McGuire Real Estate Proudly Welcomes Six New Agents to Its Bay Area Offices

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwired – March 07, 2017) – McGuire Real Estate is pleased to announce that our exceptional community of agents continues to grow. We are proud to welcome these distinguished agents to the McGuire Family: Angelica Santamaria, Roger Landry, Jean Wisecarver, Raymond Ho, Janet Cacharelis and Andrew Weinberger.

ANGELICA SANTAMARIA‘s upbeat personality, enthusiasm, and tenacious attitude shows she is passionate about helping clients get what they want in this competitive Bay Area real estate market. As San Francisco real estate agent, Angelica truly loves what she does and is highly responsive with her clients, tailoring her services to each client’s individual needs. Her extensive network of resources allows her to assist seller clients in creating spaces that sell quickly for more money, while appealing to today’s buyers. Angelica keeps her finger on the pulse for opportunities in the market, negotiating fiercely for buyer clients to get the best price and terms, while offering her design team to help visualize and execute the true potential of a property, making a house a home.

ROGER LANDRY knows that selling or buying a home is among the most important decisions his clients will make in this lifetime. He not only understands but also takes it very seriously. He believes that the key to a successful real estate experience in any market is to know what you want, and have a systematic, organized, and well-informed approach to getting it. His only goal is to ensure that his clients always achieve theirs. If they don’t win, he doesn’t win; which is why he always does the right thing to make sure his clients do in fact win. Whether they are selling or buying, Roger offers his 18 years of experience as a San Francisco Bay Area Realtor®, along with his stellar customer service, to guarantee that his clients are well-informed and confident in making the right decisions.

JEAN WISECARVER was raised in Burlingame where she fell in love with the neighborhood and its residents. With deep roots in this community, she raised two children through the same remarkable school system she was brought up in. Bringing together her expertise and insight of the area with her appreciation and eye for interior design, Jean is uniquely qualified to support her clients in their real estate endeavors. This skill set has helped her oversee many renovation projects, giving her construction management experience. Jean looks forward to helping others find this same feeling by building relationships with each of her clients to ensure their happiness and satisfaction.

RAYMOND HO spent his early childhood growing up in Hong Kong, where he learned at a very young age, the value of a strong work ethic and the drive to be the best that he can be. Prior to launching his real estate career in 2010, Raymond worked diligently in sales, managing multiple retail stores in various neighborhoods and districts of the Bay Area. Raymond prides himself with his passionate and heartfelt drive to always serve his clients’ best interests. His clients often become long-time friends long after the transaction is over, and many become repeat-clients. He is dedicated, knowledgeable, and committed to finding the perfect fit, whether condo or a single family home, for his clientele. His devotion of unparalleled customer service has resulted in a continuously expanding network of loyal clients and referrals, sellers and buyers alike.

JANET CACHARELIS began her career as a realtor in 1997 and has continued her passion for providing her clients with top-notch service ever since. She was raised and currently resides in Burlingame with her family. Having lived on the Peninsula, Janet has gained a unique knowledge of the area. Janet specializes in residential real estate on the Peninsula and has represented buyers and sellers of single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes. She has represented a wide range of clients from first-time home buyers to people looking to downsize from the home they raised their children in to a condo or townhome. Janet continually puts her clients’ needs first and considers exceeding her clients’ expectations as her mission. The combination of her easy-going personality and passion for getting her clients the best deal possible has helped her garner the respect of those she has worked with and for in her real estate career.

ANDREW WEINBERGER prides himself on providing his clients with honest, dedicated, and consistent service as a top Realtor® in the San Francisco and Peninsula areas for the last 10 years. Through this experience, he’s been blessed to meet and befriend many fantastic people who’ve had as much positive impact on his life as he has had on theirs. Andrew spent 12 successful years in manufacturing management at Intel Corporation in Silicon Valley prior to starting his real estate career. The core skills he developed during that time became invaluable to his transition into real estate. Project management, effective communications, negotiating to win and exceptional customer service skills are the main tools he uses daily to ensure that his clients always have an advantage. Whether carefully guiding buyers through all aspects of the home purchasing process, or effectively marketing a seller’s property for sale, Andrew is dedicated to his goal of exceeding his clients’ expectations.

ABOUT MCGUIRE REAL ESTATE
As a local, luxury boutique that focuses on the San Francisco Bay Area’s high-end niche markets, McGuire Real Estate is a privately held corporation that was founded in 1919. We are headquartered in San Francisco’s Marina District with additional offices in Noe Valley and South Park — as well as in Marin County, the East Bay, and Mid-Peninsula. McGuire is the exclusive international associate of Savills PLC, headquartered in London, and is a broker member of Luxury Portfolio® International, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, and The Enterprise Network. Our luxury, global, and industry affiliations allow us to connect our agents and clients to a world-wide marketplace with exclusive opportunities.

