By Don Dunning | July 29, 2008
As time goes on in a buyer’s market with prices continuing to soften, those who purchased in recent years are asking whether their county property tax bill might be too high. If you bought in the past four to five years, this is a distinct possibility. According to Oakland Council Member Jean Quan’s Web site, […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 28, 2008
For safety reasons, each city or local jurisdiction has specific rules and codes to help identify what is a bedroom. You should always consult with local officials for a definitive determination. I was on broker’s tour today and reminded of how the “average” agent has little idea of what is and is not a bedroom. […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 24, 2008
On any given day, there are more than 6000 homeless people in Alameda County; half are in Oakland. Earlier this year, after a 10-year effort by its Executive Director, Wendy Jackson, the East Oakland Community Project (EOCP), the largest shelter in Alameda County, moved into its new home. It is believed to be the first […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 20, 2008
Today was the day our country’s foreclosure crisis became personal. Friends of ours have moved from the home they lived in for almost 20 years. They vacated right before the sheriff was allowed to forcibly evict them. For the past nine months, I have been trying to help them in any way I could, but time ran out.
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 17, 2008
The City of Oakland just reached the first anniversary of its program to encourage homeowners to seismically strengthen their property in anticipation of “the big one.” What follows is from council member Jean Quan’s web site. “Now there are two ways the City can assist homeowners seismically strengthen their older homes: 1. New Homeowners–may apply […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 15, 2008
The real estate market is suffering from negative news. Is “going green” on older homes the way to add value? This led me to do research about what it takes for an existing home to be considered green. Right away, I learned a new word, “greenwashing.” It is defined as promoting “a house as green […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 9, 2008
Lots of people are interested in real estate prices, whether they are thinking about buying, selling, or just curious. To determine current values, Realtors® search for comparable sales, “comps,” in any given neighborhood. In a buyer’s market, such as we have today, one of the key variables is the CDOM, cumulative days on the market. […]
Read MoreBy Don Dunning | July 3, 2008
With negative news about the real estate market and economy cropping up daily, it might appear that no one should sell his home now. On the contrary, despite the doom and gloom, there are some excellent reasons why selling today could make good sense.
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