How to find Your Dream Home in Los Gatos In A Seller's Market

Anyone shopping for a home in Los Gatos knows that it is a seller's market. The inventory is low, and there are a lot of other buyers out there looking for the perfect home at a great price.

Here's the good news, you can get more for your money in Los Gatos than other Silicon Valley cities like Los Altos or Palo Alto. However, the market is still active and you may only have a week to find a home, make a decision about whether you want to make an offer, and then try to make a strategy to make the offer for your dream home in Los Gatos.

This fast paced real estate market in Los Gatos can cause a great deal of stress and angst. Feeling pressure to make quick decisions can be frightening. Losing offers on homes can be frustrating.

I can't tell you what home deserves your offer, or how much it will take to for sure get your dream home in Los Gatos, but I can give you a little perspective that will hopefully help bring down the stress level while buying a home in Los Gatos.

When you find the right house you will know it and it will not be a huge struggle to make a decision. You will want that house, and be willing to do what you are capable of doing to get that home in Los Gatos. However, in order to get that feeling you need to have an open mind about the homes you go to see in Los Gatos. For example homes near Los Gatos Boulevard will almost always have noise, but there may be a house that is so good for you in many other ways so that noise from the road is less important than at a house that isn't "your house." If you find a home in down town Los Gatos the lot may be very small or the house may be smaller than homes in other areas, but if it is "your house" you will know it.

So go see everything for sale in Los Gatos in your price range. Don't rule a house in or out because of pictures on the internet or where it is on the map. Keep an open mind, don't worry about rejecting or losing a home, another one will come along. Try to stay calm and relaxed, and when the right home comes along, make a great offer and act like you want to buy this house in Los Gatos. If you don't really want to buy it, don't, but if you do then be willing to meet or exceed the seller's expectations.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Los Gatos please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

650-619-9285

So, in the end, it does not really matter why you reject a house, or if you reject one home and pick another home that has the same problem. If it is "your" house you will know it and you still have plenty of time to find it.

Santa Clara Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/29/2013

As a Santa Clara Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Santa Clara?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 32 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, the same as last week.

There are currently 21 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, up from 18 last week.

There are currently 62 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 61 last week.

There are currently 41 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 35 last week.

In March of 2013 there were 42 single family Santa Clara homes sold, over twice the number in Feb.,  ranging in price from $465,000 to $1,250,000. This shows an increase in price range from Feb.

In March of 2013 there were 28 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, 30% more than in Feb.,  ranging in price from $200,000 to $793,000. This price range is not much different than in Feb.

These numbers are a little higher than last week with the pending sales higher showing continued activity. I still expect even more increase in inventory, but possibly not til late spring or early summer till we see a significant difference.  

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Santa Clara please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-928

Mountain View Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/29/2013

There are currently 13 single family Mountain View homes for sale, down from 15 last week.

There are currently 17 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale, down from 19 last week.

There are currently 24 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  up from 23 last week.

There are currently 34 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, up from from 27 last week.

In March, 2013 there were 18 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $675,000 to $1,195,000, about the same range as Feb.

In March, 2013  there were 29 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $275,000 to $1,250,000.

These numbers are still low and worse than last week. I still expect a bigger increase in inventory, but possibly not til late spring or early summer til we see a significant difference. Palo Alto and Santa Clara both saw more sales in March than Feb., but not Mountain View. This is not a great sign, but I am still hopeful. 

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Mountain View please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

Palo Alto Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/29/2013

As a Palo Alto Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Palo Alto?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 24 single family Palo Alto homes for sale down from 30 last week.

There are currently 5 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, down from 11 last week.

There are currently 44 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 45 last week.

There are currently 11 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, up from 6 last week.

In March of 2013 there were 28 single family Palo Alto homes sold, twice as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $859,000 to $7,650,000. This is a much broader price range than in Feb as well.

In March of 2013 there were 12 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, 3 times as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $430,000 to $1,600,000. This is also a much broader price range than in Feb. 

The inventory has tanked in both single family homes and condos.  We have a long ways to go to get into the 40's by May which makes me belive my expectation of an increase in inventory in the late spring/early summer may not happen. If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Santa Clara Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/20/2013

As a Santa Clara Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Santa Clara?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 32 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, down from 36 last week.

