BAP site syndication http://www.clydebrownhomes.com Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:33:33 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/images/M_images/ http://www.clydebrownhomes.com BAP site syndication http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/fremont-real-estate-specialist-clyde-brown-explains-the-fremont-home-buying-process-for-a-first-time-buyer.html For most people, buying their house is the biggest financial decision they'll make in their lifetime. The process can be long and involved, and it pays to know what the entire process looks like beforehand. In this article, I'll walk you through step by step what the process of buying a house in Fremont is like.The first step is usually to apply for a mortgage. In the process of applying for your mortgage, you'll be able to figure out exactly how much you can afford to spend on a house based on your cash on hand and the amount you're willing to spend on a monthly basis. Based on these numbers, you can start looking at houses in your price range.Sometimes buyers start looking at houses before they've applied for a mortgage. The process could go a little slower this way, but it does work as well. You could even do both simultaneously.The next step is to take a good hard look at all the houses in Fremont that interest you. Working with an experienced Fremont real estate agent can go a long way. Remember to look at many homes in Fremont before you settle on the one that you want to buy.Once you've found a house you like, the next step is the offer and negotiation phase. Once you make an offer, the seller and their agent will usually make a counter offer. This goes back and forth until an agreement is made.Finally, the last step of the process is the closing or paperwork step. This is the step in which the seller is paid, the contracts are signed, the loan papers are signed, the deep is signed over, title and title insurance are taken care of, closing costs are paid and real estate agents are paid. Usually in closing keys are handed over as well, although you should change your lock when you move in to your new house. If you are considering buying or selling property, planning to relocate, looking for Fremont homes for sale, (http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/mls-search.html) or looking for any other information about real estate in Fremont, or the surrounding areas, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Fremont real estate related www.ClydeBrownHomes.com. Specializing in all Fremont neighborhoods, including Centerville, Deep Creek, Ardenwood, Northgate, Niles, Irvington, Brookvale, Glenmoor, Cabrillo, Parkmont, Sundale, Warm Springs, Mission San Jose Fremont, Weibel, Avalon Heights, Lake Lakepointe, and Liberty Commons. I also serve all East Bay cities including Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Oakland, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon. If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring Fremont agent in Fremont, or the surrounding areas, I hope you will contact me. Clyde Brown Legacy Real Estate Associates. Blog - Buyer Info Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:59:05 +0100 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/fremont-real-estate-specialist-clyde-brown-explains-the-fremont-home-buying-process-for-a-first-time-buyer.html http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/seller-info/fremont-buyers.html If you’ve been following the series you may already know that I have recently had many clients ask about what contingencies are in a real estate purchase agreements and how best to use them so they are protected and get a good deal. So I have put together a series of blogs to explain what they are and the best way to use them. It is very uncommon to have a purchase agreement in Fremont without contingencies. In fact, contingencies are an essential part of many offers for homes in Fremont. In general, contingencies are added to protect you (the buyer) but may also serve to protect the seller. All of the contingencies of a purchase agreement must be met before a Fremont home sale can be competed. In this first series I discussed some examples of contingencies and the most common ones in a Fremont purchase agreement. In part two, I discussed who writes contingencies, and who they protect. In the third I discussed how contingencies can be used as deal points. In this final blog I will be letting you know how to use a contingency to get yourself a better deal, and also how to avoid unnecessary contingencies. You Can Use A Contingency to Get Yourself a Better Deal The skillful negotiator will use contingencies to improve the deal. And there is really no limit to the type of contingency you can craft. Deal points can be over anything ranging from the date escrow closes to the specific closing costs the buyer and sellers must pay. A great way to start negotiating is to find the sellers weak point and apply the pressure there. For example, the sellers may absolutely need to close the deal within 25 days so that they can purchase a new Fremont home. You agree as long as they add new carpet, lower the price, repair the sprinklers, and leave the ceiling fans. In this way, they have met their criteria by giving you the superior deal. Remember, that although contingencies are great points for negotiations, they are there to protect you. They offer you an easy way to back out if something goes wrong. Avoid Unnecessary Contingencies Sometimes when Fremont home buyers discover the great protective value of contingencies, they insist that extra ones be placed in the purchase offer. For example, you insist that the purchase become contingent on you not losing your job before the deal closes. (You pretty much get this protection in any event, since if you lose your job, the lender probably won’t give you a mortgage, and you can back out using the financing contingency.) Or you insist that the deal be contingent on your not getting ill during the escrow period, or your spouse not falling out of love with the home, or you getting approval of the purchase from your parents. Remember, you can make the deal contingent on anything! The problem is that each time you add a contingency, you weaken the deal. The sellers ask themselves, “Why does the buyer insist on this?” If the quickest answer is that the buyer is wishy-washy and may not go through with the deal, the sellers may simply refuse to sign. You may squash a perfectly marketable deal simply by insisting on unnecessary contingencies. As many Fremont real estate agents have witnessed, lawyers can ruin an otherwise marketable deal by adding contingencies favoring their clients to the point where the other party simply won’t go along. While legal advice is great, sometimes common sense and human nature play a stronger role. Thank you for taking the time