Thursday, March 26, 2009

Boston Real Estate


Boston real estate does not seem to be hit as hard as other areas of the country, especially like California. Is it because real estate in Boston never had the overinflated jump that other areas did? Is there a high demand for luxury real estate in Boston? California does have more than its fair share of luxury real estate...Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, just to name a few.

Boston is a historic and cultural place to live with plenty to do and see. California does not have as old of a history, but there is plenty to do and see here. Ocean, desert, mountains, valleys, vineyards, orchards, ranches.

Boston condos have held up pretty well considering that condos seem to take the first hit. California is not an area that has a high demand for luxury condos. Until recently, when developers started putting up cookie cutter two story houses so close you could feel your next door neighbors breath on your shoulder, Californians always had homes on fairly big lots with plenty of room to roam. Times they are a changin'.

Boston is an awesome city that I would love to visit one day. If you live there and are ready to buy visit Bushari Group Real Estate.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Madder than a Hornet!



Our sales tax is going up in the beautiful, but poorly run by a bunch of darn liberals, State of California. Here is what I am doing about it - I am now making as many online purchases as possible and it will depend upon where the location of the business is as to whether or not I will have to pay the sales tax. I found a new source online that you can shop for some good deals on anything from appliances to food processors.

Not only is the sales tax a reason to shop online, but some of the help at stores is just so bad. They really do not have the knowledge about any of the products, or even care if you buy from them. When I needed a new oven range I shopped at one of the big box stores, and the person had very little knowledge about what I was interested in.

So even if its only dinnerware you want there are ways to buy the product online, and you can do some reading on what other consumers have to say about the what you are looking to buy.

Besides, Howard needs some lovin' from the UPS man.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Rabbit Ears



If you were one of the lucky people, or maybe you waited to buy and now you have your own place, you surely will want to watch some TV. There are two ways to get reception: one is Satellite and the other is cable. If you choose satellite there are some good Direct TV deals right now. If you are fortunate enough to live out in the middle of nowhere, like I would love to do, and want to watch TV you also can get good Direct TV offers.

It looks like the rabbit ears days are over! Check out the Direct TV specials.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Don't Pick Your Gang Fight in My 'Hood


Several months ago we purchased a home in a nice neighborhood with a cute little park across the street. Most days we enjoy watching little kids playing, and elderly people walking their dogs. There are three schools within walking distance, including a high school and a junior high. There is also a gated senior community.

Well, yesterday some high school kids thought they could use the park as a scene for some kind of gang rumble. If they had only known my wife would be pulling out of the garage to go on an errand at the same time. She whipped out her cell phone like a gun slinger whips a gun out of his holster, and dialed 911 and told the police to get there ASAP, which they did. We have a great PD in our town. The police had already received several other calls. She then dog starred all of the little punks down, especially the three who thought they could park in front of our house. After that we drove over to speak to the police, as there was no way in H-E double hockey sticks that they were going to get away without hearing her out about the little kids and elderly people who use the park and would not tolerate these gangster punks in her neighborhood. Becoming a nurse has made my once shy, quiet wife fearless.

I then patiently listened to her rant about how people don't know what their little brats are up to half of the time, and is sick of parents who are afraid of their own children and do nothing to set boundaries for them, and how when she was a kid and got in trouble at school she would have been in even bigger trouble once she got home, and never wanted to do anything that would bring shame to her parents or cause them to be disappointed in her because she RESPECTED them, and so help her she REFUSED to live in a 'hood.

I love this woman.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

WOW!!!



This is from the manteca bulletin
Thirty-five months ago only 4.8 percent of the people working and living in San Joaquin County could afford to buy a home here.
Today, 66.4 of county residents can now afford to buy a median priced home taking it from one of the least affordable counties in California for housing in 2006 to the third most affordable today.
That is being made possible by a significant drop in median housing prices going from $435,000 in the first quarter of 2006 to $175,000 at the end of 2008 while median household income at the same time went from $57,100 per household to $61,300.
The information is gleaned from the Wells Fargo Bank Housing Opportunity Index that has been monitoring the affordability of housing nationwide.
“I think more and more people are getting the message that this is a good time to buy,” said Jennifer Harnden of Coldwell Banker Crossroads Real Estate.
She noted that a sign of that is the fact she is writing between five and 15 offers for each buyer she represents until they are able to secure a home.
The buying activity is reflected in pending sales that continue to stay at near high levels with 212 deals in escrow. There have been 151 homes in Manteca close escrow as of Wednesday so far this year with another 335 available through the Multiple Listing Service.
Harden noted that some banks that have voluntarily put a moratorium on mortgages while trying to sort through the proposed housing bailout plan will have the effect of slowing down the supply.
“We’re already seeing less homes become available each week,” Harden said.
That could translate into good news and bad news for buyers. If another glut of foreclosures hit the market in a few months propped up by banks holding back, it could drive down prices a bit more. Experts are saying that only 5 to 6 percent of those who have homes facing foreclosure could be helped by the Obama plan.
At the same time, though lenders have been noticed that FHA is getting ready to increase minimum credit scores required for mortgages significantly to tighten up lending standards. That could create problems for people who can now afford homes but may not after the qualifying guidelines are changed. Virtually every home being bought by first-time buyers to live in on the resale market in the Manteca are going FHA. That is due to more lenient income and debt ratio standards, the affordability of the mortgage insurance, and the fact only a 3.5 percent down payment is required as opposed to 10 to 20 percent with conventional loans.
Realtor Tom Wilson said the $8,000 tax credit for buying a home is serving as a big carrot.
He noted one client – single man with a well paying, stable job who was comfortably living in his apartment – finally gave in to his mother’s constant insistence that he buy a home while the affordability is so good because of the $8,000 tax credit.
That means on a $109,900 home going FHA with a required 3.5 percent down payment, it will end up costing you less than $2,050 once you file taxes for next year as the $8,000 would cover the $5,300 in closing costs and $1,700 of the $3,742 down payment requirement.
As of Wednesday, there were four homes in Manteca or Lathrop listed for $109,900:
• three bedrooms, two bathrooms with 1,146 square feet at 796 Cherry Hills Court in Lathrop.
• three bedrooms, two bathrooms with 1,076 square feet at 430 Eva Drive in Manteca.
• three bedrooms, two bathrooms with 1,077 square feet at 405 Locust Ave. in Manteca.
• three bedrooms, one bathroom with 1,094 square feet at 339 Edward Ave. in Manteca.
Wilson noted you don’t get the money until you file your taxes for the year the home was purchased it. He has had several clients who are borrowing the amount from relatives and paying them back when they get the tax credit/refund check.