We’re looking first at single family houses sold between November 2008 and November 2009.  Sorry, I won’t have the December data until next week so if you’d like to see it let me know and I’ll get it to you.  The end of 2008 and into first quarter we were still seeing bank owned sales.  They have diminished since then.  We see some, but not a huge amount any longer.  Does that mean they are gone from San Mateo?  Doubtful.  We all anticipate seeing many more short sales and bank owned (REO’s) in 2010.  The Wilkas Group is prepared to help all of our clients with this kind of a market having taken specialized training to be able to guide both buyer’s and seller’s through the many different things that bank’s require.  If you want to buy a short sale or REO, use an agent who understands how to navigate through the process.

2009 San Mateo CA single family houses for sale vs. median sold

What are we seeing here?  The number of houses sold really didn’t change much for most of the early part of the year, because of the loan situation.  FHA loans were the loan of choice for most people through the first half of the year.  From mid-year though, we began to see the market warm up.  The drop in November could be because of the usual decline of demand at year’s end when seller’s often remove their house from the market until the new year, and buyer’s are thinking about the holidays.

Let look at the Condo-Townhouse market in San Mateo.

One would expect to see more sales of condos as most of them are entry level purchases but many former condo buyers were able to buy a single family house this past year.  What is interesting is that prices didn’t drop as dramatically in San Mateo as they did in other cities in the State.  This shows some of the uniqueness of our County.

There is still a huge disparity in the number of condos and townhouses for sale verses those sold.  It’s a strong buyer’s market for condos and many are very affordable.  The number of sales has been pretty consistent all year long.  There are many condos to select from as you can clearly see by the number for sale.

One of the first questions we hear when a property has been on the market for 30 days and has seen no offers is why isn’t my house selling.  Why?  Well, it might be a price issue, but then again, it might not. It might be a marketing issue.   The most difficult thing to do when listing a property is to price it right.  Especially in this kind of a market, a softening market.  Prices didn’t really drop in all of our areas. Sure, they did in some areas of the Peninsula, but not by much in Burlingame, Hillsborough, west San Mateo, Foster City, Redwood Shores and San Carlos.  These areas  aren’t dropping as much as buyer’s want them to although they have softened. If you, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, have priced your home well, done the necessary work to make it shine, repaired major flaws, painted, removed clutter, cleaned up the garage, cleaned the yard and landscaped neatly your home should sell. Not in a couple of days but within 45-90 days.  This is a normal market.

Let’s pretend you are trying to sell your house by yourself – a FISBO (for sale by owner). You don’t want to pay a commission to any Realtor, you only want to sell directly to the buyer. You know your house.  You love your house and everything that you have done to make it special. You think you have the nicest house on the block. You know what the one across the street sold for last year and you think your house is better and worth more and therefore, you price it above the one across the street. You do flyers on your own (Microsoft is so nice to provide those templates, aren’t they?).  You advertise in the paper.  You throw up pictures on Craig’s List and forsaleby owner.com and wait for the open house.  You’ve got it listed on Zillow’s Make Me Move at a price you want.  People do come through. They comment. They touch. They open up doors and drawers. They look at your belongings, and open the medicine cabinet to look in there, too.  My, what a nosy bunch and mostly neighbors, too!  Then they ring the doorbell at all hours to see it, because you have a “For Sale By Owner” sign in your lawn. They want to see it then and now, and you have dinner on the table or your kids are screaming, or the laundry is spread everywhere.  What do you do?  Turn them away or let them in?  They are an intrusion to your life but since you don’t want to talk to a Realtor,  you must make a split second decision on what to do.  You are so turned off by the thought of selling with an agent that you’ve gone so far as to write Principles only in everything you’ve advertised.  It’s all yours baby.

You really haven’t done any kind of inspections to assure a potential buyer that the house is in good shape. You figure that the buyer will do this once you have negotiated the price.  You don’t have written disclosures of any kind done. You answer all questions and figure that’s all that’s required.  This is your house, after all, and you need every penny you can get out of it in order to move. You know you’ll need to open up an escrow account once you agree on a price with some company but you don’t worry about that because you assume they’ll help you.  You’ve even gotten a contract from the Stationary store or have downloaded the one Microsoft has in their Templates area on their website.  You’re all set. Right?

Tell me, what pitfalls, if any, do you see with the above scenario?  Can you tell me the ones that open this seller up to a law suit? Can you tell my what misjudgments they have?  Can you tell me if you think this property will sell at the price they’re asking?  For more?  For less?  Are they looking through rose colored glasses?

Stay tuned for my answers tomorrow.

Here’s the deal; purchase your tickets in advance for $25 or the day of the event for $30 and what you get is a sampling of wines from 27 local wineries, tastey hors d’oeuvres and great music to make the evening even better.  You’ll need proof of age when you pick up your wine glass and off you go.  Obviously safety is important so keep in mind San Mateo’s trusty Police Department will be there in force so keep to moderation, okay?

Advance sale tickets can be purchased at the Downtown Association’s office at 385 First Ave; Trag’s Market at 303 Baldwin; Borel Private Bank at 160 Bovet Rd.;  and the San Mateo Public Library at 55 West Third Ave.  Tickets can be purchased or exchanged for wine glasses on Friday night at 3rd and Ellsworth beginning at 4 PM.

The Wine Walk allows you to wander downtown, go visit some of the businesses there that you may never have been to before, enjoy the wine and hors d’oeuvres and stop and for dinner afterwards.  What’s not to like?  Remember, parking can be hard downtown, especially with the Friday night movie crowd, so plan your parking carefully.

If you see me along the way, do stop and say hi.  Alex and I be there enjoying ourselves.

]]> http://wilkasgroup.com/the-place-to-be-friday-night-is-san-mateos-wine-walk/feed/ 0 http://wilkasgroup.com/do-you-know-where-your-food-comes-from-you-should-and-can/ http://wilkasgroup.com/do-you-know-where-your-food-comes-from-you-should-and-can/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:25:44 +0000 lenorewilkas http://wilkasgroup.realestatetomato.com/2008/10/24/do-you-know-where-your-food-comes-from-you-should-and-can/ Read More »]]> In our corner of the world here in central San Mateo County, we are fortunate to have some wonderful Farmer’s Markets. Most of them are seasonal, but two go year-round.  California has a Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets that provide loads of benefits for small local farmers.  One of the benefits for us, the consumer, is being able to buy tree and vine ripened fruit and vegetables in the summer.  And, we all know what a difference in flavor tree ripened or vine ripened fruits and vegetables are. Prices are almost always as competitive as those found at Safeway or Albertson but you have the added benefit of supporting California farmers and buying locally produced foods.

Almost every community we serve here in San Mateo County has its own market.  San Mateo boasts three markets with two of them running year round.

• Beginning with Millbrae, they offer a Certified Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning in the downtown area on the 200 block of Broadway.  It runs all year-round and is held between 8 AM and 1 PM.

• Burlingame’s Certified Fresh Market runs between May and November.  It’s held every Sunday between 9 AM and 1:30PM on Park Road and Burlingame Avenue in downtown Burlingame.

• San Mateo boasts three markets.  The 25th Avenue Merchants Association hosts a Certified Farmers’ Market every Tuesday between May and October from 4 PM to 8 PM. It’s held on 25th Avenue.  If you miss that one, go on up to the College of San Mateo either on Wednesday morning or Saturday morning all year long for the largest Certified Farmers’ Market in our area.  The Wednesday morning market is held on the back parking lot of CSM at the very end of Hillsdale Blvd., between 9 AM and 1 PM.  Saturday’s market is held in the large parking lot in front of the College.  It, too, is between 9 AM and 1 PM.  Just follow the signs and you’ll be sure and find it.

• Belmont hosts a seasonal Certified Farmers’ Market between May and November in the CalTrain parking lot on El Camino Real across from O’Neill Avenue every Sunday morning between 9 AM and 1 PM.

• The last Certified Farmers’ Market in our area is held in San Carlos. This seasonal market runs between May and September every Thursday evening between 4 PM and 8 PM. It’s on several blocks of Laurel Avenue in downtown San Carlos.