to read the information I have made available to you. This information is brought to you by your Fremont real estate expert Clyde Brown. If you are considering buying or selling property, planning to relocate, looking for Fremont homes for sale (http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/), or looking for any other information about real estate in the Fremont real estate market, or the surrounding areas, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything real estate related www.ClydeBrownHomes.com. If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and experienced Bay Area Realtor, or have real estate or mortgage related questions, please feel free to contact me I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me at 800-839-0665 or email me at Clyde@ClydeBrownHomes.com. For all your East Bay cities needs including Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Oakland, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon. Clyde Brown Legacy Real Estate Associates. Blog - Seller Info Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:33:59 +0100 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/seller-info/fremont-buyers.html http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/fremont-buyers.html Fremont Buyers – Use Contingencies Wisely Part 3 I have recently had many clients ask about what contingencies are in a real estate purchase agreement and how best to use them so they are protected and get a good deal. So I have put together a series of blogs to explain what they are and the best way to use them. Everyone is familiar with the conversation where the other person says, “Yes, but...” This person is agreeing with you but only if certain conditions are met. Well a purchase agreement is similar in that you are agreeing to buy a property subject to certain conditions being met. The conditions you set are called contingencies. It is very uncommon to have a purchase agreement in Fremont without contingencies. In fact, contingencies are an essential part of many offers for homes in Fremont. In general, contingencies are added to protect you (the buyer) but may also serve to protect the seller. All of the contingencies of a purchase agreement must be met before a Fremont home sale can be competed. In this first series I discussed some examples of contingencies and the most common ones in a Fremont purchase agreement. In part two I discussed who writes contingencies, and who they protect. In this blog I will discuss how contingencies can be used as deal points. Contingencies Can Become Deal Points Naturally, you will want to have contingencies that benefit you (the buyer) and want to exclude those that protect the seller. This is therefore a process of negotiation where contingencies become deal points, which you can influence, the actual cost of the transaction. A deal point is a specific point on which the deal depends. For example, you want the sellers to replace the broken sprinkler system. So you include a contingency stating that the sellers must repair it. If the sellers refuse — perhaps they have been watering the lawn by hand and are unwilling to fix it for the buyers. Now you have a deal point. What are you going to do? Well, this depends on how important the sprinkler system is to you. If you feel that you can’t live without it and are unwilling to budge, you can refuse to remove the contingency. The seller can either accept the offer or reject it. If the sellers accept, you’ve got your sprinklers. However, if they reject, you’re not getting your new home. A better way of dealing with this type of situation is to calculate the cost of repairs and adjust the contingencies to compensate. For example you may retract your contingency for the sprinklers and insist that they leave the appliances you really like. Perhaps the sellers were not looking forward to taking them anyway and are willing to compromise on this point. In which case, although you will need to get the sprinklers fixed, you have saved several hundred dollars on the purchase of new appliances. Thank you for taking the time to read the information I have made available to you. This information is brought to you by your Fremont real estate expert Clyde Brown. If you are considering buying or selling property, planning to relocate, looking for Fremont homes for sale (http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/), or looking for any other information about real estate in the Fremont real estate market, or the surrounding areas, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything real estate related www.ClydeBrownHomes.com. If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and experienced Bay Area Realtor, or have real estate or mortgage related questions, please feel free to contact me I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me at 800-839-0665 or email me at Clyde@ClydeBrownHomes.com. For all your East Bay cities needs including Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Oakland, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon. Clyde Brown Legacy Real Estate Associates. Blog - Buyer Info Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:03:22 +0100 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/fremont-buyers.html http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/seller-info/how-to-sell-your-fremont-home-fast.html Selling your Fremont home fast doesn’t have to be an impossible endeavor. In fact, even in today’s market you can still command a very reasonable price on your home within 90 days or less. And if you follow some proven steps that I’ll outline below, your turn around time could be much faster than expected. There may be various reasons that you want to get your home off the market as quickly as possible, but these principles I offer here can work in nearly every situation. So let’s dive in on some basic strategies that you can implement today to gain the most favorable results: Stage Your Fremont Home Properly This is one area where it may make sense to hire professional help. Regardless, do your homework and take the time to find out exactly what can be done to make your property more marketable. For example, be sure to strip away any of that stuff on the walls or being used as decorations that is personal. Also, place something of interest in each room that draws buyers in. Additionally, people want to be able to picture themselves living in your space and visualizing where their own possessions will go. So you need to clear out space and remove clutter, especially from public areas and closet spaces. In fact, it is said that at least a 1/3 of your own items should be placed somewhere else other then the home you are trying to sell. Finally, maximize the use of lighting and make sure the house is spotless. Most importantly, this goes for the kitchen and bathroom spaces which tend to endure a lot of wear and tear. Patch any areas that need touch ups with some spackle, paint and caulk. Cut That Price If you’re in a situation where you are moving for example, and want to be rid of your property ASAP, then consider starting your listing price at about 10% below its estimated value. It’s better to start a little lower up front if you want to attract the attention of buyers and get quick offers. This can also work much more effectively then dropping the price incrementally overtime. In fact, the latter can even be harmful, because it may create the perception that nobody wants your property. So make your listing competitive and be ready to entertain some early offers. Do Your Research People like things in writing. Therefore, spend a little extra money to get an appraisal and inspection ahead of time, which you can offer at each showing. This will build confidence with your Fremont buyers, since you will be providing the hard facts up front and you will show there is nothing to hide. