Looking for Property?

Personal News:

We had a fun outing for Halloween. Johnny dressed up as a Caterpillar, and we went to a 'Trunk or Treat' event sponsored by a local church. He had a great time, playing on the inflatable slide, jump house, and enjoying a puppet show featuring 'The Three Pigs'. As I was heading toward my 46th birthday, I decided it was time to continue on my quest for good health by starting a workout program. I started a 90-day program, called P90X, in mid-August, making the commitment to work at it diligently for 90 days. As I write this, I am at day 83 in the program, and can tell you that my results have been remarkable. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me.

We'll be traveling to visit family for the Thanksgiving weekend. Our family wishes you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Professional News:

Looking for Property? (or What's Happening in My Neighborhood?)

Are you looking for a private, secure place to search for real estate? Would you like to know what's happening in your neighborhood? My MLS Advisor Service provides up to date information on listing activity in your area or in any Bay Area region you choose. Search for active listings, properties in escrow, price reductions, and much more. Take a test drive! Go to: www.advisormls.com

If you are considering buying or selling property out of the area, let me help you find an experienced real estate professional that can offer you the best possible service.

Coming Soon

377 Vale Drive, San Jose (Detached Single Family Home)
4 Bedrooms / 2 Full Bathrooms / Approx. 1410 Sq. Ft.
This beautiful single story home features an updated kitchen and bathrooms, energy efficient dual-pane windows, new carpet, paint, and more.
The list price is TBD

Remember to check out my website and benefit from the wealth of information: http://dalewarfel.com/

You could also contact me via email at: dale@dalewarfel.com or on the phone at: 408.624.6202

My expertise lies in selling homes in Almaden Valley and Willow Glen. Log on to these two websites to get local news and information, which you can use, for these areas.

http://almadenvalleyhomesforsale.com

http://willowglenhomesforsale.com

Market Update

The inventory of homes active on the market topped 6,500 listings again in October. There have been signs the past few weeks that the market may be showing signs of a recovery. The number of active homes on the market has been declining in the greater Santa Clara County area (Gilroy through Sunnyvale). In the last 3 weeks, the number of active single-family homes on the market has dropped by approximately 3%, while the number of homes in contract (sale pending) has increased by approximately 7%. Condos and townhomes have experienced similar changes, with the active listings dropping over 4%. Based on the fairly consistent market we have been seeing the past 6 months, this could be an indication of a shift in the market.

By the way, did you hear that Donald Trump is heading to Northern California with $100,000,000 to buy homes. There is a saying that goes something like this: 'Follow the big money.' If Donald Trump thinks it's a good time to buy real estate in Northern California, perhaps that is the best 'Buy' signal of all.

For your requirements in buying or selling properties in San Jose, especially in the communities of Almaden Valley and Willow Glen, contact me via email at: dale@dalewarfel.com or on the phone: 408.624.6202

Choose the right property

When you were younger your dream was to own a home. Then you start getting older and then you want to spend more quality time with your family. Having a place to getaway from your hectic and grueling week schedule looks inviting. This is one of the main reasons that people start looking for vacation homes. To get away for the weekend and to spend some quality time with their families. It is no longer a dream to own a vacation home. Many people have a vacation home to get away to in the weekends.

If you live in the heart of the Silicon valley the hustle and bustle of the lifestyle really gets to you. There are many great communities nearby with great properties for sale. There are very pretty homes for sale in Milpitas, there are unique houses for sale in Milpitas and the gorgeous residences for sale in Santa Clara will take your breath away. Whether it is a vacation home that your looking for or a condo for sale or a cottage for sale you could check the mls listing. A good real estate agent in San Jose will be able to guide you efficiently.

Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced investor, you will find useful information about how to choose the right property, making an offer, negotiating, financing, mortgage rates, moving, and everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in today’s market on Realtor Dale Warfel’s site. The latest property for sale in Almaden valley is a 5 bedroom house of about 3297 square feet. The hottest property for sale in Willowglen has 4 bedrooms and is about 1508 square feet.

Choose the right property

When you were younger your dream was to own a home. Then you start getting older and then you want to spend more quality time with your family. Having a place to getaway from your hectic and grueling week schedule looks inviting. This is one of the main reasons that people start looking for vacation homes. To get away for the weekend and to spend some quality time with their families. It is no longer a dream to own a vacation home. Many people have a vacation home to get away to in the weekends.

