Silicon Valley Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Ca B.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Monday, September 22, 2014

Why You Need A Villages San Jose Real Estate Agent When Buying A Home

Buying a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club in San Jose is not like buying any other home in the Silicon Valley. You should not be alone for this. I highly recommend you start your search early on with a Villages San Jose real estate agent.

There are many reasons why this is the best way to go about buying a home in the Villages San Jose but here are my top ones.

1. There is only one day a year when open houses are allowed. Just to get inside the front gate you will need a Villages San Jose real estate agent. This community is not like others where you can spend months going to open houses and learning the subtleties of the different villages.

2. There are rental restrictions in place and each individual village has a certain allotment. If you ever want to rent out your home a Villages San Jose real estate agent can do the research and help you determine which villages have the most rental allotments left.

3. There are strict occupancy rules for both age and number of residents per unit. A Villages San Jose real estate agent can look at your situation and help you determine if your family situation will fit into the rules.

4. There are 13 different villages within The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose. The value of each of the individual condos and homes for sale are dependent on not only the size, but also in which Village an individual home is located. A Villages San Jose real estate agent can help you figure determine the value of homes in all the villages and what a fair market price will be.

Right now there are 8 homes on the market ranging in price from $310,000 to $610,000. If you would like to see the current inventory of condos for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here. If you would like to see the current inventory of single family homes for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club please feel free to contact me. I own a home in The Villages and would love to help you.

Marcy Moyer

www.marcymoyercom

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

How To Clean Out A South San Jose Probate Home Before Selling It

There is nothing I enjoy more than helping a family sell a South San Jose home in Probate. I know, it doesn’t take much to make me happy, but I am who I am. Over the years I have developed a system to sell South San Jose homes in probate and it works really well!

1. Look at a home and see if there are valuables that are worth selling in the South San Jose Probate home. Many homes are left with enormous amounts of personal property, sometimes with value and sometimes not. For example crappy cars have value, but beautiful over stuffed furniture does not.

2. If there is something of value to sell in the South San Jose Probate home I usually recommend calling an auction house to come and take over the job of selling the personal property they believe will sell. I like DGW, but there are others. They sell the property at auction, deduct their percentage and fees, and send a check to the heirs.

3. The next step is to separate the recyclable items and find places to recycle. There are people who take metal, The Ecunemical Hunger Project will take clothes, and the County of Santa Clara will come to take the paint.

4. Next are items that can be donated. Organizations like Goodwill and Saint Vincent De Paul will take some furniture.

5. After everything that can be sold, donated, or recycled is gone then call the haulers. I like Junk King. Since it costs money to haul away trash I only do it after all other ways of disposing of unwanted property have been exhausted.

6. Once the South San Jose Probate home is free of personal property and debris, the process of making it look as good as possible for sale can begin.

So, if you have a Probate home in South San Jose and it is filled with stuff, it may seem overwhelming. Many people who lived through the depression maintained the habit of never throwing anything out. If you are the personal representative for the estate of a home in Probate in Redwood City you may feel overwhelmed. But if you use a system (or hire me and let me organize the sale of your South San Jose home in Probate ), it becomes a much less daunting task.

If you have any questions about Selling a South San Jose home in Probate please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

650-619-9285

Market Report For The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose

It has been a very brisk time for sales in the Villages Golf and Country Club in San Jose this summer.

As you can see from this chart in June of 2014 homes in the Villages San Jose sold for just over 100% of list price on average. There were 21 closed home/condo sales in The Villages Golf and Country Club in San Jose ranging in price from $290,000 to $1.050.000. The average days on market was 29 days.

In July of 2014 the home sales in The Villages San Jose were 101.4% of list price. There were 15 condo sales in The Villages San Jose ranging in price from $305,000 to $749,000. The average days on market was 23.

In August of 2104 condos and homes in The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose sold for 99.6% of list price. There were 9 condo sales ranging in price from $304,000 to $820,000. The average days on market was 38 days.

Prices in the Villages San Jose have not yet reached their peak from 2006 but things are picking up. In the same period of 2013 there were 45 Villages of San Jose sales as compared to 53 sales in the same 3 months in 2014. In 2013 the average sale price at The Villages San Jose was $440,000 with an average list price of $444,9000. In June through Aug 2014 the average sale price at The Villages San Jose was $467,000 with an average list price of $460,000.

The trend for sales in the Villages San Jose is definitely up. This seems to be particularly true for the homes that do not have any stairs to enter, either up or down. These homes are generally selling in a week or less.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next year as there are more people reaching the age of 55 and who are looking to live in a home with less maintenance than most of the homes in the Silicon Valley.

