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...

There has long been an unwritten expectation that, as we grow older, we should grow smaller. Sell the family home. Purge the belongings. Make room for the next generation. Books, television shows and well-meaning friends all seem to suggest that downsizing is simply...

You've found the perfect house, submitted your offer and then comes the call every buyer dreads: There are multiple offers. Now what? Multiple-offer situations are more common than many buyers realize. In fact, there's an old real estate saying that, just when a home...

As we head into another fire season, one question keeps coming up from clients: "How expensive is fire insurance up here?" It's a practical question, especially as insurance premiums have become a growing part of the monthly cost of homeownership. But surprisingly,...