Know Anyone Who Wants to Live in Hallmark?

Maybe you know a couple who either has young kids or is thinking of having kids and wants to live in Belmont’s Hallmark neighborhood for the top rated Belmont Schools. 2704 Wemberly Drive, just listed on the market for $1,398,000 is perfect for someone who wants to get their kids in Fox Elementary, Ralston Middle School and Carlmont High School.

Know Any Couples Who Commute to San Francisco and Palo Alto?

2704 Wemberly is about 20 minutes drive from both San Francisco and Palo Alto, making it the perfect place for a couple who works in San Francisco or the Silicon Valley. Because its right in the middle of both areas, it even works for the couple who commute to both San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. This way each person has equal commute time and can spend more time at home.

More at 2704 Wemberly Dr Belmont.

2704 Wemberly Dr Features

• 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms
  
• Two Car Garage
  
• Gourmet Kitchen w/Dramatic Skylight & Dacor 6 Burner Gas Stove
• Brand New Master Bathroom with Travertine Walk-in Shower
  
• Updated and Move-in Ready
  

Perfect for Someone Who Likes to Entertain

With a formal living room and dining room, 2704 Wemberly is a great choice for the person who loves to entertain. The breakfast room and family room can serve as your everyday living spaces while the living and dining rooms can be reserved for entertaining guests. On warm days, open the French doors from the family room to the patio and let the party spill over into the backyard.

Flat, Belmont Lot

2704 Wemberly is one of the few Belmont homes with a flat lot. This one story home sits on a large enough lot to have a large (also flat) backyard and is perfect for someone who wants room for their kids to play. There’s even enough room for kids to ride their bikes on the front driveway without going on the sidewalk or in the street.

Interested? Watch the Video

Check out this video for a preview of what’s inside 2704 Wemberly Drive. Then visit this home’s website, www.HallmarkBelmont.com for more.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Check out our Belmont Neighborhood Guide

We got such positive feedback from our San Mateo Neighborhood Guide, we decided to dive into Belmont. Belmont is one of the more desirable cities on the peninsula for families because of their top notch schools.

Belmont has more of a Village Feel

If you’re looking for urban living, Belmont may not be the city for you. Though there are shopping and restaurants conveniently located to all Belmont neighborhoods, one shopping complex on each side of the city and one in the middle, very few locations are walkable and none are considered “downtown.”

Looking for a Downtown Urban Lifestyle?

For those of you looking to live more in a neighborhood setting with great schools, Belmont may just be the ticket. Belmont does have a variety of terrain both steeply sloped and flat lots as well as neighborhoods with sidewalks and neighborhoods with dirt shoulders.

If a more urban lifestyle with a genuine downtown appeals to you, check out our San Mateo Neighborhood Guide. We think you’ll more likely find the neighborhood you’re looking for there.

What Are You Looking for in a Belmont Neighborhood?

Whether you prefer a flatter neighborhood, or a more rural neighborhood with no sidewalks, you can use our Belmont Neighborhood Guide to find out which neighborhood is right for you.

Head Over to Our Belmont Neighborhood Guide and Check it Out!

Search Belmont Homes for Sale

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Hallmark is located at the top of Ralston Ave and is one of the easier Belmont neighborhoods to start or end your daily commute.

Highway 92 and 280 are Only 2 Minutes Away

When you drive out of Belmont’s Hallmark neighborhood and turn left, you’ll reach the entrances to two of San Mateo County’s major freeways, Highway 280 and Highway 92. Highway 92 connects Highway 280 with Highway 101 and is also the same Highway that takes you across the San Mateo – Hayward Bridge.

Highway 280 is the Best Freeway for Commuting

Most people agree that Highway 280 is the best freeway to use for your daily commute. With considerably less traffic than 101, you could cut minutes off your commute. Whether you are headed north towards San Francisco, or South towards Palo Alto and San Jose, Highway 280 would be my choice. Even if your employer is located closer to Highway 101, I’d take my chances working my way down after making most of my trip on 280.

How Bad is Traffic in the Morning?

Though we have seen more congestion in the last 10 or so years, it doesn’t take more then 5 minutes to get on either freeway. If you leave before 8am or after 9am, traffic dies down even more. Sure beats the Ralston/Highway 101 grind in the morning. Plus, in the afternoon, there really isn’t any backup, especially when compared to Ralston Ave/Highway 101.

Hallmark’s Easy Access to Freeways Makes You Seem Closer to San Francisco and Palo Alto

Because there is such easy access to the major San Mateo County freeways, it seems like traveling to Palo Alto and San Francisco takes much less time than if you left from say the Sterling Downs Neighborhood of Belmont (which is closer to Highway 101). You can be in Palo Alto in 20 minutes and San Francisco in 25 minutes.