These markets are fun to shop in.  Not only do they attract local farmers but you can find wonderful bakers, fresh fish and meats, honey, orchids and other plants, fresh flowers grown on our beautiful coastline while you listen to music that will entertain you while shopping.  Many of our markets provide shoppers recipes for the fruits and vegetables that are in season and in the market that week.  You can also find some great recipes online, too.   We are lucky to have a 12 month growing cycle in our area of California so something is always coming to market.  This map provided by the Pacific Coast Farmer’s Market Association tells you which produce is in season year-round.

There is a strong movement to only purchase foods from sources you know about.  Sources that are local.  We are very fortunate to have so many different Farmers’ Markets to shop.  No excuses now, get out there and buy your produce locally and support our farmers.  Your health may depend on it.

Whether you want to buy an apartment building, duplex, condo or single family house, all have rental opportunities at top dollar.  While housing prices have declined in parts of our County, rental prices have not.  It’s been a long time since for us to talk about a positive cash flow in our county.  Generally one has had to buy quite a distance away but no longer.

If you’re willing to buy investment property in Oakland, or other places in the East Bay, the buys are amazing.  Many houses are available under $200,000.  Keeping in mind that it’s best to own property within 90 minutes of your home, the east bay has great opportunities for you.  Loan requirements for investment properties are tougher and you’ll need more down payment provided, but if  your money is sitting in the bank earning a small interest amount, housing is always needed and prices will go up.  Real estate always goes up.  We’re here to help you and give you pointers if you’re new to the real estate investment game.  Give us a call.  650-696-2820 for all of your real estate needs.

I have a little chart here to give you an idea and a range of what things could cost.  This is only a guide.  When it comes to kitchens or bathrooms, what you select for cabinets, flooring, counters, appliances, fixtures, and the like can run the cost up ten fold.

EXTERIOR

• Wooden Deck $25 to $50 per square foot
• Wooden Fencing $25-$35 per linear foot
• Concrete Flat Work $4-$6 per square foot
• Build Detached Garage $100-$150 per square foot
• Build Addition $150-$350 per square foot
• Replace Windows $400-$600 per or more depending on size
• Paint Building Exterior $3500-$7000 or more depending on size of house

FOUNDATION

• Install Anchor Bolts $1000-$3000
• Extensive Seismic Retrofit $5000-$10,000
• Replace low foundation wall $100-$250 + per foot

ROOFING (To install one square or 100 square feet)

• Composition Shingles $200-$300
• Wood singles $400-$500 / Wood Shakes $400-$600 if allowed where you live
• Tile $800-$1600
• Install new rain gutters and downspouts $6-$10 per foot
• Install Skylight $1500-$2500 – Sun Tunnels run considerably less.

ELECTRICAL

• Upgrade Service 125 amps $1200-$1600

HEATING / COOLING

• Install New Forced-Air Furnace $2500-$5000
• Install New Wall Furnace $1000-$2500
• Install New Floor Furnace $1500-$2500
• Install Air Conditioning (if there is a forced air furnace in place) $3000-$5000

PLUMBING

• Replace Galvanized Piping with Copper $1700-$3000 per floor
• Replace Shower Pan $1000-$1500
• Replace Tile Shower $2200-$3200

INTERIOR

• Painting $500-800 per room
• Install Prefabricated Fireplace $3500-$6000
• Major Bathroom Remodel $6000-$12,000+++
• Major Kitchen Remodel $15,000-$60,000+++

FLOORS

• Refinish hardwood floors $3-$4 per square foot
• Refinish softwood floor $9-$11 per square foot
• Buff and apply finish $1-$1.50 per square foot

Who is lending?  Smaller banks are into this game right now and loan broker’s are perfect for tapping into these lenders.  There are some wonderful buys out there for first time home owner’s or move-up families.  The real estate market is alive and well.  Things are slow but anything involving money is slow right now.  If you are a first time buyer here’s your opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit Congress was so kind to provide to you.  There are conditions but if you qualify for it $7500 could be your tax-free loan.

