Northern California Real Estate

All too often, pundits who write or broadcast about the US economy measure the strength of the housing market by home prices.  According to their traditional wisdom, rising home prices represent a strong market and lower home prices mean the market is weak.  Well, I beg to differ, as I believe th...

While driving through any of California's wine producing regions, you'll see that vines pruned to dark brown are once again bright green with new spring growth.  Summer is around the corner and it's time to tour the vineyards and taste the new releases.  Wine tasting is partly about the wine and ...

Buyers, sellers, investors, welcome back to another installment of Real Estate Jargon, aka, simple explanations of real estate terms not normally found in nature. In 1982, the California legislature passed the Community Facilities District Act, nick-named "Mello-Roos" after its co-authors, Henry ...

Orinda is one of the most beautiful communities in the Bay Area.  It combines small town appeal, great schools, and easy access to Oakland, San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Napa Valley. Like everywhere in California, there are a few bank-owned foreclosure properties (REO) or potential short sale (...

Lafayette is one of the most beautiful communities in the Bay Area.  It combines small town appeal, great schools, and easy access to Oakland, San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Napa Valley. Like everywhere in California, there are a few bank-owned foreclosure properties (REO) or potential short sal...

Two of the finest communities on the northern edge of Silicon Valley are Menlo Park and Atherton.  They are known for quiet, tree-lined streets and a downtown filled with great restaurants and shops.  Both towns are minutes from downtown Palo Alto and Stanford University and are home to many of S...

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the towns of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills have it all.  Beautiful neighborhoods, shopping, fine restaurants, and a growing job market.  The area is home to Stanford University and dozens of the most notable and successful high-tech companies in...

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the City of Mountain View is centrally located and has a vibrant downtown, excellent shopping, and a growing job market. Like everywhere in California, a few bank-owned foreclosure properties (REO) and potential short sale (SS) properties occasionally come ...

In this series, we're analyzing rental property operating statements to find ways to maximize our return on investment.  In Part 1, we looked at ways to maximize revenue.  In Parts 2 and 3, we looked at controlling direct and indirect expenses.  In Part 4, our final installment, we'll look at how...

Summer is approaching and many of us are making plans to visit one of the fantastic California wine-producing regions.  From Temecula to Sonoma, the Golden State is blessed with a dozen or more "wine countries" that make for a fun day trip or weekend get-away.  As a year-round resident of the Bay...