Los Gatos & Saratoga Real Estate

Wells Fargo is #9 on Top Ten List of “World’s Safest Banks 2008″ according to Global Finance

Jeff McLaughlin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:16:43 +0000

Global Finance released their list for the World’s Safest Banks 2008, and Wells Fargo was the only U.S. based bank to make the top ten list. Other banks were German, French, Dutch, Belgian, from the U.K., etc.

Our in house lenders at Private Mortgage Advisors - an affiliate of Well Fargo Bank- have some excellent Mortgage Loan packages available which may include huge rate savings on Jumbo loans if one has a “relationship” with Wells Fargo (ie a bank account essentially). Please contact us at 1-800-678-3570 for details or if you have further interest in our excellent Mortgage opportunities.

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“Breaking News: It’s Not Different This Time” By Joni Clark, Chief Investment Strategist, Loring Ward

Jeff McLaughlin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:13:36 +0000

This article is something I really wanted to share with everyone. It addresses the current economic crisis we’re currently undergoing, and provides excellent historical comparisons which help keep this all in perspective a bit more.

The article is fairly lengthy so I will break it up into a few posts for ease of reading. Hope you all find it as useful, informative and cathartic as I did…

This article can also be read and dowloaded as a PDF Document so you can view Time Magazine Covers that aren’t included here at

http://app6-clients.thedesignpeople.com/aic/losgatos-saratogahomes.com/htdocs/newsletter_details.php?news_ID=130

Sincerely,

Jeff McLaughlin, Realtor

Team Ardizzone & Howmiller

Breaking News: It’s Not Different This Time

by Joni Clark, CFA, CFP®, Chief Investment Strategist, Loring Ward

LWI Financial Inc. (“Loring Ward”). Securities offered through Loring Ward Securities Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. 08-179 (08/08)

As investors, we naturally and rightfully take an interest in the state of the economy and the current market environment. And the financial media is swift to oblige with an abundance of information reported on a real time basis through financial network television programs, financial websites, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the like. (more…)

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Breaking News: It’s Not Different This Time- Part II

Jeff McLaughlin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:08:04 +0000

This is the second part of this article covering the 1980’s forward.

The 1980s

The TIME cover story on April 21, 1980, “Capitalism: Is it Working? Of Course but…” portrayed an economy beset on all sides.

“In an age of economic anxiety, real and rising concerns about whether free enterprise can surmount the problems of inflation, energy and productivity. The relentless daily pounding of dismal news drives deeper the public’s conviction that the economy is in a profound and morose crisis.”

“Week after week, interest rates crack new records; home owners face 17% mortgages Energy, the oxygen of industrial life, has become so costly and politically controlled that the U.S. can no longer be certain of enough fuel to keep its factories running and homes heated.”

With these headlines, an investor probably would not have expected an annual return of 32.4% for the S&P 500 Index in 1980. Unstructured World

Although the market continued its march upward in the early 1980s, America’s “Interest Rate Anguish” continued.

The TIME cover story on March 8, 1982, “Paying More for Money” reported:

“Expensive and scarce money has begun driving homebuilders, auto dealers and businessmen from every walk of life out of business, and in such numbers that bankruptcies around the country are beginning to rival those of the Great Depression.” (more…)

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Price Reduced by $100k! Lovely Villa Montalvo Area Saratoga Ca Home

Jeff McLaughlin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:31:12 +0000

We’ve just reduced the price of this fabulous home by $100,000! This is an incredible value for Saratoga Schools and Villa Montalvo area neighborhood. A true “must see value”!

This wonderful contemporary 4,100+/-sf home situated on 1.27+/- knoll top acres featuring fantastic views in the exclusive Villa Montalvo area of Saratoga. This home offers privacy and serenity and yet is just minutes away from the amenities of Saratoga Village and the Town of Los Gatos and is conveniently located in the Award winning Saratoga Union School District. This 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath, two level home has a lovely formal entry with hardwood floors that welcomes arrival and entry to the spacious open floor plan. The formal living room with cathedral ceilings and fireplace opens to the full formal dining room and gourmet kitchen. The expansive family room features a beamed ceiling, brick fireplace and 4-Seasons solarium with views to the outdoor greenery. Two levels of extensive decking provide access to the peacefulness of the outdoors. The mature landscaping, Coleman hot tub, stunning Oak trees and graceful gardens make entertainment and home life a true pleasure.

