Google is Changing the Way Buyers Look for San Mateo Homes

The internet in general and Google more particularly has brought about a new twist on searching for homes.  It use to be that prospective home buyers would use simple phrases like “San Mateo homes for sale” or something more specific like “Baywood homes for sale.”  They, of course, receive results showing all homes currently for sale and often homes recently sold as well, and they would have to cull through the data to find homes that conformed to their price constraints.  And, to make matters more annoying, hitting the print button before discarding the unsuitable homes just wastes paper, ink and time…and you still have to weed out the undesirable homes.

San Mateo Home Buyers are Getting More Specific

Recently, we’ve seen a very clear trend toward more focused searches based upon price range and location, such as, “San Mateo homes $500,000-$600,000” or “Sunnybrae homes $600,000-$729,000.”  What a novel idea… let the search engine to the sorting.  Range pricing searches allow us a better understanding of the value pyramid in a neighborhood and more efficiently organizes one’s choices in terms of affordability.

How Should a Seller Price their Home?

All this raises the question of how homes are priced.  The old method of pricing homes, such as, $599,888 actually works against the seller now.  The computer savvy home buyer generally searches in round numbers, such as; “San Mateo homes for sale $600,000-$700,000”.  That buyer would not see the owner’s home priced at $599,888. And, consider the opposite effect when the home owner prices his or her home at $605,000.  Buyers searching for homes priced from $500,000 – $600,000 never learn about the home priced at $605,000 because the search engine has already culled the property from the search results.

What Else Can You Do to Make Your San Mateo Home Stand Out?

Google has made the process of marketing a home and finding a home for sale much more efficient, and there are tricks of the trade that can work for you.  For a home owner it’s extremely important to have at least 8 photographs (the maximum number allowed) on the MLS Listing.  Studies have shown that homes with 8 photographs or more sell faster and for more money.  Similar studies and focus groups of prospective home buyers indicate that listed homes with few, poor or no photographs are discarded and not previewed just because of the lack of photography.

We Go One Step Further with Custom Home Websites

We build our sellers a custom website (not your run of the mill templated website) with hundreds of professional and amateur photos of their home, a professionally designed virtual tour, interactive floor plan, neighborhood guide, mortgage information, detailed pages for each room in their house and disclosure information. These sites go much further than your typical template website and have proven to be an effective method of selling homes.

Find Out What Your Home is Worth

Get an idea of what your San Mateo home is worth in today’s market with our neighborhood market reports. Get a sample report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Contact us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll help you understand how thinking like a buyer will help sell your San Mateo home for the highest possible price in the fastest time.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

10 Questions Every Seller Should Ask the HOA before Selling a San Mateo Condo is a guide for condominium owners to facilitate the sale of their condo. Selling a condominium is more complicated than selling a single family home. A single family home sale is simply the land and everything attached to it.

With a Condo, 3 Things are Sold

1. The UNIT itself, the place the owner lives
   
2. A set of EASEMENTS controlling the use of the common property
   
3. A PROPORTIONATE INTEREST in the common property governed by the business entity called the Homeowner’s Association (HOA)
   

Which of These 3 Can Be the Biggest Impediment?

It’s the Homeowner’s Association (HOA) that can present the greatest impediment to a successful sale.  Today, Fannie Mae and FHA (HUD) require that all complexes or projects be listed on their approved condominium list to be eligible for financing.  That means the owner cannot sell his or her unit unless the complex is approved by Fannie Mae or FHA (HUD) because almost every San Mateo condo is financed by one of these agencies.  A buyer who cannot get loan approval cannot buy unless it’s an all cash purchase.

Identify Potential Problems Before You Try to Sell Your San Mateo Condo

Knowing what can prevent financing can help you identify the challenges more quickly.  So, before listing a unit for sale, we recommend owners request from either the HOA or the complexes’ property management firm a completed Condominium Questionnaire – sometimes referred to as a “Cert” letter – to discover whether any obstacles may impede or prevent the sale.

What Questions Can a San Mateo Condo Seller Ask their HOA?

