Palo Alto Market Update, May 5th: Single Family Homes

As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

69 Active Listings

65 Pending Sales

Price Point Break Down:

Under 1 Million

5 Active Listings

21 Pending Sales

1 mil to 1.5 mil

25 Active Listings

24 Pending Sales

1.5 to 2 mil

11 Active Listings

24 Pending Sales

2-3 mil

17 Active Listings

9 Pending Sales

3mil +

12 Active Listings

4 Pending Sales

This time last year:

148 Active listings

47 Pending sales

Things have really changed since last year. There is half the inventory as last year, which goes along with the recent California Association of Realtor Stats that report that in Ca. homes over 1 million last year had a 21 month supply of inventory and now there is a 10 month supply of inventory. So, at this moment in time the market is better, even in the over 3 million dollar price point when last year the ratio of active to pending was 40 to 1 over 2 million. 3 to 1 is much better, but I do not know if we have really hit bottom for this segment. My guess is no, but I will have more knowledge about that in the coming months.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Keller Williams Realty

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

What is a Trust Sale?

As some of you may have noticed, I've been selling a lot of trust sales recently. The question frequently comes up: What is a trust sale? What does a trust sale involve? Here is a brief overview of the process:

1. 1. The short answer to this is that a trust sale is the sale of a property that is held by a trust where the original trustee is either under a conservatorship due to an inability to handle his/her affairs, or the original trustee has passed away.

2. 2. There is an executor of the estate of the deceased property owner or a conservator who is acting as the trustee for the estate.

3. 3. The trustee picks a realtor to represent the estate in the sale of the property.

4. 4. The property is marketed and offers are received. The offers must be “As-Is” and the estate is exempt from several disclosures. In Ca. the exempt disclosures include the transfer disclosure statement, the seller’s supplemental or seller’s questionnaire, smoke detector disclosure and installation, and signature on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, but the report must be provided.

5. 5. Although the trustee is exempt from some of the standard disclosures anything that is known by the trustee or realtor must be disclosed.

6. 6. Once the trustee accepts an offer on a deceased estate the heirs must be given 45 days to sign the notice of proposed action. If anyone objects the estate needs to go to court to get the right to sell the property. If there are no objections the sale goes through.

7. 7. If the home is under conservatorship the trustee does not need to give a notice of proposed action because the profit is any, stays in the estate and is not distributed to multiple heirs.

8. 8. Trust sales can be a good option for a buyer. They are often owned by long time sellers and therefore the estate often has enough equity to withstand the downturns in the market. If property is being sold the trustee has usually determined that the estate needs to sell the property and will sell it at the price the market will bear, as opposed to a price that someone wants. This is not always true, but often is.

9. 9. If you are a trustee and need to sell a property it is a good idea to hire a realtor who understands the duties and responsibilities involved in selling a property held in trust and who is able to work well with the estate’s attorney.

I hope this is a clear overview of the process. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

Why Do I Need My Own Realtor?

I cannot believe that I am writing this blog post, but I am. When I began my real estate career in the mid 90’s, the landscape was very different. We were still working with the big books that were printed every 2 weeks with the listing updates. There was a machine in the office that spit out the listings, and using the internet was in its infancy. This was the dawn of the age of technology for realtors and consumers. My company, Cornish & Carey (which was long ago gobbled up by Coldwell Banker) was at the forefront of innovation because they were opening up a storefront where consumers could go and look at virtual tours of homes since they could not see them on their computers. It was an exciting time to begin a new career.

But despite all of these major changes, there was a bigger change that was taking place, and one that I think was even more important than the introduction of computers into the daily fabric of real estate. This big change had to do with agency. Before I became a realtor there was one agent in a transaction, the seller’s agent. This agent could, and frequently did handle both sides of a transaction. If the buyer had his or her own agent the seller’s agent could agree to a sub-agency agreement, where the buyer’s agent was a sub agent of the seller’s agent but the seller’s agent was still basically in charge. Real estate laws had not been particularly consumer friendly and sub agencies were not helping.

