I get a kick out of people who think they 203k can't be used in their neighborhood. The loan limits have increased substantially over the years but there are 203k type loans that go up to $3 Million today. That means you can do renovation or remodeling to cover most projects in your area. It is an interesting design.Landscaping is next.Some interesting features include receptacles that you push to expose the outlet, and when you do it has four outlets to use.This project was one of my all time favorite projects. Whether you are buying or just want to remodel or update your existing home, we have your back. We have been consulting in San Mateo, CA for over twenty years now and are ready willing and able to help get your project across the finish line.           downtown 2-4-2021 11/19/2020

Recently I listed a beautiful home for sale at 40 Arroyo View Circle in Belmont, CaliforniaAfter being shown only 1 afternoon, an offer was received. By the next day negotiations were complete and there was a pending sale. The 30-day escrow period proceeded smoothly, and the sale was finalized yesterday.The buyers are ecstatic, and the sellers are ready to take the next step -- finding their replacement home and saying good-bye to the temporary rental. Within an hour of getting confirmation that the sale had recorded, I got the message from my sellers, "let's keep the momentum up."Buying a home in Silicon Valley is not an easy task, especially in certain price ranges in towns like Belmont or San Carlos. We are now investigating 3 potential properties. Disclosure packets have been downlo... 07/23/2020

Two days ago I posted "Your Next Home Awaits in the Hills of Belmont, CA"Showings, by appointment only as required at this time, began on Sunday afternoon. By Sunday evening we had received a purchase offer, which was negotiated and accepted by the sellers on Monday evening.Two intense days = happy sellers, happy buyers, and two happy, tired agents.40 Arroyo View Circle is no longer being shown and escrow set to close the latter part of July.Homeowners, if you are wondering whether this is a good time to sell (a question I hear a lot,) take heart and give me a call. Each property is unique; each seller's needs are unique, and the market is different for various segments and locations. Finding the right approach is key. Together we can find it.  06/23/2020

Ideally situated between San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, just minutes from I-280 and Carlmont Shopping Center, you'll find 40 Arroyo View Circle. This two-story, free-standing single family home is designed for easy living, from the EV charger in the garage to the A/C for hot summer days, controlled by a Nest thermostat.Upstairs is the master suite, great room and kitchen. Whip up dinner, then wind down in front of the gas log fireplace on a cool evening. Head to the deck for morning coffee or relaxing end-of-day beverage. Master bath has double sinks, a skylight and walk-in closet.On the entry level you'll find 2 bedrooms, one of which has a wet bar and refrigerator making it an ideal home office/guest room. There's a bathroom with shower on this level.Step outside to enjoy a bac... 06/21/2020

Belmont California is a community in San Mateo County, located between San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. Great schools, fabulous weather, recreational opportunities in abundance all help make Belmont a desirable place to call home.Let's take a quick look at the real estate market. As of this morning there were 32 active listings on the multiple listing service, 22 single family homes, and 10 condos/townhouses. List prices of the single family homes range from $1,395,000 to $3,600,000, with a median price of $1,974,000. Condos/townhouses range in price from $648,000 to $1,299,000, with $990,000 the median.The following charts give historical data, up through the third quarter, 2019. The real estate market in Belmont, California appears to be holding steady. Days on market remain very... 10/16/2019

Even though it seems that inventory has increased, it remains hard to find a home to purchase in Belmont or San Carlos California. On our MLS today, Belmont has 20 active listings, 12 single family homes and 8 townhouses/condos. San Carlos has 23, 17 single family homes and 6 townhouses/condos.I have a buyer actively looking for a 3 bedroom home in Belmont, or in the San Carlos area serviced by Carlmont High School where her children currently attend. Of the listing mentioned above: Belmont has a total of 6 properties, 3 single family homes and 3 townhouses. Asking prices range from $1,295,000 to $1,588,000 San Carlos has only 4 3-bedroom properties that meet the school criteria, ranging in price from $1,495,000 to $2,499,000. Buyers and their real estate agents must be diligent, have t... 03/06/2019

Now and then you hear about a 203k loan that went wrong. I'm not going to sugar coat anything here but most of those could have gone right had they been working with a "TEAM" of experts who know what they are doing. A team is like a well tuned engine.You don't have to be an expert if you work with experts. If you haven't done a 203k before then look for a team that in place who has closed some. If you are a lender looking to do your first 203k call a consultant and use a team they suggest. If you are a Realtor and can't find a lender, call a consultant and get a recommendation. Call any other member of a team and let them help you put YOUR team together. You will gain experience from seasoned pros... NEVER look for 'newbies' for your entire team. It just doesn't fly.Ricardo Ramos at Pla... 02/04/2019

