Welcome.
My life has been altered forever! I now have a two year old named Wyatt Stanley Poncetta with my beautiful wife Keri, and he's the light of my life. I feel very blessed.
About Me:
I was born and raised in Cupertino, and after living in several different areas believe that the Bay Area is one of the best places to live in the world. My father was a pharmacist and owned Town & Country Pharmacy in Palo Alto, but he and my mother were always savvy real estate investors and even though they were financially stretched, continued to buy as many rental properties as they could. Although my father was able to grow his pharmacy business substantially and eventually sold it for a sizeable amount, it was his extensive real estate portfolio that allowed him to retire and go on to pursue his dream, a non-profit called Models of Hope, dedicated to improving the quality of care for our senior population.
This very abbreviated story of where i came from is relevant in what i do today. Despite the media's portrayal of the current real estate market, I know that small and large fortunes are made through the accumulation of real property. I grew up under an entrepreneur that always taught me about real estate; how mortgages work, what to look for in a soft market, what makes a solid tenant, how to leverage money, and so much more. These were lessons that were ingrained me before i even left for college.
I graduated from the University of San Diego (after a 2 year stint at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) with a degree in Business Administration and a Marketing minor in 1990. In 1994, I started Arena Poncetta Development with my brother and the Arena brothers who are accomplished general contractors. We did mostly fixer uppers, a few dozen custom homes, and eventually did a couple of small subdivisions throughout the 90's. My responsibilities were land acquisition and analysis, marketing and sales, and all legal, financial, and accounting tasks. We did well, but when the dot-com crash hit we closed that company and I transitioned into becoming a full time real estate agent which is where i am today. My background in construction, finance, property management and real estate law are instrumental in supporting and advising my current portfolio of clients.
In 2000, I purchased my first home. It took me 18 months to find it because i had very specific criteria. I wanted to live in the mountains but close to town, and the property had to have a guesthouse, or second unit. Eventually i found the perfect home that i still own today. I don't live in it anymore but have kept it because the units now pay for themselves with a modest cashflow and year to year appreciation. This purchase was truly the genesis of Subsidize My Mortgage.com. Conceptually, I knew how valuable buying a home with a second unit was, but I wanted to experience it for myself... to learn first-hand the rewards as well as the pitfalls. In short, the many benefits have far outweighed the headaches, and now i've gone on to share this basic home buying strategy with many others.
Outside of my business and family life I have many varied interests. I love to travel and in 2006, did a 150 mile trek through the Annapurna Region of the Himalayas in Nepal. I having been making home-made wine with my brother since 2003 and it's turned into one of my passions. I'm a huge live music fan and spend a disproportionate amount of my disposable income seeing concerts and shows in clubs. I love the outdoors and spend some of my spare time hiking, kayaking, and swimming. I also play in a competitive racquetball league for fun and exercise. I have a large extended family that all live in the Bay Area, who i see regularly and feel very blessed to be a part of.
- Over 15 years of experience in the business of real estate
- Specialty in 2 unit properties since 2000
- Member of local, regional, and national trade organizations
- Background in real estate development, finance, property management, sales and marketing
- Bachelor Of Science in Business Administration with Marketing minor from the University of San Diego
- Large portfolio of satisfied clients
