Posts Tagged ‘The Art of Real Estate’

First 6 Steps To Buying A Home

Friday, February 5, 2021
Debbi DiMaggio

What are the first steps to buying a home?

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That may sound like a basic question, but when you don’t buy and sell homes everyday, it is a very good question, and not basic at all. When buying or selling real estate, no question is insignificant, and all questions are good. Most importantly, it is never too early to begin the conversation. Whether buying or selling today or in three years, education is key to achieving your real estate goals.

6 steps towards buying your new home

  1. Locate an agent through referrals or research.
  2. Allow the Realtor you chosen to work with put you in touch with a reputable and experienced lender.
  3. Discuss your wish list with your agent but know more often than not you will not get everything on your wish list, but providing parameters such as neighborhood, price and bed/bath count is a good start. Depending on the market – for instance in the East Bay in Northern California inventory is very limited at any given time. The more restrictions or items on your wish list, the fewer homes you will be exposed to. It’s important to see a variety yet keeping in your budget, so you will come to understand the market.
  4. Your agent will set you up on an auto listing feed so you can see a variety of homes and keep a log. Oftentimes home buyers will change their parameters after becoming more educated and seeing various homes even neighborhoods.
  5. Keep your options open.
  6. Writing an offer and prevailing (in our market) is another subject of its own.

Order one of our books, The Art of Real EstateReal Estate Rules! 52 ways to achieve success in real estate.

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designed to sell

Saturday, June 22, 2019
Debbi DiMaggio

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When you have been doing something for over 30 years that thing you do becomes second nature. For me designing homes is one of those things. Each time we take a new listing there is work to be done. Of course it varies from home to home. And once in awhile a client chooses to sell cleaned and vacant. Usually that only occurs when a home is too far gone and the investment out ways the return.

Let’s break in down.

Obtaining inspections is the first step. It’s not unlike what happens when we get a check up at the doctors office with the addition of further testing and bloodwork. We do the same for a house. Adam and I will book appointments for the following inspections: Termite, Comprehensive Home (checking all systems), Sewer Lateral, Foundation (if recommenced by the home inspector), Roof including Furnace and Electrical if those systems are outdated and require a bid to fix, update or replace. In the Piedmont East Bay these reports will be passed on to the Buyer and paid for up front by the Seller. Area standards vary from area to area, city to city. In Los Angeles where we also work, Buyers pay for any and all inspections the deem necessary, but do not preform such inspections until after they are in contract.

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The second step is the design aspect. This is my favorite part. I enjoy the creativity and the process from bringing a home from lived in to staged to sell. I manage each aspect. First we obtain bids: Staging, Painting and note any repairs, as well as Garden Clean Up, Window Washing, Floor Refinishing or Carpet Replacement and Lighting Updates. Sometimes we update kitchen and bath countertops. Once we have produced all the bids we pass them on to the seller to decide how much or how little they would like to invest. Most of the times our Sellers see the benefit and agree to making the investment. After all they will reap the rewards of a higher sale.

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Having just returned from a listing consultation in the very neighborhood I grew up, and the same neighborhood we raised our children, I realized that we had sold quite a few within a few blocks of one another. As we chatted with the Sellers we reminisced about all the old neighbors. In Piedmont homes are referred to by name, the name of the original homeowner. Even though a home could have had 3 different homeowners since the original homeowner or the one that just stuck in our minds during our childhood.

Here are just a few homes we sold in the neighborhood and brought from Lived In to Staged To Sell.

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80 Cambrian ( Remodeled the home and Leased it. ) Sue Tornlof, PHS

308 Sea View Avenue

7 St James Piedmont

148 Sandringham Road

180 Sandringham Road

199 St James Drive

148 Estates Drive

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If you are interested in a complimentary analysis and design consultation please do not hesitate to call. Adam and I are happy to stop by.

