Live In Elegant East Sacramento

If your looking for a neighborhood of refined elegance, East Sacramento is the best. This pride-of-ownership neighborhood holds its historic charm like a crown jewel.

A tour of the area includes the lush McKinley Park and McKinley Lake with a beautiful rose garden of 150 varieties of roses. The neighborhood homes follow suite with English style gardens and perfectly manicured lawns.

Homes in the area were built from the early 1900s through the 1950s. They are Colonial, Tudor, California and High-water Bungalow, Chateau, and Spanish Villas. They range in size from 1000 to 4000 square feet, built on .15 to .25 acre lots.

Many of the homes include pools, detached offices or workshops, formal dining rooms, partial basements and hardwood floors. They have updated kitchens with granite countertops and hardwood cabinets. In these homes you’ll find amazing architectural detail like archways, coved ceilings, crown molding, walnut inlays and stained glass.

Estate homes feature vintage lighting; marble, stone tile and lots of wood detail with master suites, and even wine rooms.

The neighborhoods in East Sacramento are some of the most sought-after in Sacramento, including the historic Fabulous Forties, McKinley Park, Bertha Henschel Park, River Park, and Elmhurst.

Schools in the area include Sacred Heart School, David Lubin Elementary, Theodore Judah Elementary, Sutter Middle School, Kit Carson Middle School as well as America’s Choice High School. California State University Sacramento is also nearby.

East Sacramento is located South of the American River, East of Capital City Freeway, West of the American River, and North of U Street.

It is within walking distance to downtown shopping as well as Sutter Memorial, Mercy General, and UC Davis Med Centers.

If you have any questions regarding property in this or other Sacramento areas, please contact me:

Find Your Family Home In Sacramento's Arden Park

Arden Park is the Epitome of an American family neighborhood. When you buy here, you’re buying more than just a home; you’re buying the whole neighborhood! It’s a great place to raise your family.

With peaceful tree-lined streets, it is a sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of downtown Sacramento. Bordered by Watt Ave. to the West, Fair Oaks Blvd to the South, Easter Ave to the East, and Arden Way to the North its close to shopping and everything downtown has to offer.

Arden Park is an established neighborhood of ranch style homes built in the nineteen fifties and sixties. Sizes range from 1500 to 3500 square feet with homes sitting on large quarter of and acre to half- acre beautifully manicured lots. This is one of the many reasons for Arden Park’s popularity.

It’s not unexpected to find homes in the area with fine architectural detail, extensive landscaping, granite countertops, travertine or stone flooring, formal dining rooms, fireplaces and indoor laundry rooms.

Another reason for Arden Park’s popularity is the great schools in the area. Students here attend nearby Mariemont Elementary School, Arden Middle School and Rio Americano High School.

This family community offers two community parks with a Community Center, swimming pool, four tennis courts (not lighted), two basketball courts, a softball Field (not lighted), soccer fields, a horseshoe pit, play equipment and benches, a group picnic shelter, BBQs with picnic tables.

This active family area is also home to many community events like Easter egg hunts, soccer games, a 4th of July Parade and yearly concerts in the park.

I would like to show you more of this area. So, if you have any questions regarding this or other Sacramento neighborhoods, you can call me now using the link below:

Sacramento Short Sale Series-Part 2 "Building Your Sacramento Short Sale Team"

If you didn't catch "Part 1" of my Sacramento Short Sale Series, I encourage you to read it first…you can read it here.

So, what now? You've established your home's value is less than what you owe, and you have a legitimate, documentable hardship.

"Have you assembled your team?"

Many distressed homeowners seeking to Short Sale their Sacramento home, think they can simply call any Sacramento REALTOR® and be in good hands. A Sacramento Short Sale is a complex transaction, which takes knowledge, know-how, and patience from all involved. The common misconception is that all REALTORS® are Sacramento Short Sale Agents.

