Number of RE Contracts to Buy Up November 2010

This is great news, Follow the Link Below Welcome 2011!


Bloomberg: The number of contracts to buy previously owned homes rose more than forecast in November, a sign sales are recovering following a post-tax credit plunge.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-30/pending-sales-of-existing-homes-rose-3-5-in-november-exceeding-forecasts.html

Happy New Year, It is Going to be a Great Year!

It is going to be great!

All indicators are positive in the Real Estate Market and I am so JAZZED to be with Sereno! I am surrounded by really, really great Brokers and Agents. I think that we can all look forward to a wonderful 2011!

Both Santa Clara & San Mateo have seen quite a bit of activity this last week, even with the holiday.

I have three new listings coming on in the New Year and several Buyers anxiously awaiting new inventory.

I want to thank all of my great clients and friends for a truly great year. I am truly blessed by all of the referrals and business. It means quite alot to me when someone calls for simple advice or representation in a transaction. It truly is the lovliest complement!

Lazar & Sereno Group Ready for the New Year!

Well we are ready to go! John Lazar is still in the game with knowledge & experience beyond anyone! Ginna Lazar as always working to make everything smooth seamless and successful and our Claire, working on her obtaining her RE license....and being raised in the most professional, detail oriented and experienced Real Estate company in the area, Sereno Group! The Lazar legacy lives on in Northern California Real Estate! A combined total of 69 years of experience just a click away www.lazarhomes.com!

Good News for a Change! Retail is Up, Up Up

Happy Holidays!!


I am sending along some continued, positive economic news as we close out 2010 and are ready to have a fantastic year in 2011!

Same-store sales at a selection of
U.S. retailers posted last week the biggest jump of this holiday
season, rising 4.2 percent as more consumers finished shopping,
according to a survey of retailers.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-21/u-s-retail-sales-accelerated-last-week-in-biggest-jump-of-holiday-season.html

Jim Gimbel Tech Support Extraordinaire!

Well...it happened...I had a HUGE computer glitch. It is repaired now and I am calm...I want to put out to you the name of my Tech Support person

Jim Gimbel
650-704-1403

He is so responsive and talented! He will be replacing my hard drive next week and I am getting a big girl moniter..finally! My little Christmas gift to me (about time)

I really reccomend Jim he has been helping me since 2006 and has never let me down. His prices are very reasonable and he can do ANYTHING!

This is not a Partisian Issue...It is to Protect Mortgage Interest Deduction

In late November, President Obama’s Deficit Reduction Commission released its preliminary recommendations, and one of the provisions called for dramatically limiting the MID. Since then, the commission failed to win enough votes to approve the recommendations. However, it is very likely that legislation will be introduced next year to curtail the MID. Few issues are more important to homeownership than the mortgage interest deduction, and while the housing market continues to recover, any change that reduces the ability of the market to heal is misguided and must be rejected.
Beth L. Peerce
2011 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Inventory Way Way Down, Lender's Have their Panties in a Knot!

Each week I lick my chops in anticipaton of seeing new listings come on. I have six Buyers/Clients that have been looking for just the right home for months. But lately each time I see the Brokers Open Tour Sheet I am disapointed!

On our Broker Tour Sheets we see maybe four or five new listings (if that) and several properties that have had a price reduction or have fallen out of contract for some reason and are coming back on the market. That's it! Yet in my recent findings I see that purchases have ticked up.

The Buyers are ready and I know that I am holding five listings to put on in the next several months. And I am not the only Realtor that has this situation. We have pent up anticipation in the coming first quarter of 2011 for both Buyers and Sellers.

The loan situation does not help! Even if you have a credit score of 800 and have millions in the bank the Lender of today will put you through ridiculous and unbelievable hoops! It takes almost 60 days to close some transactions....and these are very very well qualified Buyers folks. My clients with cash just buy with all cash and then get a loan.

So we are just plain stuck right now...in the New Year as inventory comes on the market and Lenders lighten up things should be humming along smoothly by summer.

All for now! Be careful out there....it's rainy an that time of year!!

San Mateo County Year End and Forecast

Hello all,



Here is the year end report for San Mateo County and the 2011 forecast. As in the Santa Clara report a graph attachment it above. This reflects activity over the last two years.



