Will Facebook, LinkedIn, Zynga, and Groupon drive up homes prices? Not just yet... - 06/30/11 06:45 PM
There's been a lot of discussion lately about how all these hot new tech companies are going to create a new class of wealthy buyers in Silicon Valley and other areas.  Those who invest in these companies may make a bundle quick, but the employees are another story.  If you're an employee of one of these companies, the stock grant you got has a few restrictions on when you can sell and how much.  Those restrictions can mean a wait of a year or more to exercise your stock options, sell the stock, and get the cash to buy a house.
… (7 comments)

Getting a +1 Google Recommendation Could Be The Best SEO - 06/30/11 10:54 AM
We all know that well-written articles with the right mix of keywords will get ranked high on Google.  If your SEO isn't quite right, you may rank a bit below someone elses article and miss out on being #1 on page 1.  What we may all be missing is that the new Google "+1" feature on each SERP could give you a boost above and beyond any SEO you do.  This extra boost in your ranking could vault you above the folks who either just do basic blogging or pay for their ranking.  Google prefers articles that are well written and … (50 comments)

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Frost Cupcake Factory in Campbell, California - 06/29/11 09:44 PM
I had the pleasure of stopping by the Frost Cupcake Factory last night after dinner.  The place is scheduled to officially open this Friday, July 1st, 2011 but is open now to "test the waters" with local patrons.  There were two employees who were very welcoming and nice, as well as the owner who was baking a fresh batch of cupcakes.  The owner, Andrea, came out to meet us as well as other customers to get our feedback.  She was very kind, nice to talk to, and offered a free sample cupcake to get our opinion.
This new sweet shop is … (6 comments)

What home buyers need to know about private roads in Los Altos Hills - 06/29/11 06:35 PM
The are a large number of private roads in Los Altos Hills that have been created over the years as large lots were subdivided and new homes built.  What many buyers don't know when buying a home in Los Altos Hills is that the street they're buying on may, in fact, be a private road.  Depending on the road, there may or may not be an agreement with the neighbors on long-term maintenance and care of the road.  As a buyer, you need to be informed about which roads in Los Altos Hills are private and what maintenance is involved with … (2 comments)

I'm amazed! It's June 28, 2011 and it's raining in Los Altos, California! - 06/28/11 06:34 PM
I've lived in Los Altos a long time and can't recall the weather being quite like this.  The month has been strange enough with low temperatures and rain earlier this month.  Today, Los Altos got hit hard with more rain than I've ever seen.  It's great to help reduce the amount of pollen we're seeing (plants and trees have churned out a lof of pollen in Los Altos this season) but it also helps reduce the dust from all the construction in Downtown Los Altos. 
We had heavy rain in Los Altos and it looks like the few hours we had … (4 comments)

If you're writing &!$#, why are you on Activerain? - 06/28/11 06:05 PM
Just for kicks I take a look at several bloggers who are prolific in writing what appears to be, and this is just an opinion, complete crap.  The content has nothing to do with real estate and it also doesn't have anything to do with their community or market.  Their articles appear to have nothing that would in any way, shape or form honestly result in lead generation.  The articles don't do anything to advance the practice of our trade (real estate) nor do they offer any insights that would generally benefit anyone besides the writer.  So, I see all these … (14 comments)

Stop being a salesperson and become a closer! - 06/28/11 04:44 PM
Anyone who knows me knows that I've always had a hard time closing the deal, whether it's a listing or a purchase.  I'm not a hard-sell type and spent years working with enterprise software salespeople developing "consultative selling"  programs.  In real estate, those approachs are not always what you need to follow.  There are times when you need to stop selling and just...close the deal.  It's easier to talk a client out of a deal than it is to talk them into it.  Most people, if sufficiently informed, can and will make up their own minds.  Our jobs are REALTORS® is … (20 comments)

