Santa Clara County - September 2007 - Real Estate Market Analysis - 11/29/07 10:50 AM
We continue to see the trends that have prevailed for months. Inventory up, sales down average home price up. There are some interesting observations to make regarding when things are happening. 
The market is starting to act outside what past experience tells us. This could be just interesting, or it could be an indication of a bigger shift.
Lets take a look at all the numbers and see where it leaves us. 
Supply And Demand  
 
 Inventory is again up when compared to the same time last year. The total number of homes on the … (0 comments)

Local perchlorate fight continues - 11/20/07 12:04 PM
As reported by the Morgan Hill Times, the struggle to clean up the perchlorate water contamination is continuing.
The city is pushing for a complete clean-up of the perchlorate plume by Dec 7.
As some of you may know, this has been going on for years. The Otin Corp used to manufacture flares (perchlorate is used in its manufacture) here in Morgan Hill. When the got rid of the plant, they left the locals not only with polluted water, but with the bill for cleaning it up.
The struggle has been in getting those responsible, Otin, to pay for the clean-up. While that … (4 comments)

California Cities have some of the highest foreclosure rates - 11/20/07 11:53 AM
For many, foreclosure has become an unpleasant reality. In my home state of California, some cities are at the top of the list for foreclosures.
As reported by the California Association of Reators, some of the hardest hit cities include, Riverside, Stockton, Sacramento, Bakersfield and Oakland. In fact, Stockton leads the 100 largest metro areas for foreclosures. They currently have 1 foreclosure for every 31 households.
The long term forecast seems in question. Both sides seem to be rolling out the "data". On side sees things making a turn up the other down. From looking at the data, it seems things could go … (2 comments)

Is Beowulf worth your time? - 11/20/07 11:44 AM
I suppose most of us have had to read the stories of Beowulf at one time or another. I recall having to do so in my junior year of high school and again in some literature course in my freshman year at college.
For those that might have resorted to cliff notes or avoided the assignment all together, the movie may be your chance to experience the stories in a more exciting way.
For the geeks in the crowd, this is a no brainer. The CGI alone is worth gawking at in all its digital glory. Although I do have to say that … (4 comments)

When the market bucks history - 11/19/07 12:30 PM
I think most of us use past performance of the market to try and anticipate changes. I know I do. One of the things I like to do is to plot changes and compare them to past years. Now, in my area, it is normal for the number of homes listed to drop between Septermber and October.
This year, that did not happen. We saw an increase in listings over that same period of time. You can go back years and see that this is not what we usually see.
What is interesting is that this increased number of listings cannot be for … (0 comments)

PODCAST: The Property Parity Myth - 11/19/07 12:21 PM
Just because the market is down in general does not mean it is down by the same amount everywhere. In fact, many areas are not down at all, but enjoying continued average home increases. If your a seller, that means your a buyer too... unless you plan to become a renter. Do you know how the market has performed in the areas you are thinking of moving too? Have you compared that performance to where your home currently is? What you don't know could cost you thousands of dollars. Make sure your real estate agent is giving you all the information … (0 comments)

Holiday Lake Estates - October 2007 Market Update - 11/10/07 09:19 PM
First, lets take a look at the currently active properties in Holiday Lake Estates:
 
 Notice that no properties sold. This trend has defined our local market for months. As for the expired listings, it would not surprise me to see these properties come back on the market after the new year.
But these homes that did expire did not do so for lack of trying. Notice that these homes were on the market  for 209 and 186 days respectively. Clearly, price is a huge issue for these homes. You will also notice that the pending home was only on the market for 43 … (0 comments)

Market Heads Up - November 2007 - 11/10/07 09:00 PM
Slight change in format for the show this week. To keep the focus on the subjects I know the most about, I am going to spend more time on local market influences, including the hottest and least hot areas of Santa Clara Count. While I will still give info on what is going on nationally, that information will be looked at with an eye toward what it means to people living right here in Santa Clara County. I hope you enjoy this new, deeper look into what is going on in Santa Clara County, where we will explore what buyers, sellers … (0 comments)

Morgan Hill - August 2007 - Real Estate Market Analysis - 11/01/07 07:16 PM
It's a mixed bag this month. Inventory is at an all time high, but at least the amount that it has increased has slowed. No real comfort there, but I suppose it is better than nothing.
We have also seen a drop in the number of homes sold - not good.
At least we have also seen a decrease in the number of homes listed in August.
The average home price has also dropped when compared to the same time last year - but not by an amount worth getting worried about. Read on for all the details.  … (0 comments)