How will the non-permitted work affect the ability to get a loan?

Lots of properties in our area have work done on them that is done without permits.  Often, these modifications aren't noticeable.  That's probably because the work doesn't change the footprint of the home, such as an update to the kitchen or bathrooms.  Some changes, like enclosing a patio  or changing the number of bedrooms are more noticeable.  Especially since they will be different than the county records.  These changes won't necessarily make it a no go for the loan, but it's important that the following items  are considered. 

There can't be any Health or Safety issues with the home.
The work must be done in a professional manner.
The home must still be marketable.
The cost to return the home to it's permitted state and how the value would be affected. 

In the past if a home had non-permitted  work, a loan was very difficult to get.  Things are changing now and it's easier!

If you are considering buying a home that has work done without permits be aware  that the loan process might be more involved. 

Santa Clara County Market update 12-9-14

Today there are 1218 single family homes, condos and town homes for sale in Santa Clara county.  If you were looking for a single family home, condo or town home you would have 1218 to choose from.  One month ago there were 1248.  In November of 2013 the median days on market was 16.  In October of this year it was 15 days.  The sale to list price ratio one year ago was 102%,  in September of this year it was 102.7% and last month it was 102.3%.  In November of 2013 there were 1333 closed  sales in Santa Clara county.  In September of this year, 2014, 1441 homes sold and in October 1524 single family, condos and town houses sold.  The median sale price in November of 2013 was 655K, in September of 2014 it was 720K and last month is was 735K.  In September there were 2 months of inventory in the county, in October it went down to 1.6 months.

If you have questions about how this market affects you, I'm only a phone call away!

Minimize the work and stress at Thanksgiving

• Defrost your turkey early! This can take a few days!
• Make dishes ahead of time and store in the freezer.  This works for casseroles, breads and some desserts. 
• Prepare ingredients ahead of time and store in refrigerator, on Thanksgiving day, assemble  and cook! This can be done with mashed potatoes, salads and sauces.  When it comes time to cook it will go a lot quicker.   
• Make sure you have enough plates, glasses utensils and serving pieces, don't forget serving utensils! Place post it notes on each serving dish to plan a head what will be served from what.  
• Check table cloths and napkins for stains and wash or replace if needed.  
• Set the the table a head of time.  
• Shower first thing in the morning.  That way time won't sneak up on you a few minutes before guests arrive!

Do you celebrate Friendsgiving?

The Urban Dictionary defines Friendsgiving as - The celebration of Thanksgiving dinner with your friends. This usually occurs on the Wednesday before or the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, since Thanksgiving is usually reserved for family gatherings.

Some people are far from family so Friendsgiving is a great alternative.  Others aren't close to family so that is their reason and lastly some of us can't get enough of a great turkey dinner!  The most important parts of Friendsgiving are food and fun so here are some ways to enjoy the celebration.


Ideas for guests

• Bring a dish to share

• Don't be super picky about your diet and expect the host to accommodate complicated food restrictions.  
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• Help set up or clean up
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• Bring a game to play

Ideas for Hosts

• Plan ahead and get as much work done as possible before the big day
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• Have some food options for guests that might be on restrictive diets
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• Don't be afraid to ask for help!  It can be in any form, including borrowing items for the celebration like tables, dishes etc.  

Happy Friendsgiving!

Weekly Santa Clara Conty Market update 11-17-14

The statistics I give refer to Santa Clara county single family homes, condos and town homes. 
One month ago there were 1698 active listings for sale.  Today there are 1244.  One year ago the median days on market was 15, today it is 13.  The sale to list price ratio in November of 2013 was 102.5%,  in September of this year it was 103.1% and in October it was 102.8%. There were 1184 closed sales in November of 2013.  There were 1310 closed sales in September and in October 1359.  The median sale price a year ago was 685K, in September of this year it was 730K and in October it was 760K.  Lastly, we had 1.6 months of inventory in September and in October we had 1.3.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have about the market and how it affects you!

Are these issues that are important to you?  Investigate them to avoid costly mistakes!

Great ways to save water!

What ways do you save water?

Avoid these mistakes when selling your home!

These are mistakes that con be avoided by using a reputable realtor.  Ask friends and family for a recommendation.  

