Real Estate Price Trends The median single family home price as of March 09 2008 for TRACY is $444,292Home Sales and Demand TrendsThe average property in TRACY as of March 09 2008 has been on the market for about 75 days. Price Per Square FootThe median price per square foot for homes in TRACY as of March 09 2008 is about $197 Homes for SaleThere are about 1,038 properties on the market in TRACY as of March 09 2008. The real estate market in Tracy is changing rapidly.  At $197 avg sq ft price, 1038 homes for sale & median price at $444k, things are progressing in a good direction.  Interest rates are still pretty low.50 HOMES SOLD LAST WEEK!!!!!!! ....notice the spike on the graphs :)Call me for your neighborhood specific statistics to help you in your own real estate evaluation of Trac... 03/13/2008

I'm on a roll -- to read the previous blog click here.  Which brings me to this blog....I don't want another job, but I'm wlling to set up shop and start a new company.  If someone beats me to it -- call me for California.  Mystery Shopping BANK REO properties.  What a perfect way to keep REO agents honest and working hard for thier client.  Spot checking condition, calling agents for access, verfing comps all of it.I spent many years as a Mystery Shopper for several LARGE fast food chains, and QUALITY control is what it's all about.  Why doesn't that apply to REO Listings?  03/12/2008

Ok, I'll admit it I'm green eyed jealous.  I'd love to have a few REO accounts.  I don't want 1000's of listings, heck I don't even want 100 or 50.  I want 6 - 10 REO - Bank Owned listings that I can service well.I'm tired of calling every agent in town to get combination codes. (Our MLS prevents codes from being put in the MLS - hence the phone calls!) I'm really tired of REO agents who tell prospective clients "Here's the code, let yourself in, if you want to write a contract call me." I KNOW I can and WOULD do a better job than that for my client -- even if that client is a BANK.Which now brings up another question - why is it that there are many agents - not all - who take these REO listings and don't treat the client - the bank with respect.  They don't do everything necessary to ... 03/10/2008

Some where, some time, some how, some one should have warned me.  There is a LOT of paperwork involved in selling a home.  I've spent ALL day doing paper work, sure an assistant would help, but I'll have to find the person to train.  (I know there are vitual assistants -- but oh my to find the time to talk to them. Plus I need to talk face to face with someone.)The thing is - I really would rather be out with showing first time buyers homes to buy than sitting in an office printing, copying, putting files together, which is why I had to spend all day today catching up.  I can't even talk on the phone intelligently when I'm trying to put papers together.ok I just had to vent....... off to blog about something FUN! :-) 03/10/2008

 WOW _- check out these numbersThere are 808 homes on the market -- that's way down from over 1000!  The best news of all is that there are 203 homes in escrow!  WOW!There are 111 homes in escrow in Tracy that are less than $330,000!  Amazing.If you've been waiting for the market to hit bottom, and you want a home less than $350,00 the clock is ticking rapidly.Call your local Realtor TODAY and start the process, you may have to bid on several homes before you get an accepted offer.  If you're not currently working with a REALTOR call me for specialized service.    03/08/2008

I'm sure some of you are screaming  Real Estate is NOT a game.  Isn't it?  Oh it's serious, and we are dealing with our clients largest asset, but isn't it about Beating the Market?  Don't we want to FIND the best home for our clients and BEAT everyone else to it?  Don't we want to sell our listings for TOP dollar and entice everyone to buy them?  Sure we do.Enter Honor the Game.  I've spent the last 12 years leaving a legacy of Honor the Game to Tracy Little League.  As President, then District Administrator this was my mantra.  HONOR THE GAME.  I often said if you don't know what that means -- ASK ME.It seems to me that as people's livelihoods were challengededdue to a shifting market so went their integrity.  There are far too many "agents" who have sacrificed honor and integrity for... 03/08/2008

We tend to believe every bad thing we hear.  Do we believe every good thing you hear?Here was the 11:00 news tonight -- the housing market is turning around.   May banks are now pricing homes undr what a home appraises for, and now investors are BIDDING, mulitple offers on well priced home!  We're talking 12 - 21 offers per home! Well- DUH - I could have told you that.If you are thinking of purchasing a home do it now!  If you are thinking of investing in Real Estate, it's time to stop thinking and start buying!  Get going - there is still a lot or properties available -- however -- the best priced, tier 1 properties are disappearing at a rapid rate with multiple offers.Case in point in Tracy there were 42 homes PENDING last week!  WOW We didn't have 42 homes the entire month of Novemb... 03/06/2008