Will local real estate companies mean the end of big brokers? - 06/26/11 10:18 PM
I had a thought, after a glass fo wine, about the industry in general.  I've worked for the largest brokerage in the country and I've worked for one of the best boutique brokers in the country (my current broker).  There are pros and cons to both but I find that the boutique firm is superior overall.  I'd say the same for any well-run local firm that is loaded with seasoned, top-producing professionals like my company.  However, a local firm has a lot of advantages over big brokers and seldom has the overhead.
In the case of the national broker, there is … (11 comments)

Why is Los Altos so popular with home buyers? - 06/26/11 10:12 PM
I get this question a lot from buyers who wonder why Los Altos is more popular than other nearby communities.  It is often asked by people who also wonder the same thing about Palo Alto.  In the case of Los Altos, there are several reasons.  Some of the many reasons Los Altos is a popular destination include:Schools:  The schools in Los Altos are among the best in the state.  With scores exceeding those of Palo Alto elementary schools, the schools here get rave reviews from parents, teachers, and kids.  The level of parent participation is incredible and the schools rely on … (1 comments)

Property tax values drop nearly $472 million in Los Altos - 06/26/11 09:17 PM
It's fairly common knowledge at this point that property values in Los Altos lost hundreds of millions of dollars of value in the current tax year.  There are some who would take this as a sign that the prices of homes dropped last year and are continuing to drop this year.  Well, anyone who has tried to buy a home in Los Altos in the last year can tell you, that's not the case.  In fact, the average selling price of a single-family home in Los Altos rose last year about 1.9%.  When you look at the trend in the current … (3 comments)

Why would anyone want to be an Ambassador? - 06/26/11 05:44 PM
I'm sure many new members will look at the orange logo indicating someone is an "Ambassador" and wonder who they are.  There are quite a few ambassadors and while I haven't met them all, many have been instrumental in my becoming a proficient blogger.  The purpose of an Ambassador is to welcome and assist new members, recruit others, and generally be helpful.  There's more to it than that but that's the basics.Guess what?  There are a lot of people out in ActiverainLand who regularly help new members, recruit them, offer assistance, and encourage current members to reach their potential.  Oddly enough, … (9 comments)

Patch.com is not a threat, they're a content farm. - 06/25/11 03:54 PM
A while ago I had done some research on a website called Patch.com and learned that they were a possible major competitor to bloggers everywhere.  They hired local writers to blog on a wide range of topics.  Their articles were very well written and often placed higher than other local bloggers, myself included.  While their content wasn't designed to compete with me specifically, it was written to get attention so they could sell ads.  Regardless, I found my content placing lower and thus considered them to be a major challenge to successful blogging.However, after Google recently adjusted their algorithms and penalized … (11 comments)

Los Altos Hills losses $1.362 Billion In Property Value - 06/25/11 01:20 PM
The Tax Assessor for Santa Clara County has revised the values of homes and property in Los Altos Hills so that the gross loss is $1,362,000,000.  Yes, that's right, the values have dropped $1.362 billion.  The reduction impacted 471 homes.  In addition, the assessor said that approximately 20% of the 2,899 homes in Los Altos Hills are now underwater.  However, knowing the market as I do, this does not mean that those homes have loans and have any chance of being short sales.  All this means is that 20% of the homes in Los Altos Hills are worth less than the … (3 comments)

Homes that have sold in Los Altos this week - 06/24/11 05:19 PM
This has been an active week for home sales in Los Altos with 8 homes closed in the last 3 days and more pending.  We're close to the end of the month so I won't update all the stats but the interesting thing is that 3 of the homes that sold and closed this week were under $1.2 million.  I hope the run of low cost homes doesn't pull down the average and median selling prices for Los Altos too much.  The bright side is that we're seeing more homes sold and many with multiple offers. 
There have been three price … (2 comments)

I hit 100 subscribers today and growing. My subscribers are my inspiration! - 06/21/11 12:04 PM
Today I achieved 100 subscribers and that number has grown substantially in the last 3 weeks.  First and foremost I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to all my subscribers because it is you folks who inspire a lot of my articles.  I read every comment I receive and it's because of your recommendations that I've seen many of the benefits of blogging including:
Reblogs Great comments and discussions Inspiration for new articles (both mine and others) New associations and connections I wrote an article a few weeks ago saying that my committment to my subscribers would be to continue … (10 comments)

