McGuire Real Estate

Articles, Stories & Questions

Displaying all 22 submissions

But I WAS Pre-Approved?! The home buying process is fraught with challenges which can lead to victory or frustration. I know I have said this before, but one piece of the process will help eliminate some of the frustration—a pre-approval letter will establish your buying power. You’ve contacted a couple of lenders to make sure you’re getting the best rate for your mortgage. S... more... Blogged on 11/30/2011	Robert Merryman
The Floaters and Sinkers vs. the Champions of Real Estate First-time buyers generally face a huge learning curve as they take the plunge into the buyer swimming pool. Some float and some sink while others are able to swim to the finish line as champions. Let’s first take a look at the floaters and the sinkers. For the most part, the floaters say they’re “keeping their options open.” They like looking, but can’t commit... more... Blogged on 11/10/2011	Robert Merryman
Now’s your chance to get back to the beach! If this were So-Cal this lovely home near Ocean Beach would be twice the price. Yet at $699K this presents a great opportunity for outdoor lovers – right here in San Francisco. And what many people don’t realize is how much action there is in the Outer Richmond. To begin, miles and miles of park trails and beach walks are waiting for you. Bonfires abound along Ocean Beac... more... Blogged on 10/28/2011	Robert Merryman
What’s the Real Story on SF Real Estate? The landscape of San Francisco real estate and explaining its values is challenging. Media reports regarding the housing crisis are all about doom and gloom—nationwide. But what happens when we take a closer look at San Francisco: the numbers, according to the San Francisco Association of Realtors, are healthy and the activity is strong. Key factors are varied but let&rsquo... more... Blogged on 10/27/2011	Robert Merryman
A Castle At a Condo Price? San Francisco has a wide variety of housing stock—but a Castle? It doesn’t have a moat but it does have three caverns accessible through underground caves. Interested? Read on… The castle was built in 1870 by a young Englishman, John Hamlin Burnell, who saw an opportunity to build the Albion Ale and Porter Brewing Company to service nearly 800 saloons in t... more... Blogged on 8/31/2011	Robert Merryman
Giving Your First Agent a Fair Shot! So, you’ve interviewed several agents to sell your home. Each agent presented nearly the same statistical analysis regarding comps, values and suggested listing price. You seemed to connect with one agent who gained your trust, and after careful consideration, you engage with that agent. However, the suggested list price is not quite what you had expected to hear. Throu... more... Blogged on 6/17/2011	Robert Merryman
Buyers and Sellers Continue to Go Toe-to-Toe Buyers and sellers stand toe-to-toe in their attempt to reach a delicate balance. Some sellers have lived in the reality of “proper pricing” for many months now—while other overpriced properties, have Ping-Ponged on and off the market at various prices.As more and more sellers are getting their prices “right,” buyers’ interests are peaking in return.Yet it... more... Blogged on 5/3/2011	Robert Merryman
There’s Much More Than Meets The Eye… When you buy or sell a home, whether a condo, TIC or single family, your agent has a duty to report and disclose all that the eye can see. This relates to a water stain, a broken window or any of a variety of issues. Whatever the cause of the water stain or broken window is not part of the disclosure, just that it’s been noted. But when it comes to a visual inspection, or A... more... Blogged on 1/12/2011	Robert Merryman
Urban Free Farming? The seeds for sharing have been planted in a vacant lot in San Francisco. Located at the corner of Eddy & Gough Streets you’ll find something unofficially tagged as the Free Farm. It’s on the former site of a Lutheran Church, St. Paulus, which was destroyed by fire in 1995 and needed a make-over. After sitting vacant for nearly 15 years and slowly filling with debris,... more... Blogged on 12/8/2010	Robert Merryman
Green Power... Before Its Time? Have you ever wondered about the mammoth giants that stand century at the western end of Golden Gate Park? They’re among some of the first known sources of “green” energy. The northern windmill, Queen Wilhelmina, was constructed in 1902 for $16,000 and was intended to pump 30,000 gallons of fresh water per hour. The water was necessary to irrigate Golden Gate Park and t... more... Blogged on 11/22/2010	Robert Merryman
Here's to a "Green" Holiday Since 1981 San Francisco and Friends of the Urban Forest have been working towards the “greening” of San Francisco city streets. Now the city and FUF are putting the “green” into Christmas. For a limited time, residents of the City can get a “live” holiday tree for $80. These potted trees (6-8 feet) have been hand-picked as they’re types of trees that ... more... Blogged on 11/17/2010	Robert Merryman
