Jana Lee's Millbrae Real Estate Blog

This market can really wear you down.  I know because it wears me down as well.  In the world of real estate, you must be persistant and know how to play the game.  I am with a client for about a year now and we have made multiple and numerous offers.  I am actually amazed at how my client is still willing to go for it.  The same goes for me.  I have to find that extra energy and positive outlook to keep plowing through the hard times (now). 

Don’t give up!!!

Image by Teckie Kev via Flickr

Running the red light is a very painful and expensive experience.  I know because I have just received that picture of myself running the red light along with the traffic citation.  So not only do I now have to deal with the anxiety of getting the actual ticket in 3-4 weeks, arrange for traffic court and/or arrange for traffic school, go in front of the judge if I should desire to try to knock down the fine, but I am stuck with the heavy penalty of paying it off along with the traffic school fee to keep the “ding” off my driving record.

This is very similar to what some clients go through because they feel they know more than their agent.  As a realtor, I have the experience that should be trusted by the client as to what the procedures are for different types of real estate sales.  I advise my clients as best I can in order to get that investment property he/she wants.I give them advice on what is needed to be done,  do things  in the order necessary to expedite the experience. I also prepare them for what may or may not happen.  In doing so, as the agent and client, we need to work together and obey the rules set down by the real estate market, lenders, and other buyers and sellers.

Trust your agent and take their advice if you really want to succeed in this market.

Image by TheTruthAbout… via Flickr

This is the most exhausting time to buy real estate.  Perseverence will pay off if you are not in a hurry.  This process can last 6 months, give or take a day or two.  You have to be ready to play the waiting game on offers submitted, be resilllient to withstand the rejected ones and energetic enough to forge forwrd onto to many offers.  If you think you have the mind and body to do this, then the answer is YES to the short sale world.

Just remember that this is a slow and long process.  However, if you are one of the fortunate ones to land one and get your offer accepted, it can be all worth it.

The market here in SF and the surrounding Penninsula areas are still going like hot cakes.  The real estate inventory is still here and ready for investors. Interest rates are slowly creeping up and I have been hearing that guidelines are going to get even more stricter in April.  Typically this time of year, real estate starts to ready itself for the booming summer months.  I can see this happening already.

Fortunately, we live in an area where housing is still blossoming.  So opportunity is knocking for those of you still wanting to invest in real estate.

Seems like a target goal for buyers “on the fence” would be April of this year.  The interest rates will rise to around 6%.  Loan requirements are going to be even more stricter also. 

Take advantage of how the market is now and get things ready for your  real estate investing.  Guidelines are becoming a nightmare for some buyers and it is going to get harder. 

Suggestion…if you are really motivated to finding a home, DO IT! and good luck.

Heck No!  I refuse to be the biggest loser. However, when I watched that show yesterday, I was re-inspired to re-focus on my goals. So many times I just let things slide by and make excuses.  Well, 2010 is going to be challenging and I will succeed.

What I mean  by challenging is the fact that I have clients just sitting on the fence and not motivated to make a commitment to do what is needed to be done to achieve THEIR GOALS. 

Don’t let others dictate your future. I will always remember what my dad said to me…If you want things done right, do it yourself!!!  That has been my motto from years back and will always be my motto. Real estate ownership will not just fall on your lap, if you want it, DO IT!  

So let’s go and keep the goals in tact.

Can’t decide which phone to get?  I just had a friend that had his Iphone 3GS and had gotten it stolen.  So, he decided to try out the Droid through Verizon.  Aside from the pleasant sales person, he was highly disappointed in the Droid and its applications.  For Iphone users, he said that the Droid is not user friendly as the Iphone.  With the Iphone, you could view/close an incomin text in one step.  With the Droid, he said it took about 3 steps to even open the text.  Long story short, the Droid may have alot better graphics, streaming, camera and video viewing.  Droid had great GPS applications for real estate too. But if your looking for easy maneuvering to tasking, the Iphone is the winner! 

I have had the opportunity to try it out briefly and I thought the screen icons were smaller.  I also thought the Iphone was friendlier too.  Perhaps, its just we are accustomed to as well so test drive it out for yourself and Good Luck!

Please feel free to let me know what your thoughts and ideas are on the choices of phones you  have.

It s a go do it kind of day.  For whatever you have on the burner for the weekend…start now in preparation and go for it.  These grey days are so meloncholy and just makes people around me sluggish and tends to bring down my mood as well. 

I asked a client if they wanted to look at property today and the response was “I dont feel like it.”  Well, I responded back and reminded him of the fact that he  and his family were the ones that approached me first to hurry and buy something by this summer.  Also, reminded him of the fact that real estate sellers will not wait till they are good and ready.  So guess what?  We will meet this afternoon.

I believe the old saying…”Haste makes waste.”  So its a GO DO IT  kinda day.

Have you ever had those kind of days where you feel stumped and no where to go?  Upstream seems to hard and you want to forget about the longterm goal?

  Well, you are not alone.  I have a client who wanted to quit.  He wanted to stop all his frustrations of being “The Man” and pack up and leave to another state.  His job was giving him the bonuses as usual, and he was feeling the stress of not being able to provide the way he has done for previous years so he asked me to hook him up with an agent in Colorado.  As I was going through the motions, I asked him if he even discussed this with his wife?  He replied that she will have to go or leave.  He simply could not take the stress of his work and felt his health was at stake. he did not thoroughly go over the challenges he was facing because he felt she couldn’t handle it.

Well, to our surprise, when it came time to discussing the nitty gritty of leaving, his wife understood that a big change was needed to stay here in their house and continue living here in California.  then a family members decided that they did not want to see them leave.  Parents and other family members volunteered to help them out with some of their financially difficulties they were in. Now it seems that there is a rainbow at the end of their tunnel.

What Id like to express here is that, if something means that much to you and you feel as if you are hitting a brick wall, make sure you venture all your possibilities before you become totally discouraged.  Just like if you thinking you cannot afford a house but may have family members who can co-borrow or lend/gift you some of the down payment, ask!  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.   Just liik into things thoroughly.  You ever know when you may find the extra help.  Keep the faith!

Image by innoxiuss via Flickr

Brace yourselves.  Its going to storm!!!  Weather reports have been reminding us about this weeks stormy weather. Mother nature will prevail, and we can’t hide or fight with mother nature.  So we  better get our rain gear ready and drive extra careful.  The storm will hit this week.

As for another storm, the real estate market is changing and we better brace ourselves and get prepared if we want to survive and succeed.  The loan process is changing and becoming very strict.  Gone are the days of easy qualifying.  Buyers/owners will have to “jump through hoops” to buy a house or to refinance.  So be ready and get prepared so you don’t “blow” away your opportunities in the realm of real estate.