Search Sacramento homes | NEW! [under $100,000] [$100,000s] [$200,000s] [$300,000s] [$400,000s] [over $500,000] | Sacramento condos | Sacramento multi-family (2-4 units) | Sacramento apartment buildings (5+ units) | Sacramento JUST LISTED homes & condos | Sacramento homes built since 2005 | Sacramento vacant lots & land | Sacramento commercial properties | Sacramento foreclosure listings | About Sacramento foreclosures and REOs
Explore JUST ADDED! Anatolia | Antelope | Arden | Auburn | Carmichael | Citrus Heights | Curtis Park | Davis | Del Paso Heights | Downtown Sacramento | East Sacramento | El Dorado Hills | Elk Grove | Fair Oaks | Galt | Gold River | Granite Bay | Greenhaven | Laguna | Land Park | Lincoln | Lodi | Meadowview | Midtown Sacramento | Modesto | North Highlands | North Natomas | North Sacramento | Oak Park | Old Sac | Orangevale | Rancho Cordova | Rio Linda | River Park | Rocklin | Rosemont | Roseville | Sacramento | South Land Park | South Natomas | South Sacramento | Stockton | Tahoe Park | The Pocket | UCD Med Center & Elmhurst | West Sacramento | Woodlake | Woodland
Putting technology to work in real estate
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
When you want information, you want information. I've worked hard to build not only a great team of real estate professionals to meet my clients needs but also a network of websites and web tools for clients—and I've taken those tools to the next level to provide online real estate information for Sacramento and the greater Sacramento region.
I recently had an opportunity to work with the fine folks at Trulia (http://www.trulia.com/), the leader in online real estate content, to begin educating other real estate professionals on how to provide the kinds of information that our clients want and need. Last week I filmed a training video at Trulia's offices in San Francisco (keep an eye out on here, I'll have a link to it in the coming weeks) and today Trulia blogged about the success I've been having using their site to connect with real estate buyers and sellers in the Sacramento area.
Yup, I'm a real estate nerd. ;-)
You can see what Trulia had to say here.
Labels: Curtis Park, Downtown, East Sac, Land Park, Midtown, Sacramento, Trulia
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 2:37 PM,
, links to this post
"Buy and Bail" is Mortgage Fraud
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
A Sacramento homeowner was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal talking about her plans to purchase a "second home" and then let her current home—purchased in November 2006 for much more than similar homes are currently selling for—fall into foreclosure.
"I can find the same exact house as what I live in right now for half the price."But this practice, referred to in the mortgage market as "buy and bail", is considered by many in the real estate industry to be mortgage fraud. Fannie Mae, established in 1938 as a government agency but now a privately-held lending institution that provides financing to most of the nation's largest home mortgage lenders, is tightening regulations to prevent these abuses of the system. Individual lending institutions are reviewing their own lending practices and underwriting requirements and are watching for borrowers that are at risk of engaging in buy-and-bail.
Legitimate borrowers planning to take advantage of the current sluggishness in the real estate market to buy a second home or move-up property can expect tighter loan standards and will likely need to produce additional evidence.
Thinking about renting out your current home and moving up to something better? Here's what your lender will probably request from you:
- Supporting evidence to back up the claim that the current home will be rented out, including a signed lease agreement;
- Proof of income to support principal, interest, taxes, and insurance on both the current residence and the new property being purchased;
Labels: Anatolia, Antelope, Arden, Auburn, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, condos, Del Paso Heights, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Galt, Gold River, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Meadowview, Modesto, North Highlands, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Rocklin, Rosemont, Roseville, Sacramento, South Natomas, South Sac, Stockton, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, West Sac, Woodland
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 3:04 PM,
, links to this post
What happened to the Whiskey Hill Lofts?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I've recently had a lot of people searching my Downtown and Midtown websites for info on the Whiskey Hill Lofts, developer Paul Petrovich's residential project behind the Rite Aid he built at 21st & S in Midtown.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported on May 23rd that the Whiskey Hill Lofts, a 30-unit Midtown loft and condo development that opened for sale in February, hadn't attracted any buyers and "is being converted into apartment units and will be rented..."
Why? I think the combination of pricing—the price per square foot at Whiskey Hill was on par with other more desirable projects in better locations within the central city, including the L Street Lofts and 1600 H (which is finishing construction and has yet to close on any of the loft units)—and location just couldn't compete with other new Downtown and Midtown developments. Meanwhile the Sutter Brownstones are still selling, in part due to their competitive prices (thanks largely to mandatory subsidies from Sutter as a condition of the hospital expansion).