If you live in the heart of the Silicon valley the hustle and bustle of the lifestyle really gets to you. There are many great communities nearby with great properties for sale. There are very pretty homes for sale in Milpitas, there are unique houses for sale in Milpitas and the gorgeous residences for sale in Santa Clara will take your breath away. Whether it is a vacation home that your looking for or a condo for sale or a cottage for sale you could check the mls listing. A good real estate agent in San Jose will be able to guide you efficiently.

Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced investor, you will find useful information about how to choose the right property, making an offer, negotiating, financing, mortgage rates, moving, and everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in today’s market on Realtor Dale Warfel’s site. The latest property for sale in Almaden valley is a 5 bedroom house of about 3297 square feet. The hottest property for sale in Willowglen has 4 bedrooms and is about 1508 square feet.

Town house, row house or brownstone ?

What's the difference between a town house, a row house, and a brownstone? A town house is a multistory urban house which could be attached or detached, which basically means built close to the street and scaled exactly like the surrounding houses. A row house is a multistory urban house built in a style that is the same as, or sometimes even replicas of adjoining houses. They are often built by the same architect and developer. Brownstone could be either a townhouse or a row house but with its façades sheathed in brown sandstone. So town house is the general description, the row house is a kind of a townhouse , and the brownstone could be either.

Many townhouses have a classic bow-front or bay window row houses which looks great. Row houses give the impression of cleanliness, clean lines, matching hedges, identical facades give the whole street an ambience.. But apart from the front windows, there are many other architectural aspects that is typical of the town house/row house/brownstone triumvirate. They could have copper accents that over the years have become a rich green hue called a patina . Some have very eye catching ornamental grillwork usually painted black. Oriel windows decorate other homes. They project out from the façade but do not touch the ground. The townhouses that have interior double parlors ensure that even long and narrow space inside the house get enough light. The Italian concept of piano nobile is when the primary living space is placed on the second level above the kitchen and service areas.

Whether your interested in a townhouse, a rowhouse or a brownstone the best person to contact will be realtor Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, who specializes in properties in the San Jose area and can guide you very professionally and efficiently. Keller Williams Realty has a comprehensive online tool which offers direct access to the latest properties for sale in your area. Featuring extensive community information, consumer links, school information, free reports, answers to commonly asked real estate questions, and more, you will find everything about real estate within one easy source.

Ready to buy a house?

Are you ready to make a commitment? Are you feeling the need to get grounded. Do you feel secure enough to take on a mortgage. Are you ready to buy a house? Owning is probably not for you if you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, maybe not yet. You may end up losing money if you sell any sooner with the transaction costs of buying and selling a home.

You have to make sure your credit history is good if need to get a mortgage to buy a house. Get your credit report done much before you start house hunting,. Make sure everything is clean and fix any problems if you find any. You need to make sure what kind of money you can spend on your new house. How much mortgage can you pay. Will your salary support it? There are calculators available online to get a better handle on how your income, debts, and expenses affect what you can afford You can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary.You also need to do a lot of research on banks and interest rates because you need to find something that is not going to kill you. You should be able to manage it. There are a variety of public and private lenders who offer low-interest mortgages. There are some who only require a down payment as small as 3 percent of the purchase price. But of course all this rests on the fact that you need to qualify.

It is a great idea to buy property around areas that offer a lot of amenities. Good schools, good transport systems, good shopping areas are preferred. It does not matter if you do not have children who are in school or you are not the shopping type. If this is an investment , even if you plan to live there for a while it is better to think of who your buyers would be down the line. Strong school districts are very important for many home buyers. So when it is time to sell it will help to boost property values.

Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced investor, you will find useful information about how to choose the "right" property, making an offer, negotiating, financing, mortgage rates, moving, and everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in todays market. If you’re looking to purchase properties, contact realtor Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, who specializes in properties in the San Jose area and can guide you very professionally and efficiently. Keller Williams Realty has a comprehensive online tool which offers direct access to the latest properties for sale in your area.

Garlic Capital of the World

Gilroy is also called the Garlic Capital of the World. This is because it is where the annual Garlic Festival is held in July. it has also earned the moniker Gateway to the Central Coast. It is a great place to live in, quiet and serene. It is situated close to Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz, the San Joaquin Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area and is in a very central location. It has some great parks with an urban forest which has won many awards. The golf course and museums make it a very interesting place to stay in. Some of the most beautiful parks in the bay area are situated here. They are the Christmas Hill park, Las Animas Veterans Park and the San Ysidro Park. These parks have great trails. picnic/barbecue areas, jogging and hiking paths, horseshoe pits, play fields, softball/baseball fields, children's play areas ,open grass play area.

