Right price for Selling a home in Castro Valley,CA

When you’re selling your home in Castro Valley, California, the price you set is a critical factor in the return you’ll receive. That’s why you need a professional evaluation from an experienced Realtor®. Meena Gujral can provide you with an honest assessment of your home, based on several factors, including:

 • Market conditions

•Condition of your home

• Repairs or improvements

• Selling timeframe.

 In real estate terms, market value is the price at which a particular house, in its current condition, should sell within 30 to 90 days.

If the price of your home is too high, this could cause several things:

• Limits buyers. Potential buyers may not view your home because it appears to be out of their buying range.

• Limits showings. Other salespeople may be more reluctant to view your home.

• Used as leverage. Other Realtors® may use this home to drive the sale of other homes that are better-priced.

• Extended stay on the market. When a home is on the market too long, it may be perceived as defective. Buyers may wonder, “what’s wrong,” or “why hasn’t this sold?”

• Lower price. An overpriced home, still on the market beyond the average selling time, could lead to a lower selling price. To sell it, you will have to reduce the price – sometimes several times. In the end, you’ll probably get less than if it had been properly priced in the first place.

• Wasted time and energy. A bank appraisal is most often required to finance a home.

Realtors® have known it for years – well-kept homes in Castro Valley that are properly priced in the beginning always get you the fastest sale for the best price! And that’s why you need a professional to assist you in the selling of your home. 

Often, in a seller’s market, homes that are priced slightly below market value initially will sell for more, simply because of the extra interest they incite.  This can be a risk, however, and when it comes to such a decision, an experienced, trusted Realtor® is your best ally.

If I can help answer any questions or provide you with a free market analysis on your home, you can call me (Meena Gujral) at 510-279-9580. To see all the homes I have sold in Five Canyons, Palomares Hills and other areas of Castro Valley California, go to

Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley

Is this a good market for buyers? Should I buy now or wait till spring of 2010?

Great news for buyers:  The Mortgage Protection Program has been extended through 2010.

To continue to provide first-time home buyers with peace of mind when purchasing their first home, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Housing Affordability Fund has extended the Mortgage Protection Program (MPP) through December 2010.

Through the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund’s MPP, first-time home buyers who lose their jobs due to layoffs may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per month, for six months, to help make their mortgage payments. A qualified co-buyer also can participate in the program, and receive a monthly benefit of $750 per month for up to six months. 

TO QUALIFY FOR THE MORTGAGE PROTECTION PROGRAM APPLICANTS MUST:
 Be a first-time home buyer – someone who has not owned property in the last three years
     (includes co-buyer).
Open escrow April 2, 2009, or later, and close on or before December 31, 2010
     (purchase agreement cannot be dated before April 2, 2009)

Use a California REALTOR® in the transaction
Purchase the property in California
Be a W-2 employee (cannot be self-employed)

Housing affordability reaches 70.1 in third quarter.

Housing affordability stood at 70.1 percent nationwide in the third quarter, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) released last week.

That means more than 70% of all households in the country can afford to purchase a home. When you consider that so many families are settled in homes they purchased years ago at much lower prices, the percentage of people being able to achieve the American Dream of homeownership is even higher.

Low Interest Rates.

Interest rates have been historically low all year. Average conventional mortgage rates have hovered between 5 and 6 percent through most of 2009 and are currently below 5 percent. Interest rates can have even more impact on the actual cost of homeownership than sales prices.

Extension of first–time home buyers’ tax credit.

First time home buyer $8000 tax credit has been extended till April 30, 2010. Homebuyers who are in transactions of that date can close escrow on or before July 1, 2010 to get the tax credit. So far an estimated 1.5 million buyers who purchased homes in 2009 are expected to claim the credit and the numbers are growing because of the extension.

New Tax credit for existing homeowners.

Homeowners that have lived in their home for 5 out of the last 8 years can get a tax credit of $6,500 when they buy another home as long as it is going to be a primary residence. In other words the buyers do not have to be first time home buyers. This means, current homeowners who want a home that is larger or smaller or in a different location may be eligible for this tax credit.

Extension of higher conforming loan limits.

Congress has agreed to extend the conforming loan limit from $417,000 to $729,750 through 2010. As you probably know jumbo rates are expensive and more difficult to obtain.                                                                                  

If these are not enough reasons for any buyer to seriously consider buying a house NOW, I wonder what is. Please call Meena Gujral (California Realtor) at 510-279-9580 if you are looking to buy a home in Fremont, Castro Valley, Pleasanton, Dublin, or anywhere in the Alameda County or go to my website at http://www.helpusellachievers.com

To see all the homes I have listed and sold in Castro Valley and Fremont, go to:  

Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California

Homes Sold by Meena in Fremont

Meena Gujral

Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty

40083 Mission Blvd, Fremont, Ca. 94539

510-279-9580

September Home Sales in Castro Valley, California

Housing Market in Castro Valley, Ca.