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Brand New Listing Not on MLS! Exclusive Monte Sereno Home

Jeff McLaughlin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:20:34 +0000

We just listed this wonderful home in Monte Sereno California….not on the Multiple Listing Service!

Situated in an excellent Monte Sereno family neighborhood, this 4bd/2.5ba home is 3311+/-sf is located on a quiet cul-de-sac. It features separate dining, living, and family rooms plus a large downstairs game room. The property offers beautiful vistas of the Loma Serena Open Space Preserve & Horse Facilities, offering a unique and open setting. The tranquil lot of almost half an acre features sprawling lawns both front and back, plus a thriving vegetable garden. The upstairs deck overlooks a stone patio, deck, swimming pool and spa. This home is located in the high ranking Los Gatos School district.

For a private sneak preview, call or email us for more details on this brand new exclusive listing! This one may sell before it ever hits the MLS!

Team Ardizzone & Howmiller
info@losgatos-saratogahomes.com
1-800-678-3570

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Stunning Los Gatos Estate at 16520 S. Kennedy Rd, Los Gatos California

Jeff McLaughlin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:34:18 +0000

If you’re in the market for an Estate Home in the exquisite neighborhood of S. Kennedy Road in Los Gatos California, then this home is well worth taking a preview via our virtual tour. Gorgeous and well manicured grounds, a custom pool and in home sauna are just a few of the delicious qualities that characterize this amazing Los Gatos Estate!

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Private Mortgage Insurance Rates Skyrocket (for Home Buyers That Still Qualify)

Jeff McLaughlin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:34:07 +0000

We posted the article below on our Silicon Valley Real Estate Update blog today which was written by our guest blogger ’s at Bring The Blog.

The article addresses the growing problem facing many home buyers who are now being required to pay Private Mortgage Insurance, whereas about a year ago they would have been able to avoid this dreaded extra monthly expense. Many buyers who are often forced to either come up with larger down payments than they would have just a year ago, or pay the dreaded PMI which can run into the hundreds of dollars a month, are sometimes forced out of the market as a result of the added monthly payment burden PMI can pose for them. This is not a pleasant reality for buyers who have less than 20% to put down. We used to encourage our clients to do what is called an “80/10/10” or “80/15/5” loan (with the 80% being their first mortgage, the 10% or 15% being their second mortgage-often a Home Equity Line of Credit {aka HELOC} and the last number representing their down payment contribution-either cash or equity from another property typically).

(more…)

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Gorgeous 5 Bedroom Saratoga Family Home! Extremely Well Appointed!

Jeff McLaughlin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:29:04 +0000

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Welcome Silicon Valley Real Estate Aficionados and Data Junkies!

Jeff McLaughlin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:47:51 +0000

We at Team Ardizzone & Howmiller - Rick Ardizzone, John Howmiller &♦ Jeff McLaughlin - are pleased to announce that we recently joined two Team Blogging platform services [read Jeff McLaughlin’s personal Real Estate Blog at Silicon Valley Real Estate Update ]. We have chosen this platform in order to provide our clients, family, friends and readers with a daily source of the latest industry news and market updates on the local Los Gatos Real Estate Market, Saratoga Real Estate Market, Monte Sereno Real Estate Market, and the the greater Silicon Valley Real Estate Markets . We also blog about news and trends for the national and World Wide real estate and mortgage markets. Occasionally we venture into broader Macro-economic News and Economic Trends as well. Advice on Home Owners Tips & Tricks will be another subject we enjoy delving into as inspiration arrives. In Short, if it affects our industry we hope to discuss it with you right here on our Blogs!

(more…)

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Amazing New Neighborhood Mapping “MLS Search” Featuring RSS Feeds, Social Bookmarking & “Google Earth” Technology Embeded!

Jeff McLaughlin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:27:08 +0000

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