Selling homes is about relationships Selling homes is about relationships. If you have not established trust, everyone involved with be stressed out during the transaction. About a year ago, this couple interviewed three agents, and signed the listing agreement the day we met.  My client said: “My spouse and I found Elisa to be extremely prepared and organized from the first meeting. We both felt comfortable putting the sale of our first home into her hands. She was quite practical and strategic when recommending improvements prior to going to market. She was patient with educating us on the entire process, and we are pleased with the resulting sale and smooth close of escrow. Thanks!” - Sharon C., Oakland, CA I love my job and I love my clients. If you have met a few Realtors, but have... 08/24/2019

What are your priority tasks when you move in?  Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first.   Change the locks Even if you’re promised that new locks have been installed in your home, you can never be too careful. It’s worth the money to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that no one else has the keys to your home. Changing the locks can be a DIY project, or you can call in a locksmith for a little extra money.   Steam clean the carpetsIt’s good to get a fresh start with your floors before you start decorating. The previous owners may have had pets, young children, or just some plain old clumsiness. Take the tim... 08/22/2019

Finding the right mattress   1. Mattress construction: The most popular mattress types are inner spring mattresses, memory foam mattresses, and adjustable air mattresses. Each has pros and cons when it comes to durability and comfort customization.     2. Firmness: Mattress firmness plays a huge role in the quality of your sleep. Mattresses that are too firm or too soft can cause aches and pains, so it‘s recommended that you test a mattress for 10- to 15 minutes in store before making a purchase.   3. Sleeping position: Your mattress should match your sleeping style (side, back, face-down, etc.). You want a mattress that keeps your spine in proper alignment. For example, some mattresses are better for side sleepers, while others are better for back sleepers.    4. Size: It’s not quite a... 08/20/2019

House for Sale in Oakland4401 Fleming Ave, Oakland, CA 94619 OPEN HOUSE This sun-filled, three bedroom, two bath home has a versatile layout including an in-law space with a separate entrance ideal for extended family living. Formal living and dining rooms, two kitchen’s, a level yard, a detached garage, and tandem parking. Convenient freeway access and local transportation make it easy to live in one of Oakland’s coveted neighborhoods. MLS#40878415 Are You The Next Top Chef in your neighborhood? Imagine what meals you can make in this well laid-out kitchen. Come see it yourself   The bay area continues to be a popular place to call home.If you are ready to search for your next property or are looking for your home value, visit: www.searchalleastbayhomes.comClick here for the monthly ma... 08/15/2019

How a Refinance Can Drive Down Your Monthly Expenses While all real estate may be local, so too is it true that one homeowner, confronted with the opportunity to save $250 per month through refinancing, for example, may view that as a significant financial relief while another may feel it's not even worth it to get off the couch to consider going through the hassle of the loan process.  As we work into the second half of 2019, there is no mistake that the low rate environment we are enjoying again is providing opportunities for homeowners to refinance.  Often in these cases, having an open mind about any level of savings can help us determine whether or not a refi is "worth it."  Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, if we take an average loan size and make some assumptions on monthly sav... 08/15/2019

Monthly Market Activity for Single Family Homes in Oakland(includes Piedmont and Emeryville) The Median Sale Price for homes in Oakland during July was $872,500 with thehighest number of units sold in the $1m-1.49m  price range. The Bay Area continues to be a popular place to call home. If you are ready to search for your next property, or are looking for your home value, visit: www.searchalleastbayhomes.com You can also call me on my cell at 510-919-5741 for a more personal conversation.I would love the opportunity to earn your business.    08/09/2019

Things to do in Oakland August 17-September 2 2019  Hayward Zucchini Festival August 17-18, 2019Clear your calendar, there's sure to be something fun for the entire family at the annual Hayward Zucchini Festival including live music, arts & crafts and a Kid's Town area with fun games, cool prizes, face painting and rides! Please click here more info.   Rolling Stones Tour | Santa ClaraAugust 18, 2019As one of the most well-loved and enduring rock bands in music history, it's no wonder the Rolling Stones have become the world's quintessential live act. Join them at Levi's Stadium for their No Filter Tour of 2019.For more info, click here.   Silicon Valley Pride Festival | San Jose August 24-25, 2019The 44th annual Silicon Valley Pride (formerly San Jose Pride) is the largest LGBT event h... 08/03/2019

