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

Why Is There Nothing For Sale in Palo Alto

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Palo Alto has never been lower in last two decades. There are about 30 homes for sale in any given week. In The boom years of 2000-208 there were generally 60-90 homes on the market at any given time. In 2009 when the market was at it's worst there were 110-140 homes on the market at any time.

So why are we so devoid of choices now?

No one has the definitive answer to this but I have a few thoughts.

1. The inventory is low everywhere so this is just part of a national trend, but to an extreme in Palo Alto

2. Homes are selling quickly with the average days on market being 13. The rapid sales pace helps keep the number of homes for sale very low.

3. There are not a lot of empty nestors or retired homeowners selling and moving down. Many of these people who used to sell homes allowing new people to come into Palo Alto are reluctant to sell. It is not because prices are down, because by the end of 2012 I suspect we will have regained the equity lost in 2009. the reason is that there are fewer and fewer empty nest homes.  Many young people are moving back home, sometimes after college, and sometimes with their own families. Many children who grew up in Palo Alto can not afford to live here, and some are having problems finding jobs in other areas so they come home to work. the great job market in the Silicon Valley is attracting natives to come back.

4. Many long time Palo Altans are working much longer than previosu generations. It is not unusual for people to be working into their 70's and beyond which keeps people in their homes rather than selling and moving to a retirement area.

5. Palo Alto is a great place to live at any age so why leave?

6. As I said before there is a great employment market in the Silicon Valley. People are coming here to get jobs, not leaving to find a job.

There are probably more reasons but these are the ones that make sense to me.

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

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

Why Do I Need My Own Realtor?

I cannot believe that I am writing this blog post, but I am. When I began my real estate career in the mid 90’s, the landscape was very different. We were still working with the big books that were printed every 2 weeks with the listing updates. There was a machine in the office that spit out the listings, and using the internet was in its infancy. This was the dawn of the age of technology for realtors and consumers. My company, Cornish & Carey (which was long ago gobbled up by Coldwell Banker) was at the forefront of innovation because they were opening up a storefront where consumers could go and look at virtual tours of homes since they could not see them on their computers. It was an exciting time to begin a new career.

But despite all of these major changes, there was a bigger change that was taking place, and one that I think was even more important than the introduction of computers into the daily fabric of real estate. This big change had to do with agency. Before I became a realtor there was one agent in a transaction, the seller’s agent. This agent could, and frequently did handle both sides of a transaction. If the buyer had his or her own agent the seller’s agent could agree to a sub-agency agreement, where the buyer’s agent was a sub agent of the seller’s agent but the seller’s agent was still basically in charge. Real estate laws had not been particularly consumer friendly and sub agencies were not helping.

 Consumers, who were for the most part, intelligent adults, realized that this was not in their favor, and a shift had taken place. By the mid 90’s it was standard procedure for the buyer and seller to have separate agents, agency disclosures became mandatory, and the sub agency relationship was going the way of the printed listing book. This was all in the name of PROTECTING THE BUYER, not to save money or to protect the seller.

Fast forward to 2010 and all of the sudden the buyer’s agent is the enemy in the eyes of many buyers. They think that we are at best superfluous, and at worst, trying to get our hands in your pockets without providing any service. All of the work that was done on behalf of the consumers in the 80’s and 90’s is now looked on with scorn. Many consumers think that because they can find their own home they do not need an agent. Well, I think you are wrong.

I think you need to be protected, because I am old enough to know what it was like when you were not protected, and how hard people had to fight to make sure the buyer got as much protection as the seller. I am not saying that real estate should not move forward, that change is bad. I am also an unwavering believer that I work for the consumer, and if they do not want a buyer’s agent it is their business, and their pocketbook. What I am saying is that just because the role of the buyer’s agent is changing from personal shopper to trusted advisor and protector that does not mean we are superfluous. Just because Redfin says a house is worth x amount that does not mean it is. Do you know who to call for inspections, or even what inspections you need? Just because you can download a disclosure package from the internet does that mean you understand everything in it? These are just a few of the things that are involved in a transaction, and some people are capable of doing those things themselves, but not everyone.

I have recently been a listing agent for two different properties where the potential buyer did not have his own agent. On the first one, the buyer went to a mortgage broker who gave him a pre-approval letter that was not worth the paper it was written on. This client was no more qualified to purchase a home than my labradoodle Demi. I called the broker (who by the way worked for a reputable company) and was assured that everything was fine. Since I was not the agent for the buyer I did not have access to this buyer’s financials or credit. Well, 6 weeks later the mortgage broker finally admitted she was hoping to get exceptions for the buyer and that she didn’t and the loan was denied. It was heart-breaking since this buyer wanted the home so badly, but totally preventable. If the buyer had been represented by a good realtor he would have known early on that he was not going to get a loan and could have looked for alternatives, partners, etc.

The second property with an unrepresented buyer so far has a different outcome. The buyer is paying all cash and actually wrote a better offer than many of the 12 other agents who presented. It was amazing how many incomplete offers I received. This buyer followed my directions exactly and offered the best price and terms to my seller. However, the house is in very bad condition and he wants to restore it. I have no idea if he knows what he is doing, and I cannot find out, because I cannot represent him. If I help him I would be acting as his agent and I am not his agent. I hope he knows what he is getting into, but I have no way of really knowing.

