San Mateo County Probate Sale

If you are a Personal Representative for a San Mateo County Probate sale which do you think is riskier for you, not the buyer, taking an offer with a loan contingency, or taking an offer for your San Mateo County Probate sale with an inspection contingency?

This question pre supposed several givens:

1. You have multiple offers from which to choose
2. The buyer has been fully pre-approved by a direct lender, is from this country or has the legal status necessary to obtain a loan.
3. You have done all of the inspections on your San Mateo County Probate home before the sale including property, termite, roof, chimney, and foundation if appropriate.


So assuming all of the above conditions have been met, and you have several offers which are around the same price, which would you prefer?

As a San Mateo County Probate Estate Agent my choice is different than what you may think.
I think it is riskier for a seller to take an offer for the home being sold in San Mateo County from a buyer with no loan contingency, but a property/disclosure contingency.

Here is my thinking/experience:
1. Most buyers in this market have ample income and assets to get a loan. As long as there is a strong pre-approval letter a loan contingency should not be a problem. If you have a strong buyer and one bank has a problem with the loan, there is most likely another bank who will do it. With a loan contingency there is only one reason to get out of the contract, and that is the buyer just can not get a loan.
2. A property/disclosure contingency is open ended. The buyer can use any excuse about the property, neighborhood, schools, city government, they want if they want to get out of the contract to buy a San Mateo County Probate home for sale. Also, things can come up on the buyer's inspections that could ultimately cost money if they say they will not buy the house if you don't fix, replace, or do something expensive to the San Mateo county Probate home for sale. Additionally since disclosures are limited in a probate sale in order for the buyer to make a non contingent offer they must do all their investigation up front. If it is done after the offer is made you could run into trouble.

I believe if you have to choose between an offer for the San Mateo County Probate home you are selling with a loan contingnecy, and one with a property contingency, the loan contingency is generally the less risky of the two contingencies.

If you have any questions about selling a Probate home in San Mateo County 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 County Short Sale Update 2013

If you are looking for a short sale home in Santa Clara County don't hold your breath. The number of short sales in Santa Clara County have plummeted in 2013. Here are the numbers:
Short Sale Single Family Homes:
Active listings: 25
Pending sales: 394
Closed Escrow in 2013  436
Total single family homes in Santa Clara County
Active listings: 1215
Pending Sales: 1665
Closed escrows in 2012:  4982
 The percentage of single family homes that are short sales are:
Active listings: 2 Percent
Pending Sales: 23 Percent
Closed Sales: 8.7 Percent

Short Sale Condos/Townhomes
Active listings: 13
Pending sales: 161
Closed sales in 2013: 242

Total Townhome Sales in 2013
Active listings: 384
Pending Sales: 673
Closed Sales 2013

Percentage of townhomes that are short sales
Active listings 3.4%
Pending sales: 24%
Closed sales in 2013: 12%

Total Sold Short Sales in 2013: 678
Total Sold Short Sales in the last 6 months of 2012: 1871

What do these numbers tell us? Short sales are down, by a lot. There are less than half the number of short sale homes sold in the first six months of 2013 compared to the second six months of 2012. Additionally there are fewer active and pending listings by percentage compared to closed sales in 2013. This leads me to believe there will be even fewer closed sales in the second half of 2013.

Prices have increased dramatically in Santa Clara County. In many cities we are back to values seen at the peak in early 2008. With these higher values owners can sell if they can not afford the payments, or take advantage of the historically low interest rates and refinance. Short sales are no longer needed for most home owners.

So if you are looking for a bargain in Santa Clara County it is probably a good idea to look for homes other than short sales. It is unlikely this decrease in short sale homes in Santa Clara County is going to change in the near future.

If you have any questions about short sales or any other type of sale in Santa Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer
Keller Williams Realty
www.marcymoyer.com
maryc@marcymoyer.com
D.R.E. 01191194
650-619-9285

Santa Clara County Foreclosure Update 2013

If you are looking for a bank owned home in Santa Clara County don't hold your breath. The number of foreclosures in Santa Clara County have plummeted in 2013. Here are the numbers:

Bank Owned Single Family Homes:

Active listings: 13

Pending sales: 18

Closed Escrow in 2013  163

Total single family homes in Santa Clara County

Active listings: 1215

Pending Sales: 1665

Closed escrows in 2012:  4982

 The percentage of single family homes that are foreclosures are:

