October

October 16, 2007 | Volume 15, Number 10

Housing Resources Help Buyers and Renters Find a Place to Call Home

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley have a reputation as one of the best places to live in the Bay Area. While finding a new home or apartment can be challenging, there are a multitude of resources offered to make that quest a productive experience.

Hacienda Living

Hacienda realtors and brokers handle the sales of beautiful homes and townhomes in four Hacienda developments that are close to shopping, schools, workplaces and transportation services. Signature Properties, a firm headquartered in the park, developed all the Hacienda projects as well as Pleasanton's noted Ruby Hill community.

Signature's first project in the park was Verona, a 140-unit complex of two- to four-bedroom townhomes located at the corner of West Las Positas Boulevard and Stoneridge Drive. Three additional home developments include two- to five-bedroom homes along with two-to-four bedroom town homes. They are Siena, single-family homes located at the corner of Hacienda Drive and Gibraltar Drive North; and Avila and Valencia, single-family homes located at the corner of Hacienda Drive and Gibraltar Drive North. Each Signature development has a recreation area featuring a pool and cabana as well as access to a linear park with basketball courts and tot lots.

For those seeking a nearby rental, Hacienda also offers nearly 900 apartment units. Each contains a wide selection of choices in size and number of rooms with plenty of community amenities throughout the projects.

Archstone Hacienda
5700 Owens Drive
(925) 398-7368
www.archstonecommunities.com

The 540 units at Archstone Hacienda offer the latest features. Each apartment has luxury appointments, including ceramic tile entries, faux granite kitchen countertops, a GE Hotpoint appliance package, washer and dryer, walk-in closets, and built-in computer niches. A fitness center, two pools, and two spas are also among the complex's amenities. It consists of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 795 to 1,313 square feet.

Springhouse Apartments
5500 Springhouse Drive
(925) 847-9438
www.springhousepleasanton.com

Springhouse Apartments is a complex of 354 units, and features junior one bedroom and one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as one- and two-bedroom townhouses. Each unit has a washer and dryer and individually controlled central heating and air conditioning. Many of the apartments and all of the townhouses have fireplaces. Sizes range from 570 to 990 square feet for the apartments and 750 to 1015 square feet for the town houses. Other amenities include an exercise room, a sauna, three spas, a swimming pool, and a clubhouse for residents' use.

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Hacienda has a wealth of companies designed to serve the homebuyer. Whether you are looking for a broker to help find the ideal home or an institution to assist with the purchase and financing, these Hacienda businesses can assist.

Real Estate Firms

Avante Real Estate
5994 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 205
(866) 925-2683
www.avantereal

Avante Real Estate offers services for buyers and sellers of residential real estate, with extensive knowledge of the East Bay real estate market.

Coldwell Banker
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 122
(925) 847-2200
www.cbnorcal.com

Coldwell Banker offers services for buyers and sellers of residential property, area information, affiliated services with mortgage brokers and title companies, a complete national relocation department, an in-house lender for purchase or refinance, the Previews International division for upper-end properties, the Coldwell Banker Home Protection warranty service, and complete web site services. The company, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, also offers concierge service that gives clients discounts and referrals to companies that provide moving, alarm systems, storage and more.

J. Rockcliff Realtors
5075 Hopyard Road, Suite 110
(925) 251-2500
www.rockcliff.com

J. Rockcliff Realtors has several real estate offices throughout the east bay, specializing in buying and selling of residential real estate. The website offers a property and open homes search feature.

Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty
5994 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 101
(925) 249-0910
pleasanton.yourkwoffice.com

Keller Williams Tri-Valley Realty was voted "Most Innovative Real Estate Company" by Inman News and uses the latest technology to create solutions tailored to each of its clients. Keller Williams is staffed by full-time real estate professionals who have received additional training through Keller Williams University, keeping them up-to-date on current industry trends and information. They maintain constant contact with local lenders in order to help buyers find the best possible financing. All potential buyers are pre-qualified so that they know exactly how much home they can afford.

New Standard Real Estate Co.
5976 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 112
(925) 467-1500
www.nsre.us

New Standard Real Estate Co. offers a full range of services to area buyers and sellers. Their web site offers online home searches in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Prudential California Realty
5724 W. Las Positas Boulevard
(925) 924-4600
www.prurealty.com

Prudential California Realty is a full-service firm with 138 offices and over 5,100 sales associates, conducting over $15 billion in sales volume in 2004 in California, Nevada, and Texas. The company provides all the services that customers need to buy, sell, and maintain a home, including relocation services, in-house mortgage, title, and escrow services, homeowners insurance, and energy and home security services.