Things to do in Oakland August 3-16 2019   Concord Jazz Festival August 3, 2019Concord Jazz and Live Nation are proud to present the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Fest. 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the festival, which began at a city park in 1969 and gave birth to the venerable Concord Jazz label.Please visit their website for more info: https://www.visitconcordca.com/jazz/   Oakland Crab FestivalAugust 4, 2019Grab a bib and a glass and join us for a fork-free afternoon as we celebrate with friends, old and new at our family-style Crab Feed. Enjoy the evening with free flowing crab, grilled vegetables, salads, drinks and dancing.Please visit the Oakland Crab House website for more info: https://www.oaklandcrabhouse.com/Event info: https://allevents.in/oakland/oakland-crab-feas... 08/01/2019

A weekend in Suttle Lake, Oregon Suttle Lake is a natural lake near the crest of the Cascade Range in central Oregon, United States, covering 253 acres. It was named in honor of John Settle, whose name was misspelled when the lake was officially recorded as a geographic feature. (wikipedia) We celebrated my birthday last weekend in Oregon. I consider it as one of the best. We went to Sisters and Bend, visited some friends and colleagues, went to the Tamolitch Blue Pool in Mckenzie River Trail and finally at Suttle Lake. A couple picture doesn't have to be boring. Hiking around Suttle Lake is an easy 3 mile hike and at the end of the hike, the food and drinks at the large are amazing!     Suttle Lake Hells Kitchen Pop up and guess what? The chef is from Oakland!          The view at Sutt... 07/31/2019

An amazing birthday weekend in Oregon This is probably one of the most amazing birthdays I have ever had. Me and my husband went to Oregon to spend the weekend hiking, biking, and visiting some friends.    My husband bought me a new bike for my birthday! It goes over rocks so smooth, I still can't believe it! (Phils Trail in Bend Oregon)  Me and my bike! White glove service, even on my bike!         This amazing view is part of the Mckenzie River    An 8 mile hike and we have arrived! (Tamolitch Blue Pool - McKenzie River Trail in Oregon)              This is my friend Renee, she moved to Sisters,OR and is such a lovely person! So happy to have had the chance to know her better.  I also had the chance to connect with the amazing team at Cascade Sotheby's in Sisters, OR. If you are plann... 07/30/2019

UPSIZING YOUR HOME   Unfortunately, our homes do not always grow with us. What may have initially worked fine for a single person, a young couple’s starter home, or a family with a newborn can quickly become too small as families expand and multiple generations live under one roof.Remodeling and adding to your home is one option for creating more space, but it can be costly, and the size of your property may be prohibitive. That is when moving to a bigger home becomes the best solution.WHERE DO YOU NEED MORE SPACE?The first thought when upsizing your home is to simply consider square footage, bedrooms, and bathrooms. But it is important to take a more critical approach to how your space will actually be used. If you have younger children (or possibly more on the way), then focusing on b... 07/29/2019

What is APR on a Mortgage? "Can you tell me what your APR is?""Sure.  Can you tell me what APR is?""Uhhhh..."So this really happened.  Many times, in fact.  This is your garden variety, otherwise-intelligent consumer trying to shop for a mortgage.  This is someone earnestly trying to figure out the best deal on a home loan.  And yet, most often, they have absolutely no idea what they are doing when it comes to the annual percentage rate, or APR, on a mortgage.  But I don't blame them.  The point of this blog is not to make anyone look or feel stupid.  In fact, it's the opposite.  APR was meant to help, but I have experienced that our regulators and our industry have done a poor job of explaining how it works and how one calculates it.  If we reduce it to plain language and easy examples... 07/25/2019

MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR HOMEOWNERS  When you own your home, things are going to break and, unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you are going to need to fix them yourself. Luckily, you do not need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes. These five tools will cover most of your basic projects. Cordless drill. A cordless drill is a must-have for installing cabinets, drawer pulls, hinges, picture frames, shelves and hooks, and more. Whether it is for do-it-yourself projects or repairs, you will use your cordless drill just about every month.Drain cleaners. Shower and bathroom sink drains are susceptible to clogs because of the daily buildup of hair and whisker clippings. You can use chemical clog removers like Drano, but they are expens... 07/24/2019

