I got a big shock this week: An appraisal for one of my buyer clients came in $40,000 under the contract price. Was the house overvalued? Not in my opinion. It’s a vintage home in picture-perfect condition on a flat lot of about 10,000 square feet, surrounded by more...
There’s an interesting conversation happening in one of our local Facebook groups: Why are so many short-term vacation rentals for sale? Great question. But I think there may be another question hiding underneath it: Are there actually “so many” or are we simply much...
My husband and I recently attended an event hosted by the Arrowhead Arts Association highlighting its strings program. The high school-aged musicians were remarkably accomplished, and I was astonished to learn that, through hard work, fundraising and sponsorships,...
In the past month, I’ve had three buyers come to me with the same goal: buy a house. Simple enough. Then we get to the next question: “How are we going to buy it?” That’s where things get interesting. CalHFA programs are getting a lot of attention, particularly from...
I occasionally hear buyers say, “Why don’t I just call the listing agent? Maybe I’ll get a better deal.” There are situations where working with the listing agent can make sense. But if your primary reason is that you think you’ll automatically save money, it’s time...
For years, homeowners could list their property at an ambitious price and hope the market would catch up. In many cases, it did. Today's market is different. Higher mortgage interest rates have changed how buyers shop, how much they can afford and how sellers need to...
