Real Estate Appraisal

    According to online home value company Zillow.com many west bay cities showed little decline in residential real estate market prices for the fourth quarter of 2007. In fact, several areas of Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties even posted modest gains of between 5-10% during this times period. On the other side of the bay, Alameda and Contra Costa counties markets continued to decline as homes continued to foreclose. If you need an valuation of your home for  refinancing or estate planning purpsoes please contact an appraiser at DmcAppraisals.com .  A map showing the San Francisco Bay Areas market increase/declines can be see HERE

During a speech our appraisal office gave to an audience of Mortgage Brokers and Realtors last week it became apparent that many San Mateo County Real Estate Professionals are worried about their future. With many large mortgage lenders shutting their doors money is getting harder to obtain for people looking to refinance or purchase a home. With money becoming tight and listings rising for the area, very few cities in the Bay Area have been unaffected by the so called housing slump. San Mateo County thus far has been pretty lucky and the city of San Carlos posted higher median and average house sales from the months of June t0 July as inventory rose slightly. The average days on the market was under 30 which is impressive when compared to the rest of the country. Mortgage related Appraisal work has slowed for us and many other local appraiser’s towards the end of this month as it appears many borrowers are waiting to see what happens in the near future. Sales and Listing stats will be in on the 1st of September and we will have an update of changes in the San Mateo Market soon. If you would like to sign-up for our monthly newsletter please do so below or visit our site at www.dmcappraisals.com

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With marketing times in the greater bay area on the rise listing agents are trying new things to get those houses sold quicker. Some throw in trips, day spa passes, and other freebies to buyers while some try to make their house stand out from the rest. Staging a home costs a few thousand dollars but it creates an atmosphere that is much more inviting than the home owners personal furniture.
Another marketing tool I have been giving to Realtors are my floor plan sketches. I have received much more interest in these floor plan sketches over the last few months for realtors to put in there brochures and on their websites. The floor plan sketch includes all interior walls, rooms, stairs, countertops, sinks, showers, pools, and doors. This paired with pictures of the rooms helps potential buyers remember the property better than just pictures of the house.
For websites these sketches, paired with a savvy website designer, can provide a place to click on and you will see a 360 degree view of the room. Fees for the sketching service start at $75 dollars to $200 for larger more complex houses and have a turnaround time of 2 days. They are completed using Apex Sketch software designed for appraisers and can be sent via email in .pdf or .jpg, .gif, .bmp image formats for further editing. I also include 2 revisions to better tend to the clients needs. For more information please visit our website at http://www.dmcappraisals.com and click on the floor plans button at the top of the page.