Active listings: 1 Percent

Pending Sales: 1 Percent

Closed Sales: 3 Percent

Bank Owned Condos/Townhomes

Active listings: 10

Pending sales: 16

Closed sales in 2013: 2026

Total Townhome Sales in 2013

Active listings: 384

Pending Sales: 673

Closed Sales 2013

Percentage of townhomes that are foreclosures

Active listings 2.6%

Pending sales: 2.4%

Closed sales in 2013: 3.3%

Total Sold Foreclosures in 2013: 231

Total Sold foreclosures in the last 6 months of 2012: 579

What do these numbers tell us? Foreclosures are down, by a lot. There are less than half the number of bank owned homes sold in the first six months of 2013 compared to the second six months of 2012. Additionally there are fewer active and pending listings by percentage compared to closed sales in 2013. This leads me to believe there will be even fewer closed sales in the second half of 2013.

There are many reasons for the decreased in foreclosures in 2013. Many of the large banks had settlements with the governent in which they agreed to work on loan modifications and principal reductions instead of foreclosures. Also short sales have been getting approved a lot more than previously rather than being foreclosed.

There is chatter in the foreclosure world that now that the banks have fulfilled their obligations they will begin foreclosing again. While this may be true in some markets, I do not believe it will happen in Santa Clara County. Prices have increased dramatically in Santa Clara County. In many cities we are back to values seen at the peak in early 2008. With these higher values owners can sell if they can not afford the payments, or take advantage of the historically low interest rates and refinance.

So if you are looking for a bargain in Santa Clara County it is probably a good idea to look for homes other than foreclosures. It is unlikely this decrease in bank owned homes in Santa Clara County is going to change in the near future.

If you have any questions about foreclosures or any other type of sale in Santa Clara County please feel free to contact me.

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

maryc@marcymoyer.com

D.R.E. 01191194

650-619-9285

Menlo Park Ca Real Estate Market Update 6/23/2013

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

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 43 single family Menlo Park homes for sale up from 41 last week.

There are currently 9 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale the down from 11 last week.

There are currently 35 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes the same as last week.

There are currently 11 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos the same as last week.

In May of 2013 there were 47 single family Menlo Park homes sold.  The prices ranged from $450,000 to $4,395,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is down $45,000 from April is significant and may show that the market is starting to level off. If you look at just the Menlo Park homes with Menlo Park schools the lowest price in April was $936,000 also down a little form April when no homes with Menlo Park schools sold under a million. This also may indicate that the market is starting to level off.

In May of 2013 there were 7 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $375,000 to $1,475,000. This is a high starting price point for condos as well. The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $690,000 for a 2 bedroom in Sharon Park, down 10K from April. This also points to a leveling off of the market.

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels, and unlike Palo Alto, Mountain View and Santa Clara down from last week. I am hoping that as the summer progresses we will have more inventory and that this week is not a trentd.  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 Menlo Park 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 6/23/2013

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 49 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, up from 48 last week.

There are currently 30 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, down from 33 last week.

There are currently 69 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 66 last week.

There are currently 54 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 46 last week.

In May of 2013 there were 45 single family Santa Clara homes sold, 6 more than the number in April, ranging in price from $495,000 to $1,290,000. This shows a decrease in price range of 10% for the lowest priced home sold in April. The highest is up 3% from April.

In May of 2013 there were 33 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, five more than in April.  They ranged in price from $280,000 to $825,000. Again the low end is about 25% higher and the high end about the same. The lowest priced traditional sale was $275,000 in April so a low price of $280,000 is not that significant.  

Santa Clara single family home listings are up from last week, but only by one. However that is up for 3 weeks in a row which is great news. Condos are down 10% from last week.  Hopefully as more homeowners come out from being underwater (owing more on their home than it is worth) more sellers will be able and willing to sell. However, there was not an increase in condos for sale and this is important as there are so many young people trying to buy their first homes and so few condos for them to buy.

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

650-619-9285

Mountain View Ca Real Estate Market Update June 23, 2013

There are currently 21 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  up from 23  last week.

There are currently 12 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale,  the same as last week.

There are currently 35 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  up from 31 last week.

There are currently 37 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from from 36 last week.

In May, 2013 there were 20 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $765,000 to $1,510,000.  The volume was the same and the low end is about the same as Feb and March, but the high end is not as high as in April.

In May, 2013  there were 38 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $357,000 to $1,350,000. The 

low end was very similar to April, the volume up a little, and the high end up by $100,000.