Looking for a Downtown or Midtown loft or condo? Register online to create your own saved searches for free or give me a call today at (916) 444-7577. -Rob
Labels: Central, Central City Loft Living, Central City Lofts and Condos, Downtown, lofts, Midtown, Sacramento, Sacramento Urban Properties
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:27 PM,
, links to this post
AAA's Via explores Sacramento, extolls the virtues of Midtown
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Attention Sacramento area AAA members: Didja catch what Via, AAA's travel magazine, had to say about our fair city? May's issue featured Sacramento and the article title says it best: read Capital Gains: Sacramento is all grown up.
What's most notable is the fact that Sacramento is being defined by the core neighborhoods, Downtown and Midtown, referring to Midtown as "the city's lively eating and schmoozing hot spot."
"A wildly popular art walk through the neighborhood's galleries and boutiques on the second Saturday evening of every month has helped transform Sacramento's sundown stampede into a galloping nightlife... The 2nd Saturday Art Walk emerged from the trunk shows of a few scattered Midtown boutiques in the '90s, and now virtually every shop, cafe, and valet parking spot has an exhibition or an easel up, with music playing somewhere close by."
The author goes on to mention more than a dozen local establishments worth exploring and even talks about some of Downtown and Midtown Sacramento's most notable real estate:
"If you have a passion for Victorian architecture, tour the Governor's Mansion at 16th and H streets and the Leland Stanford Mansion at Eighth and N streets, both now state historic parks. The posh Governor's Mansion, built in 1877 and furnished with fireplaces of Italian marble, gives you a glimpse of how the Golden State's chief executives lived from 1903 until 1967, when it was briefly inhabited by California's first actor-turned-governor, Ronald Reagan. Contrast this with the grandeur of Leland Stanford's 19,000-square-foot former estate and its 19th-century-style gardens."
But a few words summed up well Sacramento in general and Midtown more specifically:
"Sacramento has become what many cities aspire to be: a great walking town. Along Midtown streets, under a canopy of Dutch elm trees, the scene hums."
And if you haven't checked out 2nd Saturday yet, you can download the 2nd Saturday artwalk map and explore the festivities—and be sure to start at McMartin Realty at 21st & K.
Labels: arts, Central, Downtown, Midtown, Sacramento, Second Saturday
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 10:34 AM,
, links to this post
Kiplinger names Sacramento one of the Top 10 Best Cities in 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Personal finance and business magazine Kiplinger features Sacramento as one of its 2008 Top 10 Best Cities in the July 2008 edition (the only California city to make the list), citing Sacramento's lush treescape and 200+ parks, burgeoning biotech and green technology industries, and evolving educational opportunities. Midtown is once again in the spotlight:
Midtown Sacramento has evolved into a 24/7 hotspot. The area is brimming with quirky boutiques, art galleries and more than 100 restaurants.Sacramento came it at #8 with other truly livable cities, including Austin (TX) and Colorado Springs (CO). If you don't live here, maybe it's time to move!
Labels: Arden, Central, Midtown, Sacramento
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 11:16 AM,
, links to this post
Brookings: Sacramento goes greener, shrinks carbon footprint
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Sacramento ranked 12th best in nation's 100 largest metro areas
In its recently released analysis, "Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America", the Brookings Institution found that the Sacramento metro area decreased its per capita greenhouse gas emissions from residential and transportation uses by about 9% between 2000 and 2005, compared with a 1.1% increase across the 100 largest U.S. metro areas and 2.2% across the nation as a whole.
Newer housing options and increased demand for energy efficient or "green" features in homes (reflected in new urban developments such as 9 on F and the SoCap Lofts in Downtown Sacramento) have helped push Sacramento toward the top of the list.
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? Some quick and easy ways to do that include using alternative transportation (bus, light rail, and bicycle), living closer to where you work and play, and choosing a home that reduces your impact on the environment. Consider urban living, explore Downtown and Midtown Sacramento. You can also find out more about green living at Sacramento Green Living.
