Author: Margaret Barton

Published 2 October, 2018 in Bay Area Realtor Blog

My take: We’re in mid-April now and the real estate market is humming along! Take a look at the data below and you’ll get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in the five cities I’m tracking, makes for a quick and easy comparison. Which cities have the most choice when it comes to buying? That’ll be Palo Alto (44 active listings) and Sunnyvale (41 active listings). Which city has the least choice when it comes to buying? That’ll be Mountain View that has a serious inventory shortage as far as houses are concerned! Which cities have the most cash...

Published 2 October, 2018 in Bay Area Realtor Blog

My Take:  Due to popular demand, I’ve included another city in my tracking — six is a charm!  I’m adding Redwood City to my list of cities tracked. This week I decided to take a look at the average price per sq.ft. for houses that have sold and closed over the last six months. I had expected Palo Alto to be at the top of the list but was still surprised at how much more expensive it is! Sunnyvale and Redwood City seem pretty close and there’s very little difference between Mountain View and Menlo Park. Los Altos trails Palo...

Published 2 October, 2018 in Bay Area Realtor Blog

City (Number of Sales)Redwood City (276)Sunnyvale (201)Mountain View (136)Menlo Park (62)Palo Alto (53)Los Altos (10) My Take: OK, so you’ve purchased a home, now what’s next?  Let’s think what you can do with any extra funds you might want to invest! Real estate investors have a tough time in the Bay area—it’s hard to break even, let alone make a profit!  After the real estate crash (or whatever you want to call it), all the low hanging fruit has been picked. It’s not really practical to purchase single family homes as an investment—the ROI locally just isn’t there.  What do folk...

Published 2 October, 2018 in Bay Area Realtor Blog

My Take: You’ve decided to sell your home and there’s the conversation to be had with your real estate agent around pricing. Here are some things to think about as a seller, so you and your agent are on the same page. Yes, it’s important to price your property according to what’s listed—after all, once you list your home the competition is all around you.  However, as important is to take a look at the pending sales and see what’s happening there. Looking at pending sales will show you what price range buyers are actually spending their money in and it will also...