JANE'S JOURNAL
Est. 2005

Expert in SF East Bay Real Estate
Representation I Marketing I Negotiation

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Will a Sparkling-Clean Home Appraise for More Money?

Mortgage interest rates ticked up again this week, creating greater urgency for homeowners who haven't yet refinanced and home buyers who haven't yet locked a rate.  Appraisals are an important part of the process. In fact it can be said every house on the market has to be sold twice; once to a prospective buyer and then to the bank (through the bank's appraisal).
                                                 
Often times I'm asked "Were refinancing and the appraisers coming. Do I need to clean up?"  The answer is  YES!

                           516 Park Way, Piedmont JUST SOLD!                              Listed at $1,850,000 - Sold $2,550,000 - 38% Over

Before
AFTER

                      60 Elrod Ave, Upper Rockridge JUST SOLD!                      Listed at $1,399,000 - Sold $1,450,000

BEFORE
AFTER

Both of these wonderful homes had been loved by their families for over 40 years.  When it came time to sell, the grown children called me in and let me do, what I know works best to attract the buyers.  Once they fell in love we were able to negotiate up to the highest possible price.  Believe it or not it only took my team and I about 2.5 weeks and $25k to get the houses looking this great inside and out. 

Market Update: Median Prices Up! Again!

The second quarter saw a continued rise across Bay area cities, even as some experts predicted a calmer market. The median price for homes in the 2nd quarter might shock you (it did me) and it's hard to believe we haven't seen the tip yet. Piedmont took the lead with the highest median price while San Francisco homes have the highest price per sqft. Let's see how your city's median price compared with other East Bay cities:    

A Modern Approach to Home Maintenance

Do you have a punch list of home maintenance projects that you never quite get arou nd to doing?  I know my husband and I sure do! . Piedmonts own Shannon Bloemker has come up with a brilliant solution. She created a company for today's modern home care.  It's called  GlassHouse .  For quarterly fee, your home will get its own house manager and he will conduct quarterly visits. Think of it as concierge service for your home. The house manager  will check and maintain the working components regularly refrigerator dishwasher , hot water heater, HVAC system, thermostat, gutters, toilets, leaking pipes etc. Basically he can do just about anything that you don't have the time or tools to do yourself even beyond just maintenance.  He can install fixtures, hang TV's, and so much more!  I got even more excited when I heard how reasonably priced GlassHouse is.  For more specifics call Shannon at 617.877.2751 or Shannon@Glasshouse.com Tell her Jane Strauch sent you.

Also, it was interesting to hear Shannon say that " You should expect to budget 1-3% of your home's value for maintenance on an annual basis.  This reminded me of when Mike and I bought a building in the SF Marina District and did a condo conversion.  We had an attorney set up the CC& R's and an account to set aside the homeowners due - reserves for future expenses such as a new roof, exterior painting etc.  Doesn't it make sense to view your homes maintenance in the same way?
  And The Best Place To Raise A Family Is?...........
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The Fall Selling Season is Just Around the Corner

Typically, Fall is the last opportunity in the year to get your home sold for top dollar. If you or someone you know, is thinking of selling, please call  (510) 388-6841  for a free "sellers checklist" to help get you moving. 
Great people like you have great friends. Please think of me when your family, friends, neighbors or colleagues need an awesome East Bay Real Estate Agent.  See  here  or  here  to see how I've helped others. 
Contact Info:

Office: (510) 339-0400
Cell: (510) 388-6841
Email: Jane@janestrauch.com
Website: Janestrauch.com
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