The prevailing recession has turned the real estate industry into a buyer’s market. The market is flooded with an enormous choice of listed homes, many at prices well below what they are actually worth. Despite this, a first time home buyer should exercise caution and avoid all possible pitfalls. The following are some useful suggestions to keep in mind:

Ensure you have pre-approval for a home mortgage which should be given to you in writing. There’s nothing more dispiriting than a last-minute credit problem that requires resolving.

 Approach an experienced real estate agent who has been recommended. Nonetheless check out his references and website. Meet him/her first and satisfy yourself that he/she understands your requirement and meets your needs. If you’re planning to buy a home in the San Jose neighborhood, Dale Warfel is an experienced realtor who knows the area intimately.

 Before making an offer, get a comparative market analysis. This is where Dale Warfel with his vast experience can be of help. Dale Warfel will give you a fair estimate with the justification to support his calculation.

Be dispassionate when making a selection. Every home has some disadvantage but never compromise by accepting one with a serious defect.

 Ensure you have appropriate contingency clauses built into your preliminary agreement and that the seller consents to a professional inspection.

Get the right advice on buying and selling

Dale Warfel will give you all the professional guidance as a potential home buyer. Do contact him at 408.624.6202 for a quick response. Meanwhile visit his website at www.dalewarfel.com for useful advice to buyers and see some market listings.

Assessing the correct price for a property is the first step towards concluding a transaction for both buyer and seller. Some of the variables that go toward property price determination are as follows.

• One of the prime considerations is the neighborhood. The prices at which comparable properties have been bought and sold in the recent past are a useful yardstick. A neighborhood which is conveniently located and where the streets and houses are well maintained, commands premium prices.
• Schools in the area are another factor. A neighborhood with good, easily accessible schools, adds to the value.
• Facilities such as shopping and leisure activities are important. Suitably located shopping centers and facilities for recreation and entertainment are a big plus point.
• In this day of high crime, the crime rate of a locality plays a big role. A high crime rate is a deterrent which has a negative impact on property price in a neighborhood.
• City planning or zoning which projects the future plans of the neighborhood has an important bearing. If better amenities are on the drawing board for the near future, then this reflects on enhanced property value.
• The economic situation is a large determinant. In the current bleeding economy for example, property prices are depressed. However when the economy recovers it will reflect in rising property value.

  Overall, it is difficult to put a price on a property without the necessary expertise. This is where the services of a good, experienced realtor become invaluable. Dale Warfel is a real estate agent in the San Jose area. He has been in the business long enough to have the answers to all the foregoing variables. Whether you are buying or selling, Dale Warfel will give you a free assessment of the price of a San Jose property.

Do visit his website at www.dalewarfel.com. It contains invaluable information for buyers and sellers. Dale Warfel can be contacted at 408.583.3681.

Today’s depressed economic environment makes the real estate picture a ‘buyers market’. Many properties are put up for sale and may remain on the market for an extended period of time. Offers are sporadic and well below expectations. In some situations when the price of the property is commensurate with the market, a counter-offer is made that is well below a fair price. A property may remain unsold for a period that would force the owner to rethink the asking price. If the seller is determined and constrained to sell, even a low offer becomes a starting point to open negotiations.

Conversely when the economy is flourishing the real estate market becomes a ‘sellers market’. At this time a seller can start with a slightly inflated asking price as the basis of negotiation. The response is generally results in multiple offers. Sometimes when a buyer is determined, homes are known to be sold, above the asking price. Often a deal is struck within days of the property being listed.

Buying a home – an optimistic move

The recent global economic depression appears to have played itself out with an optimistic outlook for the months ahead. The present transition phase is the best time to consider a property investment. If you are thinking of buying a home in the San Jose area, either as an investment or as a residence, then Dale Warfel an experienced realtor will be of immeasurable assistance. Dale Warfel has been dealing in real estate in the Bay Area for over decade now and is fully conversant with property prices in all environments. He is a real estate agent who stands by his client till every last detail is complete. Do visit his website at www.dalewarfel.com to know more of the current list of San Jose properties.

