Walnut Creek Homes Real Estate Agent California | Clocktower Realty

41 Overlook Ct., Walnut Creek

Ken Jacobs — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:14:22 +0000

Unique property in terrific Walnut Creek neighborhood. First time on the market! 2 separate adjacent lots included with existing home on one lot. 4 bedroom, 3 full baths approximately 2200 sq ft according to tax records. Desirable floor plan, spacious living room with some Mt. Diablo views, 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths on main level with an upstairs master bedroom addition including sitting area featuring a beautiful panoramic view. The original master suite is on the main level with private bath. This home needs some repair and updating, but has tremendous potential. A home inspection and pest inspection are available upon request.

The main lot with the home is approximately .24 acre while the adjacent vacant lot sits just adjacent to the main property and is approximately .21 acre according to tax records.

4109 Amberwood Cir., Pleasanton

Ken Jacobs — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:39:45 +0000

Nicely maintained two story townhouse with 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and over 1400 sq. ft. according to tax records. Living area has hardwood flooring, fireplace w/gas starter, dining area and opens to a private rear patio. The eat-in kitchen includes a refrigerator as well as breakfast nook and exits out to the attached one car garage. One bedroom w/private bath and walk in closet downstairs while the other two bedrooms and one bath are upstairs. The complex features a community pool

Walnut Creek Area Home Sales for March, 2012

Ken Jacobs — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Click on the links below to see sales that finalized and closed in our area in March, 2012. The link will show pictures and information for all properties sold though the MLS during the past month.

Walnut Creek Home Sales for March, 2012

Pleasant Hill Home Sales for March, 2012

Concord Home Sales for March, 2012

Clayton Home Sales for March, 2012

Martinez Home Sales for March, 2012

Lamorinda Home Sales for March, 2012

Danville Home Sales for March, 2012

San Ramon Home Sales for March, 2012

Dublin Home Sales for March, 2012

Pleasanton Home Sales for March, 2012

281 Southwind Dr., Pleasant Hill

Ken Jacobs — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:49:25 +0000

Beautifully maintained single story home with open floor plan, large kitchen with breakfast nook includes gas cooktop, built in microwave, granite tile counters and refrigerator. Just off the kitchen is a sizeable family room with pellet fireplace as well as a formal dining area, opening to a covered patio and yard with gate to your own swimming pool with gas heater!

The master suite has a stall shower and separate tub in the bath, as well as two sink vanities. In addition, there is a hall bath with entry from a 2nd bedroom and 1/2 bath for guests, both tastefully updated.

A washer/dryer is included as well as gardening and pool service

765 Bloching Circle, Clayton

Ken Jacobs — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 03:40:49 +0000

Spectacular home in Regency Woods with 4 bedrooms & 2 1/2 baths, approximately 2325 sq ft. No detail left out in the gourmet remodeled kitchen with custom maple cabinetry, built in GE monogram refrigerator, stainless steel appliances including Dacor gas cooktop in center island which expands to a circular eating area, Caesarstone countertops, decorative glass panel cabinet doors, convection microwave, warming drawer, pantry with pull out shelves and eco-friendly marmoleum flooring.

The back yard and patio area has entries from the family room, kitchen and formal dining room and features a hot tub and deck area, a stamped concrete patio area perfect for entertaining, and a peaceful hillside garden area with numerous landscape steps, sitting areas and beautiful views. One side of the garden includes your own personal vineyard which the current owners use to make their own wine! An insulated shed on the right side of the home with cooling unit is included for wine storage. The patio also has a gas line to hook up a BBQ.

Just inside the front entry of the home, you’ll find bamboo flooring extending into the living room and formal dining area. A convenient office is just off the front hallway complete with built in desk and cabinetry from California Closets. Just beyond the kitchen is a large family room with added Anderson Art glass insert windows and Marvin sliding door leading to the patio area.

A large master bedroom includes a private deck overlooking the back patio & garden, with 3 additional bedrooms and hall bath upstairs.

Additional features include a Bosch washer/dryer, tankless water heater, RV or boat parking area, newer dual pane windows, and newer HVAC system.

26A Belmont Ct., Pleasant Hill

Ken Jacobs — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:30:34 +0000

Spectacular hilltop retreat! Completely renovated 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment with private patio with a panoramic view of Mt. Diablo and the valley. Gorgeous new kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances, glass tile backsplash and built in microwave. The living room features hardwood floors and entertainment center as well as spectacular views. Other amenities include a washer/dryer and beautiful new tile bathroom.

ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED – High Speed Internet, expanded basic cable w/HD-DVR, PG&E, water & garbage! Completely private entrance with owners living in home above apartment.

161 Northcreek Cir., Walnut Creek

Ken Jacobs — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:25:40 +0000

Nicely updated townhouse in perfect Walnut Creek location, convenient to BART, freeways & shopping. The spacious living room features hardwood floors, wood burning fireplace and separate dining area opening to a private patio. There is a 1/2 bath downstairs for guests with solid surface counters, updated cabinetry & fixtures and tile flooring. The kitchen has been renovated with laminate flooring, newer cabinetry, appliances, double ovens and granite countertops and includes a small breakfast nook. Upstairs is the huge master suite opening to an ample master bathroom area with double sinks and a wall of closet space. Both full baths upstairs have also been updated with newer solid surface counters & fixtures. Carpeting is less than 2 years old, and other features include an attached two car garage, community pool & tennis courts. The only common walls this townhome shares with the adjoining unit is at the garage wall!

