The San Francisco Condo Loft » Auctions

Living by the Bay- Ideas for Finding the Perfect Apartment

Anthony Longo — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:34:42 +0000

by Veronika Lazabal Finding a place to call home in the Bay Area is an adventure in and of itself—one that carries with it both a sense of excitement unequal to apartment hunting anywhere else, and a set of challenges unique to this part of the Golden State. Call them cozy, snug, homey or charming; the fact remains that apartments in and around San Francisco are small. So how can you be sure you’re getting the most for your money when it comes to your new bay area apartment or condo? Here are a few ideas for finding the perfect place for you: Prioritize Before taking a look at a single For Rent ad, it’s essential to decide what is most important for you in an apartment. Knowing what you can’t live without (and, in turn, the areas where you are willing to be flexible) will help you narrow down your choices before driving all over the city. For example, if sweeping vistas and a dishwasher are essential to you, then you might be willing to sacrifice counter space and live with smaller closets in exchange for a fully equipped unit in Mountain View apartments. Know thy Neighborhood Where an apartment or condo is located is just as important as what is in the space itself. Whether you’re working with a realtor, rental service or just scanning online ads, don’t forget to ask plenty of questions. Is there a garage with assigned spots? (Street parking in the Bay is notorious for being next to impossible to find) What’s the crime rate like for the area? If you have children, ask about nearby schools and parks. Taking the time to research a potential neighborhood before making a decision can save you from the heartache of falling in love with a unit, only to find out that you’re scared to come home after dark. Commute is Key This is California, after all, and getting to and from work can often seem like the longest part of your day. Many a renter has moved into a beautiful apartment overlooking the water, only to realize (4 months into their lease) that they just can’t handle the ridiculous morning commute. It might be worth it to you to pay a bit more rent in order to stay closer to the office. Also, don’t forget to look into the Bay Area’s public transportation options. You may just find that accessibility to the B.A.R.T and other commuter friendly alternatives can help you make the decision on where you want to call home. There is no place in the U.S quite like the Bay Area. San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Sacramento… every city has its own unique feeling- an urban beat, a quiet retreat, a simple escape. Finding the perfect place to live may just come down to doing your homework, and deciding which personality suits yours best. Happy hunting.

by Veronika Lazabal

Finding a place to call home in the Bay Area is an adventure in and of itself—one that carries with it both a sense of excitement unequal to apartment hunting anywhere else, and a set of challenges unique to this part of the Golden State. Call them cozy, snug, homey or charming; the fact remains that apartments in and around San Francisco are small. So how can you be sure you’re getting the most for your money when it comes to your new bay area apartment or condo? Here are a few ideas for finding the perfect place for you:

Prioritize
Before taking a look at a single For Rent ad, it’s essential to decide what is most important for you in an apartment. Knowing what you can’t live without (and, in turn, the areas where you are willing to be flexible) will help you narrow down your choices before driving all over the city. For example, if sweeping vistas and a dishwasher are essential to you, then you might be willing to sacrifice counter space and live with smaller closets in exchange for a fully equipped unit in Mountain View apartments.

Know thy Neighborhood
Where an apartment or condo is located is just as important as what is in the space itself. Whether you’re working with a realtor, rental service or just scanning online ads, don’t forget to ask plenty of questions. Is there a garage with assigned spots? (Street parking in the Bay is notorious for being next to impossible to find) What’s the crime rate like for the area? If you have children, ask about nearby schools and parks. Taking the time to research a potential neighborhood before making a decision can save you from the heartache of falling in love with a unit, only to find out that you’re scared to come home after dark.

Commute is Key
This is California, after all, and getting to and from work can often seem like the longest part of your day. Many a renter has moved into a beautiful apartment overlooking the water, only to realize (4 months into their lease) that they just can’t handle the ridiculous morning commute. It might be worth it to you to pay a bit more rent in order to stay closer to the office. Also, don’t forget to look into the Bay Area’s public transportation options. You may just find that accessibility to the B.A.R.T and other commuter friendly alternatives can help you make the decision on where you want to call home.

There is no place in the U.S quite like the Bay Area. San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Sacramento… every city has its own unique feeling- an urban beat, a quiet retreat, a simple escape. Finding the perfect place to live may just come down to doing your homework, and deciding which personality suits yours best. Happy hunting.

Foreclosure Sales are Up

Erica Farthing — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:51:48 +0000

Hey California! Did you see President Obama with Leno last night? He was in California to speak with approximately 1,000 people in Los Angeles about the $145 million that will help resolve the foreclosure crisis by purchasing and rehabilitating vacant homes, and providing mortgage assistance and rehabilitation loans to existing homeowners. This is an effort to relieve the pressure on the market from California foreclosures. There has been a lot of attention to nationwide foreclosures in the news lately. The number of foreclosures is up this month, and looks pretty drastic. This is partly because of the moratorium on foreclosures in December and through February, awaiting word from the White House on how the federal government would intervene. Now that the moratorium is over, foreclosed properties that were already set for auction have been again scheduled for sale, and now there is a backlog of them. Foreclosures are pressuring the real estate market in many cities, but providing many opportunities for home ownership. Formerly investors and “house flippers” were the majority at San Francisco foreclosure auctions. But now, regular home buyers who want a chance at an affordable home are flocking to San Francisco foreclosure auctions. While foreclosures in huge numbers hammer housing prices, efforts to sell the homes and get them off the market have two benefits. One is that once the large inventory of San Francisco foreclosures is off the market, housing prices can stabilize and a true market value can again be established, with homeowners once again building equity. The second benefit is obvious – the buyer gets a home at a low price. Buying a San Francisco foreclosure is not without risk, since the buyer is responsible for repairs and all liens against the property, including taxes, construction liens, and second mortgages. When it comes to San Francisco condos, it’s possible to have less risk exposure than with a freestanding house. We can help you with this. We can give you information about the building, the community, and assisting you in finding out the truth about all outstanding liens. We can also assist you with purchasing any foreclosure you choose, not just a condo. Here at CondoDomain, we have partnered with RealtyTrac so that you can search all available and pending foreclosures in the … area. Take a look at these, and then call us with your questions.

