New Listing - 1804 2nd Avenue, Land Park / Sacramento, CA 95818

Charming Land Park 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1,000sf home on .09ac! You will love the wood floors, arched doorways, dual pane windows, 2-car garage, large bedrooms, Spanish / Mediterranean architecture, tile roof, private yard and more! Don't wait! Offered at $279,500, subject to lender approval of short sale. For more information and photos, visit 1804 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818.

Do you love soap? This may be the house for you...

I like soap. And I like washing with soap. But if I had to guess, I would think that whoever owned this Tahoe Park home before it was sacrificed to the Sacramento foreclosure gods must have LOVED soap. My buyer client's iPhone sits in this tub/shower soap dish just to give it's length a little context. Really? I have never seen a soapdish like this at any Lowe's, tile store, or another house...? These folks must have really valued cleanliness. Or perhaps were hoping to score a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest soap dish?

Another half marathon in the books...and are the Giants heading to the post season!?

No, not yet another example of Erin in the Media! Not sure which I am more excited about...the fact that the professional race photographer actually caught a pic of me smiling, or at the San Francisco Giants chances of some 2012 post-season magic!? This last Sunday some friends and I did the Giants Race in SF...I completed the half marathon (13.1 miles). Did I mention that hills in San Francisco are difficult to run up (and down)? This was a nice out-of-town diversion, considering how hard I have been working lately with my Sacramento home buyers and sellers! It was also a nice kick-off to my running season this fall and winter...I will be doing the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon in late October, the Clarksburg Country 20 Mile Run in November, and the California International Marathon in December!

My new broker license has been issued, AND the California Department of Real Estate officially changed my name!

Umm, yes -- I am EXCITED! Really there are two reasons...the first reason is that you may remember from a few weeks ago that I passed the California Real Estate Broker exam. The second is that the California Department of Real Estate has officially changed my name in its records to Erin Stumpf.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, or following me on Twitter or Facebook, you will know that both getting my real estate broker license and changing my name have been a long time in the making!

So now that the DRE recognizes me as Erin Stumpf rather than my former name (Erin Attardi), I will start transitioning all of my marketing to reflect that. It will probably take a while. I have A LOT of online profiles and websites.

As for my new broker license...I will be staying with Dunnigan Realtors as a Broker Associate. I got my broker license to develop a deeper knowledge base to better serve my clients. Yes, as a broker I am now able start my own company and employ other agents if I wish, but that is not on my immediate radar. Dunnigan Realtors is a fantastic company, and I am not looking to fix something that is not broken. =)

Bank of America updates its "Pre-approved Price Short Sale" and "Short Sale Relocation Assistance" Programs...

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you will already know that I got an email from Bank of America's short sale department this morning notifying me of some changes to their short sale program. To quote the email from BofA, it reads:

"Bank of America Short Sale Relocation Assistance Program: Your clients could receive $5,000 to $30,000 in relocation assistance. Your financially distressed clients want to avoid foreclosure. You want to help them. So do we! That's why Bank of America is excited to offer enhanced relocation assistance. Qualified homeowners who initiate a Pre-approved Price Short Sale (without an offer) could be eligible to receive $5,000 - $30,000* in relocation assistance and owe no more on their mortgage with the sale of their property, depending on the investor involved. Don't miss this limited-time offer to get your distressed clients the help they need by initiating a 'Pre-approved Price Short Sale' today."

So how is this different from BofA's previous short sale program? Well, the lower end of the incentive range was increased from $3,000 to $5,000. In order to participate, the short sale process MUST be initiated BEFORE the property is listed and has an offer. In fact short sales initiated at the time an offer is received are specifically excluded from the enhanced relocation assistance funds. This also now applies to homes that are non-owner occupied! A short sale must be initiated by the end of this 2012 and close by September 26, 2013, to be eligible for the incentives.

If you have questions regarding if your Bank of America mortgage loan on a Sacramento-area home may qualify for this short sale program, please contact me. I welcome your call to see if we are a good fit to work together.

My clients and I featured on a Fox 40 News story about the how homes in Sacramento are flying off the market...

Fox 40 News Reporter Chris Biele follows along to interview me, along with my clients Chris and Tory, as we house hunt in the Carmichael and Fair Oaks areas. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, if you read the article I wrote for the Sacramento Bee's "Masters Club" section a few months back, or read any of my past blog posts, you will know my thoughts on the Sacramento real estate market. The market is brisk, and most often homes are met with multiple offers...we have a very low number of listings on the market right now, and with demand high, it is pushing prices north -- even on short sales and foreclosure listings. If the embedded video doesn't work for you -- here is a link to the story on Fox 40's website.

Sacramento Habitat for Humanity "ReStore" -- a great place to find like-new building supplies!

Are you in the market for some great, gently used building materials? Or are you remodeling and looking to recycle your old building materials...or perhaps you bought more than you need and the store won't give you a refund to return them? I highly recommend that you check out the Sacramento Habitat for Humanity "ReStore." It's located at 819 North 10th Street in Sacramento and is open Tuesday - Saturday.

The Sacramento ReStore is always looking for new and gently used materials. They prefer that all donations be new or in like-new condition, good working-order, clean and free of rust. For a small fee, they will even come to your location and pick-up items! Here is a list of items they are always seeking (and what you can usually find in-stock):

• Mirrors
• Interior and Exterior Doors
• Carpet
• Tile
• Vinyl Dual Pane Windows
• Hardwood Flooring
• Vinyl/ Linoleum Flooring
• Toilets
• Plumbing Hardware
• Electrical Components
• Cabinetry: all doors/drawers in tact
• Lighting: Please remove light bulbs and package separately, no 1970s/80s glass fixtures
• Hardware
• Tools
• Lumber: clean, straight, without nails, and over 3'-0" long
• Insulation (R-13 and up)
• Miscellaneous Household Items: sofas, chairs, dressers, tables, patio furniture, books, dishes, blinds, etc.
• Appliances: Clean, a maximum of 5-7 years old, although they will make exceptions for vintage/antique items in good condition

I have donated and purchased a few items to the Sacramento ReStore over the years...it supports an excellent cause and you can find some great things there. A few years ago I purchased an unopened box of cabinet drawer knobs for just a few dollars! I highly recommend checking it out.

New Listing - 1831 Bidwell Way, Land Park / Sacramento, CA 95818

Classy 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom, 1,665 square feet Land Park home on .14ac! You will fall in love with the high coved ceilings in the formal living room, custom shutters, separate den/family room with 2nd fireplace, formal dining room, remodeled kitchen with eat-in nook, spacious bedrooms, full bathroom with separate tub & shower, half bathroom off laundry/utility room, lots of storage, 2-car detached garage. The backyard is an outdoor oasis with brick patio, pergola, beautiful landscape, separate garden area, and more! Do not miss this one. Traditional equity sale. Offered at $439,000. For more photos and information, visit http://1831BidwellWay.com.