High Energy Homes program cuts Los Altos Hills resident bills - 03/29/12 02:50 PM
Are you tired of paying high home energy bills?  Would you like to know how to reduce your energy costs at no cost?  As a service to residents, Los Altos Hills has teamed up with a local non-profit, Acterra, to provide a free, step-by-step approach to saving energy — without making a significant impact on your home operation.
The High Energy Homes program offers you customized recommendations for finding “free money” in your utility bill. Using an innovative software program, Silicon Valley residents in four towns similar to Los Altos Hills are now saving an average of over $700/year on their … (1 comments)

How do you find and buy Skylanders online or in stores? - 03/29/12 02:21 PM
One of the hottest toys, video games, in the U.S. market right now is Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure from Activision.  It's a really addictive adventure game fun for kids and adults.  My son got the Skylanders starter pack for Christmas and has since built a huge collection of characters.  As the game's popularity has grown, people struggle to find new characters.  Here are some hot tips on finding them:
Local Stores
Target, Wal-Mart, Toys-r-us, and Best Buy get regular shipments.  Some of those are on the same day(s) week after week.  Ask the clerk when the next stock shipment will arrive and … (0 comments)

What is the "Goldilocks Zone" for pricing a house to sell? - 03/29/12 06:42 AM
In astronomy, the "Goldilocks Zone" refers to the range of distance from a sun where habitable planets exist.  It's the sweet spot where all the good stuff can happen.  There is such a zone in real estate too.  It's the price range where offers start to come in and you have a chance to negotiate.  Let me preface that this zone will vary around the country and depends on market conditions.  In the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley specifically, it's a little challenging since there are huge price variances within a few miles.
What is the "Goldilocks Zone" price … (31 comments)

A super campus at Covington Elementary in Los Altos? - 03/28/12 10:55 AM
As most locals know, there has been an ongoing debate with the Bullis Charter School (BCS) about where it should be located.  The latest proposal in these discussions is to create a super campus at the site of Covington Elementary school.  If you read some of the commentary on the story about exploring the super campus option in the Los Altos Town Crier, emotions run pretty high.  Regardless of the emotions and opinions, one fact remains that adding several hundred students to the Covington campus will have an impact on traffic and that could impact surrounding neighborhoods.
This issue has a … (1 comments)

Living in Los Altos: Neutra House - what is it? - 03/28/12 08:33 AM
The Neutra House in Los Altos is an example of mid-century modernism architecture designed by Richard Neutra.  Finished in 1939, it was one of three small homes built on a half-acre orchard on Marvin Avenue.  Each of the first two, one-bedroom homes contained approximately 750 square feet, small even for the time.  The final third smaller home was built later.  The location on Marvin Avenue isn't far from the current location on Hillview, where the current "Neutra House" was moved to city land a few years ago.  The restoration project was completed in 2008.
The home was extensively renovated with donations … (3 comments)

How hot is the Cupertino, CA real estate market? - 03/27/12 12:18 PM
The real estate market is so hot in Cupertino that an open house this weekend had almost 400 visitors.  That's right, almost 400 visitors! The parking was so bad that people had to walk from the next block just to get to the house.  It was completely packed for over 3 hours each day.  Does that sound like a buyer's market?  NO!  It's a seller's market.
From that crowd the house in question had over 30 offers.  Guess what, that's not the first house and it won't be the last.  The offers that are coming in on homes like this are … (1 comments)

Are you having a "Mad Men" party tonight? - 03/25/12 11:22 AM
Are you a fan of the TV show "Mad Men"?  I'm a huge fan and have missed the show since it's been off the air.  Tonight the show returns for a 2-hour premiere to get us back in the mood of crazy 60s advertising and attitudes.  To create a bit of the 60s atmosphere for a party, here are some tips:
Food
Steak and potatoes (a classic) Traditional italian dishes (lasagne, spaghetti, etc) Seafood (cracked crab, lobster tail, shrimp cocktail, etc) Beef Wellington  
Drinks
Martini (2.5oz vodka or gin, .5oz vermouth, olive) Old-Fashioned Side Car Tom Collins Manhattan Gimlet Whiskey … (14 comments)

