RECENT BLOG POSTS
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Prices are definitely stabilizing somewhat in all local areas. As you can see from the chart below, all of these areas saw an increase in median price from the 1st quarter to the 2nd quarter of this year. It's the first time since 2006 there has been a quarter to quarter increase in median pric...
09/22/2009
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We're now about 3 years past what turned out to be the height of the real estate market bubble. In the higher priced areas, the number of sales remains down from a few years ago. In Walnut Creek, for example, the number of sales in the first quarter of 2009 is down 32% from the same period in 2...
05/04/2009
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I remember the first time I had a home staged. It was 2001, and I was having trouble getting a nice vacant home sold. I thought that if we furnished it, and tastefully decorated it, the space would be more well defined, and easier for buyers to comprehend the floor plan and mentally move their ...
04/21/2009
I've had the conversation with many a prospective home seller over the past 3 years. They'd like to sell, but don't want to do so in a "bad" market. They're going to sit it out and wait for the market to "turn around". I'm always a bit baffled when I hear that. The reality is that even when o...
04/21/2009
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In many local areas, the number of home sales was up in the 4th quarter from the same period last year, somewhat of a surprise given the economic climate. There are two factors contributing to the increase in sales. The first is price. The areas that have seen the highest growth in sales are ...
02/17/2009
In July, 2008, a Zillow.com survey found that only 38% of homeowners across the country thought the value of their homes had declined in the past year. In a more recent survey they conducted in January, that number has risen to 57% of homeowners that now believe their home's value had declined...
02/17/2009
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Sales remain consistently slower in most parts of Contra Costa County, while prices have continued to decline, although at a somewhat slower rate. While foreclosures have dominated East County, and even parts of Concord, they remain relatively infrequent in the central areas of Walnut Creek, Laf...
08/14/2008
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Staging® has become the "in" thing to do in real estate sales. HGTV© spends endless episodes on the subject, and many staging® companies and designers cropping up, as well as many real estate agents marketing themselves as staging® experts. I'm in many houses with prospective buyers, and I can ...
07/22/2008
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Over the years, this would have to be in the top 5 questions I've had from buyers and sellers alike. The common perception of most sellers I talk to is that Spring is the obvious time - nicer weather, flowers are blooming, etc., and certainly it is the most popular time of year to sell. Also, m...
07/22/2008