Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog – 1SiliconValley.com

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So you are ready to move out and sell your home. And you found yourself a real estate agent to help save time, expenses, and the headache of navigating the myriad of details that go into putting a house on the market. But not all agents have the professional experience necessary to sell your home quickly and for the highest price. Or even worse, they are lazy. Here are 10 best practices that a good listing agent will use to get the best price for your home:

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Sep.01.2010 [ Filed under: Home Owners, Silicon Valley News ] Comment Here »

August 25, 2010 Update: As the banner says, we won! Though I don’t have a speech ready, I’d at least like to thank all our blog readers and fans on Facebook for really turning out and pushing us ahead of the competition. The runner-up, CJ Brasiel, runs a great blog and I’m sure she’ll be snapping at our blog heels come next year. Also, the iPad raffle winner will be announced at 9 a.m. Aug. 30, 2010, on the Rainmaker Properties company site. Thanks again to all our supporters, and if you have any comments or real estate questions, let us know.

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Aug.20.2010 [ Filed under: Bay Area Real Estate, Silicon Valley News ] Comment Here »

In the second quarter of this year (April to June) we can really see which areas of the housing market have bounced back from the crisis and which areas are still struggling. To visualize those details, and to complement our second quarter 2010 analyses of Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale, we have created some city comparison graphs.

We’ll cover total sales volume, sale price to listing price ratio, days on market, median selling price, and number of homes sold, using data on single-family homes off of MLS listings Inc.

First, let’s have a look at:
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Aug.12.2010 [ Filed under: Market Updates, Neighborhoods, Silicon Valley News ] 4 Comments »

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Because Palo Alto has a wide range of home prices, the entry-level market remained strong as buyers looked for bargains and the high-end market slowly recovered through the second quarter of 2010.

The median sales price in Palo Alto is 5.3% lower than the same period in 2008, at $1,468,000. A huge jump of 82.2% from last quarter and just 5.5% lower than in 2008 was realized in total sales volume, at $205,188,388. Average days on market is just over a month and there were 123 sales this past quarter, similar to 2008.

Palo Alto holds its title as a premier housing market with the highest total sales volume of our four comparison cities, and will continue to become increasingly difficult for buyers to enter the market as the sales price to list price ratio continues its rise to 100%.

Aug.10.2010 [ Filed under: Market Updates, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley News ] 2 Comments »

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Mountain View serves as a good example in our four comparison cities to see that the strongest competition after the housing crisis is for entry- and mid-range homes.

The standout numbers this quarter for Mountain View are 102 closed sales, 121.7% more than last quarter and 50% more than 2008; and $98.5 million in total sales volume, 136.3% more than last quarter and 35.3% more than 2008.

Median sales prices and average days on market are creeping towards 2008 levels. The sales price to list price ratio is just above 100%, meaning seller and buyer perceptions are balanced, though slightly in favor of the seller.

Aug.10.2010 [ Filed under: Market Updates, Mountain View, Silicon Valley News ] Comment Here »

_{(single-family home data from MLS listings Inc.)}

Los Altos burned through the summer months of the second quarter this year as it showed strong signs towards a sustained housing market recovery.

The median sales price slipped 1.4% from the quarter before, to $1.5 million. But the exciting news for home sellers is the precipitous drop in average days on market to 41, from 73 the quarter before, and 98 closed sales, which is equivalent to the same quarter in 2008. The sales price to list price ratio is 98.21%, meaning that more and more buyers are paying closer to list price, reflecting a shift to balanced buyer and seller perceptions. Total sales volume is $160,352,888, which is 17.3% lower compared to the same period in 2008.

Overall, Los Altos realized the greatest drop in mean sales price of our four comparison cities and has yet to recover the nearly 13% difference in price from the same time period in 2008 — meaning home values are still depreciated in the area.

Aug.10.2010 [ Filed under: Los Altos, Market Updates, Silicon Valley News ] Comment Here »

_{(single-family home data from MLS listings Inc.)}

Sunnyvale is one of two cities in our comparison that has turned into a seller’s market the past two quarters. Perhaps it is the urgency of the buyers to find an entry-level house (Sunnyvale has the lowest median sales price of our four comparison cities) before the effects of the housing crisis completely recede that is driving demand.

The median sales price jumped 12.7% compared to last quarter, to $851,000. Average days on market remained the same as last quarter, while number of homes sold was just higher than the same period in 2008, at 177. Sales price to list price ratio is 100.95%, meaning most sellers are encountering multiple offers over listing price.

Although the median sales price and total sales volume are still lagging compared to 2008 numbers, Sunnyvale is reporting strong numbers in other areas this quarter, showing that the city has pushed out of its slump.

Aug.10.2010 [ Filed under: Market Updates, Silicon Valley News, Sunnyvale ] Comment Here »

Home ownership can be for many their biggest financial asset, and as a result, biggest financial concern. But with current mortgages dropping to their lowest point since the 1950s, many Silicon Valley homeowners are saving thousands a year just by refinancing. Is the time right for you? Let’s go through some considerations that cover the why, how, and hurdles of refinancing.

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Jul.27.2010 [ Filed under: Mortgages ] Comment Here »

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The corner of El Camino Real and West Charleston Road has undergone a lot of real estate development in the past few years. First it was the 181-unit Arbor Real on the corner and now on the old Elks Club property, beside Arbor Real, is the new Redwood Gate by SummerHill Homes development. (map.)

The properties are listed as detached and attached single-family homes, which are unlike the the condominiums and townhouses available at the previous housing developments we have reviewed, Altaire and Sterling Park.

Redwood Gate may have better features, a better location and more square feet than its “competitors,” but it also has a higher price tag – $1.15 million to $1.499 million. Continue reading to find out more about this Silicon Valley real estate development and see if it lives up to the old adage: you get what you pay for.

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Jul.07.2010 [ Filed under: Bay Area Real Estate, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley News ] Comment Here »

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Altaire, the newest townhouse development in Palo Alto, should be on anybody’s shortlist when looking for an entry-level opportunity to move into the area without forgoing quality accommodations. We’ll cover some important details you should know about the property in this post.

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Jun.17.2010 [ Filed under: Bay Area Real Estate, Palo Alto ] Comment Here »