As I said, I believe in his right to do this, but I also believe that a home purchase is big deal and should be done with utmost care. I would hate to think that all the strides in consumer protection are ignored in the name of saving a few percentages. What do you think?

Marcy Moyer

Intero Real Estate Services

650-619-9285

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

Palo Alto Market Update, May 23rd: Sold in the Last Week

Summary Of Comparable Properties
Single Family Residential
Address	City	Beds	Bath	DOM	CDOM	LOE	SqFt	$/SqFt	Lot(SqFt)	List Price	Age	Sale Price
SOLD
1196 Hamilton Av	Palo Alto	4	3 1/2	80	80	25	3,000	$921	11,250	$2,825,000	84	$2,763,000
1250 Lincoln Av	Palo Alto	5	3	214	214	23	3,055	$746.32	12,155	$2,295,000	83	$2,280,000
776 Forest Av	Palo Alto	3	2	6	6	30	1,657	$964.39	7,500	$1,598,000	89	$1,598,000
826 Los Robles Av	Palo Alto	3	2	91	91	21	1,254	$841.31	5,754	$1,098,000	44	$1,055,000
AVERAGE VALUES				98	98	25	2,242	$868.26	9,165	$1,954,000	75	$1,924,000

1196 Hamilton originally listed at $3,195,000.

1250 Forest originally listed at $3,195,000.

The homes over 2 million with large lots seem to be very popular right now.

If you're having trouble viewing charts in their entirety, try expanding your browser window to its maximum size. 

Palo Alto Market Update, May 17th: Sold Single Family Homes

Summary Of Comparable Properties Single Family Residential Address City Beds Bath DOM CDOM LOE SqFt $/SqFt Lot(SqFt) List Price Age Sale Price SOLD 2200 Byron St  Palo Alto  4  2 1/2  40   40   22   2,064   $1,405.04   13,888   $3,199,000   60   $2,900,000   4090 Orme St  Palo Alto  5  3  15   15   6   3,260   $797.55   16,830   $2,538,000   11   $2,600,000   1468 Hamilton Av  Palo Alto  4  3  18   18   28   2,853   $823.69   7,500   $2,350,000   68   $2,350,000   561 Center Dr  Palo Alto  3  2  72   72   3   1,554   $1,470.4   11,627   $2,495,000   81   $2,285,000   2233 Byron St  Palo Alto  4  4+  75   75   31   3,274   $580.33   10,000   $1,995,000   70   $1,900,000   715 Frenchmans Rd  Palo Alto  4  3  7   7   41   3,581   $530.58   19,575   $1,895,000   48   $1,900,000   4260 Wilkie Wy  Palo Alto  6+  4+  300   300   23   3,400   $552.94   8,712   $2,100,000   1   $1,880,000   2636 Waverley St  Palo Alto  4  3 1/2  15   15   28   2,609   $718.67   6,700   $1,939,000   17   $1,875,000   1128 Webster St  Palo Alto  3  4+  10   10   11   2,200   $843.18   10,000   $1,900,000   103   $1,855,000   329 Lincoln Av  Palo Alto  4  2  143   143   13   2,816   $605.47   6,809   $1,850,000   109   $1,705,000   904 Cowper St  Palo Alto  4  2  145   145   15   1,736   $892.86   5,000   $1,699,000   103   $1,550,000   365 Hawthorne Av  Palo Alto  2  1  13   13   34   1,446   $1,063.62   7,405   $1,395,000   104   $1,538,000   3825 Grove Av  Palo Alto  4  3  34   34   27   2,507   $598.32   10,950   $1,650,000   63   $1,500,000   836 Bruce Dr  Palo Alto  5  2  9   9   6   1,780   $761.24   13,425   $1,298,000   63   $1,355,000   3421 Greer Rd  Palo Alto  4  3  32   32   25   1,859   $699.3   6,435   $1,388,000   51   $1,300,000   1842 Edgewood Dr  Palo Alto  3  2  13   13   35   2,007   $622.82   6,464   $1,329,000   59   $1,250,000   19 Tulip Ln  Palo Alto  3  2  34   34   9   1,602   $777.15   6,050   $1,349,000   60   $1,245,000   885 Fielding Dr  Palo Alto  3  1  8   8   29   1,253   $843.58   7,800   $1,099,000   63   $1,057,000   924 Colorado Av  Palo Alto  5  2  26   26   31   1,674   $620.07   6,420   $1,188,000   56   $1,038,000   3382 Kenneth Dr  Palo Alto  4  2  29   29   26   1,674   $596.77   6,500   $999,000   51   $999,000   4130 Mackay Dr  Palo Alto  4  3  20   20   28   1,660   $601.2   8,280   $1,075,000   55   $998,000   710 Seminole Wy  Palo Alto  3  2  80   80   21   1,144   $844.41   6,000   $995,000   55   $966,000   993 Embarcadero Rd  Palo Alto  3  2  16   16   41   1,704   $551.64   6,050   $995,000   61   $940,000   2490 Louis Rd  Palo Alto  2  1 1/2  9   161   29   948   $928.27   7,140   $899,000   59   $880,000   2370 Middlefield Rd  Palo Alto  2  1  55   55   30   1,122   $726.38   5,000   $875,000   62   $815,000   AVERAGE VALUES 49   55   24   2,069   $778.22   8,822   $1,619,760   61   $1,547,240   AVERAGE VALUES FOR ALL 49   55   24   2,069   $778.22   8,822   $1,619,760   61   $1,547,240