Menlo Park Ca Real Estate Market Update 9/30/2013

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 34 single family Menlo Park homes for sale down from 36 last week.

There are currently 8 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale down from 10 last week.

There are currently 27 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes up from 17 last week.

There are currently 8 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos up from 4 last week.

In August of 2013 there were 28 single family Menlo Park homes sold, a big decrease from July.  The prices ranged from $520,000 to $4,000,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is up $100,000 from July and in central Menlo the price is about the same for the highest price sold. I think the prices may be starting to level off. If you look at just the Menlo Park homes with Menlo Park schools the lowest price in July was $899,000 down June's lowest price of 975K., and down to $850,00 in August.  In August of 2013 there were 7 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $580,000 to $2,395,000. This is a high starting price point for condos,  The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $1,149,000 for an 1,800+ square foot town home on Stone Pine,

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels and even lower than last week. The pending sales however do not exceed active listings so that gives us some hope that the insanity may be dampening. It will be interesting to see how the impending shut down and possible debt ceiling crisis effect the market, if at all.  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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4199491/menlo-park-ca-real-estate-market-update-9-21-2013#sthash.D9seu475.dpuf

Santa Clara Ca Real Estate Market Update 9/30/2013

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 45 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, up from 42 last week.

There are currently 41 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, the same as last week.

There are currently 62 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, down from 66 last week.

There are currently 40 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, down from 43 last week.

In Aug of 2013 there were 51 single family Santa Clara homes sold, 10 less than in July, ranging in price from $525,000 to $1,500,000. The lowest priced home is $115,000 higher than the lowest price in July, but the highest price home is about the same, and in the same new development.  

In August of 2013 there were 41 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, almost the same as in July.  They ranged in price from $230,000 to $825,000. This is about the same as in June and July. Has the appreciation started to slow down? I think so.  

There are a few more homes for sale this week which is good news.  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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4199477/santa-clara-ca-real-estate-market-update-9-21-2012#sthash.0cJjuQou.dpuf

Mountain View Ca REal Estate Market Update 9/30/2013

There are currently 15 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  down from 20 last week.

There are currently 18 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 22 last week.

There are currently 37 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, up from 35 last week.

In Aug, 2013 there were 29 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $685,000 to $2,425,000. This does not include sales in the new development in Waverley Park. The lowest price sale is down over 100K from July, but in an industrial neighborhood. The lowest price single family home in a residential neighborhood was the same as in July, $850,000.

In June, 2013  there were 28 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $370,000 to $1,300,000. These numbers are higher than in July. I thought prices were starting to level off in Mountain View, but it does not appear to be the case $370,000 for a one bedroom condo is not a sign that the market is leveling off. 

  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.  August is always a slow month for listings so I didn't expect to see another jump until Sept which so far has been more like a skip than a jump.  The structural problem of not enough single family homes is not going to be solved  any time soon.  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. In the mean time we are in the doldrums as far as inventory and pending sales go.

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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4199455/mountain-view-ca-real-estate-market-update-9-21-2013#sthash.4RSuRafu.dpuf

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, down from 46 last month.

There are currently 6 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, down from 9 last month.

There are currently 34 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, up from 28 last week.

There are currently 15 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, up from 13 last month.

In Aug of 2013 there were 43 single family Palo Alto homes sold, just 2 less than in July. The prices ranged from $980,000 to $5,400,000. This is the first sale under a million dollars since last spring.

In August of 2013 there were 7 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, 2 more than in July.  The prices ranged from $550,000 to $1,700,000. This is not a high starting price point for condos in Palo Alto, but it was only one bedroom and about the same as last month.

August is traditionally the lowest month for inventory in Palo Alto so I skipped a few weeks of tracking. Hopefully we will not fall back into weeks of only a few homes for sale. 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.  While right now the number of pending sales are higher than last week and the active listings are down.  The impeding government shut down is not having an effect on the market this week. We will have to see about next week if we really do shut down. 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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4199432/palo-alto-market-update-9-21-2013#sthash.vvAd9EOI.dpu

I found the Most Unusual Thing At My Santa Clara Probate Listing

As a Santa Clara Realtor who specializes in Probate Sales I have found many unusual things left at house that were not wanted or noticed by the heirs. Since I offer to clean out and stage the Probate Homes I sell I get to deal with al the junk that is left behind.

You see when someone dies an estimate of the value of the personal items is given to the court. After that the items that were left to specific people are distributed. These are usually the things of monetary or sentimental value like jewelry, artwork, or good furniture. Sometimes there is no will, or no specific designation, so any valuables will be sold and the money added to the money that will eventually be divided amongst the heirs. This can be done by an estate seller, a garage sale, or an auction house.

