October

October 21, 2003 | Volume 11, Number 10

Hacienda Housing Resources for Buyers and Renters

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

There's no place like home and, if you intend to live in Pleasanton or the Tri-Valley, you'll find that the region definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the best places to settle down in the Bay Area. Finding and securing a home that fits your needs can be challenging, but resources within Hacienda and the City of Pleasanton can make seeking a place to live a positive experience, whether you're looking for a house, townhome, or apartment. There are a number of Hacienda companies that provide real estate, title, escrow, and mortgage services and the City of Pleasanton has special programs for renters and first-time buyers. Here's a look at the numerous housing options and choices that can help you and your family find your place in the Tri-Valley.

Live in Hacienda

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. The projects were all developed by Signature Properties, a firm headquartered in the park which also built 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

The 540 units of 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 apartments' amenities. The complex 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

Springhouse Apartments 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 clubhouse for resident use.

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

Real Estate Firms

Coldwell Banker
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 122
(925) 847-2200

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, and complete web site services. The company also offers concierge service that gives clients discounts and referrals to companies that provide moving, alarm systems, storage and more.

Intero Real Estate Services
5075 Hopyard Road, Suite 110
(925) 251-2500

Intero Real Estate Services is a local company with roots in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay area, Intero enjoys the security of a parent company with a 55-year history of servicing the real estate industry, and financial clout that exceeds several hundred million dollars.

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

Prudential California Realty is a full-service firm that offers residential real estate sales, an in-house lending company, title insurance services, referrals to home warranty companies, and complete relocation services for clients nationwide. The company offers extensive Internet services for clients who prefer handling the buying or selling transaction with a real estate agent online.

Realty Experts
4555 Hopyard Road
(925) 730-2444

Realty Experts professionals can help with purchasing or selling residential property, building lots and land. They also provide relocation assistance, property management, and real estate loans. As a member of RELO, agents can assist anywhere in the United States, Canada, or internationally. Other services include selling the client's current home, and in a new city, helping the client find a new home, assisting with a cost-of-living analysis, state-to-state van discounts, mortgage assistance and temporary rental arrangements.

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

Since 2001, Windermere Real Estate has been serving the neighborhoods of California, with offices in Carmel, Salinas, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Saratoga, San Jose/Silver Creek, and San Jose/Willow Glen, as well as Pleasanton and Santa Rosa. In addition, there are offices in Orange County and North San Diego County, as well as the Palm Springs area. Each independently owned office is part of Windermere Real Estate, the leading residential real estate network in the West with over 6,000 agents and more than 230 offices.

Title Insurance and Escrow Services

Alliance Title Company
4301 Hacienda Drive, Suite 110
(925) 225-2050

American Title
4807 Hopyard Road
(925)-847-7220

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

Fidelity National Title
4825 Hopyard Road, Suite 12
(925) 225-0887

First California Title Company
4309 Hacienda Drive, Suite 170

New Century Title
4780 Chabot Drive
(925) 224-8800

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

North American Title Company
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 116
(925) 847-9570

Orange Coast Title
5960 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100
(925) 460-3959

Placer Title Company
4811 Hopyard Road, Suite 5
(925) 227-9730

Lending Companies

Ameriquest Mortgage Company
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 470
(925) 924-1574

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

First Fidelity Funding
5980 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 101
(925) 737-0000

First Horizon Wholesale
4473 Willow Road, Suite 102
(925) 463-6300

Franklin Mortgage
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 520
(925) 469-6500

H&R Block Mortgage
4256 Hacienda Drive, Suite 100
(925) 730-0211

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

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

Jacinto Mortgage Group
5674 Stoneridge Drive
(925) 227-8889

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

North Point Financial Corporation
5976 W. Las Positas Blvd. Suite 100
(925) 847-0301

People's Choice Home Loans
5934 Gibraltar Drive, Suite 205
(925) 924-1030

Providian
4460 Rosewood Drive
925-738-4400

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

Help for Buyers

When it comes to making the decision to purchase a home, help is available. There are several resources for first-time buyers as well as other qualifying buyers, sponsored both by governmental and non-profit agencies. They include:

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 two percentage points. MCC recipients may take 20 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.

Down Payment Assistance Program A new down payment assistance loan program is currently under development and is anticipated to be available in late 2003 or early 2004. Information on this program will be available through the City of Pleasanton's Housing Division (925) 931-5007 and on the City's web site once the program has been initiated.

Lease-Purchase Program The City is participating in the marketing of a new lease-purchase program offered by California Home Source in collaboration with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Through this program, buyers will lease their home for an initial period of slightly more than three years during which they will gradually pay the down payment and closing costs. At the end of the lease period, the lease will convert to a mortgage with 27 years remaining. Information on the California Home Source lease-purchase program can be obtained by contacting the agency at (800) 807-8277 (or on the Web at http://www.calhomesource.org/).

Below-Market Rental (BMR) Housing Opportunities Approximately 750 below-market rental apartment units have been built under Pleasanton's Growth Management Program since the mid-1980s. BMR units are available to qualifying renters in Hacienda at the Archstone complex as well as at Springhouse Apartments. 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 at the number below for details.

Housing Counseling and Fair Housing Programs The City of Pleasanton contracts with ECHO Housing to provide Pleasanton residents with 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, call Scott Erickson, Housing Specialist, at (925) 931-5007, or visit www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us.

Additional information

The Hacienda Owners Association has reference materials on all of the housing and housing opportunity programs mentioned above. Be sure to review details on Hacienda housing on the web under the Amenities section (www.hacienda.org/amenities/home.html) and information on housing programs under Resources (www.hacienda.org/resources/home.html).

Photo: Archstone Hacienda, a 540-unit apartment complex. Signature's Siena project of single-family homes.
Valencia at Hacienda.

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