 Consumers, who were for the most part, intelligent adults, realized that this was not in their favor, and a shift had taken place. By the mid 90’s it was standard procedure for the buyer and seller to have separate agents, agency disclosures became mandatory, and the sub agency relationship was going the way of the printed listing book. This was all in the name of PROTECTING THE BUYER, not to save money or to protect the seller.

Fast forward to 2010 and all of the sudden the buyer’s agent is the enemy in the eyes of many buyers. They think that we are at best superfluous, and at worst, trying to get our hands in your pockets without providing any service. All of the work that was done on behalf of the consumers in the 80’s and 90’s is now looked on with scorn. Many consumers think that because they can find their own home they do not need an agent. Well, I think you are wrong.

I think you need to be protected, because I am old enough to know what it was like when you were not protected, and how hard people had to fight to make sure the buyer got as much protection as the seller. I am not saying that real estate should not move forward, that change is bad. I am also an unwavering believer that I work for the consumer, and if they do not want a buyer’s agent it is their business, and their pocketbook. What I am saying is that just because the role of the buyer’s agent is changing from personal shopper to trusted advisor and protector that does not mean we are superfluous. Just because Redfin says a house is worth x amount that does not mean it is. Do you know who to call for inspections, or even what inspections you need? Just because you can download a disclosure package from the internet does that mean you understand everything in it? These are just a few of the things that are involved in a transaction, and some people are capable of doing those things themselves, but not everyone.

I have recently been a listing agent for two different properties where the potential buyer did not have his own agent. On the first one, the buyer went to a mortgage broker who gave him a pre-approval letter that was not worth the paper it was written on. This client was no more qualified to purchase a home than my labradoodle Demi. I called the broker (who by the way worked for a reputable company) and was assured that everything was fine. Since I was not the agent for the buyer I did not have access to this buyer’s financials or credit. Well, 6 weeks later the mortgage broker finally admitted she was hoping to get exceptions for the buyer and that she didn’t and the loan was denied. It was heart-breaking since this buyer wanted the home so badly, but totally preventable. If the buyer had been represented by a good realtor he would have known early on that he was not going to get a loan and could have looked for alternatives, partners, etc.

The second property with an unrepresented buyer so far has a different outcome. The buyer is paying all cash and actually wrote a better offer than many of the 12 other agents who presented. It was amazing how many incomplete offers I received. This buyer followed my directions exactly and offered the best price and terms to my seller. However, the house is in very bad condition and he wants to restore it. I have no idea if he knows what he is doing, and I cannot find out, because I cannot represent him. If I help him I would be acting as his agent and I am not his agent. I hope he knows what he is getting into, but I have no way of really knowing.

As I said, I believe in his right to do this, but I also believe that a home purchase is big deal and should be done with utmost care. I would hate to think that all the strides in consumer protection are ignored in the name of saving a few percentages. What do you think?

Marcy Moyer

Intero Real Estate Services

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Palo Alto Market Update, March 19th: Single Family Homes

H Here's today's market update for single family homes--

86 Active listings

50 Pending sales

What does this mean? The inventory of active listings continues to decrease, and the pending sales continue to increase. I think that we are experiencing significant change in the under 2 million dollar market. We have seen a number of multiple offers in Palo Alto and I think by Sept we may start to see that there is an up tick in the prices in the lower than 2 million dollar market.

· If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, Feb 4th: Single Family Homes

· As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

70 Active listings

33 Pending sales

I have taken a break from my inventory tracking but it is definitely time to get back. So, the inventory in Palo Alto is still low, but the pending sales are down a little also. What is most interesting is the incredible number of offers on a few listings last week. Sycamore and Greer and 12 and 14 offers each. They were both listed under a million and sold over a million. I think that these two sales are backing up my position that the lower end of the Palo Alto market has bottomed, and now may be showing signs of appreciation.

There is also a little more activity in the upper end. There are 18 active listings and 6 pending sales over 2.5 million which is a better ratio than anytime in 2009. I am not ready to say that segment of the market has bottomed, but it is a little better than before.

I will be back next week, I promise!

