And the Winner of the Open House iPad Scavenger Hunt is….

Our own Michael Braillard randomly hand-picked the winners this morning…(drum roll)

Congratulations to Keith Lichten for winning the iPad Scavenger Hunt drawing!

2nd Place went to Jeremy Weintraub ($50 Apple gift certificate) and Stephanie Medina ($25 Apple gift certificate) came in 3rd. Congrats, you two!

We had a lot of people come out to our open houses and take part in this fun scavenger hunt! Thanks to all of you who participated, Liked Us on Facebook and entered the contest!

Stay tuned for upcoming Caldecott contests & giveaways – and remember you can always get our most up-to-date East Bay listings at Caldecott.com and our Facebook page.

Special thanks to our helpful & knowledgable Caldecott agents for hosting our open lofts/condos: Michael Braillard, Jeanine Weller, Jeanne Trombly, Antoine Pirson, Etta Brown, Don Dunbar and Nathan Zagal.

iPad SCAVENGER HUNT this SUNDAY, JULY 10th from 1-5PM!

Download the Scavenger Guide: http://www.caldecott.com/iPad_Scavenger_Hunt_Map.pdf

iPad SCAVENGER HUNT | SUNDAY, JULY 10th from 1-5PM

…We really want you to like us. So much so we’ll bribe you with an iPad. But we’re not gonna make it that easy….

Hunt through 7 of our awesome East Bay lofts + condos!

The rules are simple:

LIKE US on Facebook now. Yes, we mean now. If you don’t you can’t win.

CHECK IN on Facebook via your smartphones at the 7 super rad open houses on the scavenger guide. Yes, all 7 of them. Don’t worry, this is easier than you think and you don’t have to do them in any particular order. You may only check in between 1-5pm on the day of the event. If you don’t have a smartphone, have the agent initial the open house you attended.

ANSWER 7 questions on the scavenger guide. http://www.caldecott.com/iPad_Scavenger_Hunt_Map.pdf

CORRECTLY ANSWER 7 questions, attend all the open houses & you are entered to win an iPad! (don’t worry, we have awesome prizes for 2nd + 3rd place too!) Drawing will be held Monday, July 11th.

So just a recap:

Be a person who likes going to open houses. Like us on Facebook. Check in at 7 open houses day of event. Answer the 7 scavenger questions.

Good luck!

Which Oakland Condominium Buildings (Condos) Qualify for FHA Loans?

Close to half of all condo sales in Oakland in 2010 utilized FHA backed loans.  Though FHA guidelines have gotten a bit more conservative, most borrowers that meet FHA guidelines with credit scores above 680 qualify. 

The loan limit for single family homes (including condominiums) in Alameda County, as of 6/7/2011, remains $729,750.  In 2010, condominiums sold for an average of less than $300,000, so most condominiums qualify for FHA financing, right?  Wrong.

It has become a bigger challenge for a condominium building to qualify for FHA financing than for the borrower to qualify due to the condo building approval process implemented by the FHA.

As of 5/23/2011, there were 42 condominium buildings in Oakland that are approved by the FHA.  Here is a list of those buildings:

1. 1755 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
2. 360 Vernon Street, Oakland, CA 94610
3. 3738-3740 Laguna Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602
4. 407 Orange Street, Oakland, CA 94610
5. 525 Mandana Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94610
6. 532 30^th Street, Oakland, CA 94609
7. 55 Fairmount Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
8. 590 El Dorado Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
9. 666 Oakland Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
10. 77 Fairmount Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
11. 423 7^th Street (8 Orchids), Oakland, CA 94607
12. 926 Chester Street (Chester Street Lofts), Oakland, CA 94607
13. 127 Bayo Vista Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
14. 1411 Center Street (Cigar Factory Lofts), Oakland, CA 94607
15. 455 Crescent Street, Oakland, CA 94610
16. 460-468 Crescent Street, Oakland, CA 94610
17. 3721 Fruitvale Avenue (Diamond Park Townhouses), Oakland, CA 94602
18. 424 Orange Street, Oakland, CA 94610
19. 330 13^th Street (Golden Bridge Lofts), Oakland, CA 94612
20. 388 Santa Clara Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
21. 322 Hanover Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608
22. 3403-3409 Haven Street (Haven Street Lofts), Oakland, CA 94608
23. 2316-2324 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606
24. 10 Moss Avenue (Manor Park), Oakland, CA 94610
25. 585 9^th Street (Market Square), Oakland, CA 94607
26. 7100 Mountain Boulevard (Monte Vista Villas), Oakland, CA 94605
27. 4504-4508 Montgomery Street, Oakland, CA 94611
28. 425 East 11^th Street (Mutual Creamery Lofts), Oakland, CA 94606
29. 567 Oakland Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
30. 1201 Pine Street (Pacific Cannery Lofts), Oakland, CA 94607
31. 989 Webster Street (Pacific Renaissance Plaza II), Oakland, CA 94607
32. 565 Bellevue Avenue (Park Bellevue Towers), Oakland, CA 94610
33. 180-320 Caldecott Lane (Parkwoods Condos), Oakland, CA 94618
34. 740 Canyon Oaks Drive, Oakland, CA 94605
35. 288 Whitmore Street (Rockridge Manor), Oakland, CA 94611
36. 388 Santa Clara Avenue (Santa Clara Commons), Oakland, CA 94611
37. 401 41^st Street (Temescal Station), Oakland, CA 94609
38. 222 Broadway (The Ellington), Oakland, CA 94607
39. 320 Lee Street, Oakland, CA 94610
40. 3825 High Street (Villa Del Lago), Oakland, CA 94619
41. 1695 15^th Street (Willow Court Lofts), Oakland, CA 94607
42. 1219 Wood Street (Zephyr Gate), Oakland, CA 94607

