“Live Free or Die” for those young people inflicted with a modern education is not a Bruce Willis movie. The full quote is: “Live Free or Die: Death is not the worst of evils.” Today the sentiment might seem kind of radical; even scary. It could get a person put on the FBI watch list. Teachers or social workers might judge us as being a person with violent tendencies needing therapy. A more modern quote might be “Live Free or at Least with Government Assistance.” I had always assumed this was a quote from the Revolutionary War. It is a quote from a true and under appreciated hero of the Revolution: General John Stark. It was made on July 31, 1809 as part of a toast to celebrate his victory at the Battle of Bennington. Due to his poor health he had to mail in the toast to be read for him... 05/29/2009

  This holiday weekend my wife and I wanted to take it easy. So what do you do for nearby fun Living in Brentwood? Our older two boys were off having fun so Saturday we packed up the three little boys and headed to the Western Railway Museum in Suisun, CA. The Western Railroad Museum is primarily a collection electric trains, both intra city and intra city. I knew there were a number of cities with electric street cars, but what I did not know is you could travel over most of the state on electric trains. The Museum is not as hands on as I would like but there are a number of trains to see. The first shed is a self guided tour, where sadly to say I say train cars of the type I used to ride on when I went to San Francisco State. I do not feel old enough that something I rode on should be... 05/24/2009

I wanted to compare Short Sale Figures to other type of sales. I selected to look at Brentwood as prices are stable compared to other markets and there are a number of sales this year to compare. These figures are all sales of Single Family Homes in Brentwood this year as of the MLS on May 23, 2009. Short Sales are only selling for a little more than Bank Owned properties. The banks need to approve short sales and probably will not approve much less than market or what they can get for it if they sell it. Also, on average the Short Sale homes are in better shape than the Bank Owned Homes. Traditional private sales are running a little over 10% higher than Short Sales. Now the average days on the market for a Short Sale are 71, about 30 days longer than other types of sales. There are se... 05/24/2009

I have lived in East Contra Costa County for over 10 years and have been Living in Brentwood for over 3 and just found a new great family friendly restaurant: The Silver Skillet on Brentwood Blvd. Last night my wife and I were heading out and the place we were going to was closed so we pulled in at this little spot we had never seen before. It only seats about 39 and is very down home, no chain here. The menu is eclectic mix of American and Mexican, but I would not describe it as a Mexican restaurant. They do hit you with the chips and salsa when you come in for dinner, but forget the salsa because they also give you a blend of Tomatillo and Guacamole. The mixture is like a thick green salsa and it is good. There menu is wild. I went straight up Mexican. My wife had a Rueben that they p... 05/23/2009

When I was young and single and the Oakland A’s were the hottest team in town with the Bash Brothers and three World Series appearances in 3 years I would go to 20-30 A’s games a year. Often setting out in the cheap seats and buying food to take in with me. I even remember taking a girl friend of mine to a Giants game in the afternoon and an A’s Game that night for a Bay Bridge double header on one of those rare days they both played at home. As I get older and have five boys’ ages 12 to 21 months I like crowds less and less. The thought of managing my pack through a crowd at a major league stadium makes me cringe, not to mention what it does to my wallet. My solution: The Stockton Ports of the Class A California League. I love going to Ports games. They have a modern stadium in Banner ... 05/23/2009

If you call me often you will hear some country western going in the background. This is my own personal internet “Johnny Cash” themed radio station. How do I get my own personal radio station? I go to Pandora! Pandora is an internet radio station service working on what they call the Music Genome project. This involves them analyzing music and grouping it by type and style. The listener sets up stations based on a song or artist. Pandora then plays music that is identified in the same genome. You, the listener can give thumbs up or down to music to further refine and train the station. My favorite station is “Johnny Cash” but I have been introduced there to other artist like Slim Dusty. I’m not gonna tell you who Slim Dusty is, you’ll just have to go set up a Slim Dusty station. The ad... 05/18/2009

Where ever there is large amounts of money about you are going to find some bad apples. This includes Real Estate. The players are many and include real estate agents, lenders, escrow officers, buyers, sellers, and loan modification people (what ever they are). Ultimately it is about the character of the people you deal with as individuals, but one way to bring the odds in your favor is to use a Realtor. Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. Real Estate license are regulated by the state. Realtors are members of National, State and Local Associations dedicated to the profession. Here are Six Reasons you should make sure your Real Estate Agent is a Realtor: Realtors for the most part are in it for the long run. Why pay dues and take mandatory ethics training if I don’t plan on being ... 05/15/2009

