Special announcement from the ZeroDown Ministry of Information!
14 years ago, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen released the original "Borat" film about the sixth most famous real estate broker in all of Kazakhstan.
In honor of "Subsequent Moviefilm" being released today, October 23, 2020, we're analyzing Borat’s best real estate quotes.
In Borat’s native Kazakhstan, installing a glass window is one of the highest ROI renovations you can do. Since most California homes already come with windows, here are the 3 best home renovation investments you can still consider:
Type Average Cost % of Cost Returned
Manufactured Stone Veneer $9,357 95.6%
Garage Door Replacement $3,695 94.5%
Minor Kitchen Remodel $23,452 77.6%
Manufactured stone veneer:
Replacing vinyl siding with stone veneer on part of your home, such as an entryway, is a big curb-appeal upgrade. This cosmetic improvement and accent design element is likely to catch the eye of a potential buyer.
Garage door replacement:
Tackle this one by installing a new four-section garage door with heavy-duty galvanized steel tracks, and reuse your old motorized garage door opener
Minor kitchen remodel:
This is one where the enjoyment factor can outshine the investment factor, given how much of your time is spent cooking, entertaining friends, and sharing meals with your family.
Looking for your very own castle in the Bay Area? Here are the three largest pre-1900 homes for sale in the Bay Area (on the market <45 days).
Price: $8,995,000
Price: $6,995,000
Price: $12,300,000
Close to Walnut Creek but historically a suburb of Martinez, CA, where the martini was invented, and birthplace of Joe Dimaggio. Highly-rated schools and homes for sale currently range from $148k - $846k.
Located in Marin County, close enough to experience and commute to the big city, but far enough away to be tranquil, with highly-rated public schools.
The median home value of $2,000,000 seems stratospheric, but the median household income of $250k puts the median house in reach for the typical resident, more so than other Bay Area towns.
Situated in East Contra Costa County, expect safe, quiet communities with highly-rated schools, close to big cities, and a very affordable median home sale price of $560k in the past month.
To ensure that the buyer (and lender) is paying a fair amount for the home, buyers insert an appraisal contingency, which allows the buyer the ability to walk away from the purchase without penalty if the appraisal returns a value lower than a set value (usually the purchase price). Aside from walking away, the buyer can renegotiate for a lower price with the seller, request that their lender make an exception, and approve their loan as if the property had appraised to match the purchase price or make up the difference between the purchase price and appraised value via their own funds. In most cases, if the buyer makes use of the appraisal contingency to walk away, they are likely to receive a complete refund of their earnest money. However, buyers must be cautious and include this in the contract to avoid problems at a later stage.
We're constantly keeping up with the latest real estate trends and news - let us keep you in the loop!
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