07/15/2026
Half Year(ish) - just checking in!
Hey there!
I hope you’re well and handling this heat wave, I think it’s about to cool down soon. But then again it is July, and we really don’t have it too bad compared to most of the country.
Work's been good, it seems like I’m selling everywhere except San Jose. I’ve been selling down in Monterey County, Alameda County, and San Joaquin County.
To be honest I’ve had mostly buyer so far this year. And that makes sense. Not sure if you remember but toward the end of last year I wrote "our market was just starting to shift to a more balanced market “ .
Of course none of us saw a war coming, gas and groceries skyrocketing, etc… but my industry as a whole was showing me signs that things were about to change, and they have. Finally. Again this is a good thing, it’s been out of balance for way too long. What goes up must come down. The law of supply and demand. Whatever you want to call it, it’s finally here.
With that said, here’s my take on both sides of the coin (Buying and Selling).
Let’s start with selling a home.
There’s an old saying here in The Bay Area - "there’s a buyer for every house, there’s just not a house for every buyer." And that is still true to a point. Regardless, the 3 rules of real estate, and no it’s not Location, Location, Location, that just sounds cool. The 3 rules of real estate, or as I refer to them, the 3 things that truly move a property are Location, Condition, Price. And let’s maybe add Timing to this equation. In other words, these 3 (or 4) things need to line up and be realistic. If they are, then yes you’ll sell your home, regardless of the market conditions, or even the global conditions. Why do I say this? Because over the past 3 decades I’ve lived in, sold in, and experienced this. 9/11 aka the 2nd Persian Gulf War; buyers and sellers never stopped. The Housing Bubble Bust aka The Great Recession; buyers and sellers never stopped. The Global CORONA VIRUS Pandemic; buyers and sellers never stopped. I continued to buy and sell with my clients, and even though business dipped, it never came to a stop.
One thing sellers should keep in mind is that the price you need in order to sell your home, does not dictate the offer price you'll receive. What a willing and able buyer is willing to pay for your home is what dictates the offer price you'll receive. This often takes a mind shift but if the sellers can grasp this, and keep in line with the true 3 rules of real estate, your home will still sell regardless of the market.
Now let’s talk about buying a home. Todays market is what buyers have been waiting for.
Yes mortgage rates are volatile and the job market in Silicon Valley is as well. But there are more homes for sale now then there have been in years. This alone brings an advantage to buyers. If you speak with a good mortgage loan officer (yes I have one for you, call me) they'll often suggest not shopping for a loan based strictly by the interest rate. There’s way more to loan programs that should be considered (just like you should never shop for a real estate agent based only on commission, remember cheaper does NOT equal better). And if you are rate sensitive, you can always buy the home now, lock into a mortgage rate, and later refinance out of that interest rate and into something better.
The bottom line for buyers; our current market is FINALLY a good time to buy. I’m working with more buyers now than I have in years. Buyers finally have a selection of homes to choose from and it’s quite easy to find and place buyers into amazing new homes. Especially if you’re looking for a condo or townhouse.
One pro-tip before I sign off. Never trust a real estate agent that when asked “Hey how’s the market?” responds with “It’s great!” That’s a canned answer and usually means they have no idea what they’re talking about and are just taught to answer that way. Instead, a really great agent will reply with “Well that depends, what are you trying to do, buy or sell?” And usually follows up with “Where are you thinking of doing this, and when?” Or they may say “It’s unbalanced” or “It’s balanced” and will then explain what they mean.
In case you haven’t guessed, I’m that really great agent!
Call me if you or someone you know may need my help. Hope to hear from you soon!