Realty Experts
4555 Hopyard Road
(925) 730-2444
www.realtyexperts.com

Realty Experts professionals can help with purchasing or selling residential property, building lots and land. Founded in 1974, they also provide property management and real estate loan services. The firm also specializes in relocation services through its membership in RELO, a network of over 1,100 companies around the country and the world, which provides real estate services as well as added benefits such as cost of living analysis and discounts on moving services.

Realty World Global
4847 Hopyard Road
(925) 598-1880
www.realtyworldglobal.net

Realty World Global is a small firm offering personalized attention for buyers and sellers of residential real estate. Its website offers access to MLS listings in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Windermere Properties of the East Bay
4309 Hacienda Drive, Suite 150
(925) 469-5000
windermere.com

Since 2001, Windermere Real Estate has been serving the neighborhoods of the Bay Area with offices in 12 Northern California cities. Each independently-owned office is part of Windermere Real Estate, a large real estate network operating in the West with over 7,000 agents and more than 250 offices.

Title Insurance and Escrow Services

Alliance Title Company
4301 Hacienda Drive, Suite 110
(925) 225-2050
www.alliancetitleco.com

California Title Company
5724 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 150
(925) 460-3959
www.caltitle.com/

Chicago Title Company of Alameda County
4637 Chabot Drive, Suite 105
(925) 416-9111
westerndivision.ctt.com

Cornerstone Title Company
5990 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 119
(925) 750-1040
cornerstonetitleco.com

Fidelity National Title
4683 Chabot Drive
(925) 417-3238

Financial Title Company
5075 Hopyard Road, Suite 120
(925) 467-5700
financialtitlecompany.com

LandAmerica Commonwealth
4305 Hopyard Road, Suite 140
(925) 924-1866
cltsc.com

New Century Title
4457 Willow Road, Suite 100
(925) 224-8800
newcenturytitle.com

North American Title Company
4255 Hopyard Road, Suite 1
(925) 399-3000
www.nata.com

Stewart Title
4780 Chabot Drive, Suite 100
(925) 225-9145
www.stewartcontracosta.com

Ticor Title Company of California
5976 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 124

United Capital Title Insurance
4309 Hacienda Drive

Lending Companies

ATM Financial
4637 Chabot Drive, Suite 117
(925) 416-0900
www.atmfinancialinc.com

American General Financial Services
4825 Hopyard Road
(925) 467-1722
www.agfinance.com

At Home Consulting Group, Inc.
5960 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100
(925) 463-1386
www.athomefunding.com

California Capital
5627 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 315
(925) 847-3038
calcapitalmtg.com

Cherry Creek Mortgage Company
4301 Hacienda Drive, Suite 120
(800) 325-2062
cherrycreekloans.com

Countrywide Home Loans
4690 Chabot Drive, Suite 120
(925) 225-2150
countrywide.com

Diablo Funding Group
5990 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 112
(925) 227-0100
dfgpleasanton.com

Erickson Financial Services
5990 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 118
(925) 251-0800
ericksonfs.com

First Financing Group & California
5890 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 212
(925) 520-2500
www.unitedgfs.com

First Horizon Wholesale
4473 Willow Road, Suite 102
(925) 463-6300
www.firsthorizonwholesale.com

Green Point Mortgage
4420 Rosewood Drive, Suite 2550
(925) 468-6700
www.greenpointmortgage.com

Hilltop Financial Mortgage
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 430
(925) 875-9888

Hilltop Lending Corporation
5994 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 103
(925) 467-0888
hilltoplending.com

Home American Mortgage Corporation
5075 Hopyard Road, Suite 130
(925) 468-4137

The Home Loan Group
5724 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 200
(925) 924-4800
www.thehomeloangroup.com

Home Trust Mortgage Corporation
4637 Chabot Drive, Suite 106
(925) 847-8800

IQ Home Loans and Realty
4234 Hacienda Drive, Suite 105
(925) 227-8888

Jacinto Mortgage Group
5674 Stoneridge Drive
(925) 227-8889
www.jacintomortgage.com

Mortgage Professionals
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 107
(925) 227-8510

NorCal Lending
4234 Hacienda Drive, Suite 210

Option One Mortgage Corp.
4256 Hacienda Drive, Suite 200
(925) 201-5200
oomc.com

Pacific Estates Mortgage
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 112
(925) 227-1452
www.pe-mortgage.com

Provident Bank Mortgage
5934 Gibraltar Drive, Suite 102
(925) 621-2640
www.myprovident.com

Real Estate Funding Group
5674 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 110

SFG Bancorp
4309 Hacienda Drive, Suite 350
(800) 840-4140
sfgbancorp.com

Tri-Bay Mortgage Group
5990 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100
(925) 469-6767
www.tribaymortgage.com

TriStar Financials
4695 Chabot Drive, Suite 114
(925) 737-0900
www.tristarfinancials.com

