Today as I was checking the MLS for new homes that are for sale in Tracy, CA I came upon this listing. This is home owner who has equity and has hired a REALTOR to sell their property.  This is not a short sale in Tracy, it is not a bank owned home in Tracy, it is a home owner who has equity and has decided it's time to move. First question is... Is this their best?  Does the SELLER deserve better than ONE photo, that is a google maps image of their property? Second question is... Doesn't Google have some laws and rules about advertising using thier images? What do you think? 07/24/2013

Once upon a time there was Tracy seller that requested a short sale.  They had one loan with Bank of America.  They were divorcing after 27 years of marriage, had retired and were livling on social security.  The agent, who attends every webinar and class Bank of America offers suggested a Bank of American Co-Op Short sale.  "Let's get everything to Bank of America, they will evaluate, get us a price, we will get a buyer at that price, and should have our approval pretty quickly after that."   Of that is how the story SHOULD have gone... instead after 5 months without a list price, Bank of American finally gave the Tracy listing agent a price. Tracy Property was put on the market, and a buyer found immediately.  The sales contract, proof of funds, everything requested was sent to the ba... 07/19/2013

I was asked the other day what Real Estate was looking like in Tracy. I answered with the standard dribble. Inventory was still low, interest rates going up, blah blah blah. I was not happy with my answer and thought about it at length. Real Estate in Tracy really looks like the hard working men and women that make it happen. The picture above is Jesse. He is a pest inspector for a local company, ...Take Care Termite. He was working for my client, a buyer, and even though it was nearly 100 degrees outside he crawled around under the property for almost 30 minutes. Couldn't have been any fun at all.   Bottom line was he did his job in tough conditions and provided a report the next day that was very thorough. He is a great example of what RE really looks like in Tracy. Jesse, my thanks f... 07/11/2013

A great networking event in support of our local non-profits. Looking for something to do Thursday night 6/27/13? Come join us in Tracy CA at the West Valley Mall Non-Profit Tradeshow Mixer!! 5:00pm – 7:00pm (Target wing). 06/27/2013

I enjoy reading the bible for the obvious reasons and sometimes times find wisdom that is so overwelming I laugh at myself for having not discoved it already in my life. Sometimes I find verses that can simply be used to spice up a conversation. I came across this today and could help but think this is one set of verses I will have to remember.   A real estate agent was knocking on doors of homes in his farm area. At one house it was clear that someone was at home, but his repeated knocks at the door went unanswered. So, he took out one of his business cards and scribbled “Revelation 3:20″ on the back of it, stuck it in the door, and went about his rounds. When he got back to the office the next day, the receptionist gave him a business card. It was his own, and he recognized the “Revel... 06/17/2013

As a Realtor I have learned to keep my mouth shut and not express to many opinions when with clients. Here in the Bay area if you says something positive about the Oakland A s your hardcore SF Giants fan may become and ex client very quickly. I previewed a home once for a client and gave them a rave review of the kitchen. The wife thought it was horrible and I quickly became their ex Realtor.   One thing I do have an opinion about and am not afraid to express my feelings on is child abuse. Like many people I know it happens and dislike like it. That changed yesterday when I visited the “Lisa Project” at West Valley Mall in Tracy California. The theme of the Lisa Project is that some secrets need to be told. The secrets were horrible, but needed to be told. The presentation took about 24... 06/10/2013

The city of Tracy where I live is located in California's great central valley. The valley provides many agricultural products for Americans across our vast country to eat and live healthy. Tracy is located in what is called the San Joaquin Valley and we are just about 70 mile from San Francisco. One of the great thing about living here is the willingness of city officials to provide information on a timely basis. Yesterday at the CVAR Tracy marketing meeting two of our best officials joined us to give us updates on current projects and give us a glimpse into the future.   In the picture is Andrew Malik who is in charge of city development. Joining him but not pictured was Leon Churchill our city manager. They updated us on the progress of the 1,000,000 square foot facility Amazon is bu... 05/24/2013

Starting February 1, 2013, the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program (HAFA) will undergo some major changes that will speed up the short sale approval process.  Servicers must make a decision on a borrower's short sale request within 30 days, and borrowers who are 90 days delinquent and have a FICO score under 620 will have a pre-determined hardship.  More changes are coming too! 05/03/2013

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Builders are buying and renovating old homes as well as constructing new homes in Mountain House! Supply doesn't meet demand yet, but it's a positive sign for Mountain House/Tracy area economic growth. List your property with us and get into a new or renovated home. Prices range from $320,000 to $500,000. 05/03/2013