There are currently 18 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, down from 19 last week.

There are currently 61 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 56 last week.

There are currently 35 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 33 last week.

In March of 2013 there were 42 single family Santa Clara homes sold, over twice the number in Feb.,  ranging in price from $465,000 to $1,250,000. This shows an increase in price range from Feb.

In March of 2013 there were 28 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, 30% more than in Feb.,  ranging in price from $200,000 to $793,000. This price range is not much different than in Feb.

These numbers are lower than last week but the pending sales are higher showing continued activity. I still expect even more increase in inventory, but possibly not til late spring or early summer till we see a significant difference.  

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Santa Clara please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-928

Mountain View Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/20/2013

There are currently 15 single family Mountain View homes for sale, up from 13 last week.

There are currently 19 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale, up from 14 last week.

There are currently 23 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  the same as last week.

There are currently 27 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, up from from 27 last week.

In March, 2013 there were 18 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $675,000 to $1,195,000, about the same range as Feb.

In March, 2013  there were 29 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $275,000 to $1,250,000.

These numbers are still low but better than last week. I still expect a bigger increase in inventory, but possibly not til late spring or early summer til we see a significant difference. Palo Alto and Santa Clara both saw more sales in March than Feb., but not Mountain View. This is not a great sign, but I am still hopeful. 

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Mountain View please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Palo Alto Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/20/2013

As a Palo Alto Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Palo Alto?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 30 single family Palo Alto homes for sale down from 33 last week.

There are currently 11 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 7 last week.

There are currently 45 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, up from 40 last week.

There are currently 6 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, the same as last week.

In March of 2013 there were 28 single family Palo Alto homes sold, twice as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $859,000 to $7,650,000. This is a much broader price range than in Feb as well.

In March of 2013 there were 12 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, 3 times as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $430,000 to $1,600,000. This is also a much broader price range than in Feb. 

This is a decrease in single family homes for sale since last week, but an increase in condos. We have a ways to go to get into the 40's by May which will make me correct in my expectation of an increase in inventory in the late spring/early summer.If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Menlo Park Personal Representative: Have Your Probate Home Inspected

If you are a Personal Representative for a Menlo Park Probate Sale I am sure you are overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities. It is not an easy job! You may be charged with selling a home or condo in Menlo Park in Probate. If so, this a a great time to be doing that. However, even in a strong seller's market, you have to do whatever you can to get the best offer for the Menlo Park Ca Probate estate.

One of the most important things you can do right now is to get the Menlo Park probate home fully inspected before you put it on the market. It may seem as if you are spending money on inspections that could be spent by the potential buyer. After all, the buyer of the Menlo Park Probate home you are selling has to buy it "As -Is" so the estate will not be making any repairs anyway.

This is a common mistake that many Personal Representatives of Menlo Park Probate homes who are not from this area make. While it is true that the estate will not be making any repairs, it is also true that most buyers in this area are very familiar with how most Menlo Park sellers market their homes. The inspections are done ahead of time and most of the offers will be non contingent on an evaluation of the property condition. They are comfortable with the condition, and once their offer is accepted you have a done deal. If you do not do the inspections before putting the Menlo Park Probate home on the market, you could very easily end up with a buyer who wants to renegotiate the price or a sale that falls through. This can be very problematic if there are expenses involved in holding the home before it sells. These could include mortgages, taxes, insurance, lawn care, etc. If the estate is cash poor and house rich, which many Menlo Park Probate homes are, it can be very complicated to find the money in a delay.

Personal Representatives: Have Your Palo Alto Probate Sales Inspected

If you are a Personal Representative for a Palo Alto Probate Sale I am sure you are overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities. It is not an easy job! You may be charged with selling a home or condo in Palo Alto in Probate. If so, this a a great time to be doing that. However, even in a strong seller's market, you have to do whatever you can to get the best offer for the Palo Alto Ca Probate estate.

One of the most important things you can do right now is to get the Palo Alto probate home fully inspected before you put it on the market. It may seem as if you are spending money on inspections that could be spent by the potential buyer. After all, the buyer of the Palo Alto Probate home you are selling has to buy it "As -Is" so the estate will not be making any repairs anyway.

