Should I Tell Them What They Want to Hear?

May 16, 2011 · Kathy Wall · 6 Comments

Over the last couple of months I have lost out on three listings….three really good homes in great locations..because I was honest with the potential clients. In each case, the owners had very unrealistic expectations about what they could get for their property, or as sellers are fond of saying what they “needed” to get out of their properties.

I did everything that I could to be upbeat while meeting with all of them, but two of them wanted $1,500,000 for homes that were either in much need of updating or that had been updated in a particular style that would not be appealing to a large number of buyers. Both of those homes were cluttered and had several pets roaming around, which would make them hard to show. The owners said they “sensed a lot of negativity” when I made a few recommendations about things they could do increase the value of their homes.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am about the least negative person around….I always try to put a positive spin on everything…but it’s my job to try to help owners get the best possible price for their home, so I have to tell them things that would help them or I wouldn’t be doing them justice. Read more

Brisbane – Missing the Boat…

August 15, 2010 · Kathy Wall · 5 Comments

Many home buyers and Realtors are missing the boat when it comes to a nearby town that offers great weather, lots of amenities and darned good real estate prices. I’m talking about the little community of Brisbane. It is located 10 minutes (or less, if you drive like me!) from the airport and is only 10 minutes to downtown San Francisco. Yet, hardly anyone even knows of it’s existence.

Brisbane is a hidden gem here on the Peninsula. It is located on the side of San Bruno Mountain between San Francisco and South San Francisco. There are only 3,597 residents, which makes it one of the smallest communities in the area. It is very unlike your typical suburb in that it has a hodgepodge of all types of architecture, from shacks to mansions, with very few ranch style homes. Many of the homes have great views of the Bay and downtown San Francisco.

The people of the community are almost as diverse as the architecture. Living in the town are world renowned film makers, rocket scientists, artists and musicians…all living happily amongst all of us regular folks. Brisbane is known as the “City of the Stars” because for over 65 years the residents have put up stars on their homes during the holiday season and even have a “Festival of Stars” each year. Read more

Signs of a Real Estate Rebound

March 17, 2009 · Karin Cunningham · 7 Comments

I am not one of profound wisdom, but I am hearing some positive signs of real estate making a turn around, a turn around for the better! Basically, the thinking goes like this, “Hmmm, real estate values are down, not only do I still have my job but I have some cash sitting around, and rates are very low – and may not go lower. So maybe I will stop renting and buy a place (or pick up that non-owner occupied property, or that vacation home), or at least see what is out there.” The market will tell you that at some price, there is a buyer for everything.

San Francisco, the San Mateo Peninsula, East Bay and South Bay are experiencing a surge in homebuyers who are jumping off the fence to try and get their hands on property that they could have only wished they could afford a few years ago. Check out the link below to see what I’m talking about!

http://cbs5.com/business/real.estate.sales.2.956968.html

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