From The Sublime to The Innocent The real estate market is one that’s not to be second guessed. When working with the law of averages two recent property sales “bend the law of averages.” Both of these properties are within blocks of each other on Russian Hill. Both sold quickly with multiple offers and well over the list price. One is a hip and stylish condo and the other a single family home in need o... more... Blogged on 11/1/2010	Robert Merryman
Trying to Comp Reality When working with sellers, the conversation usually comes around to value. Naturally, they want the optimum price for their home. They might mention a couple of homes in their neighborhood that have been on the market recently. In discussing current market trends and activity, they might feel that their home was as good as or perhaps better than each of the comparable properties. They never see... more... Blogged on 9/21/2010	Robert Merryman
Preparing Your Home For Sale While meeting with sellers, they asked me what they should do to prepare their home prior to selling. We walked through the home and they pointed out some of their concerns and asked how they might affect the value. We discussed various approaches: minimal repairs, limited cosmetic adjustments or just selling the home in its current physical condition. In order to give the seller... more... Blogged on 8/3/2010	Robert Merryman
How a Fridge Can Freeze an Appraisal I helped prepare my client’s home for market. The home had been in the family for a long time. Both the stove and refrigerator had seen better days, months, even years. Although they were functional, they detracted from the fresh paint and staging. The appliances seemed to be the only sour spot in the whole house. So, we removed the “eyesores” and marketed the home. The home w... more... Blogged on 6/29/2010	Robert Merryman
Whose Fence Is It Anyway? Fences and their ownership can be a tricky subject for conversation between neighbors. The responsibility for the maintenance and repair of fences is not written anywhere unless of course it’s in the deed or another agreement among neighbors. Sometimes the preliminary title may show an indication of who “owns” the fences. For the most part, fences are a “shared” f... more... Blogged on 5/24/2010	Robert Merryman
Know Your Current Purcha$ing Power One Saturday, about six months ago, I spent a couple of hours showing properties to a perspective client. As she wasn’t familiar with San Francisco, I made certain to show a sampling of properties in her “price” range in a variety of neighborhoods. I asked if she had been pre-approved, and she asked me for a lender referral. Fortunately the lender and I ha... more... Blogged on 4/29/2010	Robert Merryman
Know Your Parking One of the highest saleable features of any property is parking. This is especially true in a densely populated neighborhood. There are several types of parking, but the right to a parking space is variable. When making a purchase of a condo or TIC in a multi-unit building, there are some things you should be aware of in regard to parking: Deeded parking is the highest standard because t... more... Blogged on 4/2/2010	Robert Merryman
When a "Bedroom" is Not a Bedroom An extra bedroom can add good value to the sale price of most properties. But what if that bedroom doesn’t fit the criteria for a bedroom? Does it have a closet, door and window? These are three constants when considering the “legality” of a bedroom. I recently viewed a home to help the sellers get a sense of its value. They bought the it as a three bedroom home. But the third bedroom, althou... more... Blogged on 2/24/2010	Robert Merryman
To Appreciate or Not Appreciate How much will it appreciate? I’ve heard this question quite a bit lately. The answer depends on where and what you’re buying. San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) and points south are in a “correction” period because of the over speculation and risky lending issues in the area. Thousands of available units create a distraction for anyone buying in that market. Too many choices and short... more... Blogged on 1/31/2010	Robert Merryman
Mix It Up in The Richmond District The western reaches of San Francisco are often overlooked by visitors and home buyers alike. But the Richmond district provides city residents and visitors a gateway to a variety of outdoor activities flanked by Golden Gate Park and ending at Ocean Beach. A fine weave of culture and architecture give the Richmond district its unique and distinct “style.” When visitors arrive in San Francisco th... more... Blogged on 12/14/2009	Robert Merryman
Don't Let The Feet Trip You! Square footage can often be confusing — to the buyer, agent and appraiser. Recently I forwarded a listing to a client for a single family home with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Her first question was, “What’s the square footage?” After checking the tax records (1,441) her immediate reaction was: too small. In the meantime, she gave a favorable nod to a listing for a 4 bedroom/2 bath home on t... more... Blogged on 10/19/2009	Robert Merryman