Park Place Realty

08/31/2026

**YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE YOU BUY.**

Here’s a real Monterey County problem:

The median-priced single-family home was **$975,000 in Q2 2026**.

Only **12% of Monterey County households could afford it.**

So maybe the question isn’t always:

**“Can I afford to buy where I want to live?”**

Maybe it’s:

**“Where does it make sense for me to own?”**

That’s the idea behind **rentvesting** — continuing to rent where your life works while buying an investment property somewhere the numbers make more sense.

No, it isn’t right for everyone.

The property still has to make sense as an investment. Rent, financing, taxes, insurance, repairs, vacancy and reserves all matter.

But in a county where affordability is this tight, I think it’s worth looking at all the options.

**Own where the numbers work.
Rent where your life works.**

1% FEE Real Estate
by Park Place Realty
FULL SERVICE. 1% FEE. BY DESIGN.

Michelle Arensdorf | Broker
DRE #00867211 | (831) 444-SALE

08/26/2026

The first one sold. Now we have something real to study.
A San Jose ADU sold separately from the primary home for $530,000.
But that number isn’t the whole story.
What did the ADU become worth on its own?
What happens to the value of the house that remains?
And does making an ADU separately sellable automatically make it a good idea?
The law opened the door.
The transaction is where it starts getting interesting.

Read the full article at
homes444sale.com

08/24/2026

Buyers may forgive dated.

They usually don’t forgive dirty.

And there’s a difference.

An older kitchen can still feel cared for. Original bathrooms can still show beautifully. But dirty baseboards, dusty light fixtures, grimy windows and neglected corners make buyers wonder what else hasn’t been maintained.

Before you spend thousands updating a house for sale, start with the inexpensive stuff.

Clean it. Really clean it.

Sometimes that does more for a buyer’s first impression than the remodel you were considering.

Michelle Arensdorf
Broker | Licensed since 1983
BRE License #00867211
831-444-SALE
homes444sale.com

08/21/2026

This one sent me down a rabbit hole.
California now has a way, in some jurisdictions, for homeowners to convert an ADU and the main house into separate condominiums — and then sell the ADU.
At first you think:
Well, that’s interesting. Sell the backyard ADU and keep the house.
Then I started asking questions.
What happens to the value of the house you keep?
What happens to the mortgage?
Who owns the driveway?
What if the utilities are shared?
Do you now have a two-person HOA?
And if the ADU sells for $500,000 but the value of the front house drops because it is now a condo sharing the property with another owner...what did you actually gain?
That is where this gets really interesting.
I wrote a deeper article about it because I don’t think the headline “you can sell your ADU” tells homeowners nearly enough.
You Can Sell the ADU. But What Happens to the House You Keep?

https://www.homes444sale.com/california-adu-condo-conversion-what-happens-to-the-house-you-keep

Full-service real estate representation throughout Monterey County. Licensed since 1983 with Over 540 transactions negotiated. Buy smarter, sell smarter. 1% fee by design.

08/17/2026

Maybe 6%–7% isn’t the interruption anymore. Maybe it’s the market.

For years, we’ve heard some version of:

“I’ll wait until rates come back down.”

And they may.

But waiting for an undefined future mortgage rate isn’t really a plan.

A better approach is to look at the market that exists right now:

What can you comfortably afford?
What can you negotiate?
What loan structure makes sense?
What happens if rates eventually drop—and what happens if they don’t?

Sometimes waiting absolutely makes sense.

But the decision should be based on your circumstances, not on the assumption that yesterday’s mortgage rates are coming back on your timetable.

Plan for the market you have.

Michelle Arensdorf | Broker
Licensed since 1983
BRE License #00867211
📞 (831) 444-SALE / (831) 444-7253

08/14/2026

Attention Homebuyers! Full-service buyer representation for a 1% Fee.
What does that mean?
It means you still get the negotiations.
The strategy.
The representation.
The inspections.
The guidance.
The experience.
The only thing you don't get ....is the bigger bill.
Take a look at this beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bath Sherwood Lake condo, then let's schedule a tour. Listed at $369,000
~ Michelle
831-206-5190
BRE 00867211
Park Place Realty
1% fee, by design.
Buy Smarter, Sell Smarter

Listed for sale at $385000. Enjoy peaceful pond views from this bright end-unit condominium in the desirable Sherwood Lake community. This 2-bedroom...

08/13/2026

When Mom can’t manage the house anymore.
Sometimes the question isn’t simply whether Mom can stay in the home.
It’s whether staying there is still safe, manageable, and sustainable.
A longtime home can hold decades of memories, independence, familiarity, and comfort. That can make conversations about change difficult — especially when the family isn’t sure what the next step should be.
There may be more than one option.
Sometimes the answer is additional help at home. Sometimes repairs or changes can make the property more manageable. Sometimes downsizing, moving closer to family, or selling becomes part of the conversation.
The important thing is not to wait until a crisis makes the decision for you.

Let’s slow it down, talk it through, and find out what choices are still available.

Michelle Arensdorf
(831)206-5190
Broker | BRE License #00867211
Park Place Realty
www.homes444sale.com
________________________________________

08/12/2026

On our way to see the grandkids ❤️❤️❤️❤️ oh and Jeff & Justine too❣️

08/10/2026

You shopped for the house. Why wouldn’t you shop for the loan?

Two lenders can look at the same buyer, the same house and the same day — and come back with different rates, points, fees and credits.

The lowest advertised rate isn’t automatically the best deal, either.

Look at the whole loan, including what it costs to get that rate.

A mortgage is a very expensive place to skip comparison shopping.

One quote isn’t the market.

~ Michelle

Park Place Realty
1% Fee · Buy Smarter · Sell Smarter.
BRE License #00867211

(831)206-5190

08/07/2026

Life Happens.
Sometimes the house becomes part of the problem.

During the housing crisis, I handled 196 foreclosures and 45 short sales.

Many of the foreclosures required me to knock on someone’s front door and tell them the bank had foreclosed on their home.

I have never forgotten those conversations.

What struck me most was how often guidance had been missing—or had come too late.

When people are under financial stress, they often freeze. They know there is a problem. They think about it constantly. They lose sleep over it. But they don’t know what to do, who to call, or what question to ask first.

So they wait.

Unfortunately, problems like this rarely go away on their own.

Selling may be one option. It may not be.

The important thing is understanding what choices are still available before circumstances begin taking those choices away.

If the house has become part of a financial problem, you do not need to have all the answers before you ask for help.

Sometimes the first step is simply having a conversation.

Life Happens.

Don’t wait until you’re out of options.

Ask questions while you still have choices.

Michelle Arensdorf, Broker
Licensed since 1983
BRE License #00867211
Park Place Realty
(831) 444-SALE
www.homes444sale.com
________________________________________

Full-service real estate representation throughout Monterey County. Licensed since 1983 with Over 540 transactions negotiated. Buy smarter, sell smarter. 1% fee by design.