Home Sales ReportOaklandOakland home sales May 30, 2020

2020 Home Buyer Trends (NAR)

According to the Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS), the USA home ownership rate reached 65.3% in the 1st quarter of 2020 vs 64.2% in 2019. It increased! Go figure!

First-time buyers made up 33% of all home buyers, the same as last year. Fifty two percent of buyers 30 to 39 years and 88% of buyers 29 years and younger were first time home buyers. Following 23% of buyer 40 to 54 years were also first time home buyers.

At 25%, buyers 30 to 39 continue to be the largest generational group of buyers with a median age of 34, followed by buyers 40 to 54 and 23% awith a median age of 47.

Recent buyers were categorized as following: married couples = 61%, unmarried couples = 13$ single females = 17%, and single male = 9%

I’d be curious to see how things shake out in 2nd quarter of 2020 after COVID-19. Some sellers got jittery as did some buyers. My guess is that sales will be down compared to same quarter last year. We shall see.

 

Source: National Association of Realtors. For the complete report go to: Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends

 

OaklandOakland home sales February 28, 2020

Sequoyah Market Update Feb 27, 2020

Happy New Year 2020! I trust you are doing well.

2019 4th Quarter: Though homes took a little longer to sell, the inventory was stable, and prices went up by $50,000. One of the most important things right now in 2020 are the low interest rates, which appear to be staying low. With low interest, buyers have power to compete for sellers’ homes.

If you plan to sell this year, or have to sell now, let’s talk sooner (now!) rather than later. You’ve seen me around as I live in the neighborhood.

ADDRESS Beds  Baths Home SF Lot SF Days Sold Price
8101 Coach Dr. 5 3 3,010 15,876 13 $1,450,000
10370 Greenview Dr. 4 3.5 3,580 20,980 14 $1,260,000
4451 Saint Andrews Rd. 4 3 4,020 28,150 27 $1,160,000
7930 Surrey Ln. 4 2.5 2,348 15,000 15 $1,140,000
8239 Skyline Circle 4 2.5 2,350 6,656 21 $1,100,000
7921 Surrey Ln. 3 2 2,001 9,072 22 $930,000
61 Sequoyah Rd. 3 2 1,666 7,812 12 $925,000
7840 Hansom Dr. 4 2.5 2,136 9,600 150 $880,000
9774 Burgos Ave. 4 2 1,499 7,980 14 $835,000
3910 Oak Hill Rd. 3 2 1,762 9,750 20 $730,000
Average 3.8 2.5 2,432 13,088 31 $1,041,000
OaklandOakland home salesUncategorized October 21, 2019

Sequoyah Market Update – Oakland CA 94605

4451 Saint Andrews Rd. Oakland CA 94605

Beautiful, large home in the Sequoyah hills of Oakland CA.

As the 3rd Quarter (July, august, September) approached there was the expected seasonal slowdown in sales (23% fewer) and a dip in prices (about 10%, althought there are several variables such as price, home size, condition, desirability, and mortgage rates). Most analysts are seeing a peak in prices until the Spring of 2020 and beyond that some softnening in prices is expected. The gains that have been seen in the past year could not continue unabated!

If you plan to sell this year, or have to sell now, let’s talk sooner rather than later. I have a record of getting the best price for my sellers in ANY market.

SEQUOYAH HOME SALES – 3rd Quarter

ADDRESS BED BATH HOME SF LOT SF GAR SP DAYS SOLD PRICE
8160 Phaeton Dr. 5 2 2,076 8,260 2 12 $1,250,000
40 Donna Way 3 2 1,896 14,616 2 12 $1,240,000
10511 Pebble Beach Dr. 4 2+ 2,237 9,831 2 14 $1,200,000
4030 Sequoyah Rd. 3 1++ 2,029 26,219 2 26 $1,060,000
360 Elysian Fields 4 4 2,796 12,762 2 5 $1,052,000
3965 Turnley Ave. 3 3 2,080 5,300 1 14 $985,000
8184 Hansom Dr. 4 2 1,809 9,660 2 11 $895,000
9775 Burgos Ave. 2 1 1,371 6,042 2 0 $750,000
3665 Calafia Ave. 2 1 1,919 6,600 2 5 $742,000
4117 Seacor Court 3 1 1,104 5,925 2 27 $635,000
AVERAGE 3 2 1,932 10,522 2 13 $980,000

I live and work in Sequoyah, I love our neighborhood and I care about our community and property values. Give me a call to talk about what’s happening in our market.

Uncategorized October 19, 2019

4 Affordable Things You Must Do Before Putting Your Home on the Market

image via Pexels

Buying a home is one of the most significant investments the average person makes. As a seller, you must be willing to put in the work to for a sale, and convince someone that your house can become their home sweet home. Keep in mind that first impressions are everything, and a buyer will sometimes decide within seconds whether they like your house. Here are four tips to set you up for a quick and successful sale.

1. Reframe Your Perspective

In order to attract buyers, it’s important to see your home through their eyes. Check current and recently closed listings to get a feel for the area market. Compare those listings with your home in terms of square footage, neighborhood, amenities, and so forth, and pay attention to their price points. Think about what seems like a typical listing, what is a hot commodity, and what isn’t selling.

