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

Never a Dull Moment In A San Jose Probate Sale

As a San Jose Probate Real Estate Agent I have seen many things happens in transactions, but this one was a first for me.

I listed a cute home in Alum Rock for a family whose parents had both recently passed. The parents left a will but they did not have a trust. Since the estate was not in a trust the assets of the estate need to go through Probate before they can be distributed to the children of the couple who passed.

One child was named Personal Representative of the estate. That is, since the parents are not here to distribute their estate, a personal representative is appointed by the Probate Court to make sure the debts are paid, the taxes are filed, the assets are sold, and the money is distributed in the way the parents specified they wanted it to be done in their will. If there was no will then the estate would be distributed the way the State of California has determined it should be done when there is no will.

When the oldest son was named Personal Representative it also allowed him to sell his parent's house under the Independent Administrations of Estates Act. That means he has the right to accept an offer on the home, and as long as none of the other heirs object the house can be sold without further court approval or an overbid auction at court. If the Personal Representative does not have full authority to sell a home then once an offer is accepted it goes to court where another buyer can try to purchase the home by over bidding the first accepted offer.

I listed the home, got a great offer, and escrow was opened. Everything was fine until the underwriter saw the file. He said he needed proof the son was authorized to the sell the house. We gave him the Letters of Testamentary which say the son is the Personal Representative for the estate and has full authority to sell the house. The underwriter said that is not good enough. There was nothing on the Letters that specifically said he could sell the probate house in Alum Rock. The title report says the house belongs to the parents. The Letters say the son has the right to act as the parents.  In every Probate sale I have done in the last 18 years this has been enough for the underwriter. In every Probate sale my escrow officers has done in the last 30 years this was enough for the underwriter. But not this one.

I solved the problem by getting the original Petition to Administer the estate from the court files. this document has the name of the Personal Representative and the address of the property so that worked. Just another San Jose Probate challenge met.

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

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

BRE 01191194

650-619-9285

Menlo Park Ca Real Estate Market Update 8/11/2013

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 23 single family Menlo Park homes for sale down from 31 last week..
There are currently 7 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale down from 9 last week.
There are currently 28 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes up from 23 last week.
There are currently 6 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos up from 5 last week.

In July of 2013 there were 46 single family Menlo Park homes sold, a nice jump from June.  The prices ranged from $475,000 to $3,950,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is down $100,000 from June and in central Menlo the price is down 1.5 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 June was $899,000 down June's lowest price of 975K.  In July of 2013 there were 12 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $380,000 to $1,326,000. This is a high starting price point for condos,  The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $580,00 for a 1 bedroom in Sharon Park which is similar to a one bedroom condo in Palo Alto.

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels, and like Palo Alto and Mountain View down from last week, again. August is a traditionally slow month for inventory so I don't expect to see any increase until sometime in September.  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 8/11/2013

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 46 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, up from 40 last week.
There are currently 39 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, down from 48 last week.
There are currently 60 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, up from 46 last week.
There are currently 46 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 42 last week.

In July of 2013 there were 61 single family Santa Clara homes sold, the same as in June, ranging in price from $410,000 to $1,520,000. The lowest priced home is about the same as teh lowest price in June, but the highest price home is much higher, by about 300K. This is probably a fluke.

In June of 2013 there were 39 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, almost 20% more than in June.

 They ranged in price from $190,000 to $815,000. This is about the same as in June. Has the appreciation started to slow down? I think so.
Santa Clara single family home listings are finally up from before the holiday.  Condos are down 10% from last week but they had been up 20% over the previous 2 weeks so this is not surprising. 

 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 Real Estate Market Update 8/11/2013

There are currently 16 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  the same as last week.
There are currently 15 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale,  the same as last week.
There are currently 37 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  up from 31 last week.
There are currently 30 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, up from 29 last week.

In July, 2013 there were 27 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $850,000 to $2,098,000. This does not include sales in the new development in Waverley Park. The lowest price sale is up almost 100K from June.
In June, 2013  there were 31 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $340,000 to $980,000. These numbers are lower than June. Are we starting to level off in appreciation? I think so.

The inventory is the same as last week in single family home listings as well as condos. Pending sales are up which shows a still very strong demand for homes in Mountain View.  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 don't expect to see another jump until Sept at the earliest, but the structural problem of not enough single family homes is not going to be solved this. 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

Palo Alto Real Estate Market Update 8/11/2013

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 23 single family Palo Alto homes for sale, down from 28 last week.
There are currently 5 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, down from 6 last week.
There are currently 41 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 42 last week.
There are currently 4 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 6 last week.

In July of 2013 there were 41 single family Palo Alto homes sold, a big drop from April, May  and June sales. The prices ranged from $1,250,000 to $5,495,000. No homes under a million is significant and a higher lowest price than June. This is getting to be a common occurrence in Palo Alto.
In July of 2013 there were 5 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, a huge drop from June. The prices ranged from $542,000 to $1,230,000. This is not a high starting price point for condos in Palo Alto, but it was ony one bedroom and about the same as last month.

