Archive for Market

Interest rates are going up when buying a home in Oakland and Piedmont CA

January 15th, 2012

If you’re thinking of buying a home in Oakland or Piedmont, LOAN RATES ARE GOING UP!  I’ve been speaking with Brian Moggan (Branch Manager with Mason McDuffie Mortgage) and after quite a bit of technical mortgage discussion I think the bottom line is that mortgage rates are going to be going up.  Some facts to [...]

How to get the best deal when buying a home Oakland and Piedmont CA

September 20th, 2011

How to get the best deal when buying a home in Oakland and Piedmont CA. View homes for sale in Oakland and homes for sale in Peidmont here. Prices are down. Interest rates are dropping. Short sales are increasing. Foreclosures, a volatile economy, YIKES! With all this market turbulence it takes a lot of courage [...]

City of Oakland – Piedmont Sewer Lateral Ordinance

May 12th, 2011

City of Oakland – Piedmont CA sewer lateral ordinance is on the way. The Federal EPA is requiring cities to implement a sewer lateral compliance ordinance that forces a home Buyer or Seller (or home remodels over a certain cost) to ensure that waste pipe running from the home to the city main is in [...]

Oakland Piedmont and Berkeley home sales for 2009 – 2011

May 5th, 2011

View homes for sale in Oakland or homes for sale in Piedmont Ca here. Our local real estate sales for homes sold in Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley have been performing well on a year over year basis.  Trophy areas such as Piedmont, Montclair, Rockridge, North Berkeley, Solano Avenue etc. have fared exceptionally well.  Those “trophy” [...]

The cost of getting a mortgage loan is going up

February 2nd, 2011

In the spirit of keeping it simple, the fees charged to Buyers when obtaining a mortgage are about to cost more.  The primary people that are going to feel the pinch are lower FICO and higher loan to value (LTV) borrowers.  According to Brian Moggan at Mortgage Services Professionals that would be somewhere around FICO’s [...]

Homes sold in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge during Q4 2010

January 27th, 2011

This video covers homes sold in Oakland California’s Upper Rockridge neighborhood during the 4th Quarter of 2010. If you would like more information about Upper Rockridge please feel free to get in touch with me directly.

Buy a foreclosed home in Oakland or Piedmont CA

October 22nd, 2010

There are many homes and real estate for sale in Oakland and Piedmont Ca and of course everyone wants to get the best deal they can.  I mean, who doesn’t.  One of the best ways to purchase a home below market value is to buy a foreclosed one.  There are many challenges and pitfalls but [...]

Upper Rockridge sales in third quarter 2010

October 14th, 2010

12  BUENA VISTA PLACE 3/2 2215 $775,000 68  TEMPLAR PL 2/2 1657 $778,000 5556  MASONIC AVE 3/2 1766 $829,000 47  TRUITT LANE 4/3 2589 $905,000 5125  HARBORD DRIVE 3/2 2106 $959,000 5389  HILLTOP CRESCENT 4/4 2730 $995,000 5  BUENA VISTA PLACE 4/3 2463 $1,040,000 130  HERMOSA AVE 4/3 2485 $1,095,000 5450  MASONIC AVE 4/3 $1,116,000 [...]

Mortgage Broker info for home buyers

June 6th, 2010

Home buyers that are considering purchasing a home in Oakland, Piedmont or Berkeley California will inevitably find themselves communicating with a mortgage broker or a retail bank about obtaining a mortgage.  This short video answers some basic questions about the differences between banks and brokers, what are loan points, reasons to use a local institution [...]

How does a late mortgage payment affect my FICO score?

May 3rd, 2010

Even in the better parts of the Oakland Hills such as Piedmont, Montclair and Rockridge homeowners occasionally get into a financial pinch that can lead to a late mortgage payment.  If you’re delinquent on your mortgage, your credit score will suffer. Everyone knows that. The question is, by how much?  Until recently, those answers were [...]

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  • Brian Santilena

    Brian Santilena

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