 If you are interested in obtaining an FHA loan for a condo project that is not on th list, it is possible to get a condo building approved.  I am happy to assist with this process.  It requires, among other things, the approval of the home owner’s association.

If you are interested in purchasing a condo in the East Bay with an FHA loan or getting your building approved for FHA financing, please feel free to contact me to discuss.

We also have a good place for you to see what listings are available in most of these buildings:  http://www.caldecott.com/?page=building_directory&buildings.  If you don’t see a building here, drop me a line and I can assist you with more information.

Andy Read
Broker
Caldecott Properties
aread@caldecott.com
510.594.2400 x 222

Willow Court Lofts :: 3% Buyers Credit Toward Closing Costs!

Beautifully Modern Oakland Lofts, starting at only $235,000!

Who’s ready for the weekend?! It’s supposed to be a great sunny one for us, a perfect day to come by Willow Court Lofts this Sunday (2-5pm) to check out these NEW PRICE REDUCTIONS + 3% Buyers Credit! The Willow Court Lofts, located at 1695 15th Street, is an 18-unit loft building located in burgeoning West Oakland.  The project, designed by Oakland loft pioneer Thomas Dolan Architecture, features a wide variety of 2-3 story floorplans built around two central courtyards.  The project was converted from an existing warehouse and no unit has a residence located above it.  These are true live/work lofts designed for creative functionality with concrete and softwood flooring, some units even feature their own roll-up doors. The Willow Court Lofts are conveniently located just .8 miles to West Oakland BART which is just one stop away from San Francisco, 1.7 miles to Jack London Square, the SF Bay Ferry Terminal and the forthcoming Jack London Market, 1.9 miles to the Bay Bridge toll booth, 2.0 miles to Oakland’s Fox Theater which recently underwent the largest historic theater renovation in the history of the United States, and just 7.0 miles to San Francisco.

OPEN SUNDAYS 2-4:30

 

For more information about these great deals or to learn more about Willow Court Lofts, please visit WestOaklandLofts.com or contact:

Andy Read, Broker
510.594.2400 x222
aread@caldecott.com

or

Jeanine Weller, Realtor®
925.200.3857
jweller@caldecott.com

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Willow Court Lofts: True Live/Work Lofts in Oakland starting at only $249k!

 The Willow Court Lofts, located at 1695 15th Street, is an 18-unit loft building located in burgeoning West Oakland.  The project, designed by Oakland loft pioneer Thomas Dolan Architecture, features a wide variety of 2-3 story floorplans built around two central courtyards.  The project was converted from an existing warehouse and no unit has a residence located above it.  These are true live/work lofts designed for creative functionality with concrete and softwood flooring, some units even feature their own roll-up doors. The Willow Court Lofts are conveniently located just .8 miles to West Oakland BART which is just one stop away from San Francisco, 1.7 miles to Jack London Square, the SF Bay Ferry Terminal and the forthcoming Jack London Market, 1.9 miles to the Bay Bridge toll booth, 2.0 miles to Oakland’s Fox Theater which recently underwent the largest historic theater renovation in the history of the United States, and just 7.0 miles to San Francisco. Starting at $249,000

FEATURES:

• True live/work lofts
• Polished concrete flooring
• Exposed beams
• Stainless steel appliances
• Granite countertops
• Soaring ceilings
• Softwood flooring
• Ceiling fans in some units
• Roll-up doors in some units
• Conveniently located near freeways,  West Oakland BART and downtown Oakland ~ be in SF in 15 minutes!

For more photos, floor plans and pricing, check out www.WestOaklandLofts.com, and check out our open house every Sunday from 2-4:30pm.

Andy Read, Broker
510.594.2400 x222
aread@caldecott.com

Jeanine Weller, Realtor®
925.200.3857
jweller@caldecott.com