When does it make sense to refinance before 6 months is up?You just purchased a home, it isn't quite the way you wanted it but you needed to close the loan quickly, or so everyone told you. Now you can't really enjoy it till you get it fixed up and everyone is now telling you that you need to let this loan mature at least six months before you can refinance. Well, it just isn't true. In fact, it would be to YOUR benefit to refinance immediately with regards to getting the money to fix it up if you plan to use the FHA 203k loan.Simply not true!FHA 203k loans have a little known feature for those who need to fix up a property they just purchased and likely should have purchased under the 203k program in the first place. It is simply that you can refi immediately and as long as you close t... 10/02/2015

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley CA and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - Monthly mortgage insurance is not tacked on to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley CA: You must first verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Berkeley CA VA loan lender can order your COE for you, or you can cont... 12/03/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley CA and 100% VA Loans - the best loan program in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for both honorably discharged Vets and active duty military personnel. Here are some of the great features of this fantastic program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs. So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley CA? The first step is to verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Berkeley CA VA mortgage loan lender to order your COE qu... 09/05/2014

Join us at the 29th annual Berkeley Kite Festival this year on JULY 26th and 27th at the Berkeley Marina and see kites of all types and all sizes. Kites aren't just for kids anymore! Make a kite at the FREE MAKE A KITE EVENT Cynthia Tate Elliott - I'm an official sponsor. Sotheby's International Realty 2 Tunnel Road Berkeley, CA 94705 415.580.5198 tateelliott.com   Cynthia is an official sponsor of this event.... Lets get out and shoer her some support and have a great time making a kite in the process.  07/22/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley CA and 100% VA Loans - the best loan program in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the great features of this fantastic program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley CA: You must first verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Berkeley CA VA mortgage loan lender to order your COE quickly, or you can... 07/14/2014

How do I get a "Sewer Lateral Waiver" for the refundable security deposit EBMUD East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) need a copy of these three pieces of the puzzle signed by the parties involved in your email requesting them provide the waiver;   1) Borrower's acknowledgment    2) Homeowner/Contractor agreement, and   3) Specification of repair that states clearly "Sewer Lateral - Provide/install to replace the sewer lateral from the house to the hook up at the street - [NOTE: this work must be the first work started on this project and must be included in the first draw inspection permits requirement and request. The first draw request will not be processed unless and until the sewer lateral permit has been pulled to prove this work has been started and draw 2 must show this ... 06/04/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for both honorably discharged Vets and active duty military personnel. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment. How do you know if you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley California? First of all, you must verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Berkeley California VA loa... 05/21/2014

See what homes are for sale now in BerkeleySee what homes are for sale now in Oakland Lunar New Year in the East Bay The Lunar New Year (more commonly referred as Chinese New Year) is one of the most globally known annual events and, here in the East Bay, it’s no different.  For the more traditional Asian families, Lunar New Year lasts 15 days, with each day containing certain activities (with some varying differences between cultures).  Some highlights include a traditional dinner on New Year's Eve, fire crackers and lion dance and, my favorite, handing out red envelopes filled with money.  To most outsiders, it’s just the Asian version of New Year's.  But it’s really so much more than that.  The Lunar New Year symbolizes luck, prosperity and, most importantly, a new beginning. Within ... 02/11/2014

 VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the highlights of this incredible program: - Zero Down Payment, 100% financing. - No monthly mortgage insurance. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment.   Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley California: You must first verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Berkeley California VA loan lender can order your... 02/06/2014

In our East Bay real estate market, where inventory is tremendously low and buyer demand very high, you would think that sellers would be able to make few mistakes. But even in this sellers' market it is still possible to over-price and under-represent a property. Either mistake is likely to result in a lower sales price than if the house is appropriately priced and presented for sale. In this East Bay area, that means a price slightly below market value. And the standard for presentation is fairly consistent: updated, and shown vacant and professionally staged. Our marketing standards are similarly high. Professional photography is expected, and individual websites for each property are the standard. Sellers who try to cut corners on presentation, or who choose agents who are unwilling... 01/19/2014

See what homes are for sale now in BerkeleySee what homes are for sale now in Oakland It’s Christmas Time Again. What a Great Time to Buy a Berkeley/Oakland Home! Every year as the holiday season draws near, families begin planning their get-togethers.  Students come home from college to visit their parents, distant relatives, maybe even pets, to see each other and to catch up on old times.  With the current market in Berkeley and Oakland, it seems almost impossible to find a home that fits your needs, let alone with room to spare.  With Christmas looming just around the corner, have you thought about giving yourself a home for the holidays? It’s no secret that the real estate market often slows down during the holiday season.  What most people don’t know is that the end of the year is ... 12/11/2013

