Can I take an 8-unit building & convert it to 4 units with a 203k?This is one of the unique aspects of a 203k loan. You can take 5, 6, 7, and 8 unit buildings which are considered "Commercial" buildings and convert them to one to four residential units under this program provided the zoning will allow it.Years ago we had such a project that was eight studios, the building had been vacant for many years, it was gutted. All the drywall was gone, the wiring had been stripped out of the building, and all of the copper plumbing supply lines had been removed from the structure. Otherwise the building was in pretty good condition. The "bones" were good, the foundation seemed to be in good shape. Even the roof was adequate and we could easily say it had 2 years remaining economic life.When the ... 03/01/2015

One of the most important features during house hunting is the location and quality of schools in the minds of  parents. Understandably, they want to settle in a house not only they can afford but also could give best primary education for their small kids.  Incidentally, I touched upon the median home value of Castro Valley and also some information about the top ranking elementary schools in this blog link - http://actvra.in/4ymP The Castro Valley Unified School District website lists down the following schools in the district. For convenience of the interested parents, I will attach the link for each school so they can browse and read salient information about the schools: 1. Alma Pre-School - It provides services to students with special needs who are 3-4 years old - http://www.cv.k... 02/17/2015

I This two bedroom one bath home is sitting on a lot zoned for development. If the four car garage is not for you, live in the house, or rent the house while working with the city on permits to make even better use of the land. More details can be found at: Castro Valley 2 bedroom home for sale 11/10/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Castro Valley CA and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - Monthly mortgage insurance is not tacked on to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Castro Valley CA: You must first verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Castro Valley CA VA loan lender can order your COE for you, ... 09/26/2014

Castro Valley California - Bedroom Community of the Bay Area Castro Valley is one of the largest unincorporated areas in all of California and the fifth most populated area in the state and the 23rd in the United States. It's home to roughly 22,000 residents. Named after Don Guillermo Castro, soldier in the Mexican Army, this Valley used to be known for chicken ranches and is now considered a sleepy, bedroom community of the San Francisco Bay area. Even though Castro Valley is unincorporated and does not have a recognized local government it is organized and run by the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council and the Nonpartisan Election Information club. It's also directly governed by the County of Alameda and there is no city police force except those provided by the Alameda County Sh... 09/26/2014

Sometimes we just have to get creative to find the right buyer for our listings Today I attended the Castro Valley Car Show in hopes of finding the right buyer for my latest Castro Valley Listing. The pictures cannot really convey the opportunity. You really need to be able to reach out to someone who could use the extra space. Although a landscaper or contractor or wood worker would be a great buyer, today I was thinking CARS. Maybe because of the detached garage that can accommodate at least 4 cars and it is not uncommon to hear men talk about how much garage space they need.     Well today, I have to say I met a lot of nice car guys today at the CV car show. I took flyers of the house I am selling with a 4 car detached garage in search of the perfect buyer.  The house in front is les... 09/13/2014

Home Sweet Home OverviewMapsPhotosNeighborhoodMarket Stats $670,000 Single Family Home Main Features 5 Bedrooms3 BathroomsInterior: 314 sqftLot: 5,600 sqft Location 18459 Clifton WayCastro Valley, CA 94546USA Elisa Uribe Wells and Bennett Realtors(510) 485-7272elisa@rockridgedigs.comhttp://www.rockridgedigs.com   Listed by: Wells and Bennett Realtors Our recent listings Home Sweet Home Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 08/17/2014

   Castro Valley residents seeking a great home in Florence Arizona...keep reading! 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona. This 2014 remodel is ready for the most discriminating buyers w/over 85k in upgrades! Magic Ranch Subdivision Florence Arizona sits on an oversized corner lot. As you enter into your new 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona New 18'' tile and upgraded carpet and padding thru-out. Additional remodel work includes custom 2 tone paint, upgraded lighting fixtures, ceiling fans in all bedrooms, new 2'' faux wood blinds, New Samsung stainless steel appliance package. This 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona has a family room with surround sound and built in office space. New pool to break ground 7/23/14 and completed by 8/25/14. SOpen floor plan co... 07/19/2014

