Cheryl Bower's Real Estate Blog

The changing demographics of S.F. neighborhoods per new census data

By hjadmin | March 20, 2011

    There are demographic changes that have been in motion for several years that you’ve likely been aware of if you’ve lived in S.F. for any period of time.  For those who are curious about neighborhood demographics this is an interesting read.  I wasn’t aware that Golden Gate Park had such a large homeless…

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Buying a Short Sale — The Need for Speed

By hjadmin | March 17, 2011

Short sales offer not just a lifeline to homeowners in over their heads, but an opportunity for homebuyers seeking an amazing deal. Better yet, thanks to new regulations, the once lengthy process has recently become considerably more streamlined.

In a short sale, a homeowner that cannot afford to pay the mortgage and the lender that loaned […]

Related posts:

  1. Simple Real Estate Definitions : Short Sale
  2. What You Should Know About Making an Offer on a Short Sale
  3. How “Repair Credits” To The Buyer Can Sabotage Your Home Sale
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San Francisco: Portola district home market sales activity

By hjadmin | March 7, 2011

San Francisco: Portola district home market sales activity     The full report for Portola district single family home sales 2010/2011 comparison can be downloaded at the link below. A few highlights include that inventory has come down quite a bit from 2010 to 3.8 months of inventory.  A balanced market is considered 6 months…

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FHA : Monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums To Rise April 18, 2011

By hjadmin | March 5, 2011

Effective for all FHA case numbers assigned on, or after, April 18, 2011, annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) will increase 25 basis points.

Related posts:

  1. FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Approved To Triple In Cost
  2. Higher (And Lower) FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums Start October 4, 2010
  3. Separating FHA Fact From Fiction : Mortgage Insurance Premiums
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Cost of Living Reaches An All-Time High, Pressures Mortgage Rates Higher

By hjadmin | February 24, 2011

Inflation fears are harming home buyers. The Cost of Living has reached a record level, surpassing the former peak set in July 2008. Mortgage rates would be rising more right now if not for the Middle East unrest.

Related posts:

  1. Mortgage Rates Buck Conventional Wisdom And Rise Despite The Plunging Cost Of Living Index
  2. The Cost Of Living Includes The Cost Of Gas And Food (And May Get More Expensive Through The Winter)
  3. Mortgage Rates Spike On Highest Cost Of Living Index Since 1991
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Heath Ceramics: Creative re-use! Wine bottles transformed to drinking glasses

By hjadmin | February 23, 2011

It was a productive shopping trip to Heath Ceramics in Sausalito this week (BTW, they now have a small store at the Ferry Building in S.F.). Not only did I piece together a beautiful set of dishes (seconds at that, which had the slightest flaws!), but I came across these beautiful glasses which were formerly…

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Practical Advice : How To Help Your S.F. Bay Area Home Sell Faster

By hjadmin | February 12, 2011

Home sellers that want to sell quickly should take a listen to this 3-minute interview from NBC’s The Today Show. It’s loaded with practical advice.

Related posts:

  1. Making Your Home Sell Faster With Psychology
  2. How To Sell Your Home For 17% More, 40% Faster This Spring
  3. Builders May Be Figuring Out The Market Faster Than Home Sellers
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At Long Last!! Sick of the Yellow Pages? Now you can opt out!

By hjadmin | February 1, 2011

I think it’s been a good 10 years since I’ve last opened a Yellow Pages book.  Such a waste of resources for most people who are online.  Now there’s an easy way to opt out along with adjusting other mail preferences.  Be patient with the yellow pages site, it keeps going down because of excessive…

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Cost vs. value: what home renovation projects have the greatest return?

By hjadmin | January 28, 2011

Cost vs. value:  what home renovation projects have the greatest return? A new garage door, window replacement & minor kitchen remodels top the list for greatest ROI.  If you’re thinking about upgrades to your home, talk with your Realtor for guidance on what is appropriate for your neighborhood so as to not over improve your…

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Cheryl's S.F. Bay Area & Beyond Yelp Reviews

By hjadmin | January 27, 2011

  Recent reviews by Cheryl B. What’s this?  

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