 

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Fixed Up to Sell – My Version of HGTV

Sunday, May 29, 2016
Debbi DiMaggio

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Fixed up and staged to sell, Oakland, California. Just another home I enjoyed transforming.

One of my absolute favorite aspects about real estate is when I have the opportunity to prepare a home for sale. It’s my version of playing in the sand.

Whether it is coordinating the workers, choosing the light fixtures or managing the project, witnessing the transformation is always exciting and never gets old.

 

Details:

580 Kenmore Avenue, Oakland | Offered at $899,000

Listed and Presented By Adam Betta and Debbi DiMaggio

Three bedrooms, one full bath and an expansive garden.

Located within a few blocks of the bustling shops and restaurants on Lakeshore and Grand Avenues.

Downsizing — After Living A Lifetime in Your Home

Saturday, February 13, 2016
Debbi DiMaggio

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Every year homeowners consider selling their home but oftentimes just sweep that thought to the side. With the overwhelming task ahead – Where am I going to go?  How will I sort through a lifetime of treasures?  Where do I begin?  The seminar on January 13th addressed all of those questions and more.

Homeowners who have resided in their home for 20+ years attended the seminar to learn from the experts. Debbi DiMaggio, Realtor, Marketing Director and Partner at Highland Partners lead the Q and A after delivering her presentation – Demystifying the Downsizing Process. Experts included a lender, real estate attorney, CPA, 1031 Exchange Consultant and a financial planner. Read more about this event by clicking here.

Save the Date:

Debbi’s next event — Living In and Loving Your Home. Wednesday, March 2nd from 6-8PM at the Piedmont Center for the Arts just down the street from Highland Partners Piedmont.

Coming Soon:

Debbi’s new book is set to release this summer, “Real Estate Rules” – 52 ways to achieve success in real estate.

This book is a resource for Realtors seeking to improve their own business and is divided into quick and easy to read chapters with funny illustrations by animator and film director, Steve Hickner. Events will be updated on her Realtor Author Speaker Facebook Page.

If you have a question, don’t hesitate to call her. 510.414.6777 – she is always happy to assist.

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Debbi’s other books can be purchased on Amazon.com – Contained Beauty, Photographs, Reflections and Swimming Pools makes an ideal hostess gift, while The Art of Real Estate is targeted to buyers, sellers and Realtors alike.

Accidentally, With Purpose by Sarah Binder

Saturday, January 16, 2016
Debbi DiMaggio

Unique Homes Magazine Debbi and Adam Feb 2016

You never know what will transpire when you take an interview. It was a pleasant surprise. It caught me off guard when our publicist, Liz Kelly shared it with me. My first words, right after I read the first paragraph were, “WOW! Whomever wrote that could not be more dead on!” Most of the things I do seem to be, exactly as she wrote, “Accidentally, With Purpose.” I love that!

I went on to read the article and my heart sank as I read the second paragraph detailing briefly our connection to HIGHLAND PARTNERS. Both Adam and I recall quite vividly not only did we share Heidi’s name but spelled it out. Heidi

M A R C H E S O T T I our Partner. As stated on my website:

  • Note: Debbi and Adam would like to clarify that HIGHLAND PARTNERS is a partnership created, built and developed since inception with Heidi Marchesotti. As in all editorial features the person or persons being written about are not allowed the privilege to review or approve what is written. (Similar articles have been written over the years leaving one or two of the partners out. I am sure it is, or was, never intentional.) With that said, Debbi and Adam would still like emphasize the partnership they have with their amazing partner, Heidi Marchesotti who is the Managing Partner.  (Adam Betta, Managing Broker, Debbi DiMaggio, Marketing Director, and Mindy Sun, Silent Partner. ) Learn More about HIGHLAND PARTNERS here.

Adam and I are very grateful for the published article and look forward to serving more clients, meeting new people, while traveling and experiencing new things.

Accidentally, With Purpose.

With Gratitude,

 

Debbi DiMaggio

Read The Article Here

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