· If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, Jan 7th: Single Family Homes

49 Active Listings

32 Pending Sales

As 2010 begins we have very little inventory, interest rates are not too bad, and housing prices are probably close to 20% lower than at this time last year. So what's the difference between now and other times when inventory was this low?

Let's start with the similarities. If a house is priced very low it will get multiple offers. There was a house on Bowdoin that listed for $728,000 and got 21 offers. It sold over $900,000. I don't know the final price, but I have a client who offered over 900K and that was not the highest offer. The house was probably worth $850-900K but pricing it so low incited a feeding frenzy that made it sell higher than what I think it was worth. This isn't my idea of how to sell real estate. Call me lazy, but I have no interest in dealing with 20 offers, and it is such a waste of time for so many people. Nevertheless, it's still true that a home priced way below market value will get many offers.

But what about the other homes on the market? This is not 2007, even though the inventory level is similar. Money isn't too expensive, but it's still not easy to get. Down payment and reserve requirements are high, banks are tight fisted with our bail-out money, and appraisers are tight on their appraisals. It's not uncommon to have an appraisal come in 10% less than what experienced realtors think a house is worth. Buyers don't have irrational exuberance and are definitely not jumping at any house in their price range that fits some of their needs. They want value for their hard-earned and ever harder to obtain financing. Job security is non-existent for many people. I think this will be an active year in Palo Alto real estate, with more homes changing hands, but I don't think there will be a lot of appreciation. And of course, as I have been saying for months, the over 2.5 million segment has not hit bottom yet.

· If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, November 21st: Single Family Homes

As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

73 Active listings

49 Pending sales

So, active listings continue to decrease while the number of pending sales have remained the same. The decrease in active listings is pretty typical for this time of year. I do not expect to see an increase in listings until January. If the pending sales stay the same or increase we will end the year with a strong housing demand that is not being adequately met in the bottom half of the price range in Palo Alto. Here are the interesting numbers for this week:

Under 1.5 million:

Active 27

Pending 38

There are more pending sales than active listings in this group and the gap is growing. That is an extremely healthy segment of the market.

2 million to 2.5 million:

5 active and 4 pending sales. This is also a very healthy segment.

Over 2.5 million:

23 active listings and 4 pending sales. There are now 2 pending sales over 2.6 million, one of which is 3.2 so this is a little better than last week., but in general nothing much is going on over 2.5 million.

Again, my prediction for the upper end market is still the same as last week, and the previous week, and the months before that. I think that we are going to start to see some short sales if the seller’s have overleveraged their homes and need to sell. Banks are starting to streamline the short sale process and the credit hit is not nearly as severe as a foreclosure. Added to that is the fact that the debt relief is not taxed by the feds leads me to believe that we will not see a wave of foreclosures in Palo Alto, but maybe a trickle of short sales if the employment picture does not pick up or if a homeowner needs to leave the area.

If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, Single Family Homes: November 3rd

Here is today's snapshot of the Palo Alto market for single family homes:

86 Active listings

56 Pending sales

So, active listings continue to decrease. Pending sales are also down a little, but not as much as active listings have decreased.

Here are the interesting numbers for this week:

Under 2 million: Active 59 Pending 45 a great ratio!

Over 2 million 27 active and 11 pending which on the face is not bad but there is more:

Over 2.6 million: 20 active listings and ZERO pending sales. This will probably change in the next week, but the pattern of the upper end of the market being slow has not changed.

2 million t 2.6 million: 7 active listings 11 pending sales This is a very healthy segment right now.

My prediction for the upper end market is still the same as last week. I think that we are going to start to see some short sales if the seller’s have overleveraged their homes and need to sell. Banks are starting to streamline the short sale process and the credit hit is not nearly as severe as a foreclosure. Added to that is the fact that the debt relief is not taxed by the feds leads me to believe that we will not see a wave of foreclosures in Palo Alto, but maybe a trickle of short sales if the employment picture does not pick up or if a homeowner needs to leave the area.

