Archive for Real Estate
Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore and San Ramon home sales get a boost
By · November 2, 2009 · CommentsCongress Extends Higher Loan Limits for Fannie, Freddie, FHA
MBA this week urged Congress to immediately extend the higher loan limits for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). Those limits were scheduled to expire on December 31, 2009, and with an appropriations bill that would extend them stalled in Congress for months over budget issues, lenders were being forced to stop locking in interest rates beyond 60 days for loans over $625,500.
On Monday, October 26, MBA was joined by the National Association of Realtors and National Association of Home Builders in sending a letter to the four congressional leaders urging prompt action on this legislation. The letter (attached) made the case that although the loan limits would not expire for another two months, the uncertainty surrounding their renewal was forcing lenders to stop underwriting certain high-cost mortgages. MBA also fanned out on Capitol Hill, meeting with key congressional offices to urge that the loan limit bill hitch a ride on legislation moving through Congress that week.
The Obama Administration weighed in, urging prompt congressional action with a press release on Thursday.
Congress responded to industry and the President by taking the unusual step of adding the legislation to the Continuing Resolution (CR) that had to be enacted in order to avoid a federal government shutdown this Saturday. On Thursday, October 29, the House passed the CR by a vote of 247 to 178, and the Senate quickly followed suit with a vote of 72 to 28. President Obama is expected to sign the bill by the end of the week.
Loan Modification for Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore Home owners
By · August 18, 2009 · CommentsHas the governments program worked to keep home owners in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore in their homes? You might want to read the following article
http://moneyfeatures.blogs.money.cnn.com/2009/08/10/fixing-foreclosures-with-a-right-to-rent/
Big banks in my opinion have done very little to help the home owner. Yes, the terms of the loans were agreed to and yes, the banks have the right to expect payment. The banks also took federal money-our money- to help the home owners and they have only used it to help their bottom line.
Between big government and big corporations the middle class is being squeezed to the point that there will be no middle class, just wealthy and poor much like the third world.
Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin new flood maps
By · July 27, 2009 · CommentsThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued revised Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for all of Alameda County that become effective on Monday, August 3, 2009. These maps show areas that are considered to be in a floodplain, and therefore may require homeowners to obtain flood insurance. Flood zone disclosure is a statutory requirement in California real estate transactions.
The revised FEMA maps will expand the 100-year flood zone, affecting properties in the vicinity of Alameda City, Castro Valley, Dublin, Emeryville, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Leandro, and in the unincorporated County. Approximately 2000 parcels that are not now entirely or partially within a 100-year flood zone will be drawn into this high-risk zone when the revised maps become effective.
Prospective home buyers may wish to check with their insurance agent to see if the property’s flood zone, and insurance requirements, will be affected by the map changes. Where properties are drawn into a high-risk zone, flood insurance must be purchased before the new maps become effective on August 3, 2009, in order to comply with federal law regulating federally-backed mortgages, and to obtain the lowest available rate.
NOTE TO AGENTS: Where escrows are currently open in the affected areas, agents may wish to consider the impact that added flood insurance costs may have on the borrower’s loan qualifications. In addition, where properties are drawn into a high-risk flood zone, building permits for future construction may require design standards that minimize flood risk, which could increase project cost. This development impact, and the insurance requirement triggered by the new flood zones, are material facts in real estate disclosure where properties are affected.
More information about…
- the flood map changes and how they may affect your clients
- insurance requirements which these changes may trigger
- opportunities that may benefit your clients with lowered flood insurance costs
- disclosure compliance
- how to view the new FEMA maps online
…is at the link below:
http://www.fanhd.com/Portals/0/fanhd/pdf/Alameda_FEMAmaps_Aug2009.pdf
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore Homes
By · April 28, 2009 · Comments
I received this as an email. What do you think?
SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!
Oh, There’s MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe!
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over and the County Supervisors said okay…
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who’d like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them placed in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current in all shots, in great health and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm donated to the county years ago where inmates can work and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery where prisoners work and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6-$8 for the holidays and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he’s in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural that has a special hotline phone number painted on it where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn’t doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline and brought four new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He’s a ‘Git-R Dun’ kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who created the “Tent City Jail:”
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights and cut off all but G- rated movies.
He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn’t get sued for discrimination.
He took away cable TV until he found out there was a Federal court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again – but only allowed The Disney Channel and the Weather Channel.
When asked why the Weather channel, he replied, “So they will now how hot it’s going to be while they are working on my chain gangs.”
He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value
When the inmates complained, he told them, “This isn’t the Ritz Carlton. If you don’t like, don’t come back.”
