What a terrific home for today’s family!

Nestled on a cul de sac in the Valley Trails neighborhood, this 5 bedroom, 3 bath home with flexible floor plan is ideally suited for a multitude of lifestyles. Eat in Kitchen with adjacent family room, flow into formal dining room and living room. Master Suite is located on the first floor and features a split bath, retreat/sitting area, as well as access to backyard pool. Second downstairs bedroom and full bath give this home loads of flexibility-ideal for an elderly relative, home office, playroom, or fitness room. Upstairs there are 3 more bedrooms with loads of storage and another updated bath.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Pleasanton Ridge, mature landscaping encircles the home, with raised planters adding a beautiful splash of color to the pool area. Slider from kitchen leads out to the covered redwood decking and in-ground pool, perfect for keeping cool all summer or entertaining family and friends anytime. The well landscaped front yard and walkway lead to a covered front patio and elegant front door with beveled glass detailing.

Remodeled inside and out, this home is move in ready. Updated home features include: dual pane windows and slider, updated kitchen cabinets and appliances, retextured ceilings and can lights, newer roof and gutters, newer garage door with opener, dual zone heat and air, updated pool equipment and updated baths. Two-tone paint, crown molding, and Berber carpets provide the finishing touches.

Located close to the Pleasanton Sports Park, top schools, and shopping, this home also provides easy access to Historic Downtown Pleasanton and the 580/680 freeways.

Click Here for more photos and information about this home.

Still unsure whether you should rent or buy your home? Here are two more factors to consider:

INVESTMENT POTENTIAL: Renting has no investment benefit. Homeowners may build equity over time through mortgage payments and market appreciation. Real estate assets have historically generated a solid return. In recent years, some markets appreciated as much as 20% in a given year. Currently, some micro-markets are still seeing appreciation, but the overall market has corrected and appreciation will be slower to ramp back up. Again, consider the time you think you’ll live in the home.

TAXES: Renting does not offer any tax benefits. One significant benefit of owning a home is the ability to deduct interest on mortgage payments. Married homeowners may deduct interest on mortgages worth up to $1 million while single homeowners may deduct interest on mortgages up to $500,000. Property taxes may also be deducted. Consult your tax advisor to determine what you may or may not deduct.

With another recent cut in interest rates, you may be wondering if this is the right time to buy a home. Good rates on mortgages, in combination with more affordable home prices and more homes on the market, make this a great time to buy. Still unsure? Here are some important factors to consider when deciding to rent or buy a home:

TIME:How long will you be in this home? Renting makes the most sense for those who intend to be in the property less than two years. If your timeline is longer than two years, consider purchasing a home. Ownership over several years allows you to build equity in the home through market appreciation and mortgage principal payments.

SAVINGS: How much cash do have on hand? Those with little savings may not have the ability to afford a down payment or costs associated with buying a home. Although 100% financing options are still available, these mortgage products are harder to come by and even harder to qualify for. Lenders have tightened their guidelines significantly. If you are a buyer with solid credit and money in hand for a down payment, you are likely to qualify for a mortgage product with a very competitive rate.

CASH FLOW: Those with limited or sporadic cash flow may be better suited to renting. Although renters must meet monthly rent payments, there are few other costs associated with renting a home. Homeowners must not only meet monthly mortgage payments, but property taxes, home owners insurance, and annual home maintenance expenses as well. General guidelines suggest spending no more than 28% of your income on housing expenses. About 1% of your home’s value will be spent on annual maintenance fees.

Check back for Part 2 of this article.

 Earlier this month, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) issued a report on its legislative and policy accomplishments in 2007.   

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reform: The House of Representatives approved legislation that, among other things, increases the conforming loan limit in designated high-cost areas.  Pending legislation could make California a “high-cost” state and raise the conforming loan limit from $417,000 to $625,000.  This change could spur home sales and another re-finance boom in California, and specifically in our local Pleasanton market.
• FHA Reform: NAR successfully supported legislation that lowers the down payments for FHA-backed loans and increases loan limits.   NAR also supported FHA’s decision to waive its requirement that a homeowner’s mortgage be current to refinance into an FHA loan product.  NAR also worked with the Department of Housing and Urban Development on FHASecure, a new program that assists borrowers who are in default-to qualify for refinancing.  
• Mortgage Reform: The House of Representatives approved legislation to reform mortgage and anti-predatory lending practices and creates a nationwide licensing registry for mortgage loan originators. 
• In 2008, NAR will work to increase the conforming loan limits in mortgage markets nationwide. NAR also successfully urged the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) not to reduce the conforming loan limits for 2008.

As President of the Valley Marketing Association, I felt it would be a great idea to organize a year-end holiday party to bring industry professionals together for some camaraderie, celebration and community. What started out as a simple idea to have a party turned into a wonderful opportunity to give back to the local Community during a time of great need, with the creation of the Valley Marketing Association’s “Making a Difference Fund”. Read More…