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        <title>Oakland Ca Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/</link>
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            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/home-affordable-foreclosure-alternatives-program-hafa.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/home-affordable-foreclosure-alternatives-program-hafa.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA)</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
On April 5, 2010 the HAFA program was rolled out. Basically it's a streamlined liquidation program that allows&nbsp;a homeowner&nbsp;to do a short sale when all other options are exhausted. If you determine that you are unable to pay your mortgage and stay in your home, the HAFA program is the best option to avoid foreclosure. All borrowers attempting a HAFA short sale must have first applied for a loan modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). If your lender is B of... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:37:12 -0500</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/oaklands-median-sales-price-up-58.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/oaklands-median-sales-price-up-58.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Oakland's Median Sales Price up 58%</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 






With all the doom and gloom in the media, it's always nice to put things in perspective with some hard numbers. It would probably shock many people to know that the median sales price in Oakland is actually up 58% year to year. 

The chart below illustrates:


... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:01:31 -0500</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/tax-credti-deadline-extended-for-those-in-contract.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/tax-credti-deadline-extended-for-those-in-contract.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Tax Credit Deadline Extended for those In Contract</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
GREAT news for any first time buyer&nbsp;who is in contract but may not close by the June 30th deadline. The deadline has been EXTENDED to September 30th! To be clear...this is NOT for those who are not already in escrow on a property. However if you are currently in escrow on a property and you were otherwise eligible for the tax credit, you now have until Sept 30th to close and still be eligible. 

&nbsp;

CORRECTION!!! 6-30-10

I just learned that I was given some incomplete information abou... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:05:58 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/dont-skip-the-home-inspection.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/dont-skip-the-home-inspection.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Don't Skip The Home Inspection</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Every now and then I come across a buyer who questions whether or not they really need a home inspection, and I always have to stress to them the importance of getting&nbsp;one. If there is already a home inspection done before the home hits the market (pre-sale), then as long as it was done by someone reputable you can feel pretty comfortable trusting the information they provide. Some buyers choose to hire another inspector of their choosing just to be sure.

However on almost all short sales... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2010 11:25:51 -0500</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/foreclosures-causing-homeowners-association-issues.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/foreclosures-causing-homeowners-association-issues.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Foreclosures and Short Sales Causing Homeowners Association Issues</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
With all the foreclosures and short sales happening, some Condo developments in Oakland and elsewhere in the East Bay Area are having problems with their Homeowners Associations. The issue arises when there are a large number of residents who stop paying their monthly HOA dues which are used to maintain the building as well as the common areas, and pay for the water and garbage among other things. For every short sale or foreclosure in a development, there is one less person paying the monthly ... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:28:19 -0500</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/oakland-foreclosure-frenzy-continues.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/oakland-foreclosure-frenzy-continues.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Foreclosures in Oakland aren't Always Easy to Get</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ A colleague of mine was recently interviewed by the New York Times&nbsp;about how difficult it is for many first time home buyers to buy a foreclosure in Oakland and the surrounding East Bay Area. The link is below..... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:36:38 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/new-real-estate-mls-feature-offers-more-exposure-for-oaklandeast-bay-sellers.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/new-real-estate-mls-feature-offers-more-exposure-for-oaklandeast-bay-sellers.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>New Real Estate MLS feature Offers More Exposure for Oakland/East Bay Sellers</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
All listings that are displayed on my website (or any other website for that matter) all come from the Multiple Listing Service or &quot;MLS&quot;. The Oakland/East Bay area MLS is where all real estate listings in&nbsp; Alameda County are displayed for us real estate agents to search when we are searching for homes for our clients. It's accessable only to licensed real estate agents, and it contains information that is omitted from the public listungs that you see online.

For sellers, the MLS... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:02:12 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/understanding-the-new-good-faith-estimate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/understanding-the-new-good-faith-estimate.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Understanding the New Good Faith Estimate</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Typically when you obtian a loan, you are provided with&nbsp;GFE or &quot;Good Faith Estimate&quot; which outlines the terms of the loan as well as the closing costs and the total&nbsp;amount the borrower will need to bring to escrow to close the deal. Due to concerns relating to the mortgage meltdown, the rules concerning GFE's have changed. 

Previously, the GFE was only supposed to disclose fees and costs that are being charged to the buyer. The new rules stipulate that the GFE is to include... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:29:59 -0600</pubDate>
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        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/lake-merritt-makeover.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/lake-merritt-makeover.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Lake Merritt Makeover</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ You have probably noticed a lot of work being done lately around&nbsp;Lake Merritt&nbsp;lately. Recent improvements include landscaping, new walkways, lighting and even a new restaraunt Lake Chalet. I recently attended a presentation by a non-profit organization that aims to restore and preserve the quality of the water in the Lake. One of the interesting pieces of news that I heard was that there are plans to demolish the dam that runs along 12th st (where the water flows into the estuary) and ... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:38:35 -0600</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/short-sales-are-still-the-best-option-for-many.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.oaklandhomespecialist.com/blog/short-sales-are-still-the-best-option-for-many.html</link>
            <author>hamid@oaklandhomespecialist.com (Hamid Grinage)</author>
            <title>Short Sales Are Still The Best Option for Many</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Many of us were hoping that the short sale phenomenon was going to be temporary, but it's turned out to be a huge percentage of the sales in our area throughout 2009 and into 2010..with no end in sight. There are so many homeowners who are &quot;underwater&quot; that many of them are choosing to attempt a short sale. For most of these people, the only option other than a loan modification is to continue paying your mortgage or walk away and foreclose. Loan modifications aren't popular with many... ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:39:02 -0600</pubDate>
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