The spring home buying season is off and running, so to help make the buying process easier I’m offering some helpful tips for home buyers.  In most areas buyers will find it’s a “seller’s market” – there are few homes for sale and prices are beginning to escalate.  These tips aren’t intended to explain the buying process, but they should help you get organized and ready to pounce when the right home comes along.  There are five tips, so let’s get started.   1. Create An Information Management System Be prepared for the massive amount of information that will arrive once you start the buying process.  Listings, photographs, market reports, property disclosures, inspections reports, mortgage pre-qualification documents – a mountain of information that you will need to process and file BE... 06/18/2013

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 ... 06/15/2013

Have you been looking for longer than you would like and still can’t find the right home listed for sale in the neighborhood where you most want to live?  The simple fact is that homes in the most desirable areas don’t come on the market very often and they are snatched up quickly when they do.  But must we really have to wait for great homes to come on the market before we can buy one in a great neighborhood?  Nope.  We can try making an unsolicited offer for an unlisted home. A growing number of homes are sold in response to unsolicited home purchase offers.  Statistics vary greatly by location, but we know that many homes are sold without ever making it onto the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  These could be homes “For Sale By Owner” or “pocket listings” that sellers want their agen... 06/12/2013

Silicon Valley REO homes for sale are in short supply as the summer begins.  Lenders are continuing to hold many foreclosed homes off the market in anticipation of price increases as the market improves through the end of 2013. Click here for the list of >>> Silicon Valley REO homes for sale <<< currently on the market.  Click on a property’s Address to view photos, map and additional information.   Contact Us  for help with Silicon Valley REO homes for sale and with buying or selling any Silicon Valley real estate. Click on Silicon Valley MLS search to find properties of all types using the same local MLS that agents use. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   John A. Souerbry & Associates  Call John direct: (650) 815-6182  (DRE 01370983) 06/11/2013

Real estate investors often juggle full time jobs or businesses with providing property management services for their own rentals.  Thanks to innovations such as online rent payment systems and online tenant maintenance requests, many administrative tasks have been streamlined and more units can be managed with less effort.  Unfortunately, there are still a few unpleasant and time-consuming tasks that can cause a lot of aggravation and eat up a lot of a property owner’s time.  For these situations, we recommend outsourcing the task to professionals who can resolve the problem quickly.  Here are five property management services that we recommend owners outsource.     1.  Periodic Inspections.  Regular inspections are effective deterrents to tenant abuse and neglect.  They also help to s... 06/10/2013

There are currently 18 single family Mountain View homes for sale,  down from 25  last week. There are currently 9 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale,  down from 11 last week. There are currently 38 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes,  down from 35 last week. There are currently 40 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from from 41 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... 06/10/2013

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 34 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 27 last week. There are currently 7 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 4 last week. There are currently 30 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 37 last week. There are currently 10 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 15 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 f... 06/09/2013

Buyers, sellers, investors, welcome back to another installment of Real Estate Jargon, aka, simple explanations of real estate terms not normally found in everyday conversation.  Today, we’re going to look at a type of agreement that sellers may have with a broker – “open listing.” Although a seller can hire an attorney to draft any type of custom real estate listing agreement they want (as long as it conforms to applicable law), there are three common listing types that are supported by standard contracts available to agents.  They are open, exclusive agency, and exclusive right-to-sell.  We gain a better understanding of each listing type by comparing it to the others. Open listings are an up-front agreement between a seller and a broker regarding the compensation that a broker may re... 06/09/2013

The Palo Alto luxury home sales report for May 2013 reflects the improving market throughout Silicon Valley and consistently strong demand for luxury homes in Palo Alto.  Homes priced or sold above $3M (luxury homes) are moving briskly and price escalations are expected throughout the remainder of the year. Today, six of the 17 Palo Alto luxury homes active on the market (not in escrow) have been listed than 30 days or less.  Two have been listed for less than 60 days.  The only home on the market for an extended period is the one short sale listed at $5,500,000.  Of the five luxury homes now in escrow, four were on the market 11 days or less and one was on the market 22 days.  Given that there are always a few properties that will sell slowly under any market conditions, it appears tha... 06/08/2013

Investors, here are current listings for Silicon Valley multi-family properties for sale.  The rental market throughout the Valley remains strong and good properties in the better areas don’t stay on the market long. Click here to see the list > Silicon Valley multi-family properties for sale – including photos and detailed information for each property. Need property management help?  We provide complete property management servicesfor Silicon Valley rental propertiesplus, on an as-needed basis:     ·  Annual/special property inspections     ·  Problem tenant investigations     ·   Past-due rent collections     ·  Eviction support     ·  Pre-purchase operating and financial analysis     ·  Profit improvement analysis Contact Us for help with Silicon Valley multi-family properties or bu... 06/07/2013