Let's take a look and see what's happening in real estate in the 94002 -- Belmont, California, in early January, 2019: 10 - active listings for sale - single family, townhouses and condos   7 - active listings of single family homes, ranging in price from $998,000 to $3,400,000 $1,888,000 - median list price of the single family homes   3 - active listings of condos/townhouses $   798,000 - median list price of the condos/townhouses   2 - number of new listings since 1/1/19  Not much inventory for a city of approximately 27,200 people! If patterns from past years hold true, by the end of January we should have an appreciable increase in the number of new listings. We generally have more active buyers ready to purchase then, too.What about prices in Belmont, California? What does 2019 ha... 01/11/2019

2137 Pullman Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002MLS# ML81647688         Listed one hour, one showing scheduled     First showing, 2-1/2 hours after being listed; second showing 3 hours later        Listing sent to several of my clients, replies already received, "Thanks Lottie. This place looks perfect!" and "We love the layout and location. This is the kind of place we would love."   Come see if 2137 Pullman Avenue is the kind of home you would love, with a layout and location right for you. Plenty of parking here, too.Open House - Saturday, April 22, 2017, 1:30-4:30Open House  -  Sunday,  April 23, 2017, 1:30-4:30 #ML81647688 Call your real estate agent today, or email me for more details. 04/21/2017

The extreme shortage of homes for sale on the San Francisco Peninsula includes the Town of Belmont. Today that number is six; on Monday there were 8. That's right, in a town with a population of over 26,000 there are only 6 single-family homes currently for sale. Here's a rundown of those six: 2 bedroom, 2 bath about 1110 sq.ft. listed at $1,090,000, days on market: 48 4 bedroom, 2 bath, about 2180 sq.ft. listed at $1,595,000, days on market: 7 4 bedroom, 2 bath, about 2100 sq.ft. listed at $1,699,000, days on market: 8 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath, about 2800 sq.ft, listed at $2,197,000, days on market: 36 4 bedroom, 3 bath, about 3325 sq.ft. listed at $2,200,000, days on market: 3 5 bedroom, 3 bath, about 2850 sq.ft. listed at $2,388,000, days on market: 6 Located between San Mateo and San Car... 03/02/2017

Rent Payments Can Really Add Up!No matter how much you pay in rent, you might be surprised what it adds up to over the years. Investing your money is a wiser financial choice. With the current home prices and mortgage rates, this is an excellent time to look into buying your own home in Belmont, California. Common Concerns of Renters and Homeowners - Advantages and ConsiderationsBUYINGProperty builds equityResponsible for maintenanceTax deductible mortgage interest*Responsible for property taxesFree to change decor and landscapingResponsible for hazard insuranceNot dependent on landlord to maintain propertyRENTINGLandlord is responsiblefor maintenanceNo equity gainsLandlord is responsible forproperty taxesRent payments are not tax deductiblePossibility of evictionNo control over rent in... 05/09/2016

Rent Payments Can Really Add Up!No matter how much you pay in rent, you might be surprised what it adds up to over the years. Investing your money is a wiser financial choice. With the current home prices and mortgage rates, this is an excellent time to look into buying your own home in San Pablo, California.Common Concerns of Renters and Homeowners - Advantages and ConsiderationsBUYINGProperty builds equityResponsible for maintenanceTax deductible mortgage interest*Responsible for property taxesFree to change decor and landscapingResponsible for hazard insuranceNot dependent on landlord to maintain propertyRENTINGLandlord is responsiblefor maintenanceNo equity gainsLandlord is responsible forproperty taxesRent payments are not tax deductiblePossibility of evictionNo control over rent i... 03/02/2016

Belmont, California is a sought after community in San Mateo County. San Francisco is a short drive to the north, the Silicon Valley an equally short distance to the south, and the Pacific ocean is just minutes away. Excellent schools, a great climate and the beauty of the hills all combine to make Belmont a highly-desired community in which to live.Houses are in short supply, making it imperative that buyers have an Realtor® to represent their interests, and be prepared to move quickly when a property becomes available. Today, there are only 7 homes listed for sale on our Multiple Listing Service. These range in price from $1,199,000 to $2,268,000, with a median price of $1,498,000.Take a look at the chart below for historical info for 2014 and 2015.  01/23/2016