Some of the questions asked are:

1. Is the complex approved by Fannie Mae and/or FHA (HUD)? If not, why?
   
2. Is there any litigation pending or anticipated?
   
3. If a lawsuit has been settled, is sufficient money available to correct all the problems?
   
4. How many units are owner occupied?
   
5. How many of the total number of units are delinquent in the fees owed?
   
6. Are more than 10% of the units owned by one entity or investor?
   
7. Is more than 25% of the property’s total floor space used for commercial activity?
   
8. Is at least 60% of the reserve account funded?
   
9. Is at least 10% of the budgeted income designate for replacement reserves?
   
10. Are adequate funds budgeted for insurance deductible?
    

Get Answers to These Questions Before You List Your San Mateo Condo for Sale

Planning and preparation can mean the difference between a successful, timely sale or disappointment and failure. I strongly recommend that prospective condo sellers obtain this information before listing their unit for sale. It’s imperative that sellers recognize potential problems – if any – before putting their unit on the market so they have time to enlist professional help to resolve the negative issues that may kill a sale.

Not Comfortable with the Answers You Got? Consult a Specialist

If you don’t understand the full impact of the information obtained from the HOA, ask a professional condominium HOA review specialist to explain what’s going on.

How Much is Your San Mateo Condo Worth?

Check out our San Mateo Home Valuation tool, which pulls data directly from the MLS. All we need is your email and some basic information about your home. This report monitors what your neighbors’ condos have actually sold for, asking vs. selling price, homes currently for sale and time on market. View a sample market report.

Click on the Your Home’s Value button below to get your free report today.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Condo?

Check out our Seller Representation Page to learn how we can sell your home in the fastest time and for top dollar. Then, call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to set up a no obligation consultation.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Not All Listing Agents are Created Equal

Most home owners are looking for a professional real estate agent who will help them get the highest price, the fastest sale with the least hassle in the sale of their San Mateo home. The most important decision facing home sellers is who to choose to represent them in marketing their home. The success or failure of the marketing process is greatly affected by listing agent’s expertise, market knowledge and ability to provide practical, professional advice. Selecting a listing agent to represent you can best be accomplished by asking a series of questions and comparing the answers from a number of agents. Here are some questions to consider:

Questions to Ask a San Mateo Realtor Before Listing

1. Are you a full time professional Realtor?
2. How long have you been full time in the business?
3. What professional designations do you hold?
4. Are you willing to educate me about the process?
5. Do you have a personal assistant, team or staff to handle the various aspects of the sale?
6. Do you have a website or a blog site with useful information?
7. How do I best communicate with you?
8. How will you stay in contact with me and will you provide regular status reports?
9. What is your marketing plan?
10. Who is our target audience for this home?
11. What tools and systems will you use to reach them effectively?
12. Will you spell out my responsibilities and your responsibilities with clarity?
13. What is your position on disclosures, inspections, contingencies and presentation strategies?
14. How are your fees structured?
15. Do you have a performance guarantee?
16. If I’m not satisfied with your performance, can I terminate our relationship?
17. What distinguishes you from other agents?
18. What is your negotiating style and how does it differ from others?
19. What geographic area do you specialize in?
20. Do you have the time available to give me the attention I deserve?
21. Why should I choose to work with you?

Real Estate is a Personal Service Business

Real estate is a personal service business. It’s the quality of service delivered by the individual agent and not the company name that largely determines your level of satisfaction with the sale of your home. When results matter, choose your agent wisely to have the best real estate experience possible.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

How Much is Your San Mateo Home Worth?

What a Buyer Will Pay for It!

In order to fully understand what your San Mateo home is worth, you need to compile some general statistics of local activity. National and regional real estate sales data are irrelevant and an unreliable indicator of the local San Mateo real estate market activity. Recent sales of similar homes in the immediate vicinity of your San Mateo home is the best indicator of its potential value. Regardless of recent sales activity, a buyer will ultimately determine the value of your home by the amount he or she is willing to pay. To help establish what a buyer may be willing to pay, review the current real estate market data.

