Friday, April 24, 2015

Drought Tolerant Landscaping Important

Well, here we are in the 4th consecutive year of an increasingly severe drought. Of course, this brings up the question of how does one responsibly conserve water and still maintain attractive landscaping. The answer is drought tolerant landscaping.
In real estate, properties featuring drought-tolerant landscaping will likely fetch a premium from homebuyers, particularly in the environmentally conscious Bay Area. Sellers, if they haven’t done so already, may want to take steps now to incorporate water-saving features in their landscaping.
Several weeks ago, Pacific Union discussed indoor improvements to conserve water, such as low-flow toilets, water-efficient appliances, and dripless faucets. Today’s discussion moves outdoors. Whether you are a homebuyer, a seller, or simply a Bay Area resident trying to cut back on water usage, check out the links below for smart ideas that can save you money and help the environment.
The California Institute for Water Resources has more than a dozen web pages offering advice on many aspects of landscaping and gardening. A few of the topics include “Keeping Landscape Plantings Alive under Drought or Water Restrictions,” “Growing food with less water,” and “Water-wise gardening tips for Marin County.”
The California Landscape Contractors Association offers smart, practical tips to help you survive this year’s drought and help you prepare for water shortages.
Sunset magazine, famous for its rich, color layouts of manicured lawns, does an equally fine job presenting “24 inspiring lawn-free yards.” One look at these outdoor scenes, and you may be tempted to tear out every blade of grass in your yard. Also check out the magazine’s Water-Wise Garden Design Guide and list of 12 great drought-tolerant plants.
Better Homes and Gardens, not to be outdone, offers detailed steps to create 11 lush outdoor environments with minimal water needs.
Southern California’s Las Virgenes Municipal Water District has posted a 60-page “California-Friendly Guide to Native and Drought-Tolerant Gardens” that’s every bit as useful in Northern California.
Digital First Media, which operates a half-dozen news websites in the Bay Area, including those of The San Jose Mercury News and the Marin Independent Journal, offers plenty of local advice for tending lawns and gardens without much moisture.
So, you can have a beautifully landscaped yard and still conserve on the use of water.

For this and other helpful hints, give us a call: Peter: (415) 279-6366; Jane: (415) 531-4091.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Prices Still Rise--Just More Slowly

Well, prices in the Bay Area continue to rise. However, the pace at which they rise has moderated a bit.
The San Francisco metro area has given up its claim as the home of the nation’s highest-rising housing prices.
The region posted the fourth-highest annual rise in home prices in the nation in January after two months at No. 1. That’s according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, which are widely respected but run two months behind current results.Holding cash
January home prices in the San Francisco area increased 7.9 percent from a year earlier, trailing Denver (up 8.4 percent), Miami (8.3 percent), and Dallas (8.1 percent). Nationwide, home prices in January were 4.5 percent higher than they were one year ago.
The results show that annual home price gains in the region are easing off from the rapid pace of the past two years, when they reached as high as 25.7 percent in the fall of 2013. In December 2014, the San Francisco area led the nation in annual price growth at 9.3 percent. In November, prices were up 8.9 percent.
The latest Case-Shiller numbers also reveal that home prices in the San Francisco area slipped 0.9 percent from December to January — the biggest decline among the nation’s 20 largest metro areas —  after a 0.5 percent rise from November to December.
“Regional patterns in recent months continue,” David M. Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the Index Committee for S&P Dow Jones Indices, said in a statement accompanying the results. “Strength in the west and southwest paced by Denver and Dallas, with results ahead of the national index in the California cities, the Pacific Northwest and Las Vegas. The northeast and Midwest are mostly weaker than the national index.
“Despite price gains, the housing market faces some difficulties,” he said. “Home prices are rising roughly twice as fast as wages, putting pressure on potential homebuyers and heightening the risk that any uptick in interest rates could be a major setback. Moreover, the new-home sector is weak; residential construction is still below its pre-crisis peak. Any time before 2008 that housing starts were as low as the current rate of one million, the economy was in a recession.”
Looking at more recent data for the Bay Area, the median single-family home price increased year over year in seven of Pacific Union’s nine regions, according to local MLS data.
The biggest increase was in our Silicon Valley region, where the median price rose by 21 percent to $2.8 million. At the other end of the spectrum, the median home price fell by 15 percent in our Sonoma Valley region to $540,000.
The chart below provides more information on annual Bay Area home price changes. Also, be sure to check out Pacific Union’s fourth-quarter 2014 real estate report for more in-depth sales data and information on how we define our regions.

Jan15CaseShiller
For a free valuation of your home, give us a call: Peter: (415) 279-6466; Jane: (415) 531-4091. Also, if you're seeking to purchase, be aware that rates are still near historic lows, with the past week's increase in mortgage rates being so small as to be virtually negligible.

