In my previous article, I wrote that a number of Dublin Ranch houses were closing for less than asking price, but that this suggested that many homeowners were simply racing ahead of “economic equilibrium” when setting their prices. Considering you can’t look at the news without seeing how hot Bay Area housing has gotten lately, this is a perfectly understandable mistake to make. If we can assume that people want the most for their home, then a healthy market is… read more →
Just about every house in the San Francisco Bay Area is connected to a public sewer system. Of all the homes I’ve sold, only three have had a septic system. The first time I helped someone with a septic system, I’ll admit, I was a little intimidated. After three transactions I am by no means an expert, but I’ve found they aren’t as scary as I once thought they were. And, with the economy improving and clients looking at purchasing vacation property out in the country, it’s probably worthwhile to run through the logistics here on the blog so you know a little more about what to expect. Here it goes… Read More →
Every once in a while, a client will ask me about the timing of their home sale… “When is the best time to sell my home?” I know why they’re asking — they want a “leg up” on the market. They want that extra little advantage that a well-timed offering will make so the most people possible will be looking at the time they sell. But do these “special times” exist? And if they do, when are they? There are… read more →
If you’ve made an offer on a Bay Area home in the past month, there’s a good chance that you’ve found yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with several other eager buyers. This increased competition has been a blessing to home sellers, who have capitalized on the rise in demand by raising prices. The latest figures reflect this trend: In May, the average home sold for 17% more than a year ago (the highest in over a year), and closed for $25,000 above the… read more →
As we hinted about in the previous installment of this series, our client at 440 Meadowlark owned a property that had a value of around $360,000 if it were sold in its present, as-is condition. As you saw from Part One of the “Shabby to Showplace” series, the house was suffering from deferred maintenance, it needed a new roof, and seemed to be the victim of shoddy workmanship from “upgrades” previous owners had made through the years. Our seller was… read more →
A common question in real estate is, “when is the best time to sell my home?” If you’ve ever asked this, there’s a good chance you’ve gotten a variety of answers. For example, some experts suggest that spring is the best season to put your house on the market, since families will want to move during the summer (when school is out of session). Others believe that the winter months are better because there are fewer houses on the market,… read more →
Homebuyers are certainly still feeling the heat as they compete to purchase property in the Richmond Waterfront area — as of April, Richmond waterfront homes continue to sell at a remarkable speed, with condos and townhouses spending an average of only a week and a half on the market. In many cases, these homes receive multiple offers from competitive buyers and close for the price the homeowner wants (if not more). There’s a silver lining for homebuyers interested in Point… read more →