Cheers,



Ginna


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Here are some highlights to pay particular attention to as you review the data/graphs through October of 2010:



1. Median Price- The Median Price decreased slightly for the second month in a row in SMC to end the month at $600,000 (which is $20,000 lower than October one year ago) and down from last month’s mark of $616,500 The SMC Median reached its low point in January of 2009 at $515,000. We have essentially had one significant slowdown this year over the summer, however, pending sales have increased over the past 30 days and are poised to close out strong this year. We are revising our year-end Median projection down from $650,000 to $625,000 which would be $25,000 lower than the median one year ago.

2. Supply & Demand (Units)- We continue to see a significant distinction in pendings and solds, however, some balance in the inventory category as we compare October 2008 with 2010 in the following categories; For Sale (supply/inventory), Under Contract (pending sales) and Sold (closed escrows). To illustrate when we compare 2008 with the same month in 2010 we see the following- For Sale properties/supply continues to remain UP very slightly .2% (09 vs 10= 2808 vs 3114). The number of under contract properties (pending sales) continues to soar and increased from last month- UP 49.5% (09 vs 10= 501 vs 553) and the sold/closed escrows also increased from last month and remain up an impressive 41.2%. The overall pattern and direction of this market for the past 12-18 months has declining overall supply/inventory which has now leveled out, increasing new sales and closed escrows.

3. Month’s Supply of Inventory & Days on Market- The overall Months Supply of Inventory (months of inventory available based on the total existing supply divided by the rate of sales) remains near all-time low levels at 3.9 months supply at month end, substantially down from last month’s figure of 4.8 (also lower than Oct 09/4.1 months supply). This is down from a 2 year peak of 7.9 months in December of 08. Days on market has averaged between 45 and 60 days for the past 7-8 months, then increased slightly over the past three months to nearly 65 days and climbed again in October to in excess of 70 days on market .

4. Sales Absorption- The Absorption metrics are quite compelling with the comparison of October 2008 vs October 2010 with under contract properties up 46.3% and closed/sold escrows up 39.22%. 17.5% of the active properties/listings were under contract at the end of October 2010, which is up from a fully adjusted figure of 15.4 percent under contract in September of 2010.



The first half of 2010 was significantly stronger than the same time period 2009. We had a slight slowdown over the summer months of this year which is not all that uncommon from a seasonal perspective. This slowdown, however, did correspond with some global economic concerns mainly surrounding the Euro and resulted in a temporarily declining stock market in the US. The past several weeks have seen renewed confidence, and signs of hope that the economic recovery is picking up momentum. The DOW has responded and has mostly remained above 11,000 most recently and the past two days has climbed above 11,300. This is been powered by positive developments and reports mainly in areas of employment, retail sales and real estate. Two Bloomberg articles* posted today highlight the factors leading the reasons for increased optimism which is also driving up the US and Bay Area pending sales activity as we close out 2010.



*Bloomberg: Stocks Gain, Treasuries Fall, on Retail, Home Sales Data; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/asian-stocks-rise-set-for-best-gain-in-a-month-dollar-commodities-climb.html

*Bloomberg: Pending sales of US existing houses jumps a record 10% in October, indicating the industry at the center of the last recession is stabilizing as the job market improves; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/pending-sales-of-existing-homes-in-u-s-increased-a-record-10-in-october.html





I am now forecasting a 12% increase in overall sales volume in 2011 over 2010. I anticipate that prices will remain mostly flat with a 3-5% plus or minus variation depending on specific market areas, the rate of continued momentum in the economic recovery and other variables such as the Euro’s handling of its debt crisis. Overall, I expect that we will see an improved market in 2011 and we are now heading into the final stage of 2010 with headwinds that have more substance than the mostly government backed stimulus that drove the increased sales at the end of 2009.

PLEASE READ THIS YOUR MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION IS ON THE LINE!

From Our New 2011 NAR President- This is REALLY Important YOU GUYS!!

Won't you please call your Representative to ask their help
in defending home ownership
and the Mortgage Interest Deduction? They need to hear from YOU today.

The Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) is vital to both home ownership and our economy.
I'm disappointed that anyone in Congress — or on a Presidential Commission — would even suggest limits to the Mortgage Interest Deduction. Mortgage interest has been deductible for nearly 100 years, and the proposed changes will affect all 75 million home owners in the United States. We must act now to make sure the MID is not changed.
Ever since the Deficit Commission announced its conclusions, the news media have been buzzing about the report. And what do they emphasize? Proposals to limit or even eliminate the Mortgage Interest Deduction. I'm concerned because all this does is scare the public — and potential buyers — away from the housing market. The last thing the housing industry needs right now (and for the foreseeable future) is another bucket of ice water to be thrown on the market. People who hear these news reports don't differentiate between a proposal and a done deal. They just know that a tax provision they actually understand and rely on is under siege. This is just unacceptable.

I am asking you to call to your representative's office today to ask him or her to defend the Mortgage Interest Deduction from any cuts or reduction as outlined in the Deficit Commission Report.
This Call for Action requires you to do something a little different. In order to track the calls we are making to Congress, we need you to follow the link and enter your phone number and zip code to be connected to your representative's office. You can make this call now, or later today at a more convenient time. But we need you to make this call.
After you enter the information, you will receive a phone call with instructions before being patched through to Capitol Hill.
Count me in Ron, I am ready to make my call*.
This call is important. We need to be clear and draw a line in the sand. While we all support efforts to reduce the deficit, further undermining the critical housing recovery cannot be the price that is paid. Here are some suggested talking points for you to use when you call:
I am a constituent and a REALTOR®.
I have been on the front lines of the housing crisis. I can assure you that even talk of changing MID harms an already fragile market.
I am strongly opposed to the Deficit Commission's proposal to either limit or eliminate the Mortgage Interest Deduction.
News reports saying that Congress threatens to repeal or limit MID will keep potential buyers on the sidelines and further delay the housing recovery.
We must speak loudly and clearly with one voice to ensure the further recovery of our economy and the housing market and educate every legislator about how much Home Ownership Matters. We can't do that with the few REALTORS® who take action consistently. We need every REALTOR® to respond. Please call NOW and tell your representative to help defend home ownership and the MID*.
On behalf of the NAR Leadership team, thank you for your support and time,

Ron Phipps
2011 NAR President

*Standard text messaging fees and rates apply









________________________________________

Santa Clara County 2010 & 2011 The Good The Bad and The Ugly!

Happy Holidays to you all!

Here are the 2010 Market Statistics for Santa Clara County through October and my 2011 Forecast .

As I predicted in my previous reports, we are now seeing the year-end pickup in activity which is being buoyed by the mounting positive economic news in the US and corresponding stock market upswing. As an indicator of overall improvement in the San Francisco Bay Area’s real estate market in comparison to 2009.

I am now forecasting a 12% increase in overall sales volume for 2011 over 2010. I anticipate that prices will remain mostly flat/stable with a 3-5% plus or minus variation depending on specific market areas, the rate of continued momentum in the economic recovery and other variables such as the Euro’s handling of its debt crisis. Overall, I expect that we will see an improved market in 2011 and we are now heading into the final stage of 2010 with headwinds that have more substance than the mostly government backed stimulus that drove the increased sales at the end of 2009.

From my family to yours, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a prosperous and peaceful 2011

Ginna, John and Claire

*************************************************************************************

Please find the most updated Market Dynamics statistics. These statistics are for Single Family and Condo/Townhomes in Santa Clara County.

Here are some highlights to pay particular attention to as you review the data/graphs through October of 2010:

