The Lawson & Marshall Team » General

Our First Softball Game

Carleen Lawson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:02:16 +0000

Realty World Selzer Realty’s FREE AGENTS have their first softball game tonight at 6:30. The location is off Highway 101 right past the Perkins Street exit heading North.

We would love so see ya’ll there!

Moving up North

Ken Marshall — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:42:06 +0000

With the onset of summer, many of you who live in the crowded Bay Area will be looking North to take a vacation or even a weekend drive. With that in mind, I would like to invite you to Mendocino County, one of the most beautiful treasures of Northern California. As you wind your way up Highway 101, the rolling hills move closer and the trees change to forests. Oak trees are beginning to leaf out, and tall firs border green meadows breaking the terrain like patchwork on a quilt. The Russian river, swollen with the recent rains, rushes past your window as you wind your way through the canyon north of Cloverdale. You can catch a glimpse of the remnants of the railroad looking across the river and it briefly brings you back to a time before there were cars and trains were the main source of transportation. Vineyards greet you as you break out of the Russian River Valley just south of Hopland. Home of Fetzer Winery, the small town of Hopland is the perfect tourist stop with the small shops providing everything from wine tasting to Subway sandwiches. There is even a Bocce ball court if you’d care to try a new sport. Ukiah is only 20 minutes ahead, (though I must caution the weekend driver that the speed limit on the stretch between Hopland and Ukiah is 55, and is famous for it’s CHP revenue raising program). As you come down the hill into Ukiah, you look across a valley 9 miles long and 4 miles wide. And yes, A river runs through it. The town of Ukiah is the county seat and boasts a population of less then 15,000, but it also boasts of several unique and fine places to eat. At the north end of the Airport there is BeBop’s, a retro 50’s diner complete with music. Further up on the main drag, State Street, is the Mutt Hutt, (Ukiahans like to keep their names simple), that specializes in lite vegetarian meals. There is also the exotic Himalayan Café, the fine cuisine of Patrona’s, and the most conventional Starr’s. All of which will not disappoint. Now that you made the drive, and had something to eat, the next part of the trip is the adventure…..which will be the topic for my next blog. Hope I gave you enough to get you interested. Com’on Up!

Buying a Foreclosed Home–Bargain or Bust

Ken Marshall — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:12:17 +0000

With all that we read in the media and hear from those “in the know”, a foreclosed home seems to be the best bargain in town. But upon closer inspection, and a closer inspection is mandatory, these foreclosed homes can often be filled with money traps. That is why a good agent will recommend all due diligence to a buyer looking to buy a home. The reasons for a home’s poor condition may not be as obvious as you might think. There are horror stories about the former owners tearing off fixtures, or letting meat spoil. These certainly are conditions worth worrying about, but they are obvious. The less obvious conditions are lack of home maintenance. Once the homeowner realizes they are fighting a loosing battle, they stop fighting and just let the home decay. One of the most common issues I see in a foreclosed home is the roof, and in particular, the rain gutters. Where a homeowner would probably clear the gutters to prevent water backing up, someone who doesn’t care about the future of the home will let the gutters back up, causing damage to the corners of the roof and exterior walls.
As someone who specializes in R.E.O’s (Real Estate Owned or Bank Owned) properties, one of the first things I recommend is to make sure the buyer has all the inspections done. Other issues such as leaking plumbing, outdated electrical, or poor construction methods, can all be mitigated by thorough inspections. Many banks only allow a short time to have the inspections completed, so it is very critical to schedule them immediately.
Foreclosures can be a great bargain, but unless there is proper and thorough due diligence, they can also become a bust.

Welcome

Tei Baishiki — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:19:16 +0000

Welcome to my website.

Whether you’re a first time buyer or an experienced investor, you’ll 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 home buying decision in today’s market. If you currently own property and are thinking about selling it, this site contains information about preparing your home for sale, selecting the right agent, pricing your home appropriately, marketing it effectively, going through the inspection process, and receiving a timely market evaluation.

Please use my website as a continued resource and if you need more information on anything, please feel free to call or email me. My contact information is listed on the About page.

Thanks for visiting!