Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews

If I am buying a particular item on Amazon that I am not finding locally, I'll read the reviews associated with that item almost every single time, Reviews help me quite a bit, and I usually make my final decision on what to buy based on what reviews I have read. When it comes time to sell a Livermore home, or a home in any other city, Get real estate agent reviews.

Most homeowners take months, sometimes years to finally decide on whether or not to sell their Livermore home. When the time comes to choose their Livermore real estate agent, some do it in just one day, almost haphazardly. Some homeowners get lucky in choosing their Livermore real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com--others do not fare too well. Real estate agents are not all the same.  There is a REALTOR Code of Ethics, but it is only as good as those who follow it.

As a Livermore real estate agent, http://www.cometolivermore.com, I can say that getting agent reviews is a modern real estate agent's requirement. But, what if the potential client does not want to read through hundreds of letters or reviews written on the real estate agent's website. What if the homeowner is more of an audible learner. That's why, years ago, I developed ondemand real estate agent reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand that play on your computer without downloading anything. My on demand reviews play immeiately after you click the play arrow. One recent client told me that until they listened, yes "listened" to my past clients talking on his computer, he was still unsure who to trust, even after he read a lot of my reviews. He ended up chosing me. Here's what an on demand review looks like on my website.

Dennis...  "We interviewed other agents."

Listening to reviews is not new. We hear them quite often in fact.  For example, I wouldn't be the happy owner of my Roomba had it not been for a live review.  Twice people stopped me in two different stores when I was standing in front of their Roomba displays looking pensive. One fellow shopper simply said, "You should get it. I love mine," And, another told me "It really works!" I now have a Roomba, and I like it a lot.

If you thought about selling your Livermore home, I say Livermore, but I sell homes everywhere in the east bay, then perhaps consider listening to my real estate agent reviews on demand. These are real past clients that speak up about their experience after using me as their real estate professional. Having that information before you choose your Realtor and sell your house is like listening to a fellow golfer who had to make a similar shot as you on that very same putting green you happen to be on. You get to know how that ball rolled. Priceless.

by Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 925 292-9532
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Two Hooks to Get More Looks

If you had a checklist with room for just two items on it, there are the two things that should be on the list when it comes time to sell your Livermore home. One, make sure there are upgrades before you go on the real estate market. The second of the hooks that will get more looks is to use a professional real estate photographer to capture only the best pictures of your Livermore home for sale after it has been staged.  

The success of this marketing strategy crosses over into other markets. When you test drive a new car, most dealers will place you in the upgraded model, right? Bringing it back to real estate, new home builders want you to see the model home which has what? Right, upgrades. Selling a home in Livermore is no different. You will want to make sure you have moderate upgrades to your home. 

The minor kitchen upgrade recoup for San Jose was 131% in 2015. *Cost vs. Value Report 2015. Recoup from an upgrade is reinforced because, you yourself can get the remodel done for fractions of what the new home buyer has in their mind, further assuring the recoup margin.  Here is a quick example. A home buyer walks into a Livermore home for sale and sees old windows that are leaking and almost falling out. They turn to me, a Livermore real estate broker and agent http://www.Tricityhome.com and ask, how much will it cost to redo all the windows? When I tell them the actual cost, most of the time, the home buyer over estimates, and they place a value that agrees with the Cost vs. Value Report because the job is already done and they do not have to do it. Simple, yet true.

The second thing to remember when selling a home in Livermore is to use a professional photographer to capture only the best pictures of your home for sale. Millions go into new car marketing material.  Wouldn't you agree. Those commercial photographers are some of the best in the business, and their images are stunning. New home builders are not any different. Their homes for sale are upgraded and staged to the hilt, then they professionally photographed. Your house for sale should be no different. So, if you are thinking of selling your Livermore home, put those two things on the top of the list, but call me before you do, so I can tell you where to focus your efforts. 