It's currently a home sellers market in California due to the low inventory of property listings. Home sellers should take advantage of the multiple offers and over appraised value offers that are coming in.  If sellers wait and interest rates go up a bit, the real estate market will adjust and they will have missed their chance to capitalize on the low inventory and multiple offer situation.   “The demand for homes remains solid, but a shortage of homes for sale, especially in the lower-priced segments, is negatively impacting housing sales,” said C.A.R. President Don Faught.  “Sales of homes priced above $500,000 continue to be strong, posting nearly 31 percent higher than a year ago, while homes priced below $300,000 were down 27 percent from last February due to fewer available home... 05/03/2013

Tracy mayor praises city's job growth, potential City sees largest job growth in 40 years TRACY, Calif. (KCRA) —Dozens of city leaders, business and community members showed up at the Grand Theatre in Tracy to hear their mayor deliver his State of the City address. It was all good news for the Central Valley city. Tracy Mayor Brent Ives said the city has seen the largest job growth in 40 years. The city added 2,500 jobs in 2012. "Twenty-five hundred jobs is significant for this part of the Valley, for the Central Valley, at all. And, this is before Amazon," Ives said. Amazon will open fulfillment centers in Patterson and Tracy later this summer. Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-modesto/Tracy-mayor-praises-city-s-job-growth-potential/-/12970436/19492210/-/format/rsss_2... 05/03/2013

Do You Want To Pocket More Money When You Sell Your Home? 05/03/2013

Great tips from Tara@Trulia regarding emotional mistakes home sellers make including home price reduction paralysis, excessive attachment, and ignoring the needs of your target audience. 5 Emotional Mistakes Home Sellers Make Have you ever said something in the heat of the moment, then wished for weeks later you could reel those words back in?  Truth is, all of us commit emotion-driven mistakes in some areas of our lives.  But when it comes to selling your home - read: cashing out your most valuable asset - the stakes are simply too, too high to allow yourself and your transaction to fall prey to predictable emotional pitfalls.  Fortunately, when it comes to emotion, what’s predictable is avoidable if you’re willing to acknowledge and correct for your own feelings and how they can foul ... 05/03/2013

Join us at Keller Williams Tracy on Thursday, 5/9/13 as we support Case for Kids (helping our local foster children). Contact me for details on how you can help! So proud to be part of a company where EVERY OFFICE all over our great nation commits a day to volunteering in their local community.   Red Day Alert!!! The Modesto Keller Williams office has teamed up with Girl Scout Troop 752 and Center for Human Services for the 2013 Red Day! Troop 752 is working on earning their Bronze Award and they have chosen a project to help children. These fantastic 4th grade girls came up with an idea to create a "Comfort Basket" for children that are displaced or in need of help. Keller Williams is going to help them accomplish that by gathering items, i.e. blankets, toothbrushes, toiletries, journ... 05/03/2013

Thinking of selling your home? It's a great time for sellers as they have an advantage, but don't just take my word for it. CNNMoney thinks it's a good time to sell too. http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/08/real_estate/home-sellers.moneymag/index.html   The Aguilera Real Estate Team can sell ANY home in the US, regardless of location! 05/03/2013

According the the National Housing Survey by Fannie Mae, even though Americans have some concerns about personal finances, their outlook toward the housing market is optimistic. More Americans view the present as a good time to sell. Read Article: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/04082013_fannie_mae_housing_survey.asp 05/03/2013

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Most lenders today are looking for monthly cash flow shortfall, or pending shortfall and insolvency. If you meet these requirements of a verifiable hardship, and are running out of funds to continue making timely mortgage payments, you may qualify for a short sale. Deliquency or default is not required to initiate a short sale transaction. Don't wait until your only option is foreclosure! In a hardship letter for short sale (or short payoff), if a seller/borrower is currently not in default, but can make the case that it is unavoidable, they can proceed with a short sale according to Freddie Mac. A Sample of Freddie Mac Eligibility Standards for Borrowers: 1. Meet residency and occupancy eligibility 2. Meet hardship requirements (death of borrower, divorce/separation, disability, distan... 05/03/2013

Here are some interesting statistics for those looking to sell. Additional confirmation that it's a great time to sell from Mortgage News Daily. "The median price of a home in California shot up in March to $313,000 from 289,000 in February, a one-month increase of 8.3 percent.  The spike put the median price 24.7 percent above the price in March 2012, the 13th consecutive annual price increase.   California prices peaked at a median of $484,000 in the late spring/early summer of 2007 and hit a low of $221,000 in April 2009. Sales of new and existing single-family houses and condos increased 31.5 percent from February; 37,764 transactions as compared to 28,719.  DataQuick, which supplied today's data, said it is normal for sales to shoot up between February and March and it appears the... 05/03/2013