Brentwood is the place to buy in East Contra Costa County. Home Buyers are flocking to Brentwood and we are running out of houses. These numbers are pulled from the MLS on May 11, 2009 and focus on Single Family Homes. In April 104 homes sold in Brentwood. The Average Price of those Brentwood homes sold was $282,428.00 and the Median Price was $280,000.00. The homes sold spent an average of 52 days on the market and the average price per SF was $126.00. These March Figures are little different than Last Months Market Report due to late reporting on the MLS. In March 86 homes sold in Brentwood. The Average Price of those Brentwood homes sold was $300,100.00 and the Median Price was $289,900.00. The homes sold spent an average of 48 days on the market and the average price per SF was $128... 05/11/2009

A good friend of mine is trail lawyer and when he was just out of law school and old hand told him, “When the facts are on your side pound home the facts; when emotion is on your side pound home the emotion; and when nothing is on your side pound on the table.” Real estate is made up of two basic things: Numbers (facts) and emotions. Yes numbers are the only facts that matter in Real Estate. But you have to watch the numbers carefully. I just watched 60 minutes and there was a profile on Bill James who wrote the Baseball Abstract and basically invented Sabermetrics. Sabermetrics is the study of baseball statistics. WAKE YOU BORED NON-SPORTS FANS! THIS WHERE IT GETS GOOD. Basically Bill James turned Baseball on its head by getting people to look at the game completely different. He threw... 05/10/2009

Apple Hill is a small gated golf course community in Brentwood California. The issue posed to me was how Apple Hill home prices compare with homes for sale in Brentwood. Good question as it reminds us that home value is often driven by specific neighborhood. I looked up home sales in Apple Hill on the MLS on and found only 1 sale for this year and 4 homes for sale. The scarcity of the properties speaks to the value of the homes in that area. I completed a Market Report on Brentwood Home Prices based on the size of the home. The home that sold in Apple Hill was 2663 SF. The average Cost of Homes in Brentwood at that size is $123.00 per SF. The home in Apple Hill sold for $136.00 per SF, or a little over 10% higher. To my knowledge the only thing outstanding about this home is it is in Ap... 05/07/2009

We have all read about the new appraisal requirements that are designed to keep things hands off, but more than likely will lead to corruption and poor service. You’ve got my brief editorial on them, but that is not the point of my blog. As Realtors we will now see a big conflict. Banks want faster and faster closure on our Bank Owned Home (REO) buys (as do other sellers but most business around here is REO). They are pushing us down on the contingencies. If there is a problem they want to know about it fast so they can resolve or get the property back on the market. I can’t blame them for this. The problem for Realtors is I think I need to expand the appraisal/loan contingency for my clients. The form standard is 17 days. But will this be enough time to get the appraisal issues worked ... 05/04/2009

Today's open house search was all about Brentwood! Brentwood is definitely a neighborhood that I hold dear and near to my heart. I had an apartment there for a couple of years when I was pretty fresh out of school and absolutely loved it. For being a considerably affluent area, the vibe in Brentwood is chill, casual, and laid back. Today's Hot Prop is on Barrington, but in a gated park like setting that I haven't seen with many condo buildings in LA. The grounds are sprawling with tree lined paths, a huge pool in the center, and ample parking for guests (which you hardly ever see). The condo itself is nestled in greenery with large open rooms, hardwood floors, a  nice patio, andan overall homey feel! The bathrooms and kitchen are a bit dated but absolutely immaculate. You could absolute... 04/24/2009

I have been asked about the difference in these terms and now offer a brief explanation: Average: You had everything together and divide by the number of units. For example if 10 houses sell you add up the total cost and divide by 10. Median: The house in the middle of a price range. I’m not sure which way my data base jumps when there is an even number in a range. For example if 11 homes sold and you ordered them from least expensive to most expense the one in the middle would be the Median Price. Mean: Is the most common number. This might be difficult with real estate as the numbers are large and few are of the exact same price. I do not think it will tell you much with houses. But if you grouped houses in a range the range can become the Mean. In my last Blog on Brentwood Home Sales... 04/21/2009

