Archive for March, 2009

Whose Fault Is It?

Posted in March 30th, 2009

Yesterday at open house in Almaden I was asked by a gentleman about earthquakes which is actually an infrequent question. I commented to the man that the earthquake faults are disclosed in Natural Hazard Disclosure maps for all properties, but this seems to have little impact on Silicon Valley property values probably because everyone is [...]

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Saratoga Luxury Market Heats Up

Posted in March 30th, 2009

by Rick Bonetti in Market Trends

This past week there have been several new pending sales in the upper end of the Saratoga, CA real estate market, which suggest that savvy buyers are finding opportunity in the market and motivated sellers are coming together. In addition to the escrow closing this past week of 16150 Cuvilly Ct. for an undisclosed amount [...]

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One Nation, Invincible

Posted in March 26th, 2009

by Rick Bonetti in Heart

Last evening my wife and I again watched the 1997 movie Titanic. Most see it as a romantic story of two attractive young people and an exciting tragedy/thriller – which it was; we thoroughly enjoyed it on that level.
The movie can also be viewed as a metaphor for issues we see in our current world [...]

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Read the Last Paragraph

Posted in March 25th, 2009

by Rick Bonetti in Financing Trends, Market Trends

Don’t just read the headlines of a news story - read the last paragraph first to get the real story. Headlines are written to grab your attention and sell newspapers. Today, the headline of the print version of the Mercury News shouts “Grimmer Economic Forecast For State;” The online version more dispassionately states “State’s Economy to See Longer Recession.
Toward the [...]

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Plan B for Low Appraisals

Posted in March 25th, 2009

by Rick Bonetti in Financing Trends, Homebuyer Tips

The pendulum regarding real estate appraisals has swung to the opposite extreme compared with the lax attitude that was rampant a couple of years ago. First, it is important to understand that appraisals are just “quesstimates” and the process is not an “exact science”, even though the process is guided by strict guidelines. In fact [...]

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