August 28, 2009

Great Home for sale in San Lorenzo, CA on Elgin Way - Open House This Saturday & Sunday August 29 & 30

Posted to

JUST LISTED!!! Fixer Upper in LIVEABLE condition!!! Offered at $124,888
Visit: www.16356ElginWay.com
Open House this Sat/Sun
Built in 1947

This one bedroom one bathroom home is filled with natural light and has a great ‘heart’. It includes original hardwood floors throughout and has been lovingly cared for by its ONE ORIGINAL owner. This is a conventional sale, NOT distressed. Home includes approximately 704 square feet of living space on a lot that is approximately 5000 square feet. There is a detached one car garage with lots of street parking. And there is plenty of room to expand this charming cottage.

Seller prefers an ‘AS IS’ sale. Roof and Pest reports on file. Please submit offers on Tuesday, September 15th. Include verification of funds, and use a California Association of Realtors Residential Purchase Agreement. Call listing agent before writing for specific submission instructions and disclosure package.

Email me at KayKorbel@comcast.net if you have any questions.

Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 25, 2009

Buyers Listings Service

Posted to Real Estate Tips

In the San Francisco Bay Area the real estate market is volatile just now. In some cities, it is a sellers market and in others a buyers market. What is a buyer to do? How can a buyer compete with an all CASH offer? How can a buyer get their foot in the door to home ownership? Identify a forward thinking Realtor, that is how. And that forward thinking Realtor is me! Here is a new method to buying real estate called a Buyers Listing Service. Here is a short list of why a buyer should consider using a (BLS):

  • Buyers can’t see who the eager Sellers are on a property listing website.

  • Buyers can search for a listing by price but what if the Seller is willing to negotiate, have you been searching in the wrong price bracket?

  • Market yourself as a Buyer and let Sellers come to you with private offers. Not marketing yourself as a Buyer is like smiling in the dark, you know you’re doing it but no one else does.

  • For every house on the market there is one in the shadow inventory. A Seller is “considering” selling. Open yourself up to this potential.

  • Chose a Realtor who is forward thinking and willing to put your best interests first. Widen your access to properties.

  • Not all Buyers are equal, you are competing against other Buyers to purchase a home so make sure you are pre-approved and authenticated by a forward thinking Realtor and Loan Consultant.

For me, a forward thinking Realtor; I will try a new system in an effort to assist my clients achieve the dream of home ownership. Look for my profile on www.NationalBLS.com. Let’s work together to make your dream of home ownership a reality. I live by my slogan, CATERING TO YOUR NEEDS!

It’s a good life!

Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 21, 2009

Can You Afford That Loan?

Posted to Real Estate Tips

When shopping for a loan, remember what a bank will lend you may not be the amount you feel comfortable borrowing. What you qualify for may be more than you feel comfortable re-paying.

FIRST Start with where you bank. Keep in mind; not all banks offer the same loan programs.

GET A SECOND OPINION Consult a mortgage broker; they will have more mortgage products from which to choose.

SHOP SMART Base your mortgage plan choice on your family’s financial goals. Consider property upkeep, principal and interest as well as taxes and insurance, when considering the affordability of a monthly mortgage payment.

DON’T GAMBLE Betting that housing prices will rise and that you’ll sell if times get tough.

DO THE MATH Click here to determine how much you can afford.

DEBT TO INCOME RATIOS This term refers to how much you earn versus how much you owe (excluding your mortgage). Typically, financial planners recommend that this ratio doesn’t exceed 20% of your take home pay or 40% when including your mortgage payment. Click here for more information.

It’s a good life!

Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 20, 2009

Rubber Ducky Derby

Posted to Kathy Mardiros

Have you ever adopted a rubber duck? Now is your chance to participate in the 18th annual Rubber Ducky Derby benefiting the Children’s Hospital & Research Center in Oakland.

This year the event takes place August 30th at Waterworld California in Concord but you do not need to be present to win. The Park opens at 10 AM and the derby is about 4 PM.

To participate you adopt a duck or ducks at www.rubberduckyderby.org. Ducks cost $10 each, 6 for $50 and 12 for $100. T-shirts are also available. A maximum of 20,000 ducks are launched and each is bar coded with a number corresponding to adoption papers of the participating adopters. Participants must be 18 years or older and a US resident. The grand prize is $5000 cash + other prizes. Other prizes through 10th include bikes, trips, TV, dinners, etc.

Buy your duck now and support the Children’s Hospital efforts to help kids get well!

Posted by:Kathy Mardiros



August 18, 2009

What's in your wallet?

Posted to

Has your credit card issuer increased your interest rate?

Has your minimum payment hit the roof?

In May President Obama signed into law the ‘credit card reform act’; it goes into effect this Thursday and will be fully implemented in early 2010. What does that mean to credit card holders? In a nutshell, beginning day after tomorrow, cardholders can reject interest rate increases and will have up to 5 yrs to pay off existing credit card balances at the card holders current rate. Another new ‘rule’ will stop the issuers of credit cards from doubling minimum payments.
Need a friendlier credit card? Visit www.cardratings.com to find a comprehensive list of credit cards featured by category.

Visit this site for more information.

Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 17, 2009

Upcoming Events in the San Francisco East Bay Area

Posted to Area Attractions, Kathy Mardiros

8/22-23/09
Newark SummerFest @ New Park Mall
Arts and crafts, micro breweries & wine, music, car & motorcycle show


8/30/09
Niles 45th Annual Antique Fair & Flea Market
Over 200 vendors with great antiques, collectibles, food, etc.


9/6/09
28th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration – Robertson Park
Livermore
Showcasing 40 wineries, music, arts & crafts, food
Tickets available at www.LVwine.org


9/5-6/09
144th Scottish Highland Gathering & Games
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton
Music, games, living history re-enactments, vendors
Sheep dog trails, Clydesdales, clan gatherings
Information www.caledonian.org


9/13/09
Union City Fun Run
Union City Civic Center
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration to promote health & wellness. 1 mile, 5 kilometer & 10 kilometer courses with categories for men, women & children
Sign up by 9/4/04

Posted by:Kathy Mardiros



August 12, 2009

FREE APPS FOR YOUR IPOD OR IPHONE

Posted to

I just received an IPOD touch as a gift. WOW, what a cool and amazing piece of equipment. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I especially pleased that I am no longer held hostage by all the ads on FM radio. Lately my favorite station in San Francisco changed formats. It went from smooth jazz to songs of the 70’s & 80’s. No worries, I have all my favorite CD’s loaded on my IPOD and can listen to music, audio books in my car without those ads! WAHOO!

The coolest thing about the IPOD touch is the apps. Visit www.ITUNES.com and search for FREE apps. The Blackberry has free apps, but they are hard to find, you have to scroll thru a lot of unwanted and costly apps before you identify a free one. ITUNES makes it really simple and doesn’t waste your precious time.

User Tip: If you want to stretch your battery life…turn off the Wi-Fi when you are not online.

I had a pleasant experience with customer service at ITunes this past week. After I had downloaded a game, I realized that it was not compatible with the IPOD touch. I figured my bad and thought I should forget about the $4.99; chalk it up to experience. When I reviewed the email statement and clicked on the expense, I was able to request a refund…and I got it with an apology! Heck, I was the one at fault! What nice professional customer service.

SEX OFFENDER LOCATOR

Registered sex offenders are required by law to provide their current address. This FREE app provides you with information from public’s records. I provide the offenders address, photograph and type of offense. It also has a ‘map it’ feature. You can search from your present location or by typing in a specific address; it provides you with a radius search.

FLASHLIGHT

Red, White or Green color bar is very handy and FREE!

WI-FI FINDER

Type in a city and zip code and identify Wi-FI hotspots…FREE!

COOL FACTS

2000+ cool facts at your fingertips. Amaze and dazzle your friends with this FREE app. This could be a handy study guide if you are a contestant on Jeopardy. OR if you need a witty pick up line.

*IE: There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building.

A jellyfish is 95% water.*

FLIXSTER

Watch trailers, find a theatre/buy tickets and sees upcoming movies; another FREE app.

HANDY LEVEL

Ever need to hang a picture? Get it on the wall only to discover it is crooked. DRAT! Download this baby and you can hang a picture all by yourself. Oh yeah and it’s FREE!

Do you have a favorite app? Tell me about it please. Or simply share your experience with your IPOD. I am a newbie and would appreciate any tips and tricks.

It’s a good life!

Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 10, 2009

Want to help save a tree? Read the news online!

Posted to

As a Realtor® I need to be informed of local and regional news. However, after receiving renewals for the San Francisco Chronicle and the local ANG daily papers, I noticed the annual fees were double what I had paid the previous year! Now-days, it is chic to work smart and save money along the way. I simply could not justify renewing at the increased rate.

Thank goodness for a wireless network and a laptop. Now, I read the news online. I visit www.nytimes.com then www.sfgate.com then www.comcast.net and www.insidebayarea.com among others.

Once you get used to it, reading the news online is much more fun. I can watch videos and find myself laughing out loud several times each morning. Often TV shows comedy bits are featured. The blog post comments are sometimes more interesting to read than the story itself.

I actually feel better about canceling my subscriptions to the dailys. Now, I don’t throw away so much paper. Think of all the trees we may be saving by reading the news online.

Where do you get your news? How do you stay informed?


Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 06, 2009

Thinking of Selling Your Home?

Posted to Real Estate Tips

A smart seller in today’s volatile real estate market should consult an expierenced, full time Realtor® and obtain a comparative market analysis that includes a comprehensive marketing plan. Next, ask trusted friends and/or neighbors for a referral to another full time Realtor® and obtain a second comparative market analysis that includes a comprehensive marketing plan. Compare the values in each report as well as the Realtor® plan for marketing your property. Next step is to consult with your tax advisor and or financial advisor concerning your specific tax benefits in detail. Married tax payers filing jointly may shelter up to $500K in capital gains. ($250K for single filers).

Click here for more information.


Posted by:Kay Korbel



August 04, 2009

San Francisco East Bay Market Statistics

Posted to

Click here for San Francisco East Bay market statistics complied from Bay East Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. This matrix is a focus on the distressed Active and Pending listings as of July 31, 2009.


Posted by:Kay Korbel