1. Median Price- The Median price clicked up in Santa Clara County and ended the month of October at $535,000, up from $520,000 in September. The SCC Median reached its low point in March of 2009 at $415,000. Over the past two weeks, we have seen a resurgence of sales activity including some higher end offers and sales between $2 and $5M+ in our market areas. This, coupled with the increased pending sales activity in October/November will likely lead to a fairly steady Median price range as we close out 2010. December 2009 ended with a Median Price of $500,000 and I am right in line with my projection for a year end Median of $525,000 in SCC.
2. Supply&Demand (Units)- We continue to see a significant distinction as we compare October 2008 with 2010 in each of the following categories; For Sale (supply/inventory), Under Contract (pending sales) and Sold (closed escrows). To illustrate when we compare 2008 with the same month in 2010 we see the following- For Sale properties/supply continues to remain significantly: down 27.7%. The number of under contract properties (pending sales) continues to remain- up 34.7% and the sold/closed escrows remain up 27.4% . The general pattern and direction of this market for the past 12-18 months continues to be the same story; declining overall supply/inventory, increasing new sales and closed escrows.
3. Month’s Supply of Inventory & Days on Market The overall Months Supply of Inventory (months of inventory available based on the total existing supply divided by the rate of sales) is at the lowest point over the past two years at 2.8 months supply at month end (which is down from 4.0 months supply in September 2010 and 3.4 months in October 2009). This is down from a 2 year peak of 14.2 months in January of 08. Days on market has averaged between 45 and 60 days for the past 7-8 months and has increased over the past three months to nearly 70 days on market average.
4. Sales Absorption- The Absorption metrics have been consistently compelling with the comparison of October 2008 vs September 2010 with under contract properties up 72.24% and closed/sold escrows up 61.58%. 22.5% of the active properties/listings were under contract as of October 2010, up from a final figure of 17.4 percent in September of 2010.

The first half of 2010 was significantly stronger than the same time period 2009. We had a slight slowdown over the summer months of this year which is not all that uncommon from a seasonal perspective. This slowdown, however, did correspond with some global economic concerns mainly surrounding the Euro and resulted in a temporarily declining stock market in the US. The past several weeks have seen renewed confidence, and signs of hope that the economic recovery is picking up momentum. The DOW has responded and has mostly remained above 11,000 most recently and the past two days has climbed above 11,300. This is been powered by positive developments and reports mainly in areas of employment, retail sales and real estate. Two Bloomberg articles* posted today highlight the factors leading the reasons for increased optimism which is also driving up the US and Bay Area pending sales activity as we close out 2010.

*Bloomberg: Stocks Gain, Treasuries Fall, on Retail, Home Sales Data; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/asian-stocks-rise-set-for-best-gain-in-a-month-dollar-commodities-climb.html
*Bloomberg: Pending sales of US existing houses jumps a record 10% in October, indicating the industry at the center of the last recession is stabilizing as the job market improves; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/pending-sales-of-existing-homes-in-u-s-increased-a-record-10-in-october.html

Full Tummies, Full Hearts!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was (as ever) over the top. We spend it with John's first wife Joanne and their children and grandchildren and our children.

Today, Friday I am working and taking a listing. It feels as if the market is just going to explode out of the starting gate in January. Okeefe closed this week, finally. The Lenders are impossible (just because they can be) with partial doc revisions and conditions that are really silly ....alll...the...way...down... to the wire..ugh!

As we ramp up for Christmas let's not forget the reason for the season and maybe as a gift to the heavens commit several random acts of kindness, anonymously!

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public This Month

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

Whew what a day...

Well, finally the world has learned that Cashin Company has been acquired by Coldwell Banker.

Another wonderful family owned local Real Estate company has been swallowed by the 21st century version of Jaws....

I (not surprising to you all) march very much to my own drummer. My transition to Sereno Group is something that I had contemplated for years. I never would have left Cashin had it not been sold. Cashin was truly a family company. Skip Cashin and Chuck Aloo are generous and caring men...in a world of self centered suits. God bless Cashin and what it stood for. I had a wonderful home there for...wow 7 years? Before that was Seville which was sold to CB as well...thank God I am getting my Brokers License...they were so very, very good and kind to me.

So tomorrow begins a new journey. I am used to it. Our family company Turner Associates in Laguna Beach was sold (not without typical Real Estate drama). Then Cornish and Carey where John Lazar was an owner Broker...then my beloved Seville and now Cashin. My thoughts are with Skip Cashin really because this is a huge transition...it is a moment in time where I think that we should all stop and think and say a quiet thank you. All of the wrangling, wiggling and jostling goes on among all of the lemmings and that is just noise. This is really about the legacy of Skip and his father Emmit Cashin and the permanent imprint that they left on our industry. It is about John Lazar, Jim Cornish and Roger Rickard (like them or not) that made changes and contributions to RE...it is about all of the Seville ladies, especially my beloved Alice Nuzzo who raised the bar and created Seville. That is what we should all be thinking about; the legacies of these incredible professionals that set the standard that most of us in RE live by today.

I will keep you all updated on our changes which I look forward to. With age comes acceptance and even enjoyment in change.

