Mountain View Ca Multiple Offers Update Aug 2014: What Does it Take?

Anyone trying to buy a home in Mountain View right now knows that it is tough out there. There are many more buyers than sellers and many Mountain View 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 Mountain View 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 Mountain View home in a multiple offer situation,

1. In my opinion the most important thing is, how much is this home 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 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 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 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 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 multiple offers.

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 search for homes for sale in Mountain View click here.

 

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto 

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Ca B.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

When Selling A Home At The Villages San Jose What Should You Fix?

If you have been given the responsibility to sell a home in The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose through probate or trust there are many things to consider. Right now, I want to talk about one.    What should you do to the home to put it on the   market?    There are many right answers to this question, and a few wrong ones as well.  Let’s discuss.   First of all, many homes in The Villages San Jose that are in probates are trusts have been well used. There are often deferred maintenance issues as well as great cosmetic challenges.  If your probate or trust home is in beautiful shape you can skip this blog post. If not, which is more likely, please read on.    The most important thing to remember is that you should not fix structural problems, just disclose them. The reason for this is that the estate will become responsible if you do something like replace the windows if they leak.  If the contractor does something incorrectly, or without needed permits, the liability to the estate will be on your hands. Remember The Villages San Jose will do an inspection to see if there is unpermitted work before the title transfers so just get the home inspected and let the potential buyers know what they are getting into.   A BEFORE PICTURE OF A KITCHEN I WORKED ON WITH MY PARTNER   That said, these homes are often dirty, smelly, ugly, have popcorn ceilings, or just outdated.  Very often home appearances are ignored during the end of an owner’s life. It is totally normal and not a moral flaw on anyone’s part, so don’t worry about a snarky neighbor,  buyer, or agent’s comments if they occur.  It is perfectly ok, and even beneficial to do some cosmetic upgrades and staging before putting a home in The Villages San Jose up for sale.   What I tell my clients when I list a probate or trust   home is that we are trying to remove the yuck   factor. When a potential buyer comes into a home   we just do not want them to say “yuck.”     It is amazing what paint, removing old carpet, and replacing lights and electrical faceplates can do. Paint and an air filter can even help remove the smell of cigarette smoke.  If the home has carpets with smoke smell they will have to be removed. The smoke smell can even come from your loved one forgetting to open the damper when using the fireplace. Old fashioned drapes can be removed and modern, inexpensive ones from places like Bed Bath & Beyond can be used.  The kitchen can have old cabinets painted and new hardware installed for a whole new look. Staging is essential and can really change the feel of a home from old and dated to “I can live here.” It does not even have to be in every room, but if you can do the living room and one bedroom even that is a help.     AFTER PHOTO OF KITCHEN There are very few investors in the market who will want to purchase a home in the Villages San Jose due to rental restrictions and high HOA fees so you will want to appeal to the buyer looking for a home to live in.    By taking away the   yuck and replacing   it with this looks   livable, you will get   a much better price for the estate.   I recommend you find a great San Jose Villages Real Estate Agent and work with him or her to make your loved one's home look livable without adding liablilty to the estate and then reap the rewards.    Right now there are 11 homes on the market ranging in price from $310,000 to $675,000. 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 at The Villages San Jose please feel free to contact me. Marcy Moyer Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto www.marcymoyercom marcy@marcymoyer.com Cal BRE 01191194 650-619-9285

The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose: A Great Place For Animals

The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose is a great place for animals, domesticated and wild. It is a wonderful place to call home for dogs, cats, horses, as well as wild turkeys, many species of birds, deer, foxes, and coyotes.

For dog owners there are miles of hiking paths where dogs are welcome on leash. There are 450 acres of open space with 10 miles of hiking paths going up to an elevation of 2300 feet.  Even the most athletic dogs will get plenty of exercise on these paths. There are also many walking paths within The Villages San Jose residential neighborhoods for a less strenuous stroll. One beautiful path goes through Winery Court in the Hermosa Village. (Right past my new home) Dogs are also allowed on the golf course paths at The Villages San Jose when the golf course hours are over.

The Villages San Jose also has a dog club which meets the first Saturday of every month for socialization (human and canine) and to discuss issues related to dogs in the Villages San Jose. 

The Villages San Jose have a one day a month off leash dog park which is great for dogs who want to retrieve balls or play with other dogs.

Horses are also part of the life style at The Villages Golf and County Club. Residents of the Villages San Jose can board their own horses in the equestrian center which features stalls, a covered area and an open paddock. You can also ride your horse on the 10 miles of trails or 450 acres of open space. I don't believe there is any other retirement community in the area where you can have a horse.