How to Estimate the Best Price to Position Your Home to Sell

1. Sold Homes. All similar homes recently “sold” in the area. This will tell you what buyers actually paid for homes and will verify the value of those properties, at that time.
2. Listed Homes. All homes listed for sale at this time in the area. This shows you the competition. Buyers often compare properties for sale to make a value judgment measuring one property against another – something you should also consider.
3. Pending Sales. All properties in escrow awaiting close of escrow. Pending sales reflect the most up-to-date sales activity. When compared to the inventory of homes on hand, this is an excellent measure of market strength.
4. Expired or Cancelled Listings. All similar homes that were listed for sale and did not sell. Listings that expired or were cancelled are indicative of what buyers were not willing to pay for a particular home in this market at that time.

Why Review Local Market Data Before Selling Your Home?

The obvious benefit of comparative data is that it helps you to determine a market-appropriate listing price. In every transaction, there is a willing buyer and a willing seller. All homes sell for market value. Just remember – the value of your home is the amount a Buyer is willing to pay for it at a given time, not what you want or need or put into the property.

How Can I Get San Mateo Real Estate Data?

With just your email and some basic data about your San Mateo home, we can generate a Market Snapshot report for you that will show you what sold and what’s available for sale near your home. You can view a sample market report here. Sign up using the button below.

Your Home’s Value
You can sign up for a market report here.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

San Mateo Short Sale Reality – Can Take 3-9 Months to Complete IF they Close

Short sales occur when the homeowner sells a San Mateo home for less than the mortgage balance owed with the lender’s approval and their agreement to accept a short payoff.  A short sale may be the right solution – but not the only solution – for homeowners who are unable to make their mortgage payment due to a personal hardship, such as, job loss, divorce, serious illness or medical expenses and involuntary employment relocation that significantly depletes the borrower’s assets.  However, many home owners and home buyers are not prepared for the challenges or the process which can take 3-9 months to complete.

One Common Factor in All Successful San Mateo Short Sales

One factor is common to all successful short sales: Hardship.  Without a documented hardship, the homeowner has no chance of getting the short sale application approved by the lender.  There are other reasons why short sales fail.

11 Most Common Reasons Short Sales Fail to Close Escrow

Here are some of the common reasons why so many San Mateo short sales do not close escrow.

• Ill-prepared or inexperienced real estate agents
  
• Required documents missing or incomplete
  
• Parties don’t follow offer-to-close time-line
  
• Purchase Contract does not meet investor’s guidelines
  
• Mortgage Insurer requires seller sign promissory note
  
• Junior lien holders will not approve the short sale
  
• Appraisal issues
  
• Processing delays
  
• Foreclosure process too far along
  
• Purchase price too low
  
• Seller not engaged or responsive
  

Reputable Resources for San Mateo Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

Today, it is illegal for any person or company to charge money in advance to do a loan modification or promise the homeowner to avoid foreclosure.  There are several reputable resources to help homeowners understand their options when they can no longer make their mortgage payments.  If you find yourself in need of a loan modification for your San Mateo home, I suggest contacting the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) to discuss their Home Save Program which is nationally recognized as the most effective solution for homeowners with an unaffordable mortgage.  For more information, visit www.NACA.com or call their office at (510) 652-6622.

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home for Less than You Owe?

We go into much more detail during our How to Sell a San Mateo Home You Can’t Afford Webinar. For the date of our next webinar, check out our San Mateo Home Seller Education Schedule page or click on the Sign Up button below to be taken to the sign up page of our next webinar.

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What’s Your San Mateo Home Worth?

The best way to find out how much your San Mateo home is worth is to compare your home to recent homes sold in your neighborhood. With some basic information about your home and your email, we can send you a detailed market report for your neighborhood that includes selling prices of your neighbor’s homes. To sign up, click the “Your Home’s Value” button below. View a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

Looking to Buy a San Mateo Short Sale?

Check out our San Mateo Buyer Representation page to learn a little bit about how we work and how our Buyer Representation Program is All About You! Then call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll help you come up with a game plan to get your San Mateo short sale purchase approved.

Search San Mateo Short Sales

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

In my last post, we gave you some tips for improving curb appeal to increase home value for improving the look of the outside before selling your home. Today, we’ll take a look inside.

Tips for Increasing Home Value

Here are some improvements you can make to the inside of your house to increase value.

• Front Door – a new front door instantly enhances your home’s appearance; it invites buyers in.
  
• Window treatments – whether its elegant draperies or easy valances attractive window treatments offer accents that soften the rough edges around window openings.
  