Life on Mars

Well I'm still plugging along and Claire and I have not killed each other. She is very organized...I am not surprised.

Someone left me pretend eye balls in what I think is marinara sauce...must have been a satisfied client!

Clay closed no problems, now we have a sale in Menlo and a new listing in Almaden. My sweet clients from Spain are moving on.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Showing Property with a Twist

I love showing property...as long as it is with the right people. Usually we wind up not just laughing but gafawing...yes I wrote gafawing...here is why

Once while showing property to a couple that I just love...we went into the bedroom of this beautiful large home. Everything was leopard..I mean everything..the towels, the slippers, the robes, the bedspread AND all of the pillows...the only thing that was not leopard was the carpet which was white. As we turned to leave there was a really large picture of the husband. He was naked in this shot except for..you guessed it a leopard loin cloth...yes I peed my pants!

Yesterday a favorite client of mine was out with me. We walked into two bathrooms that were painted the color of Cremecicles...his observation not mine..

I will tell more stories there have been some good ones!

Welcome Claire Lazar!

Well my side-kick of eight years has moved on to happy pastures in the Cashin Los Altos office. Yes, Carol will be a full fledged agent in Los Altos. While all this was going on Claire Lazar decided to get her RE License...sooo instant assistant material! Ha

Of course all of the you know what has hit the proverbial fan and we are inundated with work. I guess it is best just to throw the non-swimmer in the deep end because she is doing well...actually better than I had expected.

Buyers, Buyers, Buyers and Multiple Offers!

Well the tidal wave has hit. The Buyers are very busy in the mid-peninsula. Just in the last week I aquired four new Buyers...all referrals. A big thank you to my past clients/friends who have referred me to thier friends!!! That is truly the best complement.

We reduced the price for the San Francisco property and as expected we have three confirmed offers and I think that we will have five when all is said and done. The Buyers in San Francisco seem to be hanging back to see if the interest rates really have hit bottom. Watch out and hide under a table if the rates tick up beacuse every Buyer in the market will jump. I think that these Buyers will think that we have hit bottom and that the rates are on the way back up.

The final outcome of this will be interesting...I will keep you posted

SB 1980 in the last stages..only the Senators or the Gov can stop it now

E-Mail letters!!!! Last stages for SB 1980...Our only hope now are the Senators and our Gov!!!


This is the portion of the bill that was slipped in during summer session in Sacramento when everyone was out of town by Assembly member Mary Hayashi. I am told this is standard operating procedure for her. She slips or deletes verbiage into her bills at the last minute...just FYI a small an undisclosed fact…our farriers might very well fall under this. Our Equine dentists will for sure. This will force these practitioners out of business and we get to pay the veterinarians to do these tasks for us!

The paragraph below I cut and pasted from sub-section 3 of the Bill…it was buried.


“This bill would provide that a person also practices veterinary
medicine when he or she performs physical rehabilitation or
musculoskeletal manipulation upon an animal, unless otherwise
authorized by regulation of the board. By thereby expanding the scope
of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program”

Write letters and e-mail or send to all Senators- Boxer, Feinstien, Simitian ASAP this thing is in the final stages and the it goes to the Gov very soon. Our friends and wonderful practitioners are done for. Most of the Chiro’s, Farriers and Equine dentists don’t even know about this because it was hidden in this bill……

Reach out to EVERYONE state wide that might be effected by this….

FOR EQUESTRIAN CLIENTS OPPOSE SB-1980 Read This!

Assemblymember Hayashi has introduced legislation to the state senate that would make it illegal — a crime — for anyone other than a board certified veterinarian to offer chiropractic care, massage, or other bodywork to your horse or other pet. Apparently this legislation will be voted on this coming Monday, so if you can take the time to call or email your senate and assemblyperson (find them here http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html) to let them know that you do not support AB 1980 you will help preserve your pets access to affordable chiropractic and bodywork care. While I believe a horse (or other animal) already under veterinary care should always have veterinary approval before any other modalities are applied, I have a hard time imagining a world where our already busy vets will acquire the education and have the time to give a horse a full body massage or chiropractic adjustment of the kind we might get for ourselves as part of a wellness protocol.