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 36 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 27 last week. There are currently 7 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 4 last week. There are currently 36 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 37 last week. There are currently 11 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 15 last week. In May of 2013 there were 42 single family Palo Alto homes sold, about 4 less than in April. The prices ranged from $975,000 to $6,974,000. There were 2 homes under a million, unlike in April when there were no sales under a million. In May of 2013 there were 12 Palo Alto Town Homes/Condos ... 06/02/2013

Palo Alto residential land listings remain in short supply, but if you’re looking for a home site to build on, we can help.  Palo Alto is the heart of Silicon Valley’s top business, social and entertainment centers.  Listings of homes and land for sale are not keeping up with demand and real estate values are returning to the higher levels of years ago.  The shortage of land for sale is driving many home buyers to purchase older homes and replace the structure, so it’s advisable to move quickly when a quality parcel comes on the market. Some parcels may be sold with existing structures, such as a house, garage, barn, or other buildings.  When listed in the “land” category, this is usually an indication that the property is being sold primarily for its land value and any existing structu... 05/29/2013

Silicon Valley luxury home listings are increasing as summer approaches.  Homes in the Valley enjoy beautiful scenery while providing unmatched design and architectural quality.  Most are just a short drive to the area’s major employers, shopping and entertainment venues.  Whether located between I-280 and Highway 101 or up in the hills, these are some of the finest properties in all of California real estate.  Our list of Silicon Valley luxury home listings includes those with a current asking price of $5,000,000 or higher.  Many are horse properties or include personal vineyards and nut or fruit groves. Click here >>> Silicon Valley luxury home listings <<< for the list of Silicon Valley luxury homes.  Click on a property’s Address to view photos, map and detailed information. You can... 05/26/2013

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 27 single family Palo Alto homes for sale down from 39 last week. There are currently 4 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, down from 9 last week. There are currently 37 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 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 f... 05/25/2013

Palo Alto homes for sale under $1,000,000 make up just a small part of all properties for sale in town on any given day under present market conditions.  Currently they are about 25% of all homes for sale. The supply of Palo Alto homes for sale is not keeping up with demand.  This is generating a leap in home prices and significant competition among buyers.  Sellers of homes in good locations are receiving multiple offers within hours of placing their homes on the market.  Buyers are finding that they need to submit creative offers to compete with cash buyers and others who can close escrow quickly or offer other types of incentives to make their offer more competitive. Click on >>> Palo Alto homes for sale under $1M <<< to view listings of Palo Alto homes for sale under $1M.  Click on ... 05/25/2013

The process for selling California real estate owned by estates in probate has subtle differences compared to standard residential property sales.  Sometimes, executors have leeway to conduct a sale on behalf of an estate with processes similar to what they might use to sell their own home.  For more complex estates, executors may find themselves subject to a considerable amount of legal red tape and complicated court requirements.  Most often, the selling process falls somewhere in between these two extremes.  Developing the administrative constraints of a probate sale to comply with the former owner’s will, if any, and probate law is the purview of experienced probate attorneys employed by the executor.  For our discussion here, we’ll focus on just what a real estate broker will do di... 05/20/2013

The process for selling California real estate owned by a trust has several differences compared to standard residential property sales.  Sometimes, trustees have leeway to conduct a sale on behalf of a trust with processes similar to what they might use to sell their own home.  For more complex trusts, trusts with multiple trustees, or situations when beneficiaries are more closely involved in observance of trust activities, trustees may find themselves subject to a considerable amount of legal and procedural red tape.  Developing the administrative constraints of a trust sale is the purview of experienced trust attorneys employed by the trustee.  For our discussion here, we’ll focus on just what a real estate broker will do differently when selling California real estate owned by a tr... 05/20/2013

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 39 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 29 last week. There are currently 9 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, down from 12 last week. There are currently 28 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 36 last week. There are currently 11 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, down from 12 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 range... 05/18/2013

Anyone trying to buy a home in Palo Alto right now knows that it is tough out there. There are many more buyers than sellers and many Palo Alto homes sell with multiple offers way over list price. Some homes go as much as 40% over asking, but some do not. How does a buyer make the decision about how much to offer to have the winning bid in a Palo Alto multiple offer situation and not overpay? The answer is not simple, and sometimes it not a question of price, but terms, like contingencies, length of escrow, length of rent back, etc. But for right now, let's just discuss price. Here are some things to keep in mind when you make an offer on a Palo Alto home in a multiple offer situation, 1. In my opinion the most import thing is, how much is this home worth to you? In other words, what p... 05/12/2013

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 29 single family Palo Alto homes for sale up from 26 last week. There are currently 12 Palo Alto town homes/condos for sale, up from 8 last week. There are currently 36 pending sales of Palo Alto single family homes, down from 41 last week. There are currently 12 pending sales of Palo Alto Town homes/Condos, the same as 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 f... 05/11/2013