Happy Vetrans Day! Things to know about VA loans

VA loan options and facts

• You can purchase a condo, a single family home or a  unit in a VA-approved project
• Construct a home
•  Purchase and improve a home at the same time
• Renovate a home by installing energy-related features or making energy efficient improvements
• Buy a lot and/or manufactured home.
• The spouse of a Veteran can also apply for home loan eligibility under certain conditions
• You can get more than one VA loan, as long as the property on which the VA loan was used for was sold and the VA loan was paid in full. 
• VA loans are sometimes assumable
• No loan limits
• No down payment required
• No PMI required 

Call your favorite lender to get more information about VA loans.  

Santa Clara County weekly market update November 10th, 2014

One month ago there were 1738 active listings in Santa Clara County.  Today there are 1429.   Active listings consists of condos, town homes and single family homes.  The median number of days on the market for listings in Santa Clara county one year ago was 16.  Now the median is 15 days.  The sale to list price ratio has in creased.  Last year is was 102.5% in October is  it was 103.1%.  Last month the sale to list price ratio is 102.7%.  In November of 2013 there were 1184closed sales in Santa Clara county.  In September of 2014 there were 1314 and in October 1355.  The median sale price this time last year was 685K, in September it was 730K and in October it was 760K.  We had 2.3 months of inventory in September and in October we have 2.6.  Please contact me to answer any questions you have about how this market affects you!

What gets you the most bang for your buck?

Which remodel are you considering? 

Is it time for a new fence?

With winter coming fences can often get damaged.  The existing laws regarding fences for neighbors in California has been on the books since the 18702s.  Now the law has been updated. 

 The updated law states that unless both parties have an prior written agreement otherwise, neighbors share equal responsibility for maintaining fences.  They also share equal benefit from the fence.  Because of that they must share the responsibility for  the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or necessary replacement of the fence. 

When you decide to make repairs or replace the fence and are asking your neighbor to share the cost  you need to give 30 days prior written notice to all neighbors that share the fence.  The notice must include the cost of construction, maintenance  or replacement cost.  It has to include a a description of the work being done, what the problems are that prompting  the work, a solution for the problem and an estimate of the costs and how you want to split the costs.  Lastly it needs to include a timeline.  

 If your neighbor disagrees that they enjoy equal benefit from the fence, it must be proved that making them pay equally for the maintenance and construction costs would not be fair.  The following are factors that can be considered.  

• The cost of the fence is substantially less than the benefits that the neighbor gets from  the fence
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• The fence is would be more expensive than the difference of the property before and after it's installation.  Example:  If the property is worth $1000.  the fence costs 500 and would only bring the value of the land up to 1300 
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• If your neighbor can give proof that the repair or replacement of the fence would cause them financial hardship.  
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• The project is considered unreasonable, taking the following factors into consideration.  The costs are excessive or unnecessary, If the costs of the fence seem to be the result of the neighbor's personal choices ascetically,  or architecturally 

If,  based on the above factors, a decision can't be reached between the two of you.  You can go to small claims court and a judge will take everything into consideration and come up with one of the following scenarios.  The court can divide up the costs as it sees fit, which may be equal between both owners, having one owner pay more or even one homeowner pay all. 

Weekly market update 11-3-14

Today there are 1490 single family homes, condos and town homes for sale in Santa Clara county.  Last month there were 1736.  One year ago the median days on market was 15, it is 15 days for the month of October as well.  In November of 2013 the sale to list price ratio was  102.5% in September of this year it was 103.1% and in October is was 102.8%.  One year ago there were 1184 closed sales of town homes, condos and single family homes in Santa Clara county.  In September there were 1314 closed sales and in October there were 1296.  The median sale price of town homes, condos and single family homes in Santa Clara county this time last year was $730, 500K and last month it was $770,000K.  In September we had 2.4 months of inventory and last month we had 3 months of inventory.  Call me with questions about how you can buy, sell or invest!

Everything you need to know about Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos is a holiday gaining popularity in the US.  It’s celebrated on November 1st and sometimes 2nd and stands for Day of the Dead.  It’s celebrated all over Latin America but is most often associated with Mexico because that’s where the tradition started.

Dia de los Muertos is a day to  honor the dead with parties and festivals, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadors. (Dia de los Muertos is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, minor holidays in the Catholic calendar.)

Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of loved ones that have passed away with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The skeletons and skulls that are seen a lot during Dia de los Muertos are called calacas and calaveras.  They are one of the more well known symbols of the holdiay.  They are seen in dolls, parade masks and sweets.  
 

One of the especially great things about Dia de los Muertos is that even though it’s a holiday from Mexico, it can be personalized and blended into your individual worldview.  It’s more of a cultural holiday rather than a religious one.  By celebrating the lives of our loved ones with art, music, cooking and spending time with family it helps ease the pain of losing those we love.