Do banks belong in downtown Los Altos? - 03/25/12 08:21 AM
Yes.  Very simply, we need them because they provide a valuable service to the community.  We have a nice variety of banks including national and local brands.  There's a debate in City Hall about the presence of two banks at the corner of 3rd and Main Streets in downtown Los Altos.  There is a committee being formed to discuss the merits of removing those banks.  The idea is that they take up a lot of space, don't generate much foot traffic, and break up the retail on Main Street.  That's all true, but...
We need those banks downtown.  They offer an … (7 comments)

Open House - Los Altos Hills 3/25 1:30-4:30 26462 Purissima Rd - 03/25/12 07:04 AM
I'll be hosting an open house this afternoon at 26462 Purissima Road in Los Altos Hills from 1:30-4:30.  This is truly a gorgeous estate property with 2 acres of land with a palatial 10,000sf home and 1,000sf guest house.  The home is entirely new construction with generously sized rooms and stately appeal.  The grand foyer leads to a massive reception area and grand staircase.
This home represents an excellent opportunity to have a brand new, never lived-in home ready to customize to your personal tastes.  It's also perfect for entertaining with a huge kitchen, great "flow" for guests and catering, plenty … (3 comments)

What comments really connect you to the blogger? - 03/24/12 08:39 AM
Have you taken the time to read a post and then wrote a comment with little enthusiasm?  The post might have been great but you wrote a comment along the lines of...
"Great post!  I completely agree with what you wrote.  Look forward to more of your articles.  Have a great day!"
That's not quite what we call a "Drive-By Comment" but it's close.  I'm guilty of writing these, especially when I don't want to engage too much.  However, if you do want to engage the writer and hopefully build a relationship (associations, subscribers, etc) then you've got to do more.  … (41 comments)

Should federal loan limits stay up? - 03/23/12 03:10 PM
There was an uproar last year when Fannie and Freddie lost their higher loan limits.  The FHA saved the day with their higher loan limits while the debate raged on about the need.  Prices are rising around the country as the recovery continues.  There are certainly some soft markets and rising prices aren't quite as crazy as they were years ago.  The country has, arguably, a mixed market.  As we all discuss the higher loan limits a question arises - should we keep them up permanently?
Prices Are Rising - The purpose of these loans is to make buying homes affordable.  … (5 comments)

You need help to succeed in real estate - 03/21/12 05:23 AM
You're probably trying to do more than you should and...well...you need help.  I've read a couple of interesting articles recently; one about DIY social media and another about being CEO of You.  There's a tendancy in real estate to "do it all".  Every hour you spend NOT closing clients is another hour NOT generating revenue.  Here's what you're probably doing on a weekly basis:
Marketing (social media, print ads, flyers, etc) Sales (engaging new and current prospects, networking) CRM (managing relationships with past clients) Transaction management Accounting (tracking expenses, etc) Operations (organizing files, maintaining technology, etc) Many agents probably do the … (27 comments)

Free list of "secret" coming soon and off-market listings in Palo Alto and Los Altos - 03/19/12 01:59 PM
Fill out my Wufoo form! If you have other areas you're interested in such as Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Saratoga and select markets within San Jose, then send me an email and I'll send a list for those too. I've also got lists of land in addition to single-family homes and townhouses. Keep in mind that off-market properties vary and are typically at the high-end of the market most of the time. … (4 comments)

Newbie Tip: Are subscribers important on Activerain? - 03/18/12 09:56 AM
Congratulations!  You've signed up for an Activerain account or been here a while.  Hopefully you wrote a comment or two and you've finally made the jump into writing your first blog post.  Maybe you've written several.  You think hard, write what you feel is "good stuff", click "Submit" and...nothing happens.  Your post gets the same reception as screaming from the edge of the Grand Canyon.  Not...one...single...comment.
Why am I not getting comments?
Subscribers.  You need them and they want you.  Subscribers are people who, hopefully, regularly look at your blog.  They like you and like what you have to say.  It's … (19 comments)

