Want to Save Water in your Contra Costa County Home? Well it is not Raining Again today (at least not yet – but we remain hopeful). They are talking drought, the are talking rationing, and they are talking higher grocery bills. So many of us are asking what we can do to save water in our own homes (and money at the same time). The good news is the California Association of Realtors (CAR) has put out an infographic showing where your water is going and what you can do to save water in the average California Home:   If you are interested in Buying or Selling a Home in Contra Costa County or beyond give me a call at 925-260-4321 or E-Mail me directly. 03/25/2014

Selling My Brentwood Ca Home – Where is the Money? So you are thinking of Selling your Brentwood Ca Home? Do you want to know where the Hidden Value is in your Home? What is going to make your Home more valuable and sell for a higher price than a similar mode? ActiveRain, The Leading Real Estate Blogging Network, Surveyed 1500 members to get their opinion about the things that add value to a home. Some of these things you can influence and others you cannot – it is just Location – Location – Location. But you want to make sure you take into account your location when pricing the home. Here is the Infographic they prepared as part of the survey.     Surprisingly my answer was not included in the Infographic. Take a look at where I feel I find the most Hidden Gems in Brentwood Homes. If y... 03/24/2014

Nelson Riemenschneider Signs Football Letter of Intent with Sterling College! My son Nelson has signed a Letter of Intent to attend and play football at Sterling College in Kansas. Nelson has played Offensive Line for four Years at Liberty High School in Brentwood CA and his current GPA is about 3.2.                           Nelson With Dad at Liberty Senior Night.      Nelson Completing his Signing with Sterling.          Sterling College is a Christ Centered Liberal Arts College in Sterling Kansas. They play in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) in 2013 Sterling College went 9-3 (8-1 Conference) and won the conference title. The Mascot for the Sterling Warriors is a Scottish Highlander. The KCAC is National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) which is primar... 03/24/2014

Brentwood Ca Home Prices – 94513 Brentwood Ca is the premier East Contra Costa Community offering Fine Executive Style Homes at affordable prices. Brentwood also has Golf Course Communities, Gated Communities, and Senior Communities for Active Adults 55+. Just Show me some Great Brentwood Homes Gene! Brentwood is close to fishing, boating and many other recreational opportunities. An Hour from San Francisco and only a few hours from Tahoe. Brentwood has 58 Parks and Recreational Facilities on about 190 acres with over 16 miles of hiking and bike trails. The Quality of Life in Brentwood cannot be overstated. Brentwood has avoided many of the financial problems of other communities. The Police Department is fully staffed and they plan to hire in advance of anticipated retirements (no empt... 03/20/2014

Summerset in Brentwood CA Home Prices Summerset is a premier 55+ community designed for Active Adult Living. Located in Brentwood CA Summerset is a gated community in the most upscale East Contra Costa County Communities. Summerset offers more than nice homes in a gated community though; there is a club house, gym, golf, a pool, tennis, and more. At the club house you will find many clubs and social activities to participate in. Gene Just Show Me the Summerset Homes! Like most communities Summerset Home Prices have been going up. He is the sold trends from December 2013 to February 2014 and the current active market for Summerset Homes.   Month Number High Low Average Median DOM December 7 $555,000.00 $329,000.00 $430,071.00 $434,000.00 50 January 9 $460,000.00 $283,600.00 $361,066.00 $... 03/20/2014

What do you want in your Brentwood Neighborhood? We help lots of East Contra Costa Homebuyers in Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Pittsburg and beyond.  People are looking for different things in a neighborhood.  As a Broker I am always focused on helping my client sort those things out and find the right neighborhood for them.  Here is an Info Graphic from the California Association of Realtors on "What People want in a Neighborhood." If you are looking for a home and want the right neighborhood for you give me a call now at 925-260-4321. 03/11/2014

Having Trouble Getting Your Loan Closed in Contra Costa County?  Here is an infographic from the California Association of Realtors that tells the story of which loans close the easiest and what type of loans people are getting. Don't let this discourage you.  Contact Home Point Real Estate that knows the different lenders and what they can do to get you into your dream home.  Call 925-260-4321 Now!  We have been placing plenty of buyers with minimum down payment and credit issues. 02/27/2014

Shopping for a Brentwood Home – Take a second Look! Well it is February so we are writing about clients we “Love.” I was helping a couple look for a home. There were certain things they needed within a certain budget and they were concerned they would not find it (and so was I). The husband and wife worked different days so frequently the husband would look at homes with me and run stuff by his wife later. One day I showed him a home, that might have had some negatives for some people but not for them. He loved it and told his wife about. She said, “No Way.” But she drove by it with him and she again said, “No Way!” So now she wants to shop with homes with me, because her husband does not seem to be finding the home. So after looking at about 10 homes with any one working for her I sugg... 02/26/2014

Is a New House in Brentwood California for you? I had a couple come to me to buy a house that I just loved. They had 3 kids and had lived in a semi-rural property for a very long time, but it was time to move. They had a great income, but little down payment; so they were set up with an FHA Loan. Well this was at the time the market was really tight and it was hard to get a non-cash offer accepted, let alone and FHA offer. We looked at dozens of homes and put in dozens of offers, just missing on getting the offer accepted a few times. I had some concerns about showing them new homes as I felt they might have problems with the builders lender. And Builders really like you to use their lender. But a new home seemed to be the last option. I spent some time giving them the advantages and di... 02/26/2014

