Local Real Estate Market Update, Fourth Quarter 2011
January 10, 2012 by Dana · Leave a Comment
During the quarter ended December 31, 2011, 310 homes were sold in our local market*, up marginally from the 307 homes sold in the same quarter last year. The median price fell to $692,500 during the quarter, down 6% from $739,000 in the same quarter last year. Properties took slightly longer to sell, 37 days [...]
The Long View in Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont Real Estate
January 9, 2012 by Dana · Leave a Comment
I’m at a holiday party and someone approaches me. “Hi Dana, I understand you’re a Realtor”. Having enjoyed more than a few holiday parties over the years, I can pretty much guess what’s going to happen next. “I’m thinking about a transaction in the new year… what do you think the market will [...]
Prices Are Relative
October 6, 2011 by Dana · Leave a Comment
We move for different reasons. Yet we have one thing in common if we are considering the purchase or sale of a home in our local market: the realization that our area is expensive. What does “expensive” actually mean? After all, prices are relative. A median priced home in our local market* for the third [...]
Local Real Estate Update, Third Quarter 2011
October 6, 2011 by Dana · Leave a Comment
During the quarter ended September 30, 2011, 320 homes were sold in our local market*, down 4% from the 334 homes sold in the same quarter last year. The median price fell to $739,000 during the quarter, down 1% from $749,000 in the same quarter last year. Properties took slightly longer to sell, 33 days [...]
Virtual Realty
July 4, 2011 by Dana · Leave a Comment
It wasn’t long ago when real estate agents enjoyed a prized possession: the bi-weekly Multiple Listing Book, the only complete list of all available homes for sale. Home buyers would meet with their agents to discuss the available inventory and then tour the homes together. It was a highly interactive process. I still remember my first [...]
Rain, Rain, Go Away — Or Not
April 8, 2011 by Dana · Leave a Comment
Now that the rain has stopped, I can take some time off from building my ark to write my quarterly update. In all of my years in the business, I don’t remember a winter that produced as much concentrated rainfall as this one. Wet weather creates both challenges and opportunities for buyers and sellers [...]
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
January 7, 2011 by Dana · Leave a Comment
I just returned from my annual vacation to Palm Springs where I always enjoy time with family and friends and reflect on the events of the past year. No vacation for me is complete without a visit to a local open house to satisfy my curiosity about living a different lifestyle. I dropped [...]
Don’t Believe Everything You Read
October 12, 2010 by Dana · Leave a Comment
Lately, I’ve been trying to make sense of the disparity between the gloom and doom real estate headlines and what is shaping up to be my busiest year in the business. While I would like to believe that it has something to do with my experience and level of service, I am not immune [...]
Show Me The Money
July 5, 2010 by Dana · Leave a Comment
Sometimes art imitates life so closely that it describes a real world situation better than words. If I were to describe our current local residential real estate market, I would use the famous “Show Me the Money” scene from the movie Jerry McGuire. For those of you who are avid football fans like me, it [...]
Dwindling Supply, Increasing Demand
April 8, 2010 by Dana · Leave a Comment
In my last report to you, I predicted that the spring market would be active with signs of increasing demand and firming prices. The early data suggests that this is happening. In fact, 59% of The Grubb Company’s transactions during the first quarter involved multiple offers, an excellent sign that demand is coming [...]
