East Bay Real Estate with Mary Smartt

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Real Estate Agent - Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com
RECENT BLOG POSTS
As I've written about before, a lot of people still ask me about buying foreclosures. Due to the media's coverage of real estate market and the sub-prime fallout, there is a belief that there are tons of foreclosure deals out there just waiting to be snapped up. But think again. The East Bay is j...
02/27/2008
So, you've made an offer on a home and it has been accepted. Congratulations! Within the escrow period, there is the inspection contingency period for you to look into all of the nooks and crannies of the house to make sure it is the perfect home for you. And, if you do find any significant fault...
02/26/2008
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With all of the seismic changes happening in the mortgage markets, one aspect to keep in mind is PMI, aka Private Mortgage Insurance. PMI is when you buy insurance to cover your lender (not you) because you are taking out a loan deemed to be riskier than most.PMI is usually needed on loans for mo...
02/20/2008
Today, Ron Kriss, our broker here at Lawton Associates, announced a comprehensive and historical comparative analysis of the Rockridge real estate market. And, he has concluded that "Rockridge is Just Different." I have worked with Ron Since the mid-90s and we have seen the market in all of its m...
02/15/2008
One terrific option for first time homebuyers in any market is the purchase of a "below market rate" condominium. These are generally city-run programs to provide affordable entry to the real estate market for low and moderate income earners, especially in areas where housing prices can be high.E...
02/13/2008
Why haven't I blogged in two weeks? Because I'm so busy with my clients! They say the market is busting, but I am not seeing too much evidence of that in our market. This just goes to show you that the real estate market is truly a neighborhood-by-neighborhood market.Here in Berkeley, Rockridge, ...
02/12/2008
Living in the East Bay for the last 15+ years, it seems like the powers that be are always talking about a revival of Jack London Square. And, it looks like it might actually be on the verge of happening!First, there is the highly anticipated California Harvest Hall, which is planned to be larges...
01/31/2008
As most people are now realizing, this is a terrific buyer's market--possibly the best buyer's market in over a decade. With home prices staying steady and even going down in parts of the Bay Area, now is a great time for first time homebuyers to to make a reasonable entry into the real estate ma...
01/28/2008
Yesterday, I blogged about getting ready for tax season by helping you decide whether to hire a CPA or do it yourself. Today, I'll provide some tips on getting yourself organized to make your work go smoothly. Of course, everyone's tax situation is different, but these are some basics to get you...
01/24/2008
Each month, I send my regular clients a selection of tips and advice on real estate, home ownership, finances and other life issues. This month, we focus on getting ready for tax season. Today in the blog, I will look at whether you should hire a CPA or do your taxes yourself and tomorrow I'll b...
01/23/2008
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Mary Smartt

Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
local_phone51(054) 759-7057
smartphone(510) 386-8636
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My thoughts, observations, and musings on the East Bay real estate market