Teaching Right and Wrong--With Social Media

If you do not know already, there is a great Social Media tool sort of like YouTube. It's called Slideshare. http://www.slideshare.net As an agent and a broker, teaching is part of the profession. Home buyers, home sellers, licensees and myself included all benefit from being educated about real estate and how it applies to us all. Slideshare allows you to create streaming audio/visual presentations using PowerPoint (other programs too), but PowerPoint being perhaps the most convenient. Once finished, like in my example below, viewers must click on the green play button rather than the prompt that moves, so I'm sure that could be a bit confusing. But all in all, Social media packs a punch. For example, without even trying, the slide share presentation below has been viewed almost one thousand times. Imagine if you really tried to promote your own.

Anatomy of a Shortsale

View more presentations from Jeff Pereyda.

I have not "arrived" by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that I am happy to take advantage of Social Media and any technology that can help us get educated easily, conveniently and with some visual stimuli. All this helps us learn more effectively. So, what have I done? Not much. I created a few presentations on Slideshare, and I also have created some private ones for my new licensees. The latter ones have a private url (not so Social Media) for them to place into the browser and off they go into the Real Estate Purchase Contract lesson I created. There were some technical fall outs at first, but I think we got it now.

It is nice, but one of the hurdles I faced was is getting over how I sounded in a recorded presentation. Have you ever heard your own voice on an answering machine? I hate to say it, but I think I sound a bit bored in some of these. Granted the Real Estate Purchase Agreement is no Harry Potter and Prisoner or Azkaban, but still, I need to work on the Social Media recording smile and delivery. Sorry agents. I promise to liven it up a bit.

If you want to see Social Media and just a small sample of a Slideshare you can go here too. http://www.slideshare.net/c21jeffp/anatomy-of-a-shortsale-presentation I talk a little about short sales. This was my first one. The need to create this one arose from the response to the number of callers who were confused when it came to comparing short sales, REO's and foreclosures. Brace yourself. It is no masterpiece like many others you will find on Slideshare.net, but I was a beginner, and it just needed to do the job. After all, I am a real estate broker not Guy Ritchie.

The Internet sure has opened up an incredible portal for social media to take hold. I truly look forward to the new Social Media wave and where it will take us. Like other forms of media, Social Media content may not be true, but it's delivery has become truly one with sizzle.
By Jeff Pereyda

Fremont & Union City Home Buyers Get Frustrated

A while back, I had a home for sale in Union City, and I had just finished up on a few things after an open house. I decided to drive home by way of a different street. All the while, in the back of my mind, I wondered where a poor Prudential agent's real estate sign ended up, and there it was. The sign was posted on a home for sale in Union City on Almaden Ct off of Alvarado during my listing period on another Union City home nearby. My seller and I always got a kick out of the bare post with no sign. The missing sign started as a dangler. You know, the one hook dangle? Then, it just dropped on the lawn. The agent never bothered to check on the home. I even called. After a while, someone finally decided to dump it. Stop, I know what you're thinking--It wasn't me. I'm not trying to slander Prudential either. Signs just break sometimes.

The image I captured on the Blackberry here also captured the feelings of many Union City and Fremont home buyers as of late. Looking at it, as pathetic as it is, many one-liners come to mind like, "trash it!" or "take it to the can man!" Or, on a different note maybe the picture can be interpreted as "shopping for a home" perhaps or "put an agent in your shopping cart." I think Fremont home buyers can identify to this imagery in line with what is going on with the market lately. Ask most any home buyer, and they will tell you that it is not easy to buy a house right now. REO's get swept up by cash buyers sometimes over bidding, short sales take many months or years to own with no communication in between. Regular sales like one of mine here at Redwood Terrace http://tricityhome.com/38332_redwood_terrace_parkmont.html.