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even include receipts and/or documentation of repairs done on the home, as well as any new appliances that may have been purchased. Your agent may also want to include information and statistics on the neighborhood as well. Pick The Right Agent The vast majority of all homes are sold by real estate agents, but all agents are not the same - not even close. The agent's experience, knowledge, and marketing plan can have a huge impact on your success. Signing up with the right agent can make all the difference in the world. Also, it is vital that your agent has expertise in marketing your Fremont home both with traditional methods and using online strategies for maximum exposure. Because information travels so quickly on the internet, it is crucial that you have property tours, videos, listing information, etc. submitted to all the top traffic producing sites. This will attract a high amount of responses and will help the word to travel quickly. Thus, allow me to prove my ability to help you sell within the next 90 days or less by calling me today. During our private consultation, I will show you a comprehensive marketing process that has helped other homeowners just like you get the results they desired. I look forward to earning your business! Thank you for taking the time to read the information I have made available to you. This information is brought to you by your Fremont real estate expert Clyde Brown. If you are considering buying or selling property, planning to relocate, looking for Fremont homes for sale (http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/), or looking for any other information about real estate in the Fremont real estate market, or the surrounding areas, please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything real estate related www.ClydeBrownHomes.com. If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and experienced Bay Area Realtor, or have real estate or mortgage related questions, please feel free to contact me I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me at 800-839-0665 or email me at Clyde@ClydeBrownHomes.com. For all your East Bay cities needs including Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Oakland, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon. Clyde Brown Legacy Real Estate Associates. Blog - Seller Info Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:59:56 +0100 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/seller-info/how-to-sell-your-fremont-home-fast.html http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/choosing-and-using-your-fremont-real-estate-agent-2.html Statistics tell us that as many as 80% of all Fremont home buyers will start their search for a new Fremont home by browsing the Internet. The Internet is often used for browsing new properties, especially when there is distance involved. While looking at the Internet gives a general feel for Fremont areas and prices, for obvious reasons, at some point you will need to involve a Fremont real estate agent. Local Fremont agents know their areas and know about pending building plans, schools etc. Often on the Internet you can only see the actual Fremont property for sale. Familiarity with the Internet is one of the key requirements to being a skillful Fremont real estate agent in today's market. This skill not only speeds up the property finding, it also means that the computer can do the compilations for you, and you can get the perfect Fremont home without getting out of your chair! One of the questions to ask a Fremont real estate agent is how familiar are they on the Internet? Make sure they can contact you by email and that they can turn up the MLS listings for you to look at. Sit with your Fremont agent and get the virtual tour on a couple of homes. If you are not so familiar with the Internet yourself, you will soon realize how much time and legwork it can save you. Often, Fremont real estate agents will actually state in their profiles that they are Internet proficient. This could mean that they may know more about market trends and economic indicators in the business world as well as having all the realty facts at their fingertips. Many Fremont agents take time out to attend special courses that upgrade their skills. These courses can cover anything from financial expertise to selling homes to seniors. When selecting a real estate agent ask if he has been on any extra curricula courses. Check on the number of sales that the office has recorded in the last month or two and ask how many are his. Does he mind if you check on a couple of the 'sold' house owners and see how his references check out? Can you judge his negotiating skills? Does he listen to what you actually ask? Ideally, you want to feel really comfortable with the fact that the real estate agent seems a person that will understand your choices and wishes. If you want to save time, money and frustration, take the time to find a Fremont real estate agent that knows exactly what you want and who knows exactly where to find it on the Internet. There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling, relocating, or investing in the Fremont real estate market. For complete information about the Fremont Ca real estate market including current Fremont homes for sale (http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/), property values, market conditions and more please visit the most complete website dedicated to everything Fremont real estate related www.ClydeBrownHomes.com. If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring Fremont agent in or near Fremont Ca, I hope you will contact me. Clyde Brown Legacy Real Estate Associates. Blog - Buyer Info Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:00:34 +0100 http://www.clydebrownhomes.com/buyer-info/choosing-and-using-your-fremont-real-estate-agent-2.html