Commuting from Hallmark is a Breeze

Overall, commuting from Hallmark is a breeze when you consider your other options. The good news is, most of the land surrounding Belmont’s Hallmark neighborhood is a protected game preserve, so there will be virtually no growth and keep traffic to a tolerable level.

Considering a Move to Belmont’s Hallmark Neighborhood?

Let us help you find the right home for you. Being Hallmark residents for more than 20 years, we can help you find the best streets and let you in on the tips we’ve learned while living here. Call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. In the meantime, check out our Buyer Representation Page to learn a little bit about how we work.

Search Hallmark Belmont Homes for Sale

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Google is Changing the Way Buyers Look for San Mateo Homes

The internet in general and Google more particularly has brought about a new twist on searching for homes.  It use to be that prospective home buyers would use simple phrases like “San Mateo homes for sale” or something more specific like “Baywood homes for sale.”  They, of course, receive results showing all homes currently for sale and often homes recently sold as well, and they would have to cull through the data to find homes that conformed to their price constraints.  And, to make matters more annoying, hitting the print button before discarding the unsuitable homes just wastes paper, ink and time…and you still have to weed out the undesirable homes.

San Mateo Home Buyers are Getting More Specific

Recently, we’ve seen a very clear trend toward more focused searches based upon price range and location, such as, “San Mateo homes $500,000-$600,000” or “Sunnybrae homes $600,000-$729,000.”  What a novel idea… let the search engine to the sorting.  Range pricing searches allow us a better understanding of the value pyramid in a neighborhood and more efficiently organizes one’s choices in terms of affordability.

How Should a Seller Price their Home?

All this raises the question of how homes are priced.  The old method of pricing homes, such as, $599,888 actually works against the seller now.  The computer savvy home buyer generally searches in round numbers, such as; “San Mateo homes for sale $600,000-$700,000”.  That buyer would not see the owner’s home priced at $599,888. And, consider the opposite effect when the home owner prices his or her home at $605,000.  Buyers searching for homes priced from $500,000 – $600,000 never learn about the home priced at $605,000 because the search engine has already culled the property from the search results.

What Else Can You Do to Make Your San Mateo Home Stand Out?

Google has made the process of marketing a home and finding a home for sale much more efficient, and there are tricks of the trade that can work for you.  For a home owner it’s extremely important to have at least 8 photographs (the maximum number allowed) on the MLS Listing.  Studies have shown that homes with 8 photographs or more sell faster and for more money.  Similar studies and focus groups of prospective home buyers indicate that listed homes with few, poor or no photographs are discarded and not previewed just because of the lack of photography.

We Go One Step Further with Custom Home Websites

We build our sellers a custom website (not your run of the mill templated website) with hundreds of professional and amateur photos of their home, a professionally designed virtual tour, interactive floor plan, neighborhood guide, mortgage information, detailed pages for each room in their house and disclosure information. These sites go much further than your typical template website and have proven to be an effective method of selling homes.

Find Out What Your Home is Worth

Get an idea of what your San Mateo home is worth in today’s market with our neighborhood market reports. Get a sample report here.

Your Home’s Value

Need to Sell Your San Mateo Home?

Contact us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll help you understand how thinking like a buyer will help sell your San Mateo home for the highest possible price in the fastest time.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Belmont Homes $700k-$800k

Most Belmont homes priced between $700,000 and $800,000 will be North of Ralston Ave and west of El Camino Real in the Belmont Country Club neighborhood. You will find a few South of Ralston Ave in Belmont’s Carlmont neighborhood and a few in East of El Camino in Belmont’s Sterling Downs – Homeview Neighborhood.

What Kind of Home Can I Expect to Get in Belmont Between 700k – 800k?

Because Belmont is such a hodge podge of homes, it is difficult to standardize home sizes and styles in a certain price range. For the most part, however, most Belmont homes priced between $700,000 and $800,000 are 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes with around 1,500 sq ft of living space and 6,000 sq ft lots.

What Kind of Terrain Can I Expect?

Most Belmont homes priced between $700k-$800k are on hilly terrain with sloped lots. If you desire a flatter lot, it is best to look for homes closer to El Camino Real, where the lots flatten out. You can also look at the homes in the Sterling Downs – Homeview neighborhoods for a completely flat neighborhood.

What Type of Neighborhood is Belmont Country Club?

Belmont Country Club ranges from hilly terrain with no sidewalks, to a more flat neighborhood with sidewalks and a short walk to shops and restaurants. Belmont Country Club is most known for its steep sloping lots on either side of Alameda. Architecturally, the homes are very different and some of the homes towards the top of the hill have spectacular views.

