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Nina Daruwalla - Realtor, Coldwell Banker

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Cupertino, CA
Nina Daruwalla - Realtor, Coldwell Banker

Nina Daruwalla- Realtor, Taking exceptional care of you from start to finish & beyond! CalRE #: 01712223 I build lifetime relationships, not single transactions!

My passion and interest in people and homes, led me to get my Real Estate license in California once more, and I work as a full time Realtor with Coldwell Banker, Cupertino. My aim is to help as many people in the sale or purchase of a home, taking good care of all their needs, and making sure they are well satisfied and settled.

06/16/2026

If you've been house hunting in the Bay Area and feel like you keep losing to a buyer with deeper pockets, you might be right, just maybe not in the way you'd assume.
Redfin reports that 28% of homes bought in San Francisco this year went to investors, which can be corporations, trusts, or small businesses. More than 20% of homes sold in other Bay Area cities went to investors as well. That's the highest level of investor activity in the Bay Area since 2000.

Here's the part that surprised me most.
This trend isn't happening nationwide. The number of investors purchasing homes across the country has actually been dropping. So why is the Bay Area moving in the opposite direction?

According to the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, most of these "investors" aren't institutional buyers. They're individual buyers who've done well in the stock market. When these buyers cash out gains and move up into a different community, they're often not selling the home they're leaving. They're converting it into a rental.

What this means in practice: every home that gets upgraded out of becomes a potential rental rather than new inventory for the next buyer. The supply that would normally cycle back into the market for move-up buyers is quietly shrinking.

If you're searching right now and it feels harder than it should, this is part of why. It's not just rates. It's not just inventory headlines. It's a structural shift in who's buying and what happens to the home they leave behind.

Understanding this changes how you should approach your search, your offer strategy, and your timeline. That's exactly the kind of context I bring to every client conversation.

Curious how this is playing out in the neighborhoods you're looking at? Let's talk. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

06/14/2026

If you've ever spent an entire weekend refreshing Zillow and ended up more exhausted than excited, you're not alone. House hunting can easily turn into a part-time job. Here's how to make it feel manageable again.

1. Get pre-approved before you start looking.
This isn't just a formality. It tells you exactly what you can afford, which instantly narrows your search and saves you from falling in love with homes that are out of reach.

2. Set up alerts instead of searching every day.
Let listings come to you. A few well-tuned saved searches will surface new homes the moment they hit the market, so you're not spending hours scrolling for the same handful of options.

3. Get clear on your non-negotiables before you tour anything.
Write down the three or four things that actually matter (commute, school district, outdoor space, number of bedrooms) and let everything else be flexible. This alone cuts down on wasted showings.

4. Do a first pass online before you go in person.
Photos, floor plans, and neighborhood info can rule out a lot of homes before you ever leave the house. Save your in-person time for places that have already passed the first test.

5. Lean on someone who already knows the market.
This is the one most buyers skip, and it's the one that saves the most time. When you have someone filtering listings, flagging red flags, and telling you honestly when a home isn't worth a second look, the whole process gets lighter.

House hunting doesn't have to feel like a full-time commitment. With the right approach (and the right person in your corner) it can actually feel exciting again.

If you're starting your search and want a partner who makes this part easier, that's exactly what I'm here for. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

06/08/2026

Gas prices are now part of the home-buying conversation in California and most buyers aren't accounting for them.

California drivers are currently paying an average of $6.15 a gallon, the highest in the nation. New data from Rocket Money shows the average household spent 29% more on gas in early May than before the Iran conflict began in late February, while overall household spending increased just 2.9% during the same period. That gap tells the story: fuel costs are quietly consuming budget that buyers were counting on for housing. SF PlanningGolden Tax Relief

Here's how this plays out specifically in the Bay Area.

Commute distance is a hidden cost of affordability.

The Bay Area has long pushed buyers further out in search of lower price points - Antioch, Tracy, Stockton, Livermore. The math has always been: accept a longer commute, gain purchasing power. At gas prices up more than 50% year over year, that calculus is shifting. The monthly fuel cost of a long commute now eats meaningfully into the mortgage payment savings buyers thought they were making. Golden Tax Relief

The refinery picture makes this worse before it gets better.