This is a common mistake that many Personal Representatives of Palo Alto Probate homes who are not from this area make. While it is true that the estate will not be making any repairs, it is also true that most buyers in this area are very familiar with how most Palo Alto sellers market their homes. The inspections are done ahead of time and most of the offers will be non contingent on an evaluation of the property condition. They are comfortable with the condition, and once their offer is accepted you have a done deal. If you do not do the inspections before putting the Palo Alto Probate home on the market, you could very easily end up with a buyer who wants to renegotiate the price or a sale that falls through. This can be very problematic if there are expenses involved in holding the home before it sells. These could include mortgages, taxes, insurance, lawn care, etc. If the estate is cash poor and house rich, which many Palo Alto Probate homes are, it can be very complicated to find the money in a delay.

The competition for Palo Alto homes and condos for sale is fierce. Buyers are willing to pay a lot of money and give you wonderful offers for your Palo Alto Probate sale, but they want to know what they are getting. If you have your Palo Alto Probate home fully inspected before it goes on the market, price it appropriately, and market it widely, you will have the best chance of getting the best offers for the estate, and therefore doing the best job you can as the Personal Representative.

If you have any questions about selling a Palo Alto home or condo in Probate please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer
Keller Williams Realty
www.marcymoyer.com
marcy@marcymoyer.com
DRE 01191194
650-619-9285

Personal Representatives: Have Mountain View Probate Sales Inspected

If you are a Personal Representative for a Mountain View Probate Sale I am sure you are overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities. It is not an easy job! You may be charged with selling a home or condo in Mountain View in Probate. If so, this a a great time to be doing that. However, even in a strong seller's market, you have to do whatever you can to get the best offer for the Mountain View Ca Probate estate.

One of the most important things you can do right now is to get the Mountain View probate home fully inspected before you put it on the market. It may seem as if you are spending money on inspections that could be spent by the potential buyer. After all, the buyer of the Mountain View Probate home you are selling has to buy it "As -Is" so the estate will not be making any repairs anyway.

This is a common mistake that many Personal Representatives of Mountain View Probate homes who are not from this area make. While it is true that the estate will not be making any repairs, it is also true that most buyers in this area are very familiar with how most Mountain View sellers market their homes. The inspections are done ahead of time and most of the offers will be non contingent on an evaluation of the property condition. They are comfortable with the condition, and once their offer is accepted you have a done deal. If you do not do the inspections before putting the Mountain View Probate home on the market, you could very easily end up with a buyer who wants to renegotiate the price or a sale that falls through. This can be very problematic if there are expenses involved in holding the home before it sells. These could include mortgages, taxes, insurance, lawn care, etc. If the estate is cash poor and house rich, which many Mountain view Probate homes are, it can be very complicated to find the money in a delay.

The competition for Mountain View homes and condos for sale is fierce. Buyers are willing to pay a lot of money and give you wonderful offers for your Mountain View Probate sale, but they want to know what they are getting. If you have your Mountain View Probate home fully inspected before it goes on the market, price it appropriately, and market it widely, you will have the best chance of getting the best offers for the estate, and therefore doing the best job you can as the Personal Representative.

If you have any questions about selling a Mountain View home or condo in Probate please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer
Keller Williams Realty
www.marcymoyer.com
marcy@marcymoyer.com
DRE 01191194
650-619-9285

Santa Clara Ca Market Update 4/13/2013

As a Santa Clara Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Santa Clara?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 36 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, up from 34 last week.

There are currently 19 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, up from 15 last week.

There are currently 53 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 46 last week.

There are currently 33 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, down from 37 last week.

In March of 2013 there were 42 single family Santa Clara homes sold, over twice the number in Feb.,  ranging in price from $465,000 to $1,250,000. This shows an increase in price range from Feb.

In March of 2013 there were 28 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, 30% more than in Feb.,  ranging in price from $200,000 to $793,000. This price range is not much different than in Feb.

These numbers are better than last week, but still low. I still expect even more increase in inventory, but possibly not till late spring or early summer till we see a significant difference. We only added another 2 homes and  4 condos this week. I was hoping for 10. Maybe next week.