Your dream home, one step at a time  Some people think I am selling houses, but in reality, I help people buy and sell homes. I was fortunate enough to help client move from being renters of a property, to homeowners of the home they grew to love. We had to move so fast to make it work for everyone involved, but we made it happen. It was definitely a good fit for them since it’s been three years and they are still there, personalizing the home and making it theirs.  “Elisa was a big help to us when we purchased the home we had been renting for the previous two years. We were in a time crunch because the seller wanted to move quickly and she had us in escrow within 26 hours with all of our inspections booked. In addition, she kept on top of our loan company when the appraisal hadn't been... 07/23/2019

Patiently waiting for the right time to Buy a home. Some people think I am selling houses, but in reality, I sometimes help people buy a home that years later they sell. Families grow and hopefully so does their net worth!  “I met Elisa at an open house. At the time, I was just thinking about buying - but she got me in touch with a great loan guy who helped me figure how much I could afford. As a first time home buyer, I had no idea how important real estate agents were - so I was lucky enough to stumble upon Elisa. She helped me through the process and was always available to answer my questions in a cheery manner. Elisa went above and beyond advocating for me. She recommended a wonderful inspector who found a sewer issue and a roofing issue that was overlooked by other building inspec... 07/22/2019

5 CRITERIA FOR PRICING A HOME  When you put your home up for sale, one of the best ways to determine the asking price is to look at comparable sales. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several recent sales in the area. Here are five criteria to look for in a sales comparison. Location: Homes in the same neighborhood typically follow the same market trends. Comparing your home to another in the same neighborhood is a good start, but comparing it to homes on the same street or block is even better. Date of sale: It varies by location, but housing markets can see a ton of fluctuation in a short time period. It‘s best to use the most recent sales data available. Home build: Look for homes with similar architectural styl... 07/15/2019

CONSIDER THIS: WHEN TO REFINANCE  Refinancing your mortgage is something most homeowners consider at least once throughout the lifespan of their home loan. It allows you to pay off your previous loan by applying for a new one that has better financial advantages. While there are many good reasons to refinance, here are five common ones. Scoring a lower interest rate. The number one reason homeowners decide to refinance is to secure a lower interest rate on their mortgage. Not only does this save you money in the long run and decrease your monthly payment, but you can start building equity in your home sooner.Using an improved credit score. Even if interest rates have not dropped in the market, if you’ve improved your credit score over the last few years, you may be able to reduce your m... 07/10/2019

Realtor Shout out When you work together,chaos can be controlled and never reach a peak. Some people think I am selling houses, and I am, along with helping people navigate what has been said is one of the most stressful times in one’s life. I have been fortunate enough to have a good relationship with clients, one that lets them tell me their concerns before they become issues. This client I had known for a number of years since I helped manage his property. When it was time for the renters to move, we helped them find a place to live, and waited until they were settled before putting the house on the market. When you work together, chaos can be controlled and never reach a peak.    “In the spring of 2016, Elisa Uribe was my realtor in the sale of my home in the Montclair section of th... 07/09/2019

Monthly Market Activity for Single Family Homes in Oakland(includes Piedmont and Emeryville) The Median Sale Price for homes in Oakland during June was $900,000 with thehighest number of units sold in the $1m-1.49m  price range. The Bay Area continues to be a popular place to call home. If you are ready to search for your next property, or are looking for your home value, visit: www.searchalleastbayhomes.com You can also call me on my cell at 510-919-5741 for a more personal conversation.I would love the opportunity to earn your business.    07/07/2019

Things to do in Oakland July 19-28 2019   Wine Country Comedy Fest | Santa Rosa July 19, 2019The Ultimate Stand-Up Comedy Experience in Wine Country. Six dates throughout July... The uber iconic Flamingo Resort offers a full bar and delicious bites with a world-class dining menu. This festival sells out fast every year… so get your tickets today! Learn more here!  Or visit http://www.thelaughcellar.com    Blues & Brews Festival | Pleasant HillJuly 20, 2019The 10th Annual Blues & Brews Fest, sponsored by Republic Services and Stay Pleasant Hill, features live blues music, craft beer tastings, food vendors, craft vendors and more with fun activities for the whole family! July 19 | Pre-Party 6:00-9:00 pmFeaturing free live musicby Midnight Flyer & The Big JangleFood, Beer & Wine available ... 07/04/2019