The appraisal contingency is a standard clause in most real estate purchase agreements. It is a clause that essentially says “this contract is subject to the property appraising at the contract sales price (or more), or the contract may be canceled by the buyer”. While the intent is fairly clear, what is less …

We know the luxury real estate market in Pleasanton, Ruby Hill, Danville, Alamo, and Blackhawk have had their struggles this year. A new report shows that Luxury homes, defined as those listed for $2,000,000 or more, have had more price reductions than lower priced homes in the Bay Area, according to online real …
This video from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart shows that even smart, well-connected sellers who should know better are sometimes are not connected with reality when it comes to their own home. This is really funny…
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
What a difference 6 months makes. Beginning in April, the Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, and Tri-Valley real estate markets began a strong come back which is continuing this Fall. As we have discussed, the new strength in the market is focused predominantly on the lower price ranges. Indeed, homes priced under …

Home prices nationally actually increased by 2.9% in the second quarter of 2009 as compared with the first quarter of 2009. Yes, you read that right. Increased 2.9%. This is the first quarter over quarter increase in the S&P/Case-Shiller report in three years, and offers the strongest signal yet that the market …

Okay, I get it. This is a tough market to determine the value of property. The housing market is volatile, the economy is surging and stalling, buyers are uncertain, and many buyers and sellers are unrealistic. At times it seems that the best way to determine the value of a home is …
This is a question as old as the real estate business itself. Who controls property values? We all know that sellers do not control property values. Sure they can set the asking price, and control the condition of the property, but not the value of a given piece of property. Yes, …

Now that the real estate market in Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, and the Tri-Valley has seen a dramatic uptick in activity, especially in the lower price segments, it’s time to examine two of the most important factors in the health of the local housing market… affordability and liquidity. As is usually the case …

One of the indicators of the health of a real estate market is the percentage of distressed sales, which includes both Bank Owned (REO) properties and Short Sales. Markets with higher levels of distressed sales will generally see more downward pressure on prices, and distressed properties tend to sell for less than a “normal” …
I love this sign, courtesy of the Knoxville News Blog. With so many “bottom feeders” out there posing as buyers, it is refreshing to see someone tell it like it is. I know everyone wants a deal, and I am generally good with that. But it gets annoying getting calls from people …

I recently went to Zillow.com to find a “zestimate” for a home in The Preserve area of Pleasanton. For those not familiar with The Preserve, it is a high end subdivision of approximately 100 homes nestled in the hills of West Pleasanton, surrounded by acres of open space and ridgelands. It has always …