• Upgrade inefficient windows – trade in old, energy squandering windows and eliminate drafty rooms with high performance, easy to clean windows
  
• Replace damaged siding – Ugly, weather beaten siding is a sign of neglect that pushes away home buyers and attracts low ball bits
  
• Paint interior – buyers appreciate your home more when its shiny and bright
  
• Add architectural embellishments – wide trim and moldings, new door knobs and hinges
  
• Refurbish cabinets and counter tops – kitchen and baths are especially important in the eyes of a buyer
  
• Replace antiquated appliances – make it easy for a buyer to want your home
  
• Replace worn carpets – if you can’t afford to, get carpets cleaned professionally
  
• Refinish hardwood floors – sparkling hardwood is one of today’s most desirable features
  

Most Importantly…Clean!

Finally, clean, Clean, CLEAN.  Apply the “white glove rule.”  Do you see any grim or dirt when you rub a white glove over the surface. Your home needs to show like a brand new model home.

Sell Your Home Quick by Making a Buyer Want to Live in It

Looks good! Smells good! Feels good should be your goal.  Maximizing the value and speeding up marketing time is a direct result of preparation.  As a seller, you control the condition of your home.  For best results, do everything you can to make the buyer want to own and live in your home.

What’s Your Home Worth?

Find out the value of your San Mateo home with some basic information about your home and your email. Check out a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to learn how to sell your home for top dollar in the fastest time.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Selling your San Mateo home is part beauty contest and part price war. We’ve written numerous articles about the price and value side of the equation, let’s talk about the beauty contest side now.

Selling Your Home is Like Going to a Black and White Ball

Metaphorically speaking, selling your home is a little like going to a fancy formal party – the kind of party where you really want to impress people – like a Black and White Ball. You wouldn’t attend an important affair in your paint clothes.  You would get all dressed up in your most fashionable clothes; you would look good, smell good and feel good. When it comes to selling your home, the old adage “you’ll never get a second chance to make a great first impression” is spot on.  Selling your San Mateo home starts with curb appeal.

Selling Your Home Starts with Curb Appeal

Curb appeal, in the real estate industry’s lexicon, means your home’s external appearance is so appealing that prospective home buyers will feel compelled to see the inside.  Experts say that boosting your home’s curb appeal can increase its value by 5% – 10% when it comes time to sell.  Here are several ideas:

What Can You Do Outside to Improve Curb Appeal?

• Landscaping – well thought and cohesive landscaping does not have to be expensive; a simple garden can make a huge difference in the overall appearance.
  
• Garage facelift – in San Mateo County where we have so many homes with garages that face the street, a new garage door and contrasting paint trim can be an attractive alternative to the weathered and faded existing garage door
  
• New porch or deck – gives the appearance of extra living area while inviting people to spend time enjoying the outside
  
• Update exterior hardware – a new mail box and front door latch and key add sparkle
  
• Install low voltage exterior lighting – winter season home buyers will approach your home with a sense of security and a feeling that you have lovingly maintained your home
  

What About the Inside?

In my next post, I’ll give you some tips about preparing the inside of your home to sell.

What’s Your Home Worth?

Find out the value of your San Mateo home with some basic information about your home and your email. Check out a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to learn how to sell your home for top dollar in the fastest time.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

When you are looking to buy and/or sell a San Mateo home, it is important to know what other buyers were willing to pay for similar homes in the last 90 days. This is the only way you can determine how much a similar home is worth in today’s market. If you are considering making an offer on a home, your agent should prepare a comprehensive market analysis for you.

Review Recent Home Sales Before Making an Offer

By simply looking at what other similar homes are listed for, you will not get the complete picture of what is going on in that neighborhood. As you can see with many homes that sold in San Mateo Park and El Cerrito Park in the last 6 months, the original list price can be vastly different than the final sales price. These sellers thought they could get a much higher price than the market would bear and serious sellers reduced their prices to produce a sale.

To get the most accurate picture of today’s market, you should look at the last 90 days of activity. For this post, we are going to take a look at what happened in the last 6 months.

What Sold in San Mateo Park and El Cerrito Park?

11 single family homes sold in San Mateo and El Cerrito Park in the last 6 months.

