Santa Clara Valley Living

New Toll Bros Development at Corn Palace

vbrasil — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:06:30 +0000

The landscape on Lawrence expressway between Monroe and El Camino is changing. For years, what was the last farm plot owned by two brothers is about to change. Last year the Sunnyvale City Council approved a new development of 51 single family homes to be constructed on the western 10 acres of the Corn Palace.

At this time it looks as though the Corn Palace and some portion of the remaining corn field will remain, for how long its hard to say.Similar Posts:

Willow Glen Luxury Real Estate

vbrasil — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:10:03 +0000

Willow Glen has a broad range of housing. You can find anything from an 80 year old Cottage near downtown to a 2 acre estate property, and there is luxury at every stage.

My latest listing is a 1960′s rambler style home situated in a classic Willow Glen neighborhood. Within the last few years the current owners have done a number of renovations to the interior and exterior of the home. The end result is a home with an open floor plan that flows beautifully. In addition the owner’s spared no expense and choose high quality materials from the marble floors and granite counter tops, to the appliances, and windows and doors. There are a number of great features to this home from the gourmet kitchen, the spacious family room, and the grand master suite with walk-in closet. Lastly this home has a wonderfully landscaped back yard that you rarely encounter. A massive arbor with out door fireplace and a built-in pond and fountain.

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Unique Sunnyvale 94087 Home For Sale in Small Quiet Neighborhood

vbrasil — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:27:07 +0000

The Sunnyvale real estate market is quite diverse. I suppose you could say the same about a city which has three different school districts and three different zip codes which vary considerable in housing.

The 94087 zip code has always had the most desirable of Sunnyvale homes within, not coincidentally it also happens to be the area with the best schools and the sought after Cupertino School District. Within 94087 you do have all three school districts represented, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Cupertino. Even within 94087 you could imagine the difference in real estate values among homes just a block away within a different school district, in some cases the values vary 15%.

My latest listing is in the 94087 zip code and has Sunnyvale Schools, but not ones you would expect in 94087 (Cherry Chase or Cumberland). My listing at 125 Cirrus Avenue in Sunnyvale pertains to Ellis Elementary making it a bit unique among homes just a few blocks away. Its not surprising that due to this detail the values of my listing are affected. Although its a comfortably sized home at 1,277 square feet, has a 7,000 square foot lot, and is in updated condition it is currently the lowest priced home in all of 94087. A unique opportunity for some who are not concerned so much about the best schools but want to live in a great location.

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Retiring in El Dorado County Just Got Easier

vbrasil — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:55:15 +0000

One main obstacle for retirees relocating out of the area is the increase to their prop. 13 property taxes they will likely encounter. That could be a major drawback for someone who pays less than $100 a month in property taxes and lives in a home valued over $500K. If they were to relocate and buy a home worth $300K, they would likely see their property taxes quadruple. That’s why prop. 60 and prop. 90, which allow the transfer of Prop. 13 values to other primary residences were enacted to basically get people moving and not confined to their homes. The downside is that not all counties participate in prop. 90, but now El Dorado County does.

On December 15, 2009, El Dorado County’s Board of Supervisors approved prop. 90 for inter-country property tax transfers. Essentially allowing seniors or anyone 55 and older moving to El Dorado County to transfer their prop. 13 values to a replacement primary residence.

For more information on Prop. 90 see post titled Prop. 90 Inter-County Tax Transfer

For restrictions on Prop. 60 see post titled Prop. 60 & Prop. 90 Santa Clara County

For any questions email me at vbrasil@cbnorcal.com, I am always happy to help.

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A Realtor Working With Trust Sales, Probates, or Estate Sales

vbrasil — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:18:24 +0000

More often these days I am being contacted by Trustee’s to sell a home that belonged to their parent or family member. Working with trustee’s or administrators of an estate is quite different than working on other sales. As an agent, one has to be cognizant of the correct documents and contracts to use, as well as additional disclosures. In these type of sales there may be some form of court confirmation necessary or direct communication with the attorney handling the estate. In addition to the legal details I am often confronted with a home that is showing signs of neglect and is in need of updating.

In this current market sellers should be aware that they are competing with bank owned and short sale properties. Whether its a probate or an estate sale, if the sellers expect to get a good price they need to differentiate their property from the competition. The way to do that is update.

When I meet with these clients I go over the estimated cost of the updates and the price they could realize before and after the updates. If they see the value we go on and discuss timelines. As a service to them I interface with the contractors to make sure the work is being completed, procure all the materials, and manage the project from start to finish. The seller’s responsibility is solely to pay the workers and reimburse me for the materials. In many cases the trustee’s are out of the area and I send them photos of the progress of the work and how its coming along.

