Local Real Estate News

Mortgage Mania 26 - …And Henry Giveth Again

You would have to be living under a rock to have missed this today, so here is a newsflash for all you subterranian dwellers. Henry Paulson’s latest bailout plan now consists of borrowing $800 Billion from The Fed to buy up mortgage assets, consumer credit card debt and car loans. In his article,... Read more »

Mortgage Mania 25 - Now What?

Henry giveth, and Henry taketh away . . . When Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson asked Congress for $750 Billion (yes, that’s with a B) financial bailout package, the justification was to buy up distressed mortgage assets so that banks would start lending again, and hopefully the epidemic of foreclosures... Read more »

McCain’s debate night bombshell

Did you see the debate last night? During one of the questions about the economy and the financial crisis, McCain dropped a bombshell! When Tom Brokaw asked about what needs to be done to help the housing market, McCain suggested that Government should buy back all these defaulted loans and then give... Read more »

Let’s End The Housing Crisis Here And Now … A Modest Proposal For How To Spend The $700BN

Even us “glass half-full” types have to admit the news these days is bad.  Any day Congress passes a $700BN and has to tag on only another couple billion or so of Christmas ornaments to get it passed, well, on that day, you know things were urgent, and they had to act fast.  Wooden arrow... Read more »

And Another One Bites The Dust…

Apparently at least a handful of government financial regulatory employees were doing something today other than figuring out how much money Wall Street needs to keep from further imploding… The New York Times reports that JP Morgan Chase has taken over troubled lender Wamu. What next? SHARETHIS.addEntry({... Read more »

What’s Happening In This Market? A Liberal Dose Of Mixed Metaphors To Help Us Understand It

Movies.  Shoes.  Phases.  What do they have in common?  All have been recently used as metaphors describing the economy or predictions of where the economy is going. On the day that the Fannie and Freddie s$#@ hit the fan, Sherry Chris of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate quoted Realogy CEO Alex... Read more »

Attention All You Crazy Drivers In The Fair Oaks Neighborhood: Those Traffic Circles Are There To Slow You Down

Having spent much of my life in former British colonies, I am well versed in various British-isms:  marmite (yuck), lifts (not elevators), sprinkling my words with extraneous u’s … and the correct use of roundabouts — or “traffic circles” as they’re commonly known... Read more »

Mortgage Mania 19 - The Jumbo Strikes Back

Amid all the celebration and hullabaloo associated with the recent drop in conforming interest rates as a result of the Treasury Department taking over management of GSE’s Fannie May and Freddie Mac, there has been scant analysis of the elephant in the room, namely Jumbo (aka non-conforming) loans... Read more »

Mortgage Mania 18 - Can You Say Taxpayer Bailout?

What The Government Seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Means To You Unless you have been hiding under a rock the past couple of days, you couldn’t miss the announcement that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has placed government backed mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a... Read more »

Good News About Real Estate in the Mercury? Well Sort Of

Long-time readers know that I do my newspaper reading online via the New York Times. In a throwback to a quieter time, I do subscribe to the San Jose Mercury News on Sundays as we like to peruse the articles and share witty banter about the headlines over morning coffee. In an interesting twist, I also... Read more »

Real Estate Industry News

Which Job Would Be More Frustrating: Social Media Manager at NAR, or Clothing Manager at a Nudist Colony?

I’d say it’s a toss-up.  At least at the nudist colony there might be some, uh, ancillary job benefits, while the NAR position would require moving to Chicago.  And that’s just a start. Alerted by several folks, including those at NAR Wisdom, about NAR’s new “Social Media... Read more »

The Tweet-Cops — Law Enforcement’s Use of Social Media

Despite being a late adopter of technology generally, the real estate industry has embraced social media better than most industries have, and arguably behind only politics and technology.  Here’s an interesting use of social media from a completely different industry:  law enforcement. Joanne... Read more »

McCain’s debate night bombshell

Did you see the debate last night? During one of the questions about the economy and the financial crisis, McCain dropped a bombshell! When Tom Brokaw asked about what needs to be done to help the housing market, McCain suggested that Government should buy back all these defaulted loans and then give... Read more »

Are Digital Cameras And PDA’s Really The “Latest In Advanced Technology”? That’s What CAR Thinks!

From the “What decade are we in?” department, comes this choice gem of a promotional email from our good friends at the California Association of Realtors.  They’re running an Expo next week, and a promotional email just arrived in my inbox, from which I quote: Don’t miss this opportunity... Read more »

Let’s End The Housing Crisis Here And Now … A Modest Proposal For How To Spend The $700BN

Even us “glass half-full” types have to admit the news these days is bad.  Any day Congress passes a $700BN and has to tag on only another couple billion or so of Christmas ornaments to get it passed, well, on that day, you know things were urgent, and they had to act fast.  Wooden arrow... Read more »

And Another One Bites The Dust…

Apparently at least a handful of government financial regulatory employees were doing something today other than figuring out how much money Wall Street needs to keep from further imploding… The New York Times reports that JP Morgan Chase has taken over troubled lender Wamu. What next? SHARETHIS.addEntry({... Read more »

What’s Happening In This Market? A Liberal Dose Of Mixed Metaphors To Help Us Understand It

Movies.  Shoes.  Phases.  What do they have in common?  All have been recently used as metaphors describing the economy or predictions of where the economy is going. On the day that the Fannie and Freddie s$#@ hit the fan, Sherry Chris of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate quoted Realogy CEO Alex... Read more »