The combined closure of the Phillips 66 and Valero refineries - representing roughly one-fifth of California's refining capacity - combined with new state regulations, could push prices to between $7.35 and $8.44 a gallon by end of 2026, according to a University of Southern California analysis. This isn't speculation. It's structural. AmLegal

What this means for buyers right now.

Location strategy has always mattered in real estate. In 2026, it matters more than ever. A home that looks affordable on paper because of its distance from job centers may carry a total monthly cost - mortgage, gas, time - that closes that gap entirely.

The buyers who make smart decisions in this market are the ones running the full numbers, not just the mortgage payment.

That is exactly the conversation I have with every client before we start the search. Want to run yours? Let's talk. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

06/05/2026

Selling your Bay Area home in 2026? Capital gains tax is likely the biggest financial variable in your sale - and most homeowners don't fully understand their exposure until it's too late to plan around it.

Here's how California actually works, and where people get tripped up.
The federal exclusion exists, but California adds a layer.

When you sell your primary residence, up to $250,000 in gains are excluded from federal tax for single filers, and up to $500,000 for married couples filing jointly. California fully conforms to this rule. But here's the critical difference: California taxes all remaining capital gains as ordinary income, at rates up to 13.3% for high earners. There is no preferential long-term capital gains rate at the state level.

The two tests most sellers underestimate.

To qualify for the full exclusion, you must have owned the home for at least two years and lived in it as your primary residence for at least two of the five years before selling. The years don't need to be consecutive. But if you rented out your home for four of the last five years, you fail the use test and lose the exclusion entirely, even if you've owned it the whole time.

The million-dollar threshold catches Bay Area sellers off guard.

California's Mental Health Services Act adds a 1% tax on every dollar of personal taxable income above $1,000,000. A large home sale can push your total income past that threshold even when your salary alone wouldn't get you there, and that threshold isn't indexed for inflation, so more sellers cross it every year.
Your cost basis is worth protecting.

Every home improvement you've made (kitchen remodel, new roof, addition) can be added to your cost basis, reducing your taxable gain. But without documentation, the IRS can disallow these additions entirely. Keep every receipt, invoice, and permit.

The combined exposure on large gains is significant.

Add the federal long-term capital gains rate and the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax for high earners, and combined tax exposure on large gains commonly runs 30% to 40% of the taxable portion.

\This isn't legal or tax advice, but it is the conversation I make sure every seller has with their CPA before we list, not after. The planning window matters as much as the sale itself.
Thinking about selling in the next 12 months? Let's talk through the timing. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

06/03/2026

A $1 home in Italy sounds like a dream. And it is, just not quite the one the headlines are selling.

The €1 house programs across rural Italy are real and still running in 2026. The premise: Italian villages have been emptying for decades as younger generations move to cities, and municipalities are selling abandoned homes for €1 to buyers willing to renovate them, with the goal of saving entire towns from extinction.

Here's what the fine print actually looks like:

The €1 is not the cost. It's the entry fee.

You'll need to present a renovation plan, complete the work within a year, and pay the municipality an insurance bond of around €5,000, which you forfeit if the renovation doesn't happen. Renovation costs on a crumbling stone structure can run anywhere from €50,000 to well over €150,000 depending on condition and location.

These are municipal programs, not a national law.

Each town runs its own initiative, sets its own rules and deadlines, and decides which buildings are included. What's allowed in one village (holiday rental, B&B, personal residence) may be restricted in another.
Owning property does not mean you can live there.

For US citizens, the 90/180-day tourist rule still applies. Extended stays require an Elective Residence Visa, which demands proof of passive income of at least €31,000 per year. Owning property in Italy grants no right of residency.
So why does this matter for Bay Area homeowners?

Because the families and investors I work with are often sitting on enough equity to make something like this genuinely possible, if they structure it right. The question isn't whether Italy is interesting. It's whether your current real estate position gives you the flexibility to pursue it.

