Glen Mitchell | (650) 260-4536 811 Wharfside Rd, San Mateo, CA Close to everything! Very convenient Bay Area location! 3BR/2+1BA Single Family House $3,550/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 2,100 Parking 2 dedicated Pet Policy No pets Deposit $3,550 DESCRIPTION Beautifully updated town home in San Mateo's Harbortown community. This home has many great amenities including: vaulted ceilings, 2 skylights, custom kitchen cabinetry, custom counter tops, hardwood and granite flooring, two fireplaces and a 2 car garage. An abundance of community facilities... 3 pools, sauna, club house, 4 tennis courts and boat dock, among others. Around the block from popular restaurants and stores. 2 minute drive/10 minute walk to Bridgepointe Parkway Shopping Center. - Restaurants inc... 03/12/2012

Home & Patio Show - February 11th - 13th in San Mateo Friday, February 10, 2012 – from 12noon to 6pm Saturday, February 11, 2012 – from 10am to 6pm Sunday, February 12, 2012 – 10am – 5pm Patio Furniture Giveaway – over $5,000 over the weekend “How To” Seminars: 12:00pm - 4:00pm on Friday, February 10, 2012 11:30am – 4:30pm on Saturday, February 11, 2012 11:30am – 3:30pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012 Friday – Saturday from 12 – 3 pm – Free antique appraisals There is Free street parking at the event.  Event Center parking lot charges $10 for parking. Read More 02/04/2012

It's the end of the year so time for the round-up of distressed property sales in San Mateo. So here's what happened:   Single family and condo townhomes : Total sales:  887 Short Sales: 130 REO:           111 Distressed sales as a percentage of total sales: 27.17% Compare to 2010 Total sales:   859 Short Sales:   103 REO:            110 Distressed sales as a percentage of total sales:  24.8%   My conclusion: The percentage of distressed properties in San Mateo is a higher in 2011, 27.17% as compared to 2010, 24.8. Also, 27% of sales being distressed does start to have a downward effect on the overall price of homes in the city. If you have any questions about short sales or bank owned homes please feel free to contact me. Marcy Moyer Keller Williams Realty www.marcymoyer.com marcy@marc... 01/03/2012

Luxury Homes in Aragon, San Mateo, California The Aragon neighborhood in San Mateo, California is the perfect location for luxury homes.   Buying luxury homes is a large financial commitment and you have to make sure that not only the home meets your expectations, but the neighborhood exceeds your demands and desires as well.  I can strongly say that Aragon has everything that buyers are looking for and more when it comes to luxury homes. This neighborhood is located just south of downtown San Mateo and is known as a quiet and safe community filled with many luxury homes. Nearby is more than 16 acres of open play grounds, tennis courts and baseball fields at Central Park.  There is never a shortage of happenings at the park including summer BBQs and the City's summer evening music conce... 12/07/2011

Last night was the 3rd Annual Pacific Grand Ball held at the Marriott in San Mateo CA. Active Rainers Antonio Cardenas, Kathleen Daniels and I and went to watch the evening competition that consisted of so many heats at various levels of proficiency and ages. If you have an appreciation for ballroom dance, and if you have never attended one of these events, then GO! My favorite part was when the junior dancers competed. There was a couple of kids that were probably 6-8 years old that captivated the audience. They competed with older kids in the mid-teens, but all eyes were on these kids. At least, mine were. This is a picture (from the movie I took with my iphone) What I think these kids learn are grace under pressure, discipline, drive to succeed and appreciation for beauty, I will see... 09/25/2011

Today I had lunch with my favorite Trust Officer from one of our local banks.  We were talking about the state of the economy and how it is effecting trusts she administers as well as the real estate in those trusts. My good friend said she used to administer trusts that had a few hundred thousand dollars in cash and a home that was fully paid for.  The home would be sold and the heirs would split a million dollars or more. Those were the good old days. This year she has had a lot of trusts where there was no cash, and the homes had large mortgages on them.  This makes her job harder because it costs money to administer an estate and not having any cash till a home is sold is hard.  However, the fact that so many homes belonging to people who were in their 80's have outstanding mortgage... 09/20/2011