As per the Bay East Association of Realtors, Days on Market (DOM) for the Castro Valley area year-to-date is around 84. The median attached home price in Castro Valley for September was $505,000. As of the last day of September there were 107 active homes in  Castro Valley. At current selling rates this means there is approximately 2 months of inventory in Castro Valley remaining.

	Active	Pending	Sold	Months Supply
Aug 08	190	36	42	4.5
Sep 08	184	40	33	4.4
Oct 08	174	43	32	4.2
Nov 08	162	25	29	4.5
Dec 08	157	22	32	4.8
Jan 09	152	39	18	4.7
Feb 09	151	30	25	5.2
Mar 09	137	50	25	3.9
Apr 09	125	46	31	3.0
May 09	111	48	34	2.6
Jun 09	102	53	29	2.1
Jul 09	108	49	45	2.2
Aug 09	100	52	44	2.0
Sep 09	107	48	38	2.1

Are you looking to do a short sale? I specialize in Short Sales. I have had a 100% success rate with my short sales. Are you a For Sale By Owner? I can show you ways of selling through Help-U-Sell to save thousands of dollars and sell your home quickly for a low set fee. If you are looking to buy a home please call Meena Gujral at 510-279-9580 or go to:

Castro Valley homes for sale

Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California

How much have the prices dropped in Five Canyons in the last 2 years?

I will give you an example of how much the prices have dropped in 2 years in Five Canyons. The example I am giving is the floor plan close to my heart since it was my own home.
I sold my house in Five Canyons for 1,125,000 on 2/1/2007. It was a 2,992 sq ft home.
On 5/5/2008 the same floor plan sold for $925,000.
On 5/16/2009 the same 2,992 plan sold for $730,000. This home was not the best location since it was closer to the power lines which is not desirable. It was also a foreclosure property.
There is a home currently listed in that sq footage for $845,000.

I hope that gives you a pretty good idea of what has been going on in Five Canyons. The prices in Five Canyons are now starting to go back up and if you are looking to buy, now is a great time since I don’t see them going down anymore.

The schools in Castro Valley are excellent, and the homes in Five Canyons are beautiful. There is a new Montissori school in Five Canyons which is also very good. The area is centrally located with easy access to major freeways like 580, 92 and 880.

To see all the homes I have sold in Five Canyons and Palomares Hills click on the link below:
Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California

Castro Valley homes for sale

If I can show you any homes in Five Canyons or Palomares Hills (another great area with awesome Jensen Ranch school), please let me know at 510-279-9580.

Meena Gujral
Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty
510-279-9580

Is the market picking up in Castro Valley? How about the San Francisco Bay Area in California?

 

 

 

 

 

 

As per the Bay East Association of Realtors, Days on Market (DOM) for the Castro Valley area year-to-date is around 86. The median single family home price in Castro Valley for July was $460,000. As of the last day of July there were 108 active homes in Castro Valley. At current selling rates this means there is approximately 2 months of inventory in Castro Valley remaining.

 Information obtained from Data Quick information systems shows Bay Area home sales rose last month to the highest level for a July in four years as deals above $500,000 continued to accelerate. The median sale price climbed above the prior month for the fourth consecutive month, lifted by the combination of more high-end transactions and fewer sales of lower-cost, lender-owned foreclosures.

Sales of $500,000-plus existing single-family detached houses rose to 35.6 percent of all house resales last month, up from 34.1 percent in June and up from a low this year of 22.7 percent in January. Last month’s $500,000-plus sales were the highest since they were 38 percent of sales last September.

As high-end sales have taken off in recent months, sales of foreclosures in less-expensive inland areas have tapered off.

 In the San Francisco Bay Area and across California we continue to see the market moving gradually back toward a more normal balance of sales across all price ranges. The high end of the market finally started selling and that has led to a swift rise in the median sale price. It is becoming quite evident that in some areas we’ve approached at least a soft bottom for home prices. A total of 8,771 new and resale houses and condos sold in the nine-county Bay Area last month. That was up 1.5 percent from 8,664 in June and up 15.6 percent from 7,586 in July 2008. Last month’s sales were the highest for the month of July in four years, and the highest for any month since August 2006.

Based on this information, I would certainly agree that the market is picking up in Castro Valley and all over the Bay Area.

If you have any other questions or would like to reach me, please call me at 510-279-9580 or go to 

Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California

Castro Valley homes for sale

Meena Gujral

Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty

40083 Mission Blvd, Fremont, Ca. 94539

510-279-9580

I have heard that Palomares Hills and Five Canyons are good areas in Castro Valley. Can you tell me more?

Palomares Hills and Five Canyons are both excellent areas of Castro Valley and are very desirable because of the best Elementary schools and the upscale homes.

Palomares Hills was built by Shapel. There are homes in Palomares Hills that range from 22 years in age to as new as 9 years and consist of Single Family homes, Duets and Townhouses. There are some beautiful view homes and it is an exclusive area with Villareal as the main road leading into the area.