Right now there are 7 homes on the market ranging in price from $310,000 to $610,000. If you would like to see the current inventory of condos for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here. If you would like to see the current inventory of single family homes for sale in The Villages of San Jose click here.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

www.marcymoyercom

lisa.m.austin@bankofamerica.com

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Monday, September 15, 2014

A Fantastic Experience With Bank of America in A Mountain View Sale

Last week I wrote a blog about how a lender can derail a home sale. Today I want to write about how a lender made a Mountain View home sale happen. The lender is Lisa Austin with Bank of America. As a Mountain View real estate agent I could not be more impressed.

I have been working with a great couple who were looking for a home in Mountain View Ca. I know, who isn't looking for a home in Mountain View if you work in the Silicon Valley. The market here is intensely competitive, and it is not uncommon to make 10-15 offers on Mountain View homes before being successful. Getting out bid is the norm, especially if you are getting a loan.

My clients were outbid twice on homes in Rex Manor. 3 weeks ago they made an offer on a home in North Whisman. Lisa Austin from Bank of America called the listing agents and talked to them about how qualified my clients were and how she could absolutely close the escrow in 25 days. It would have been 24 but we had a day off for Labor Day.

The listing agents were so impressed with Lisa's professionalism and knowledge they said it was one of the big factors in our offer being accepted over 5 other offers.

The appraisal was smooth and even came in at value even though there were no comps in the immediate neighborhood. The appraiser used comps from Rex Manor and had no problem with the value of this Mountain View home which is not always the case in today's appreciating market.

Loan docs for this Mountain View home came in on time as did funding the loan. The loan funded on Friday, for a Monday close. Most banks would charge the buyer for interest on the loan over the week-end, but not Bank of America. My Mountain View buyers do not start paying until they close on Monday.

All in all the process could not have been smoother, and I have some very happy clients.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Mountain View please feel free to contact me.

If you would like to contact Lisa Austin at Bank of America her contact info is:

Lisa Austin

Mortgage Loan Specialist

NMLS ID 483486

Retail Mortgage Sales
Bank of America Home Loans
1010 El Camino Real Ste 360

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Phone: (650) 798-5921

Fax: (866) 518-9204

If you want to look for homes for sale in Mountain View click here.

Marcy Moyer

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Friday, September 12, 2014

The Villages Golf And Country Club in San Jose Is Great For Tennis

Everyone knows that people love the golf courses at the Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose, but for tennis lovers, this is also a fantastic place to live. the opportunities for tennis players at the Villages San Jose are many.

There are 6 tennis courts at The Villages San Jose that are available to all residents as part of your home association fees. They are all finished in U.S.T.A. official colors of blue and green. All players must wear tennis shoes on the courts. While the Villages Golf and Country Club is a very pet friendly environment, dogs are not allowed on the courts, even with tennis shoes.

Spectators are welcome and are kept comfortable in a 50 seat 125 foot viewing area. There is also a food service counter and picnic area with more seating for those who want to watch.

For players, there are U.S.T.A men's and women's teams as well as mixed sex teams who compete at levels 3.0 and 4.0. These are sponsored by the tennis club which has over 300 members, so as you can see tennis is a big draw at The Villages in San Jose.

The club also sponsors drop in tennis games for both men and women. Men's times are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7:30-9 am for intermediate players and 9 to 10:30 for beginners. Women's drop in times are Fridays from 7:30-9 AM. I have to admit this seems a little lopsided to me, but it is a great way to be part of a spontaneous game.

The Villages San Jose tennis club also sponsors non U.S.T.A. fun tournaments and social events. No matter what your level of play is there are endless opportunities for tennis along with socializing with like minded residents.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

www.marcymoyercom

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How Much Should I Offer On A Mountain View Condo With Multiple Offers

Anyone trying to buy a condo in Mountain View right now knows that it is tough out there. There are many more buyers than sellers and many Mountain View condos sell with multiple offers way over list price. Some homes go as much as 30% over asking, but some do not. How does a buyer make the decision about how much to offer to have the winning bid in a Mountain View condo multiple offer situation and not overpay? The good news is that as you can see from the above chart prices are not going as far over list price as earlier in the year, but it is still a challenge.

The answer is not simple, and sometimes it is not a question of price, but terms, like contingencies, length of escrow, length of rent back, etc.

But for right now, let's just discuss price. Here are some things to keep in mind when you make an offer on a Mountain View condo in a multiple offer situation,

1. In my opinion the most important thing is, how much is this condo worth to you? In other words, what price would you offer so that if it sold for $1000 more you would not be sorry because you do not want to pay that much. It may be that you would pay more than your offer if you could, but you can't so you are just doing your best. But if that is not the case you need to decide how much the house is worth to you so that if you do not get it you will not have regrets.

2. How is the asking price of this condo compared to market value? If the condo is listed low it will get multiple offers and sell for much more. If it is listed at or above market value it will not. This is not rocket science. Figuring out market value can be a little tricky since there are many variable, and the market is a moving target, but a good Mountain View real estate agent should be able to help you analyze comps. Once you know the market value you will have to offer more in an appreciating market like we are in now. Sorry, but that is the truth.