Rancho Dorado was built in 1976-1977 and features 2-3 bedroom townhouses from approxmiately 1200-1700 square feet. It is conveniently located in Walnut Creek within a mile of the Pleasant Hill BART station and is convenient to Countrywood Shopping Center, I-680, Bancroft Elementary School, The Contra Costa Canal Trail & Heather Farms Park. The development has 211 townhouses in a Spanish style with red tile roofs. Rancho Dorado spans both sides of Treat Blvd. adjacent to the Countrywood development on the North side and the Sunset Park development on the South side. Its amenities include two swimming pools, tennis courts and a lush greenbelt area with old oak trees.

What’s Happening in Today’s Market? – Walnut Creek Real Estate

Ken Jacobs — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:55:39 +0000

As we enter into Spring shortly, we’re continuing to see strong buyer demand and fairly low available inventory of homes. Many homes priced correctly for the market and with no major issues are selling with multiple offers, as has been the case since the beginning of the year. This increased buyer demand is impacting multiple price ranges as well as I have been involved in multiple offer situations with transactions under $200K and over $1M. Many agents are starting to plan on waiting for offers with new listings, anticipating the increased demand. A number of factors are driving this surge of home buying interest – interest rates at historic lows, an improving economy, home prices at their lowest level in many years in most areas, discounted foreclosure and short sale properties are all factors. It will be interesting to see if this level of demand continues deep into the Spring when there tend to be many more homes coming on the market. Despite the overall demand for housing and multiple offer situations, many of those sales are still not resulting in prices substantially above the asking price and homes that are overpriced or have some functional deficiency are still languishing on the market. While many buyers are excited to be back in the market, there is still a very cautious attitude among most buyers that may keep prices from going up dramatically unless this type of demand continues for an extended period. For the time being though, many agents I speak with are shaking their heads as it feels more and more like we’re back in 2004-2005 in terms of competition for quality properties.

FHA Fee Increases Could Push More Buyers Out Of Real Estate Market

Ken Jacobs — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:17:27 +0000

Since the beginning of the housing crisis over 5 years ago, FHA loans have become a primary source of financing for home buyers with less than a 20% payment. Previous private lender solutions such as private mortgage insurance or 2nd mortgages to help cover the down payment gap that had been so prevalant and easy to obtain during the boom years were all but extinct and the FHA loan programs offered one of the only options to home buyers without a large down payment. FHA loans currently require only 3 1/2% down payment up to a maximum of $729,750 in many high cost areas including Walnut Creek and surrounding communities. But as the number of FHA buyers has swelled, so has the risk the agency is taking on. Only a couple of years ago, the mortgage insurance fees required to obtain an FHA loan were as little as 1% at the initiation of the loan and .55% of the loan amount annually. Those costs have increased steadily throughout the past couple of years as the FHA tries to pad its reserve accounts, and currently stand at a 1% initiation fee and 1.1% or 1.15% of the loan amount, depending on the amount of down payment, on an annual basis. On April 1, another increase will take place increasing the initial premium to 1.75% of the loan amount and increasing the monthly rate by another .1% for loans of $625,000 or below and .35% for loans above that amount. For someone obtaining a $500,000 FHA loan with the minimum 3 1/2% down payment, that means an upfront mortgage insurance fee of $8750 and an ongoing monthly mortgage insurance amount of $521 on top of their loan payment. You can see the actual directive from the FHA here.

Prior to the real estate boom beginning in 2000, private mortgage insurance was a big player in mortgages with less than 20% down. Typically, a buyer could obtain 95% financing with a private mortgage insurance fee to obtain financing. When lenders started offering 2nd mortgages of 10%, 15% or even 20% for essentially 100% financing to buyers, private mortgage insurance became fairly obsolete as the 2nd mortgage option with consistently low interest rates at the time, was a considerably better options for most home buyers. With the housing crash, the availability of those types of 2nd mortgages vanished overnight, and private mortgage insurance companies who were inundated with losses from foreclosed homes essentially stopped insuring policies on new mortgages. As the market has steadied over the past year in Walnut Creek and surrounding areas, those private mortgage insurance options are beginning to resurface. There are a number of available loan programs with 10% down payment requirements with private mortgage insurance, and I’ve even seen a few 5% 2nd mortgages with a 15% down payment available to buyers with strong credit and assets. As FHA rates rise, it will be interesting to see if private mortgage insurers are confident enough to come back into the market with more force to compete for business with FHA loans. Otherwise, some home buyers could get pushed out of the market or be forced to lower their price range expectations.

Walnut Creek Area Home Sales – February, 2012

Ken Jacobs — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:52:56 +0000

Click on the links below to see sales that finalized and closed in our area in February, 2012. The link will show pictures and information for all properties sold though the MLS during the past month.

Walnut Creek Home Sales for February, 2012

Pleasant Hill Home Sales for February, 2012

Concord Home Sales for February, 2012

Clayton Home Sales for February, 2012

Martinez Home Sales for February, 2012

Lamorinda Home Sales for February, 2012

Danville Home Sales for February, 2012

San Ramon Home Sales for February, 2012

Dublin Home Sales for February, 2012

Pleasanton Home Sales for February, 2012