• If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, September 29th: Single Family Homes

• As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

107 Active listings

51 Pending sales

What does this mean? After a big increase in inventory after Labor Day the inventory has decreased by 10 and the pending sales have increased by 8. This is not because of long escrows because the average length of escrow in the last 3 months is 29 days. This is because there are so few short sales and bank owned properties in Palo Alto. These sales are the ones that take so long to close. The middle section of the market, homes listed between $900,000 and $1,500,000 are the ones with the most activity and offers. In this segment there are 40 active listings and 29 pending sales which is a great ratio. Interest rates are still low and there are certainly buyers out there wanting to living in Palo Alto, and now that prices have dropped 20% the market seems to be picking up.

If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

Palo Alto Market Update, June 27th: Single Family Homes

As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

118 Active listings

57 Pending sales

What does this mean? The inventory of active listings decreased by 7 and pending sales are decreased by 1. We are now getting even closer to a 1 to 2 ratio which is pretty good. During 2006 we were at 1 to 1. Again, the over 2 million market is holding on with 38 active listings and 14 pending sales which is almost unchanged from June 7th. . Under 2 million there are 80 active listings and 43 pending sales, putting the ratio at little better than to 1 to 2 which is definitely improving. Overall, things are a little better than they were a few months ago, and even better than a few weeks ago with more realistic sellers and more qualified buyers. June is traditionally not the busiest selling time so it will be interesting to see if the improvement holds even further into the summer months which tend to be a little slower in this area. The inventory is less this week, so it will e interesting to see if this continues.

Solds will be in the next post.

If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

East Palo Alto Ikea

The gargantuan IKEA store in East Palo Alto should be a go-to place for anyone seeking inexpensive stylish furniture for their home or rental. Even if you're just after a replacement sofa or a new bedside table, IKEA's got a huge selection, and the prices are low enough to make it worth the hassle of dealing with the store's admittedly stressful checkout experience.

The East Palo Alto IKEA is designed with shoppers in mind. There's a restaurant (open from 9:30-8PM) featuring Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce for five dollars (a must-have for any true IKEA adventure), pasta dishes, cinnamon buns, and 99 cent mix-and-match kids menu (organic applesauce and mac&cheese are among the offerings). In the mornings there's often a long line for the 99 cent breakfasts of eggs, Swedish potatoes, and bacon.

IKEA gets another huge plus for kid friendliness--there's a colorful play area staffed with babysitters where the kids can hang out until you're done shopping. If anything goes wrong, the staff will page you, so you can go ahead and relax while browsing.

The showrooms are a good jumping-off point for anyone starting from scratch. They are organized by room-purpose (living room, bedroom, dining room, etc.), and an endless variety of styles. Seeing the showrooms already put together can help you get a feel for what goes with what, and how certain pieces of furniture might look in your own space.

Some shoppers are put-off by IKEA's mass produced products, and it's true there's a certain automaton quality about the product room with of all its numbered boxes. But still, the prices are unbeatable, and most of the furniture is hardy and reliable. Supplementing heirlooms or antiques with IKEA furniture isn't a bad way to go, and even if your study looks like an IKEA showroom, little touches of personality are all it takes to make a space unique and personal.

Temporary renters should especially consider a trip to IKEA--almost everything in the store is lightweight, easy to dismantle, and comes in do-it-yourself pieces that can fit through any door or tight hallway. If putting together a wall-sized bookshelf is too daunting for you, IKEA offers a builder service for a fee.

In case you've missed it or you're new to the area, IKEA is located at 1700 E. Bayshore Road, directly across the freeway from the Four Seasons Hotel. It's open daily from 10AM-9PM, and the phone number is 650-323-4532.

Happy shopping!

Palo Alto Market Update, June 7th; Single Family Homes

As of today this is the snapshot of the Palo Alto single family home market:

125 Active listings

58  Pending sales

What does this mean? The inventory of active listings decreased by 9 and pending sales have decreased by 2. Now we're getting even closer to a 1 to 2 ratio which is pretty good news. During 2006 we were at 1 to 1. Again, the over 2 million market is a little better with 42 active listings and 13 pending sales which is almost unchanged from last week. Under 2 million there are 83 active listings and 45 pending sales, putting the ration at slightly better than to 1 to 2 which is definitely an improvement. Overall, things are a little better than they were a few months ago, and even better than a few weeks ago with more realistic sellers and more qualified buyers. This is traditionally the busiest selling time so it will be interesting to see if the improvement holds into the summer months which tend to be a little slower in this area. The inventory is less this week, so again, it will be interesting to see if this continues.