You can lead a REALTOR® to blogging, but you can't make them write. - 06/20/11 12:50 AM
You've probably heard the phrase "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink".  It means you can tell someone how to do something, how good it is, and how it will benefit them but there's no way to make them actually do it.  I've found this to be true with blogging.  I've trained many agents in my local market, some direct competitors, and many have fallen off the wagon...so to speak.  So, why do they give up?  What makes an agent who could do this stop?  I've got a few ideas:
Writing - It's hard to … (66 comments)

RE-BLOGGING and BEYOND - 06/18/11 11:54 AM
Richard once again writes an excellent explanantion of a topic and considering I wrote about this topic as well, this is a nice compliment to my article as it explains in detail the reblogging indicators.
Keep in mind that reblogging is an incredibly valuable tool for your articles.  Each time your article gets reblogged it creates another backlink that helps adds a little SEO boost to the original article.  So, reblog often (when appropriate) and help your fellow bloggers get the recognition and Google Juice they deserve.
Via Richard Yates, REALTOR Orange County, CA Homes For Sale (Coldwell Banker Real Estate):
RE-BLOGGING … (10 comments)

Mid-June 2011 Market Report for Los Altos Real Etate - 06/17/11 11:43 AM
The Los Altos market has remained hot so far in June with 21 homes sold and many new listings getting multiple offers.  Over 25% of those homes have sold for well of $2 million which is helping drive the average and median prices up.  The average selling price is about $1,780,000 which is in line with recent full month figures for April and May. As anyone who knows the Los Altos real estate market will tell you, the Spring market (Q2) is especially active with prices typically spiking before settling down in Q3.  However, we may continue to see a trend … (6 comments)

Things to do in Los Altos this summer - 06/16/11 06:14 PM
For the summer, there are many events and activities to do, right here in Los Altos.  There's no need to travel or head elsewhere when we have plenty of things to do here.  I've compiled a list of events, activities, and other things that will keep you busy this summer.  You'll also find that many downtown businesses have weekly events that are also fun to do.  For example, First and Main Sports Lounge has a weekly wine tasting event.  Take a look at your favorite downtown restaurant to see what they're offering.  Here's my list of things to do this summer … (6 comments)

Does reblogging an article help or hurt? - 06/16/11 10:40 AM
Reblogging has been a controversial topic here on Activerain.  It was started, then stopped, and then came back.  As many of you know, I'm a very prolific blogger and I've had a good run of featured articles lately.  The topics have been timely and as a result, I've had a lot of people reblog the articles I wrote.  I've had people agree and disagree with my article when they reblogged.  So the question is, does rblogging help or hurt both Activerain and my blog?
As far as I'm concerned, I find them all to be a great compliment.  Why?  Because whatever … (74 comments)

I've been heavily quoted in an MSN Real Estate article on home purchases - 06/15/11 05:36 PM
My prolific writing go the attention of one of the fine writers for MSN Real Estate who sent me an email asking if I would answer a few questions for an article she was writing.  I'm always flattered when someone wants to get my opinion so I followed up and we set up an interview.  It was a great conversation and I thoroughly enjoyed the writer's professionalism.  She took copious notes during the interview and asked for clarification as were spoke.  Afterward, she followed up several times with questions to clarify what I had said and confirmed each quote.
The article … (11 comments)

To keep or repeal Proposition 90 in Santa Clara County, which is best? - 06/15/11 05:10 PM
There's a raging debate in Santa Clara County, currently led by the Assessor's Office, to repeal Proposition 90, which gives homeowners the right to transfer their tax base to and from Santa Clara County upon the sale of their home.  This law was put into affect in conjunction with Proposition 60 and Proposition 13 to ensure that seniors can maintain their low tax base when moving from one county to another county within California.  The County Assessor claims that Prop 90 needs to be repealed to bring in much needed tax revenue.  The reality is that is will only bring in … (2 comments)

