Your Real Estate Expert for Berkeley and Beyond
“Marilyn is exceptional. Her knowledge base, enthusiasm for her job, professional ethics, organization, sensitivity to our aesthetic requirements, loyalty and gentle perseverance set her apart.”
-- Bill and Carol Seidel
Marilyn Garcia, PhD
Broker Associate, Realtor®
DRE# 02014153
District Homes
1758 Solano Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94707
Direct:
(510) 390-5406
REAL ESTATE ANSWERS: What counts as a bedroom in real estate, and do more bedrooms add value?
What counts as a bedroom in real estate, and do more bedrooms add value? A bedroom in general is just a room where people sleep. For a room to count as a bedroom for real estate purposes, there are several requirements: (1) FLOOR SIZE. According to the standards used by appraisers, a habitable room must have a floor of at least 70 square feet in area and be at least 7 feet in any direction. So a 7’x10’ room is okay, but a 6’x12’ space, even though it’s 72 square feet, wouldn’t be counted as a room (or a bedroom) [...]
REAL ESTATE ANSWERS: How do actions by “the Fed” affect interest rates on home loans?
How do actions by “the Fed” affect interest rates on home loans? The Federal Reserve System (“the Fed”) uses monetary policy to keep the U.S. inflation rate low, and keep the economy operating at full employment. These are competing goals, so their work is a major balancing act. The Fed’s primary policy tool is changes in the federal funds rate, which is the rate at which commercial banks loan extra reserve funds overnight to each other (so it’s a very short-term interest rate). The Fed raises rates to combat inflation, and reduces them if they are trying to fight high [...]
LOW RATES & HIGHER CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS
LOW RATES AND HIGHER CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS Interest rates are low, low, low right now! As I write this, the 30-year fixed rate is lower than it’s been since Freddie Mac began tracking mortgage rates in 1971. While it’s not surprising that rates are low given the economic impacts of the pandemic, it is still an opportunity for both buyers getting new loans and homeowners who can refinance their existing loans. Fixed rate 30-year conforming loans (up to the loan limits discussed below) can in many cases be had for under 3%. Even larger-amount jumbo loans, which were challenging to [...]
Home Loans, Interest rates, and Real Estate Newsletters
HOME LOANS AND INTEREST RATES x Interest rates on home loans have been very low lately! If your interest rate is close to, or above, 4%, it could be worth your while to contact your favorite loan person and see if you could benefit from refinancing your loan. x (See the update below.) Also, the limit on conforming loans (which can be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) in our area was increased for 2020 to $765,600, up from $726,525 last year. Loans below that limit often have lower interest rates than those above. UPDATE, March 20, 2020 While [...]