Transfer Taxes for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties

Many cities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties impose a point of sale ordinance on real property.  The chart below will show which cities will impose a transfer tax. 
Both Alameda County and Contra Costa County have a county transfer tax of $1.10/$1,000.
Example: If the sales price of a house in Berkeley is $500,000 then the seller can expect to [...]

So Much for the Move-Up Tax Credit

There is so much mixed feelings about the market right now.  In the Berkeley and surrounding areas, one street is seeing multiple offers and the next isn’t.  The number of foreclosures has gone down drastically, although most buyers think there are buckets of bank-owned homes ready to come on the market.  I don’t think this is the [...]

Green is in!  What does the future hold for the world of green? 
Green market research firm SBI Energy forecasts that in the next five years, the market for energy-efficient home renovation products will grow 15 percent, 50 percent faster than the renovations market as a whole. According to the report, the energy-efficient market will reach [...]

First time homebuyer tax credit extended and expanded!

Home buyer tax credit extended, expandedSan Francisco Business Times – by Kent Hoover
 
The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday that would extend and expand the tax credit for first-time home buyers.
The provision was included in a bill that also extends unemployment benefits by an additional 14 to 20 weeks and lets all companies, not just [...]

It’s a Scam

A client of mine recently closed on his first house.  As I do with all of my clients I forewarned him that he would receive a TON of junk mail and advised him on what to ignore and what not to ignore, and if he received anything that he was confused about to let me know.
He [...]