Gilroy also has the Gilroy Museum which is located in the historic 1910 Carnegie Library Building. The library was built with a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by well-known California architect William H. Weeks. An interesting fact is that the museum stands on a former tennis court which was gifted by local benefactress Caroline A. Hoxett. It is a classic revival style building . Gilroy also has some great golf courses for golfing enthusiasts. Eagle Ridge Golf Club has 18 holes designed by Ron Fream and David Dale. They have incorporated the undulating land, the natural water features and the fantastic views. There are six sets of tee boxes which offer plenty of options, making the course range from 7,005 yards to 5,102 yards.

Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, specializes in properties in this community and also in the surrounding areas of San Jose, Willow Glen, Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley, Morgan Hill, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Cambrian, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Alviso, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Palo Alto. If you’re looking to purchase properties in any of these areas contact realtor Dale Warfel and he will guide you very professionally and efficiently.

Want to buy a home in Almaden valley?

Everyone has dreams. For some it is a promotion, better pay, the perfect wedding. For many people it is owning their own home. People have done foolish things while trying to fulfill their dreams. It is great trying to fulfill your dream but be careful and be aware of the risks because very often it is not just you who get affected if things do not work out.To anyone paying a mortgage, the idea that you can own your own home free of debt sooner is almost irresistible. So how can you really pay off your mortgage faster? Should you refinance? Will extra features, such as a redraw facility, mortgage offset account or a line of credit help you? Or should you go for a basic 'no frills' loan instead, and make additional payments whenever you can?

The idea of paying off your home loan more quickly is very appealing and is used by some mortgage brokers as a method of attracting you to their loans. Essentially, there are only two ways to pay off your home loan much faster. Find a cheaper interest rate (which may not exist) or make larger or more regular repayments on your loan.In reality there is no magic trick or secret type of loan that will let you own your home sooner. Substantial savings are only achieved by consistently making additional payments on your mortgage. You therefore need to be very careful when brokers claim that you can own your home sooner and make substantial savings by using a line of credit mortgage facility.If you’re looking to purchase properties, contact realtor Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, who specializes in properties in the San Jose area and can guide you very professionally and efficiently. Keller Williams Realty has a comprehensive online tool which offers direct access to the latest properties for sale in your area. Featuring extensive community information, consumer links, school information, free reports, answers to commonly asked real estate questions, and more, you will find everything about real estate within one easy source.

If you’re thinking of investing in a condo...

Condominiums are buildings in which individuals separately own the air space inside the interior walls, floors and ceilings of their unit, but they jointly own an interest in the common areas that they share such as the land, lobby, hallways, swimming pool, and parking lot. In addition to paying a mortgage, each owner is responsible for paying a monthly fee to the condo association, which is made up of the unit owners. The fee covers maintenance, repairs, and building insurance. Most housing condominiums are apartments, although there are mobile home condominiums as well. They are an appealing way to enter the housing market if the cost of a single-family home is out of your reach.
Condos are especially popular among single homebuyers, empty nesters, and first-time buyers in high-priced housing markets. Unlike a house, condos offer a lifestyle that is free of yard work and exterior maintenance and repairs. Many condominium communities also offer amenities such as exercise rooms, tennis courts, and swimming pools that you might otherwise be unable to afford if you purchased a single-family home. Seek ownership in a well-maintained building, and pay special attention to the financial health of the condo association. Lax maintenance may be a sign of financial trouble, which could result in higher maintenance fees and problems trying to resale the property later.
But before you jump in you have to check some things. Get a copy of the latest financial statement from the condo association. Ask the board of directors which is elected by the unit owners from among themselves if major repairs or improvements are imminent. If so, find out how much they will cost and whether there is enough money in the reserve to cover them Check the by-laws, rules and the covenants, codes and restrictions (CC&Rs). You may find, among other things, that they prohibit or restrict pets and the renting of units. Learn everything you can about the homeowners association, including legal disputes and conflicts. Owning your own condo is a great idea. If you live in or around San Jose and are thinking of purchasing a home contact realtor Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, who specializes in properties in this community and can guide you very professionally and efficiently.