3. What is the style of the listing agent? Does he or she like to list homes very low to get as many multiple offers as possible on their Mountain View listings? Does the agent over value a condo to try to get more money for their client, or just try to win out on a competitive listing? Does the agent like to work with multiple counter offers, or accept the the first best offer? Your agent should be able to give you insight into what other Mountain View real estate agents like to do.

In the end, the final offer price and terms will be your decision, but if you have a great Mountain View real estate agent he or she can help guide you through the murky waters of Mountain View condo multiple offers.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a condo in Mountain View please feel free to contact me.

If you would like to search for condos for sale in Mountain View click here.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Cal B.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

How Much To Offer On A Menlo Park Ca. Home With Multiple Offers

Anyone trying to buy a home in Menlo Park right now knows that it is tough out there. There are many more buyers than sellers and many Menlo Park homes sell with multiple offers way over list price. Some homes go as much as 30% over asking, but some do not. How does a buyer make the decision about how much to offer to have the winning bid in a Menlo Park multiple offer situation and not overpay?

The answer is not simple, and sometimes it is

not a question of price, but terms, like contingencies, length of escrow, length of rent back, etc.

But for right now, let's just discuss price. Here are some things to keep in mind when you make an offer on a Menlo Park home in a multiple offer situation,

2. How is the asking price of this home compared to market value? If the house is listed low it will get multiple offers and sell for much more. If it is listed at or above market value it will not. This is not rocket science. Figuring out market value can be a little tricky since there are many variables, and the market is a moving target, but a good Menlo Park real estate agent should be able to help you analyze comps. Once you know the market value you will have to offer more in an appreciating market like we are in now. Sorry, but that is the truth.

3. What is the style of the listing agent? Does he or she like to list homes very low to get as many multiple offers as possible on their Menlo Park listings? Does the agent over value a home to try to get more money for their client, or just try to win out on a competitive listing? Does the agent like to work with multiple counter offers, or accept the the first best offer? Your agent should be able to give you insight into what other Menlo Park real estate agents like to do.

In the end, the final offer price and terms will be your decision, but if you have a great Menlo Park real estate agent he or she can help guide you through the murky waters of Menlo Park multiple offers.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Menlo Park please feel free to contact me.

If you want to search for Menlo Park homes for sale click here.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Monday, September 8, 2014

The East Coast Really Makes Me Appreciate Palo Alto, Ca.

I am currently in Maryland, for the third time this summer. One of my sons had surgery and his wonderful neurosurgeon is in Maryland. I really miss Palo Alto. Fortunately we should be able to come home on Tuesday night.

The day before surgery my New York based son came to visit my Palo Alto son with some other friends from Palo Alto who are living in New York as well as some of their New York friends. We were discussing the HBO show Silicon Valley and we all agreed it was an accurate description of life in Palo Alto. They claimed much more so than Jame's Franco's movie "Palo Alto", but Franco's childhood in Palo Alto was 10 years before my son's and his friends, so maybe his experiences were very different.

In any case, being in Maryland really makes me appreciate Palo Alto. I miss, in no particular order:

1. My mornings at The Dish at Stanford. Walking back and forth from my hotel to the Greenbelt shopping center just does not cut it,

2. The California Ave Farmers Market. I went to a Farmers Market in Silver Spring yesterday and bought nothing. They did allow dogs at the stands so that was nice.

3. The weather here is awful. It has been in the 90's, horrible humidity, and thunderstorms all week. Palo Alto is so temperate.

4. I miss sidewalks. Except for Barron Park Palo Alto has sidewalks everywhere and is walkable. The city planners in everywhere but the urban areas forgot to put in sidewalks.

5. I miss the bike lanes. As much as I sometimes get frustrated with the pedestrian bike interactions in Palo Alto I have yet to see anyone on a bike in the 4 years we have been medical tourists in the DC area. With no sidewalks and no bike lanes it is all cars all the time. There is a subway system, the metro, but only circling the DC area. I guess the weather is too crappy for people to want to walk or bike places.

6. I miss the hills surrounding Palo Alto. It is just flat here.

7. I miss big redwood and oak trees in Palo Alto. The trees here are too skinny.

8. The buildings are tall with street after street of high rise apartments and condos in Silver Spring and Bethesda. They should be suburbs, but the streets are as crowded as cities with cars. The buildings have better proportions and are not as tall in Palo Alto.

9. It is summer, so fresh food is plentiful in Maryland currently. However, in the winter the food is so much better in Palo Alto.

10. My Vente Vaencia Orange Refresher from Starbucks is the same here as it is in Palo Alto. Some things are universal.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

If you want to search for homes for sale in Palo Alto click here.

Marcy Moyer