In the end we go from a fixer upper to updated and stylish in about 3 weeks. The market responds favorably and the home generally receives multiple offers and sells quickly, higher than list. There was one instance where a home was on the market for 5 months and the sellers had dropped the list price from $599K to $520K and still received no offers. My client needed to put his late father’s home on the market which was two doors down, and in similar if not worse condition. He was convinced that he should improve the home’s condition before listing. Once the home had been updated and we put it on the market for $535K. Ten days later after listing the home we had 3 offers and sold it for $550K. Thirty days later we closed escrow and the other listing was still lingering on the market just 2 doors down.

Here’s a video clip of a home.

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Alarming Facts about Smoke Alarms

vbrasil — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:03:07 +0000

There are two types of smoke alarms designed for homes. One type is called an ionization alarm because it uses “ions,” or electrically charged particles, to detect smoke in the air. Smoke particles entering the sensing chamber change the electrical balance of the air. The greater the amount of smoke, the higher the electrical imbalance. The horn will sound when the electrical imbalance reaches a preset level.

The other type of alarm is called photoelectric because its sensing chamber uses a beam of light and a light sensor. The sensing chamber is designed so that the light beam does not strike the sensor, but smoke particles entering the chamber deflect the light onto the sensor. The greater the amount of smoke entering the chamber, the more light will be deflected onto the sensor. The alarm sounds when the amount of light hitting the sensor reaches a preset level.

Is one type better than the other?

Both types can meet the test standards of Underwriters Laboratories, but each has its own advantages. The ionization alarm responds faster to small smoke particles, while the photoelectric responds faster to large smoke particles. Flaming fires produce more small smoke particles and smoldering fires produce more large particles.

Fire researchers have learned that a fire that generates a lot of small smoke particles will cause an ionization smoke alarm to sound sooner than a photoelectric. The time delay between the two is relatively small, but these types of fires will make the room untenable to life more quickly, so time is of the essence. On the other hand, a fire with a lot of large smoke particles will cause a photoelectric smoke alarm to sound sooner than an ionization. In this case the time delay between the two can be relatively long, but these types of fires take longer to make the room untenable to life. If you want the advantages of both, you can install one of each everywhere that a smoke alarm is required or recommended, or you can buy “combination” units that have both sensors.

It is true that an ionization alarm responds marginally faster to open fires than a photoelectric smoke alarm. On average, ionization alarms will react about 30 to 90 seconds faster to this type of fire. However, nearly all residential fire fatalities are from smoke inhalation and not from the actual fire. Also most deadly fires occur at night while you sleep. On average, ionization alarms respond about 30 to 90 minutes slower to smoldering fires than photoelectric alarm. In these fatal fires, a photoelectric alarm will alert occupants in time to allow a safe exit. In the interest of your safety, do make sure you have photoelectric smoke alarms.Similar Posts:

Realtor Testimonial Vinicius Brasil Listing Agent

vbrasil — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:39:52 +0000

Simply put, Vinicius Brasil is a shining star.

I had received a mailing on one of his listings in my neighborhood, which I was very impressed with. The postcard itself was well presented and the house had sold over asking with multiple offers. I was hoping he could do the same for me.

Vinicius arrived to our initial meeting well prepared. He was interested in looking at the house and then spent much time to review market conditions and where the property fit, comparably. Most importantly, he saw the value in my home, which the other agents I interviewed had missed.

Vinicius was attentive and communicative throughout the process. He staged the house to perfection and suggested a number of minor repairs/updates to further enhance the property.

Once listed, he represented the home well to potential buyers and their agents. We had a steady stream of traffic and at the end of the week, were presented with multiple offers above asking!

It is clear that Vinicius Brasil’s hard work and insight added a significant percentage to the bottom line.

Click here to see the actual online review.

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Campbell Condo Offers Convenience and Good Community

vbrasil — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:09:54 +0000

One bedroom condos have been long considered to be bad investments. Who buys one bedroom condos? Well, not everyone thats for sure. However buyers of one bedroom condos may be growing segment of the market with an aging population.

With that in mind I just sold a one bedroom condo in Campbell, with an HOA under $300 a month, walking distance to the Pruneyard, the Los Gatos Creek Trail, and a quick bike ride to Downtown Campbell all for around $200K. What a great property for the price. And if you don’t want to live in it we can find a renter who will pay you about $1200 a month. Thats close to about a 3% return, not bad these days in an area not known for high cap rates.

