Archive for 2009

Borrowers Qualify for Less with New Financing Guidelines

By Chris Williamson · December 11th, 2009

Lending Guideline Changes Will Affect Many San Mateo Borrowers Are you in the process of finding a San Mateo home? Or, are you considering buying a home after the holidays? If so, you may want to pay attention to one of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new guidelines that could affect your upcoming home purchase [...]

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What is an HOA? What Does HOA Manage?

By Raymond Stoklosa · December 11th, 2009

What is an HOA? A Homeowner’s’ Association, known by the acronym HOA, is a formal legal entity created to govern the operation of a development and maintain the common areas of the property; they have the legal authority to enforce deed restrictions, rules and regulations. Most condominium complexes and many newer single family home subdivisions [...]

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What Are My Options if Home Doesn’t Appraise?

By Raymond Stoklosa · December 10th, 2009

Multiple Offers are Common in San Mateo Homes below $600,000 Throughout San Mateo County– and much of Santa Clara County – I’m again seeing multiple offers and overbidding on single family homes listed under $600,000. Most often it’s the REO – bank owned homes – that are inundated with offers. The distressing part is that [...]

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Harry’s Hofbrau Redwood City

By Rebecca Williamson · December 9th, 2009

Harry’s Hofbrau on El Camino in Redwood City at about Woodside Road is one of my favorite spots for comfort food in San Mateo County. They have just about every single roasted meat you could want (turkey, roast beef, pork, ham, corned beef, rotisserie chicken, pastrami, frankfurters and turkey wings are the regulars) and daily [...]

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Is My Realtor Putting My Interests First?

By Raymond Stoklosa · December 9th, 2009

How Can I Tell if My Realtor is Putting My Interests First? I get this question quite often: “How can we tell whether our agent is putting our interests first?” Whether you’re buying or selling, the San Mateo real estate agent you select will be the most important factor affecting your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with [...]

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