Having a great time in Almaden valley

The South San Jose community of Almaden is one of the most attractive residential areas of Silicon Valley, It has nice hillside views and a gorgeous landscape. This Halloween the Almaden residents had a great time.The Pumpkin Patch featured plenty of orange gourds, the haunted house was spectacular, the food was tasty and there were plenty of crafts and story times for the costumed kids. Adults could also start early Christmas shopping with plenty of original arts and crafts. And a raffle offered special items for their own use or maybe a basket for a gift as well.Of special interest was Grandma and Grandpa’s haunted house that brave souls entered winding and wending their way through darkened hallways filled with ghouls and goblins. Many of the adult guests dressed in costume as well. For the guests, who made it out, there were home baked cookies, raffle tickets, brightly glazed pottery abstract paintings plenty of handcrafted jewelry, photography, leather and knitted goods and paintings presented for early Christmas shoppers. Children could choose a pumpkin, listen to story time and make some Halloween crafts.
Almaden valley is a great place to settle down and raise your kids in. One of the newest properties on sale in Almaden valley is a brand new 34-year-old home. Everything is new except the garage floor and exterior garage walls. This 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom home is absolutely gorgeous! Its amazing space includes a gourmet kitchen, a spacious bonus room, and an approximately 500 square feet balcony with a stunning 270-degree valley view. Everything you would expect in Almaden. If you’re looking to purchase properties in Almaden Valley, contact realtor Dale Warfel of Keller Williams Realty, who specializes in properties in this community and can guide you very professionally and efficiently. They also have some great properties in the surrounding areas of Campbell, Los Gatos, Coyote, Holy City, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Madrone and Redwood Estates which are within a distance of approximately 10 miles and are all communities of San Jose.

Hybrid forms of home ownership

Real estate elements that are owned by individuals and elements that are owned by a group, are called hybrid forms of ownership and they include real estate titles to condominiums, townhouses, and cooperatives.
There are differences and similarities in the ownership of the three types of real estate. For example, an individual condo owner holds title to the condominium unit only, not the land beneath the unit, so condos can be stacked on top of each other. All condo owners share title to common areas. Common areas include land, the exterior of buildings, hallways, roofs, swimming pools -- any area used by multiple owners. Condominium owners pay property taxes on their individual units. A property owners' association usually manages the complex and collects fees from all condo owners in order to maintain common areas.
In the case of townhouses or town homes, they are usually a series of single story or multistory units that are linked to each other horizontally by common walls. Townhouse owners hold title to their units and the land beneath them, so townhouse units cannot be stacked on top of each other. As with condos, common areas are owned jointly by all townhouse owners. Townhouse owners pay property taxes on their individual units. A property owners' association usually manages the townhouse complex and collects fees from all owners in order to maintain common areas.
If a property is a cooperative arrangement, title to all associated real estate is held by a corporation. Buyers purchase stock in the co-op corporation and are considered shareholders, not owners of real property. Each shareholder holds a lease to his unit that runs for the life of the corporation. Taxes are paid by the corporation. Any mortgages are normally held and paid by the corporation. All costs to operate the building are shared by shareholders. New cooperative shareholders must usually be approved by an administrative board. Cooperative ownership is not common in most states of the US.
Whether you are scouting for a condo, a townhouse or a co-op, if your looking in or around San Jose realtor Dale Warfel is the real estate agent you should get in touch with.

Halloween in Willow Glen

Halloween is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world. Whilst some feel it should not be celebrated as it glorifies evil, in our increasingly secular society it is mostly seen as a harmless bit of fun for the kids. Here’s how Willow Glen celebrated this Halloween.
Lincoln Avenue had the usual big gathering of children in costume sponsored by the Willow Glen Business & Professional Association. Preschoolers had their trick-or-treating between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon in all the shops that were participating this year. For the older children the timings were between 3:00 and 5:00 pm. That was when they visited the merchants.
Happy Hollow hosted its annual festivities, with trick-or-treating, rides, and zoo animals. The park was open regular hours, but the party was between 1:00 - 4:00 pm on that Sunday.
Books for Treats in Willow Glen had a new concept for celebrating this Halloween.They were encouraging everyone to give age-appropriate reading material rather than candy for Halloween. They had a host of volunteers … once on Tuesday to sort and stuff bookmarks into each book, and again on Halloween along Lincoln Avenue.
The Church on the Hill, located above Willow Glen had their Fall Family Blast which was great fun for children and adults. The party was on Halloween night and was a great alternative to walking along dark streets.
For those children who live on the southern end of Lincoln, Elva’s Coffee Stop was decorated and was looking beautiful for Halloween. They were handing our treats to children in costume all day on Monday.
Willow Glen celebrates Halloween in style. The people are very friendly and it’s a great place to bring up your kids. If you are interested in scouting for a house in Willow Glen, you could contact Dale Warfel, realtor who is familiar with the real estate in San Jose and should be able to help you make a good real estate investment.

