Fremont Real Estate and Beyond

Let me know if you're interested! I can help you with the purchasing process. Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley  is getting ready to kick off phase two of Fremont's  Central Commons  development located at 4369 Central Avenue in Centerville. Central Commons is a partnership between the City of Fremont and Habitat for Humanity that gives limited income families the opportunity to own their own home. The development features 30 energy efficient condo-style homes in several different floorplans. Phase two of Central Commons will include 19 homes to be sold to moderate income households earning between 80% and 120% of the area median income. Preference will be given to applicants who currently live and/or work in Fremont or who have lived in Fremont for the past five years. Please see the income requirements below.  Household Size  Minimum Income  Maximum Income  2  $78,850  $107,232  3  $88,700  $120,636  4 ...

The City of Fremont would like to share the following information regarding two new housing programs funded by the Alameda County Measure A1 Housing Bond. The AC Boost Program provides financial assistance to middle-income working households to purchase a home in Alameda County. The program offers shared equity loans of up to $150,000 to first-time homebuyers who live, work, or have been displaced from Alameda County. For more information, view the  AC Boost Flyer . The Renew Alameda County (Renew AC) Program helps homeowners make renovations necessary to stay, grow, and thrive in their homes. Renew AC provides 1% interest loans from $15,000 to $150,000 to qualified homeowners. For more information, including how to qualify, visit  Renew Alameda County Flyer .

During their March 5 meeting, the Hayward City Council unanimously approved an emergency that requires landlords to show a "just cause" for evicting a tenant.  The requirement applies to all rental housing in Hayward including single-family homes and condominiums. According to a press release issued by the City of Hayward, landlords must notify their current tenants of the new policy no later than April 5 and must notify all future tenants, as well. A complete list of "just causes" for eviction are available here .  For more information please contact Jennifer Ott, Deputy City Manager at: Jennifer.Ott@hayward-ca.gov

The Hayward City Council is considering new rental housing policies some of which will cover single family homes and condominiums. Hayward staff will present the suite of new and expanded regulations to the City Council during a work session on Tuesday, February 12.  They include: Binding landlord-tenant mediation in disputes related to rent increases exceeding five percent.  Single family homes, condominiums and rental units constructed after 1979 and would be exempt. Eliminating the vacancy decontrol provision from the existing Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance. (RRSO) Expanding eviction for cause to all rental units including single family homes and condominiums. Adding a relocation assistance provision to the RRSO that would require a landlord to pay a tenant an amount equal to three times the Fair Market Rent as defi...

Happy New Year! My amazing Escrow Officer, Jennifer Thayer, put together this graph to summarize who pays for what in 2019 as there have been a ton of changes that went into effect.  Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

FEMA announced late Friday that it will once again renew flood insurance policies, which were halted during the partial federal government shutdown.  This has affected ~40,000 home sale transactions nationwide.  More info here-- https://rismedia.com/2018/12/31/nar-helps-secure-fema-reversal-shutdown/

Marketplace's, "Make Me Smart" podcast did a great report on the affordability crisis of housing in the US. 

Per the Freddie Mac news release.  This opens the door for obtaining loans with realistic interest rates to those who may not be able to afford a traditional home.  The next step is getting through the prohibitive park approvals... Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today announced CHOICEHomeSM conventional financing for manufactured housing to help increase the availability of the quality affordable homes that borrowers want, while providing lenders with the innovative financing options they need. Today’s manufactured homes can deliver outstanding quality at prices that are up to 50 percent less per square foot than conventional site-built homes. These savings can enable more Americans to own their own home, even in the face of an ever-widening housing affordability gap. “Finding a home is more difficult than ever because of the ongoing housing supply shortage in many parts of the country, especially when looking for a home at a lower price point,” said Mike Dawson, vice president ...

I got this email from a lender.  If you're interested, please email or leave a response to this blog and I'll connect you.   -- For the third year in a row, the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) has increased the amount of money that can be borrowed through a standard home loan. Not planning to buy soon? Please keep reading to see why this news can still be important to you. The details:  • The  standard loan limit (also known as conforming loan limit) rose by 6.9%  to a maximum amount of $484,350. In certain high cost areas, it’s even more.  • The percentage increase is equal to the national appreciation average over the last year. • Loan limits were kept high for 10 years, even as values declined. Now that the market has surpassed prior peaks, loan limits are on the rise again. This means you may be able to: • Purchase a higher priced home with  more financing options, possibly including lower rates . • Refina...

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You may have been getting a lot of mail about this referendum, here's a 1 minute explainer:

The Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) has released preliminary information about its new Private Sewer Lateral (PSL) program. As of July 1, 2019 , the PSL requires a home owner to inspect, repair or replace their sewer laterals when selling their home. Information about the PSL requirements and process is available here-- http://www.cvsan.org/PSL

On Tuesday, July 10, the Hayward City Council took steps to increase the real estate transfer tax rate. The Council is proposing increasing the tax rate to $8.50 per $1,000 of sale or transfer price. The current rate is $4.50 in addition to the $1.10 Alameda County transfer tax.   Hayward officials claim increasing the tax rate will generate millions in additional revenue which will pay for city services, employee salaries and retirement benefits.  Hayward voters will have the final say about the rate increase. It is anticipated the Hayward City Council will vote TOMORROW (Tuesday, July 17) to place the transfer tax rate increase on the November 6 ballot.

As a Realtor, it's difficult to watch this.  I have a fiduciary duty to my clients to help them buy and sell homes, not give legal advice on how to interpret a loophole in a law.