I often tell Home Buyers that homes are like movie theater popcorn. When you go large you get more for your money, at least in terms of unit cost. My primary market is East Contra Costa County; including the cities of Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, and other small communities. To demonstrate my point I did a study on the City of Brentwood. My April Market Report on Brentwood, and My March Market Report on Brentwood the Brentwood Real Estate Market appeared the most stable. This is best for looking at large numbers of a longer period. I looked at all the sold Homes in Brentwood this year on the MLS through 4-20-09. This year there have been a total of 282 Home Sales in Brentwood. The Average Price of these homes was $311,958.00 with a Median Price of $29... 04/21/2009

Everyone knows it is tougher to get a loan these days. Many buyers feel locked out from the possibility of borrowing. I spent a good part of my day talking to lenders about ways to help my clients get loans and exploring new possibilities. Well I am going to provide you a few links to some lender blogs that offer a unique perspective and may give you a financing options to help you unlock the lending maze. The first Blog Compares FHA Lending with Conventional Financing and can give you an idea of what both have to offer. Then a comparison of VA and FHA Lending will provide you more information on both of those types of loans. If you decide and FHA Loan is for you or you are buying a Fixer Upper FHA offers the unique 203K loans on top of the FHA loan. I read a blog on a unique program th... 04/20/2009

In this drastic down market many people owe more on there home than they can sell if for. This is called being upside down. If you cannot afford the house payment of need to sell your options may seem limited. You can pay the bank the difference at the time of the sale, this could be hundreds of thousands of dollars or you can walk away from the house and return it to the bank (foreclosure). The third option is a SHORT SALE. Short sales have been problematic, as many banks were not cooperating with the short sale. Most banks would not even talk to you until you had an offer in and then they would take months to get around to approving the sale. Frequently the potential buyer then moved on. I had heard that only 5 – 10% of short sale homes actually sold. THE GOOD NEWS IS That Wachovia i... 04/17/2009

Are you a First Time Home Buyer seeking to Buy a Home in East Contra Costa County? Did you want to find a home in Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, or other smaller communities. Maybe you need to know about ? If you are a Home Buyer or Home Seller in Brentwood or East Contra Costa County these are numbers you should pay attention to. Although there are many Bank Owned Homes this market seems to be holding steady. These numbers are taken from the local Multiple Listing Service today April 15, 2009. There is some variation on the February numbers in the March 2009 Brentwood Market Report probably due to late reporting on some sales. In Brentwood CA there were 82 home sales in March 2009. The average home price was $299,680.00 and the median home price was $2... 04/15/2009

Are you a First Time Home Buyer seeking to Buy a Home in East Contra Costa County? Did you want to find a home in Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, or other smaller communities. Maybe you need to know about Bank Owned Homes? This information is primarily for the First Time Buyer, but many of them are things all buyers should consider. Each Market is local and Real Estate and Lending Markets are constantly changing. For the most current and up to date information please contact me directly at 925-260-4321 or Gene@AskGene.info. Things to Consider: • Know what you can Afford: Talk to a loan office before you start. Find out what you can afford and what your payments will be. Most sellers will not accept your offer unless you have a pre-qualification Letter. T... 04/14/2009

I work with Home Buyers and Home Sellers in East Contra Costa County. I have a client I have been working with for some time looking for a Bank Owned Home in Brentwood. He thinks he has found a house he wants to put an offer in on, but wants to see it one more time today. But he then e-mailed me about an article he read in the paper, quoting it extensively. Basically it was regarding the number of homes that have been foreclosed on, but are not on the market. A key point was that the banks are not putting everything on the market at this time so that the home prices will not collapse further. This is probably true. But I wanted to share my response to him with you: There is probably some truth to this article. But it only focuses on one piece of the puzzle and is Newspaper gloom and doo... 04/09/2009

East Contra Costa County and Brentwood in Particular are filled with a number of nice parks. If you own a home in Brentwood you will find this to be a nice feature. Loma Vista Park is a very nice park on the corner of Highland Way and Meadowgate way on the back side of Loma Vista School off of San Jose Ave. Living in Brentwood is something my wife and I enjoy. With five boys having a variety of parks for them to play in is important to us. My son Jansen (Pictured his Borg name is just 4 of 5 – Trekies will get it!) here accompanied me to Loma Vista for the review. He works cheap, just for ice cream. There are some benches and picnic tables, and three play structure areas geared for different areas. There is also a large open grassy area that is good for playing games and just running. I... 04/07/2009