There are exceptions to the rule, like when timing is much more important than price, but generally speaking, you will want to have upgraded before you sell your home in Livermore or anywhere else.

*Cost vs. Value report is free after registering at remodeling dot hw dot net.

by Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 925 292-9532
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2014 Livermore Christmas Parade in Livermore CA

I attended the 2014 Livermore Christmas Parade in Livermore CA. It was Saturday, December 6th from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Parade goers lined the curbs and sidewalks of First Street as many unfolded their own chairs and waited to watch local participants, mostly Livermore and Pleasanton organizations, parade their own floats downtown on First Street. One of the earlier local entries, Livermore Sanitation, donned one of their new, huge trucks with Christmas lights. Right in front if it, wheeled a very cute, miniature Livermore Sanitation garbage truck complete with its fully operational fork lift. It must have been a remote controlled community promo vehicle of some kind. My son and his sidekick, much more interested in the Livermore parade at this point, edged their way closer to the action and anticipated what would come next. LPFD Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department did not disappoint. Not only did they show off the big red truck shortly after, (always a kid pleaser) but another one of the Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department's engines, with the rear steering cab, was later used to introduce Old Saint Nick at the end of the Parade, a Christmas Day Parade tradition. While eating some local food, as many shops were glad to stay open to accommodate, I enjoyed the rest of the Livermore Parade and Christmas Tree lighting. I would have liked to see a Jeff Pereyda-Coldwell Banker-real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com float in the Livermore Christmas Parade. I am currently in the top 10 in my office, but this was other's and Santa's big scene.

Skipping to the end of the event, Santa came through and was proudly waving to the crowd young and old from the back of the big Livermore Pleasanton fire engine. Local news stations had their cameras ready to capture the local visit and Santa's initiation of lighting the Livermore Christmas tree. But not to be out done, parade goers also lit up the night skyscape. Dotted with glowing handheld device screens held as high as arms could reach, the crowd itself was decorated while all electronic eyes were focused on the big man, and capturing memories.  All in all, a great turnout to a Livermore tradition. Until next year.

by Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 510 742-3212
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Which Variety of Fremont Avocados Do You Have?

I was raised having the privilege of enjoying an abundance of some of the most fragile, yet, hands down, the best home grown avocados ever at my parent's home in Sunnyvale CA. All that is gone now, and I have been searching for that rich tasting, thin-skinned avocado I grew up with ever since. However, the avocados I uncovered time and again during my search were never the variety we think is called the Zutano or Fuerte Avocado. Sadly, I was never sure of the variety because my parents weren't sure either. It seemed hopeless, and that those tasteful memories would never return. 

Both my parents, especially my dad being from Mexico, loved growing avocados, so it explains why we had two giant avocado trees.

Just recently, I had amazing upturn of events. My long search is now over. Spread the news--Huzzah! I have found it at last.

So how did I come to find the Fremont avocado? Let me share. I drive through Glenmoor in Fremont almost daily as a regular during school days because my kids attend Glenmoor in Fremont, and because my wife teaches there. Moreover, as a Fremont real estate agent,  I always look at homes selling in Fremont--Glenmoor (Centerville), Irvington, and other popular Fremont real estate areas as I drive to and from my Fremont real estate agent office at Coldwell Banker http://www.Tricityhome.com, while passing through Glenmoor, I noticed an avocado tree owner carefully pruning and even covering his tree at different times of the year. A noble avocado grower because Fremont does get some frost. A couple of years went by. I watched him grow the Fremont avocado tree, then suddenly, out of the blue, he was chopping the tree down with no sign of turning back--cutting it right down to the stump. With my mouth agape, I turned to my son in the car and said, "We have to get to the bottom of this." I turned the car around and rolled to a stop next to the gruesome scene. As I approached the avocado grower, I noticed what appeared to be a single fallen fruit on the well manicured lawn. He was a nice man, but why he had cut the Fremont avocado tree down did not make sense to me.