How often do buyers look for Los Altos real estate listings? - 06/14/11 07:17 PM
This may sound like a straightforward question but the frequency depends on a lot of things.  Most buyers looking for a home in Los Altos will sign up for a service that sends them listings as soon as they come on the MLS.  The automatic notification should be targeted on the parameters they consider important but it means they'll usually get at least one or two listings per week.  When a buyer gets the listing information they check to see if it's something the would like visit and put on the short list of homes to buy.  Let me give you … (3 comments)

The buyer isn't buying because some reporter said the market is dropping! - 06/14/11 06:24 PM
The media can be a powerful influence over the mentality of those buying and selling homes.  These days, someone, somewhere is pumping a stream of lies, innuendo, and half-truths into the minds of buyers and sellers that gives them just enough concern to not make a decision.  A buyer will hear that markets are dropping and he'll wait to write an offer.  A seller hears that prices are dropping and they'll wait to list.  Either way, the news only serves to slow a market that is already slow enough.  The enemy of our recovery are the reporters to publish articles with … (11 comments)

Los Altos Homes for Sale - A Buyer's Guide - 06/14/11 03:27 PM
The magic to finding a good home for sale in Los Altos is all about understanding how this market works and where to find the opportunities.  Any agent is capable of finding a home for sale on the MLS but it takes a REALTOR® based here in Los Altos to find the real gems, hidden, off-market properties, or upcoming homes that other agents don't have access to.  As with many luxury home markets in the area, intimate knowledge of the neighborhoods, seller mentality, comparable sales, offer activity, and other factors gives the local Los Altos REALTOR® a substantial edge which means … (2 comments)

How do I find the best Los Altos real estate deal? - 06/13/11 07:37 PM
How do I find the best Los Altos real estate deal?
Finding a deal on a home for sale in Los Altos is a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  There are some deals out there but they require an experienced real estate agent to find them or at least give you the proper perspective on the existing listings.  There are three areas where a buyer can find a deal; off-market listings, older listings, and cancelled or expired listings.  There are reasons why each of these offers special opportunities for the savvy buyer.  Keep in mind that … (2 comments)

Your past blogs are an SEO goldmine...if you fix them. - 06/13/11 10:28 AM
As with most folks on Activerain, the articles I wrote when I first started blogging didn't have all the best SEO tricks already in place.  Perhaps the articles were a little too short, I didn't have the right mix of keywords, etc.  However, the raw materials are still there to make what I wrote a long time ago into some powerful content to help boost what I'm writing today.  Here's what I've noticed after reading a few articles from other bloggers, go back and fix what you wrote in months or years past and the impact could be huge.  A few … (105 comments)

Can I get financing to buy a high-end Los Altos Hills home? - 06/11/11 12:25 PM
The answer, of course, is yes.  Many buyers are unaware of what loan products are available and how to obtain them.  There are several factors to weigh before deciding what path you want to take to get financing.  Of course, it depends on your income sources, assets, and credit history as well - just as with any loan.  Having the right financing can make a major difference when making an offer on a home in Los Altos Hills.  Since many buyers are coming in with all-cash, the buyer with financing needs to work with a reputable lender and be completely pre-approved … (5 comments)

Case-Shiller is garbage, I'm creating my own home value index! - 06/10/11 05:09 PM
A significant number of news articles quote the Case-Schiller Index as a sign of how good or bad the overall national market is doing.  At times when the index is up, people are happy, when it's down they're unhappy.  The problems with the Case-Shiller Index include not covering sub-markets, not using price bands that really represent the market, and using "sales pairs" which only show a statistically small portion of the market.  Their definition of "high-end" in each market is a joke, they don't break down sub-markets of the markets they track, they exclude markets that are doing well, and they … (11 comments)

