Blog | East Bay, Alameda County CA Real Estate

Flooring Options for your new home in Alameda County!

September 28, 2010 By JoEllen King

There are many flooring options to consider when remodeling or upgrading your home. Carpet, tile, hardwood, engineered wood, laminate and cork are merely a few and each comes with its own subset of choices. Of course there are benefits to each flooring option but what often dictates the flooring choice is price. Price can, however, be broken down in a couple of ways: the overall upfront cost and the cost over the time that you will own your home. No matter what the flooring option, price tends to run the gamut, from less expensive options to extremely pricey alternatives.

What should dictate your choice?

Style. Are you looking for practical or a new design for your home?
Comfort. Are you looking for the warmth of carpet?
Cleanliness. Whether you choose carpet or tile you will have to vacuum or sweep, but it is much easier to mop a tile floor than get your carpet steam cleaned (an added cost over the lifetime of your carpet).
Environment. Green is in and certain flooring options are made from sustainable materials. Cork for example is an environmentally friendly and anti-microbial choice.

Flooring is an individual choice that is made easier with a little bit of research. One thing to keep in mind is how long you plan on being in your home. If you are remodeling your home to sell, then the upfront price of your flooring matters. If you will be in your home for many years then consider what you would prefer to step on every day.

Click here to read a recent article from Realty Times regarding carpet versus wood flooring options.

JoEllen King
joellen@realtorking.com
KING REAL ESTATE GROUP
JoEllen Tel: 510-377-5084
Office: 21666 Redwood Rd. Ste D, Castro Valley CA 94546
Mailing: 4061 E Castro Valley Blvd. #451, Castro Valley, CA 94552

Buying Your First Home

September 28, 2010 By JoEllen King

Buying a first home is a big step. Up until this point monthly rent has left your checking account, never to be seen again. When the decision is made to buy a home, “rent” is now a mortgage payment going toward ownership. Owning a home allows equity to be accumulated, a positive aspect of home ownership. When buying a first home it is important to be prepared and educated.

The first step of buying a home is financial. Knowing your budget is key and different from knowing how much of a loan you qualify for. There will always be additional expenses like home owner’s insurance, home maintenance costs, and possibly association fees, so having a monthly mortgage amount that fits in your budget is extremely important.

Another helpful step is locating an experienced Realtor. It is important to choose a Realtor that you feel comfortable with, but also one that you feel knows what he is doing. Check around for references and find a professional that knows the area that you are looking in.

Make a checklist of what is important to you before getting out and looking at real estate. Does your new home have to have three bedrooms? Two bathrooms? Does location matter? There are many questions to ask, only you know the answers as to what exactly you are looking for.

Buying a home is not only a large purchase but a big investment as well. When you buy your first home it is important to do so with your eyes wide open, as fully prepared as possible, so that you have no regrets and no buyer remorse.

Click here to read a recent article from Realty Times about buying a first home.

Filed Under: Alameda County Real Estate Tagged With: alameda county, buying your first home

Welcome to the new site for the KING REAL ESTATE GROUP

September 13, 2010 By JoEllen King

Serving East Bay and Alameda County California for all its real estate needs! Contact us, Lee or JoEllen King for assistance in the region and check back to this blog for updates on what is going on in the local real estate market and the community as a whole.