The inventory is down this week in single family home listings and unchanged from last week in condos. I would like to see at least 40 single family homes for sale and at least 60 condos for sale at any given week, but that is not happening. One problem with so few single family homes for sale is that there are not as many single family homes in Mountain View as there are condos. With few homes and more buyers it is a difficult market for buyers.  I think as the summer goes on it may still be possible to get a healthier number on the market, but the structural problem of not enough single family homes is not going to be solved this summer. In some communities such as Palo Alto and Menlo Park there are many empty nestors who would be selling, but do not because their grown children come back to live with them; this is not the case for a Mountain View condo. 

Many condo owners who would have sold to move up were not able to when prices were below their original purchase price. Appreciation has wiped out that problem so hopefully we see more condo sellers soon.

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

650-619-9285

Palo Alto Ca Real Estate Market Update June 23, 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 42 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 38 last week.

There are currently 7 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, the same as last week.

There are currently 29 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, up from 26 last week.

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

In April of 2013 there were 46 single family Palo Alto homes sold, about 50% more than in March. The prices ranged from $1,050,000 to $10,000,000. No homes under a million is significant.

In April of 2013 there were 9 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, down 3 from March. The prices ranged from $785,000 to $1,350,000. This is a high starting price point for condos as well. 

We had a nice little increase in inventory this week with an increase in pending sales as well. I believe this trend will continue and we finally hit 42 single family homes for sale as more sellers seem to coming into the market. Now 42 homes for sale is still a strong seller's market, but it is not a ridiculous seller's market. Anything between 40 and 60 is typical seller's market for Palo Alto and over 90 is a buyer's market. I am concerned that as we come on to 4th of July week-end the number of active listings will drop again, but hopefully will pick up after Jully 7th.  As you can see, the chances of a buyer's market in the near future look slim, but if we could just have enough inventory that all the serious buyers could eventually win a bid I would be happy and seller's would still reap their appreciation.

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 Ca Junior Museum and Zoo: A Palo Alto Treasure

Palo Alto is home is so many activities for children is an embarrassment of riches. One of my favorite spots for children has always been the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. I spent many happy hours there when my children were young talking to the goose and learning about raccoon in Palo Alto.

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is located off Middlefield Road next to Walter Hays Elementary. It is in the Palo Alto Community Center complex which also includes Rinconada Park, Palo Alto Children's Library, and the Lucy Stern Community Center.

The Museum and Zoo is home to 50 species of local wild life including owls, snakes, fruit bats raccoons, geese, ducks, bobcats, and various other small animals that can be on display. There are rotating exhibits that explain science to children in ways they can experience and understand.

Some of the exhibits are Bobcat Ridge, a natural habitat for the two resident bobcats Rufus and Tule. Next to bobcat Ridge is the Kitten's Den which is a naturally landscaped sculpture garden. The African Bat Cave gives children the opportunity to explore a rain forest and watch fruit bats in their natural habitat. Raccoon Creek is a place where children can get up close and personal with the two resident raccoons Loki and Aigon. Tortoise Hill is where the African spurred tortoise Edward lives. He often goes on walks around the zoo with his keeper and the many children who visit.

The Palo Alto Museum and Zoo holds classes in the winter and runs camps in the summer.

This is no ordinary zoo or ordinary museum. It is a place where the children of Palo Alto can learn about science and nature in a real world environment, and on a scale appropriate to even the youngest children. 

The Palo Alto Museum and Zoo is closed Mondays and open from 10-5 Tues thru Sat and 1-4 on Sunday. Admission is free 

but donations are gladly accepted!

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is just one of the reasons that Palo Alto is such an ideal place to live.

If you are interested in looking for homes for sale in Palo Alto or surrounding areas just click here.

If you have nay questions about living 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

A Portola Valley Probate Sale Does Not Have To Look Someone Died There

It is a fact of life that no one gets out of this life alive. It is also a fact of real estate that people who own homes die and very often those homes have to be sold. As a Portola Valley Probate real estate agent I deal with this situation all the time.

Most of the time when a home is sold through probate the owner who died either lived in the home at the time of death, or until shortly before death and now it is time to sell that San Jose probate home.

The heirs are often left with a Portola Valley Probate home that is filled with junk (and sometimes some treasures); may have smells from pets, smoking, urine, blood stains, over grown landscaping, and many layers of dirt.