Do you give a transaction anniversary gift, and if so, what? - 06/10/11 12:16 PM
Most agents give their clients gifts at the end of a transaction as a "thank you".  After that, the client is placed in the queue to receive the occassional letter or personal note so the agent can stay in touch.  However, a few agents will stop back by the client's home and give an anniversary gift.  It's another special "thank you" to remind the client that you appreciate their business.  I have two questions; do you give transaction anniversary gifts and if so, what do you give?
My usual closing gift is a bottle of wine and I mean a really, … (10 comments)

REPORT: Short sales in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, California - 06/09/11 06:11 PM
As of June, 2011 there are only two short sales in both markets, one in Los Altos and one in Los Altos Hills.  In Los Altos there are two short sales pending and in Los Altos Hills there are also two pending.  When compared with the overall market and number of units sold, these numbers are very low.
Short sales in Los Altos are rare and few have ever taken place.  The one short sale available right now has been on and off the market since August, 2008.  The current price is an incredible deal considering the size of the home … (2 comments)

How many bank-owned properties are in Mountain View, California? - 06/07/11 05:09 PM
There are actually extremely few, but I'll get to that in a minute.  Let's take a look at the total number of housing units in Mountain View, so you can get a perspective on how foreclosed homes fit into the overall picture.  There are 32,437 homes in Mountain View which consist of single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and mobile homes.  Of those, there are about 7000 homes with mortgages of some kind.  So, less than 22% of the homes in Mountain View actually could be foreclosed on.
As of now, there are only 37 bank owned properties in Mountain View, California.  That's … (5 comments)

Incredible free offer for my Activerain subscribers - 06/07/11 02:42 PM
I am very happy to have 75 subscribers to my Activerain blog who are kind enough to stop by and post comments on my articles, recommend them as "features" and engage in dialog.  I'm very happy to have gotten many new subscribers in recent weeks with a few engaging articles.  It's rewarding to know that so many people like what I have to say.  So, as a special treat, I thought I'd take this opportunity to make a special offer to all my wonderful subscribers and give you, free of charge...MANY MORE, QUALITY ARTICLES!Yes, that's right, you'll get much more well-written, … (14 comments)

Did NAR defeat QRM or did they actually help it? - 06/07/11 10:44 AM
The latest news from the battlefront in Washington D.C. is that NAR has successfully rallied support to defeat QRM by convincing 40 Senators and 150 House members to sign letters asking regulatory agencies to reconsider the 20% down rquirement for QRM loans.  It was a hard fought battle by REALTORS® and NAR even produced a video outlining the devastating impact a 20% down payment could have on the market.  There's only one problem...NAR lied.What they told REALTORS®, over 1 million people, was that the 20% down requirement would completely destroy lending.  They implied that if the rule were passed every buyer … (53 comments)

Market Report for Los Altos Hills Real Estate - May 2011 - 06/06/11 06:40 PM
Los Altos Hills has had an interesting month.  In May 2011, the average and median prices of homes sold dropped substantially to $2,185,000 and $2,200,000, respectively.  Compared to April 2011, when the average sales price was $3,073,000 is looks as if the Los Altos Hills market has experienced a massive shift.  Quite the opposite was true.  What has happened is that the low-end picked up as buyers took advantage of great opportunities.  The high-end had a great month last month and now the rest of the market is catching up.
The inventory is still a factor and is well in line … (0 comments)

Los Altos Real Estate Market Report for May 2011 - 06/06/11 06:03 PM
Los Altos has come back strong this year and is poised to set substantial growth records before 2011 is done.  In May 2011, Los Altos showed an impressive 11.7% increase in the average selling price which is now $1,821,941.  The median selling price in Los Altos rose even more in May, reaching $1,759,000, an increase of 13.6% over May 2010.  These numbers reflect the strength of the market over the April/May timeframe as sales picked up strongly and multiple offers returned in force.  The trend in the market is still to see offers over the asking price which is a major … (2 comments)

