SCHOOLS

Santa Clara County School Locator
http://www.sccoe.k12.ca.us/resourcesfamilies/districtlocator/

California School Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Results (CA Dept
of Education) http://star.cde.ca.gov/

California School API Reports - Academic Performance Index (CA Dept of
ducation) http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/apireports.asp

Private Schools  www.baprivateschools.com



Utility Connections or Transfers

Use this powerful online connection service to compare, connect or switch utilities and essential home services.

www.cal-connect.com



SILICON VALLEY

Silicon Valley News  http://www.siliconvalley.com/


LENDER  PAUL LACKOVIC

http://www.paullackovic.com/



MORTGAGE RATES

Compare Mortgage Rates | CD Rates | Home Equity Loans Mortgages Quotes Best
ate Calculator http://www.bankrate.com/



Escrow and Title Company

North American Title  www.nat.com



LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - JARROD BAUMAN

Principal Residential Designer / Owner / BSLA
ww.zeterre.com


INMAN NEWS

Real Estate News and Tips for Buyers, Sellers & Investors - Inman News
http://www.inman.com/default.aspx


HOME REPAIR

Maintaining and Repairing Your House
http://homerepair.about.com/



WEATHER


National and Local Weather Forecast, Radar, Map and Report
http://www.weather.com/

Goverment sites:

Official California State Web Site

Search for official City Web sites, at the League of California Cities

National Parks in California

California State Parks

Finding and purchasing a home that will meet your needs now and in the years to come is a significant and often stressful time. Here are some tips that you may follow to make the search of finding your dream home seamless.

Getting Started

Before you start looking for a home you should ask yourself a few questions:

• Where do you want to live? Do you want to be close to schools, shopping or work?
• What kind of house would you like (need)? Are you looking for a particular style? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want? Do you want a yard?
• How much house can you afford? Have you consulted a Realtor or mortgage lender to determine the size of the mortgage you would qualify for?

Here are a few tips to help you get organized:

• Pull a credit report on yourself and make sure the information is accurate. If you find any errors take steps to correct them immediately.
• Browse through real estate advertisements in the newspaper and here on CaliforniaMoves.com. This will give you a good feel for the types of homes that are on the market and what they cost.
• Visit open houses on the weekend. It doesn't cost anything to look, and looking at a few different homes might give you ideas for things you'd like in a house but haven't considered.
• Start saving money - you'll need to have cash on hand for a down payment and closing costs.
• Don't incur any additional debt. Pay down your credit cards - and don't apply for any new ones. Don't make any major purchases on credit - buy the furniture or car later.
• Contact a Coldwell Banker Sales Associate at one of the offices in your area. The Sales Associate will help you complete all of the necessary forms when it comes time to make an offer.  

How much house can you afford?

Simply put, you can afford a house that costs as much as the largest monthly mortgage payment you qualify for.

A quick way to estimate the size of mortgage you qualify for is to take your gross monthly income (that's before taxes and other deductions) and multiply it by .28. This works out to just over 1/4 of your gross income.

Mortgage companies use something called qualifying ratios to determine how much they will lend you. Most mortgage companies use either a 28/36 ratio or a 25/33 ratio. The first number in each pair is the percentage of your gross income that the lender would consider acceptable as a monthly mortgage payment (i.e. if you make $3,000 per month, 28% of that is $840 per month).

The second number in each pair is used when all debt payments are considered, not just the mortgage. (i.e. if you make $3,000 per month, but also have a $250 a month car payment, 36% of $3,000 is $1,080, minus the $250 car payment equals $830).

As you can see, in this example the numbers work out to be almost the same. Obviously if you have more debt you would qualify for less.

Note: If an income or expense field does not apply to you, please leave it blank. All dollar figures should be entered in a monthly time period (i.e. if you earn $48,000 a year, place 4000 in the Salary field). This utility will give you an estimated mortgage payment you will qualify for. Note:   The purpose of this information is to serve as a useful guide.   For more exact, personalized information, please contact a certified mortgage representative.