Single Family Homes Sold in San Mateo Park and El Cerrito Park

View San Mateo Park and El Cerrito Park Home Sales in a larger map

Search San Mateo Park Homes for Sale

Use the map below to see current El Cerrito Park and San Mateo Park homes for sale.

Considering a Move to El Cerrito or San Mateo Park?

We’ve been representing San Mateo home buyers for over 30 years and believe buying a home is about you… not about us. To learn more about our philosophy and how we work, visit our Buyer Representation page.

What’s Your El Cerrito or San Mateo Park Home Worth?

Click the “Your Home’s Value” button below for a detailed market report sent to you via email. All we need is a few details about the property and your email address. View a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Homes are Only Worth What a Buyer is Willing to Pay for It

When you are looking to buy a home in any neighborhood, it is good to know what other buyers were willing to pay for similar homes nearby. As we’ve said may times, homes are only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for them. Not what buyers paid a year ago, or what the seller needs out of the property, what a buyer paid for similar homes in the same neighborhood in the last 90 days.

What Sold in Hallmark?

For sake of this post, we’re going to show you what sold in Belmont’s Hallmark neighborhood in the last six months. I’ve also added these homes to a map to give you an idea of where they are.

View Hallmark Belmont Home Sales 2009 in a larger map

*Data provided by MLSListings, Inc. The RayChel Realty Group did not necessarily participate in these sales.

Moving to Hallmark?

We’ve lived in Hallmark for more than 20 years, so as you can imagine, we know what it’s really like. If you’re considering a move to Hallmark, give us a call at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a free consultation. In the meantime, visit our Buyer Representation page for more information about how we work.

Search Hallmark Belmont Homes for Sale

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Open houses are becoming as obsolete as coin-operated pay telephones…and good riddance too.  The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Survey of Buyers and Sellers show such an insignificant number of buyers using open houses to search for a home that they no longer include open houses as a category in the survey results.

96% of Buyers Use the Internet as their Primary Search Tool

Technology, personal computers and the internet have irreversibly changed the way REALTORS market homes and the way people shop for a home.   In San Mateo County more than 96% of prospective home buyers use the internet as their primary search tool and information resource.

Internet Savvy REALTORS Recognize the Ineffectiveness of Open Houses

Almost everyone in the real estate profession recognizes the utter ineffectiveness of open houses as a marketing tool. Still some REALTORS do continue to hold homes open.  Clearly, a minority of REALTORS resist the technological change.  Whether they are too old or too ignorant can be argued by others, but it’s clear they refuse to adapt.  Some near retirement are winding down and conserving their financial resources, some are simply mentally locked into their deeply ingrained comfort zone.

You Still See Open Houses…Why?

There is, however, another group of REALTORS who feel the need to make it appear to the seller that they are doing something to get to home sold.  Many of these are new, inexperienced realtors who have few listing or marketing skills and are hoping to keep the seller at bay while maybe latching onto a potential home buyer.  The reality is that financially qualified, emotionally ready, and well prepared home buyers are using the internet to find a home and then when they do, hire an agent to negotiate the purchase and manage the details of the transaction.  Yet, some ill-informed agents offer to hold open houses even when studies show that open houses are obviously ineffective…to the point of obscurity… and may in fact pose a significant security risk for both home owners and realtors alike.

Open Houses Pose a Significant Security Risk

REALTORS are regularly notified of murders, rapes, and robberies that occur at open houses or as a result of an open house.  In fact, being a REALTOR is one of the more dangerous professions in the United States.  That fact should not be surprising when you acknowledge that the agent has no control over who comes into the open house and often the front door is left wide open for everyone.  Clearly, many people come to open houses that have no intention of buying a home.  Nosy neighbors, time killers, people looking for free food or a bathroom, and even others who have less than benign motives use open houses for their personal agenda.  Does the expression “casing the joint” mean anything to you?  None of these people should be invited into your home.

Internet Marketing is Much More Effective than Open Houses Ever Were

It’s time to relegate open houses to the trash heap of archaic marketing ideas.  A well written, detailed internet ad with plenty of quality photographs, school information, and maps will be more effective than open houses ever were even in their most productive times.

Find Out the Value of Your San Mateo Home

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to learn how we can sell your home for top dollar in the least time.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.