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Helen and Kathryn's Newsletter | |
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| Greetings! |
 Welcome to our email newsletter. We will be mailing this out about 6 - 8 times a year. We hope you find it useful and full of interesting information. If you need more information on any real estate related needs, please let us know. If you don't want to receive this newsletter, please click on "Unsubscribe" at the top or bottom of the email. |
Some Recent Sales in Berkeley
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Street |
List Price |
Sales Price |
Bd/Ba |
Sq. Ft. |
Date
Sold |
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Crystal nr Euclid |
$995,000 |
$975,000 |
3/1 |
1813 |
7/7 |
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Stannage nr Cedar |
$599,500 |
$654,500 |
3/1 |
1293 |
7/7 |
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Woolsey nr Sacramento |
$425,000 |
$468,000 |
2/2 |
1035 |
7/9 |
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Alameda nr Solano |
$795,000 |
$830,000 |
3/2 |
1828 |
7/16 |
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Josephine nr Cedar |
$995,000 |
$1,200,000 |
4/3 |
2753 |
7/21 |
Data from Multiple Listing Service
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Some Recent Sales in Albany
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Street |
List Price |
Sales Price |
Bd/Ba |
Sq. Ft. |
Date
Sold |
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Marin nr Curtis |
$745,000 |
$867,000 |
4/2 |
1707 |
6/23 |
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Evelyn nr Solano |
$539,000 |
$545,000 |
2/1 |
860 |
7/1 |
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Masonic nr Marin |
$445,000 |
$531,000 |
2/1 |
996 |
7/16 |
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Neilson nr Terrace |
$598,500 |
$635,000 |
2/1 |
1104 |
7/22 |
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Carmel nr Washington |
$710,000 |
$710,000 |
4/2 |
1890 |
7/24 | Data from the Multiple Listing Service
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Some Recent Sales in Rockridge
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Street |
List Price |
Sales Price |
Bd/Ba |
Sq. Ft. |
Date
Sold |
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Ocean View nr College |
$1,195,000 |
$1,200,000 |
3/2 |
2388 |
6/30 |
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Chabolyn Ter nr Chabot |
$815,000 |
$860,000 |
3/1 |
1530 |
7/7 |
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Harwood nr Auburn |
$985,000 |
$1,006,000 |
3/1 |
1689 |
7/16 |
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Colby nr Claremont |
$535,000 |
$535,000 |
2/1 |
1183 |
7/17 |
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Kales nr Broadway |
$719,000 |
$724,500 |
2/1 |
1172 |
7/17 |
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Templar nr Harbord |
$789,000 |
$801,000 |
2/2 |
1657 |
7/23 |
Data from Multiple Listing Service |
Some Recent Sales in El Cerrito
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Street |
List Price |
Sales Price |
Bd/Ba |
Sq. Ft. |
Date
Sold |
|
Midcrest nr Eureka |
$550,000 |
$535,000 |
3/2 |
1773 |
7/20 |
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Mira Vista nr Jordan |
$549,000 |
$554,000 |
3/2 |
1844 |
7/1 |
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Blake nr Wesley |
$595,000 |
$587,000 |
3/2 |
1858 |
7/2 |
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San Carlos nr Curry |
$639,000 |
$683,000 |
3/1 |
1378 |
7/17 |
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Devonshire nr Arlington |
$768,000 |
$802,000 |
3/2 |
2254 |
7/2 |
Data from Multiple Listing Service
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Search for Homes in the East Bay
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Search East Bay MLS
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| Real Estate Financing 2009 |
Loans Remain Available
Although underwriting guidelines have changed and will most likely continue to do so, lenders are still making home loans. The best advice is to:
- Reduce or eliminate all credit card debt (Note: 30% or lower debt to credit limit ratio is ideal).
- Avoid high interest rate loans on consumer purchases.
- Build your cash reserves as much as possible.
- Raise your credit score as high as possible to get the best loan rate.
- Be prepared to document your income and assets.
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| Going Green May Help Sell your Home |
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It's becoming the buzz word in housing -- "green" homes are what many buyers are interested in these days. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), as much as 90 percent of home buyers think that energy efficiency is a very important factor when shopping for a home. These same buyers are also very interested in environment-friendly features including having housing close to parks, public transportation, and well-designed neighborhoods with sidewalks.
The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers (NAHBR) -- a council of NAHB -- says that most homeowners choose green remodeling projects to help conserve energy. NAHBR recommends the following top ways to increase energy efficiency.
- Install appropriate insulation in area to be remodeled.
- Install high-efficiency windows instead of those that minimally meet the energy code.
- Seal all exterior penetrations in areas being remodeled.
- Purchase only Energy StarŪ-rated appliances.
- Install only low-flow water fixtures.
- Upgrade to at least an Energy StarŪ-rated water heater, or better yet, a tankless water heater.
- Purchase the highest efficiency HVAC system you can afford and make sure it is correctly sized for the area you want to condition.
But going green can seem like a huge challenge. There are so many products and things to consider. And if you're selling your home you may wonder if going green is going to give you more or less green in your bank account. NAHBR says that "72 percent of consumers report energy-efficient features in a home would influence their purchase decision." The council also adds that "61 percent of consumers would spend more than $5,000 upfront to save on utility costs." And, consider this, there are approximately 125 million single-family homes in the U.S. but most were built before energy-efficiency developments, which means if your home has newly renovated green remodeling, it can be a buyer's dream. Featuring your green renovations when you list your home for sale could give you that added value and unique market advantage. It does not have to be overwhelming nor do you have to make the entire house eco-friendly. Try things like installing energy-efficient lighting such as compact fluorescents and change out old appliances for energy-efficient ones. This is a great year to go green as there are several tax credits available for energy efficient upgrades. Helen just put in an on-demand water heater and has seen her utility bill go down and will be able to take advantage of the up to $1500 credit for this type of water heater. If you want more information on how to get started going green, please let us know.
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| Interesting Local Events & News |
| A few fun things are happening in the Bay Area right now and in the next couple of months.
Kathryn saw the King Tut Show at the DeYoung Museum and said it was very interesting. It will be exhibited until March 28, 2010. Reservations are recommended.
The San Francisco Opera at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Free and wonderful on September 19th. The opera is Il Trovatore and you actually sit on the field or in the stands. One of the most fun things I did last year. For more information, just go to www.sfopera.com
Each year the San Francisco Chronicle lists their opinion of the best restaurants in the Bay Area. I love this quote from the article - "The breakout city is Oakland, which in the last few years has seen exceptional newcomers such as Wood Tavern, Flora, Pizzaiolo, Camino and Marzano, along with Corso in Berkeley." We are lucky to be living close to these restaurants. |
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call us at 510-207-2968 (Helen) or 510-593-7311 (Kathryn), or simply respond to this email. We'd love to share our real estate tips and experience in the East Bay community with you!
Feel free to visit our website at www.helenandkathryn.com for more information as well.
We honor your privacy and requests to be deleted from the mailing list. Simply click on to the Unsubscribe link below if you are receiving this newsletter, but would prefer not to. On the other hand, if you'd like to pass it along, please do so!
Helen and Kathryn
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