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...

The Golden State Most experts agree that our beautiful state of California has an abundance of natural and human resources. If measured separately from the rest of the U.S., our state would be the world's fifth-largest economy. After all, we nurtured the planet’s leading tech, entertainment, and defense industries. In addition, older economic sectors, such as agriculture, significantly contribute to...

Highest gas prices in America It is no surprise to us who drive that gas prices have climbed to unprecedented highs. In the Bay Area, the price per gallon has reached $5.00, and above, Californians pay the highest taxes for gasoline in the U.S., further increasing its cost.  No signs of improvement Relief is nowhere in sight for two reasons. First, the war in Ukraine has nearly closed Russian oil...

A difficult balance Relationships between tenants and landlords are usually complicated. Both parties have vital interests: to maximize their investment via a steady flow of rents for landlords. And for tenants to have the enjoyment of a safe, convenient home at the lowest possible monthly cost and for the longest time possible.  Government gets into it Federal, State, and Local governments do their...