Real Estate Price Trends The median single family home price as of March 02 2008 for TRACY is $466,434 Home Sales and Demand TrendsThe average property in TRACY as of March 02 2008 has been on the market for about 87 days.Price Per Square FootThe median price per square foot for homes in TRACY as of March 02 2008 is about $201  Homes for SaleThere are about 969 properties on the market in TRACY as of March 02 2008.The real estate market in Tracy is changing rapidly.  At $201 avg sq ft price, 969 homes for sale & median price at $466k, things are progressing in a good direction.  Interest rates are still pretty low.41 HOMES SOLD LAST WEEK!!!!!!! ....notice the spike on the graphs :)Call me for your neighborhood specific statistics to help you in your own real estate evaluation of Tracy r... 03/04/2008

Just a quick update, with all the doom and gloom about the Real Estate market I wanted to let you know that BUYERS are BUYING especially in Tracy and Mountain House. Prices are again affordable for first time buyers, and investors are snatching up the Tier 1 - best priced, best conditions homes on the market.If you need to move, don't think it is hopeless, yes your home will not sell for what it would have 2 years ago, but if you've owned it for a while you'll be fine.What about buying something, building wealth? Do you have equity in your home, what about leveraging that money and purchasing a positive cash flow investment property?Call me today - if you know anyone who is renting, tell them to call me. I can help them find a home. One of my recent clients purchased her first home and... 03/03/2008

I actually heard an agent say this the other day -- no kidding.Buyer's are NOT liars they just don't know what they want.Take the buyer that says my home has to have kitchen window that faces the street?  Once we start asking the RIGHT questions and find out the emotion behind the want then we will better understand what the BUYER really wants.My home has to have 2 stories -- you show them 2 stories until you're blue, THEN they see it ther PERFECT house and it's a ONE STORY!  Well, had you asked the right questions perhap they just wanted the kids near them in a one story, or wanted a sound barrior, who knows -- but what was the TRUE WHY to what they want or don't want.Buyer's are LIARS - I'm guessing the agent who stated this just isn't good at getting to the bottom the emotional reaso... 03/02/2008

How do you wade through all the homes available to purchase in Tracy, Ca. There are 980 homes on the market - 135 of those are UNDER $250,000! WOW -- now do you really want to go look at 135 homes? Probably not.Here's what to do -- 1) chose a great agent, one who knows the market. Personally I use a tier system, I'll let you know the homes at are First Tier and Second Tier -- depending on how soon you're looking to purchase something depends on which Tier we'll look at.First Tier properties do not stay on the market very long. They are priced very well, they are fixed up, and easily to move in to.2) Sign up a great website - you can use mine if you'd like and start watching and searching the market yourself. A great agent will keep thier eyes and ears open for your perfect home, but no ... 03/02/2008

Are you reading headlines like these?Recently, in Tracy, we had a house fire that happened the day before they were to be evicted.  I know it sounds suspicious, but it saddens me that we as people could judge them without knowing all the facts:the bank technically owned the home already.their home insurance won't cover them because they did not "technically" own it.a Foreclosure notice was posted on their front door for seven days & was not removed.the notice was found still on the front door of their burned house.their whole family was in the house when it was started.What's my point?  How can we help, as realtors in this industry, get the word out to homeowners; "We can help them with some possible betters solutions than just plain losing your house to foreclosure"?Call your mortgage ... 03/01/2008

Real Estate Price Trends The median single family home price as of February 24 2008 for TRACY is $477,498.Price Per Square FootThe median price per square foot for homes in TRACY as of February 24 2008 is about $202 Homes for SaleThere are about 940 properties on the market in TRACY as of February 24 2008. The real estate market in Tracy is changing rapidly.  At 202 avg sq ft price, 940 homes for sale & median price at $477k, things are progressing in a good direction.  Interest rates are still pretty low.Call me for your neighborhood specific statistics to help you in your own real estate evaluation of Tracy real estate at 209-321-6122, Christina O'Neal 02/24/2008