United Home Mortgage
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 500
(925) 224-7810
unitedhomemortgage.com

Vintage Mortgage Group
5976 W. Las Positas Boulevard, Suite 110
(925) 227-8900
vintagemortgagegroup.com

Wachovia Dealer Services
5934 Gibraltar Drive, Suite 101
(925) 225-7200
www.wfsfinancial.com

Home Builders

Richmond American Home Gallery
5075 Hopyard Road, Suites 100 and 210
(925) 730-5700
www.richmondamerican.com

Signature Properties
4670 Willow Road, Suite 200
(925) 463-1122
www.sigprop.com

Standard Pacific of Northern Calif.
3825 Hopyard Road, Suite 195
(925) 847-8700
www.standardpacifichomes.com/

Help for Buyers, Renters

Prospective home owners and renters will be glad to hear that there is plenty of assistance available to help in the process of finding a place to live. Whether your need is informational or financial, these special assistance programs can be a critical aid.

Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center (HOC) The HOC, a non-profit organization that was established through a collaborative effort involving the cities of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, and Danville, offers a host of services for both buyers and renters, including affordable rental information; down payment assistance; fair housing information/referrals; first-time homebuyer education; pre- and post-purchase education; and referrals. The Center also offers classes on how to find, qualify for, and buy a home as well as credit counseling and financial preparation. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center at (925) 373-3930, or visiting its website at www.tvhoc.org.

Alliance for Home Ownership Home buying in the Tri-Valley can be intimidating to people wanting to live and work in the area, and therefore creates a challenge for local employers to attract and retain qualified job candidates. To assist employers, the Alliance for Home Ownership, working in partnership with Pleasanton's Chamber of Commerce, offers Chamber members access to home buying resources and educational programs for employees. Employers interested in taking advantage of the Chamber's program may contact Dawn Wilson at the Pleasanton Chamber office at (925) 846-5858, ext. 203 or email dawn@pleasanton.org. For information about the Alliance for Home Ownership program, visit its website at www.allianceforhomeownership.com.

The City of Pleasanton is also involved with programs for both buyers and renters:

Pleasanton Home Ownership Assistance Program (PHAP) Since 1992, the City of Pleasanton has had a first-time buyer assistance program for affordable homes in new subdivisions, with a variety of housing types. Competition for the homes through a lottery system has generally given priority to Pleasanton residents and employees. In some cases, second mortgages have been offered by the City or through other sources to bridge the gap between a minimum down payment and the amount of the primary loan so that buyers can qualify to purchase homes.

Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program Additional assistance is available through the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) program. Using an MCC, eligible home buyers increase their ability to qualify for a mortgage loan and reduce their effective mortgage interest rate by approximately 1.5 percentage points. MCC recipients may take 15 percent of their annual mortgage interest payments as a dollar-for-dollar tax credit against their federal income taxes. The home buyer adjusts federal income tax withholdings, increasing the income available to pay the mortgage. The MCC program is coordinated in Pleasanton by the Alameda County Housing and Community Development (HCD) office in cooperation with the City of Pleasanton. Interested applicants can contact the HCD office at (510) 670-5799 or via the website at www.acgov.org/cda/mcc_program.

Down Payment Assistance Program A new down payment assistance loan program was recently introduced for low- and moderate-income homebuyers in Pleasanton. The program provides up to $60,000 in down payment assistance for low-income buyers and up to $40,000 for moderate-income buyers. Assistance is in the form of a low-interest (3%) loan that is partially deferred. Additional information on this program is available through the City of Pleasanton's Housing Division (925) 931-5007 and on the city's web site at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/community/housing.

Below-Market Rental (BMR) Housing Opportunities Nearly 1,000 below-market rental apartment units have been built since the mid-1980s. BMR units are available to qualifying renters in Hacienda at the Archstone complex. Additional BMR units are located throughout the city. Contact the leasing managers directly for information.

Tri-Valley Housing Scholarship Program Allied Housing, a nonprofit agency, coordinates this program in Livermore and Pleasanton. The program provides temporary housing subsidies to participants of job training programs while they are in school. The subsidies are gradually reduced as the clients transition to full-time employment. Contact the City of Pleasanton Housing Division at the number or email address below for details.

Housing Counseling and Fair Housing Programs The City of Pleasanton contracts with ECHO Housing to provide Pleasanton residents with rental assistance programs, housing counseling, fair housing programs, tenant/landlord counseling, home equity conversion, and more. Call (925) 449-7340.

City of Pleasanton Housing Division For information on housing programs offered by the City of Pleasanton or related programs, contact Scott Erickson, Housing Specialist, at (925) 931-5007, email serickson@ci.pleasanton.ca.us, or visit www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us.

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