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Home Selling Tips for Increasing Value

February 8th, 2010 by Raymond Stoklosa
Filed under: Featured Posts, Real Estate, Seller Information

san mateo home selling tips

In my last post, we gave you some tips for improving curb appeal to increase home value for improving the look of the outside before selling your home. Today, we’ll take a look inside.

Tips for Increasing Home Value

Here are some improvements you can make to the inside of your house to increase value.

Front Door – a new front door instantly enhances your home’s appearance; it invites buyers in.
Window treatments – whether its elegant draperies or easy valances attractive window treatments offer accents that soften the rough edges around window openings.
Upgrade inefficient windows – trade in old, energy squandering windows and eliminate drafty rooms with high performance, easy to clean windows
Replace damaged siding – Ugly, weather beaten siding is a sign of neglect that pushes away home buyers and attracts low ball bits
Paint interior – buyers appreciate your home more when its shiny and bright
Add architectural embellishments – wide trim and moldings, new door knobs and hinges
Refurbish cabinets and counter tops – kitchen and baths are especially important in the eyes of a buyer
Replace antiquated appliances – make it easy for a buyer to want your home
Replace worn carpets – if you can’t afford to, get carpets cleaned professionally
Refinish hardwood floors – sparkling hardwood is one of today’s most desirable features

Most Importantly…Clean!

Finally, clean, Clean, CLEAN. Apply the “white glove rule.” Do you see any grim or dirt when you rub a white glove over the surface. Your home needs to show like a brand new model home.

Sell Your Home Quick by Making a Buyer Want to Live in It

Looks good! Smells good! Feels good should be your goal. Maximizing the value and speeding up marketing time is a direct result of preparation. As a seller, you control the condition of your home. For best results, do everything you can to make the buyer want to own and live in your home.

What’s Your Home Worth?

Find out the value of your San Mateo home with some basic information about your home and your email. Check out a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to learn how to sell your home for top dollar in the fastest time.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

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What Do a Black & White Ball and Selling Your Home Have In Common?

February 5th, 2010 by Raymond Stoklosa
Filed under: Real Estate, Seller Information

tips for selling san mateo home

Selling your San Mateo home is part beauty contest and part price war. We’ve written numerous articles about the price and value side of the equation, let’s talk about the beauty contest side now.

Selling Your Home is Like Going to a Black and White Ball

Metaphorically speaking, selling your home is a little like going to a fancy formal party – the kind of party where you really want to impress people – like a Black and White Ball. You wouldn’t attend an important affair in your paint clothes. You would get all dressed up in your most fashionable clothes; you would look good, smell good and feel good. When it comes to selling your home, the old adage “you’ll never get a second chance to make a great first impression” is spot on. Selling your San Mateo home starts with curb appeal.

Selling Your Home Starts with Curb Appeal

Curb appeal, in the real estate industry’s lexicon, means your home’s external appearance is so appealing that prospective home buyers will feel compelled to see the inside. Experts say that boosting your home’s curb appeal can increase its value by 5% – 10% when it comes time to sell. Here are several ideas:

What Can You Do Outside to Improve Curb Appeal?

Landscaping – well thought and cohesive landscaping does not have to be expensive; a simple garden can make a huge difference in the overall appearance.
Garage facelift – in San Mateo County where we have so many homes with garages that face the street, a new garage door and contrasting paint trim can be an attractive alternative to the weathered and faded existing garage door
New porch or deck – gives the appearance of extra living area while inviting people to spend time enjoying the outside
Update exterior hardware – a new mail box and front door latch and key add sparkle
Install low voltage exterior lighting – winter season home buyers will approach your home with a sense of security and a feeling that you have lovingly maintained your home

What About the Inside?

In my next post, I’ll give you some tips about preparing the inside of your home to sell.

What’s Your Home Worth?

Find out the value of your San Mateo home with some basic information about your home and your email. Check out a sample market report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to learn how to sell your home for top dollar in the fastest time.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

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San Mateo Village Sewer Lateral Repair Program for Healthy Homes

February 4th, 2010 by Rebecca Williamson
Filed under: Living in San Mateo County, San Mateo Community

San Mateo Village sewer lateral healthy homes

The City of San Mateo has a great new program to assist single family homeowners in San Mateo Village in repairing deteriorated sewer laterals.

Why San Mateo Village?

The City of San Mateo was recently fined $750,000 from Regional Water Quality Control for sewage run off problems. Regional Water Quality Control gave San Mateo a choice…pay the fine, or apply the money towards fixing the sewer problems so they don’t continue to happen. San Mateo chose to apply it towards fixing the sewer problems.

Why Only San Mateo Village Homes?

According to David Lim, San Mateo City Council Member who came to speak to us, he said this program was being tested first in San Mateo Village to gauge response and then will be rolled out into other neighborhoods if successful. For now, San Mateo Village was the neighborhood with the most problems, so the City of San Mateo decided to start there.

What’s the Program?

The City of San Mateo is willing to pay up to $250 for a “no obligation” sewer lateral TV inspection for San Mateo Village home owners to get their sewer laterals inspected. Then, if you make $82,000 or less, you are eligible for a 50% reimbursement of the cost to fix the sewer lateral.

What if I Make More than $82,000?

