Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS

"Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™"
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Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS,  in Dublin
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About Me
I am a full-time licensed California Real Estate Broker. In addition to being a REALTOR® who operates under the National Association of REALTORS® strict code of ethics, I am also a Mortgage Banker/Broker. This provides a powerful service combination for my Clients.

I think we can agree there are many choices, perhaps too many choices, when it comes to finding a REALTOR® and Mortgage Broker/Banker to work with. The anxiety of wondering if you have chosen a competent professional to represent your best interests can place even the most determined individual into a state of “analysis paralysis.”

Studies have shown that many consider a Real Estate Agent to be just one level above a Used Car Salesman on the “professionalism scale." OUCH! I am determined to crush that stereotype one Client at a time by providing the highest level and depth of professional service possible.

One of my primary goals in joining the Real Estate profession was to "raise the bar" of professionalism, service level, respect and trust in the industry. These goals led me to adopt the following two trademarks to communicate my dedication to this focus:
"Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™" and "It's time you had the best Real Estate experience of your life.™"

These are much more than simple trademarks as they are intended to communicate the following to each client I work with:


1) My personal and corporate philosophy,

2) The required performance level for any service providers I engage on my Client’s behalf, and most importantly,

3) My commitment to YOU as my Client.


I sincerely look forward to the opportunity of working with you. Contact me today and lets get started!


Best Regards, Steve

GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist


Background: http://www.Steven-Anthony.com/default.aspx?pp=35478
Testimonials: http://www.Steven-Anthony.com/default.aspx?pp=35479

© Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Testimonials
"The Personal Touch ! Your commitment to my needs made me feel I was your only important customer...You advised me so I could leverage myself into the best possible financial scenario, and you took the extra time drafting and submitting proper documentation to ensure the best possible outcome for me. Thanks to you, my service expectation for future Real Estate transactions has clearly been redefined."
Richard Mon Nov 17
"After interviewing another real estate agent, we decided Steve was the right choice due to his expertise in Real Estate and Mortgage Loans…I felt that Steve made us a priority. He always answered phone calls in a quick manner…Steve was right by our side during the negotiation process…He was right on top of it when new homes came on the market. He treated us with full respect…Steve is a good person to have by your side when making a life changing decision about buying a house. He makes his clients feel important."
Dave & Amy Wed Nov 12
"Steve was fully committed to helping us find the house that was right for us. We valued Steve's attention to detail, his extensive knowledge, and especially his high moral character. Thank you Steve for all your hard work!"
Patrick & Lisa Mon Nov 10
"10+++ was and still is my impression of the outstanding service that I received...Steve Ornellas truly is the perfect example of what a Real Estate agent should be... he's got what it takes to make you feel comfortable and at ease during your stressful experiences before, during, and after escrow... he's got what it takes to make a difference with his overwhelming knowledge and people skills!!! Not only will I recommend your services to my family but everyone that I know."
Sylkie Fri Nov 7
"This is our 4th & 5th Real Estate transactions in our marriage. As far as competency, reliability, diligence, efficiency and PATIENCE, no Realtor we have used in the past can stand on the same podium as Mr. Ornellas. We feel very fortunate to have met him, entrusted him and befriended him."
Steve & Josie Tue Nov 4
"Steve took the time to understand what kind of home I was looking for and answer the many questions I had as a first time buyer. I would unhesitatingly recommend him for his professionalism, attention to detail, good humor and kindness. I did not know what to expect, and I received excellence. Thanks Steve!"
Georgina Tue Oct 28
My Q&A View all >>
Steve Ornell…'s Questions (0)
Steve Ornell…'s Answers (142)
Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS answered:
I agree with all the comments here, and the "right" answer depends on the buyer's mentality.

A buyer who wants the theoretical pricing "bottom" will never have the market information to make that call because the bottom is always viewed in the "rear mirror" after its already passed. Focusing just on the quantitative measure of finding a property at the bottom completely discounts the qualitative aspects of a home, and that's a huge mistake because while price is important in Buying a home we all know location, amenities, look and feel play a large role in determining market value as well.