Consumers need an agent to make sense of real estate data - 03/16/12 01:42 PM
Consumers are buried in information about real estate.  They can visit Trulia, Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and myriad others to get everything from coveted "sold" data to "days on market" and more.  Over time, they can gather so much information it does more to inhibit their decisions than to making good ones.  It's not the information that matters, it's what's done with it that matters.
Are consumers empowered with lots of real estate data?
Yes and no.  They feel like they know the market.  That's a good thing.  But they're missing the "why" and "how" of what's happening.  All that data is … (20 comments)

Why don't people trust real estate agents? - 03/15/12 03:09 PM
I read a post this morning about how to find a real estate agent you love that got me thinking about why people don't trust real estate agents.  It's a good article about finding a quality agent.  But, one of the points made early in the article was that a survey of the public found that only 20% trusted real estate agents as a profession.  Ironically, 90% of buyers and sellers would work with their agent again.  To me, that's a big challenge we all face as an industry.
Why don't buyers and sellers trust real estate agents?
I think public … (17 comments)

Is now a good time to sell a Los Altos, CA home? - 03/15/12 11:39 AM
I get this question frequently from prospective clients looking for perspective on when to sell their Los Altos home.  The question isn't simple to answer because, honestly, it depends on the objective of the owner.  You need to consider whether the home is producing income, has appreciated enough since you bought it, or if future appreciation is needed.  In general, this is an excellent time to sell and here are three reasons why:
#1 - BUYER DEMAND IS SUBSTANTIAL
The typical home in Los Altos (a 4BR2BA rancher) in good condition will sell in its first week, as long as it's … (4 comments)

Does Los Altos need another downtown parking study? - 03/14/12 02:17 PM
The latest news on parking in downtown Los Altos is that another study will be done to assess where and how to add more parking downtown.  It's really not hard to figure out since this topic has been studied to death for years on end but who knows, maybe they'll get it done right this time.
There has been a significant lack of parking in downtown Los Altos for years.  When major events happen, parking is nearly impossible to get.  It's hard enough when the Farmer's Market happens, let alone a festival.  The issue is well know and many studies, both … (2 comments)

Have you ever played "The Prius Game"? - 03/14/12 10:45 AM
When I was a kid and my parents took me on long car trips, I didn't have electronic gadgets to entertain me.  My sister and I would count VW bugs or play other car games to pass the time from place to place.  Those trips were fun because of the games.  Well, my kids have created a new game for the new age - The Prius Game.
Since the Toyota Prius is as ubiquitous as the VW bug was back in the 70s, there are plenty of options.  We've mixed up the rules with a few variations.  The overall goal is:  … (12 comments)

Do you want better service from a bank? Here are 3 ways to get it. - 03/13/12 12:29 PM
I'm sure everyone has had to deal with a uncooperative bank at some point along the line.  Personally, I don't like business entities that don't follow rules and contracts, which is what seems to be the norm with banks these days.  As far as I'm concerned, the banks have far too much power and discretion with little regard for the very clients they are supposed to serve.  Regular customer service often doesn't have any power to get major issues resolved.  Talking to a "manager" isn't enough either.  You need someone more powerful to help.  Want to get their attention?  Here's how:
… (7 comments)

Mountain View real estate market sales trends 2008-2012 - 03/12/12 02:45 PM
Mountain View was one of the last markets to get hit during the meltdown of the economy.  It had held strong through 2008 as buyers continued to focus on good schools and reasonable prices with close proximity to major employers, particularly those in the tech space.  A fairly balanced inventory and prices kept the market over $1.067 million in 2008.  However, in 2009 prices dropped substantially with a final average of $945,000.  What's interesting is that sales actually rose, increasing about 2% of 2008.  Sales continued to rise in 2010 with a slight drop in 2011.  Part of the strong sales … (0 comments)