‘Go West young man, and grow up with the country’ were the stirring words penned in 1851 in an editorial for the ‘Terre Haute Express’. The exhortation served as a mantra to many an immigrant who blazed a trail west to the Pacific and made California the state it is today. It was one of the most exciting times in American history, a landmark phenomenon with opportunity and adventure for many young men of that time.

Head west to California

California was the state that attracted settlers like a magnet right from the days of the Gold Rush of 1848. They came in droves, not merely from America, but as far away as Australia, Europe and South America to make San Francisco a boomtown from a dusty little settlement. The trend continues but yesterday’s goldfields are today’s thriving hubs of technology, agriculture and entertainment.

The San Jose area is where many people choose to buy their homes. San Jose boasts some incredible neighborhoods, each with a charm of its own. Homes, with excellent surrounding facilities, are available to suit all budgets. Dale Warfel a long established realtor has been finding people homes in such flourishing neighborhoods like Blossom Valley, Willow Glen, Downtown San Jose and the Almaden Valley. As a local real estate agent, he is familiar with schools, colleges, hospitals, shopping facilities, transportation and all other aspects that a prospective homeowner would like to know about. Because Dale Warfel knows the area like the back of his hand, house hunting becomes that much easier.

Do contact Dale Warfel at 408.583.3681 or email him at Dale@DaleWarfel.com for a quick response. Meanwhile do peruse his website at dalewarfel.com to know what’s available in the list of San Jose homes.

The global recession took its toll on the economy of the United States, as hard as it did in most parts of the world, or perhaps much harder. Pink slips flurried like confetti, heralding the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Consumers stopped spending. Mortgage payments could not be met. Many homes were up for sale with no takers. Some homes were even abandoned. Like all other industries, real estate was badly hit. Prices touched rock bottom. It was almost a rerun of the Great Depression.

Judging by recent trends in many countries it would appear that the recession is climbing out of the valley. The upswing is yet to catch up in the US, but it will inevitably. Company executives wear hesitant smiles as they cautiously look to rehire. When that begins consumers will start spending again … cautiously at first, but spend they will. The economy, like a sleeping giant, will wake up again. And with it, so will real estate prices.

Now is the time to invest in a new home

If you had plans to invest in a home but had shelved the idea, now is the time to rethink that decision. Dale Warfel is a licensed realtor who covers the San Jose area. Dale has some wonderful properties in the Santa Clara County communities of San Jose, Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Cambrian, Cupertino, and Palo Alto, listed on his website. You can view these at www.dalewarfel.com then give him a call at (408) 624-6202. Make a quick decision before real estate prices hit recovery mode.

Many people are making investments in property, especially in the San Jose area. The prevailing economic downturn and consequent plummeting of real-estate prices has come as a bonanza to such investors and also to many home buyers. But currently the depression appears to have bottomed out, which is a good time to buy real estate properties in California. If the financial soothsayers are right, then escalation in property prices is on the horizon.

There are many criteria to consider when making a property investment if the real estate venture is to be a success. After deciding on the amount available, the buyer must actively search for a property within the price range. This is where the skills of an experienced real estate professional become indispensable.

Why hire a real estate agent?

If the intention is investment in rental property, a realtor can point to areas that are popular with renters where tenants are easily found. Alternatively if profit is the objective then the realtor will identify properties in areas with a good resale value. A good real estate agent takes the researching out of the equation.

Dale Warfel is a licensed realtor who has been working in the San Jose area for over a decade. He understands the needs of his client and identifies properties with a fair and reasonable asking price, free of legal issues. Dale could be emailed at dale@dalewarfel.com, or you might like to visit his website at www.dalewarfel.com

Economy wizards predict the end of the recession. All indicators lead to a resurgence in the economy. As always, the real estate industry was one of the first to be affected. With an upswing in the economy, real estate prices which had touched a new low will slowly start to revive … then gain momentum. So if you have plans of buying a home, now is the time to shift gear.

Buying a home is an enormous decision entailing a number of legalities and a long-term financial commitment. Prospective home owners who will spend the good part of their lives in their new home cannot afford to make a mistake. They have to be certain of the area they have selected. Some examples: check out the facilities like schools, department stores, hospitals and churches; how accessible is the neighborhood? Satisfy yourself on these counts before making a decision.