Schools Make Belmont a Highly Desirable Place to Live

Over the years, Belmont has held its value largely in part due to the top notch schools we have. From Central, Cipriani and Fox Elementary School to Ralston Middle School and Carlmont High school, Belmont schools are among the peninsula’s best schools. Homeowners are willing to pay a premium to get their children into these schools.

Considering Moving to Belmont?

Being Belmont residents for 30+ years now, we’d understand why Belmont may be appealing to you. If you’re considering moving to Belmont, call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll help you come up with a game plan to buy right.

Search Belmont Homes $700k-$800k

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Belmont Homes Between $600k and $700k

Belmont is one San Mateo County City that prefers to keep the “Country” feel. With only a small geographical area that could be considered downtown, most of Belmont is comprised of single family homes in neighborhoods.

Top Notch Schools Make Belmont a Desirable Place to Live

Because of the top notch schools, Belmont is considered one of the more desirable cities to live in San Mateo County. Belmont is home to some more expensive homes, that can be found at the top of Ralston Ave in Hallmark and some more moderate (well at least moderate compared to the rest of San Mateo County) neighborhoods.

What Can You Buy in Belmont for $600,000 – $700,000?

There are two Belmont neighborhoods with homes that sell for between $600,000 and $700,000: Belmont County Club and Homeview – Sterling Downs.

What Can You Buy in Belmont Country Club?

For between $600k and $700k you can expect to buy a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1,000 sq foot house on a 4,500-6,500 sq ft lot in Belmont Country Club.

Where is Belmont Country Club?

Belmont Country Club is bordered by Ralston Ave, El Camino, Ruth Ave and Alameda de las Pulgas.

View Belmont Country Club in a larger map

What Type of Neighborhood is Belmont Country Club?

Belmont Country Club ranges from hilly terrain with no sidewalks, to a more flat neighborhood with sidewalks and a short walk to shops and restaurants. Belmont Country Club is most known for its steep sloping lots on either side of Alameda. Architecturally, the homes are very different and some of the homes towards the top of the hill have spectacular views.

What Can You Buy in Homeview – Sterling Downs?

By going a bit down Ralston to the Homeview – Sterling Downs neighborhood of Belmont, you’ll get one more bedroom and about 100 more sq ft of living space on average. Most homes between $600k and $700k in Belmont’s Homeview – Sterling Downs neighborhood are 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1,100 sq ft homes on 4,500 to 6,500 sq ft lots.

What Type of Neighborhood is Homeview – Sterling Downs?

Homeview – Sterling Downs has more of a neighborhood feel for a more moderate price. The neighborhood is fairly flat and there are sidewalks throughout. The pride of home ownership is apparent here, with many homeowners improving and maintaining their home’s exterior appearance.

Where is Homeview – Sterling Downs?

Homeview – Sterling Downs is located to the East of El Camino over Highway 101.

View Homeview – Sterling Downs, Belmont in a larger map

Search Belmont Homes Between $600k and $700k

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

Q: How Do I Start My San Mateo Home Search?

A: I’ve had this question asked many times by San Mateo first time home buyers as well as trade up buyers. The answer is use the Internet. Here is what I would do.

Step #1: Get a Rought Estimate of What You Can Afford

Use a basic mortgage calculator, like the one below, to get a rough estimate of what size loan you’d be comfortable paying.

    Free Mortgage Calculator

Step #2: Begin to Look at What’s Available

Once you have this rough number of what you can afford, begin by scanning the real estate web sites like our San Mateo Home Search here on

You can set up this automated search program for you by creating an account and entering your search criteria in our online San Mateo Home Search program. We will email you at no charge or obligation, details and photographs of homes listed that match your search criteria. You’ll get maps, driving directions, demographic, school and community information about each property that will help you begin to narrow down your home search. We can also set this up for you if you’ll email us your search criteria at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com.

The Internet is most efficient and effective search and information tool we have ever seen in the real estate business. Use it to your advantage to save time, effort and money.

Step #4: Get Pre-Approved for a Loan

Set up an appointment with a reputable lender who will take the time to go through your options and present different loan programs that may work with your financial situation. Here, you will also get a more accurate idea of what a lender will loan you to buy a home. We recommend contacting our Co-Author, Chris Williamson, who will take the time to go through your options and explain the process. Chris can be reached through email at Chris@SanMateoMortgageBlog.com or by phone at (650) 520-0915.

Step #5: Select a Buyer’s Agent

After you’ve visited a reputable lender and know what you can afford, it’s time to find a real estate agent who specializes in working with buyers. For more info, you can read our post How to Select a San Mateo Buyer’s Agent?

We’d also suggest you take a look at our Buyer Representation program. If you like what you see, call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@LivingWellinSanMateo.com to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll help you come up with a game plan for a stress free and smoothe real estate transaction.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed LivingWellinSanMateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Know Any First Time Home Buyers or Small Families?

