STORIES FROM THE FIELD: The interesting economics of buyer behavior
We came across a situation that we haven’t dealt with in over a year. Back in the day when the market wasn’t so crazy, most properties received an offer or two within the first few weeks of listing. The parties would go back and forth and negotiate until everyone was...
STORIES FROM THE FIELD: When doing your best just isn’t good enough.
We think the response “I did my best” has become the default explanation for when we fall short on reaching a goal or objective. It can often be reasonable and true, such as “I did my best getting here on time, considering there were two accidents on I-405 and the...
STORIES FROM THE FIELD….Be Nice!
It’s one of our core philosophies to be nice. There have been so many instances in our careers when being the nice agent has really paid off. Such was the case a few weeks ago in a multiple offer situation. The sellers unexpectedly received multiple offers and decided...
More Apartments Won’t Solve Low Real Estate Supply Issues
It's old news now that there just isn't enough housing inventory in the core regional housing markets. Our booming tech sector has definitely added to the housing crunch. But, the city's expensive and some may say overly burdensome development laws and procedures...
WEEKEND TIP: GETTING READY FOR SPRING
Allergy sufferers may have some reprieve during the rainy times, but as spring approaches and more plant-life blooms, there are a variety of things that may be ready to attack overactive immune systems. Changing your furnace filters and keeping your ductwork clean...
2% only? For a Down-Payment! Wow…
Did you know that back in 2007, at the last housing market peak, first time buyers accounted for ~40% of all buyers and that the median down-payment among first time buyers was just 2% (National Association of Realtors)?!? Compare that to 2015 when roughly 32% of...
Is it Better to Live Near a Target or a Walmart?
Is it better to live near a Target or a Walmart? That's the question that housing data company Realtytrac sought to answer this year (last year, they looked into whether it was better to live near a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe's and found that houses near the latter...
Mortgage Debt an Indicator of Future Housing Market Performance?
In a recent article for Inman News entitled "US housing not remotely near debt bubble — credit’s too tight", mortgage broker Lou Barnes wrote the following regarding the amount of outstanding mortgage debt: "Now, $605 billion outstanding, a shadow of the $2.2...
WEEKEND TIP: Try this Inexpensive Cleanser
Want an easy, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way to clean your home's exterior? Try Oxiclean! It's an inexpensive and biodegradable, multi-function cleaner that can be used on siding, fences and to help loosen/kill the moss in preparation for manual removal....
FROM THE FIELD….Inspections on a New House?
We often get asked if we would recommend an inspection on a new house. Buyers usually get a walk-through with the project manager or a builder’s representative near the time of closing, during which time they go through and look for any issues that should be addressed...