Dale Warfel can help

Dale Warfel is an experienced real estate agent who has been working in the San Jose area. He knows the district intimately, having bought and sold real estate properties in Silicon Valley since 1997. Dale knows what’s right for his clients and takes them through the neighborhood facilities. He is on top of prevailing market prices and can assess the correct price of a property. Dale is a licensed realtor who guides his clients in all aspects of purchasing a home, right from mortgage stage, through the maze of legal formalities, till transfer of possession documentation. Check out some of the properties he has on offer on his website www.dalewarfel.com.

I recently met a prospective home buyer who was in a somewhat intriguing situation if it wasn’t so unfortunate. She was the process of buying a condo in Milpitas, Santa Clara County, Ca. and found to her shock and surprise, that the appraisal report was completely erroneous. Not only was the data wrong, but even the pictures of the home were incorrect. By strange coincidence however, the only accurate detail was the value of the condo which matched the sale price almost to a dollar. She contacted the builder/lender who apologized profusely and assured her the report was under correction. When nothing happened she called the appraiser who stated emphatically that he had received no such request for correction. Now she’s being strong-armed by the loan processors into signing an appraisal report delivery waiver form. She asked my advice.

‘Put it behind you and go to a reputed realtor’

That was the advice I gave her along with Dale Warfel’s telephone number. Dale Warfel, a California licensed realtor, has been in the real estate business for over 12 years and knows San Jose properties like the street on which he lives. Dale’s website at www.dalewarfel.com is a mine of useful information, including the tricky little legal bits. Dale has a feel for what his clients want and makes sure his recommendations are clear and above board. What’s more he stands shoulder to shoulder with his client till delivery of documents.

My home buyer took my advice and filled in the form on Dale’s webpage http://dalewarfel.com/Nav.aspx/Page=/RealEstateTips/HomeBuying/Default.aspx. She is now happily closing in on another condo, in the same area.

People sell homes for several reasons. When a decision is made, the property has to be priced. Pricing a home is a science by itself in which several factors play a role. An owner must know the prevailing prices in the neighborhood and make appropriate adjustments. The condition of the property is a major factor. A prospective buyer would like to know how much money has to be spent on any repairs or maintenance.

Overpricing a property has detrimental effects. Often this results in no takers, till the listing expires. The homeowner is forced to reduce the price by which time the property is gaining something of a reputation. Ultimately the owner might be forced to approach an agent – and there are many – who specialize in revaluating expired listings, often well below what they are worth.

Why Dale Warfel?

Dale Warfel is a licensed realtor who has been working in the San Jose area for over 12 years. He knows the territory intimately and the property trends in every neighborhood of every county. Sensitive to a seller’s mixed emotions, Dale is an agent who works to get his client the best possible price. What’s more, he gives you a market analysis of your home at no charge and without obligation. Just fill out the details on http://dalewarfel.com/Nav.aspx/Page=/About/Default.aspx . If you have a home for sale in the Bay Area, give Dale a call at 408 624-6202 or email him at Dale@DaleWarfel.com .

Dale Warfel has successfully completed the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification to join an elite group of real estate professionals who have earned the prestigious certification offered through the National Institute of Webographers, LLC (www.webographers.com).

Dale has successfully completed 12 short courses which include: Online Business Strategy, Agent Websites, Single-property Websites, Lead Generation and Management, Virtual Tours, CMA and AVM technology, Neighborhood Search, Online Transaction Management, Electronic Forms, Virtual Assistants, Mobile Technologies and Blogs. Read more…

Professional News:

I just got back from a 2-day short sale training class in Rancho Cucamonga, where I completed studies for and earned the Pre-Foreclosure Specialist Certification (PSC). As the practice of listing and selling short sales is evolving rapidly, ongoing training is required to ensure that I will always offer the highest level of service and care to my clients. Topics included setting seller expectations, evaluating the probability of short sale success, working with loss mitigation, short sale ramifications, effective short sale negotiating strategies, short sale best practices, and more.