Saratoga real estate market sales trends 2008-2012 - 03/12/12 02:17 PM
Saratoga has had a rough time since the real estate meltdown with steep declines in prices, particularly high-end homes, since the market started to crash in 2007.  In 2007 the market peaked with an average selling price of $1,852,777.  In 2008 that dropped to just over $1.8 million then to $1,550,000 in 2009.  While it appears that is a drop of less than 20%, the reality is that the high-end saw prices drop much more.  The trend for high-end homes was 30-40% discounts from their end-of-2007 highs.  Buyers were basically calling all the shots.
The number of closed sales dropped substantially … (3 comments)

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Blue Line Pizza in Campbell, CA - 03/12/12 11:41 AM
This place is spectacular!  Do you like really good, gourmet-quality pizza?  Then this is the place for you. My wife and I came here on Tuesday night and were blown away by the quality of the food.  We started with a couple of beers and because it was Happy Hour, the prices were incredibly low.  I got a great draft, hand-crafted brew for $2.50 and it was served in a couple of minutes - very fast service at this place.  We opted to order their meatball appetizer and a large pizza with artichokes, pepperoni, mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes.  That's our "benchmark" … (2 comments)

Anatomy of an amazing listing presentation - 03/11/12 11:02 AM
I'm a two step listing agent.  Usually I'll get a call or email from someone who found me online or was referred to me.  There will be some interaction and discussion prior to the initial meeting.  This initial discussion period isn't even the first meeting.  It's basically about setting expectations and getting to know a bit about the seller and their home.  What I expect to get out of these emails or call(s) are:
Address and home details The sellers intentions (a bit of why they want to sell) A sense of their personality and start to establish rapport A date … (40 comments)

Have you ever seen a Google self-driving car? - 03/10/12 07:42 AM
I have.  Here's the story of the one I saw.  It was a typical Thursday commute in Silicon Valley.  I was heading northbound on Highway 280 going from Cupertino to Los Altos.  This is a 4 lane highway that meanders through the hills of the San Francisco Peninsula.  Lo and behold, I come up on a grey Toyota Prius with the words "Google Self-Driving Car" on the lower body trim.  It had a thing on the top that looked like a narrow ski rack and a camera much smaller than the ones they use for taking pictures for StreetView.
The car … (12 comments)

Los Altos Hills real estate market sales trends 2008-2012 - 03/09/12 02:52 PM
Home sales in Los Altos Hills got so bad at one point that there were no sales at all for months.  As one of the top 3 luxury markets in the country, it was the perfect example of how escalating prices from the dotcom era resulted in a crash in values and sales.  The market actually got soft starting in 2007 but did well going into 2008.  However, after that prices drop substantially and sales were fairly low.
In 2009, the market took it's biggest hit with sales actually up about 10% but prices dropping nearly 10%.  The super high-end homes … (1 comments)

Los Altos real estate market sales trends 2008-2012 - 03/09/12 08:12 AM
The Los Altos real estate market last peaked in 2008 and dropped substantially in 2009.  At the time, the market was driven by fear and uncertainty.  Sales were still strong, from a units perspective, but the prices had dropped.  This was driven mostly by a nearly complete absence of high-end sales.  The homes that sold were, for the most part, the bargains.  Inventory levels were fairly high as people who had to sell did.
I remember conversations with agents in 2009 and 2010 where many felt they had no idea the bottom would come.  As you can see from the chart … (2 comments)

Los Altos real estate market report for March 2012 - 03/09/12 06:25 AM
I had predicted that the market would rise substantially in 2012 and it has definitely done so in the last 2 months.  The average selling price for single-family homes in Los Altos increased to $2,012,642 in February.  That's about a .3% increase from last month.  This continues the trend from January when prices rose over December.  The trend is a slight increase each month.  Keep in mind that these increases are coming before the "hot" Spring market.  You can expect this trend to get more pronounced going into March.
Sales were very strong for February with 17 homes sold compared to … (1 comments)

