Brian Ripp ~ Your East Bay Area & Fremont Real Estate Agent

The City of Fremont uses a Community Alert System, CodeRED®, which is provided by Emergency Communications Network. The CodeRED®system is a high-speed notification system that gives City officials the ability to deliver pre-recorded emergency alerts and non-emergency notifications to targeted geographic areas or the entire city.  CodeRED® is a “reverse 911” system that currently contains land-line phone numbers for most residents and businesses.  The community is encouraged to enroll additional information to receive notifications by email, SMS (text), and cell or work numbers.

Additional information visit: http://www.fremont.gov/index.aspx?NID=1024
 information obtained from the City of Fremont’s website

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor
www.BrianRipp.com  serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities.
Real Estate & Property Management.

Pending home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month, the first time in six years for such a streak, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in June, rose 3.6% to 94.6 from an upwardly revised reading of 91.3 in May, and is 6.7% above June 2008 when it was 88.7. The last time there were five consecutive monthly gains was in July 2003.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a combination of positive market factors is fueling the gains. “Historically low mortgage interest rates, affordable home prices and large selection are encouraging buyers who’ve been on the sidelines. Activity has been consistently much stronger for lower priced homes,” he said. ”Because it may take as long as two months to close on a home after signing a contract, first-time buyers must act fairly soon to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit because they must close on the sale by November 30.”

November is coming soon, if you’d like to start your home search – contact me or visit my web site and search yourself.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com  serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Plumbing problems like a clogged drain or smelly garbage disposal can be inconvenient, but are fairly simple to correct on your own.  Other problems require you to hire a professional and can be quite costly.  To avoid plumbing problems, both small and extensive, keep the following maintenance and preventative suggestions in mind:

In the kitchen:

·         Never pour grease down the drain. Wipe congealed grease from pans with a paper towel before rinsing in the sink.

·         Do not put such foods in your garbage disposal as coffee grounds, celery, corn husks, pumpkin or squash, banana peels, raw meat, bones, rice or pasta.

·         Vacuum your refrigerator’s coils regularly to help it cool more efficiently.

In the bathroom:

·         Put strainers in your tubs and showers to trap hair and keep drains flowing smoothly; be sure to clean them regularly.

·         Do not attempt to flush facial tissues, sanitary products or diapers.  Anything other than toilet paper should be thrown away in the trash, not the toilet.

In the garage:

·         Check your water meter when no water is being used, then check it again several hours later. If you notice a significant change in the reading, you may have an undetected water leak.

·         Annually check the hoses on your washing machine for signs of creacking or weak sots.  Replace if needed.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com   Serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

The evening news is beginning to sound more and more like the children’s fable, Chicken Little – who proclaims “the sky is falling!”  With unemployment on the rise and an uncertain economy, buying a house may be the last thing on your mind.  But if you’ve been waiting to purchase a home, now may be the perfect time.  Here’s why:

* It’s actually more affordable now.  According to the National Association of REALTORS, the housing affordability index, which measures home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income, is more favorable now than any other time since NAR started the index 1970.

* You get a break on taxes.  As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, first-time buyers (anyone who has not bought or owned a home in the past three years) can take advantage of a tax credit up to $8,000.

* Big selection and big discounts.  There is a large inventory of homes on the market, so you have a variety from which to choose.  Many builders and home sellers are also offering incentives to help move inventory.  Not only are home prices low, but mortgage rates are lower than they’ve been in years.

* Price of ownership.  Want to paint your bedroom midnight blue? Go ahead.  In your own home, you get to make the decorating decisions that reflect your personal sense of style.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com  serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Home sales increased 35.2 percent in May in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home declined 30.4 percent, C.A.R. reported last week. “With affordability for first-time buyers at a record high, sales of existing, single-family homes continued to remain above the 500,000 level for the ninth consecutive month,” said C.A.R. President James Liptak. “Buyers are beginning to realize that the combination of favorable home prices, historically low mortgage rates, and first-time home buyer tax credits, may not align again for many years.
“The sales gains over last year have diminished in recent months,” he added. “This trend is expected to continue through the end of the year, as limited inventory at the moderate and low end of the market constrains sales activity,” he said.

I read this great information from my Calif. Association of Realtors e-mail update. www.car.org   

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

 http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp