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Fire-Resistant Landscaping to Protect Your Home

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In a climate as dry as ours, wildfires pose a particularly dangerous threat to destroy our homes and property. In fact, the Dana Estates Neighborhood recently experienced a two-alarm fire in the open space along Highway 4:

This fire burned about 12 acres in one hour, though thankfully no people or structures were harmed. As fire season enters in full stride, it is more important than ever to take precautions and protect your home.

Follow these Cal Fire landscaping guidelines to help create a fire-resistant environment around your home:

Choose Fire-Resistant Plants

By choosing plants that are high in moisture and near the ground, you can slow the spread of fire across your yard. Plants like aloe and rose shrubs are both attractive and fire-resistant. But remember, fire-resistant does not mean fire-proof. Any plant is susceptible to be burned or damaged by fire, and does not guarantee to stop its spread.

Fire-resistant does not mean fire-proof. There are no fire-proof plants.“

Cal Fire

It is also important to carefully maintain any plants you already have that may produce high amounts of dry debris or litter. Trees like the Mexican fan palm or juniper are known to retain dead debris and are fire hazards.

To learn more about fire-resistant plants, check out this helpful guide to fire-resistant plants.

Create “Fuel Breaks”

According to the UCCE landscaping guide, it is important to create open spaces in your yard in which there is little or no fuel for fire to spread to your house. These open spaces are called fuel breaks.

You can create fuel breaks by spacing plants at a distance that prevents the fire’s spread. The recommended spacing distance is 10 feet between trees, and twice the shrub height for shrubs.

http://www.readyforwildfire.org/

Another way to create fuel breaks is by replacing large beds of bark mulch or dry grassy areas with decorative rocks. Not only does this provide a fuel break, but it will prove to be lower maintenance throughout the year.

Of course, not everyone wants to redesign their entire yard. It is important to remember that proper yard maintenance and awareness of your surroundings are the best protection against wildfire. Keep your trees trimmed, debris clear, and plants watered throughout the dry season and you will be better prepared in the unfortunate event of a fire.

For more real estate advice and market news, visit the Selling Dana Estates real estate blog. You can also contact Peter Maclennan at 925-385-8798 or by email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Staging Your Home: What’s It Worth?

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Home staging is useful to help buyers visualize a place as their future home, and agents think it attracts better offers. Here’s what REALTORS are saying about the cost and value of home staging.

1. Staging helps buyers visualize a home as their own

As stated by celebrity staging expert Meridith Baer in a Realtor.com interview:

In some ways, [home] staging is a lot like screenwriting in that you are telling a story. You are creating an environment in which home buyers want to be the star.”

Baer is right. A fully furnished home feels like, well, home. And the security of feeling at home is an essential part of the buyer’s motivation to write an offer.

2. Staged homes spend less time on the market

Over half of listing agents say that a staged home sells faster, according to the graphic above. Meridith Baer says staged homes sell 88% faster than nonstaged homes. The point is, staged homes are more attractive, and they motivate buyers to place an offer for reasons mentioned above.

3. Staged homes sell for more

As the graphic states, 44% of agents say a staged home is a more valuable home. And again, Meridith Baer says staged homes sell for 20% more than nonstaged homes–a margin that may not be quite so high for everyone. But even if staging a home brings in 5-10% more on an offer, it would be well worthwhile.

Either way, a home becomes more desirable if a buyer can immediately envision herself living there. This is reflected by her confidence in buying, her promptness in making an offer, and ultimately the price she is willing to pay.

Which one of the photos below looks like a more valuable home? We’d choose the one on the right.

As you likely guessed, they are the exact same room, before and after staging.

What’s the cost?

The cost of staging a home depends on the size of the home and the length of time the home needs to be staged. Realtor.com estimates home staging to cost $500 to $600 per room per month, plus a fee for an initial design consultation. For three bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room, this would cost $2,500 to $3,000 for a month of staging (plenty of time for a well-marketed home in California).