You may qualify for the City of San Mateo’s very low interest loan program to fix the sewer lateral problem. (Remember, the inspection cost is essentially free.)

Live in San Mateo Village and Have a Sewer Problem?

If you live in San Mateo Village and want more information about the City of San Mateo’s Healthy Homes Program, visit their website here where you’ll find more information, applications for all the information about free sewer inspections and programs to help home owners fix their sewer problems.

Search San Mateo Village Homes for Sale

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

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San Mateo Homes Between $600k and $700k

February 3rd, 2010 by Raymond Stoklosa
Filed under: Buyer Information, Featured Posts, First Time Buyers, Real Estate

San Mateo Homes between 600k and 700k

What Can I Expect to Buy in San Mateo Between $600,000-$700,000?

You’re Looking at Two San Mateo Neighborhoods

Currently in the City of San Mateo there are 18 single family homes for sale priced between $600,000 and $700,000; 12 homes are located east of El Camino Real and west of Highway 101. The majority can be found in 2 neighborhoods: Sunnybrae and Fiesta Gardens. Both neighborhoods offer similar convenience to shopping and transportation, yet they have their distinctions.

San Mateo Neighborhood #1: Sunnybrae

Sunnybrae’s population is about 3,100 people living in roughly a ½ mile square. The recently remodeled Sunnybrae Elementary School scored over 800 on API statewide, standardized testing program, and is ranked a 5 on Greatschools.net with a Parent Rating of 4 out of a possible 5.

What Kind of Neighborhood is Sunnybrae?

Almost 60% of the existing housing inventory in San Mateo’s Sunnybrae neighborhood was constructed from 1940 to 1959 with virtually no new construction since 1980. Visually Sunnybrae is an older neighborhood with mature foliage and quiet streets. Sunnybrae homes located nearer Highway 101 experience highway traffic noise to varying degrees.

What Types of Homes are in Sunnybrae?

Typical lots are 4,500 square feet to 5,500 square feet with an upper limit of value approximately $700,000 within the Sunnybrae neighborhood. Most homes are of the 2 and 3 bedroom variety between 1,000sf and 1,300sf with 1 car garages and a handful of 4 bedroom, 1,500sf plus homes with 2 car garages.

San Mateo Neighborhood #2: Fiesta Gardens

Fiesta Gardens’ - a unique pocket neighborhood, out of the cross town traffic pattern – most noteworthy features are its International School, a two-way Spanish/English language dual immersion public elementary magnet school, and it’s active and proud neighborhood association. Rated a 4 by GreatSchools.net, the International School gets a 5 of 5 Parent Rating.

What Type of Neighborhood is Fiesta Gardens?

Visually Fiesta Gardens landscaping is not as mature as Sunnybrae with fewer trees and wider streets, but with better recreational facilities – park and ball fields. Neat, clean and well maintained, Fiesta Gardens is clearly a family oriented neighborhood.

What Type of Homes Can I Expect in Fiesta Gardens?

Only 3 homes for sale are located in Fiesta Gardens of a total of 83 single family homes currently for sale in the City of San Mateo. All are priced in the $600k-$700K range. Lot and building sizes are comparable with Sunnybrae, however there a smaller number of homes in Fiesta Gardens and they are generally newer and more updated than Sunnybrae.

Moving to San Mateo?

Check out our Buyer Representation page to learn more about us and how we work. We think you’ll like what you find! Then, contact us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation to discuss how we may be able to help you have the best real estate experience possible.

Search San Mateo Homes Between $600k-$700k

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

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How to Claim the Home Buyer Tax Credit

February 2nd, 2010 by Chris Williamson
Filed under: Featured Posts, Mortgage, Real Estate, San Mateo Community

Claim home buyer tax credit

San Mateo home buyers who purchased in 2009 are starting to think about their taxes so they can (hopefully) get some money back from the IRS with the home buyer tax credit. Several clients have asked how to claim the home buyer tax credit…here are some tips.

e-File Not Allowed

The IRS is not allowing tax payers claiming the home buyer tax credit to e-file and are requiring additional documentation to prevent more fraudulent claims from those who are not eligible to receive the home buyer tax credit.

Additional Documentation Required for All Buyers

All home buyers (first time and trade up) must attach Form 5405 with a copy of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement with all of your usual required IRS tax forms. (You received the HUD-1 from the Title Company when you signed the loan documents at closing.)

More Documentation Required for Trade Up Buyers

Remember, to claim the $6,500 trade up home buyer tax credit, San Mateo home owners must have lived in their primary residences for at least 5 consecutive of the past 8 years and be purchasing a new primary residence.

Once again, the IRS is going to want proof you meet the requirements of the trade up home buyer tax credit. To prove you’ve been in your home for 5 consecutive years, you will need to provide one of the following covering 5 consecutive years:

Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement or substitute
Property tax records
Homeowner’s insurance records

More Information About Filing the Tax Credit?

Remember, I am a San Mateo Mortgage Advisor helping San Mateo home buyers with their mortgage needs, NOT an income tax specialist. If you have more specific questions, contact your Tax Advisor or visit the IRS webpage.

If you need a recommendation for a tax advisor, send me an email at info@SanMateoMortgageBlog.com and I can recommend someone to you.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Chris Williamson is Mortgage Advisor with Mortgage California specializing in San Mateo Mortgages.

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