As a point of reference, Redfin notes homes in Oakland brought an average sale price of $770K last month, typically selling almost 12 percent over their asking price. As you examine listings, pay attention to how other sellers present their homes, what seems to work and what doesn’t, and even consider visiting some open house events to make some mental notes.

2.  Edit Your Space

Clearing clutter is the first step of moving out – which you’ll be doing anyway. Start with stuff you don’t need in your new home – give away or sell belongings in good condition, and recycle what you can. Also pare down on extras, opening up as much floor space in your home as you can without rooms losing their identities. For instance, oversized recliners might be best moved to storage for the time being, leaving the sofa and end tables for your presentation.

Getting things out of your house is best, since house hunters will be looking in your storage areas to see how well their own things will fit. If your next home isn’t ready or your family and friends don’t have space you can use, look into renting a self-storage unit. As a bonus, when it comes time to move you can just back the moving van up and start loading, so pack your things with this in mind. If you need to hire movers to bring items to your storage unit, hiring two movers will likely cost around $90/hr in Oakland.

Don’t forget to empty half of your closets and arrange them neatly. Spacious closets are a big allure for buyers, so DesignBlendz recommends thinking of the space as a display. Use all matching hangers, color code the contents, and clear the floor completely.

3.  Neutralize Your Style

When a buyer walks into your house, it should be neutral enough for them to imagine how they will live there. Depersonalizing is more than getting rid of family photos and mail. You should remove personal style elements like busy wallpaper, religious art, hunting trophies, sports memorabilia and the kids’ refrigerator art. If you have funds for small improvements, consider giving the house a fresh coat of paint in neutral tones, like grey or beige. Avoid stark white walls, which can look impersonal, and aim for a pop of color on the front door.

4.  Arrange Like a Pro

A dim house can be cramped and unappealing, so your next move is to exchange or remove window coverings to take full advantage of natural light. Add lighting to make the space feel welcoming and airy. Better Homes and Gardens explains you should arrange your furniture to allow for a comfortable traffic pattern. Each piece should be pulled away from walls and set in conversational groupings.

With a little planning and effort, you can stage your home without overspending. Get a feel for the local market, do some editing and neutralizing, and then arrange your home like a pro. Your hard work will equate to a quick and successful sale.

The above article was written by Alice Robertson of Tidy Homes, tidyhome.info with her approval.

 

It’s true. If you want to sell your home for the most money and the fastest, do what the article says. You’ll be pleasantly rewarded.

Uncategorized September 17, 2019

705 Calmar Ave. Oakland CA 94605 Home For Sale

 

705 Calmar Ave. Oakland CA 94610 Fixer Upper – TLC

2 bed, 1.5 bath, 1,606 SF, lot 8,450 SF, built in 1922.

Sweet Crocker Highlands home will shine with a little TLC. Welcoming foyer and its dark wood floors flow right into the formal living room adorned with wide wood baseboards. A fireplace with side-by-side built-ins adds depth to this room. Has partial views of Lake Merritt from the dining room. The kitchen provides a view of Downtown Oakland from the nook. Comes with a large tiered backyard with fruit trees, and a 2-car detached garage and long driveway.

Asking $750,000

Ernest Villafranca, 510-418-9443

More: 705 Calmar Ave. Oakland CA 94610

Uncategorized March 11, 2019

Reaction to Pest Reports

 

Agents always worry about the results of a pest inspection. The fear is that it will come out bad or too high. That was the case in a fourplex I was selling. I thought, “What will the owner say? What will the buyers think?”

The damage came out around $65,000. That’s a lot. But on looking closer, $26,000 was on the deck, and I thought, “No way. that deck should cost that much. Maybe $3,000, you know?” It would have to be checked out by a contractor as I’m not a licensed contractor. I’m just going by my experience.

So you have to read the reports carefully when they come out high to see why it is so. Remember that termite companies have to be insured, bonded, have workmen’s comp, and they have to guarantee the job. That’s why they charge a lot.

There is a seller/investor who hires the termite company to inspect and provide a report, and then he gets his contractors/handymen to do the work because they can do it cheaper. Then he calls the termite company back to recheck and issue a clearance if the problems were corrected.

If you get a big pest report, look at it and ask a contractor how much they can do fix it for. It’s usually much less.

If you’re a seller, you can fix some of the problems or understand that the buyer may want consideration.

If you’re the buyer, make an offer accordingly, renegotiate, buy it as-is or walk away.

No matter if you’re the seller or a buyer, do a pest inspection.

Uncategorized October 2, 2018

1815 Mission St. Santa Cruz CA 95060 – For Sale $599,000

Located in the West Side of Santa Cruz near restaurants, shops, and businesses. Starbucks is right on the corner.

Good layout, 2 bed, 1 bath, with living room and dining room. Living room has a fireplace. Jack and Jill bathroom. It needs work like new windows, and floor. It will need other things too…it’s a fixer upper. House may have rotated a little on the foundation.

There is lots of garbage in the backyard. Property will increase in value by thousands of dollars $$ when it’s simply cleaned up.

There’s potential to convert the living room into a bedroom, and to convert the garage into living quarters.

Cash only.

Fixer Upper For Sale