SOLD - 2922 Belmont Woods Way, Belmont CA 94002Buyers, you have missed this chance to live in prestigious Belmont Woods, high in the hills of Belmont, California. After one one weekend of open houses, 3 offers were received. The seller chose one with which to work, and escrow closed this week.Competition is fierce for well-priced and marketed homes in good condition in the mid-Peninsula cities of Belmont and San Carlos, as well as surrounding cities. To be successful in your search, preparation is essential. One of the first steps is to connect with an agent who will represent your interests and advise you in ways to make your offer appealing to sellers.If you're ready to get serious about finding a place to call home, contact me.   09/26/2015

Menlo Park, Redwood City, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto or anywhere else in the country for that matter.There are serveral options for your next renovation project or remodel project. FHA - The FHA 203k loan has been around since 1961 and stil is one of the best options for the masses. It is the easiest loan to qualify your buyers, recent bankruptcy can be explained in many cases, low down payment of 3.5% on a purchase, sometimes nothing down on a refinance if there is equity.  Work in progress is okay.This loan program is good for any single family home [Loan amounts up to $625,500] or 2-4 small income units [Loan amounts up to $1,202,925 for a 4 unit property]. I had a client call last week about 4 houses on one lot. Yes, that would be considered 4 units for the purposes of this loan prog... 08/26/2015

Today, Karen Fiddler, broker-owner of a real estate firm in southern California wrote a great blog post, "When Do You Want To Move? The Science Behind the List Price." In the post she clearly explains how to figure out months of inventory, and how that can best be used to recommend a reasonable list price.In my area of California, the Peninsula from San Francisco to the Silicon Valley, we have an extreme shortage of inventory, with multiple offers the norm. When a property is unique in some way, finding proper comps to use isn't always possible, so as a listing agent I need to delve further.A recent listing of mine is a good example. This property, in Belmont, California is a 2-bedroom house per the County Assessor's office. However, it is over 2500 sq.ft. in size, far larger than any 2... 08/23/2015

Time-line for a home for sale in Belmont CA 94002 in the present marketAugust 11, 2015 the single-family home at 2922 Belmont Woods Way was open for broker tour and showings began.August 13 - twilight open house was heldAugust 15 - Saturday afternoon open houseAugust 16 - Sunday afternoon open houseAugust 18 - 7 disclosure packages have been downloadedAugust 19 - offers will be reviewed and presented to sellersIn all probability, by August 20 there will be a pending sale.     Buyers, you can successfully compete in the low-inventory, fast-moving real estate market we're experiencing on the Peninsula, from San Francisco down through the Silicon Valley. If you'd like to learn how, contact me. 08/18/2015

What's the market like? That's a question I hear often. In most of our San Mateo County and Silicon Valley towns, as well as in San Francisco, there is a shortage of inventory, with many ready and able buyers for the few listings available. Today we'll take a look at Belmont, California, a town with a population of roughly 26,750. The following information for single-family homes was compiled this morning from our Multiple Listing Service. 14 active listings (yes, only 14 in the entire town) These range in price from $950,000 to $2,248,000, with a median list price of $1,399,000. 17 pending sales. 14 sales closed in the last 30 days, at a median sales price of $1,412,500. Of the 14 sales, 12 sold for over asking (often several hundred thousand dollars over list price), one sold at the a... 07/23/2015

"How's the market" is a question I hear a lot, so let's take a look at what's going on in Belmont, a city with roughly 26,700 residents: As of Thursday, on our Multiple Listing Service we had: Single Family Homes: 5 Active listings, with a median list price of $1,488,000 18 Pending sales 26 Closed sales in the last 30 days, 25 of which sold for over asking Condos/Townhouses:   0 Active listings   3 Pending sales   4 Closed sales in the last 30 days; 3 sold over asking; 1 at asking We're definitely in a strong sellers' market, and definitely need more inventory to accommodate the demand from buyers. Our local economy is strong and growing; demand from Pacific Rim countries continues. In short, people want to live here and we need housing for them. 05/23/2015

The sale of 2129 Pullman Avenue in Belmont California recorded today and new owners are happily making plans to move in.There is a buyer for every house, and every house deserves exceptional marketing and presentation to help find that buyer.Finding the special, unique qualities of every property is something I enjoy doing. Promoting those qualities in an appealing way can result in finding a buyer who loves the house, can feel what life could feel like, and yearn to call it home.Thinking of listing your property for sale? Give me a call - let's talk and see what makes sense for you. 05/12/2015