If you are considering buying – or selling real estate today, don’t wait, just do it.  Life continues to happen for all of us and there is no reason to wait.  Do you have questions about this?  Call me at 650-867-2909 and I’ll talk with you about your specific needs.

Plan Your Move with Tiny steps

I’m reading the book “One Small Step Can Change Your Life – The Kaizen Way“by Robert Maurer. The book talks about making small, sometimes tiny steps to make major changes in your life. I began to think about this in how real estate could use this book. One such way is to use this happens when someone needs to sell their family home. You know the one, it’s the one that they have lived for 40 or 50 years; the one that’s loaded with possessions, let alone memories, of those many years. What often stops people in their tracks is the thought of having to sift through everything. It is overwhelming.

By taking tiny steps, changes can be made in our mental thought patterns according to Maurer. Why not do the same thing with your house? When we have too much to tackle it’s easy to become paralyzed with fear and the thought of selling the family home can be frightening.

Where to begin?

You begin with one small step. Start with one room at a time. Take one corner of that room and begin. Sort your items and make four piles of things.

• Pile One: items to keep
• Pile Two: items to give to family or friends
• Pile Three: items to donate
• Pile Four: items to throw away.

Before you throw anything away bring the family in and let them see what you want to throw out, just in case. There might be a treasure in there that someone wants, even though you don’t.

This first small step, and first corner may take a while to complete. No worry. Take your time and once you’ve finished that corner, move to the next and the next and finally the last corner. Hopefully, the middle of the room is now filled with the four piles and then you take the next step.

Throw out the junk. Donate the items in that corner. Have the family take their items away with them. Finally pack the items you want to keep into boxes. Label the boxes and have them put into your garage for the move.

Repeat this process with each room of your home. As you move around your house it will become a little easier with each room. You’ll have a clear idea of what is in that space. What you want to keep and what you don’t. Continue on with the same four piles and clear out each room as you go.

Be ruthless. If you are downsizing you can’t take everything with you so you must decide exactly what it is you want to keep. What furniture will fit in your new home? What pictures and knickknacks. What will go and what will not.

The two year rule

A good rule to follow in this process of thinning down your life is the two year rule. Have you used this item, garment, kitchen utensil, pot or pan within the past two years? Yes? Keep it. No? Out it goes into one of the three piles for family, donation or garbage.

This whole process takes time. If you are getting ready to sell the family home, begin this process well in advance of putting your home up on the market. Your friendly Realtor will tell you to get rid of clutter and the earlier you can do this the more you’ll be able to do this with thought and consideration . If you can have another pair or two of hands to help, a child or friend or spouse, it may go a little faster. But more than that, it will be a wonderful time to reminisce about old times when you used that thing and tell family stories.

One small step at a time in the house clearing process not only makes it more manageable but relaxing and maybe even a little fun. Sure you may shed a tear here or there, but you also will have laughter and conversations about your life’s memories in your family home.

After all, this move will allow you to shed the burden of things and possessions and let you move into your new home with everything you really want and that really means the most to you. What an uplifting feeling!

So, you’re looking at that house for the third time and saying, ‘it’s not quite right.”  It needs
a new….  And, then you ask me what does it cost to do….?  You get the idea.  Whether it’s a new kitchen, windows, bathroom, roof or an addition to make the house perfect for you and your family, you need to have an idea of cost.  And then, what your ROI might be.

I am asked this kind of question fairly often.  What will it cost me to replace the windows?
Or, how much does a new kitchen cost?  My answer always is “it depends”.  It depends on quality.  It depends on vendor.  It depends, especially when it comes to that kitchen, on the appliances you choose and the kind of cabinets, or both.  Remodels and additions can be pie in the sky when it comes

Just in case you’re thinking about doing a little remodeling once you close escrow, here’s my 2008 guideline on what to expect it to cost.  Plus, when you get ready to sell your home, after doing everything to it to make it just perfect, what you can expect to re-coup.

Let’s begin with likely moderately priced additions to the
house.

Now let’s look at a moderately priced remodels of the house.

But, what happens if you want to go First Class with your remodel?