The best aspects about this condo is the community. The complex is well maintained by the owners. Its finances are in tact and the community takes pride in the complex. As the years pass, this condominium will continue to attract residents and buyers due to its location and that their are no major risks in purchasing.

When buyer’s contact me looking for condos, I can’t help but think of all the risks in buying a condo as opposed to a single family home. Thats not to say you should never buy a condo, but the possibilities for problems with condominium ownership seems infinite. However, there are complexes out there minimize that risk and are solid communities that hold value.

There are a number of thinks to keep in mind if you are shopping for a condo. The most important is the community. Are they paying their dues, attentive to the needs of the property, willing to pay increases for the necessary maintenance? These are the questions you should be asking yourself.

If you are thinking of buying a condo and you see deferred maintenance and very low HOA fees that are not consistent with other complexes in the area of the same age and size you should ask yourself a very important question. ”Do I feel confident that the other owners in this complex are going to be willing and able to address these maintenance issues?” If the answer is no, don’t take a second look.

Be aware that you do not own the condominium, you have a shared ownership and that ownership is only as good as the commitment of all the owners who make up the community.Similar Posts:

Vinicius Brasil Realtor Home Seller Review

vbrasil — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:46:48 +0000

Vinicius Brasil did a five star job selling our Santa Clara home. He handled everything, including all the renovations, which was a huge help to us. Vinicius did what he said he would do and on time. He is extremely professional, great communicator, provided regular photo updates and much more. We highly recommend Vinicius to anyone looking to sell or buy a home, as he is simply excellent to do business with.

Dr. Mark Maine

See the Review on YELP:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/vinicius-brasil—coldwell-banker-santa-clara#hrid:J8R94iHS3cQh3QEKbrAe7gSimilar Posts:

Vinicius Brasil Realtor Home Buyer Review

vbrasil — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:44:14 +0000

Mike K. – Santa Clara – Dec 2009

Two years ago, my wife and I started looking at houses in the South Bay. I asked my friend who had recently purchased his Santa Clara home for a buyers agent recommendation and his answer was: Vinicius Brasil.

We looked at our first houses in the South Bay with V in January of 2008. Before V took us out house hunting, he made us sit through this cheesy (sorry V) Coldwell Banker slide show. It was all very professional of course, but I’m an engineer. Marketing presentations aren’t really for me. All I could think about was getting out on the hunt. Little did I know how long that hunt would take and how honest, helpful, and hard working V would be for us.

Going out house hunting with V in the South Bay is an awesome experience. He knows the neighborhoods well: names, school districts, and general quality. I didn’t even know neighborhoods had names, but apparently they do: Birdland, Kilarney Farms, Forest Park… V was our tour guide through them all. He has a keen sense for what to look for in a house, where the problems likely are, and definitely steered us away from more houses than he could have. One such house, my wife and I found on a weekend Open House hunt without V. When we asked him to show us the house again mid-week, V happily met us there but had an unusual frown on his face. He covered his nose and said, I just want to prepare you… this house has a bit of a smell in it. It only got worse from there. All of the quirks that we overlooked or underestimated about the house were quickly brought into view thanks to V. As we left the house, he said, I like you guys. I don’t want to sell you a crummy house like this, you guys are nice people, you deserve a nice house. I will find one for you.

Fast forward two years later, by the time we found the house we ended up purchasing, we had been in failed contract twice (one for unexpected foundation issues totally 20% of the value of the house, and the other was a missed appraisal and a crazy seller). V had the connections to prevent us from making a bad decision. He knew quality inspectors, had a good knack for negotiating, and in all took a tremendous amount of his time to sit down with us and go over every inch of the 3 houses we were in contract on.

Honestly, I didn’t know how much of a superstar agent V was until my housemate overheard V going over the disclosures on one of the houses we were about to put an offer on. My housemate explained that in his experiences with agents, they simply send you the paperwork and documentation and you’re left mostly on your own to figure things out. Not so with V.

After putting up with us for 2 years, V kept his word. He found us a house in one of the neighborhoods we thought we could never afford. Part of it was luck, part of it was skill, but all of our satisfaction with how the transaction and house hunt went came down to how thorough, patient, and knowledgeable Vinicius is. Thanks Vinicius!

For any of you considering V as an agent, look no further. He will treat you well, he wants clients for life. He has certainly earned our trust, friendship, and a five star Yelp Rating!

See Actual Review on YELP.COM:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/vinicius-brasil—coldwell-banker-santa-clara#hrid:Ghd7yJukdPN4xjlIAIA_fA

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