Barb

If you are thinking about buying a home from a builder in process, there can be a good deal, or at least the opportunity to pick your own finishes, and so make the home really "your own". If you are thinking about buying a lot and building yourself, it isn't the deal it may appear to be.

I have built homes for personal use, and bought and sold land, and as a realtor, have helped clients buy land. There can be a lower overall cost on some properties for buying the land and then building, but first you start with soils engineering, the building restrictions, tree mapping and measuring, surveying. That is just to see if you can really build on the land. There are a lot of costs even before you have stuck a shovel in the ground! If the site is steep (which most in the bay area are, now) your foundation costs will be huge with how deeply you have to sink the piers. Then there is the water meter, connection to the sewer, etc. A deal? to live the dream of bulding your own place, maybe, and the whole thing will probably take at least two years.

there are some good deals on land outside of Livermore, but the good deals are the properties where you will never be allowed to build - you may bring in a travel trailer and spend your weekends there, fishing and getting away from it all. Good luck! - Earlier today

Exactly. You tell the agent how much and how you want communication to occur - phone calls, emails, etc. Generally I update my clients every 3-4 days, but it depends upon how much activity there is, and of course, their desires. If you aren't happy with what is going on in your situation, tell the agent. He or she is your employee, and you need to tell them your expectations so they can make changes that will serve you better. and if you are really having trouble, you can speak with the manager or broker of the office, or cancel the agreement. - Tue Jul 22 2008, 16:56

You can find all the properties that are available, "pre-foreclosure" or bank-owned, or regular sale on the multiple listing service, through providers like trulia, realtor.com, camoves.com, etc . I did a quick search and found 4 homes in fremont, and none in that price range in Pleasanton, Dublin or San Ramon. Pleasanton and San Ramon each have 2 townhomes in that range. The lowest priced home in San Ramon is $380,000 and is in an over-55 community (the next lowest is priced at $428,000); the lowest in Dublin is $399,000 and is a short sale, which may or may not be acceptable to the bank, and the lowest in Pleasanton is $415,000 and needs a great deal of work. You may need to reassess your goal, the type of home, or try to partner with someone with whom you can share downpayment, mortgage, and equity. Good luck! - Mon Jul 21 2008, 16:43

Get a lawyer, but be sure they specialize in real estate law. Normally you would be just out of luck, but with the permit situation occuring before the sale happened, you probably have a case. Though the banks are exempt from the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, and other owner-occupied disclosures, they are required to tell the prospective buyer anything they know about the property that could affect the value - like a damaged sewer line for which (I'm guessing here) they pulled a permit. Your agent should be helping you here..... - Mon Jul 21 2008, 15:03

It depends on how long it has been on the market, what others have sold for in the neighborhood. Ask your agent to pull the comparables. - Mon Jul 21 2008, 10:18