Visit mcguire.com for more information or contact McGuire Client Care at 1.800.4RESULT and clientcare@mcguire.com. Follow McGuire Real Estate on Facebook and @mcguire_re on Twitter and Instagram.

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Article source: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/mcguire-real-estate-proudly-welcomes-six-new-agents-to-its-bay-area-offices-2201319.htm

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Zephyr Real Estate Announces 2016 Fourth Quarter Awards for San …

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwired – March 06, 2017) – Zephyr Real Estate has announced the fourth quarter sales awards for its San Francisco office.

Tanya Dzhibrailova continues to lead the way with Highest Sales Volume at $22,675,000. She holds the position of All-Time Top Producer for Zephyr, and her commitment to her clients and to the industry are practically legendary. She has well over 200 5-Star Reviews on Yelp and has an impressive menu of certifications and designations.

Daniel Fernandez-Acebo and Harry Clark earn the Largest Sale Representing Sellers at $4,310,000. Both have a proven and illustrious track record of success for their clients. They work from the Upper Market office. Both are consistent Top Producers, with a large client base of referral and repeat customers.

Gary DeMars wins for Largest Sale Representing Buyers at $6,250,000. With over 30 years in the business, his client list extends well beyond San Francisco. He has represented sellers and buyers in most Bay Area counties, and has working relationships from Mendocino to Monterey.

“We congratulate these leaders and their commitment to their clients,” commented Randall Kostick, President of Zephyr Real Estate. “They continue to set a high standard not just for themselves but for the industry as well.”

About Zephyr Real Estate
Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco’s largest independent real estate firm with nearly $2.3 billion in gross sales and a current roster of more than 300 full-time agents. Zephyr’s highly-visited website has earned two web design awards, including the prestigious Interactive Media Award. Zephyr Real Estate is a member of the international relocation network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World; the luxury real estate network, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate; global luxury affiliate, Mayfair International; and local luxury marketing association, the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco. Zephyr has six offices in San Francisco, a brand new office in Greenbrae, and two brokerage affiliates in Sonoma County, all strategically positioned to serve a large customer base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.ZephyrRE.com.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/zephyr-real-estate-announces-2016-170000629.html

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Twitter employee complains in trend piece about ‘pretty bad’ six-figure salary in San Francisco

#Sad!

A Twitter software engineer in San Francisco was ridiculed online after complaining about his struggles of living on what he deemed a “pretty bad” income of $160,000.

“I didn’t become a software engineer to be trying to make ends meet,” the beleaguered techie bemoaned to The Guardian in a trend piece about Silicon Valley workers “scraping by” in San Francisco.

The anonymous 40-something Twitter penny pincher detailed his pain of paying $3,000 in rent — “ultra cheap,” he said — for a two-bedroom Bay Area house with his wife and two children. He blamed millennials and their “hip coffee shops” for pricing him out of the market for a bigger house somewhere else.

Twitter has impact, influence and Trump — but not cash or growth

Fellow San Franciscans were not exactly moved.

“Scraping by in the Bay Area on a six-figure salary sure must be difficult!!” San Francisco Chronicle reporter Lizzie Johnson tweeted in response to the story.

A University of San Francisco PhD student quipped, “Because the real story about the Bay Area housing crisis are the tech workers ‘scraping by’ on $160k per year.”

Twitter did not return a request for comment.

Former Twitter CEO apologizes for allowing abuse on site

The unnamed cheap tweeter wasn’t the only one in Silicon Valley who went public with six-figure sorrow.

One tech worker, who went only by Michael and said he was paid $700,000 last year, told The Guardian he lost out on a $1.4 million house in Los Gatos because someone beat him to it with $1.7 million.

He said he accepted a 50% pay cut to relocate to San Diego, sacrificing his habits of “spending $8 on a bagel and coffee or $12 on freshly pressed juice.”

An anonymous woman, who said only that she works for “a major telecoms corporation,” acknowledged that she and her partner make more than $1 million together.

John Legend’s Twitter hacker shares ‘vulgar, hilarious’ messages

But upon surveying the Silicon Valley landscape, she observed, “This is part of where the American dream is not working out here.”

The woman said she beat cancer several years ago, and would be “deeply screwed” if she lost her job and if Obamacare disappeared.

San Francisco is by many measures the most expensive American city to live in, with the median one-bedroom apartment going for $3,500 a month, according to 2016 data from the real estate website Zumper.

But those prices hit many people much harder than those in the tech world.

A study from the real estate site Redfin, for instance, found that there are exactly zero homes in San Francisco County that are affordable for a teacher with the average salary of $59,700 .

According to Department of Housing and Urban Development data, San Francisco also has more homeless people per square mile than any American city behind New York — where $3,000 a month isn’t getting any families a two-bedroom house.