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Santa Clara please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-928

Mountain View Ca Real Estate Market Update 4/13/2013

There are currently 12 single family Mountain View homes for sale, down from 14 last week.

There are currently 15 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale, down from 17 last week.

There are currently 23 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  up from 21 last week.

There are currently 26 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from from 29 last week.

In March, 2013 there were 18 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $675,000 to $1,195,000, about the same range as Feb.

In March, 2013  there were 29 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $275,000 to $1,250,000.

These numbers are still low and worse than last week. I still expect a bigger increase in inventory, but possibly not til late spring or early summer til we see a significant difference. Palo Alto and Santa Clara both saw more sales in March than Feb., but not Mountain View. This is not a great sign, but I am still hopeful. 

If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Mountain View please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Palo Alto Real Estate Update 4/13/2013

As a Palo Alto Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Palo Alto?" The answer is simple:

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 33 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 27 last week.

There are currently 7 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 5 last week.

There are currently 40 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 41 last week.

There are currently 6 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 7 last week.

In March of 2013 there were 28 single family Palo Alto homes sold, twice as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $859,000 to $7,650,000. This is a much broader price range than in Feb as well.

In March of 2013 there were 12 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, 3 times as many as in Feb.,  ranging in price from $430,000 to $1,600,000. This is also a much broader price range than in Feb. 

This is a nice increase in single family homes for sale since last week. Last week I said if we can get in the 30's next week I would be happy. I am. Now if we can get into the 40's by May I will be correct in my expectation of an increase in inventory in the late spring/early summer.If you would like to search for homes for sale please feel free to visit my website for a custom search.

http://marcymoyer.com/OnlineSearchRequest2?operation=choose_mls&timestamp=1359953266454

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Palo Alto Buyers, Don't Let the Home Warranty Contractors Say No

When buying or selling a home in Palo Alto many people are advised by their agents to purchase a home protection plan. These plans are insurance policies against breakage of many systems and fixtures in the home. The executive summary is if something breaks during the term of the policy, (one year which can be renewed) you can call the insurance company and they will send an independent contractor out to fix or replace the broken item. The owner just pays a $50-$60 fee for the service, and all other expenses for that item are covered. Sound great right?

Well, there can be some problems. The most common one happens if the person who purchased the plan did not get the code upgrade. This is essential, and if you do not purchase it and your home (like almost all homes in Palo Alot is more than 15 years old) then the plan becomes almost useless. Building codes change all the time, so you must get a policy that pays for the the repair to include upgrading to current code or the contractor will not make the repair. For example, if your water heater breaks, and the installation of a new one requires a code upgrades like on a higher platform or with more ventilation, the contractor will not install a new water heater because they will not perform work that is not up to code. The owner would have to pay for the upgraded installation and the insurance company would pay the cost of the new water heater, which is only a small portion of the total charge. If you buy a code upgrade the entire replacement would be covered.

However, sometimes your new Palo Alto home will have problems when you first move in. This is not that common, but it happens. If something breaks when you first move into your Palo Alto home and you call the home warranty company, the contractor may say it is a pre existing condition and want you to pay. This just happened to one of my clients and I was able to solve the problem.

My client just bought a Palo Alto condo and right after moving in one of the shower heads stopped getting water from the spigot. There was a property inspection done by the seller which stated that all the plumbing fixtures were in working order. We did a final walk through and tested all the shower heads and they were all working. I purchased a home warranty plan from Fidelity which I have found to be the most responsive company. My client called the insurance company, they sent out a plumber who said this is pre-existing and she had to pay for it. I called my service rep at fidelity, Michelle Bolgna, and she had me send her the property inspection. The plumber was over ruled, and they paid for the repair.

Since most homes in Palo Alto right now are being sold with no contingencies after the seller has ordered and paid for the inspections getting a home protection plan is even more important than ever. The buyer does not have to prove they did their own inspection, just that there was an inspection. That way, if there is a needed repair shortly after moving into a new home in Palo Alto, as long as the repair is in the contract and the home inspection did not find it broken, you can get it covered.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home in Palo Alto please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285