Know anyone who wants to live in San Mateo Village? 3912 Regan Drive, just listed on the market today for $585,000 is especially perfect for a first time home buyer or small family looking to make their home in San Mateo Village.

More at 3912 Regan Dr San Mateo.

3912 Regan Dr Features

• 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom
  
• One Car Garage
  
• Detached Office/Workshop
  
• Storage Building for the Extras
  

Perfect for Someone Who Likes to Entertain

With large windows, 3912 Regan is a naturally bright home with an open floor plan, perfect for the person who loves to entertain. The dining room opens to a large patio, so guests can enjoy dinner inside or out.

Abundant Storage

With a detached office/workshop and storage building, 3912 Regan is truly a two bedroom. Whether you have a small family, roommate or want to have a dedicated guest bedroom, this home has plenty of space. The detached office is a perfect place for a private home office, workout room or hobby room. The storage building is a great place to store your bikes, kayaks or winter clothes without having to rent a storage space.

Interested? Watch the Video

Check out this video for a preview of what’s inside 3912 Regan Drive. Then visit this home’s website, www.3912Regan.com for more.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

San Mateo First Time Home Buyer Class Wed Jan 26, 2011 @ 7pm

Back by popular demand, we’ve added another San Mateo First Time Home Buyer Class Wednesday January 26th at 7pm.

What Will Attendees Learn?

As with our past First Time Home Buyer classes, San Mateo first time home buyers will learn:

• What’s the San Mateo real estate market really like?
  
• Is now the right time to buy a home in San Mateo or am I better off to wait?
  
• The truth about foreclosures, bank owned homes and short sales.
• The costly mistakes even smart home buyers make and how you can avoid them.
  

Our past attendees have told us this class is filled with real world information that will help you buy San Mateo real estate right. Check out a sneak peak of the program in this YouTube clip.

When? Wed Jan 26 at 7pm in San Mateo

Our San Mateo First Time Home Buyer Class will be presented Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 7pm.

Check Out Our Class Schedule for Other Webinars and Classes

We specialize in home buyer and home seller education and present live classes and webinars to help inform, educate and empower San Mateo home buyers and sellers. For a complete list of our upcoming programs, visit our San Mateo Home Buyer and Seller Class Schedule.

Search San Mateo Homes

To search San Mateo homes, click on the map below.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.

The lull in the San Mateo Village market picked up this December with 4 homes selling. November 2010 San Mateo Village Home Sales only produced 1 sale. Only one of the homes that sold in December was on the market for less than 30 days, marking the first time since September 2010 that a home in San Mateo Village has sold in under 30 days.

San Mateo Village Home Sales – December 2010

*Sold data provided by MLS Listings, Inc. The RayChel Realty Group did not necessarily participate in any of these sales.

Chart Data Explained

• Original List Price = List Price when Home was Originally Listed, Not Necessarily the Same as at the Time of Sale
  
• Days on Market = How Long it Took for the Seller to Accept an Offer
  
• Sold Date = Date the Seller Accepted an Offer (Not the Same as the Date the Home Closed Escrow)
  

Why Don’t You Show Sold Prices?

If the property did not close escrow yet, the sold prices are not available. But, you can be assured once these properties close escrow (usually about 30 days from the “Sold Date”) we will pose those numbers. If you want to be notified, either bookmark this page and check back, or sign up for our priority email notification system (info below).

San Mateo Village Home Sales – Detailed Download

San Mateo Village Home Sales – December 2010

What Do the Numbers Mean?

When researching recent San Mateo Village home sales in preparation to make an offer or in preparation to sell your home, its important to look at these factors. First, we look at sales price vs. list price to determine how realistic the seller was in setting a price. Next, we see how long it took to produce a sale, or Days on Market, to help us determine the market climate. Then we look at the date the seller accepted an offer on the property (“Sold Date”) instead of the date it closed escrow. Why? Because that’s when a willing buyer and willing seller came to an agreement on price and terms. The escrow period can often last a month or more and the market can be completely different then. Finally, we look at the size of the home (bedrooms, baths and square footage) to help us determine how comparable the subject home is.

Need Help Interpreting the Numbers?

Call us at (650) 655-2500 or email us at info@RayChelRealtyGroup.com and we’ll help you interpret the numbers.

Want Priority Notification of San Mateo Village Home Sales?

Email us at info@RayChelRealtyGroup.com with the neighborhood you’re interested in and we can set you up on a priority notification email system that will send you an email every time a home in San Mateo Village is sold.

Enjoyed this Post? Why Not Subscribe?

If you have enjoyed Living Well in San Mateo – san mateo real estate, please subscribe to our RSS feed.

Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.