RETURN TO HOMEA Conversation with Rhonda Fee, Realtor Pleasanton, California
Pleasanton, California is a wonderful family friendly community located in the San Francisco Bay Area, approximately 40 miles east of San Francisco and 30 Miles north of San Jose. The quaint historical downtown is one of the special nuances of Pleasanton.
There are many activities in Pleasanton to choose from including hiking, biking, adult soft ball, 2-performing arts theater, Friday night Music in the Park, Downtown’s First Wednesdays, the Saturday Farmer’s Market and so much more!
The People
Approximately 70,000 people reside in this amazing location. The median home price is $659,915 & the median household income is $98,010 per year. 93% of our residents have a high school degree or higher, 45% have a bachelors or higher and 64.4% are married.
Our Town
The rich history of Pleasanton is much too much to share in depth here, but just a glimpse of the past includes the making of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms starring Mary Pickford, home to Phoebe Apperson Hearst – Hearst Castle, Abbott & Costello’s It Ain’t Hay & the famous race horse Seabiscuit even called Pleasanton home at one time!
Schools
Many people choose Pleasanton schools simply for the education factor. We have consistently had great school scores in the past years and nearly all of our schools have been award winning CA Distinguished Schools! The Pleasanton Unified School District educates approximately 14,500 students each school year with 9 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 High Schools.
Going Green:
Not only are Pleasanton Ca schools green, it was a concerned mother, PTA Council President Jill Buck who made her desire to see Pleasanton schools go green a reality. Her investigation lead her to realize a ‘green’ policy for schools did not exist anywhere, so she simply sat down and wrote her own plan! The plan was written in 2002 and has been so successful, all 50 states, 36 countries and 5 continents have adopted the Go Green initiative!
Commuting:
Our residents are employed here and in many other nearby bay area cities. The ACE train is a commuter train providing transportation to and from work. It runs from as far east as Stockton and as far South as Santa Clara’s Silicon Valley.
In addition BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is another commuter train option. It currently runs from Fremont, Pleasanton/Livermore, Pittsburg/Bay Point, Richmond and Milbrae with numerous locations in between. Need to catch a plane? Just hop on BART to go to either the Oakland Airport or San Francisco International Airport. It’s as easy as that! I’ve done it myself.
Selling
Getting your home ready for sale is simply the most important task at hand if you are in the market to sell.What to do? Don’t start putting money into your home to ‘fix’ it up until you’ve chosen the Realtor of your choice. Your realtor will likely have some great money saving tips and also let you know what is worth spending money on to fix and what is not.
Buying
The road map to purchasing a home is simple. The prospective buyer must meet with a loan professional (preferably by referral). This piece of the puzzle is the most important piece. Without having met with a lender, the buyer will find themselves frustrated in finding a true professional to engage in a business relationship. Knowing your financial picture and providing that information to your Realtor is key!
Once the pre-qualification process is complete, the buyer’s agent can move quickly on the property of the buyers choice to ensure the best possible results.
Realtors & Technology
I’ll admit, I’m a technology junkie. I absolutely love technology and spend at least a few hours per week on a webinar to learn the latest greatest advances to make my clients’ experience as smooth and seamless as possible. I am a huge fan of Docusign and it still amazes me how many folks have never heard of it. It is the most convenient way to send documents to buyers or sellers for their signatures.
My technology for sellers allows me to create a mobile application whereby a ‘driver-by’ can simply jot down a text address and code to inquire about that property. They will then be sent a return text message with a full virtual tour and property details. Additionally, my sellers listing will be disbursed to over 300 web portals including Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and so many others.
For higher-end properties, I provide a professional video walk-thru of the property. This is not a virtual tour with still pictures, but a real video. The video below is a sample. My marketing material is truly top-quality!
About Rhonda Fee
In early 2000 I began the process of a life-changing event; a divorce. Emotions were high, stress was high and life was about to change drastically. I was so overwhelmed, I literally couldn’t make a decision about much of anything. Would I sell my house? Or should I refinance? I had no clue. A CPA referred me to a lender who came to my home, talked to me about my options and with that one conversation I realized I could refinance, keep my kids in their home and begin my new life. He literally walked me through all the paperwork realizing how overwhelmed I felt. I was so moved by his assistance, I began a career in lending and Real Estate within the following 6-months. Within a brief period I realized Real Estate was where I wanted to be full-time. I wanted to help people the way he helped me!
Contact Rhonda:
Rhonda Fee
Realty World Town & Country
925-200-0827
Lic.# 01414989 CADRE
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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors and real estate professionals from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com