Labels: Carmichael, Central, Curtis Park, Downtown, East Sac, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, green, green homes, Land Park, Midtown, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Sacramento, South Natomas, West Sac
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 10:46 AM,
, links to this post
New! Search homes and condos quickly by ZIP Code
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Now you can quickly and easily search by ZIP Code with just a click! It's easier than ever to pull up homes and condos in your preferred ZIP Code by simply clicking the » By ZIP Code NEW! link under Quick Property Searches from the menu at the left. You can scroll through the list of available ZIP Codes in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and El Dorado Counties to bring up a convenient list of the first 200 homes and condos for each ZIP. And, as always, you can get news listings matching ALL your search criteria sent to your email inbox daily by clicking on the link under Resources for Buyers.
Labels: Anatolia, Antelope, Arden, Auburn, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Curtis Park, Davis, Del Paso Heights, Downtown, East Sac, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Elmhurst, Fair Oaks, Galt, Gold River, Granite Bay, Greenhaven, Laguna, Land Park, Lincoln, Meadowview, Midtown, North Highlands, North Natomas, North Sac, Oak Park, Orangevale, Pocket, Rio Linda, River Park, Rocklin, Rosemont, Roseville, Sacramento, South Land Park, South Natomas, South Sac, Tahoe Park, UCD Med Center, West Sac, Woodlake, Woodland
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 10:42 PM,
, links to this post
Do some (more) Good
Friday, May 30, 2008
Did you miss last weekend's open house at Good (LJ Urban's newest project at 4th & B in West Sac just off the I Street Bridge)? This just came from the fine folks over at LJ Urban:
 |  | Many of you have requested that we have another open house, so this Sunday we're going to head over from 5-8 and keep the doors open so you can come and take a look. Its not another big party like last time but for those of you who missed us last week, now's your chance to come see what the fuss is all about.
 1931 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 916.930.9400 ljurban.com |
Labels: Central, Downtown, green, green homes, Sacramento, West Sac
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 4:47 PM,
, links to this post
We're on the official 2nd Saturday artwalk map!
Andy Morin has been working hard to get the new Second Saturday artwalk website and map up and running and his hard work is bearing fruit: You can check out the NEW official 2nd Saturday website and even download an artwalk map for the upcoming event. Plus check out ForSaleinMidtown.com in the upper right-hand corner of the map. It's official, we're famous! Or you could say we're on the map. ;-)
If you haven't been out for a 2nd Saturday event in Sacramento in a while, we've grown! Midtown Sacramento is home to what has become a major art event on the second Saturday of each month (upcoming 2008 events are June 14th, July 12th, August 9th, September 13th, October 11th, November 8th, and December 13th) and just happen to be concentrated around McMartin Realty at 21st & K in Midtown. Thousands converge on the area for gallery openings and art shows throughout the central city that typically run 6-10pm. Sure, parking is a pain-in-the-backside—but it's more than worth the art, entertainment, dining, and general energy. In fact Midtown has shown up on the radar with the San Francisco crowd (check out the recent SF Chronicle article "Hip, artsy heart beats in Sacramento's Midtown").
New in 2008 is McMartin Realty's PARK YOUR ART event (you can find out more at http://www.park-your-art.com and our upcoming indoor/outdoor shows. Definitely a must-experience event! -Rob
Labels: Central, Central City Loft Living, Central City Lofts and Condos, Downtown, McMartin Realty, Midtown, Sacramento, Second Saturday
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 3:25 PM,
, links to this post
Moving to Downtown or Midtown Sacramento? UC Davis needs your help!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
If you're thinking about relocating to a walkable neighborhood like Downtown or Midtown, UC Davis needs your help!
From Emily at UC Davis:
[UC Davis is] working on a national study that's looking at activity levels of people before and after they move to walkable neighborhoods. Our study is focusing on the Sacramento region... [and] we'd like to survey new buyers/renters who will be moving in within the next 3 months or so (we need to survey them both before and after they move).You can find out more about the study being conducted and how you can get involved at http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/handy/SHIFT.htm and, of course, get in touch with me if you're planning a move to Downtown or Midtown Sacramento.
Labels: Central, Downtown, Midtown, Sacramento, UC Davis
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 3:36 PM,
, links to this post
FREE: Let there be (compact fluorescent) light!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Let me put $368 in your pocket* with FREE compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) while supplies last
I started giving away energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs at our Green Second Saturday event in April, and now I want to offer them to anyone who would like to stop by and pick up a four-pack (while supplies last, of course). Just send me an email or give me a call at (916) 444-7577 to let me know you'd like to swing by and pick some up. I'll also throw in a Gold C book (entertainment discounts) to anyone who comes by on foot or on bike. ;-)
Rob McQuade - (916) 444-7577
McMartin Realty
2031 K Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811-4253
*Save $92 in energy costs per bulb based on 12 cents per kwh over the expected 10,000-hour lifespan of these 23-watt (100-watt equivalent) CFLs compared to 10 standard 1,000-hour 100-watt light bulbs.