This Portola Valley Probate Sale home may also need a lot of repairs, but that is another story.
Most Probate lawyers will advise the Personal Representative of the estate who is in charge of selling the San Jose Probate home not to make any repairs unless there is a health or safety issue.
This is to minimize the liability to the estate.
However, even if no structural repairs are going to be made that doesn't mean you should just sell the home in a smelly, messy, or gross state. There are things that can be done to the Portola Valley Probate Sale home that will not increase the liability to the estate and make it much more attractive to a potential buyer, which should help generate a better offer.

These are the essentials to get the most for your money:
1. Remove all personal debris
2. Paint inside and out
3. Refinish hardwood floors and/or replace old carpet
4. Get the home professionally cleaned
5. Stage the home to make it look as attractive as possible.

If you do these things to your Portola Valley Probate home , you will be rewarded with grateful buyers who are willing to pay top dollar for your home.

If you have any questions about selling a home in Probate in Portola Valley please feel free to
contact me:

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

How Much Should I Offer For That Sunnyvale Ca. Town Home or Condo?

The real estate market for Sunnyvale town homes and condos for sale is pretty crazy right now. There are hundreds of new town homes springing up for sale in the eastern part of Sunnyvale but even so, the resale market is still on fire for sellers in Sunnyvale. Normally, if there is a lot of new construction the resale homes with suffer. This is not the case in Sunnyvale. The demand for homes has so far out paced the town homes available for sale in Sunnyvale that prices continue to appreciate and buyers need to offer more than list price to have the winning offer.

The closed sales of Sunnyvale town homes and condos was only 4.5% over list price, but that was a reflection of Sunnyvale town home and condo sales in December. By February the average sale price was 5% over the list price of Sunnyvale town homes and condos for sale. In March through May the average sale price was almost 8.5% higher than the list price of Sunnyvale town homes and condos for sale. So far in June the sales price is 11% more than the list price, reflecting the sales in May.

So if you are faced with making an offer for a condo or town home in Sunnvale how much should you offer? Unfortunatley there is no simple answer. Logically we can not expect 10% apprecition every time there is a sale. However, the number of people looking is not decreasing significantly.

What is decreasing a little is the number of investors. As the prices have skyrocked, the return on investment for a rental property is decreasing. The amount you can get for rent has not increased at the same rate as Sunnyvale town home and condo prices have. In fact, so many investors have purchased rental properties there is actually a glut on the market nation wide, and a balance in the bay area.

The market is starting to turn back to buyers with loans intending to live in the property are the majority of people making offers, not investors with all cash.

So to the answer the question, how much should you offer on a Sunnyvale town home or condo for sale is not simple, but it is not an impossible question to answer.  Look at the true market price, not the list price, which can be anywhere from 15% below market value, true market, of 10% higher than market. Take the true market value and go up a percent or two if you want it, and maybe 5% if you REALLY want it and can cover the difference between market value and your offer in cash since the bank will only lend based on market value. You may not win every time, but eventually you will get your Sunnyvale home.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a Sunnyvale town home or condo please feel free
to contact me.

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

Menlo Park Ca Real Estate Market Update 6/15/2013

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

Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.

There are currently 41 single family Menlo Park homes for sale down from 43 last week.

There are currently 11 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale the down from 13 last week.

There are currently 35 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes down from 40 last week.

There are currently 11 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos up from 9 last week.

In May of 2013 there were 47 single family Menlo Park homes sold.  The prices ranged from $450,000 to $4,395,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is down $45,000 from April is significant and may show that the market is starting to level off. If you look at just the Menlo Park homes with Menlo Park schools the lowest price in April was $936,000 also down a little form April when no homes with Menlo Park schools sold under a million. This also may indicate that the market is starting to level off.

In May of 2013 there were 7 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $375,000 to $1,475,000. This is a high starting price point for condos as well. The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $690,000 for a 2 bedroom in Sharon Park, down 10K from April. This also points to a leveling off of the market.

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels, and unlike Palo Alto, Mountain View and Santa Clara down from last week. I am hoping that as the summer progresses we will have more inventory and that this week is not a trentd.  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 Menlo Park 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 6/15/2013

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 48 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, uo from 40 last week.

There are currently 33 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, up from 30 last week.

There are currently 66 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, down from 71 last week.

There are currently 46 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 50 last week.

In May of 2013 there were 45 single family Santa Clara homes sold, 6 more than the number in April, ranging in price from $495,000 to $1,290,000. This shows a decrease in price range of 10% for the lowest priced home sold in April. The highest is the up 3% from April.

