Carmichael Streng Homes - Real Estate Agent Allan Sanchez As a Carmichael real estate agent and long time Sacramentan, I truly appreciate and admire the simplicity and functionality of Streng homes.  Streng homes, built mostly in Sacramento, Carmichael, and Elk Grove resemble Eichlers and other mid-century modern homes from the late 1950's-1980.  Streng homes have a unique look modern characteristics such as floor-to-ceiling windows, atriums, and flat or minimally pitched roofs.  Here is picture of one of my favorite Carmichael Strengs.  This home is a classic Streng model with a flat roof and atrium.  The color scheme is much like the original paint and the landscaping matches the home's modern appearance. If you're interested in buying a Streng home in Carmichael, Sacramento, or Elk G... 10/23/2011

Carmichael Short Sale Agent - Allan Sanchez Take a look at my newest Carmichael short sale!  5833 Parkoaks Drive is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with almost 2,000 square feet!  This home has a great Carmichael location, large .19 acre yard, 2 car garage, and RV access.  The roof is newer and adds to the classic curb appeal.  This Carmichael short sale is a great buy at $210,000! Short sales are very different from traditional sales.  Short sales require an approval from the seller's lender.  Only organized and experienced Carmichael short sale agents know what it takes to complete a successful short sale and gain approval from the bank.  If you are considering a Carmichael short sale, the first step is to see if you qualify. Carmichael Short Sale Agent - Allan Sanchez       10/21/2011

Like many people who don't always watch 60 Minutes, I tuned in to catch Andy Rooney's last commentary last night. I don't know what it is about the show. I used to watch 60 Minutes all the time in the '60s and '70s, but then I lost interest. Or maybe life got in the way. It's also on TV too early in Sacramento. I recall telling some of the shady guys I knew in the get-rich-quick seminar business that they probably did NOT want 60 Minutes to show up on their doorstep. Even though I have nothing to hide, I'd be perfectly happy to never open the door to find Morley Safer standing there. That would be a little unnerving. I don't care who you are. Nobody wants Morley Safer at the door. But everybody wants to shake Andy Rooney's hand. And get his autograph. Andy Rooney said just what I expect... 10/03/2011

Carmichael Short Sale Specialist - Allan Sanchez One of the first questions I usually get from short sale buyers in Carmichael, CA is “What does short sale contingent mean?” Short sale contingent means that the seller has already accepted an offer on their home but they are still waiting on their lender to approve the short sale.  While waiting for the short sale approval, the MLS listing is labeled “short sale contingent” and will not actually be “pending” until the bank issues an approval letter. Here is my latest short sale contingent home in Carmichael:  5844 Sharps Circle in Carmichael is a Bank of America short sale.  I’ve closed over 80 short sales and REOs with Bank of America and find they are great to work with.  Bank of America has one of the best short sale departments in my... 09/26/2011

Short Sale Agent Carmichael CA - Short Sale FAQ's If you are considering selling your home as a short sale in Carmichael, no doubt you have more questions than answers.  What is the short sale process?  Can I live in my home while it’s on the market?  How long will the short sale take? Do I qualify for the HAFA program? These are just some of the many questions that will arise. I am Allan Sanchez and I have sold many homes in Carmichael.  I will assist you in getting your short sale sold in the most discreet, professional manner possible. Take a look at my newest Carmichael short sale:  5844 Sharps Circle is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in good condition.  It has wood floors and a cute backyard.  This Carmichael short sale is with Bank of America, the largest lender, who has a streamlined s... 09/08/2011

To look for homes in Sacramento or to discover options to foreclosures, please visit my website at www.inlovewithsacto.tv 07/21/2011

A Sacramento short sale agent has her highs and lows during the day. One day the bank is telling me the investors will not postpone an auction. And I have to pass on that information to the seller, which breaks my heart. I beg for one more attempt. Then, 2 days later, the investor pulls a Jekyll and Hyde and approves the short sale, with the caveat we have to close in 2 weeks and no extension. I swear, I sometimes feel like Fred Sanford, clutching his chest and looking skyward: I'm coming, Elizabeth. In another short sale, we have approval from Chase Bank. I tell the seller, like I always do, to get legal advice about that approval letter, because my license does not allow me to give advice about it. The letter says that Chase will release the loan and "settle the account." The lawyer s... 06/16/2011