VA Mortgage Loans in Castro Valley California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for both honorably discharged Vets and active duty military personnel. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - Up to 100% financing, with no down required. - No monthly mortgage insurance. - Easier credit qualifying compared to other types of mortgage loans. - VA Mortgage Rates are low compared to other types of home loans. Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Castro Valley California: The first step is to verify your eligibility. Eligibility is verified by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. An approved Castro Valley California VA loan... 05/15/2014

 VA Mortgage Loans in Castro Valley CA and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today for active duty and honorably discharged Veterans. Here are some of the great features of this fantastic program: - Zero Down Payment, 100% financing. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - More lenient credit qualifying standards than other types of mortgage loans. - Low rates compared to other loan programs.   Here's how to qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Castro Valley CA: The first step is to verify your eligibility. You can verify eligibility by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Castro Valley CA VA loan lender can order your COE quickly for you, ... 04/30/2014

 VA Mortgage Loans in Castro Valley California and 100% financing on VA Loans - the best loan program and loan payment in the country! Designed for both active duty military and honorable discharged Veterans, VA Mortgage Loans are one of the best mortgage loan programs available today. Here are some of the main features of this great program: - 100% financing, no down payment required. - No monthly mortgage insurance added to your payment. - Easier credit qualifying compared to other types of mortgage loans. - VA Mortgage Rates are low compared to other types of home loans.   How do you know if you qualify for a VA Mortgage Loan in Castro Valley California? You must first verify your eligibility. This is done by ordering your Certificate of Eligibility or COE. A Castro Valley California... 02/11/2014

Don't be alarmed! NOT!, every day we have people laid off and leaving the work force we have more and more getting desperate to survive. Once they get to that point where they very little hope, the need for feeding their family and themselves becomes stronger. These days it is just not very smart not to have your home alarm system installed. Just got back from the CREIA conference in Sacramento for home inspectors where I had a booth next to ADT alarm system and got to know Mike Petrillo. We had time to get to know each other and I have to tell you if you are thinking about an alarm system they have a doozie. In this day and age it is an abolute must to have a home alarm system.  I learned that they have a "one source" service they offer to new home buyers with their service that can sa... 09/18/2013

FHA 203 renovation loans for non profit organizations in Berkeley The non profits now have a lender who will work with them... look at some of these benefits A non profit can purchase multiple properties up to ten at a time. Wow, Can you imagine selling ten homes to a willing buyer at one time? Is that the end of it, of course not. How do you sell more homes to them? Simply this... if they sell a home the program allows them to replace it with a new one so if they churn properties they can continue to buy more.  Secondly if the property rents cover the mortgage and expenses it is considered the same as selling it and they can buy another one for each one that cash flows. Holy Cow! Lets look at Berkeley where you can get SRO rentals.. Single room occupancy. So you purchase a large home i... 06/20/2013

The market report for Castro Valley, Ca. as of 10-31-12 is that inventory is in such a short supply compared to a year ago that the real estate market seems to have almost disappeared. Disappeared? Certainly not! There are plenty of buyers searching for a Castro Valley property to buy but they are having a tough time finding what they want. When they find a suitable property, they have a tougher time getting it under contract because of the competition from other real estate buyers. Multiple offers are common. In fact, multiple offers are the “new normal” for the current real estate market. Look at the figures below to see the drastic inventory change in the last twelve months.       Many Castro Valley buyers are frustrated and understandably so. The real estate market is very challengi... 11/07/2012