Labels: Central, Curtis Park, Downtown, East Sac, green, Land Park, Midtown, North Sac, Oak Park, Sacramento, South Natomas, Tahoe Park, West Sac
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:22 PM,
, links to this post
May 8th: Sacramento Green Home Expo (and a friendly mention)
Green Home Expo opens in Sacramento May 8th
Okay, so maybe you don't think of the North State Building Industry Association as a bunch of party people (and you obviously don't know them very well if that's the case), but they know how to put on a good (trade) show. This Thursday, May 8th, is the Green Home Expo at the Sacramento Convention Center. It's an all-day event with free trade show admission, and you can expect to see some of the latest green home tech. If you're thinking about starting a remodel or you just want to know more about the latest energy efficient, eco-friendly products for the home then check out the expo (and there are some really cool workshops being offered for a very reasonable price). You can find out more by clicking on the banner below.
PS - The convention center is an awfully big place to heat and cool. Maybe they'll open the windows. ;-) PPS - While you'll find a lot of groovy home products at the expo, you probably won't find an actual home. If you're looking for an eco-friendly home in the Sacramento area, please get in touch with me!Being a Green Nugget
Oh, and while I'm not in it for the glory, it's always nice to get a friendly mention from people who always have their "green" thinking caps on (made from organic cotton, of course)—and Levi Benkert and the awesome eco-urbanists at LJUrban are among the greenthinkiest (consider the term officially coined) people I know of locally. What's not to love about people whose aspirations are to dream big, live small, and do good?
Labels: Auburn, Central, Curtis Park, Davis, Downtown, East Sac, green, Land Park, Lodi, Midtown, Roseville, Sacramento, South Natomas, Woodlake
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 12:15 PM,
, links to this post
Making the River District and Richards Blvd livable
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Too Much, Too Late
A terrible thing happened just as Sacramento was "growing up" and becoming a vibrant city: the real estate market reversed course after several years of phenomenal gains. Projects like The Towers that John Saca was working on Craig Nassi's Aura Condos—both beautiful highrise residential projects—stalled as the market began changing, leaving Sacramentans still wanting for signature new residential projects.
Sacramento's Second Chance(s) at a First Impression
Despite changes in the regional real estate market, Downtown Sacramento stands as a sign of the city's hopefulness. New, more patient and thoughtfully designed projects have begun to take the place of the more brash, no-such-thing-as-a-bubble developments we thought were the Next Big Thing to hit Downtown. Real estate developer Thomas Enterprises has continued to
plod along methodically with the 240-acre Railyards redevelopment adjacent to Sacramento's existing Downtown area.
But lost in the discussion over the much larger Railyards site is a smaller but very significant redevelopment area just north of Downtown along the American River: the River District.A River (and Light Rail!) Runs Through It
Comprised of mostly warehouse, semi-industrial, and newer office-use businesses, the Richards Blvd corridor was rebranded as the River District as the city pushed for more infill housing. The largest project in the proposed area is currently Township 9, which is set to add roughly 3,000 housing units (in mostly mid- and highrise developments) between Richards Blvd at 7th St and the American River. Also proposed are a winding road along the river that would run alongside a park and outdoor amphitheater.
The site, anchored at 7th & Richards, is a transit-oriented development (TOD) that will have a light rail station connecting it to Downtown and south by 2010, and eventually continuing north to Natomas and on to the airport as part of the Downtown-Natomas-Airport (DNA) alignment.The Other "7th & Richards" Site
Also at 7th & Richards in the River District is a key development opportunity that we have listed, 750 Richards Blvd. The site, located at the anchor gateway for Township 9, consist of five parcels and primed for high-density mixed-use (and potentially highrise) transit-oriented development.
For more information about this major development opportunity, you can reach Rob McQuade at (916) 444-7577.Labels: Central, Downtown, highrise, Midtown, Railyards, River District, Sacramento
Tag this post: del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon | Add to Technorati Faves
posted by Rob McQuade @ 4:14 PM,
, links to this post
More accurate UCD Med Center & Elmhurst searches
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The UCD Med Center and Elmhurst neighborhoods offer the same beauty as neighborhoods like Land Park and East Sac , but are often forgotten about when househu