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Article source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/twitter-employee-complains-pretty-bad-six-figure-salary-article-1.2985586

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6 Tips for Buying a Starter Home in the Bay Area

According to Paragon Realty’s interactive map of median home sale prices in the Bay Area, the median home in San Francisco costs $1.3 million. This means half of the homes sold in the city in 2016 cost more and half cost less, but there’s more to the story than that. Your money has varying levels of buying power in different neighborhoods within the city and its suburbs. For example, the median sale price in Vallejo was $335,000 last year, and median prices in Fairfield and Vacaville were $412,000 and $400,000, respectively, according to Paragon.

Article source: http://www.ajc.com/business/consumer-advice/tips-for-buying-starter-home-the-bay-area/NrbJHzSRkq3eSVXTIaYQhJ/

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6 Tips for Buying a Starter Home in the Bay Area

By Steve Branton

Learn more about Steve on NerdWallet’s Ask an Advisor

The San Francisco Bay Area has many advantages for potential homeowners — including beautiful scenery, a vibrant arts scene and proximity to some of the country’s best-paying jobs — but our housing prices aren’t among them.

A recent Business Insider survey found that 12 of the 25 most expensive housing markets in the United States are in the Bay Area, including seven of the top 10. San Francisco is the major city with the most expensive housing market; a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home costs an average of $1.67 million.

Perhaps surprisingly, I think it’s possible to find a home in the Bay Area, even if you’re not a new tech millionaire with stock options. In my experience advising Bay Area clients, I’ve witnessed some basic tactics that can help you buy a starter home. Here are six to keep in mind.

1. Understand the concept of a ‘starter home’

A starter home is an affordable property that meets your basic needs and lets you dip your toe in the real estate pool. It can also help you build equity. You won’t spend the rest of your life in your starter home — rather, it’s a steppingstone. The equity you build while living in it will help you afford something bigger and better down the road.

MORE: How to decide whether to buy a home

2. Define your minimum requirements

Because you’ll be in this home for a while — about five to seven years — while you build equity, it’s crucial that it be livable. Make a list of your absolute “musts,” including number of bedrooms, proximity to work, public transportation access, schools, the quality of the home itself, etc. These should be minimum qualifications your home could have and still allow you to feel comfortable and happy.

3. Be realistic with your expectations and budget

Perhaps you’d love to own a condo in SOMA near the ballpark, but unless you can make an all-cash offer and go up 10% to 20% in price, that’s probably not a realistic goal. Be honest with yourself about how much you’ll be able to save for a down payment and what you can afford to pay per month for a mortgage, property tax, insurance and homeowners association fees, if applicable. Let your budget and minimum requirements guide your expectations. Your home-related costs shouldn’t exceed 28% of your gross income, and when you add in any other debts, such as that pesky student loan, your debt-to-income ratio shouldn’t exceed 38% of your gross income. 

4. Be flexible on location

According to Paragon Realty’s interactive map of median home sale prices in the Bay Area, the median home in San Francisco costs $1.3 million. This means half of the homes sold in the city in 2016 cost more and half cost less, but there’s more to the story than that. Your money has varying levels of buying power in different neighborhoods within the city and its suburbs. For example, the median sale price in Vallejo was $335,000 last year, and median prices in Fairfield and Vacaville were $412,000 and $400,000, respectively, according to Paragon.

5. Search online, but shop with a real estate professional

Research shows the majority of home buyers begin their home search with online tools. These can give you an idea of available homes, but I think working with a real estate professional is the best way to gain insight into an area’s real estate market, help you pick the home most appropriate for you and help you make the right offer. Your online search might turn up what looks to be the home of your dreams in a great neighborhood for just $600,000. But in San Francisco, sellers often set a low initial asking price, knowing that a bidding war will drive up the sale price. A good real estate agent can help you navigate this often painful process.

6. Develop criteria about when to make offers

Work with your real estate agent to develop a plan about when you’ll make an offer on a property. The property should meet all of your minimum requirements. You might also want to find out how many disclosures were requested. If 20 disclosures have been requested, then there may be seven to 10 offers, assuming no major issues crop up.

Decide if you’ll consider a tenancy in common, a type of ownership structure prevalent in the Bay Area in which multiple parties share a transferable ownership interest and that has specific legal considerations to consider. And so on. Choosing your criteria with your real estate agent before you begin to make offers can take some of the anxiety out of the question.

Keep these tips in mind as you start the home search process. Above all, view your starter home within the context of your longer-term plan of getting to your dream house.

Steve Branton, CFP, ADPA, is a senior financial planner with Mosaic Financial Partners.

Article source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/mortgages/6-tips-for-buying-a-starter-home-in-the-bay-area/

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