Imagine you have a 3-bedroom home in the Dana Estates neighborhood listed at $600,000. If a buyer offers 1% over asking price due to the ambiance of the staging, this would mean an offer of $606,000. With this in perspective, the $3,000 you spent staging the home would have been worth it, as you have now earned a $6,000 higher offer. Imagine if the staging brings in 5% over asking price–that is an additional $30,000!

Thinking of Selling?

Many real estate agents recommend home staging, but there may be other factors to consider when making this decision. If you have questions about getting your home ready to go on the market, please contact Peter below or via phone @ 925.385.8798.

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Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

What NOT to Do When Buying a House

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Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions that a family can make. Because of the size of the transaction, there are many complicated decisions that surround the purchase of a home, and many myths that inexperienced buyers may be prone to believe. Here are a few common myths and the truth behind them, according to Realtor.com

outdated homebuyer advice

1. Wait until spring

A thorough market analysis shows that the spring and summer seasons are the busiest in volume of house sales. For this reason, many buyers believe they must wait until spring or summer to look for a house so they will have a better chance of finding the best home at the best price.

The reality is that while there are more homes on the market in the spring and summer, there is also more competition for the homes. In other words, the busy season means more sellers AND buyers. Holding fast to the “wait until spring” rule may lead buyers to pass up a perfect fit in the winter or fall months.

Instead, buy when you find the right property that will meet your needs for today — and the next five to 10 years.”

Realtor.com

2. Wait for market prices to drop

Buyers may want to wait for the market to dip before they buy and continue to rent until the market changes. But the truth is that while home prices are high, rent is likely to be high as well, and nothing is saved by waiting to start building equity in a home.

Even when the market dips, buying a home is an incredibly large purchase and buyers must be certain they can afford a down payment, property taxes, and monthly mortgage payments. Rather than waiting for market prices to drop while paying monthly rent, buyers should wait until they find the right house at a price they can afford and then BUY IT.

3. Make a low offer so you have room to negotiate

This one makes sense in most situations. Offer lower than you’re willing to pay so when the seller makes a counter-offer, you’re still within budget.

But when it comes to buying a home, this can be a risky strategy, especially if you like the house. Not only does the seller have other offers from competing (and motivated) buyers, but they may want to close quickly and will not humor an unnecessary counter-offer. Instead, research houses in the area and base your offer on similar homes in the area.

It is important to know the local market in the area you wish to buy. How much are comparable homes selling for? How long do homes usually stay on the market? Be sure to find a real estate professional who can help you answer these and other questions.

Real Estate Headlines November 2, 2018

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SellingDanaEstates.com Must Read Real Estate News for November 2 2018

Here are a sampling of some real estate articles that might be of use for buyers and sellers of real estate. 

We are definitely seeing the market change. The market is more balanced between buyers and sellers.

Buyers are getting their offers accepted and even being able to negotiate with sellers. If you have been sitting on the sidelines as a buyer, now is a good time to get in the market.

Bay Area Home Buyers on the Sidelines?

More Bay Area home buyers sitting out as prices continue to rise

Why Does Housing Cost so much?

The San Francisco Business Times seeks to address why housing prices are so high in California.

California leads the nation in many categories from population to venture capital funding. Add lack of housing supply to the list.

The Golden State is under supplied by 3.4 million homes to meet its current housing needs, according to a report on housing underproduction from Up for Growth California, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. The national shortfall is 7.3 million homes, which means California makes up about half of that total.


Why housing costs so much in California and why it may only get worse

Read More… at SF Business Times.

Long Commutes Affect Quality of Life

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/well/family/the-particular-horror-of-long-commutes-for-young-families.html

The Particular Horror of Long Commutes for Young Families from NYTimes.com

More Supply in Bay Area Housing?

While I am not sure that supply is actually catching up to demand. There has been a lot of new construction around the Bay Area. 


After years of recording lagging supply, the Bay Area is possibly beginning to catch up. San Jose had the biggest increase in new listings of the 45 major US metropolitan areas included in a September 2018 realtor.com report. San Francisco also ranks among the five housing markets with the largest September supply gains, with 1,683 current listings.


Bay Area Housing Finally Posts Gains from GlobeSt.com

Read More … at GlobeSt.com

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

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Are We About to Enter a Buyers’ Market? | Dana Estates Real Estate

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Are We About to Enter a Buyers’ Market? 