Stage your home before putting it up for sale

Home staging is beyond decorating and cleaning your house. It's about illusions. It's about creating moods and making your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more loving and, best of all, making home buyers want to buy it. Contrary to what you might think, it's more than preparing the house for sale. After you've cleaned, decluttered, painted, made minor repairs, you dress the house for sale. This is called Home Staging
Professional stagers are highly skilled artists. Stagers possess the skills of a top-level designer and they create dramatic scenery that appeals to all five senses. Some of the little things they do to make your home look more appealing are arranging sparse pieces of furniture in an appealing grouping known as a vignette. Showcasing a generous usage of soft fabrics such as silk, lambs wool, satin. Displaying unusual knickknacks in units of 1, 3 or 5. Draping window coverings with simple lines. Adding unique elements to shelving, bookcases and fireplace mantels, which draw attention to predetermined areas
Here are some professional staging tips. Apply orange oil to cabinets that appear dry, which will renew their original luster. Put out large bowls of fruit such as polished apples, bright oranges, luscious grapes. Arrange colorful and fun cookbooks on the counters. Bringing the outdoors inside through the use of greenery and plants is a great idea. Create a clean and crisp space and arrange the furniture with plenty of room to walk around. Bathrooms are essential to dress well. Bathrooms should look open, airy and delightful. Add baskets filled with spa treatments such as towels tied with ribbons, scented soaps, creamy lotions, moisturizing & facial jars.
The back yard needs staging, too. For patios and decks, bring in plants and potted flowers, and add additional color by setting the picnic table with bright, plastic dinner plates.
Once your home is prettily dressed up it is ready to be shown. A good real estate agent would be able to advise you if staging your home is a good idea depending on the area and the kind of buyers you are hoping to impress. If your property is around San Jose, Realtor Dale Warfel who is familiar with the area would be the right person to contact.

Real estate workshops help buyers make an informed decision

There are a lot of things that you might not know about buying a property in general. Worse, there are things which you might not know about the locality in which you are buying the property, if you are a new entrant to that locality. You might not know the real estate norms of the area and might not have any clue regarding the property prices. You might have even more doubts about property ownership rights if you are a foreigner. Nowadays many real estate firms conduct workshops to set you right on the guidelines of property buying, selling and management. Here are a few benefits that you might get by attending the workshops and a few things that you might learn from them:

· First hand information

You would be getting first hand information about everything that you need to know on buying a property, from experts and people who have years and years of experience in this field.

· Get to know the area well

For those of you who do not know the area well, attending a workshop will give you some useful insights on the area and its customs and culture.

Get knowledge on the legal issues and procedures

The legal issues for every state vary and if you come from a different part of the world or the country, you can get a first hand knowledge on all the legal issues. The workshops also help in giving you an insight of the procedures and norms involved in buying a house in the locality.

· Know the current rates and prices

If you are a first time buyer in this place, there are chances of the seller taking you for a ride, by quoting a price above the current prices. Attending the workshops would also mean getting to know the current rates and prices.

If you are buying a house, or are planning to buy a property in San Jose, attending a workshop would be a good decision, especially if you are a foreigner or if you are new to San Jose. Many real estate agents conduct workshops as part of their services. If you are interested in attending a work shop, you could check with Realtor Dale Warfel.

Multiple Listing Service helps potential buyers

The Multiple Listing Service or MLS is a database, through which the different real estate brokers of the sellers and the buyers interact with each other. The inclusion of the buyers and the sellers in the list is through a listing contract. The list consists not only of realtors who are members of the multiple listing service, but also of agents associated with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), United States of America.

The MLS helps potential buyers become aware of different properties that they can choose from, and to help the sellers advertise their properties. MLS also makes searching for the right house easier as information is generally retrieved based on the location, amount, area and other important details regarding the property.

Only those who are licensed real estate brokers, agents of the brokers and members of CREA or NAR can be a part of the MLS. The MLS define their members clearly and restrict membership to licensed realtors. The owner of a property cannot become a member of the MLS. That is, the owner of the property would not be able to list his or her property in the MLS, without having a real estate broker to represent him or her.

These MLS systems are managed not by the government or the state, but by private organizations, who set the rules to be followed by the members. That is, the various MLS systems have their own set of rules, but at the same time, are subject to nationwide rules proposed by CREA or NAR. These systems may be owned by any association starting from a real estate organization to the country itself. So if your looking to buy or sell property you best bet to get a really good deal would be to go through a good real estate agent like Dale Warfel.

MLS are most famous and sought after in Canada and the United States, but are also available in other countries. Any good real estate firm would be registered with them.