For the buyer waiting for the bottom:
Hold your cash until the end of Q109 and then reassess the direction of the economy. I believe in Q109 we will still be declining and we will flatten in Q209. The resulting reduction in jobs will lead to less demand for purchase housing. Keep an eye on local net positive jobs growth rate (jobs growth rate - unemployment rate). This is THE early predictor for housing recovery in any area. A return to normalcy in the credit markets is secondarily important.

For the "long term" buyer who wants a great deal:
Hold your cash, but be ready to flash it - get out there and start looking! You have to be looking in order to find the long term diamond in the rough and when you do you'll know it because your gut will tell you it's worth getting into the property even if it continues to dip a bit before going back up.

Regarding the definition of long term:
I believe within a 5-8 year timeline one will be in a profit position. The credit markets should be back to normal within the next year to year and a half. Furthermore, historically, since 1968 there has only been one time where California housing had consecutive years of price decline. That would be 1992-1996 (see chart link below). Note that after this period the entire decline had been made up within the following two years (92-96 total decline of 12.2%, 97-98 total increase of 12.5%).
http://docs.Steven-Anthony.com/200XCAAnnualDataChart.pdf

Best Regards,

Steven A. Ornellas, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™
Cell: 510.461.6011
http://www.Steven-Anthony.com SteveO@Steven-Anthony.com - Yesterday, 22:01

In this market - Is this townhouse worth $500k?

Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS answered:
Joe, Steve (Just Looking, Rohnert Park) brings up a great point that I believe boils down to the basic question of how long you plan on occupying the property. The jury is in on the benefits of home ownership - it’s the single greatest source of wealth accumulation in the USA. However, in the short term (approx .3yrs. or less) transactions costs can make this a net negative transaction. This is especially true today given the inclination of further economic declines in the US economy/GDP. I believe in Q109 we will still be declining and we will flatten in Q209. The resulting reduction in jobs will lead to less demand for purchase housing (note: investor activity has definitely increased of late. Depending on what Bay Area city you look at, the percentage of pending sales that are distressed (short sale or REO) range from 35% to as high as 100%)

If it would help you to make your decision, contact me offline so we can perform a Rent vs. Buy analysis to take a look at the proposed purchase quantitatively. Many of the costs that Joe mentions are typically tax deductible and its important to know the bottom line net cost taking these and other costs into consideration.

-Steve - Yesterday, 10:06
Hi Joe, this sub-area of Fremont's "Attached" housing stock is bucking the statistical norm. Looking at Fremont's total "Attached" housing stock, as of 11/14 we find the following:

Active: 215, 53% distressed
Pending Sales: 71, 82% distressed

However, when I ran a CMA for this property NONE of the properties were distressed. The start date for the CMA was 1/1/08, so this area is demonstrating strong value retention, which would certainly work in a buyer's favor concerning pricing stability.

The link below provides a Comparative Market Analysis for Shalimar [please download - will be removed next Friday]. I can't provide specific advice as to whether you should buy this property at this point, as this would create an "agency relationship through action"; however, you may find the information useful in answering your question. Plus, I would certainly suggest a more rigorous analysis before deciding what action would be appropriate for you personally.

If you are considering a purchase in this area please contact me offline. As a Realtor® and Mortgage Banker I provide a comprehensive service combination with a single point of contact.

Best Regards,

Steven A. Ornellas, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™
Cell: 510.461.6011
http://www.Steven-Anthony.com SteveO@Steven-Anthony.com - Fri Nov 14 2008, 10:33

How much role does a lot size play in the home price?

Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS answered:
Newbuyer, the one thing that I have consistently heard from appraisers is that lot size plays a very small role in determining market value. The only caveat to this would be backyards with highly upgraded features, such as professional landscaping, low volt lighting, masonry, built in sound systems and BBQ, sport courts, etc.