We had decrease in single family homes for sale, and a decrease in condos. We were in the 40 home range for a few weeks and I hope we get back there again in the fall. August is traditionally a low inventory month so I don't expect much in the way of new inventory this month. 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

Landscaping does Matter When Selling a Home In Santa Clara Ca

2013 has been an amazing year for Santa Clara Sellers. With inventory at historic lows and interest rates at historic highs, Santa clara homes for sale have been flying off the shelf.

However, now it is summer, and there is a normal shift in the market. The 20% appreciation that we saw in the first 6 months of the year is leveling off which is typical for this time of year. Interest rates have gone up by about 1% and while still low, are high enough to keep the affordability of a home in check for some buyers, and inventory has increased.

This does not mean it is a buyers market, or that prices are crashing, but it does mean Santa Clara sellers can not get lazy, especially if you want to get top dollar for your home
When a buyer first sees a home they get an impression which is hard to shake. Many people will look at a home and get a feeling for whether it is for them or not. They also get a feeling for whether the house needs work or is ready to move in. This feeling may not be based on reality.

You may have a Santa Clara home to sell that has been impeccably maintained structurally. It could have a new heater, an upgraded foundation, copper pipes, and new windows. However, if the landscaping is over grown it will look like a fixer. If the exterior paint is peeling, it will look like a fixer. If the home is cluttered and messy it will look like a fixer.

What happens if your Santa Clara home looks like a fixer? It is not pretty.
First of all you will get offers from flippers, mostly amateur who will think they can get the house for 100K less than asking so they can make a profit. You will have first time buyers not even make offers because they have no idea that for $10,000 they can make the house look beautiful. The work will seem overwhelming. And you will have buyers who love the house, but not be able to afford it at today's interest rates.

So, when you are selling your Santa Clara home, act as if the market is a buyer's market and make your house look as good as possible. You will be rewarded with an easier and more profitable sale.

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

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

PYT: Peninsula Youth Theatre

The Peninsula Youth Theatre is a children's theater very close to my heart. I spent many years as a parent there, and the experiences were amongst the best of my childrens' lives.  PYT performs at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St, Mountain View.  They have a wonderful array of options for children year round.

Peter Pan opens their new Centerstage 2013-2014 season. Performances will be November 9-17. Auditions will be August 26 & 27. Children ages 8-18 may audition with a prose monologue and 1 minute song accompanied by a CD or sheet music. They should be dressed to dance.  Peninsula Youth Theater offers a monologue binder to choose from if you need a monologue. It can be seen at the Mountain View Public Library's children's reference desk or you can call Peninsula Youth Theater's office at (650)988-8798 before the audition to make an appointment to view the binder. Peninsula Youth Theater would love to help those who are auditioning for the first time by emailing them at info@pynet.org or calling their office. There is a participation fee is $390 which includes tuition, script, rehearsal CD and basic costume. They offer scholarships. http://www.pytnet.org/subpages/showscholarshipform.pdf . Parent are required to complete volunteer hours. Register online for an audition time. https://thriva.activenetwork.com/Reg4/(S(1dhyoz4505vohfvew1ibq255))/Form.aspx?regkey=RpYOYPxE378wNjTYCkFkMw%3d%3d&qid=15255
The Sound of Music is the next show of the season that performs March 1-9 2014 and auditions are Nov 30 & Dec 1. The third show of the season is Oliver! that performs May 10- May 18 2014 and auditions March 8 & 9. The final show has not been announced yet, but will be performed July 26- Aug 3.

The Stories on Stage are 45 minute shows that are performed once a month. They have smaller casts and are performed in a black box theatre, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts Secondstage. The shows are Freankenstein Makes a Sandwich & Takes the Cake on October 11 & 12, 2013; Turk & Runt on November 8 & 9, 2013; Merry Christmas, Strega Nona on December 8 & 9, 2013; Gooney Bird Greene and her True Life Adventures on January 17 & 18, 2014; Martina & the Beautiful Cockroach on February 14 & 15, 2014; The Whipping Boy on March 21 & 22, 2014; Fun with Francis on April 18 & 19, 2014; and The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales on May 16 & 17. 2014. Auditions are September 8. You are able to audition for one play or all eight plays. The children are required to be 12 -18 years old. The participation fee is $75 per month. They offer scholarships. Register online for an audition time. https://thriva.activenetwork.com/Reg4/(S(1dhyoz4505vohfvew1ibq255))/Form.aspx?regkey=RpYOYPxE378wNjTYCkFkMw%3d%3d&qid=15255

Peninsula Youth Theater offers classes and camps for children ages 3.5 years and older. All fall classes are at the PYT studios at 2500 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View.
They hold an annual fall "FUNdraiser" called Puttin' on the Ritz. This year it will be on September 21, Saturday 6-9:30pm at the Community School of Music & Arts. It is an elegant evening of fine wine, dessert, live entertainment, and a silent auction.  Tickets are $50, but there is also a sponsor and star sponsor level with various perks.

If you would like to search for homes near Peninsula Youth Theatre click here.

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

Menlo Park Ca Real Estate Market Update 8/4/2013

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

There are currently 9 Menlo Park town homes/condos for sale the same as last week.