In May of 2013 there were 33 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, five more than in April.  They ranged in price from $280,000 to $825,000. Again the low end is about 25% higher and the high end about the same. The lowest priced traditional sale was $275,000 in April so a low price of $280,000 is not that significant.  

Santa Clara single family home listings had another good jump last week, up about 20% from the previous week for the second week in 3 weeks. Condos were up 10% from last week.  Hopefully as more homeowners come out from being underwater (owing more on their home than it is worth) more sellers will be able and willing to sell. However, there was not an increase in condos for sale and this is important as there are so many young people trying to buy their first homes and so few condos for them to buy.

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

650-619-9285

Mountain View Ca Real Estate Market Update 6/15/2013

There are currently 23 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  up from 18  last week.

There are currently 12 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale,  up from 9 last week.

There are currently 31 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  down from 38 last week.

There are currently 36 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from from 40 last week.

In May, 2013 there were 20 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $765,000 to $1,510,000.  The volume was the same and the low end is about the same as Feb and March, but the high end is not as high as in April.

In May, 2013  there were 38 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $357,000 to $1,350,000. The low end was very similar to April, the volume up a little, and the high end up by $100,000.

The inventory is up this week in condos and single family home listings.  I would like to see at least 40 single family homes for sale and at least 60 condos for sale at any given week, but up is better than down.  I think as the summer goes on it may still be possible. In some communities such as Palo Alto and Menlo Park there are many empty nestors who would be selling, but do not because their grown children come back to live with them; this is not the case for a Mountain View condo. Many condo owners who would have sold to move up were not able to when prices were below their original purchase price. Appreciation has wiped out that problem so hopefully we see more condo sellers soon.

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

650-619-9285

Palo Alto Ca Real Estate Market Update 6/15/2013

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 38 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 34 last week.

There are currently 7 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, the same as last week.

There are currently 26 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 30 last week.

There are currently 11 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 10 last week.

In April of 2013 there were 46 single family Palo Alto homes sold, about 50% more than in March. The prices ranged from $1,050,000 to $10,000,000. No homes under a million is significant.

In April of 2013 there were 9 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, down 3 from March. The prices ranged from $785,000 to $1,350,000. This is a high starting price point for condos as well. 

We had a nice little increase in inventory this week with a decrease in pending sales. I believe this trend will continue and still hope that in June and July may see weekly homes in the 40's as more sellers seem to coming into the market. Right now at 38 single family homes for sale we are so close to 40 I think we may get there by next week. Now 40 homes for sale is still a strong seller's market, but it is not a ridiculous seller's market. Anything between 40 and 60 is typical seller's market for Palo 

Alto and over 90 is a buyer's market. As you can see, the chances of a buyer's market in the near future look slim, but if we 

could just have enough inventory that all the serious buyers could eventually win a bid I would be happy and seller's would still reap their appreciation. 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

A San Jose Probate Sale Does Not Have To Look Like Someone Died There

It is a fact of life that no one gets out of this life alive. It is also a fact of real estate that people who own homes die and very often those homes have to be sold. As a San Jose Probate real estate agent I deal with this situation all the time.

Most of the time when a home is sold through probate the owner who died either lived in the home at the time of death, or until shortly before death and now it is time to sell that San Jose probate home. The heirs are often left with a San Jose Probate home that is filled with junk (and sometimes some treasures); may have smells from pets, smoking, urine, blood stains, over grown landscaping, and many layers of dirt.

This San Jose Probate Sale home may also need a lot of repairs, but that is another story. Most Probate lawyers will advise the Personal Representative of the estate who is in charge of selling the San Jose Probate home not to make any repairs unless there is a health or safety issue. This is to minimize the liability to the estate.

However, even if no structural repairs are going to be made that doesn't mean you should just sell the home in a smelly, messy, or gross state. There are things that can be done to the San Jose Probate Sale home that will not increase the liability to the estate and make it much more attractive to a potential buyer, which should help generate a better offer.

These are the essentials to get the most for your money:

1. Remove all personal debris

2. Paint inside and out

3. Refinish hardwood floors and/or replace old carpet

4. Get the home professionally cleaned

5. Stage the home to make it look as attractive as possible.

If you do these things to your San Jose Probate home , you will be rewarded with grateful buyers who are willing to pay top dollar for your home.

If you have any questions about selling a home in Probate in San Jose please feel free to contact me:

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

DRE 01191194

650-619-9285