Apparently the passage of this bill would make it illegal for your current chiropractor or massage therapist or other complementary care practitioner who is NOT a vet to continue to provide care to your horse or pet.



Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard. You are your horse's (and other animals') spokesperson in this and all other matters.





Here is the language from the bill which you can check out yourself at:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1951-2000/ab_1980_bill_20100629_amended_sen_v96.pdf




(3) Existing law prohibits the practice of veterinary medicine without

a license and specifies that a person practices veterinary medicine when

he or she, among other things, represents himself or herself as engaged

in the practice of veterinary medicine or administers a treatment of

whatever nature for the cure or relief of a bodily injury or disease of an

animal.

This bill would provide that a person also practices veterinary

medicine when he or she performs physical rehabilitation or

musculoskeletal manipulation upon an animal, unless otherwise

authorized by regulation of the board. By thereby expanding the scope

of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(4) Existing law requires the board to establish the tasks that may be

performed by a registered veterinary technician and requires a person

performing those tasks to be registered by the board.





To further clarify, The CVMA task force in 2007 defined physical rehabilitation (PR) as follows:

“(a) the term animal physical rehabilitation (PR) is the art and science of physical or corrective rehabilitation of any animal by use of the physical, chemical and other properties of heat, light, water, electricity, sound, massage and active, passive, and resistive exercise and shall include physical rehabilitation evaluation, treatment planning, instruction and consultative services. PR when performed upon animals constitutes the practice of veterinary medicine.

(b) PR may only be performed by the following persons:

(1) A veterinarian who has examined the animal patient and has sufficient knowledge to make a diagnosis of the medial condition of the animal, has assumed responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment, including a determination that PR will not be harmful to the animal patient, discussed with the owner of the animal or the owner’s authorized representative a course of treatment, and is readily available or has made arrangement for follow-up evaluation in the event to adverse reaction or failure of the treatment regimen.

(2) A California licensed physical therapist (“physical Therapist”) working under the direct supervision of a veterinarian.





Sarah Miles, MA EBW

Balanced Equine Body Work

831-251-9871

smiley@cruzio.com

www.balancedequinebodywork.com

In the bushes....

So last week is was chasing a dog and rescuing him from the termite man...today I crawled thru the bushes...literally... to locate a key box to show a house! Ah the determination and tenacity of the Realtor :)

Still low inventory and we have Buyers, Buyers, Buyers coupled with all time low interest rates....if you are going to be listing you should do it now!

Cannot Give A Referral Away!!

I am trying to refer three properties in Central California. I cannot get any Brokers or Agents to respond.

I have now called and left messages for the Brokers of record at each company.

Could it be that California's Central Valley is exploding with Real Estate Activity? Or, more likely that this is representative of the lack of professionalism and motivation that is inherent in my line of work.

The standard of care sure is different in my office...if someone has a need and I can help I do it. I do not focus on how much my compensation will be....too idealistic for my work world I guess...but I will not change!

One would think that any work is good work.....

Rates continue to remain historical low and now is the opportune time to consider a home purchase or refinance of your existing mortgage.

Everbody is an expert......

What a special gift...I currently have listed a beautiful condo...the price per square ft for the area has adjusted over time because of the recession and we had to lower the price.. it is now priced appropriately. The tenants/ other owners just sent me (cc'ing the owner) how we should pull the property off of the market and update per their observations....they want to force the value up on their own units...HELLO RECESSION!? HELLO RE-MELTDOWN in 2009!? All of the wishing in the world will not increase the value of your home...it is what it is......

Launched the Face Book for Lazar Homes

So a computer whiz I am not...it has taken me all day almost to navigate the Facebook site to create both an ad and a Facebook for Lazar Homes.....comical really! But I did succeed and you can find me on Facebook at Lazar Homes. Tell me what you think give me suggestions...I mean how dry can a subject be? Real Estate come on. I do have a client that is due to have her baby on the 27th of July and she said that she felt like a oompa loompa...or when my friend Joseph stopped by and we ripped on a certain political party...that was hysterical but I can't even expand on that soo I can tell you that there is finally inventory in the mid-peninsula...I can tell you that Joan Paulin passed away (old time Palo Alto agent that used to work for John) That discussion let to the political discussion because Joan was very political (one of the many things that I loved about her). I can also tell you that my listings are selling and that the Buyers are out in force. Thats all now....I'll try harder tomorrow...