More on the Arizona Sheriff:
With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record) the Associated Press reports: about 2,000 inmates living in a barbed wire surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to their government issued pink boxer shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reach 138 degrees inside the week before.
Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their pink socks.
“It feels like we’re in a furnace,” said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the tents for 1 year. “It’s inhumane.”
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy Sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates, “It’s 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear. But they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut your mouths!”
Way to go Sheriff!
Maybe if all prisons were like this one there be a lot less crime and/ or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes- not live in luxury until it’s time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can’t afford to have for themselves.
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore Hometown News
By · April 21, 2009 · CommentsRegional theater getting closer. The Livermore City Council authorized staff to prepare a final disposition and development agreement between the Redevelopment Agency and the Livermore Valley performing Arts Center. This will benefit the Tri-valley communities of Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin.
Pleasanton Farmers’ Market is starting a pilot program to eliminate plastic bags. The focus is on the hot food venders and getting them to switch to paper and cardboard that breaks down. There will also be an effort to get consumers to bring their own coffee cups and utensils.
The Cities of Dublin and Pleasanton will be working to relocate five historic structures to the City of Dublin’s Historic Park project. Originally on the Kolb Ranch south of Highway 580, they will be moved from Laurel Canyon Dr., to Foothill Blvd., then across 580 to the park.
Pleasanton homes will be taxed $233 per year under propsed measure G
By · April 13, 2009 · CommentsHome owners in Pleasanton will have a chance to increase their taxes for schools. Hot buttons such as saving teachers jobs, not letting our children down are always lightning rod issues.
Being in real estate I have two views of such a tax. First you want good schools, and high achieving students, but parcel taxes, even small taxes tend to grow and drive up the cost of maintaining your home. Many buyers look at H.O.A. dues and parcel taxes as evils, and avoid them when they can. This could reduce the demand for Pleasanton homes.
If needed, I would vote for the tax, but only after a review of salaries, and a full accounting of all income and expenditures for the past 10 years. I am not a property owner in Pleasanton, but would question my school officials if such a measure were proposed.
Home Sales Up In Pleasanton Dublin Livermore
By · April 5, 2009 · CommentsPleasanton SalesHome sales in the Tri-Valley cities of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore have taken a big jump. All three cities experienced a large increase over the previous year.
Dublin showed the largest increase of 89% over March 2008. Pleasanton and Livermore both had home sales increases of 41% and 47% respectively. These numbers are for all types of home including condos and townhouses.
Pleasaton home sales for March 2009 (70.3 KiB, 266 hits)
Dublin home sales March 2009 (76.9 KiB, 85 hits)
Livermore home sales for March 2009 (71.1 KiB, 181 hits)
There has been a slow, but steady increase beginning in December 2008. They were small increases, but March is good to see. If you want in on this market you still have time. Interest rates remain low and inventory is strong.
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore homes and loans
By · March 23, 2009 · CommentsPleasanton, Dublin and Livermore homes have not been immune from the housing slump. Real estate and finance are two of the biggest parts of our economy, Obama and his congress need to move fast to salvage the crises. We need a permanent fix to the housing issue.
I know this is going to be a hot issue, but the United States government needs to take emergency action to keep people in their homes. Refinance the loans, having the government and banks take the hit on any loss.
Every new property loan, be it residential, commercial or vacant land needs to have a special insurance attached. The insurance would be similar to the lenders insurance that you pay for when buying a home, but it would protect the buyer when out of work or for any reason.
Insurance will increase the cost of buying, and refinancing, but the alternative is what we are seeing now. This insurance would be paid by the consumer and not the general population. You can already get the same type of insurance when buying a car or for you credit cards, why not make it mandatory on a loan?
Home Loan Rates Drop and Sales Improve
By · March 20, 2009 · CommentsLoan rates for conforming loans are down, bouncing around 4.5%. Home sales are improving and first time home buyers should be out in droves with these new developments.
A sample of investor properties shows that homes in such areas as Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore and other nearby cities like Blackhawk can be had very near $200.00 per square foot . You can’t buy the land and build for near that number.
Yes, the economy is still bleak for many, but real estate has seen an improvement. I noticed increase sales starting in December and that small, but positive move seems to be steady.
Pleasanton Dublin and Livermore news and housing
By · May 2, 2008 · CommentsNorth Livermore residents have indicated support to retain the Springtown Golf Course. The was some distrust of the city following the wishes of the residents. Much like residents of Dublin and Pleasanton residents don’t believe the city of Livermore is being totally honest with them
Pleasanton Oak Grove development has received a favorable court ruling and the Pleasanton city council will not challenge it.