The real estate market in Concord, California is still very active. Reasonable sellers are receiving offers quickly and buyer confidence remains strong. There are multiple price points and types of houses available in Concord, CA.

Particularly around the Dana Estates neighborhood 94519 zip code, homes are in demand. The neighborhood provides convenient access to Highway 4 and to downtown Concord. It is also about equal distance from both the Concord BART station and the North Concord BART station.

Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions that a family can make. Because of the size of the transaction, there are many complicated decisions that surround the purchase of a home.

Today we are going to talk about: Are We About to Enter a Buyers’ Market?

Home sales are below last year’s levels, home values are appreciating at a slower pace, and there are reports showing purchasing demand softening. This has some thinking we may be entering a buyers’ market after sellers have had the upper hand for the past several years. Is this really happening?

The market has definitely softened. However, according to two chief economists in the industry, we are a long way from a market that totally favors the purchaser:

Dr. Svenja Gudell, Zillow Chief Economist:

“These seller challenges don’t indicate we’re suddenly in a buyers’ market – we don’t expect market conditions to shift decidedly in favor of buyers until 2020 or later. But buyers certainly are starting to balk at the rapid rise in prices and home values are starting to grow at a less frenetic pace.”

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist of realtor.com:

“The signs are pointing to a market that’s shifting toward buyers. But, in most places, we’re still a long way from a full reversal.”

In addition, Pulsenomics Inc. recently surveyed over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment & market strategists and asked this question:

“When do you expect U.S. housing market conditions to shift decidedly in favor of homebuyers?”

Only 5% said the market has already shifted. Here are the rest of the survey results:

Are We About to Enter a Buyers’ Market? | MyKCM

Bottom Line

The market is beginning to normalize but that doesn’t mean we will quickly shift to a market favoring the buyer. We believe Ivy Zelman, author of the well-respected ‘Z’ Report, best explained the current confusion:

“With the rate of home price appreciation starting to decelerate alongside the uptick in inventory…we expect significant debate about whether this is a bullish or bearish sign.

In our view, the short-term narrative will probably be confusing, but more sustainable growth and affordability will likely be the end result.”

Source… KCM Peter Maclennan Blog

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

homes for sale in concord ca
Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

Getting Pre-Approved Should Always Be Your First Step

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first steps real estateThe Concord real estate market is still very active, especially Dana Estates real estate. Reasonable sellers are receiving offers quickly and buyer confidence remains strong. There are multiple price points and types of houses available in Concord, CA.

Particularly around the Dana Estates neighborhood 94519 zip code, homes are in demand. The neighborhood provides convenient access to Highway 4 and to downtown Concord. It is also about equal distance from both the Concord BART station and the North Concord BART station.

Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions that a family can make. Because of the size of the transaction, there are many complicated decisions that surround the purchase of a home.

Today we are going to talk about: Getting Pre-Approved Should Always Be Your First Step

In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly outnumbers the number of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.

Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing if your dream home is within your reach.

Freddie Mac lays out the advantages of pre-approval in the ‘My Home’ section of their website:

“It’s highly recommended that you work with your lender to get pre-approved before you begin house hunting. Pre-approval will tell you how much home you can afford and can help you move faster, and with greater confidence, in competitive markets.”

One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you with this process. Once you have selected a lender, you will need to fill out their loan application and provide them with important information regarding “your credit, debt, work history, down payment and residential history.”

Freddie Mac describes the ‘4 Cs’ that help determine the amount you will be qualified to borrow:

  1. Capacity: Your current and future ability to make your payments
  2. Capital or cash reserves: The money, savings, and investments you have that can be sold quickly for cash
  3. Collateral: The home, or type of home, that you would like to purchase
  4. Credit: Your history of paying bills and other debts on time

Getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and it often helps speed up the process once your offer has been accepted.

Bottom Line

Many potential home buyers overestimate the down payment and credit scores needed to qualify for a mortgage today. If you are ready and willing to buy, you may be pleasantly surprised at your ability to do so.