Hi Ho Hi Ho off to Build Equity we Go! Contra Costa County 203K Loans! This is one of those clients we love. He came to me with minimal buying power, minimal funds and an open mind. Mind you this is a tight market for buyers, where good financing is critical to getting your offer accepted. We looked at a number of homes in his budget and they all looked pretty bad. Finally we found one that had been over looked by cash investors and other buyers. It was a mess, but not too bad. The price was reasonable, but not so low the cash buyer would grab it as a flip. It was also a short sale, and they had just lowered the price on it.   Well we jumped in with the best offer we could make with a 203K loan. This is a FHA loan that provides money to rehab the house after purchase. Yes we had to wait... 02/26/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Brentwood 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: - 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.   So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Brentwood California? First of all, you must verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Brentwood California VA mor... 02/25/2014

Contra Costa County Apartments – Top 5 for February 2014 Apartment Houses are becoming the Real Estate Investors purchase of choice. An Apartment House offers stability and predictability, good long term positive cash flow, great tax advantages (always consult with a tax professional for details), and long term appreciation potential. What's not to like? Looking at the available Contra Costa County Apartments there are some great choices for all types of buyers. Some for rehabbing and some Apartments that are stabilized and ready to go. We have picked what we consider the Top 4 Apartment Properties in Contra Costa County. (Actually we have a bonus 5th property on our list with 9 cottages on one lot. And we have a list of 2-4 unit properties too.) This month there are actually two Brentw... 02/19/2014

Selling Your Own Home in Brentwood Ca I work with many Home Sellers in Brentwood CA, Antioch, Oakley, Pittsburg, and Discovery Bay; all in East Contra Costa County. I understand that Sellers want to get the best return possible on a Home Sale.  To that end there might be a temptation to Sell Your Own Home or cut other corners.  Well here is an Info Graphic but out by the NAR and sent to me by the California Association. Look it over.  Then if you want to know what your home is worth in this market with an on-line manual home evaluation let me know. Selling a Home 02/11/2014

Why I like Living in Brentwood California When I talk to people about Buying a Home in Brentwood Ca I think it is important that they understand that I also enjoy Living in Brentwood Ca and I think Homes for Sale in Brentwood Ca are some of the best buys around. Brentwood offers quality housing at an affordable price in a great community.  Having kids we are very happy with the Brentwood Schools, most of them newer. But the age of the building is not important; venerable Liberty High School (Serving East Contra Costa County sense 1902) has done a great job preparing my son for college. Brentwood is great for a first time buyer, the move up buyer, and the luxury home buyer. We have Golf Course Homes and Active Adult Communities for the 55+ community (Summerset Homes and the New Vineyard ... 02/06/2014

Small Batch Real Estate – Brentwood CA What is Small Batch Real Estate? Well it involves Buying a Home, Selling a Home, and working with Real Estate Investors on a personal level. Let me explain in more detail. My wife makes homemade, Jams, Jellies and other items. When making a batch she might get 7 or 8 jars, and it is a lot of work. Well if you think like me the obvious solution is to double the batch. But when you do that you get problems; one of two things happens: 1) The Jam/Jelly does not set up right and is runny, or 2) you need to over cook it in which case you end up with something bland and corporate tasting. To get the Best Jams and Jellies you need to give love and attention to every small batch you cook. There is no way to cut corners and maintain the quality. Dineen's Gre... 01/06/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Brentwood 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: - 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.   So how do you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Brentwood California? First of all, you must verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. You can work with an approved Contra Costa VA mortgage lo... 11/30/2013

Liberty Lions High School Cheer Leaders Football Final - Brentwood I have been posting on the great cheer leaders at Liberty High School in Brentwood.  Well I finally managed to get my camera to work through an entire half time set.  This was at the first round of the playoffs (and sadly our last) at James Logan on November 6, 2013. Great Job.  They are truely hard working Athletes that deserve our respect for the hard work and the support they give the football team.     By Gene Riemenschneider 11/26/2013

Real Estate Agents are Buying Listings – But you are Paying For It? That's right there are Real Estate Agents that will Buy Your Listing. They want to put your home on the market. But you will pay for it! So how does this clever scheme work? Well when you go to pick a Real Estate Agent one or more of these agents will tell you everything you want to hear and more. They will tell you how they can get more for your property than you thought you could. They may try to figure out how much you expect to get for your home and tell you that is what they can do (even if it is not realistic). They may even have some half baked statistics, market data, or comps with them to justify this pricing. Looks Like a Million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Really? Yes – They buy the listing by telling you that you wil... 11/25/2013

Summerset Home Prices in Brentwood California – Trend November 2013 Summerset Homes #SummersetHomes are in a great Active Adult Community #ActiveAdultCommunity They are affordable homes in East Contra Costa County Community with plenty of nearby amenities. Each of the Four Summerset Communities #SummersetCommunities has a club house with a pool, work out room, meeting rooms, kitchens, libraries, and much more. You will find various golf, sports courts and pool tables too. There are many clubs, travel, and other activities. Homes range from small entry level homes to large executive style homes. Just Show Me the Homes Gene! I am Ready to Buy! The question I get from people is, “What direction is the market heading?” “Are prices falling or continuing up?” Here is a chart showing Summerset... 11/22/2013

Home Prices in Brentwood California – Trend November 2013 Brentwood California Homes #BrentwoodCaliforniaHomes are a great buy. They are affordable homes in the premier East Contra Costa County Community. Homes range from small entry level homes to large executive style homes. This includes homes in gated communities #GatedCommunities and active adult communities #ActiveAdultCommunities. Just Show Me the Homes Gene! I am Ready to Buy! The question I get from people is, “What direction is the market heading?” “Are prices falling or continuing up?” Here is a chart showing Brentwood Home Prices #BrentwoodHomePrices and how they are trending for the past three months.   BRENTWOOD # HOMES HIGH LOW AVERAGE MEDIAN PER SF ACTIVE 121 $5,000,000 $199,000 $560,281 $479,900 $260.91 OCTOBER SALES 62... 11/22/2013