Escrow in California
Escrow is a neutral, impartial third party that acts on the instructions of the principals in a real estate transaction. Most California real estate Purchase Agreements (CAR or PRDS contracts) are also escrow instructions, that give authority to the escrow company to transfer title when all terms of the Purchase…
Saratoga 2010 Real Estate Market In Review
Price Trends: Median prices in Saratoga, CA have fluctuated inversely with inventory – they reached a low after the recession in Spring 2009, recovered by January 2010; dropped again and are on the rise again. Buyers Market: As the chart above shows, according to Altos Research, Saratoga CA has been…
Saratoga Alain Pinel Realtors Office Sales Up in March 2010
March 2010 was a very good month for the Saratoga office of Alain Pinel Realtors with closed sales up 287.5% over March 2009 Â making Saratoga the #2 ranking office in the company. Â Â Written volume in March were also up 93.7% over March 2009. The recession may not be over, but…
Does The Real Estate Brokerage Brand Really Matter To The Consumer?
My answer to the above question is emphatically, yes! At least in my experience, where I work. Alain Pinel has been adding new offices during these difficult times, because now more than ever, consumers realize they need the most professional, competent and experienced Realtor they can find. Real estate transactions…
Low Saratoga Home For Sale Inventory Spurs Sales
 Because of seasonally low inventory, home sales in Saratoga, CA are brisk in the under $2 million range if they are well priced. One year ago inventory of single family homes was 167 – today it is only 106 homes available. Pending sales increased from 17 last year to…
Multiple Offers In Saratoga and Cupertino Homes For Sale
The real estate market in Silicon Valley from Saratoga north to Cupertino and Sunnyvale is hot in moderate price range with multiple offers.  Here’s an update detail in Cupertino this past week: 5073 Shady               Listed at $899,000      Sold for $970,000      13 offers 10607 Glenview         Listed at $1,099,888   Sold for ~$1,150,000 17…
How Can I Save Green When Buying A Green Home?
Image by U.S. Army Environmental Command via Flickr Green building is here to stay! Â So if you’re thinking of buying a home in Saratoga, Los Gatos or Monte Sereno or you are thinking of remodeling your existing residence, you need to know what elements of a “green home”* are most…
Saratoga Real Estate Heats Up With The Super Bowl
The Silicon Valley real estate market regularly starts to pick up about the time of the Super Bowl (wasn’t that a great game)! Inventory of homes for sale in Saratoga, CA 95070 is climbing, but is still a low 86 detached and 11 attached homes. Last week 21 detached homes…
Home Buyers Should Act Now Before Rates Go Up
Interest rates have been stable over the past week but appear ready to rise based on Obama’s budget which among other things promotes job growth, responsible government spending and is viewed as a positive for the economy based on today’s bond trading. There were several other positive economic reports out…
Rightsizing, Or Is A Green Mansion An Oxymoron?
How big can a home get before it is simply too big to be called “green”, regardless of its design and materials?  According to architect Jason McLennan, CEO of the Cascadia Green Building Council and author of the Living Building Challenge, “the average American family house or condominium, which today is built for three…
West Silicon Valley Real Estate Reports from the Front Lines
What a difference timing makes in the real estate market! Â Last fall 2009 the Saratoga real estate market was sluggish and now it fast and engaged. Last week I reported the avalanche of positive market response to a Saratoga listing Moe Baniani and I have on Wolcot Way and…
School District Boundaries in Saratoga, CA 95070
Search of homes for sale in Saratoga, CA, by families with school age children, almost always starts with schools. Market valuation of homes is directly related to API school scores. Frequently at open house I will open a detailed map that shows the district boundaries for schools in Saratoga. Saratoga Union…
Reverse Mortgage Now Allows New Home Purchase
Did you know that there is a program that allows seniors (62 years and older) to purchase a new home without taking on a new monthly mortgage payment? It will enable seniors to: Purchase a primary residence more suitable for their current needs (ie. single story vs. two story) Purchase…
How’s The Real Estate Market?
The question if get asked most frequently is “How’s the real estate market?” It used to be that everyone read the newspapers and got their somewhat distorted news from the headlines; now people get their news online and from multiple sources. I hope I have earned the right for you…
Santa Clara County Jumbo Mortgages Now Classified Less Risky
Jumbo mortgages in Santa Clara County has been reclassified from a market risk perspective to class 1, which is the least risky class! The major benefit is that now a borrower can put down 20% on a jumbo loan and only need to show 10% of the loan amount in…