Hey California! Did you see President Obama with Leno last night? He was in California to speak with approximately 1,000 people in Los Angeles about the $145 million that will help resolve the foreclosure crisis by purchasing and rehabilitating vacant homes, and providing mortgage assistance and rehabilitation loans to existing homeowners. This is an effort to relieve the pressure on the market from California foreclosures.

There has been a lot of attention to nationwide foreclosures in the news lately. The number of foreclosures is up this month, and looks pretty drastic. This is partly because of the moratorium on foreclosures in December and through February, awaiting word from the White House on how the federal government would intervene. Now that the moratorium is over, foreclosed properties that were already set for auction have been again scheduled for sale, and now there is a backlog of them.

Foreclosures are pressuring the real estate market in many cities, but providing many opportunities for home ownership. Formerly investors and “house flippers” were the majority at San Francisco foreclosure auctions. But now, regular home buyers who want a chance at an affordable home are flocking to San Francisco foreclosure auctions.

While foreclosures in huge numbers hammer housing prices, efforts to sell the homes and get them off the market have two benefits. One is that once the large inventory of San Francisco foreclosures is off the market, housing prices can stabilize and a true market value can again be established, with homeowners once again building equity. The second benefit is obvious – the buyer gets a home at a low price.

Buying a San Francisco foreclosure is not without risk, since the buyer is responsible for repairs and all liens against the property, including taxes, construction liens, and second mortgages. When it comes to San Francisco condos, it’s possible to have less risk exposure than with a freestanding house. We can help you with this. We can give you information about the building, the community, and assisting you in finding out the truth about all outstanding liens. We can also assist you with purchasing any foreclosure you choose, not just a condo.

Here at CondoDomain, we have partnered with RealtyTrac so that you can search all available and pending foreclosures in the … area. Take a look at these, and then call us with your questions.

The San Francisco Condo & Loft Blog Goes Live

Erica Farthing — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:52:11 +0000

In anticipation for the all new CondoDomain San Francisco (SF) search portal, we have pushed our local blog live! In the coming months we plan to release CondoDomain San Francisco and begin working with buyers looking to purchase in downtown San Francisco, CA! If you want to get a feel for what our site will be like in San Francisco, CA, please feel free to check out our Boston site. Why Buy With CondoDomain? 1. We are exclusive buyers brokers! We only do 1 thing…and we do it very well! 2. Condos! Its what we know! Its what we do! 3. Flat Fee! We run an efficient business that benefits YOU, not a commission based agency that is compensated when you spend more! Our average client receives more than a $13,000 refund back at closing… We’re Hiring! If you are interested in learning more about the company please write us or check out our Facebook Group here. About CondoDomain.com LLC CondoDomain.com is a web-based real estate brokerage based in Boston, MA. The company is expanding nationwide to offer its buyers’ brokerage services in more than 30 cities around the U.S. Currently operating in Boston, CondoDomain offers an innovative flat-fee business model allowing the majority of the commission to be refunded to the buyer. By combining up-to-date MLS feeds, new construction buildings, FSBO, Foreclosures, Lofts and Auction listings all on one site, CondoDomain has become one of the most popular and user friendly real estate websites available. CondoDomain.com offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee to all of its clients, ensuring a professional, efficient, and pleasant transaction. Visit www.CondoDomain.com for more information or feel free to dive into our blogs at www.CondoDomain.com/blog. For more information, please contact Erica Farthing at (877) 852-6636. Technorati Profile

Why Buy With CondoDomain?

1. We are exclusive buyers brokers! We only do 1 thing…and we do it very well!

2. Condos! Its what we know! Its what we do!

3. Flat Fee! We run an efficient business that benefits YOU, not a commission based agency that is compensated when you spend more!

Our average client receives more than a $13,000 refund back at closing…

We’re Hiring!

If you are interested in learning more about the company please write us or check out our Facebook Group here.

About CondoDomain.com LLC

CondoDomain.com is a web-based real estate brokerage based in Boston, MA. The company is expanding nationwide to offer its buyers’ brokerage services in more than 30 cities around the U.S. Currently operating in Boston, CondoDomain offers an innovative flat-fee business model allowing the majority of the commission to be refunded to the buyer. By combining up-to-date MLS feeds, new construction buildings, FSBO, Foreclosures, Lofts and Auction listings all on one site, CondoDomain has become one of the most popular and user friendly real estate websites available. CondoDomain.com offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee to all of its clients, ensuring a professional, efficient, and pleasant transaction. Visit www.CondoDomain.com for more information or feel free to dive into our blogs at www.CondoDomain.com/blog.

For more information, please contact Erica Farthing at (877) 852-6636.

Technorati Profile