Blog Archives: July 2018

In real estate there is this funny thing we call ‘fence-sitting’. It’s okay… we have all done it. It started in middle school when you procrastinated on your math homework, and well it just sort of followed you into the big decisions of adulthood like when to buy and sell. If you are a Silicon Valley homeowner who has been wanting/needing/planning to sell but just could not decide when – your window of opportunity is still here! Decades ago you’d be lectured on waiting until spring to list your home, but in the modern market the age-old ...

With summer camp memories abound as the season of chillaxin’ continues… you might think ‘how low can you go’ is all about the old-fashioned game of limbo! But alas we are still living and breathing the world of Silicon Valley real estate in full force – and we are talking about what every buyer wants to know: how ‘low’ of an offer can I make and still win? Is an offer of $200K over-asking enough?! I know… it’s likely most of us never thought we’d get outbid by a cash buyer by several hundred thousand dollars, but stranger things are ...

One aspect of home ownership that weighs heavily among buyers is the decision to purchase in a HOA (Homeowner’s Association). Sometimes buying a condo, townhome or residence in an HOA is a choice; many people like the idea of having certain features & amenities covered under one fee – such as landscaping, pool use, roofs, exterior maintenance and more. But HOA’s also receive a 'bad rap' so to speak for setting rules, appropriation of funds, limiting choices and of course… the monthly cost itself. With affordability being a challenge in ...

Well, we certainly hate to rain on the post-parade celebrations of Independence Day… but as dozens of local news sources reported two days ago, there is a scam going around that every homeowner in Santa Clara County needs to know about. Beware of mail with the sender listed as ‘Local Property Office’ which offers homeowners their property deed – for $89! Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone states “It's simply outrageous. No homeowner should pay $89 for assessment information…”. Property deeds cost only $6 online – and many other ...