Properties Selling Off-Market

Well I have had five properties sell off market so far (all Buyers). That seems to be what is happening. First and foremost it is not in the best interest of a Seller, they may be leaving money on the table. Also, I can only imagine the lawsuits that will come out of this because Sellers will assert that their properties were not marketed properly and that they could have obtained a higer sales price. I have a disclosure/disclaimer for this!

So once again the eager young Realtors and the greedy old Realtors will take it in the shorts...sucks for them. I would NEVER advise a Seller to do this. My pocket book is not more important than my fiduciary obligation.

The other big issue is that we could get into murky waters if Realtors stop supporting the MLS.

Oh and yes...out of area Realtors are as weird as we have all heard! Good story, I'll tell it in August!

Good Advice from Eric Trailer

Per Eric Trailer:

Call him for your loan, he is exceptional!

"I received over a half-dozen phone calls or emails on Wednesday asking, “What will happen to mortgages now that Fannie and Freddie have been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange?” And the answer is, “While it’s rarely good news when any company gets “pink sheeted”, the handwriting was on the wall since the stock price was treading below $1.00 since the beginning of May. Since you and I (and every other taxpayer) own Fannie and Freddie, and since they represent the secondary mortgage market, they’re not going anywhere and loans in process as well as future loans will continue to fund...”



Builders continue to be pessimistic, according to the latest sentiment index coming in at 17 (a reading below 50 indicates poor sentiment), and they are warning that we may actually experience a housing shortage due to reduced housing supply. This is a bit tough to buy into, especially given last month’s report from Barclays on shadow inventory peaking this summer. But it does provide them a great excuse to ask the government/taxpayers for relief.



The CA tax credit for home purchases now has over 115,220 applications, representing over $136,000,000, but the state continues to encourage first-time homebuyers to submit applications since they only count 57% of the funds requested… The New Home Credit, however, has only 5,630 applications and reservations requested, representing only $51,0000,000— about half of the funding allowance.

If you or your clients are worried about the deadline on the Federal Tax Credit.., it’s likely that an extension will be granted.



Good news on the appraisal front is that I received word from a credible source that CAR will be sponsoring a bill that will eliminate the allowance of property tax stamps to be placed on the back of the deed. While this may be a sensitive privacy issue, the fact is that every hidden sale compromises an appraiser’s ability to make a proper value determination on a given comparable property, which is about the last thing that we need in a recovering market where comparable sales are tough enough to come by."

Running like a wild woman!

Running, running that seems to be the name of the game this month. The activity level is great and no inventory....makes for multiple offers. That is good for my Sellers and challenging for me on the Buying end; just my cup of tea! The Relay for Life went well in Los Altos at Eagan School but it was sooo hot! I stayed home.

I sign off Deodara this week and wait for offers on Clay. The College properties are getting ready. All this and show season just started. The mare is locked in and ready as long as there is no operator error!

All for now.....

When in Rome my leetle friend!

A certain Realtor in the Los Altos area seems to think that the PRDS is obsolete. Does this person not realize that the PRDS is an integral part of the workings of SILVAR? Really, these whipper snappers with their brilliant ideas come along and want to change everything that has taken decades to create! Would it not be an excellent idea to first find out why it exists? Not only that it is way more "user friendly" than the CAR contract. When in Rome my little friend who has probably sold 3 houses! When in Rome.....

Is anybody out there???

The Los Altos listing is in contract and the Pacific Heights listing is now on the market. More listings coming on and two new Buyers! It is turning into a great year.

I have decided that a certain staging company J_ _ is the worst ever. I had never used them and my clients used them because a friend recommended them. The stuff that came was old...the glass on the pictures was cracked...really shoddy. They replaced the bad pillows and furniture with new that they went out and bought at Ikea...point for them but left the pictures...point taken away. Now my clients who are moving in two weeks, were told that these prima donnas need a week to schedule the removal of their items. Really bad form. My stagers...Artistic Decor, owned by Sheri Quirk, really work hard. Whatever I need they do...no questions no hassle and all of their items are immaculate! I guess J_ _ got too big for their britches.

I am wondering why I write this thing...nobody reads it but me!