After a few pleasantries and pointed questions from my part, he began to tell the story. He did not know the name of the variety either.  He felt that the avocados started roots in the fruit while they were still on the tree and that the sprouting made it non palatable for him. That sounded familiar. And, top that off with hard work Fremont avocado trees need from everyone who owns one, and you get a frustrated avocado grower. If only I had known what was going on in his mind a few months ago and if I knew this in fact was the correct variety, I would have easily negotiated removal of the tree and paid a tree removal service to replant and grow the avocado tree at my Fremont house. Or, at least share tips and tricks for enjoying this temperamental variety and explain how to get it just right.

I lowered my head to see if I could glean something from the wreckage. There it was, an abused, omitted avocado, unencouraged and lying there. It looked beyond saving. It was evident that even the birds had a go at it and left it for not. I told my son to take it and handle it carefully, not knowing this was the prized fruit of my youth. But, just in case, I wanted to save it from the all to certain destination of the green, Fremont waste garbage bin. My son clutched it carefully with his small but certain hands and we both headed home in the car. I began telling the stories of the best avocados ever to my singular captive audience all they way home.

Perhaps a week went by as  a few oranges and garlic bulbs in a big blue bowl willingly squeezed aside to make room for the bruised and battered avocado welcoming it to a new home. Over time, nature had its way and the hardness of the green citrus eased up and lent itself to becoming softer. Even the skin changed its look from having shiny and stretched looking pock marks changing ever so slightly into wrinkled and almost dry in appearance. I often caught myself engaging in long stares onto its skin while carefully clutching the slowly changing green orb. That last noticeable change was all too familiar. I performed the thumb test. It was ready to eat. Words, at least mine, cannot convey the delight I felt. Even though I second guessed myself a few times, my wife was right there to concur that this was in fact the right variety of avocado we all coveted. Call it what you will, but we will name the variety as one Zutano/Fuerte. I almost started story telling to my long-suffering wife who has heard over and over, "I miss mom and dad's avocados... Remember the time when I had to climb the tree..."

It takes years for a young avocado tree to bear fruit. Heaven knows I have tried--only to discover that it was the wrong variety of avocado. As the bearer of the fine fruit must almost always wait for the avocado to become ready to eat, patience is what all avocado lovers must endure. There is nothing really fast about an avocado tree accept during its mature stages. Then you soon realize that they never stop growing, and their speed of growth increases significantly.

But alas, my parent's prize avocado trees and now the nurtured Fremont Glenmoor tree were gone, never to blossom again. I may have found the fruit, but my hope of ever learning the right variety were dashed. Or, wait a minute... Perhaps not. I now have one undeniable seed of hope, the seed itself.

Wish me luck!

by Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 510 742-3212
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Stolen Sweets are Sweeter

I didn't actually steal these. These wonderful persimmons were encroaching onto our common area in the wonderful town houses in Fremont California in which I live. If you happen to have a Sunset Western Garden book, or any other reputable garden or landscaping book, you would know that Fremont California lies in climate zones 15 and 16. In addition, if you are looking to grow persimmons, then Fremont California is an excellent choice.  In the West, there are two very well known species of persimmons. There is the Oriental or Japanese persimmon and the American persimmon. Both of these trees are quite hardy and resistant to an oak root fungus. They are very easy to grow, but make sure you only prune the deadwood after the last of the fruit. There was one problem that they have referred to as fruit drop. It's common in young trees. But, if you are consistent in feeding and watering and make sure you have a good irrigation, it should not be a problem. In Fremont, you can probably find a great choice of person and trees at Reagan's nursery on Decoto Road.

You might see in December, a blackish brown tree with large bright orange persimmons left. This is most likely the Hachiya persimon--The Hachiya is the persimmon shown in the photograph above. I am a Fremont real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com that looks for not just number of bedrooms and square feet and neighborhood and all the rest, but I take into account the landscaping and what types of trees already exist on the property. I recently sold a home in Fremont that had a wonderful Japanese persimmon tree in the backyard.