What is left is trash, things to recycle, and things to donate. This is where I come in. I bring in my crew and we recycle metal, paper, cans, old appliances, anything that can be recycled, donate anything that Goodwill or Saint Vincent DePaul will take, and trash the rest. After that I get the home painted, make sure the flooring is fresh, and fully stage the house.

We look at every item to make sure it really is worthless and that there is no money in a pocket or under a mattress. We have found some unusual things, but what we found at my latest Santa Clara Probate Sale is a first for me, someone's ashes. This person died in 1951 and we had no idea whose they were. The owner of the home was 100 when he died, and his closest relative who is the Personal Representativeof this Santa Clara Probate home is a much younger cousin and had no idea who the ashes belonged to.

After speaking with a neighbor we discovered that the ashes belonged to the owners son. They had been living in NYC in 1951 when their 5-year-old son was hit by a bus and killed. Our 100-year-old owner had kept the ashes with him for 62 years. My client, the younger cousin has taken the ashes so the two can be buried together. I was so happy to be able to do this for the family.

It is very satisfying to take a probate home from trash filled to cleaned up, painted, and fully staged in order to increase the value for the heirs, which is what I do. But it is even more satisfying to help a family preserve memories and wishes.

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

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

BRE 01191194

640-619-9284

Should You Decorate Your Palo Alto House For Sale For Halloween?

As a Palo Alto Real Estate Agent I am often asked this question in the fall, "Should I decorate my house for Halloween?"

I am prejudiced as I love Halloween, but the decision to decorate your Palo Alto home for sale or not needs to be made with your head, not your heart.

My first rule of thumb is don't do anything that would scare a young child. So no witches, headless horsemen, or "The Nightmare Before Christmas" pumpkins. If a child gets scared when viewing a home he or she will start screaming and the parents are likely to need to leave before they have the chance to really appreciate all that your Palo Alto home has to offer. Put out pumpkins with smiling faces instead.

Making your home smell like Halloween will bring warm feelings to anyone who enters the house. Pumpkin candles, candy corn, apple cider smells are all wonderful and will make people feel good when they come into the house. Halloween is a happy time for most people so reminding them of that happiness is a good thing when you are selling your Palo Alto home.

One thing I like to do when I list a home in Palo Alto over Halloween is to dedicate one room to decorations, instead of doing up the whole house.

If most of the decorations are in one room of the Palo Alto house for sale then the concept of isn't this a wonderful time of year can be achieved without distracting from the staging and architectural features of the rest of the home.

Creativity in selling a Palo Alto home near Halloween can take many forms.

As many Palo Alto residents know we have an active raccoon population in town. Digging up lawns is one of their favorite past times. The week I was ready to put this Palo Alto home on the market a band of raccoons decided that this home had the best grubbs on the block and wanted to lift up the grass to get to them.  It started in one spot then expanded. The owners wanted to capture the raccoons before re-seeding the lawn. I got some straw and put pumpkins over the dug up area.  By the time this Palo Alto house went on the market I had several bales of straw and a few scare crows all over the front lawn. It looked like Halloween and covered up the offending torn up lawn. We eventually relocated the raccoons, and re- seeded the lawn for the new owners.

So as Halloween approaches, if you are selling your home in Palo Alto have fun with the holiday and be careful not to put up anything that could scare a young child, or detract from the better points of your lovely Palo Alto home for sale.

If you have any questions about 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
BRE 01191194
650-619-9285

Menlo Park, Ca. Real Estate Market Update 9/21/2013

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 36 single family Menlo Park homes for sale up from 23 last month.

There are currently 10 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale down from 9 last week.

There are currently 17 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes down from 28 last month.

There are currently 4 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos down from 6 last month.

In August of 2013 there were 28 single family Menlo Park homes sold, a big decrease from July.  The prices ranged from $520,000 to $4,000,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is up $100,000 from July and in central Menlo the price is about the same for the highest price sold. I think the prices may be starting to level off. If you look at just the Menlo Park homes with Menlo Park schools the lowest price in July was $899,000 down June's lowest price of 975K., and down to $850,00 in August. 

In August of 2013 there were 7 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $580,000 to $2,395,000. This is a high starting price point for condos,  The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $1,149,000 for an 1,800+ square foot town home on Stone Pine,

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels, but like Palo Alto and Mountain View up from last month.  August is a traditionally slow month for inventory so I didn't expect to see any increase until sometime in September.  We do have an increase, but not enough to change the dynamics of the seller's market.  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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogs?page=2&sub_category=consumer&username=marcymoyer#sthash.mKJ5VVd8.dpuf

Santa Clara Ca. Real Estate Market Update 9/21/2012

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 42 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, down from 46 last month.