Friday, April 10, 2015

PacUnion in Top 10 in US; How to Make Your Home Look Better for Market

Well, this week we have a couple of items for you to consider. First, Pacific Union has reached the Top Ten in the nation in terms of sales volume.
Pacific Union is proud to announce that our firm has moved up the ranks of RISMedia’s 2014 Power Broker list and the latest REAL Trends 500 list. We are now one of the 10 largest brokerages in the U.S. as measured by sales volume.Pacific Union logo
Pacific Union’s 2014 sales volume was $6.75 billion, ranking us No. 9 on both lists, which track the largest 500 brokerages in the nation. We ranked No. 14 on the 2013 Power Broker list, No. 18 in 2012, and No. 23 in 2011. On last year’s REAL Trends 500 list, we ranked No. 13.
Our firm continues to experience in excess of 20 percent annual growth for the fifth consecutive year since the acquisition from GMAC Homes Services in 2009. We have accomplished these results organically, without acquiring other companies.
Perhaps more importantly, Pacific Union has achieved this growth with substantially fewer real estate professionals than our competitors. We were the only brokerage on both top 10 lists with less than 1,000 real estate professionals – 637 as of 2014. By way of comparison, the No. 8 ranked brokerage had roughly six times the number of real estate professionals as Pacific Union.
According to Pacific Union CEO Mark A. McLaughlin, the company’s business model of attracting and retaining only the San Francisco Bay Area’s most talented and efficient real estate professionals is the primary reason for our firm’s consistent sales volume growth over the past few years.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment that Pacific Union achieved organically without acquiring a single competitor,” McLaughlin says. “I am honored and inspired daily to play on this special team of the finest real estate professionals — the people who make this kind of amazing yearly growth possible.”
Pacific Union’s relationship with the industry’s finest professionals is a direct result of our culture and commitment to their success. “Our culture is 100 percent our most significant asset,” Pacific Union President Patrick Barber says. “It’s in our DNA, and it’s what makes us tick, perform, and provide a level of elite service to our professionals and their clients.”

Clearly, this is an enviable position to be in, but, more important, it provides you, the homeowner, an opportunity locally to work with one of the best firms in the entire country!  Give us a call and see how we can help you in buying or selling a home.
With the heat and competitiveness of today's market, every advantage you can muster can help you sell your home for more money in a shorter period of time.  One of the most important things to consider is staging the home.
A recent survey by National Association of Realtors’ 2015 Profile of Home Staging showed that 81 percent of homebuyers found professionally decorated properties easier to visualize as a future home. Staged homes typically sell within 30 days, according to research by The International Association of Home Staging Professionals and HomeStaging.com. Additionally, staging usually leads to a higher final sales price.
“Staging isn’t about decorating your home,” says Laney Nelson, Accredited Staging Professional stager for Walnut Creek-based East Bay Staging. “It’s about selling.”
THE BASICS AND BENEFITS OF STAGING
Stagers conduct a home assessment, examining items to be removed and refurbished, neutralizing decor to appeal to a majority of buyers, and maximizing both indoor and outdoor space to generate positive impressions of the home’s features. Replacing carpeting and flooring, painting, cleaning, landscaping, changing furniture, and even simple fixture replacements can help a property connect with buyers.
But mixing conflicting styles and accessories can put off homebuyers, according to Kelly Wood, a buyer’s specialist and a former stager. “The extremes don’t really work,” she says.
Additionally, staging and repairs offers the appearance of home upkeep, both in the real world and online, says Danielle Cirelli, owner of Walnut Creek-based staging company Designed to Sell. “Photos are an essential part of marketing because over 90 percent of the buyers will preview a property online,” she says.
Millennials, who currently make up the largest share of homebuyers, are even more likely to peruse online listings before visiting a home. Pacific Union CEO Mark A. McLaughlin stressed the importance of technology on the real estate industry in his recent Inman Select Live presentation, saying that digital strategies are geared toward users likely to “give you eight seconds.”
CONNECTING WITH A STAGING PRO
Sellers who decide that staging is the way to go will likely want to employ the services of a pro. Many expert real estate professionals offer their clients a list of recommended contacts – including architects, general contractors, and interior designers – who can help enhance a home’s appeal. Some real estate professionals provide staging services as a part of their service package. Sellers can also find a staging company through online resources such as Yelp and Angie’s List or referrals from friends and family.
Though some sellers might fret over staging expenses, it actually costs less — an average of $675, according to NAR’s study — than the first price reduction – typically at least 10 percent of asking price. And a lingering home on the market sans staging can incur additional price cuts, according to Nelson.
“Every month a home is on the market, there is a price reduction of usually 5 percent,” she says.