Source… KCM Peter Maclennan Blog

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach us please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Search for the newest real estate listings in Concord, CA by map (click the map below):

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Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

House Prices: Simply a Matter of Supply & Demand

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Home Prices Low Inventory

As the largest city in Contra Costa County, there are many Concord homes for sale, particularly in the zip code 94519. Concord offers accessibility and a measure of affordability when compared to its pricier neighbors of Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and Clayton.

Neighborhoods within the 94519 zip code include:

  • Dana Estates
  • Monte Gardens
  • Holbrook Heights
  • Wren Avenue
  • El Monte
  • San Vincente

These Concord neighborhoods offer proximity to Todos Santos Plaza and the downtown Concord BART station. As well, they provide access via Willow Pass Rd. to Highway 4.

Today, let’s talk about: House Prices: Simply a Matter of Supply & Demand

Why are home prices still rising? It is a simple answer. There are more purchasers in the market right now than there are available homes for them to buy. This is an example of the theory of “supply and demand” which is defined as:

“the amount of a commodity, product, or service available and the desire of buyers for it, considered as factors regulating its price.”

When demand exceeds supply, prices go up. This is currently happening in the residential real estate market.

Here are the numbers for supply and demand as compared to last year for the last three months (March numbers are not yet available):

House Prices: Simply a Matter of Supply & Demand | Simplifying The Market

In each of the last three months, demand (buyer traffic) has increased as compared to last year while supply (number of available listings) has decreased. If this situation persists, home values will continue to increase.

Bottom Line

The reason home prices are still rising is because there are many purchasers looking to buy, but very few homeowners ready to sell. This imbalance is the reason prices will remain on the uptick.

Source… KCM Peter Maclennan Blog

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach us please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord, CA by map (click the map below):

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Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

Concord Real Estate News (February 13, 2018)

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concord real estate news

Here are some of the latest real estate news headlines: Some bay area residents have seen their houses sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars over the listing price. Others have balked at the Bay Area’s high housing costs and have left. On another note, do you think California is ready for a Proposition 13 overhaul? Finally, explore recent home sale prices in Contra Costa County.

Packing up and moving out: Bay Area exodus continues

Efforts to move out of the Bay Area continued in recent months, with 16,000 residents packing up and taking to the road for cheaper housing and new opportunities. A study by real estate brokerage Redfin found the Bay Area remains the top region for outward migration in the country.

The most popular destination for Bay Area refugees remains Sacramento, followed by other tech hubs and California cities. “It’s pretty much in line with what we’ve seen for the past few years,” said Taylor Marr, senior economist at Redfin. “Many people leaving the Bay Area are still looking in California.” Read More…

Is California ready for a Proposition 13 overhaul?

A new ballot initiative that takes aim at how commercial properties are taxed under California’s Proposition 13 could raise $6 to $10 billion more each year for schools and other programs and services, according to a new analysis by the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Read More…

Why Even ‘Ordinary’ Homes Sell for $500,000 Over the List Price

Almost a quarter of U.S. home sales were above the asking price last year, with an average premium of $7,000. These sellers managed to get a lot more. Read More…

Home sale prices from Contra Costa County, Feb. 2

Click Here to explore recent home sales in Contra Costa County.

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord by map (click the map below):

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Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

Concord Real Estate News (February 6, 2018)

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concord real estate news

Explore the latest Concord real estate news here: Concord will invest millions to provide affordable housing. Bay Area home prices continue double digit gains and looking back to the recession, the real estate market here has regained all it lost and more. Under Concord’s new district election system, the city council is seeking input from residents on the proposed district maps. Looking ahead, a developer with big plans proposes building a professional soccer stadium along with retail, hotels, a convention center, and housing. All of this would be built on a three acre piece of property near the downtown Concord BART station.

With rents soaring, Concord to invest millions in affordable housing

CONCORD — Affordable housing is expensive to build, so the city plans to pitch in several million dollars to fund two projects.

Housing developers have until March 1 to submit proposals to the city for funds to build new affordable apartment complexes or to purchase and rehabilitate existing rental units.

