Looks like the crowded post office in Dublin on Village Parkway won’t be getting any better for now. Mailing a package during your lunch hour can be a real chore if you are attempting to use the only post office in the city of Dublin.

The Dublin post office which looks rather old and small, is just that. The post office hasn’t changed since the city of Dublin first incorporated in 1982. Continue Reading

Last week, I had the chance to visit a local restaurant that I have passed by plenty of times in one of the major Pleasanton plazas near the intersection of Stoneridge and Hopyard. After forgetting to bring my lunch to work, one of my colleagues said that he was going to the Red Smoke Grill and that I had to come try the place with him. After a couple of loops in the parking lot (the plaza is always busy during lunch hour), we finally made it in and headed to the counter (this is one of those places where you order and pick up your own food at the counter, but they bus your table at the end). My first impression of the restaurant was a positive one of a cozy, friendly place where the employees would know your name only after a couple of visits. The décor is modern yet casual-a place where the menu is written on a blackboard with chalk. Continue Reading

Gone are the days when your home would sell over the weekend. Gone are the days when everyone would be looking for investment property in Las Vegas, Arizona and Idaho because that was the next best thing. Gone are the days when you had to pull your hair out as a buyer because no matter how much you paid or were willing to put up with for that Pleasanton home, your offer was just not the best one. Fast forward two years. Here are the days that nothing seems like a value…except bank owned homes, right?If you are a buyer in the Trivalley, and have spoken to me in the past 12 months, at one point you have said to me, “I would like to look at foreclosures.” (You know who you are!) The reality is that you do not want foreclosures–where you go to the court steps and buy the home in cash without getting to perform inspection or even see the interior at times. What you want is a home which has already gone through the foreclosure process, didn’t sell, and is now banked owned. Bank owned homes, more commonly known as REOs (Real Estate Owned) are now the buzz word for buyers as they are believed to be the real value out in the market.

This shift of the buyer’s attention from the entire market to just REO listings has created an interesting phenomenon in my view. As buyers zoom in only on REO listings, it has created an artificial higher demand thus defeating the primary reason why people are looking into buying REO homes. Not enough people take advantage of supply and demand. I want what you want, and you want what he wants. We as consumers don’t take advantage of going against the grain and seizing the opportunity. We all want REOs, and I am warning you to look outside of the box, as there are some great deals out there from the traditional seller.

Don’t believe what I have to say? Continue Reading

This past Saturday, I attended the Purple and Gold Gala hosted by Amador Valley’s sports booster club. The affair was held at the Palm Event Center in Pleasanton and proved to be a big hit for both the attendees and Amador Valley’s sports program. Amador Valley, one of the three high schools in Pleasanton, hosts this event annually and serves as the major fundraiser for the year. With budget cuts on the horizon, the booster representative reminded the attendees that this was an opportunity to keep athletics funded; providing a quality athletic program at a low cost to the student athletes remains a priority at Amador Valley High School. The event was a comprehensive venture put together primarily by volunteers and community businesses who had donated most of the items for bid. Tickets for the event were $100 each which included dinner, drinks, music and a memorable evening. Since my wife is an English teacher at Amador Valley High School and the diving coach, we were invited as guests from the committee. The night started off with a silent auction featuring items such as a round of golf at Callippe golf course in Pleasanton, tickets to Tommy T’s comedy club, Beach Blanket Babylon and much much more. After about an hour of nibbling on hors d’oeuvres and enjoying some wine from the Mitchell Katz collection, we were asked to be seated for dinner and get prepared for the live auction. This is where the big bucks were collected.

Nothing stands out more in my mind than Continue Reading

Until recently, it was very difficult for Trivalley home buyers with little cash to get into the housing market due to the strict loan guidelines. I remember about 18 months ago, when home buyers COULD easily attain a 95%-100% loan program to buy a house if they wanted to, but were deciding to wait on the sidelines due to the market conditions. Well, that all changed when the banks had to tighten up the loan guidelines. At that point, the sides were switched with buyers who were ready to move forward, but COULD NOT qualify for a loan based on the new programs and requirements.The combination of qualified buyers who wanted to wait, along with willing buyers who couldn’t qualify had been a leading factor to our current housing inventory in the Trivalley…no one was buying! So what’s changed since? Continue Reading

So you have decided to sell your home and you contact your trivalley real estate agent to talk about the price and you are ready to get the house on the market. The trouble is that you have lived in that home for the past 10 years and the house is filled with your trinkets and family photos on the walls…who would want to buy THAT house? Having seen many homes with buyers, I can tell you that we spend more time looking at your family pictures than we do at the house. We begin trying to figure out who’s who…which room belongs to which kid in the family portrait and start reading all the messages your friends wrote you around your wedding photo. So what do you do? Continue Reading

The city of Dublin, Ca is getting ready to host their 25th Annual St. Patrick’s Day festival this Saturday and Sunday (03/15 and 03/16). The day will be filled with live acts of music, arts and crafts booths and a wide array of international foods. The event will be in the heart of Dublin, Ca at 100 Civic Plaza and will run from 10AM to 5 PM on both days.

In addition to the Festival and Parade, the Alameda County Firefighters are hosting a pancake breakfast feed on Saturday morning from 7AM to 10AM. And to work off all the food, feel free to take part in the Shamrock 5K Fun Run and Walk on the following Sunday. Continue Reading

Buying your first home can be nerve wrecking and an unpleasant experience. On the other hand, it could be one of the most fulfilling moves you will ever make. Having worked with my share of first time home buyers, I have compiled some thoughts that I think any first time home buyer can use.

Dear First Time Home Buyer, Continue Reading

Sure, driving around the trivalley on a nice sunny day is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon if you are in the house hunting phase. But what should you make sure you have in your back pocket before getting in the car? Prior to following the open house arrows or getting together with your trivalley real estate agent, you want to make sure you have talked to your mortgage broker or bank to get your prequalification letter.

Loan programs and rates are changing constantly. Continue Reading