The costs above are for additions or remodels that are done with medium prices appliances and fixtures which are perfectly fine for most of us.  If you’re living in a more upscale neighborhood, where doing only the best works, then prices are considerably higher.  The first are to give you an idea for additions to that future home you’re considering.

Now, what if you only want to update the house because it’s such a great buy?

For an idea of what it might cost going whole hog, Full Monty or where money’s no object look at this.

Here’s the surprise in comparing the moderate projects versus the high end projects, the ROI on the higher end isn’t always as good as it is on moderate.  Isn’t that interesting?  So if you want to do something to that house you’re considering buying, only do what you really want to do, and not what you think will give you the best return when you sell.  Your idea of the perfect kitchen, bathroom, office or deck, might not be the next buyer’s idea.

Belmont

Let’s start with Belmont. Their concerts are always on Sunday afternoons from 1-4PM at Twin Pines Park on Cottage Lane. They begin in June and run through July.

June 15 – Stompy Jones – Jumpin’ Jazz and Swing

June 22 – Refugees – Tom Petty tribute

June 29 – Tom Rigney and Flambeau – Cajun Fiddling

July 6 – McCarty and Company – Pure Country Western

July 13 – Groovy Judy – Flower Power Funk Rock

July 20 – Blue-Rock and Roll Rhythm and Blues

July 27 - D-5 – Rockin’ the Par

San Mateo

Hop over to East 5th Avenue and Laurel in Downtown San Mateo for free  Thursday night concerts from 6 to 8 PM. These concerts run most of the summer.  Bring your lawn chair or a blanket to sit on, pack your picnic and enjoy the music.

June 12 – The Sun Kings – Beatles tribute

June 19 - Fast Times – 80′s dance party

June 26- Inoahband – R&B/Neo-Soul

July 3- Toot Sweet Jazz Band – Dixieland/New Orleans Jazz

July 10 - Blusion – Funk/Fusion

July 17 - Fotia – Traditional/Modern Greek Music

July 24 – Los Boleros – Latin-American dance

July 31 – native Elements – Roots Reggae

Burlingame

Sunday afternoons in July ,get yourself to Washington Park’s Recreation Center Patio.  The concerts begin at 1 PM. Free lawn seating.  Bring your picnic lunch.  BBQ’s are sponsored by the Youth Advisory Committee for a fee.

July 6 - Oscar Reynolds – Bolivian Afro-Peruvian Fusion Trio

July 13 - The Sun Kings – Beatles tribute

July 20 - City Rocks – San Francisco Rock History Review 1965-1985

July 27 – California Cowboys – Country-Rock

Millbrae

Central Park in Millbrae is the place to be on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM in August. Bring your picnic, blanket and have fun.  There will be BBQ Hot Dogs and Hamburgers available to purchase.

August 3 - Big Rain – Rock Country, Funky Blues Crossover

August 10 - Cocktail Monkeys – The Finalist in the 98.5 KFOX Last Band Standing contest with Classic & Dance Rock

August 17 - Jukebox Heroes – Dance music

August 24 - Unauthorized Rolling Stones – Rolling Stones tribute

Foster City

All of the concerts in Foster City are on Friday night at 7PM at Leo Ryan Park Amphitheater, East Hillsdale Blvd & Shell Blvd. They begin in July and run through mid-August.  Bring your blankets or chairs, picnic dinner and boogie.  It can get cold at night, so don’t forget to bring warm jackets.

July 11 - Livewire

July 18 - Orchestra d’Soul

July 25 – Nathan Owens

August 1 - Journey Unauthorized

August 8 - Fred McCarty & Company

August 15 - Unauthorized Rolling Stone

San Carlos

San Carlos’ concerts are on Friday evening, 6-8PM at Burton Park in August. Bring blankets, chairs, and picnic dinners.

August 1 - California Cowboys – Country Rock

August 8 – Groove Kings – Rock ‘n Soul

August 15 - String of Pearls – Big Band Swing

August 22 – Sun Kings – Beatles Tribute

August 29 - E-Ticket Band – Oldies Rock n’ Roll