Category Archives: Sonoma County info

Get Rich Quick Scheme

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Mirjam

“Ora et Labora”, historically the mantra of the Northern provinces of the Netherlands. Totally opposite of this are the “Get Rich Quick Schemes” -> if it is too goo to be true… What does this have to do with Real … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Economy, Investing in Real Estate, Retirement, Sonoma County info, Wine Tasting, Winery with picnic place | Leave a comment

Real Estate and Inflation

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Mirjam

When you buy a home you stop inflation on your housing expenses. What does that mean for you? Ask your grandparent, your parents, maybe a neighbor who has lived in his/her house for 30 years: what did they pay for … Continue reading →

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Sonoma County from a Dutch perspective…

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Mirjam

This week I had the honor to meet with Anthony Ebright, a lender who works for Wells Fargo. Anthony is not only specialized in FHA/VA loan products but is also a fervent blogger and integrator of social media. After brainstorming … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry, Wine | 1 Comment

60% of all Foreclosed Homeowners….

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Mirjam

On March 29th, Alex Charfen from the CDPE Institute did a webinar with Rick Sharga from RealtyTrac – the leading online market place for foreclosed properties. Besides the fact that foreclosure activity has increased on a year-over-year basis for 52 … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosure, HAFA, Making Home Affordable, Short Sale, Sonoma County info | Leave a comment

Buyers… and Sellers

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Mirjam

Statement for today: when you as a buyer are frustrated with the seller or the sales process, please keep in mind: it’s most likely not your intention to create a life long friendship with that seller, you are interested in … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Foreclosure, Sellers, Short Sale, Sonoma County info | Leave a comment

Septic Systems

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Mirjam

A lot of people in Sonoma County have septic systems -including yours truly-. There are a lot of vacant parcels, or parcels that need a update on their septic system. Thought enclosed info about how the septic design process works … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Disclosures, Sellers, Sonoma County info | Leave a comment

Loan Fraud and Short Sale Fraud

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Mirjam

An article in the SF Chronicle caught my attention this morning : 10 indicted in Calif. alleged real-estate scheme. When money was cheap and pretty much everyone could get  mortgage, the so called ‘golden years’ (they were not golden by … Continue reading →

Posted in Disclosures, HAFA, Making Home Affordable, Short Sale, Sonoma County info | Leave a comment

Selling a home and your privacy

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Mirjam

One of the blog postings a little over 2 years ago was about Streetview by Google. A great tool to learn more about a neighborhood and a property. As Realtors, when we put a house on the market, we want … Continue reading →

Posted in Broker open, ID Theft, Short Sale, Sonoma County info | 2 Comments

Foreclosures… How is our market?

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Mirjam

Only articles with spectacular-read bad news- titles sell. Quite often the perception is that every home sold is a foreclosure or a shortsale.  Our MLS keeps track of this and guess what??? In 2010 in Sonoma County,  about 50% of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Economy, Foreclosure, Sellers, Short Sale, Sonoma County info, Visit WineCountry | 1 Comment

I want to buy your house! But…

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Mirjam

Ahh the ‘buts’ or the contingencies. As a proud home seller, you received the offer and if everything goes well, you’ll close escrow  in 30 days… 99.9% of all offers are made with contingencies: Inspection contingencies and loan contingencies are … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyers, Disclosures, Economy, Mortgage, Sellers, Sonoma County info | 1 Comment