In closing however, I wanted to offer some words of encouragement. if you are approved for a Fremont home loan, be thankful and go get a loan ASAP. If you want a Fremont Home and are not approved, get your financials together and see what you qualify for before the tax break period is over. Go get that home before someone "carts it off." Sorry, just can't seem to stop at one.
By Jeff Pereyda

Home In Parkmont Value Checker

I have a wonderful home in Parkmont for sale here at http://www.homes-in-fremont-unioncity-newark.com/ I put it at this point2home site because I want to have the home in parkmont be posted (syndicated) to 30+ websites. Well, it worked. It's out there, and we are marketing the home in Parkmont aggressively. In fact, we procured a ready, willing and very able buyer today.

I cannot discuss particulars, but even though the buyer is ready willing and able to purchase this home, we have obstacles. One problem is overcome already, the HUD requirements for FHA and condos regarding spot approvals for condos I mentioned in an earlier blog here http://tricityhome.blogspot.com/2009/12/fha-loans-for-condos-in-fremont.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/TCREB+(Home+Sweet+Home)

Our buyer is 80/20 conventional purchase loan. The other problem in purchasing this home in Parkmont must go undisclosed. I have after all a fiduciary duty to parties involved. So, we can see this as the classic expression--is the glass half full or half empty? We have a seller who wants to sell a home in Parkmont and a buyer who wants to buy a home in Parkmont. Either way, our office is happy to be objective in helping buyer and seller achieve their goals in buying a home in Parkmont. We will see.

Regardless, knowing your home in parkmont's value is key. You can go here http://www.tricityhome.com//Fremont-Newark-Union-City/Selling-Houses/Parkmont/Real-estate-trends.html to get a parkmont home value sent to you.
By Jeff Pereyda

Homes In Niles & Persimmon Pudding

My wife and I are inviting friends over from their new home in Niles this weekend; now that school will be out for two weeks Sunday works out okay.

They recently bought a home in Niles Fremont off of Easterday. We live in a Parkmont home in Fremont, so it's never too far to go for a quick visit, and instead of us going over there for their open home in Niles, we decided to have them come this way.

I will be making brick-fired pizza from a home made brick/Weber BBQ fueled by an industrial propane burner. It's a guy thing and another story all together. Pizza may not really say Christmas, so we needed something a bit more seasonal. Ah ha! Persimmon pudding for desert.

For those of you who may not know about bread puddings, they happen to be one of the very best concoctions known in the culinary world. Fortunately for us persimmons grow very well around many homes in Niles. One week ago, I hired my 7 and 8 year old to aid in nabbing some Hachiya persimmons, the kind you have to let ripen a bit off the tree first before eating. So one morning, before school, we picked 10 persimmons and left them in a box. Now, the persimmons are ready. Today, they will each scoop out a Hachiya persimmon as part of their lunch. As for the pudding? Let me know if you want the recipe. But, ask me how they were on Monday first.

In regards to Niles real estate, homes in Niles are decreasing in inventory which is brining the home prices up a bit. (see chart below). You can also see new homes in niles here. http://www.tricityhome.com/Fremont-Newark-Union-City/niles.html

Homes in Niles are going fast, so if you were thinking of getting one, now is the time. Oh, and don't forget to get a persimmon or two while you are at it.
by Jeff Pereyda

FHA loans for Condos In Fremont

Most home buyers for condos in Fremont are unaware of the new changes in FHA requirements. When I say requirements, I am not referring to the buyer's requirements. They seem to have remained the same, but the real change has come from somewhere else. FHA loans for condos in Fremont and everywhere else have placed HOA risk assessments into the picture.

FHA is a program not necessarily a loan by itself, and lenders need to comply with the program that is set forth by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). The new catch is that the subdivision/HOA has to have been approved by HUD for FHA loans in Fremont to occur. Here's an example. If a condo subdivision, say like Mowry Gardens in Fremont (Redwood Terrace), has condo for sale which it does by yours truly here http://www.homes-in-fremont-unioncity-newark.com/Featured_Listings/page_163204.html and, if, for some reason, there was a lawsuit pending against the HOA, or the HOA has low reserves, or if the HOA has insufficient insurance--you get the idea, HUD will not FHA approve them anymore. It actually is a long 6 month process for the HOA to get approved by HUD.