Palomares Hills is close to highway 580 and is an easy drive to the Pleasanton Stoneridge shopping Mall. The Elementary school is Jensen Ranch and as mentioned earlier it is a top rated award winning school.

Five Canyons was built by Centex. These are newer than Palomares Hills and range from 14 years to the newest being 8 year old. There are 5 developments in Five Canyons that have all Single Family Homes. They are Gold Creek, Canyon Oaks, Abbeywood, Whispering Oaks and Creekside. There is another development in Five Canyons that consist of townhouse and that area is called Wildwood.

A new Montessori school was built next to the Wildwood development. The elementary school for Five Canyons is Independent School which is also excellent.

Five Canyons is close to Mission, Highway 880, 92 and 580. As of today August 28, 2009, there are 11 homes in Five Canyons and Palomares Hills ranging from $459,000-$927,000.

If there is anything you need to know about Five Canyons, Palomares Hills, Castro Valley Schools or Castro Valley in general, you can reach me at 510-279-9580. You can also go to my website at: http://www.helpusellachievers.com

To see all the homes I have listed and sold in Five Canyons and Palomares Hills, Castro Valley, go to: http://www.helpusellachievers.com/About_Castro_Valley/page_2046191.html

Fremont Homes Blog

Meena Gujral

Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty 510-279-9580

Castro Valley California June 2009 Housing Statistics

As per the statistics from the Bay East Association of Realtors, Days on Market (DOM) for the Castro Valley area year to-date is around 96. The median single family home price in Castro Valley for June was $435,000. As of the last day of June there were 102 active homes in Castro Valley. At current selling rates this means there is approximately 2 months of inventory in Castro Valley remaining.

As you can see just from the last 3 months below, inventory is getting low and prices are on the rise.

             Average Price               Active Properties

March    $450,258                     137

April       $505,030                     125

May        $507,597                     111

June       $505,362                     102 

The market is changing from a buyer’s market to once again a seller’s market. I am finding multiple offers in many areas in the East Bay especially in Castro Valley, California.

 I just sold a home in Palomares Hills, Castro Valley. As per the seller’s agent he had 3 offers, and thankfully our offer was accepted. In Five Canyons , Castro Valley I ran into the same situation. The home there too sold over asking price. I now have an investor who wanted to see a house that just came on the market in Castro Valley. I had to give him the disappointing news that they already have 4 offers over asking price out of which 2 are all cash offers.

If there is anything you need to know about Five Canyons, Palomares Hills, Castro Valley Schools or homes for sale in Castro Valley California, you can reach me at 510-279-9580. You can also go to my website at http://www.helpusellachievers.com

Homes listed and sold by Meena in Castro Valley

To see all my virtual tours click:

Meena’s Virtual Tours

Meena Gujral

Help-U-Sell Achievers Realty

510-279-9580

Are home sales in Castro Valley picking up?

As per the Bay East Association of Realtors, days on Market (DOM) for the Castro Valley area year-to-date is around 96. The median single family home price in Castro Valley for April was $480,000. As of the last day of April there were 125 active homes in Castro Valley. At current selling rates this means there is approximately 3 months of inventory in Castro Valley remaining. For a list of Castro Valley Homes for sale, Real Estate listings, California Real Estate go to http://www.helpusellachievers.com or contact Meena at 510-279-9580.

 Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California

When selling my house in Castro Valley what is referred as “clutter” in the house?

After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, in drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.

 The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter, because it is an easy place to start. First, get everything off the counters, even the toaster. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. Clean the cabinets out including the dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used. Put them in a box, and put that box in storage, too.

 Homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their “stuff.” If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much “empty space” as possible. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open space.

 Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as clutter like extra clothes and shoes, things you rarely wear but cannot bear to be without. Do without these items for a couple of months by putting them in storage, because these items can make your closets look “crammed full.”

 Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms to give the illusion of space that a homebuyer would like to see. You may want to tour some builders’ models to see how they place furniture in the model homes. Observe how they place furniture in the models so you get some ideas on what to remove and what to leave in your house.

 Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only clutter, but junk. These areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential and take it to the storage area. 

Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let your agent that specializes in Castro Valley, California help you determine what needs to be removed. For more ideas on selling your home for the best possible price go to: http://www.helpusellachievers.com or contact Meena at 510-279-9580.

  Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California 

Housing Statistics in Castro Valley, California

As per the Bay East Association of Realtors, Days on Market (DOM) for the Castro Valley area year-to-date is around 86. The median single family home price in Castro Valley for November was $462,500. As of the last day of November there were 162 active homes in  Castro Valley. At current selling rates this means there is approximately 5 months of inventory in Castro Valley remaining.

For a list of Castro Valley Homes for sale, Real Estate listings, California Real Estate go to http://www.helpusellachievers.com or contact Meena at 510-279-9580.

 

Homes sold by Meena in Castro Valley, California