WE OFFER MORTGAGES ON MANUFACTURED HOMES NATONWIDE! CALL US 7 DAYS A WEEK AT 800 315 8803 - to apply for manufactured home loan or visit www.bartprequalifies.com   Interest rates are still at an all time low, and we offer competitive rates on a manufactured home loan! We offer HARP loans on manufactured homes, all VA loans on manufactured homes (included VA IRRRL), all FHA on manufactured homes (including streamlines), in addition to conventional purchase and refinance options. Here are some of the things we look for in order to lend on a manufactured property:   Client must own the land and property. (Land can be owned separately from the property.)Property must be on a permanent foundation.If you have well and septic, they must be at least 50 feet apart and 100 feet from the house.Pro... 12/11/2013

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for both honorably discharged Vets and active duty military personnel. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance. - Easier credit qualifying compared to other types of mortgage loans. - VA Mortgage Rates are low compared to other types of home loans.   Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley California: The first step is to verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Alameda County VA loan lender can order ... 11/27/2013

VA Mortgage Loans in Berkeley California and 100% VA Loans - the best loan program in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Compared to other types of mortgage loans, easier credit-qualifying requirements. - Low fixed mortgage rates result in a low monthly payment.   Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Berkeley California: You must first verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An Alameda County VA loan lender can order your COE quickly for yo... 11/08/2013

The Pianist of Willesden Lane Last night friends joined my husband and me at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre (downtown Berkeley, CA) for a production of The Pianist of Willesden Lane. The run has just started and will continued through December 8, 2013, which gives you time to make plans to see it. The story is based on the book The Children of Willesden Lane written by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen, describing the experiences of children of the Kindertransport during World War II. The cast of characters is a cast of one: Mona Golabek. For 90 minutes we were enthralled as she shared the story of her mother, Lisa Jura. The narrative was interspersed with the music which meant so much to both mother and daughter; "each piece of music tells a story," in the words of Lisa Jura. It's safe to say... 10/27/2013

See what homes are for sale now in BerkeleySee what homes are for sale now in Oakland The area once known as “Harwood’s Land” has always been a prime area in Berkeley.  About a mile from UC, it lies at the mouth of a lush, wooded canyon that leads up into the hills that cross into Contra Costa County. In the 1800’s, it became a well-traveled stage coach route.  By the early 1900’s, Claremont Canyon, as it became known, became an integral part of Berkeley’s “Key” or streetcar system.  Not surprisingly, real estate developers, knowing a prime location when they saw it, decided to build a grand and majestic hotel there as a San Francisco “getaway".  It’s now known as the Claremont Hotel and Resort. About the same time, the 1906 earthquake shook the whole Bay Area.  And with that, Berkeley ... 06/29/2013

203k loans in Alameda County Alameda Albany Berkeley Dublin Emeryville Fremont Hayward Livermore Newark Oakland Piedmont Pleasanton San Leandro Union City These are links back to each city official website. We have a 203k in nearly all of these cities of Alameda County and we would like to work on you project to help you achieve the home of your dreams. We appreciate your support and look forward to assisting you with your next 203k project. The FHA 203k program is revitalizing Alameda County one house at a time. There is a bill before congress to allow investors back into the FHA 203k program for two years to help turn the economy around. This will allow investors to purchase 1-4 units or larger and turn them into 1-4 unit properties with only 10% and get the money to fix them up in th... 06/20/2013

Bike paths in Berkeley CA This is a view of a bike path in Berkeley CA, no cars allowed. Bikers can feel pretty safe using these bike paths. I was doing a draw inspection about a block from here when I noticed this bike path and a number of bikers using it. Much safer than riding on the street for sure. Here is a view in the other direction. You can see that allot of money was spent on these bike paths. 05/27/2013

See what homes are for sale now in BerkeleySee what homes are for sale now in Oakland So, why do home Buyers like Berkeley so much?  This weekend, I listed a home on a quiet neighborhood street in Berkeley...about 10 blocks or so to campus, 10 blocks to BART and a half a block to coffee.     Out of the 200 or so people who showed up for the Sunday Open House, I was amazed at how many came from the City (SF).  Granted, prices have gone ballistic in the City.  But there seemed to be other attractions for Buyers coming to Berkeley.  Like the idea of neighborhood…knowing and talking to your neighbors.  The idea of being close to everything (restaurants, coffee and BART) without being in the city.  But perhaps, most of all, the idea of a backyard and a garden…and a place to barbecue.  Home D... 05/22/2013

See what homes are for sale now in BerkeleySee what homes are for sale now in Oakland For five to six years now, many sellers in the East Bay have been lamenting the price drop of their homes starting in 2007-2008.  Well, put away the crying towels.  The average price of a house in the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda) is now within 8% of the all-time highs of 2008...and 72% above the lows of 2009.  In some neighborhoods -- Berkeley, Elmwood, Claremont, Temescal and Emeryville --  prices are actually above their 2008 high and setting new highs!  (These stats are based on MLS data from first quarter 2013.) Among other observations in McGuire’s Quarterly Market Update: Over 50% of homes sold in the East Bay are going over the asking price.  Anywhere from 6% to 25%, depending on the ne... 04/30/2013