There are countless individuals who are at risk of getting their condos in Fremont pulled out from under them right in the middle of their transaction. I have two in jeopardy. At the time of our office receiving the short sale offers for our sellers, HUD was allowing FHA loans for condos in Fremont to take place. Now, for the reasons mentioned above, the risk is too high for the program to carry on for all condo subdivisions who have not been HUD approved already. Now that we are weeks away from getting a short sale approval (that is a very short time in the world of short sales), we could lose out again. You and I are not alone here. This is happening across the board for all condos.

All is not lost. PUDs (Planned unit Developments) and SFHs Single Family Homes are okay for "spot approvals" for FHA loans. That's where the lender can do an FHA approval for the buyer just like a regular conventional loan. No more.

If you happen to be looking for a home and considered FHA loans for condos in Fremont and only have 4 or 8% down for the condo purchase, then you are a likely candidate for attaining an FHA loan. They are good loans, But before you make an offer on a condo, you better ask your agent if the subdivision has been approved for FHA loans. If it has not been HUD approved, you cannot use an FHA loan. you have to go conventional with at least 15% down. B of A has a decent 15% down conventional at the moment as well as Wells Fargo.
By Jeff Pereyda

The Niles Area of Fremont & New Homes In Niles

I tweeted using Openbeak for the blackberry earlier today while I was in the Niles area of Fremont . I was on my way to meet with Pat Montellano, a purveyor of fine collectibles such as plates, cups and all things art deco like syrup dispensers over at A Time For Tea in the Niles area of Fremont, of which I happened to have a recent affinity for. I talked to Pat a few months ago asking her if she had plans to pick up any dispensers. She said she would and for me to write my name on a list, so I did. Last week I got a call from Pat claiming that she found a few of the 50's art deco syrup dispensers for me while she left the Niles area of Fremont and went on her road trip into the Midwest. When she returned, she asked me what colors I had in mind. I wanted to know if she found any with salmon or mint green tops. She did. So, I made an appointment with her and was on my way.

I met Pat at the front desk this morning sharply at 11:00am when they opened up the store. She recognized me, and, with a smile, reached back and got out a small box of 50's syrup dispensers. I felt like a kid looking into a box full of surprises. I picked out one small mint green and one salmon pink colored syrup dispenser. We chatted for a bit, talked a little about the real estate market in the Niles area of Fremont and then I headed out. I took some time and visited a few other stores I like and made my way home.

Just in case you may have not heard about the Niles area of Fremont or perhaps any of the antique boutiques that line its main street, you could be missing out. It's a great place to go and pa rouse around looking for the once abundant but now long gone home accessories that some of us may have grown up with or maybe have just grown to love. For me, it's hunting for things art deco mostly. It is important for me to take a break from the real estate and get a rest from the TriCity Real Estate Brokers office I run in the center of Fremont and just enjoy Fremont. By the way, my home isn't filled with syrup dispensers as you may have come to imagine from reading this, but I do have a nick knack or two. The urge to gather up an item once in a while comes and goes--sort of like a hobby I guess. Once, in the 90's, when I used to be a UPS driver, I found a 50's art deco kitchen table being thrown away in a dumpster that obviously needed rescuing, so I did just that; still have it. Is it just me, or does anyone else like to do that once in a while?

Much can be written about Niles of Fremont with it's history, its cafes, shops, studios an other nostalgia that make up the experience there, but the idea here was to just jot down a very small slice of what I or others may enjoy while in the downtown Niles area of Fremont.