Solds will be separate again.

If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com

and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

Palo Alto, CA: Single Family Homes Sold Since Feb 15, 2009

630 KENDALL AV, Palo Alto 94306 (Palo Alto)
$2,350,000 Beds: 5 bed(s) Baths: 4+ bath(s) Original list price $2,499,000. Sold in 2007 for $2,800,000

      195 HEATHER LN, Palo Alto 94303 (Palo Alto)
$2,150,000 Beds: 3 bed(s) Baths: 2 1/2 bath(s) Original list price $2,195,000

      4268 Wilkie WY, Palo Alto 94306 (Palo Alto)
$1,995,000 (W) Beds: 5 bed(s) Baths: 4+ bath(s) Original list price $2,595,000 The sales price is not necessarily accurate. It sold off market and the sales price was not recorded in MLS.

      974 COTTRELL WY, Stanford 94305 (Palo Alto)
$1,750,000 Beds: 5 bed(s) Baths: 2 1/2 bath(s) Original list price $1,795,000 Sold in 2006 for $1,695,000 Only available tro Stanford faculty

      301 BARCLAY CT, Palo Alto 94306 (Palo Alto)
$1,250,000 Beds: 4 bed(s) Baths: 2 bath(s) Original list price $1,495,000

      982 ELSINORE DR, Palo Alto 94303 (Palo Alto)
$1,275,000 Beds: 4 bed(s) Baths: 3 bath(s) Original list price $1,195,000

      125 MONROE DR, Palo Alto 94306 (Palo Alto)
$950,000 Beds: 3 bed(s) Baths: 2 bath(s) Original list price $1,115,000

      739 COLORADO AV, Palo Alto 94303 (Palo Alto)
$1,020,400 Beds: 3 bed(s) Baths: 1 bath(s) Original list price $839,000

This last one really stands out as off, but it was for sale last Aug. before the crash, although just closed. The listing agent is related to the owner, and carried the note. It looks like maybe a builder bought it and did not get financing so the owners are carrying, but that is just speculation.

Number of homes with price reductions right now is 35 out of 121 listings.

If you are interested in finding the final selling price of any home, anywhere, you can do it on my web site. Go to www.marcymoyer.com and click on Cyberhome Home Valuation. You can then type in any address next to the search icon and get the county records.

If you need anything else please feel free to contact me. I am here to help you.

Marcy Moyer Intero Real Estate

marcy@marcymoyer.com

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

So, What's an Eichler?

Palo Alto is home to many Eichlers. These mid-century single-story homes feature walls of windows, tar and gravel roofs, wood-siding, radiant heat, and that wonderful Californian sense of indoor/outdoor living. In the 50's, these homes were considered modern and quintessentially Californian, but they also earned a reputation for being fire traps. They were nicknamed 7 minute Eichlers, because they could burn to the ground in 7 minutes or less--the mahogany walls weren't equipped with fire retardant properties, so the homes burned quickly.

Joseph Eichler was a student of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and learned from Wright the beauty of clean lines, a wonderful use of light, and a contemporary feel. What Eichler did that was so influential was taking these lofty architectural concepts and mass producing them for the families of young GI's after WWII. He built large tracts of affordable homes, many in South Palo Alto. While builders like Roger Kohler (father of well-known Palo Alto architect Roger Kohler) or Barret and Hilp were building the typical 3 bedroom single bath cottages for the new young families, Eichler discovered that by adding a 2nd bath he'd have a huge leg up over the competition while adding great value to his inexpensive homes. 

Eichler had some good and bad copiers. Kaufman and Brown Stern, and Macay also built contemporary style homes in the Bay Area. These homes have similar features and some features that are better (central heating) and some worse (floor plans that don't flow well or add that inside/outside feel).

