV and Movies. The Golden Globes is more of a party atmosphere than the Oscars, with no assigned seat fillers, participants freely roam about during the show, mingling with their peirs. Why watch ... 01/16/2011