Castro Valley, CA is ripe for the picking when it comes to first-time home buyers. Whether you are single or married, have children or do not, this diverse community is a great place to live. It’s packed with wonderful schools, friendly people, and perhaps my favorite part is that the city is mostly unincorporated. That means that you will find more “mom and pop” style businesses versus large, national franchises, and also that taxes are less expensive than other areas. That’s not to say that first-time home buyers who love to shop should rule out Castro Valley as an option. A quick trip down Highway 580 will lead you right to the Pleasanton Stoneridge shopping Mall! The blend of local businesses and convenient chains, make this area an ideal community for first-time home buyers. Most o... 01/24/2012

Good Morning VA Real Estate World! It seems with all the Short Sales and bank owned homes on the market today, it is hard to find a VA Approved home for my buyers.  I list and sale in Northern California and it is like pulling teeth to help my clients fullful this criteria for our veterans. They have fullfullled a need to help support and protect our country, yet the banks find it nothing within their means to pay for an inspection or pay for necessary repairs to support the VA Loans. Something must be wrong with our system!  Aren't the banks back by governement money?  Isn't the government backed by our military?  I  am just making an observation here!  Anyone on the same page as me?  I have 4 VA buyers that have served on our behalf....  what are we to do to serve them for their servi... 09/21/2011

GOOD NEWS FOR CASTRO VALLEY HOME BUYERS   GOOD NEWS FOR CASTRO VALLEY HOME BUYERS The Median Sold Price for three bedroom homes in Castro Valley is at the lowest level since 2004. According to Clarius Market Metrics data the medium sold price for three bedroom homes is about $380,000.00.  Essentially, that means that half of three bedrooms sold for less than $380,000 and half sold for more than that amount.       The number of three bedroom properties on the market now is about 160.  This is the perfect time for Castro Valley buyers to buy a three bedroom home.  Buyers:  Prices are low, the inventory is good and rates are still low.   This is the time to buy.         08/22/2011

Since 1994 as we drive from here to there my wife has always pointed out "there is another 203k". Some things never change so I started pointing out some to her the other day as we passed a foundation that has been there for at least 16 years and no house has gone back up on it. Why not? It is perfect for a 203 loan.  There isn't a week that goes buy when someone asks if a home can be partially finished and qualify for the FHA 203k loan. We had one the other day that was a brand new home that only lacked registers and grills and the bank wouldn't finance it as it hadn't had a final inspection from the local jurisdiction. Hello, that is a no brain-er, someone spend the $100 and get the final inspection out of the way. It ended up being 24 homes in the subdivision and we were able to use ... 03/02/2011

What products are there for investors? The FHA 203k loan is an Owner Occupied product for the time being. Once there were investors allowed but they tended to abuse the system. Many of the non-profit entities were also riddled with fraud so there are only a handful of potential lenders who will even touch a non-profit right now. I know of three that come to mind right away but most of the other ones have fallen by the wayside. I’ve been to many and I do mean “many” investor group meetings… you probably have one in your city… just search for “REIA” – Real Estate Investment Associations and you may be shocked to see how many exist but for sure you will be amazed. If you have a shortage of listings in your area just visit one of these groups and ask for the “wholesalers” and you can pick ... 12/17/2010

Note: previous month’s numbers are in parentheses. Castro Valley, CA homes for sale that sold November 1st through 15th, 2010 Foreclosures Sold – 3 Short Sales Sold – 3 Total homes sold - 15 Castro Valley, CA homes pending November 1st through 15th, 2010 Foreclosures Pending – 7 Short Sales Pending – 5 Total homes Pending- 22 Castro Valley, CA homes for sale as of November 15th Total single family homes for sale in Castro Valley, CA: 166 (120) Foreclosed/bank-owned homes (REOs) for sale in Castro Valley, CA: 22 (23) Short Sale homes for sale in Castro Valley, CA:  (40) 36 Total inventory has increased significantly, not typical as we come into the holiday season.  The good news, is that the foreclosure and short sale listings make up 37% as compared to 49% last month, of the current ho... 11/21/2010