There are currently 23 pending sales of Menlo Park single family homes down from 26 last week.

There are currently 5 pending sales of Menlo Park homes/Condos down from 6 last week.

In July of 2013 there were 46 single family Menlo Park homes sold, a nice jump from June.  The prices ranged from $475,000 to $3,950,000. The lowest priced home in Belle Haven is down $100,000 from June and in central Menlo the price is down 1.5 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 June was $899,000 down June's lowest price of 975K.  In July of 2013 there were 12 Menlo Park Town Homes/Condos sold.   The prices ranged from $380,000 to $1,326,000. This is a high starting price point for condos,  The lowest price condo that is not senior only housing was $580,00 for a 1 bedroom in Sharon Park which is similar to a one bedroom condo in Palo Alto.

The inventory of single family homes for sale in Menlo Park is still at historically low levels, and like Palo Alto and Mountain View down from last week, again. August is a traditionally slow month for inventory so I don't expect to see any increase until sometime in September.  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 8/4/2012

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 40 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, down from 44 last week.

There are currently 48 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, up from 44 last week.

There are currently 56 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes, the same as last week.

There are currently 42 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, down from 43 last week.

In July of 2013 there were 61 single family Santa Clara homes sold, the same as in June, ranging in price from $410,000 to $1,520,000. The lowest priced home is about the same as teh lowest price in June, but the highest price home is much higher, by about 300K. This is probably a fluke.  

In June of 2013 there were 39 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold, almost 20% more than in June.  They ranged in price from $190,000 to $815,000. This is about the same as in June. Has the appreciation started to slow down? I think so.  

Santa Clara single family home listings are not up from before the holiday.  Condos are up another 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 8/4/2013

There are currently 16 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  up from 12  last week.

There are currently 15 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale,  up from 14 last week.

There are currently 31 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  the same as last week.

There are currently 29 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from 31 last week.

In July, 2013 there were 27 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $850,000 to $2,098,000. This does not include sales in the new development in Waverley Park. The lowest price sale is up almost 100K from June.

In June, 2013  there were 31 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $340,000 to $980,000. These numbers are lower than June. Are we starting to level off in appreciation? I think so. 

The inventory is up a little this week in single family home listings as well as 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.  August is always a slow month for listings so I don't expect to see another jump until Sept at the earliest, but the structural problem of not enough single family homes is not going to be solved this. 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

Palo Alto Market Update 8/4/2013

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 28 single family Palo Alto homes for sale, down from 29 last week.

There are currently 6 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, the same as last week.

There are currently 42 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 45 last week.

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

In July of 2013 there were 41 single family Palo Alto homes sold, a big drop from April, May  and June sales. The prices ranged from $1,250,000 to $5,495,000. No homes under a million is significant and a higher lowest price than June. This is getting to be a common occurrence in Palo Alto.

In July of 2013 there were 5 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos sold, a huge drop from June. The prices ranged from $542,000 to $1,230,000. This is not a high starting price point for condos in Palo Alto, but it was ony one bedroom and about the same as last month.

We had increase in single family homes for sale, and a decrease in condos. We were in the 40 home range for a few weeks and I hope we get back there again in the fall. August is traditionally a low inventory month so I don't expect much in the way of new inventory this month. 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

Landscaping Does Matter When Selling a Home in San Jose

2013 has been an amazing year for San Jose Sellers. With inventory at historic lows and interest rates at historic highs, San Jose homes for sale have been flying off the shelf.  

However, now it is summer, and there is a normal shift in the market. The 20% appreciation that we saw in the first 6 months of the year is leveling off which is typical for this time of year. Interest rates have gone up by about 1% and while still low, are high enough to keep the affordability of a home in check for some buyers, and inventory has increased.

This does not mean it is a buyers market, or that prices are crashing, but it does mean San Jose sellers can not get lazy, especially if you want to get top dollar for your home

When a buyer first sees a home they get an impression which is hard to shake. Many people will look at a home and get a feeling for whether it is for them or not. They also get a feeling for whether the house needs work or is ready to move in. This feeling may not be based on reality.

You may have a San Jose home to sell that has been impeccably maintained structurally. It could have a new heater, an upgraded foundation, copper pipes, and new windows. However, if the landscaping is over grown it will look like a fixer. If the exterior paint is peeling, it will look like a fixer. If the home is cluttered and messy it will look like a fixer.

What happens if your San Jose home looks like a fixer? It is not pretty.

First of all you will get offers from flippers, mostly amateur who will think they can get the house for 100K less than asking so they can make a profit. You will have first time buyers not even make offers because they have no idea that for $10,000 they can make the house look beautiful. The work will seem overwhelming. And you will have buyers who love the house, but not be able to afford it at today's interest rates.

So, when you are selling your San Jose home, act as if the market is a buyer's market and make your house look as good as possible. You will be rewarded with an easier and more profitable sale.

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

Marcy Moyer

Keller Williams Realty

www.marcymoyer.com

marcy@marcymoyer.com

BRE 01191194

650-619-9285