See Tim Ferriss Speak in San Francisco. Discount Code BIZSCY148

Hello ladies & gents I know this has nothing to do with staging But many of you who read my blogs know I am passionate about technology and its application to small businesses. My business certainly has benefited from technology tremendously and I would not have found the success that I have without... Read more »

Mortgage Mania 19 - The Jumbo Strikes Back

Amid all the celebration and hullabaloo associated with the recent drop in conforming interest rates as a result of the Treasury Department taking over management of GSE’s Fannie May and Freddie Mac, there has been scant analysis of the elephant in the room, namely Jumbo (aka non-conforming) loans... Read more »

Mortgage Mania 18 - Can You Say Taxpayer Bailout?

What The Government Seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Means To You Unless you have been hiding under a rock the past couple of days, you couldn’t miss the announcement that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has placed government backed mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a... Read more »

Redwood City

$875,000 :: 929 Grand St, Redwood City CA, 94061
1 Dec 2008 at 1:55am

$619,000 :: 94 Central Av, Redwood City CA, 94061
10 Nov 2008 at 1:57am

$635,000 :: 301 Nimitz Av, Redwood City CA, 94061
4 Nov 2008 at 9:00am

Mountain View Updates

$958,888 :: Tyrella Av, Mountain View CA, 94043
30 Nov 2008 at 4:26pm

$699,988 :: 2255 Showers Dr #383, Mountain View CA, 94040
9 Nov 2008 at 8:10pm

$879,000 :: 201 Thompson Sq, Mountain View CA, 94043
5 Nov 2008 at 11:18am

Menlo Park Updates

$2,495,000 :: 105 Seminary Dr, Menlo Park CA, 94025
1 Dec 2008 at 1:51am

Buyers playing "wait and see"; sellers playing "now we list, now we don't" -- result: stalemate. Wonder what the New Year will bring?
19 Nov 2008 at 11:08am

Median prices in Menlo Park now $1.4M (see http://tinyurl.com/mpdata1) with still strong market bifurcation btw high and low end.
19 Nov 2008 at 11:07am

Palo Alto Updates

$1,229,500 :: 318 Bryant Ct, Palo Alto CA, 94301
30 Nov 2008 at 4:54pm

$1,995,000 :: Edgewood Dr, Palo Alto CA, 94301
10 Nov 2008 at 1:47am

$2,495,000 :: 4260 Wilkie Wy, Palo Alto CA, 94306
4 Nov 2008 at 10:50pm

Atherton Updates

$4,688,000 :: Cebalo Ln, Atherton CA, 94027
18 Nov 2008 at 1:51am

$6,995,000 :: 70 Serrano Dr, Atherton CA, 94027
9 Nov 2008 at 8:19pm

$5,995,000 :: 450 Middlefield Rd, Atherton CA, 94027
3 Nov 2008 at 1:38am

Los Altos Updates

$1,549,000 :: 649 Hollingsworth Dr, Los Altos CA, 94022
30 Nov 2008 at 3:21pm

$1,798,000 :: 1430 Redwood Dr, Los Altos CA, 94024
10 Nov 2008 at 1:59am

$3,395,000 :: 951 Echo Dr, Los Altos CA, 94024
5 Nov 2008 at 5:56am

Los Altos Hills Updates

$1,795,000 :: 11001 Magdalena Rd, Los Altos Hills CA, 94024
25 Nov 2008 at 5:48am

$6,900,000 :: 12023 Adobe Creek Lodge Rd, Los Altos Hills CA, 94022
8 Nov 2008 at 8:38pm

$4,195,000 :: 10632 Magdalena Rd, Los Altos Hills CA, 94024
3 Nov 2008 at 2:42am

Portola Valley Updates

$3,495,000 :: 1065 Westridge Dr, Portola Valley CA, 94028
18 Nov 2008 at 2:19am

$3,195,000 :: 55 Golden Oak Dr, Portola Valley CA, 94028
10 Nov 2008 at 1:02am

$975,000 :: 76 Old Spanish Tl, Portola Valley CA, 94028
31 Oct 2008 at 8:23pm

Woodside Updates

$1,695,000 :: 21 Martinez Rd, Woodside CA, 94062
26 Nov 2008 at 8:01pm

$1,998,000 :: 885 Patrol Rd, Woodside CA, 94062
10 Nov 2008 at 1:58am

$1,950,000 :: 2180 Ward Wy, Woodside CA, 94062
4 Nov 2008 at 8:01pm

San Carlos Updates

$499,000 :: 728 Elm St #301, San Carlos CA, 94070
28 Nov 2008 at 6:46pm

$708,800 :: 1 Torino Ln, San Carlos CA, 94070
9 Nov 2008 at 12:55pm

$1,085,000 :: 121 Sunnydale Av, San Carlos CA, 94070
4 Nov 2008 at 5:07am

Belmont Updates

$1,350,000 :: 2202 Coronet Bl, Belmont CA, 94002
1 Dec 2008 at 1:07am

$1,150,000 :: 1935 Hillman Av, Belmont CA, 94002
8 Nov 2008 at 8:06pm

$825,000 :: 1218 North Rd, Belmont CA, 94002
5 Nov 2008 at 3:15am

Other Cities

Coming soon!