The market is picking up...re-newed interest in Listings that have been on for awhile because of lack of inventory. It is a great time to list. There are so many homes selling before they even hit MLS...oh I told you that before. Well it is a good thing.

There is another new Listing that I have coming on in Almaden Valley it is a 10!

I need to move a hive of Bees any ideas? Don't say we don't earn our keep

Well Los Altos Homes are only moving if priced low to sell high. I still think that Sellers are leaving money on the table using this strategy. My current Listing in Los Altos was just reduced significantly; hopefully this will do the trick. The market is a conundrum right now, no strategy really works.

Yet I have had 5 "off-market" sales already this year. These are properties that sold befor they even hit MLS.

What do you all think?

Having bees relocated...Smilin' Bees or Humble Bee?

And the beat goes on...

I had an offer on of of my Listings. It was a very weak offer but my Clients/Sellers were willing to negotiate. The Buyers did not even respond to the counter and waited to let us know 5 minutes before the dead line. Was this offer made in good faith? I think not. The purchase amount that these Buyers were offering was rediculous. We were all shocked at how badly this was handled. The Buyers agent never even followed up with me for a discussion...a little unprofessional I would say. The Buyers had come to the Open Houses many times. They love the house but the last time they brought the parents...the parents want them to move to Los Gatos. So there is the problem, I deduce from all of this that the parents are holding the purse strings. Why make an offer at all and waste our time?

On a different note I have an SF listing coming on. No I don't typically do SF listings...only in special circumstances for special people. This was my beloved Paul's flat. For those of you who remember he was my first boyfriend and lifelone friend. He died of an AIDS related illness in 2008. I am selling this for his brothers. A labor of love....

I have 4 Palo Alto lisitngs coming up in the next several months and am looking forward to kicking off a new ad campaign.

So there you are it is a good year! All of my loved one's are healthy and happy and the market is brisk.

I took the leap and sent the Blogspot link to all clients/friends and family. I wonder if now someone will listen and respond to my musings....and who will press DELETE ;0

Here is an idea, what do you think of the following? I say since we have low inventory and a very, very active market with multiple offers...why? Unless you have a home that won't sell; this could be a good incentive...

How about offering a way for a buyer to get a 'tax credit replacement'. Here is what I found out yesterday; some Brokerages are introducing what it is calling a "buyer bonus sales event". The company's agents are asking their sellers to offer a credit at closing of 3 percent of the purchase price, or up to $8,000, to buyers who sign a purchase contract between May 1 and July 31. Unlike the federal tax credit, there's no deadline for closing a transaction and no income eligibility requirements. And unlike marketing promotions in other industries, consumers can look at a property listing's history to ensure the $8,000 wasn't padded into a previous listing price.

What would a lender think of this on a closing statement? With the strict new lending guidelines would this fly? It seems that there might be some tax ramifications as well...

Thoughts?

Here is a good one, I love this

I went to sign off my Client/Buyer yesterday on a home that we are purchasing in Woodside. We needed to extend Close of Escrow by a few days because the Sellers loan was made out of a Pension Fund in Nebraska or Missouri. The man that lent the money through the Pension plan, as an investment for himself, is a farmer. He is also a traveling preacher. The loan is so new that he wasn’t even aware that it had been made (investment remember). So he asked the Title Company to call his accountant. When they reached the accountant he was speaking from his cell phone and literally sitting on his John Deere disking his field (for those of you who do not know that is riding a tractor and turning soil and a John Deere is a type of tractor).

This is a great story...my fathers family was from down-state Illinois and they were farmers. I tend to fall on the love of the land side and that is probably why I show my horses. I think that the message here is that the world still turns even at a slower pace.

I think that I will slow down today

Well here we are....

Who knew that something like this would ever exist for people to exchange information. I certainly didn't. I remember the rotary dial phones; although I was very, very young ; )

As I launch our new blogspot I am thinking about the kinds of information people would appreciate...I mean come on Real Estate...every one yawns! So I'll not only try to provide you with the current going's on and updates with our crazy market I will try to pepper it with some humorous stories...like the wonderful agent that I know who backed into a pool as she was showing the, "lovely back yard" to her clients...there are a million hysterical stories and hopefully good information...

So ladies and gentlemen walcome to Lazar Blog Spot!