  Selling a home with City Building Code Violations, by Chris Eckert   On Tuesday, we FINALLY close escrow on one of my listings in the North Shoreview neighborhood of San Mateo. 1514 Monroe Ave – San Mateo Staging by Kerry Roth – Décor Staging   It only took us 6 days to sell it, but 3-1/2 months to close escrow, and it isn’t even a short sale. The property was listed for $475,000, and we received 8 offers, all for over asking. We took the best offer, which was $503,000. Everyone was congratulating me on selling it so fast, until I got that dreaded call from the City of San Mateo Code Enforcement Officer saying……..”Chris, this is Officer xxxxxx from San Mateo Code Enforcement. We received a complaint about an illegal in-law unit at the property that you have listed. You are going to ha... 09/03/2011

Bank Owned Auction! OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 8/28, 1-3PM. OverviewMapsPhotosFeaturesOpen House $495,000 Townhouse Main Features 2 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms1 Partial Bathroom110 UnitsInterior: 1120 sqft Location 321 N San Mateo Drive110San Mateo, CA 94401USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Mayra Espinosa Banegas (650) 996-8961mayraespinosa@gmail.comhttp://www.mayraespinosarealtor.com     Listed by: McGuire Real Estate Our recent listings Auction Bank Owned! OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 8/21, 2-4PM.Single Family Residential for $395,000 in East Palo Alto, CACupertino CA Home for sale-19731 Wheaton Drive2bedroom 1 bath Equity sale great locationHome For Sale in Novato CA-4 Bedrooms 2 baths plus 2 bounus Rooms, Short Sale Approved for $505,000 Sub... 08/20/2011

Again, last June 2011 the city of San Mateo started the 2011 Central Park Musical Series!Staring last June 23, 2011 through August 11, 2011, every Thursday Evening from 6:00pm to 8:00 P.M. Each year the city of San Mateo sponsors these events.   The events are Free and fun.  It's a great excuse to dance the night away and at the same time socialize with friends, meet new people and share a free and fun evening with your family.   The San Mateo Central Park Musical series is a San Mateo signature summer event. It is one of my favorite outdoor events. Last year I invited the “Bay Area Latin Culture & Salsa SABOR” We are a group of salsa lovers, all over the Bay Area. We get together to share our passion for salsa.  All the events are great, but the Salsa and Samba Nights are my favorite  ... 07/06/2011

There are only four relevant economic reports scheduled for release this week, but two of them are considered to be highly important to the financial and mortgage markets. Unlike many Mondays, the week kicks off with important data being posted today. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will post their manufacturing index for April late this morning. This is one of the first important economic reports released each month and gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. A reading above 50 means that more surveyed trade executives felt business improved during the month than those who felt it had worsened. This points toward more manufacturing activity and could hurt bond prices, pushing mortgage rates higher. Analysts are expecting to see a reading of 59.7, which would be a d... 05/02/2011

  Open houses are a great way to meet potential clients, and showcasing the home in an attention-getting way can cement potential sellers' confidence in the Realtor. 1. Take advantage of branding opportunities. Water bottles on hot days with a custom label can be a great source of advertising. A picture of the house with contact information on the bottle is not only fun, but a way to keep both the home and the Realtor in the mind of the visitor after the open house. 2. Go beyond the basics with food. You may have heard the age-old technique of baking cookies in the home to infuse it with the scent of homemade treats. However, food at an open house can be another way to stand out. It can encourage people to stay longer and strike up a conversation. Think outside the box - ice cream, cho... 04/29/2011

While most mortgage lenders offer a form of "pre-approval" for a loan, Mortgage California is one of the few lenders anywhere that can do an actual fully underwritten loan pre-approval. With our banker and broker business model, pre-approvals for loans are not conditional on multiple minutiae of a transaction. It is difficult to overestimate the power of a real loan pre-approval and its role in a successful real estate transaction. Pre-approvals make the seller of a house more comfortable about the offer, and in a competitive market, this can make all the difference. According to Bay Area Realtor Larry Miller of Coldwell Banker, standard practice in the area is that a loan pre-approval accompanies the offer on a home. When the pre-approval comes from Mortgage California, he is able to g... 04/27/2011

  This holiday-shortened week is pretty light in terms of economic news scheduled for release. There are only three economic reports scheduled and none of them are considered to be highly important to the financial or mortgage markets. Accordingly, there is a decent possibility of seeing a relatively calm week in the mortgage market, assuming that the stock markets do the same. There is nothing of importance scheduled for release today. March's Housing Starts is the first data, coming early Tuesday morning. It gives us a measurement of housing sector strength and mortgage credit demand by tracking starts of new home construction and the number of permits issued for future starts. This data usually doesn't cause much movement in mortgage pricing unless it varies greatly from forecasts. ... 04/18/2011