If you have a friend, co-worker, or family member that purchased their house in 2005 or 2006 with little or no money down, it is possible that they may be at risk of foreclosure. I would be happy to talk with them and discuss alternatives to foreclosure. Please call or e-mail me with their name and best number to reach them. I’ll be sure to take great care of them.

Do You Need A Referral?

If you are needing a referral for a qualified service provider, chances are that I have someone in my database that can help. From a printer to a sign maker, from a landscape contractor to a hair stylist, I have an excellent list of resources. E-mail me at Dale@DaleWarfel.com and let me know how I can assist you.

Looking for a Home? (or What’s Happening in My Neighborhood?)

Are you looking for a private, secure place to search for real estate? Would you like to know what’s happening in your neighborhood? My MLS Advisor Service provides up to date information on listing activity in your area or in any Bay Area region you choose. Search for active listings, properties in escrow, price reductions, and much more. Take a test drive!
Go to: www.DaleWarfel.com and click on MLS Search.

PENDING SALE!
Beautiful Santa Clara Home near Rivermark
4660 Wilcox Avenue, Santa Clara
3 Bedrooms / 2.5 Bathrooms / Approx. 1,473 Sq. Ft.

This beautiful 2 story home features gorgeous tile floors downstairs, an open kitchen with light wood cabinets, granite counters, and plenty of storage, attached 2 car garage, and is close to Cisco, Mission College, Rivermark and more. The low maintenance back yard is perfect for busy professionals who just want a place to relax after a long day at work.

Go to http://dalewarfel.com/ for more details.
This home is listed at $525,000.

PENDING SALE!
4 Years New Penthouse Condo in Rivermark (Santa Clara)
3901 Lick Mill Blvd., Unit 443
1 Bedrooms / 1 Bathrooms / Approx. 908 Sq. Ft.

Gorgeous Penthouse Unit with soaring Cathedral Ceilings in Living Room. This spacious 1 bed/1 bath unit is like new. The sellers added a double door entry to the dining room, so it could also be used as an private office or 2nd bedroom. Enjoy the living room fireplace, functional kitchen with a gas range, granite counters and stainless appliances, west facing deck, and panoramic views! This beautiful home is located in the Miraval community, which offers many amenities including a pool and spa, workout room, theater, and more! Priced to sell, this unit won’t last.

Go to http://dalewarfel.com/ for more details.
This home is listed at $330,000.

Who says lightning doesn’t strike three times! This wonderful, fully occupied triplex provides good cash flow and the potential to have positive cash flow with a reasonable down payment. This property features individual 1 car garages (deep enough to park two small cars in tandem!) for each unit. The kitchen in the two bedroom unit was remodeled with new cabinets and counters last year, and the roof is only 3 years old.

Go to http://dalewarfel.com/ for more details.
This property sold for $380,000.

Thank You:

Thank you to Michael C. and Paul H. for your referrals.

Market Update

The median price for single-family, re-sale homes rose 8.1% in July compared to June, and it is now at its highest level since last September. Year-over-year, the median price was off 15.6% The average price gained 3.7%, month-over-month. It has risen eight months in a row. Year-over-year, the average price was off 18%.

Home sales increased, year-over-year, by 25% in July. This is the thirteenth month in a row homes sales have been up compared to the year before. Year-to-date, home sales are up 25.3%.

Inventory continued falling in July, and it is now off 57.8% year-over-year. Pending sales, which is a leading indicator, was up 30.2% compared to last July.

The sales price to list price ratio for homes rose 0.22 of a point to 97.83%.

Condo sales rose 4.8% from June, and were up 16.9% year-over-year.

The median price for condos fell 4.4% from June, and it was off 29.3% compared to last July. The average price fell 3.9%, month-over-month, and was down 26.2% compared to July 2008.

Condo inventory was down 59.1% year-over-year, while pending sales were up 42.9%.

The sales price to list price ratio for condos rose .62% to 98.53%.

For your requirements in buying or selling properties in San Jose, especially in the communities of Almaden Valley and Willow Glen, contact me via email at: Dale@DaleWarfel.com.