In addition to domesticated animals there is an abundance of wild life including deer, wild turkeys, foxes, coyotes, and many species of birds. It is a good idea to obey the leash laws when living at The Villages San Jose in order to keep your dogs safe from the wild animals. I think this is a small price to pay for being in such a gorgeous environment.

There are many reasons to move to The Villages San Jose when you are 55 or older. The wonderful environment for pets and wild animals is just one of them.

Right now there are 11 homes on the market ranging in price from $290,000 to $659,000. 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 at The Villages San Jose please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto

www.marcymoyercom

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Where to Eat At The Villages Golf and Country Club San Jose

Picking a place to live if you are 55 years or older and you want to downsize, retire, or even move to a place with more luxury is a big decision. One of the factors in this decision is food. Where to buy, how to cook, and what to do if you do not want to cook.

The Villages Golf and Country Club in San Jose is an independent living community and so by definition does not provide meals with your dues. Each condo and home has its own kitchen. However, The Villages San Jose has two on site restaurants which provide excellent food at reasonable prices.

The Clubhouse at The Villages San Jose is the original full service restaurant for The Villages San Jose with gorgeous views and reasonable prices for the quality of food they serve. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast brunch is offered Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 AM to 2 Pm. Lunch is offered Tuesday through Friday from 11 AM to 2 Pm. Dinner is served from 5 Pm to 8 Pm Tuesday through Sunday. There are special nights like Steak Night every Thursday, Italian night and chef special served daily in addition to their regular menus. To see the menu at The Villages San Jose Clubhouse click here.

The Bistro and Bar at the Villages San Jose is a more casual cafe which is open daily from 7 Am to 9 PM. Breakfast is served daily from 7:30 to 10:45. The grill is available from 11 AM to 8:30 PM. Unlike at the Clubhouse, golf attire is permitted at The Bistro at The Villages San Jose. Again the food is reasonably priced and the view gorgeous.  To see The Bistro menu at The Villages San Jose click here.

Both restaurants at The Villages San Jose have plenty of healthy fresh ingredients, and there are always vegetarian options.

There are plenty of parking spaces for your car or golf cart available, and provide an excellent alternative to home cooking.

Right now there are 11 homes on the market ranging in price from $290,000 to $659,000. 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 at The Villages San Jose please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto

www.marcymoyercom

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

In a Sunnyvale Ca Probate Sale Time is of the Essence

I was recently asked by some clients if I would help them make an offer on a Sunnyvale Probate Sale.  Being that there is nothing more I enjoy in real estate than Probate sales of course I said yes.

This particular property was a little different than most of the Probate Sales I have been involved with. Many Sunnyvale Probate sales are done under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. With these types of probate sales the Personal Representative of the estate is given full authority by the Probate Court to sell a home which has been left in a probated estate. As long as the heirs have no objections, the Personal Representative is able to have the home marketed by a real estate agent and accept an offer.

In some other cases the court does not give full authority to the Personal Representative of an estate and an accepted offer needs to go to court for confirmation. When this happens an over bid process is allowed and the first accepted offer can be outbid by a subsequent buyer.

In the case of this Sunnyvale Probate Sale the process was unusual. The estate was being represented by  The Santa Clara County Public Administrator's Office. While generally when the Public Administrator is the Personal Representative for an estate the sale usually goes to court for confirmation, in this case the Public Administrator was given full authority to sell the house. The plan was that all offers were to be presented at 3 PM at the Public Administrator's office on July 28th. 

The offers for this Sunnyvale Probate sale needed to be accompanied by a certified check for 5% of the offered price. The offer would be the offer with no chance for counter offers or any changes after acceptance. A 10 day contingency period was allowed.

Unfortunately my clients had some trouble getting a a certified check. There was a computer glitch in getting money wired from an out of state bank to a local bank so they could get certified funds. I left Palo Alto at 2:30 PM with the hopes of getting to the Public Administrators office before 3 PM. The listing agent warned me that if I was late my offer might not be considered.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I walked into the Public Administrator's Office at 3:08. My client's offer for the Sunnyvale Probate Sale was not considered. There was a call for offers at 3:05 and I missed it. No exceptions.

I understood. There was a room full of agents who got there on time and I did not. So no offer presented on this Sunnyvale Probate Sale. As it turned out my client's offer was sixty thousand dollars less than the winning bid so my being late was irrelevant. However it was a great lesson in making sure to follow directions exactly when making an offer on a Sunnyvale Probate Sale.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a Probate sale please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Cal BRE 01191194

650-619-9285