Senators agree to extend homebuyer tax credit - Yahoo News Article

This is awesome! Not only has the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers been extended until the end of April (end of April to sign a contract, end of June to close), but they have also added a $6,500 tax credit for repeat home buyers who have owned their current homes for over five years.

Click here to read the full article.

Energy Bills Are Yet Another Dealkiller/Maker - Realty Times article

Click here to read the full article, or just read some of my highlighted quotes from the article below:

"home buyers are not only looking at their commute times, they're also looking closely at energy efficiency in the homes they buy"

"But what about buyers looking at existing homes? One of the questions that a buyer may ask a seller to provide copies of their utility bills, but that may only reflect the family's habits and the cost of their service provider."

"A better way to determine the energy efficiency of a home is to conduct a simple inspection of the home they are considering buying."

"An inefficient home can lead to $20 of wasted money due to leakage for every $100 spent on heating and cooling"

"If a buyer or seller wants professional advice, they can turn to Home Energy Rated Services (HERS.)"

If you would like information on how to contact a HERS rater, I can recommend two HERS raters who I have worked with on projects that are both incredible.

Freecycle - Why It's a Great Site for Home Buyers and Sellers

We all know how much "stuff" can be accumulated in our homes. In fact, we are very aware of it whenever we have to move. Yet, once we move to our new location, we always find ourselves in "need" of more stuff that will fit with our new home.

This is where Freecycle come in handy. The Freecycle Network™ (click here to visit the site) is, according to the site, "made up of 4,836 groups with 6,647,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills."

It is free to join and once you become a member you search for your community and then look to see what you can find or start to get rid of stuff.

Green your move by keeping your old stuff out of landfills, helping someone else who is in need of your old stuff and in the meantime find some new stuff for your new place!

Now everyone is happy!

"How To Find 'Green' Contractors" - Realty Times Article

Click here to read an article from Realty Times about how to find a "green" contractor. The article references Marc Richmond, president of Practica Consulting in Berkeley. Marc Richmond is the trainer who I worked with in order to become a Certified Green Building Professional through Build It Green.

Marc says in the article, "While virtually no government regulatory agency license contractors specifically as "green" you can find otherwise licensed contractors affiliated with or certified by the U.S. Green Building Council; Build It Green; the National Association of Home Builders; the National Association of Remodeling Industry and other building trade groups".

Of course, if you're looking for a green contractor in Alameda, you can call McCaffrey Custom Construction at 510.86.GREEN (864.7336) or e-mail Info@McCaffreyCustom.com. Also check out the website at www.McCaffreyCustom.com.

Seven Misstatements Sellers Make - Article by Don Dunning

There was a great article in the Alameda Journal published October 16th written by Don Dunning, titled "Seven Misstatements Sellers Make". Here are the mistakes that Don discusses. To read the full article, click here.

1. "My house is better than..."

2. "At that price, I would be giving it away"

3. "The buyer can pay for his own reports"

4. "I don't need to tell the buyers about..."

5. "I don't want a 'For Sale' sign in front or any open houses"

6. "I am not going to disrupt my life by removing furniture and other stuff"

7. "I just need an agent who will sell the house for me"

In addition to Don's incredibly well stated explanations for why these statements harm the seller, Don also concluded with a great point:

"Anyone can make a sale; you need an individual with local knowledge and experience who will stand in your shoes and do what is right for you.

There is one thing sellers rarely say - 'I am looking for an agent who will work in my best interests'. When they look back and see how the "salesperson" got the house sold, they may realize that their interests were not put first. At that point, it is too late".

First Time Home-Buyer Federal Tax Credit - FAQ's

Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions in regards to the Federal Housing Tax Credit for 1st time home buyers.

Alameda Magazine's Best of Alameda 2009

Click here to read Alameda Magazine's Reader's Choice list for 2009.