That's a conversation worth having. 🏡

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

06/01/2026

Some of my favorite clients are the ones who weren't quite ready when we first talked.
They reached out because they were curious, or a friend mentioned my name, or they just wanted to understand what the market looked like. No pressure, no timeline. Just an honest conversation.

A year or two later, when life brought them to the right moment, they came back. And because we'd already built trust, the whole process felt different.

If you're in that early-curious stage right now, I'd genuinely love to hear where you're at. There's no wrong time to start the conversation. 💬

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

05/30/2026

Six World Cup matches at Levi's Stadium this summer. Here's what Bay Area homeowners should know before they list their home. 🌍

The opportunity is real - Airbnb estimates hosts can earn around $3,000 on average, and is offering a $750 bonus to first-time hosts in eligible zip codes.

But the fine print matters:
→ SF has a 90-night annual limit on unhosted rentals and requires city registration; if you're not already registered, you're not legally operating
→ HOA and condo rules can block hosting altogether
→ Most standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover short-term rental activity
→ The $750 bonus only applies to hosts with no active listing before February 1, 2026
The bigger question worth asking: what does a short-term rental window mean for your property's long-term value and future sale?

That's the conversation I love having before someone hits publish on their listing. DM me. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

Ready for the next topic whenever you are!

05/28/2026

As of July 2025, SF homeowners can now build an in-law unit and sell it as a separately deeded condo. This wasn't legal before. California's AB 1033 changed that, and SF finally acted on it.

The key details:
→ Permit must be issued on or after May 1, 2025 - existing in-law units don't qualify
→ Lot must have four or fewer units
→ Only one ADU per property is eligible
→ Junior ADUs are excluded

The opportunity: build on underused space, a garage, backyard, extra square footage and sell it as its own condo. For homeowners who are house-rich but cash-poor, this is a meaningful wealth-building tool.

The catch: SF's policy on this is still evolving and not fully codified. Permit sequencing and timing matter enormously. Getting it wrong early disqualifies you.
This rewards people who move early and get the details right.

Thinking about an ADU? Let's talk before you pull permits. 📲

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

05/26/2026

An LLC is a liability tool which protects your personal assets if something goes wrong with a tenant or property.

A trust is an estate planning tool which keeps your property out of probate and transfers cleanly to heirs. In California, where probate is notoriously slow and expensive, this matters more than most people realize.

The structure serious Bay Area investors often land on? Both. LLC for protection, held inside a trust for continuity.

This isn't legal or tax advice, but it is the conversation I make sure my clients have with their attorney and CPA before they close, not after.

DM me if you're buying investment property in the Bay Area. Strategy starts before the search does. 🏡

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

05/24/2026

Hot take: the "seller's market vs. buyer's market" framing is mostly noise.

Here's why it matters less than people think — and what actually does:
The national headlines are averaging across thousands of zip codes with wildly different fundamentals. When Realtor.com says inventory is up 4% year-over-year, that number tells you almost nothing about what's happening on your street in Cupertino or your target neighborhood in Fremont.

What moves the needle locally:
Absorption rate — how quickly the available supply is being purchased. Under 3 months = seller's market. Over 6 months = buyer's market. But in high-demand Bay Area corridors, even 2.5 months can feel like a glut compared to 2021.

Median days on market — when this creeps up even slightly, it's a leading indicator that demand is softening before prices reflect it. Sellers who miss this window price too high and chase the market down.

Offer competitiveness by school district — in top-rated school corridors, buyer demand is structurally stickier. These micro-markets behave differently even in downturns.

The buyers and sellers who win in this market aren't the ones waiting for a clear signal. They're the ones working with someone who reads the data at the zip code level — not the national headline.

Nina Daruwalla
Bay Area Realtor | Coldwell Banker Realty
📞 408.219.5743
🌐 ninadaruwalla.com
📧 [email protected]
CalRE #01712223

Address

19330 Stevens Creek Boulevard
Cupertino, CA
95014

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://ninadaruwalla.com/

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