2022

A looming slowdown The national housing market is sending signals of a slowdown, including in the Bay Area. As I mentioned in my last blog post, the real estate market fundamentals are changing very fast, and I want to keep you well informed to adapt to these changes.  The trends are changing. More homes are available for sale and potential buyers now have increased negotiation power. In San...

July is the first month in the recent ten years when all counties median home prices dropped compared to the previous month. In June's data, Solano was the only one that managed to maintain a 1.5% gain Is the economy in recession? The technical answer is yes. It's a widely accepted standard that when the GPD shrinks for two consecutive quarters, it's considered a recession. Why? Why? The answer has...

The end of inflation is not near The end of high inflation does not seem to be anywhere near. In June 2022, the rate of 9.1% was the highest since November 1981! This increase is above the forecast of 8.6% that most economists were expecting for this year.  No sector of the economy is untouched. Food, construction materials, and energy prices have gone through the roof. The majority, 71% to be...

The tide is turning. It's becoming more apparent that the seller's market will turn into a buyer's market for the foreseeable months in 2022. June is the 2nd consecutive month where month-over-month sale prices dropped across almost all counties in the bay area. As more media coverage about the home price dropping, more sellers will go into this panic mode and want to put their homes on the...

Is this housing solution right for you? Finding affordable apartments has become a challenge, especially as inflation continues to affect home and rental prices. This is especially true if you’re a first-time renter, like a student or a new professional. As prices continue to increase, people are looking for smaller apartments to stay within their budget. A popular option for many people is the...

A growing trend Mass shootings are, unfortunately, an increasingly common phenomenon in America. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit corporation, 267 instances have happened in 2022. For comparison, 269 occurred in all of 2014. Our state of California is part of this nationwide trend. So far, in 2022, the state averaged one mass shooting every week. This might sound horrific, but...

What exactly are Cryptocurrencies? You'll read or hear about Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies everywhere you turn. But what exactly is "Crypto"? Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies secured by cryptography. Encryption makes them impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. Cryptocurrencies store value and can be used as a means of payment, backed by a secure database of transactions known...

Let's quickly go over April's monthly data. Home prices continue to go up as the Spring real estate season kicks into full gear. San Mateo County, as usual, continues to lead the price scoreboard. On the other hand, Marin County had the highest percentage increase compared to the previous year. In the last month's post, we explained that the effect of the interest rate jump will not show up in the...

Life is unpredictable Life is constantly changing, throwing us curveballs, and challenging our assumptions. The same house we thought we would live in until retirement or until our children are all grown up might need selling. And fast! There are many reasons for this to happen. Some are positive, for example, a great job offer in another City or State or a business opportunity far from your current...

There isn't a whole lot of change to the real estate market in the past month. The trend of prices going up continue from last month's trend. Mortgage Demand This month, one of the biggest news is 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate broke 5% for the first time since 2011. Many of our clients are wondering how this is going to impact the demand for real estate. To answer this question, I'd like to...