…

City leaders have said they want to use the funds to provide housing for seniors, veterans and teachers. Read More…

Bay Area home prices continue double-digit gains on historic streak

Tight housing supply pushed Bay Area home prices higher yet again in December, extending year-over-year, double-digit gains for the fifth straight month — and overall gains to an historic 69 straight months.

The median sales price for a single-family home in the nine-county region rose to $765,000 in December, up 13.8 percent from last year, according to real estate firm CoreLogic.

The latest data continues a Bay Area housing narrative now stretching toward six years — a rollicking market great for property owners but punishing to newcomers and middle-income families hoping to buy. Read More…

Developer pitches pro soccer stadium, hotel complex for Concord

CONCORD —  A professional soccer stadium could be the anchor for a downtown development with hotels, shops and a convention center, but only if BART agrees to play ball.

Walnut Creek developer Mark Hall, whose business empire includes hotels, restaurants, residential and commercial projects, has expanded into the world of professional sports…

With the Oakland Raiders leaving for Las Vegas, the Golden State Warriors moving to San Francisco and uncertainty about where the Oakland A’s will build a new stadium, Hall said he believes there is “an opening and an opportunity here for a professional team, and soccer is definitely on the way up.” Read More…

Concord Seeking Input from Residents on Proposed District Maps

The Concord City Council is seeking input from residents.

Currently, five City Councilmembers are elected at-large, meaning that all registered voters in Concord have the opportunity to vote for all five council positions.

Under the new district-election system, City Councilmembers will be elected by district. One Councilmember, who lives in a district, will be elected by registered voters who also live in the same district. Read More…

U.S. Housing Market Has Gained Back All $9 Trillion in Value Lost During Recession, but Uneven Recovery Means Some Markets Still Lag

SEATTLE, Jan. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. housing market has gained back all $9 trillion in value it lost when the market collapsed, but the uneven nature of the crisis and subsequent recovery has left many housing markets trailing behind, while others surge further ahead.

More than half of the nation’s largest housing markets have regained all of the value lost during the recession, with the typical U.S. home worth $55,200 more than it was at the bottom of the housing bust, according to a new Zillow® report. Read More…

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach Peter Maclennan please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Search for the newest homes for sale in Concord by map (click the map below):

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Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

Dana Estates Real Estate | The Cost of Not Owning Your Home

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Dana Estates Real Estate | The Cost of Not Owning Your Home

The real estate market in Concord, California is still very active. Reasonable sellers are receiving offers quickly and buyer confidence remains strong. There are multiple price points and types of houses available in Concord, CA.

Particularly around the Dana Estates neighborhood 94519 zip code, homes are in demand. The neighborhood provides convenient access to Highway 4 and to downtown Concord. It is also about equal distance from both the Concord BART station and the North Concord BART station.

Purchasing a home is one of the largest financial decisions that a family can make. Because of the size of the transaction, there are many complicated decisions that surround the purchase of a home.

Today we are going to talk about: The Cost of Not Owning Your Home

Zillow recently reported that:

“In reality, buying or renting a home is an intensely personal decision, with emotional and even financial considerations that go beyond whether to invest in this one (admittedly large) asset. Looking strictly at housing market numbers, there is a concrete point at which buying a home makes more financial sense than renting it.”

What proof exists that owning is financially better than renting?

1. We recently highlighted the top 5 financial benefits of homeownership:

  • Homeownership is a form of forced savings.
  • Homeownership provides tax savings.
  • Homeownership allows you to lock in your monthly housing cost.
  • Buying a home is cheaper than renting.
  • No other investment lets you live inside of it.

2. Studies have shown that a homeowner’s net worth is 44x greater than that of a renter.

3. Just a few months ago, we explained that a family that purchased an average-priced home at the beginning of 2017 could build more than $48,000 in family wealth over the next five years.

4. Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of taxes and home repairs, but every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs are already baked into the rent payment– along with a profit margin!!

Bottom Line

Owning a home has always been, and will always be, better from a financial standpoint than renting.

Source… KCM Peter Maclennan Blog

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and insure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

To reach us please call 925.385.8798 or email us at peter@maclennaninvestments.com.

Search for the newest real estate listings in Concord, CA by map (click the map below):

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Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

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