Oh, and the new homes in Niles I mentioned in the title--if you ar somwone you know is interested, let me know: click here at http://www.tricityhome.com/Fremont-Newark-Union-City/niles.html
By Jeff Pereyda

New Condos Fremont

Last week I brought a client into a new subdivision in Fremont called Gramercy at Park Lane West in the Irvington area. After locating the sales office, and after filling out my broker form, I escorted my Fremont home buyer into the Gramercy at Park Lane West's Lanesborough Loft and then the Devonshire model home in what is called the Westerley at Park Lane West. Those were as large as they were stunning. But most of this is written about the Gramercy. It has been a while since I have walked into a new home subdivision, but I must say, I was quite impressed. First, the staging furniture was excellent as well as the accents. Sure there was the cardboard computer on a desk, but that is to be expected. Who's going to put either an outdated 40lb monitor on the table? or risk placing a Powerbook G4 there?

Anyway, The area rug was that of a grey, tousled, gargantuan pile. Each pile was two inches diameter. Very impressive rug although hard to tell from this photo. Getting into the kitchens, we were impressed by the way it included a generous breakfast bar which complemented a very open floor plan and encouraged a good flow of light. It even had a view of Mission Peak. They seemed to be designed for light and airy to say the least.

Although it has not been built yet, I am looking forward to seeing the Gramercy at Park Lane West Knightsbridge model home, a 2 bed 2 bath 1180 sq ft unit that has an even longer breakfast bar. Of course this Gramercy at Park Lane West will have laundry inside as well as walk in closets, double sinks in the master bathroom and more like below-level gated parking garages for security.

There are many home buyers who are tired of getting outbid, tired of the short sales and just plain tired of looking at homes. Well, if you do not mind the stairs at Gramercy at Park Lane West because there are a few due to the style and plottage density (the way the homes sit next to each other), then please give me an excuse to see that rug again.

Let me escort you to the Gramercy at Park Lane West. I would love to meet you and show you what I just wrote about. They will even do FHA financing. Let me know. What's best is I get to meet you and you still get a good deal direct from them. You do not pay me a cent.

You can always visit my Fremont real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com or http://www.MyColdwellBankerhome.com

By Jeff Pereyda

11/27/2009

GRAMERCY FLOOR BD/BATH APPROX. SF STARTING Price
PLAN


LANESBOROUGH
LOFT LL 2BD/2BA 1523 1606 $499,900 $479,900

(NOT MODELED) +LOFT
LANESBOROUGH L 2BD/2BA 1145 1228 $429,900 COMING SOON
IN JANUARY!

JAMESTOWN i 2BD/2BA 1150 1237 $394,900 COMING SOON
(NOT MODELED) IN JANUARY!

KNIGHTSBRIDGE K 2BD/2BA 1176 1191 $414,900 COMING SOON
IN JANUARY!

ISLEWORTH COMING SOON
I 3BD/2BA 1324 1348 $439,900 IN JANUARY!
(NOT MODELED)
HAMPSTEAD H 3BD/2BA 1444 1505 $479,900 COMING SOON
IN JANUARY!

WESTERLY FLOOR BD/BATH APPROX. SF AVAILABLE STARTING
PLAN HOMESITES FROM

The Devonshire D (Premium) 4BD/3.5BA 1599 1639 Temporarily Sold Out

The Eastwick E (Premium)

The Bristol B 3BD/2.5BA 1474 1585 GONE!

The Devonshire D 3BD/3.5BA 1463 $599,900

The Eastwick

The Farmington F 4BD/3.5BA 1738 1758 $619,900
The Greenwich G 82

TriCity Real Estate Brokers, Inc. @ RainCamp

At 9:00am sharp today a lot of energy will be released at the RainCamp SF. Yours truly will be attending and hopefully will be able to glean useful applications and tools that will help us reach a client base that we have been unable to reach before.

Some of the topics that I am anticipating to be presented are:

• SEO--search engine optimization
• blogging
• contact management
• mobile tools-google docs, etc.

Another hope is that I can discover enough new methods to do the above that will justify the early am BART to SF, skipping breakfast, nudging the sleeping BART lady sleeping on me not to mention the "high energy," drum banging, band playing interludes between and hopefully not during the presentation.

I will let you know.

By Jeff Pereyda