05/13/2011

My clicky finger is sore. On that joint where the knuckle is located. I bet if you slapped an Xray of my fingers up on a screen, Dr. House style, you'd see normal looking muscles in all of my other fingers except for my right-hand clicky finger. That muscle would be oversized, bulging and throbbing in one of those instantly-switch-to-inside-close-ups that happens on House. You know why? Because of all those comments I had to read on my previous blog about agents sending listings to other agents. I had no idea I'd hit such a nerve with agents. Most of the time I figure that I'm such an oddball that if something bugs me it probably doesn't bug anybody else. But this time I see that I have company. However, if I owned this next listing I'm about to describe, I bet I'd have no company whats... 05/10/2011

When you are buying a home in Carmichael, you will have to put down a deposit. To start your MLS search now, visit my website at www.BuyInSacto.com 05/06/2011

05/06/2011

If you are thinking about buying a home in Carmichael, visit my website and start your search now...www.BuyinSacto.com. 05/06/2011

If you're thinking of buying a Carmichael home, or buying a home in the greater Sacramento Area, please visit my website and start your search, straight from MLS! www.BuyInSacto.com 05/06/2011

As I poke through my spam filters, I recognize a recurring theme. Seems like all of the junk mail I get falls into 3 categories. And no, it's not drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll like you'd think. Nothing nearly as much fun as that.  Mostly it's about gambling, which I don't do, or crash diets, no interest there, or male impotence, hardly pertains to my gender. I know that P.T. Barnum is credited with saying a sucker is born every minute, but who is the audience for all of this spam? Who buys these come-ons and crap? You'd be surprised, says my husband. He claims studies have been done that show an amazingly large number of people -- I don't recall specifically what percentage -- click on spam links and fork over cash for stupid stuff. I imagine those are the same moronic people who pass up... 04/29/2011

I sold a Carmichael home for around $1M last year. Last week, my seller got a $665K appraisal for his refinance. Ouch! Did his home really drop that much in value? No. No. No. In fact, homes over $700K in Carmichael have retained their value over the past two years. (look at the chart below) So what went wrong? Appraisers have different goals with their appraisals. On a refi, they are trying to confirm to the bank that the loan is a good one.  They know what value they are trying to confirm. In this case, they only needed $665K of value to approve the refinance. So why go beyond? With changes in our lending/appraising laws, appraisers are now PERSONALLY liable for errors they make. Review appraisers, sitting in a windowless office somewhere, a little cranky that they are not outside  pl... 04/28/2011

If you ever need evidence of how fast the years roll by when you're busy living them and not counting them, just look at when you last bought a new computer. I replaced my old PC laptop last Christmas with a snazzy and faster-than-the-speed-of-light Mac Pro notebook. Of course, now my desktop pales by comparison. But that computer is fairly new. Except it's NOT. Seems like I just replaced it yesterday but it was actually almost 4 years ago. I can probably squeeze another year out of it if I upgraded the RAM. My Photoshop stopped working last week. What do you expect from a 4.0 version when 9.0 is now available? It just pooped out in the middle of fixing photos. My 9.0 version arrived over the weekend. I have a new listing going on the market this week in Carmichael. And guess what? It's... 04/27/2011

Every week, at least once, I’ll get a long face from someone asking me if I’m OK. After all, I'm a realtor, and must be depressed about this market. Right? WRONG. Sellers may be depressed, but for every sad seller, there is an ecstatic buyer. And many of the buyers are buying foreclosures - and who cares if those bank/sellers are sad! So here’s a look at the homes I sold in 2010, to give you an idea of who sells or buys Fair Oaks and Carmichael homes in this market. Some will surprise you. *Mark and Debbie almost got me as a live-in border!  They lived on a boat in Sausalito, but wanted a home in our area to be able to visit Debbie’s parents, who lived in a senior care facility.  We found them a slice of heaven – a gated Carmichael home on a half acre, complete with a pond and a mini vi... 04/23/2011

04/13/2011

Along a busy stretch of Fair Oaks Blvd, a tranquil glorious garden lies in wait. Visitors stopping by for the first time will be shocked at the peaceful horticultural work of art they have driven by, never knowing what was there.  And it's all free to the public. The magic only becomes apparent after you have navigated the odd-shaped parking lot dotted with dent traps.  But walk over the bridge, and a wonderland of greenery awaits you. Charles Jensen moved his family to Carmichael in 1958, and began the transformation of his 3 1/2 acre piece of land.  Already graced with massive oaks and redwood trees, Jensen added azaleas, camellias, dogwood trees and rhododendrons.  After his death, his beautiful garden came under the ownership of the Carmichael Parks and Recreation District, to be en... 04/10/2011

04/10/2011