I don't want to insult the seller. How often have we heard that comment from fence-sitting buyers? Even if it's not stated explicitly, it's clear that many buyers today are looking for significant bargains. I'm not talking about the conscienceless low ballers who want thirty or forty percent slas
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10/18/2011
If I was in Congress, I'd ask for permission to revise and extend my remarks. I posted about picky buyers losing out on a purchase a few days ago. The story was based on a couple who had passed on a house with tiny flaws that my buyers ended up purchasing. For me, the moral of the story was that
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10/17/2011
Persimmons come into their own after Thanksgiving when they hang on the leafless tree like miniature pumpkins. This is a non-ripe, but fully-formed persimmon still surrounded by beautiful foliage.
10/16/2011
Healdsburg has a well deserved reputation as a great town for food and wine. Visitors flood the streets, especially now during harvest time when the weather is spectacular and the colors in the vineyards are starting to change. A certain percentage of well-heeled visitors end up falling in love
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10/14/2011
Buyers have a lot of different reasons for sitting on the fence. For many, uncertainty about the course of the market makes them question their timing. For others, less than stellar credit makes them tough candidates for a loan even when they want to move ahead. I met a couple recently who were s
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10/13/2011
After touring a wonderful $10,000,000 pocket listing from one of my fellow agents this morning I took a leisurely drive back to Healdsburg through Dry Creek Valley. Most of the vineyards are still green, but one avenue of trees along the road was flying fall colors against the backdrop of green
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10/12/2011
Houses are great investments! They always go up in value! Ever hear that before? Maybe in 2004 or 2005? Real estate agents may have been collectively insane, asleep at the wheel, or just oblivious to the reality of housing values, but the run-up in prices known as the housing bubble took almost e
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10/11/2011
Mortgage rates from early 1980 through April 1986 never fell below double digits. Today's home buyers look at rates under 4% and don't understand how fantastic and unusual it is to have such a low cost for financing a home. During the Clinton boom years, rates averaged around 7%. During the Georg
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10/10/2011
Chrysanthemums have a lineage of cultivation dating back to at least the 15th century BC in China. The modern world loves them for their many varieties, colors and flower forms. I like them along my front walkway for their spectacular fall blooms. This evening picture captures the flowers in man
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10/09/2011
Wait! Prices are sure to fall! Show me the person giving that advice at the peak of the housing bubble and that is someone I will listen to. Anybody saying the same thing about today's market better bring me some evidence. When times are great and the herd is moving in one direction it's hard to
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10/08/2011