There are currently 41 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, up from 39 last month.

There are currently 66 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 60 last month.

There are currently 43 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, down from 46 last month.

In Aug of 2013 there were 51 single family Santa Clara homes sold, 10 less than in July, ranging in price from $525,000 to $1,500,000. The lowest priced home is $115,000 higher than the lowest price in July, but the highest price home is about the same, and in the same new development.  

In August of 2013 there were 41 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, almost the same as in July. 

They ranged in price from $230,000 to $825,000. This is about the same as in June and July. Has the appreciation started to slow down? I think so.  

August did not see a big drop in inventory so September did not see a big increase which is often the pattern.  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 9/21/2013

In Aug, 2013 there were 29 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $685,000 to $2,425,000. This does not include sales in the new development in Waverley Park. The lowest price sale is down over 100K from July, but in an industrial neighborhood. The lowest price single family home in a residential neighborhood was the same as in July, $850,000.

In June, 2013  there were 28 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $370,000 to $1,300,000. These numbers are higher than in July. I thought prices were starting to level off in Mountain View, but it does not appear to be the case $370,000 for a one bedroom condo is not a sign that the market is leveling off. 

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.  August is always a slow month for listings so I didn't expect to see another jump until Sept which so far has been more like a skip than a jump.  The structural problem of not enough single family homes is not going to be solved  any time soon.  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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogs?page=2&sub_category=consumer&username=marcymoyer#sthash.mytoL8kl.dpuf

Palo Alto Market Update 9/21/2013

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 45 single family Palo Alto homes for sale, up from 23 last month.

There are currently 9 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 5 last month.

There are currently 28 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 41 last month.

There are currently 13 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, up from 4 last month.

In Aug of 2013 there were 43 single family Palo Alto homes sold, just 2 less than in July. The prices ranged from $980,000 to $5,400,000. This is the first sale under a million dollars since last spring.

In August of 2013 there were 7 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, 2 more than in July.  The prices ranged from $550,000 to $1,700,000. This is not a high starting price point for condos in Palo Alto, but it was only one bedroom and about the same as last month.

August is traditionally the lowest month for inventory in Palo Alto so I skipped a few weeks of tracking. Hopefully we will not fall back into weeks of only a few homes for sale. 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.  While right now the number of pending sales in low, I am not concerned this means a a crash is coming. I believe it is due to the very low number of homes for sale in August. 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

- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogs?page=2&sub_category=consumer&username=marcymoyer#sthash.ninW2eKo.dpuf

Curry Up Now Palo Alto: A Fantastic Place To Eat!

Curry Up Now is in downtown Palo Alto at 321 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto. It is open Monday- Friday 11:00am- 10:00pm, Saturday 11:30am- 10:00pm, and Sunday 11:30am- 9:00pm. It is a chain that is also located in San Mateo and San Francisco. They have 3 food trucks that you are able to check for their schedule online. You can also hire the food trucks for one of your events. You are able to order online for any of their locations or food trucks.
 
Curry Up Now serves Indian fusion street food and even offers many vegan and gluten free options. They warn that they prepare their vegan items in a common kitchen that would have the risk of dairy exposure. For gluten free options they offer a gluten free tortilla and flat bread. They do warn that they prepare gluten free food in a common kitchen space for those that have celiac or any another gluten sensitive disease. Also they do not always have the gluten free tortillas in stock. However, I find the bowls with rice, garbonzo beans, and a protein plenty of food for my gluten intolerant stomach! I particularly love the paneer tika masala.

The Tikka Masala burrito is delicious. It definitely has spice, but is not too spicy you can't eat it. It has your choice of white or brown rice, garbanzo beans, onions, and choice of chicken; paneer; or tofu. You can also order it deconstructed which means the filling is in a bowl with the tortilla given on the side.
Another treat not to be missed is the ginger lemonade. I am not much a sweet drink fan, but this lemonade, made from fresh lemons is the perfect compliment to a spicy meal.
There are many choices of places to eat in downtown Palo Alto but Curry Up Now is fast, reasonably prices, and delicious so it hold up well to the competition.
Want to look for places to live near Curry Up Now?  Go to:
http://marcymoyer.com/MapSearch?
Marcy Moyer
Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto
www.marcymoyer.com
marcy@marcymoyer.com
BRE 01191194
650-619-9285