Additionally, many buyers and sellers mistakenly assume a Sacramento REALTOR® should have all the answers. A good Sacramento Short Sale Agent knows their limitations, and stays true to what they do well…Real Estate Transactions!

I receive a myriad of questions in today's market, many I can answer, but do not have the qualifications to do so. Questions like:

"What is my tax liability?" or "Will the bank come after me for the difference?" are questions better answered by professionals such as an Accountant, or Real Estate/Bankruptcy Attorney.

Another common question is, "How long will I have to wait to buy another home?" I can answer that question as well, but the answer should come from a Mortgage Professional whose expertise lies within real estate finance.

It is critical to have a solid team of professionals, and trusted advisors to help you successfully navigate the Short Sale of your Sacramento home. A good Sacramento Short Sale Agent should not give, and should not be expected to give advice they are not qualified to provide, however, they should have a team of go-to professionals to assist their clients, if the clients don't have their own.

When you decide it's time to explore the Short Sale of your home, give my team the opportunity to assist you!

Will Short Sale Work For You?

"Can I Short Sale My Sacramento Home?" -Part 1

"I want to Short Sale my Sacramento home!"   I hear this statement often from homeowners in our Sacramento real estate market. 

But is it true, that anyone with an upside down mortgage, can qualify for a Short Sale? 

It is true that Sacramento Short Sales have overtaken Sacramento REO's, a trend that started towards the end of 2009, with a gap that is widening in 2010. 

The number of Sacramento Short Sale listings is almost two times the number of current Bank Owned listings.  Additionally, banks are beginning to figure out this whole Short Sale phenomoenon, and approvals seem to be coming relatively faster. 

That being said, the answer to the above question, is "No, not everyone can qualify for a Short Sale!"

"Why don't I qualify for a Short Sale?"  First, I'd like to say that a Short Sale is NOT a "get out of my mortgage free card".  What it is, is a legitimate option for homeowners who are underwater, and have a legitimate financial hardship, such as:

     -Job Loss or Reduction in Pay
     -Divorce
     -Illness
     -Disability
     -ARM Adjustment
     -Job Transfer

These are some of the more prominent reasons, but there are several others.  If a "would be" seller is underwater, but does not have a legitimate financial hardship, the options become limited to:

     -Wait For the Market to Recover
     -Bring Cash to Close
     -Let Property Go Into Foreclosure

Now, of these options, the first option is the likely candidate for most people, and though I would never recommend Foreclosure to anyone, it has become an option for some.  People who have the financial ability to make up the difference with cash are few, however I did have a seller bring $54,000 to close a listing I had in January. 

7 out of 10 homeowners go into Foreclosure without any viable intervention. 

If you are not sure where you stand, or feel you might be close to qualifying for a Sacramento Short Sale, and want a professional's opinion, give me the opportunity to provide a FREE evaluation of your current situation.  Otherwise, this is Part One of my Short Sale Series, designed to help homeowners avoid the "F" word ("Foreclosure" if your mind went somewhere else).  Email, or before surfing to the next page, call me.

Will Short Sale Work For You?

Sacramento Real Estate Question Of The Week…”Can my second mortgage lender foreclose?”

As a Sacramento Real Estate Agent, I receive a lot of questions pertaining to our current market, and shocker, a lot of the questions I get center around foreclosure in Sacramento. It doesn't matter how much money you make, or have made, the Nation is captivated by the phenomenon that is "Foreclosure"!


An unbelievable number of people are experiencing foreclosure first hand, or are on the brink, and guess what, foreclosure does not discriminate.
 One question I got last week surprised me, but when I took a step back from the obvious answer, I figured this individual could not be the only person with the same question…, "Can my second mortgage lender foreclose?"


The answer: "Absolutely!"


When a second mortgage lender does foreclose, that lender assumes responsibility to pay the first mortgage, which in many cases in Sacramento, can be a bad business decision. But, it does happen.


Now, I'm not in the practice of giving legal advice, so if you've contemplated this move, I highly recommend talking to a Sacramento Real Estate Attorney, before moving forward.