Can a home buyer see homes open during broker tour? - 03/08/12 02:23 PM
In most parts of the country there are specific times and days when agents and brokers tour newly listed homes.  The idea is that they get a view of the homes before the general public (home buyers) so they can educate themselves about new inventory and tell their own clients about whatever property looks good.  However, in highly competitive markets there are times, quite a few actually, when the home buyers themselves want that "extra edge" of seeing homes the very hour they're accessible.
Can a home buyer see homes during the broker tour?  Yes!  There are some rules though.  To … (7 comments)

Thanks! Your comment helped improve my blog article. - 03/08/12 08:22 AM
I've written a lot of articles that have had comments by folks who offer suggestions on either enhancing or augmenting what I've written.  I'm not talking about disagreeing or agreeing, I'm talking about someone who makes a comment that offers a suggestion to improve the content or actually posts new facts.  I had this happen recently when I wrote an article about new construction.  The first comment I got mentioned that I should consider an alternative construction method that reduces costs, which meant changing my article.
Guess what?  I took the suggestion, learned something new, and updated my article!  You should … (8 comments)

How to speed up inefficient home searches and save buyers time - 03/06/12 01:34 PM
There's nothing more frustrating than having a buyer give a description of their ideal home and finding that nothing on the market matches it.  Agents and buyers will then spend weeks or months, sometimes years, hoping that the ideal home will be placed on the market.  An agent will often ask for concessions on certain features or locations, while the buyer continues to explore options that drag out the search.  This back-and-forth process wastes significant time for agents and in some markets costs the buyers money as prices rise.  Here in Silicon Valley, a 6 month delay in finding the ideal … (11 comments)

What does it cost for new construction in Palo Alto? - 03/05/12 02:19 PM
Are you considering or already own a property in Palo Alto on which you'd like to build a new home?  Perhaps you're considering buying a new home and want to know if you're getting a good deal.  You need to know the cost of new construction before going down either path.
Home buyers ask about the cost of new construction a lot but it's not an easy question to answer.  A ballpark cost to build a new home is $200-300 per square foot.  This is a wide range because determining the actual cost depends on a few major factors.
Factor 1: … (15 comments)

Why would I ever accept a guest blog? - 03/04/12 04:50 PM
I got a request today to accept a guest blogger on my Activerain account.  The source seemed like a legitimate one with a valid company and possibly a valid blogger.  However, my first feeling is "This is a scam of some sort".  Why would I want to allow someone to post an article on my blog that does nothing for my readers or my local market?  To me, it's seems like a monumental waste of time.
Have you ever had a request for someone to post a guest blog?  If you have, what did you do?  In the past I've sent … (9 comments)

Can a buyer take pictures at an open house? - 03/04/12 08:00 AM
With smart phones and digital cameras, home buyers are often seen taking pictures of the houses they tour.  This is especially true of homes they really like because they want pictures of rooms to recall specific colors, layouts, etc.  Buyers may also want more photos than the listing agent took.  Regardless, home buyers will frequently bring their cameras to open houses and private showings.
Is it legal? - It is in California but that may change.  The topic has been discussed by the California Association of REALTORS.  There are listing agents and homeowners who think the practice poses a security risk.  … (181 comments)

Can I trust a real estate agent or REALTOR? - 03/01/12 01:44 PM
As a consumer, you are bombarded with numerous "experts" who offer their opinions on buying and selling homes.  You've likely read something in the newspaper, in a magazine, heard on the radio, or watched on TV that made you think about how you want to go about buying or selling a home.  That mass media outlet (TV, newspaper, magazine, radio, etc) probably makes you feel safe that the information shared...
Applies to you Is trustworthy Can't possibly be wrong Is more credible than anyone else While it's understandable that what you read or heard might actually be accurate, just remember that … (11 comments)

 
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Bryan Robertson, Real estate broker Los Altos & Silicon Valley Luxury Homes

Los Altos, CA

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

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