The persimmon tree is very popular because it is one of the best fruit trees for ornamental use; good garden or small shadetree use as well. It can be espaliered quite easily to show off it's mature structure. Not to mention, mature trees can produce huge amounts of fruit that can be dried and saved for the rest of the year. If you pick them off of the tree, make sure they fully ripen before you eat them.  These particular persimmons shown in the photograph will be used for Persimon pudding, A slight twist on Christmas pudding. I hope that Charles Dickens would have approved.

By Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 510 742-3212
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Fremont CA Water Quality & Low Hot Water Pressure Fix

I found a very inexpensive fix concerning my Fremont hot water pressure or lack there of. Over a period of about 3 to 4 months, my family and I noticed very low hot water pressure. It also felt like there was just not enough hot water to go around. Moreover, dollar signs were appearing in my head because, when I searched the Internet for possible fixes, I found many causes for the same low hot water pressure problem--bad pipes, and bad water heater were to name a few.

Here is what I did for a quick $0 fix. I shut off the water main. Our Fremont Townhomes have a massive 1" water main. As a Fremont real estate agent, http://www.tricityhome.com I see many homes, and 1" pipe is rare. Point being, there should be no reason why we have low pressure hot or cold. Anyway, after shutting off the main, I opened my kitchen faucet to let out the hot water pressure build up.* I then used 2 pipe wenches and removed the hot water out fitting. This was that flex tubing coming out from the top of the hot water out nipple. What was left on the water heater was the nipple or short piece of pipe. Much to my surprise, I thought I could simply use a coat hanger wire to knock through any hard water deposits. Our hot water heater out pipe was 98% clogged with what looked like rust and calcium deposits. No wire I possess would remedy that significant of a clog. I took out my drill, and started a test drill bit of 5/16 inches. It worked very well to drill through the clogged length of the pipe without damaging the pipe. I then stepped up the drill sizes until I simply drilled out the hot water out nipple using a 1" spade drill bit. I now had a cleaned out pipe. I put everything back together carefully and tested the hot water after closing the kitchen faucet and turning on the main again. It was like having a brand new hot water heater. Now I face a new challenge of trying to prevent my family from using too much hot water. 

I believe that you can also simply replace the nipple on the hot water out as well, but this was my first go at this issue, and it worked beautifully. I will make sure I replace the copper fitting using a dielectric fitting ASAP. Hot water heaters have sediment build up at the bottom of the tank anyway, so another 2 or 3 Tablespoons of sediment that I created from the drilling was not about to hurt. We are due for a water heater replacement soon, but this procedure bought us some time and solved the problem in less than 1 hour.

My installer for the hot water heater back in 2000 used copper nipples and not dielectric ones. When I do replace the hot water heater, I will make sure I have a dielectric fitting.

About the water, the Alameda County Water District has guidelines it must follow from the State of CA and the Federal Government. These standards were set by the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, However, I can taste a huge difference in my water when I drink from the faucet and when I drink the same water filtered through my reverse osmosis filter. So, what am I filtering out, or rather what does the EPA allow CA and Alameda County to leave in?

There are many sources that are updated on a regular basis that will disclose the quality of water in Fremont. Alameda County Water Disctrict provides a thorough five page report on their water quality each year. It is mailed out, but I did not receive mine--I actually downloaded the 2012 Water Quality Report provided on their website to take a look. It is a good report in my opinion. But when you ask around, and you talk to other Fremont residents about their water from a non-scientific point of view, the word is that it is a hard water with a notorious record for leaving hard water deposits where ever it is left to stand or dry out. 

*My kitchen faucet is slightly lower elevation than my hot water heater, so the release of pressure was both initial water pressure release and gravity or siphon pressure release. I did it that way so that I would not have a gush of water after removing my hot water flex pipe from the hot water heater. I only had a manageable trickle.

by Jeff Pereyda

• Phone: 510 742-3212
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