San Carlos Buyers: This is a Must-Read

The perfect storm of market conditions in San Carlos is leading to some questionable tactics and dilemmas in certain transactions.  Buyers that fully understand some of these pitfalls will be in a much better position to protect themselves against these unfortunate positions.  My feeling is that this storm has been brewing for some time, but [...]

Seller Records vs. County Records….A Common San Carlos Real Estate Problem

At first, you may not even notice it. But the examples below show why it is essential to scrutinize all disclosures and also check the county and city records when buying a house in San Carlos. Some sellers will really bend the rules when trying to maximize the purchase price of their house by slyly [...]

Belmont Flirting With Idea That Could Bring About Real Estate Gridlock

Rarely do we go outside the city limits for the San Carlos Blog, however, Belmont is our neighbor and it is currently considering an idea that could bring their housing market to an absolute standstill.  I am hoping that our city leaders are occupied with other issues this week and pay no attention to what [...]

Buyer’s Inspections: Don’t be Fooled, You Need Them

Aside from the seller’s personal narrative of their experience living in the property which comes through on the Transfer Disclosure Statement and Seller’s Supplemental Checklist, the professional inspections conducted on the property are the most important documents contained in any disclosure package.
Which inspections are necessary?  The answer depends on the age and condition of the [...]

Bad Agents: Making a tough market even tougher

I fully realize that a post with a title such as the one above is going to get some attention and some are going to take issue with my position.  Nonetheless, this issue has become so pervasive lately that I feel it is a relevant topic and should be of vital importance to all who [...]

Annual San Carlos Events

Each year the San Carlos Community hosts many worthwhile events. Below is a list of all events which will be taking place in 2009. If you have an event that you would like to list on this page, simply send me the information and I would be happy to list it for you.
July [...]

An “Excellent” Negotiator

It’s hard to open any of the local newspapers without seeing advertisements from real estate agents.  In almost every ad you will see agents claiming to be “excellent” negotiators.  From what I have seen in San Carlos, some are truly excellent negotiators….others leave something to be desired.
This is not a post regarding my skills as [...]

The Golden Rule of Disclosures

The Golden Rule of filling out disclosures can be summarized as follows:  If there is any doubt, disclose it.  You’ll sleep better.
When I was still practicing as an attorney, disclosure issues were far and away the number one contested issue in residential real estate transactions. Here are a few not-so-obvious ones that are likely to [...]

San Carlos Buyers are Finding Deals

The traditional Black Friday deals are apparently not limited to just retailers.  A combination of savvy investors and buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines have jumped into the San Carlos real estate market.  As Warren Buffett once said, “We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only [...]

February and March to Provide Moment of Truth for San Carlos Real Estate

The San Carlos housing market is a bit of a moving target right now.  I have some buyers who are buying, some who are waiting, some who cannot believe prices have not dropped at a faster clip, and one who is ready to move to Fresno.  There are some sellers who want their property sold [...]

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