Is construction in downtown Los Altos hurting business? - 06/06/11 05:32 PM
Shoppers and residents have had to deal with blocked intersections, closed streets, construction trucks, and other challenges in downtown Los Altos for months.  At first glance it would appear that foot traffic is down and that all this work must be hurting business.  However, a handful of quick conversations with merchants and folks behind the counter tells a different story.  It appears that consumers are finding other places to park and business is doing just fine.
Main Street is the last street to face a closure that results in a major redirection of traffic.  The intersection of Main and 3rd Streets … (0 comments)

How many bank-owned properties are in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills? - 06/05/11 10:03 AM
Home buyers and bargain hunters are still out roaming the market looking for deals in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.  I still get buyers who seem to think that either market is full of pre-foreclosure and bank-owned (REO) property.  The truth is, there really isn't.  Right now, there are only 5 properties that actually fall into the category of "bank owned".  They cover a wide range of values and they have been held by the bank for as little as a few months to as long as many years.  There are several homes in pre-foreclosure, meaning they have had a … (3 comments)

We have rainfall in Los Altos in June!? - 06/04/11 04:52 PM
I'm absolutely certain that this is June 4, 2011 and that right now is should (should!) be sunny and 75 degrees outsidein downtown Los Altos.  Unfortunately, the entire SF Bay Area seems to be mired down in a rainstorm more consistent with winter!  So far this storm, which started last night, has brought to Los Altos .6 inches of rain, moderate winds, and a chance of thunder.  This is so out of character for this town, it's scary.  Remember when I wrote about rain in Los Altos in early May?  Well, it seems that June was feeling a little left out.
… (6 comments)

Would you like to keep Raincamp going? How about LocalRain! - 06/03/11 01:05 PM
You know me, I'm always working on new ways to make Activerain an better place.  Well, in the course of talking to another local Rainmaker, Karen Crowson, we talked about the idea of getting together with other local members to just socialize and build relationships.  Since that's one of the key values of Raincamp, it occurred to me that it might pay to actually put this into formal practice!
What I propose is that we set up local chapters of Activerain members so that they can meet and network in person on a regular basis.  I think it's up to each … (9 comments)

What's happening with high-end luxury home sales in Los Altos so far in 2011? - 06/03/11 10:41 AM
The high-end luxury market in Los Altos has had a lot more activity this year than it did in 2010.  The local luxury markets have been doing very well and sales have picked up quite a bit as buyers step back into the market looking for the right combination of quality and price.  While the number of homes sold could end up being the same, there are more transactions happening on a consistent basis with better offers.  We do not have the bargain hunters in the market that we did in 2009 and early 2010.  The buyers appear ready, willing, and … (0 comments)

An over $2,000,000 price drop on a Los Altos Hills estate! - 06/02/11 08:20 PM
One of the high-end homes in Los Altos Hills has just recently had a price drop of over $2,000,000 to bring the price down to $7,995,000.  The address is 28080 Laura Court, Los Altos Hills, California.  This luxury estate home offers over 9000 square feet on an approximately 2.6 acre lot in a very private subdivision of similar estate homes in the old quarry site.  For the record, the listing agent is Renuka Ahuja.  I've been through this property and seen what it offers.  Spread across three levels, there is plenty of room to do just about anything you can imagine.  … (0 comments)

Do I need a REALTOR® to find a rental property in Los Altos? - 06/01/11 09:06 PM
In short, yes!  And I'm not saying that to toot my own horn, but because the market is incredibly competitive and there are very few units available.   Right now, there are only a handful of properties available in Los Altos and several of those are high-end homes that are priced well out of reach from the typically tenant.  So, you need a REALTOR on the street to help you out with finding a condo, townhouse, aparment or single-family home anywhere in Los Altos.  The reason for that is an agent can do the legwork necessary to find a home whereas counting … (2 comments)

 
Bryan Robertson (ARRIVVA) Ambassador_large

Bryan Robertson

Los Altos, CA

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Address: c/o Los Altos Real Estate Agent, Los Altos, CA, 94022

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