Neighborhood Spotlight: Sierra Oaks

Sierra Oaks is a small pocket of homes bordered by Fair Oaks Boulevard to the North, American River Drive to the South, Watt Avenue to the East, and Howe Avenue to the West. Within these boundaries lies some of the most expensive and highly desired real estate in Sacramento county. The close proximity of the American River provides biking, walking, picnicking and fishing possibilities along the American River Parkway, a unique resource in the Sacramento area. Sierra Oaks is dotted with many neighborhood parks including Oak Meadow Park.

Homes in this community were generally built in the late 1940's and 1950's. These older homes are typically ranch style between 2,000 - 3,000 square feet, and sit on parcels ranging from a quarter acre to an acre in size. Amongst these classic homes, of course, one will find new construction and remodeled homes up to 6,000 square feet.

Sierra Oaks Elementary School is right in the heart of Sierra Oaks. This K-8 school is located at 171 Mills Road, between Huntington and Latham. A dedicated staff of highly qualified teachers in partnership with an active parent community set the tone for this outstanding educational environment. Built in 1960, Sierra Oaks has had a long reputation of high academic achievement. It has earned the California Distinguished School recognition twice, first in 1987 and again in 1998.

Also nearby is Rio Americano High School - home of the Raiders! Located on American River Drive between Morris and Piccadilly, Rio's mission is to educate young people in a positive, safe environment, to encourage academic, social, and cultural growth and prepare the students to be responsible, confident, well-rounded citizens. Rio offers a diverse curriculum and employs teaching methods that will prepare students for college, career, and beyond.

Close by is California State University, Sacramento, with an excellent range of cultural activities, the Pavilions Shopping Center, with upscale eateries and shops, Loehmann's Plaza, where you can grab a bagel and cup of coffee before doing the weekly grocery shopping, and Lyon Plaza, home of the Sierra Oaks Lyon Real Estate office and more.

Sierra Oaks is conveniently located a stone's throw from downtown Sacramento via Fair Oaks Blvd/J Street, and is also a short drive from Hwy 50 at either Howe Avenue or Watt Avenue.

Feel free to contact me for more information on this fantastic community! I can be reached at erin@erinattardi.com or http://www.erinattardi.com/.

Useful links:
http://www.rioamericano.com/
http://www.sanjuan.edu/schools/sierraoaks/
http://www.sierraoaksneighbors.com/
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/sacramento/sierraoaks/
http://www.csus.edu/
http://www.ardenhomevalues.com/
http://www.erinattardi.com/neighborhood_details.php?nID=1
http://eattardi.golyon.com/

Searching the MLS...

Realtor.com is a popular site for prospective home buyers to search for homes currently on the market...the major downside to Realtor.com, however, is that it is impossible to tell if the property is still available! On the MLS, if a listing has not been withdrawn or has expired, a home is either active, pending (in escrow with a buyer), or sold...on Realtor.com the database is not updated when homes are under contract, and there can be a day or two before a sold home is removed. I often get inquiries from excited buyers who, of course, are interested in a home that is no longer on the market.

So I am often asked by buyers - "Where can I search the MLS in real time?"

Well you can actually search the MLS directly on my website at http://www.erinattardi.com/MLS.htm. Only active properties are shown on this version of the MLS, and there are plenty of photos and details available to view - like price, # of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, lot size, square footage, etc. Of course if you do not want to take the time to sort through a gazillion listings, you can visit another one of my websites - http://www.SacHomeList.com and register to have home listings matching your criteria emailed directly to you each day or each week...

Happy house hunting!

Rainy Day Real Estate...

Buyers do not like house hunting in the rain.

New Home vs. Resale Home Purchase?

One thing that most buyers do not know is that if you choose to purchase a brand new home, you may still use the services of a real estate professional to represent your interests in the purchase transaction. In fact, whether you utilize my services or the services of another agent, it is in your best interest to have someone other than the builders' representative advocating your interests, facilitating negotiations, coordinating inspections, etc. Have you ever heard horror stories from someone you know who purchased a new home? No one interpreted the purchase agreement for them, they were not informed of certain upgrades available to them, no one was their advocate with regard to making repairs before and after the sale...the list goes on. If you decide to purchase a new home - don't let this happen to you!

In order to have an agent represent you in the purchase of a new home, make sure you and your agent are present the first time you visit that particular community or builder.

Should you purchase a new home, or a resale home? Here are some pro's of each choice:

New home:
-Modern floor plans that could include an open floor plan, a "great room," more closet space, more bedrooms and bathrooms, large garage, etc.
-The opportunity to select you desired lot within the community based on location within the neighborhood, shape, size, view, etc.
-The opportunity to choose upgrades, such as paint selection, customize floor coverings, cabinetry, colors, and more
-More energy-efficient insulation, dual pane windows, solar power, and heating/cooling systems
-Builder incentives, such as assistance with closing costs for using a preferred lender, credits for upgrades, etc.
-The added protection of a warranty from the home builder for plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and structural defects

Resale home:
-Existing features, including window treatments and mature landscaping, swimming pools, etc.
-Location -- existing homes are often closer to metropolitan areas and have larger lots
-Established neighborhoods that provide a sense of community
-The opportunity to use an existing home as a base to remodel and create a unique property
-The ability to purchase a home protection plan

If you would like additional information, please call or email me. I would be happy to help you!

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=359117

Lyon Real Estate

As of today, I am officially a Lyon Real Estate Agent. I have been contemplating a switch for quite some time now, and I signed on the dotted line this morning. I will be working out of the Sierra Oaks Office at Munroe/Fair Oaks Blvd...my contact info will remain the same (http://www.erinattardi.com), but you may notice that my former company logo is still on my website for a week or so.

More on this later...I am very excited.

Home Bidding Wars...

This is not a concept of 2004 folks! Overpriced homes these days tend to languish on the market forever, while realistically priced homes (and homes priced a couple percent under current market value) tend to get multiple offers, sell quickly, and occasionally (in the case of "underpriced" homes) sell over the asking price.

Two cases in point from this last week...

I client I have been emailing listings to for a while now inquired about a very cute 3 bedroom /2 bathroom home in the Arden area that had just hit the market. The house is about 1100 square feet and, while a bit dated in style, is extremely clean and on a nice street. It was listed at $269,000. Before my client even had the chance to view the property in person, it went into escrow for more than the asking price.

Another client I have been working with for a few weeks inquired about a listing in Fair Oaks pretty close to the Illinois river access area. Nice 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom house of about 1600 square feet on a large quarter acre lot. New roof. New electrical panel. Weird floorplan. Terrible kitchen. Offered at $379,000. We looked at it yesterday afternoon, and this morning the listing agent called me to let me know there were already 2 offers, and she wanted to know if we were going to be making an offer. Luckily my clients already have an offer on another property they are in love with, so we do not have to fight with 17 other hopeful families over this one. Coincidentally enough, the home we are in current negotiations with has been on the market approximately 9 months and has dropped its price over $100k during that time period.

The moral of the story? Don't overprice your home...AND the market ain't all that bad - it is just normal again. FYI it is not normal for property to appreciate 20% year after year!