After 5 days with 10,000 other Keller Williams agents in Atlanta, I'm refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to hit the road running. What did come to my mind was the market- the Market is the market, what you do with it is the ONLY thing you can control.  So how do you work in this market?That's just it - you WORK!  Personally, I've never been more busy, investors and first time buyers especially are seeing opportunities that didn't exist a year ago.Home owners who need to sell need my help now more than ever, and I'm here to help.  Some agents shy away from Short Sales-- yes, ok, they can be a real pain, but they can also make a HUGE difference in the life of a client!  Isn't that really what this business is all about - helping others achieve their financial wealth goals?  I love this mar... 02/15/2008

I'm seeing it -- buyers are out looking. I've gotten more calls to go look at property in the past 2 weeks than the past 2 months. I know it's spring, the holidays are over, etc..... are buyers looking to buy or are they just surveying the crash site? Most buyers are looking in the bottom range of home, hoping to find a great buy on a foreclosures or bank owned property. Is this what you're seeing? If you're looking to purchase one of these homes and you're not looking NOW you better start. I forgot - I'm in California, Tracy to be exact, the Central Valley. Home buyers are looking at homes for sale in Tracy and Mountain House. Mountain House is getting HOT HOT HOT! 01/22/2008

Affordable Housing in Tracy -- and Mountain House.I picked up the Tracy Press and read an article on "Affordable Housing." The description of "Affordable Housing" was that developers should be given incentives to build UP instead of out.  Keep in mind, Tracy is located in the Central Valley where there is farm land, grazing land and foothills.  I'm not suggesting we want urban sprawl or that growth shouldn't be systematic and orderly.  However, if home buyers wanted multiple housing units stacked one on top of each other they'd purchase homes in the Bay Area.  They'd choose to have 4 - 6 lane roads, tons of traffic, over crowded schools, inflated crime rates, etc.The last time the City of Tracy decided "affordable housing" was necessary the streets were impacted, our schools got over c... 01/07/2008

Here they are right of the presses ---- as of January 4, 2008 ---881    Active Local  99    Pending   32    Sold in past 30 days 63     Active Rural  5      Pending  1      SoldPendings are UP!  What does that really mean besides people are buying homes?  It means BUYERS are BUYING!  This is great news for the Tracy area.  Whoo hooo...   01/07/2008

One of the very best feelings in the entire world happens when you help very deserving people accomplish a goal they never thought they'd accomplish.Here's their story --- names have been changed --- 2 adults, they may have immigrated to the United States, English is not their first language.  The couple worked very hard to make a home for their family.  Their children are grown and have children of their own.  Never in their wildest dreams did M & M  think their dream of home ownership would come true..... but it has.  I was a part of this miracle and what a great feeling. The perfect storm of a declining market made the American Dream possible.  A CalHFA loan at 6.37%; a $75,000 City of Tracy Down-payment Assistance program that won't need to be repaid for 30 years or until they refin... 01/07/2008

Top 5 blogs for 2007 Here is number 5:A Soldier Family's Chronicles will pull at your heart stringsgive you pride in our countryreality storiesinsight of what it is like for our troops away from their families.    Here is number 4:My Tech Opiniongreat advanced techie tipseven though they are advanced, you can still do themrealtors should just follow 10% of what they say & you will go sooooo farrrrrr    Here is number 3:Thirty Day Challengefor the SEO curious in yougreat tips to get more website hitsexplains how to sort out the internet's many dimensionsyou can access all the information without doing a rush of 30 days   Here is number 2:Mashable...social networking newsexplains what is new & creativehow can we utilize it for ussocial networks such as facebook, twitter, digg, mashable to... 01/05/2008

What do these have in common?  Spring -- nope it's not really spring, BUT the SPRING market will be upon us soon.  Traditionally buyers start looking the first full week after New Year's Day.  Buyer's Market -- yes BUYER's MARKET -- when would you like to buy, for years we had severe Seller's Markets -- you had to make numerous offers to purchase a home, and then you paid well over the listing price.  So Ms. Buyer -- do you want to do that again or would you prefer to take your time looking, find the home of your dreams and negotiate for the best price?Taxes -- yes we all pay them.  However, if you own your own home you have a HUGE deduction - INTEREST!  Are you renting?  Have you spoken to a qualified lender to see if you can afford to buy a home?  If not, you should.  Prices are at al... 01/05/2008