The big day was March 20, the first day of spring. As almost everyone knows, it begins one of the most active seasons for home searches. For good reason: If you can dodge the April showers, the weather will be nice. Flowers coming out everywhere will tempt you to drive about and see what appeals to you. Even if you haven't decided to take the plunge, you could find that today's bargains are hard to resist. Home sellers will be out there with bells on. They know that buyers, dreamers and lookers will be out in force. Whichever category you fall into, they and their real estate agents will be pleased to see you. Agents know that the lookers and dreamers of today could be buyers in the future. The agents are available in their offices or at open houses to tell you about the finer points o... 04/16/2011

  For a few hours' time and a small investment, you can do a lot to protect your property. Even renters can ensure comfortable surroundings with some of these tips. Get energy efficient. If you have not yet installed a programmable thermostat, now is the time to do it. You can reduce your cooling costs by 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Thermostats cost $40 to $70. Seal around the tub and shower. Cracked or poorly sealed caulking around tubs, showers, and sinks can lead to water damage to floors, walls, and the ceilings below, say experts writing in Money magazine. When you see cracks or gaps, buy a $5 tube of caulking and reapply. Prevent fires. Check your fire extinguisher to see if it's still charged. If you need a new one, buy an extinguisher that works on b... 04/14/2011

  Lenders use different credit scores for different purchases. If you have successfully navigated a website that offers to sell you your credit score, you may think you have all the information you need in order to apply for a loan or new credit card. Not necessarily. The score you received could be quite different from what a lender receives. Different scores are offered for mortgages, car loans, insurance and more. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act that took effect January 1, lenders must either tell those who apply for credit what score was used, or tell them how it was used if the applicant doesn't receive the best terms available. Here are some reasons why a credit score (a number between 300 and 850) still won't tell you how a lender evaluates of you: * Some lenders give the be... 04/12/2011

  This week brings us the release of seven relevant economic reports for the bond market to digest. We are also heading into corporate earnings season, which could lead to fluctuations in the stock markets. If earnings come in lighter than estimates, the stock markets may fall, leading to an influx of funds into bonds. But if earnings and forecasts are strong, the major stock indexes may rally, pulling funds from bonds and leading to higher mortgage rates. There is no relevant economic news scheduled for release tomorrow. The first report of the week comes Tuesday morning but it is the least important one. February's Goods and Service Trade Balance will be posted early Tuesday morning. This data gives us the size of the U.S. trade deficit, but unless it varies greatly from forecasts, i... 04/11/2011

Wherever we go, we respond to color, though its effect is often underestimated. Color use is important to us in our homes and workplaces. If you are selling a house, you will want to choose different colors than those you might use for your own home. If you just purchased a house, you can add some of your own personality with paint. HGTV's Shari Hiller says color accounts for 60 percent of our response to a room. Here is some advice. Living room: Start with colors you love from something in the room. Consider colors from artwork, a rug, dishes, an accessory or furniture for a main color or accent. Buy two or three quarts of paint. Paint sample boards to hold up to the furniture, fabrics and surfaces you choose. If you aren't sure where to begin with a color, experiment in a bathroom, a... 04/08/2011

  At the beginning of the mortgage meltdown a couple of years ago, Congress enacted emergency legislation raising the limits on High Balance Conforming Loans. These loans are designated "conforming," meaning lower interest rates and typically a slightly easier transaction to get approved and closed when compared to Jumbo (or non-conforming) financing. The High Balance variety is only available in designated high cost areas, like the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently the "temporary" limit on these loans is $729,750. This means that if you put 20% down on a $900,000 home, you can get a conforming loan in the amount of $720,000. Effective October 1, 2011 the emergency legislation expires and is not expected to be extended. This lowers this High Balance Conforming Loan to $625,500. So, wha... 04/06/2011

This week brings us the release of five monthly and quarterly reports for the bond market to digest. Two of the reports can be considered much less important than the others, but with mortgage-relevant reports scheduled four out of the five days we will still likely see some movement in rates a couple days this week. The first report of the week is February's Existing Home Sales from the National Association of Realtors late this morning. It will give us a measurement of housing sector strength and mortgage credit demand, but is usually considered to be of moderate importance to the financial markets. Its' sister report- February's New Home Sales, will be posted Wednesday morning. Since it is today's only data, it may influence bond trading enough to cause a slight change in mortgage r... 03/21/2011