Also, if the mortgage has gotten beyond the realm of affordability, and you would like to discuss your options regarding Sacramento Short Sale, I am always available for a Free consultation. Give me a call:

Low Housing Inventory, Multiple Offers…When Do Buyers Have The Advantage?

During a short vacation to welcome my new baby girl into the world, I had some time to ponder some valuable blog topics. If you read the local Sacramento news, you hear a lot of stories about frustrated buyers, and their seemingly endless quest to find the right home in our Sacramento Housing Market. Most of the stories these days, center around Sacramento short sales, where banks have all the power, and buyers are left sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting and praying for a favorable approval of their offer. As evidenced by the media, the wait can be grueling, and can really test a buyer's commitment to purchasing a home. Many buyers I come upon, feel powerless in our current Sacramento market.

So, when can a buyer feel powerful again?

In a market like ours, sellers are starting to feel more confident that their home will not only sell, but attract a lot of attention, and sell fast. When that doesn't happen, sellers are left to wonder, "why not?" The confidence begins to fade, and is replaced by anxiety, and desperation. Enter the opportunistic buyer. In this situation, buyers may now have some power to negotiate terms, such as a lower price, repairs, credit for closing costs, etc. The longer a home stays on the market, the less strength the seller will have in negotiations.

Now, these listings are not growing on trees, and their does take an amount of research, and patience, to find them. Having a strong Sacramento Real Estate Agent to assist you, and correctly advise you, is critical! Good Luck!!

Happy New Year!

Kyle Groves

Sacramento Short Sale vs. REO: What’s The Difference?

As a Sacramento Realtor, I am often asked, "What's the difference between a Short Sale, and a REO?" The question stems from the majority of the inventory in Sacramento's real estate landscape. I am one of those crazy folks who love stats, so I'll try to keep this short…of the 3,268 Sacramento Area single family homes for sale, in November, 52% of them were Short Sales, or REO's. When you breakdown Sacramento Short Sales vs. REO's, Short Sales make up 67% of the inventory, which is a huge shift from last year (2008) at this time, when REO's made up 67% of Sacramento's distressed, single family, real estate market.

So, what's the difference between a Short Sale, and a REO?

Short Sale listings, typically, still belong to an individual owner, who through some sort of hardship, cannot afford to make the payment anymore. The reason they are considered Short Sales, is the loan balance(s) equals more than the home's current value. The owner must list the home with a Sacramento Short Sale Agent, obtain an offer(s), and prepare what's called a "Hardship Package" (detailed list of expenses, letter detailing the hardship, and income documentation), which the agent will submit to the lender(s) to be approved. This initial portion of the transaction can take days, but the short sale approval can take months, as most banks do not have a solid Short Sale process in place. Buyers and Sellers must have a tremendous amount of patience in a Short Sale transaction. A solid Sacramento Short Sale Agent can make an incredible difference!

REO listings, also called Bank Owned, are properties that have gone through the foreclosure process, and made their way back to the bank. The banks hire Realtors to list REO properties, who then obtain the "highest and best" offer for the bank to review and approve. A Sacramento REO Buyer Agent, must take the time to educate clients on these transactions. Sacramento Area REO's, in certain price points, are receiving multiple offers, as First Time Home Buyers flood the market, and listed inventory continues to diminish. Additionally, the banks do not have prior knowledge of the property, and typically sell the property in its "as is" condition. A Buyer cannot expect the bank to pay for any inspections, repairs, or warranties, and the bank will "encourage" the Buyer to move quickly with shortened inspection periods, and a per diem cost for every day the transaction extends through the close of escrow. Having the right Sacramento REO Buyer Agent can be critical to obtaining the right property, and closing on time!

If you find yourself wanting, or needing, to explore the Sacramento Area Real Estate Market, give me a buzz, (916)214-2082, and I'll be happy to work with you!

All the best,

Kyle Groves