I don't think that in 1952 Eichler believed his homes would retain their original condition by 2009. Having the plumbing and heating sitting on expansive soil has been a problem. The lack of insulation is also a problem in our energy conscious society. Many of the homes have had the mahogany walls replaced with sheetrock, which makes for a far safer abode in the event of a fire. However, the style of an Eichler is very pleasing to many modern buyers. The kitchen faces the living area and looks out onto the backyard. This is the open great room style that's found in most new construction today. When updated, these can be wonderfully comfortable, energy efficient homes.

There is some debate as to whether an Eichler sells for less than a ranch-style or cottage-style home. It isn't a simple question because many Eichler's are in Palo Alto's flood zone, which obviously brings the price down. Also, some Palo Alto Eichler neighborhoods have voted in restrictions on building a second story in order to reserve the privacy that Eichler built into his developments. However, this restriction has a dampening effect on resale value. 

Right now, the contemporary mid-century Eichler style is in favor with many buyers. With modernization of the windows, heating system, roof, and finishes, these homes will probably last for many more years to come.

For Home Seekers-- Life Made Easier

How many times have you gone out to look at properties, either on your own at open houses or with agents, and realized around the 5th house that you'd totally forgotten the 1st?

The Home Seeker's Checklist is a good solution.

Just take a stack of these check lists with you and put the address of the house at the top of the list. Circle the things that apply, and add a few notes. When you get home, you can look the house up on the internet and you have a detailed list of whether the house has the features you're looking for. You can always use my site, www.marcymoyer.com, to search for homes without having to register with anyone. You can also use my website--just click on the link Cyber Home Valuation to look up the last sale of any property and get other interesting county information as well as an estimation of the home's current value. Just type in the address of the property you are interested in, which you have saved on your Home Seeker's Checklist. 

If you have any questions about check lists, real estate, or anything else--contact me! I'm here to help.

You cut and paste this list into a word doc and print it on your own, or create a new one featuring what you really want in a home. 

Home Seeker's Checklist

Home Address:

Exterior

1. wood, stucco, shingle, siding, brick
2. windows: single or double paned
3. front yard landscaping
4. back yard landscaping
5. lighting
6. sprinklers
7. garage: 1,2,3, or 4 car
8. driveway: paver, cement, asphalt, pebbles, dirt
9. location

Entry

1. formal
2. flooring: wood, tile, marble, granite

Kitchen

1. gas or electric
2. galley or square
3. breakfast room
4. kitchen/family room combo
5. counter top: granite, tile, marble, corian, silestone
6. cabinets: oak, maple, cherry, beech, metal, melamine, painted
7. floor: tile, wood, vinyl
8. appliances: stainless, white, black
9. microwave: built in, on counter
10. dishwasher: built in

Dining Room

1. separate or part of another room

Family Room

1. separate or part of another room
2. fireplace
3. flooring: tile, carpet, wood, vinyl

Living Room

1. flooring: tile, carpet, wood, vinyl
2. fireplace

Master Bedroom

1. has own bath
2. room for king-sized bed
3. closet: walk-in, along a wall with sliders, small with a door that opens
4. floor: wood, carpet
5. fireplace
6. sitting area

Master Bath

1. tub with jets, shower over tub, stall shower
2. floor: marble, vinyl, tile
3. vanity: 2 sinks, oak, cherry, maple, beech, painted, melamine

Hall Bath

1. tube with jets, shower over tub, stall shower
2. flooring: marble, vinyl, tile
3. vanity: 2 sink, 1 sink, oak, cherry, maple, beech, painted, melamine

Additional Baths

1. 1/2, 1,2,3,4

Additional Bedrooms

1. 1,2,3,4,5,6
2. flooring: wood, carpet

Additional Rooms

1. library
2. mudroom
3. basement
4. attic
5. den/office

Additional Amenities 

1. heat: central, wall, baseboard, pellet stove
2. air conditioning: central, room
3. balcony
4. deck
5. air filter
6. wine celler/storage
7. high ceilings
8. dog run
9. horse pasture
10. barn
11. creek
12. pool
13. spa
14. tennis court
15. home theater