Best Regards,

Steven A. Ornellas, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™
Cell: 510.461.6011
http://www.Steven-Anthony.com SteveO@Steven-Anthony.com - Yesterday, 09:38
Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS answered:
Smart move! No reason taking on the risk when supply is so plentiful. - Sat Nov 15 2008, 14:12
Lookingforsfh,

Both of the issues you mention can be very costly to diagnose and correct. Given the market supply that is currently available, and that will continue to be available due to our slowing economy and resulting job loses, I would seriously consider passing on this property. There will be others without such serious defects. Over 1/3rd of Fremont's current "Active" listings are distressed (Short Sale or REO) so finding a deal without these issues is certainly possible now, or in the near future.

Best Regards,

Steven A. Ornellas, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™
Cell: 510.461.6011
http://www.Steven-Anthony.com SteveO@Steven-Anthony.com - Mon Nov 10 2008, 22:15
Steve Ornellas, MBA, RE Masters, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS answered:
Hi Rob, just a Livermore "data point." As of 11/17/08 (detached homes):

Active: 350, 46% distressed (Short Sale or REO), of this percentage 41% are Short Sales

Pending: 148, 70% distressed (Short Sale or REO), of this percentage 25% are Short Sales

Best Regards,

Steven A. Ornellas, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, CMPS, RE Masters, MBA
REALTOR® / Mortgage Banker-Broker / Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Expect Excellence. Get What You Expect.™
Cell: 510.461.6011
http://www.Steven-Anthony.com SteveO@Steven-Anthony.com - Thu Nov 13 2008, 20:37
Specialties
Residential Buyer/Seller Representation; Residential Financing; Financial market and interest rate analysis; Cash flow and debt analysis; Real estate equity management, and Real estate investment analysis.
Experience
Latest:
Broker for Steven Anthony Real Estate & Financial Services
Became a licensed Real Estate Broker, CA Department of Real Estate #01431243
May 2004—present
Certifications & Awards
A.A. Degree, Computer Studies

A.A. Degree Real Estate Sales & Brokerage

B.S. Business Administration (Marketing)

B.S. Computer Science (Systems)

M.B.A. (Management) [Summa Cum Laude Level Honors]

Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society

Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI)

The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services by earning the GRI designation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients. Only 2% of California Real Estate Licensees have earned the GRI certification. Steve completed the qualifying exams with a 95% pass rate.

Graduate, Real Estate Masters
The R.E. Masters™ program for GRIs is an advanced series of courses for REALTORS® who have already earned their GRI designation. Steve completed the qualifying exams with a 92% pass rate.

Graduate, Certified Mortgage Planning Institute (CMPS)
Using nationally recognized experts as instructors, the CMPS Institute educates mortgage professionals on how to integrate sound financial planning advice into the mortgage process. CMPS graduates have developed five essential skill sets including: 1) Financial market and interest rate analysis, 2) Cash flow analysis, 3) Debt analysis, 4) Real estate equity management, and 5) Real estate investment analysis. Steve completed the qualifying exams with a 99% pass rate.

Real Estate Buyers Agent Council, Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) Certification
The Real Estate Buyers Agent Council, REBAC, was founded in 1988 to promote superior buyer representation skills and services. An affiliate of THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS since 1996, less than 1,000 Realtors® in California have earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) certification (only 40,000 Realtors® in the entire Nation are ABR certified) . REBAC is the world’s largest organization of real estate professionals concentrating on buyer representation. Members who meet all course and professional experiential requirements are awarded the ABR and/or ABRMSM (Accredited Buyers Representative Manager) designation(s). Both are the only designations of their type recognized by NAR.

e-PRO®
e-PRO® is a revolutionary training program to certify real estate agents and brokers as Internet Professionals. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is the first major trade group to offer certification for online professionalism.
Steve completed the qualifying exams with a 98% pass rate.
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