All posts by Robert Aldana
Silicon Valley real estate listings nearly double, inventories remain low
More sellers are coming to market in Silicon Valley. The area has seen its active inventory almost double in the first four months of 2013, moving from 571 single-family homes and 149 condos in early January to 1,013 single family homes and 258 condos in early May.
Pause for the clause; a little something extra for sales contracts
Even in a sellers' market as hot as it is today, contractual risks lurk, but there are ways sellers can contractually protect themselves. Conventional home sale contracts typically include
Short sale lease back alternative to foreclosure available
Ask any underwater homeowner to tell you their biggest fear about selling their home and moving on and you get two answers: "I will never buy again." "I will not
What are the financial implications of transferring home ownership?
Q: "Hi Robert. My parents would like to transfer ownership of their home to either me or one of my siblings. They've asked me to look into this.
Is home buying a safe 2013 investment?
Q: I was wondering what your thoughts were in regards to buying a home today. What is your outlook for the housing market? We have seen prices jump
How to wait out creeping home equity gain
Home equity gain is good news, especially for underwater homeowners waiting to see home values return to and surpass their purchase cost. Unfortunately, homeowners who lost 50 percent or
Don’t fall prey to short sale fraud
Q: Mr. Aldana, I was recently approached by a friend who is losing his home and asked me to buy his home as a short sale, and then within
Desperate buyers try to game the system with offers that backfire
SILICON VALLEY - As the area housing market continues to heat up with as many as 20 home buyers for each listing, buyers are becoming desperate to get
Short sale, foreclosure, other debt forgiveness beyond 2012 could cost you tens of thousands of dollars
It may not be the end of the world, but in 2012, when the Mortgage Debt Relief Act (MDRA) of 2007 expires, it will end one of the
Video: Mortgage modifications by the numbers
This four-part video series offers a step-by-step approach to a mortgage modification. The series offers a look at the host of documents you'll have to complete, need-to-know background
Mortgage modification fraud persists
Maria Lozano, a Los Banos, CA homeowner, recently struggled to pay her mortgage so she hired who she thought was a real estate broker. The broker charged her
Short sale sellers pocket up to $33,000 in moving costs
Q: Robert, I am in the middle of a short sale and was told that there is a government program that offers you $30,000 for short sale assistance.
Caveats on lease options, land contracts, loan assumptions, other buying options
Q: Hi Robert, I am looking to rent a home in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, CA. On Zillow and Trulia, where I search for homes,
Homeownership possible within three years after foreclosure
Losing your home can be devastating to your credit, not to mention your psyche, but you can buy again within as few as three years after a foreclosure
