Presenting the classic style of Palo Alto, this spacious downtown property offers two separate living quarters with ample flexibility – live in one and rent the other, rent both units, or possibly convert to a single-family residence (buyer to confirm with the City of Palo Alto). Updated and remodeled with a total living space of 1,746 square feet, each residence is bright and inviting with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a spacious living room, and eat-in kitchen – plus the added bonus of a 3-car detached garage and offstreet parking – the ultimate ...

We all know Las Vegas as one of the poster children of the housing bubble. Here is a fascinating compilation of NASA satillite image of the sprawl Las Vegas has experienced since 1972. I know it hs nothing to do with Bay Area real estate, but it is still fascinating ... or terrifying.

Situated in a wonderful San Mateo neighborhood, this charming remodeled ranch-style home offers the ideal combination of home and community. It provides an open and spacious floorplan that is ideal for everyday living, as well as entertaining. Its location provides easy access to many of San Mateo’s most desirable offerings. Approximately 1,640 square feet of living space situated on a lot of approximately 6,710 square feet Four bedrooms and two remodeled bathrooms The spacious master suite features French doors leading to the rear ...

We've just listed a wonderful Menlo Park property, and we will be open Sunday afternoon between 1:30 and 4:30 pm! This home presents modern Craftsman appeal in a tranquil setting beneath towering redwoods. An inviting front porch is the perfect introduction to the chic and sophisticated interiors with beautiful hardwood floors, plantation shutters, and a crisp clean palette of colors. The two-story floor plan includes 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms plus a detached guest house with full kitchen and bath. An enchanting rear patio plus access to ...

Nationwide, there are currently about 3.48 million homes for sale, but as we enter the autumn and winter seasons, available housing inventory will typically decrease and real estate activity will slow. The National Association of Realtors predicts that this number will probably drop to less than 3 million over the next few months. Meanwhile, would-be buyers will shift their focus towards the holidays, waiting for the boost in available properties that usually comes in the spring. On a local level, our inventory is also low but unlike the ...

Real Estate Update Can you believe that it is already September! When I reflect on the real estate market over this last year, I feel so fortunate to be selling on the peninsula. Our market continues to be strong, but it was slower over the summer. We are still experiencing multiple offers, however, especially in Palo Alto. There was one home that was listed by another brokerage in Old Palo Alto that had 30 offers on it! It was priced at 1.1 million dollars, which was considerably lower than the most recent sales in the area. It ...

Calif. median home price: May 2011: $$291,760 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. highest median home price by region/county May 2011: San Mateo: $810,000 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. lowest median home price by region/county May 2011: Merced $113,000 (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: June 2011: 119, an increase of 1.9 percent compared with prior month. (Source: C.A.R.) Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index: First quarter 2011: 53 percent (Source: C.A.R.) Mortgage rates: Week ending 7/14/2011 30-yr. fixed: 4.51 fees/points: 0.7% ...

It is difficult to accurately assess the bay area real estate market because of the many micro markets that exist within its boundaries. For example, Palo Alto continues to be the shining star with almost every listing generating multiple offers. The surrounding cities of Los Altos, Mountain View, Menlo Park and the rest of the Mid Peninsula are also experiencing an increase in activity. But there are some markets that continue to struggle, especially in the South and East Bay. Also, low inventory continues to be a problem in all areas, ...

Situated in the coveted community of Ladera, this Leonard Lincoln designed redwood home offers the ideal living environment to enjoy the surrounding area’s natural beauty. The open floor plan with expansive decks and floor-to-ceiling windows is highlighted by breath-taking views of San Francisco Bay, the Stanford Foothills and eastern hills from Mt. Diablo to Mt. Hamilton. Additionally, this home is ideally located to take advantage of Portola Valley's open spaces while remaining in close proximity to the many amenities of the Ladera ...

The spring market continues to be in full swing. As is typical, Palo Alto is leading the way with high demand, multiple offers and increasing prices. Prices in Palo Alto are starting to edge toward the peak prices of 2007-2008. For example, a home in Palo Alto, which was listed at $1.3M sold for $1.6M with 18 offers. Surrounding areas such as Los Altos, Mountain View, Menlo Park and other parts of the Peninsula are also starting to see such activity, but at a lesser rate. We just recently had a home listed for $849,000 in Menlo Park, ...

The uptrend in existing-home sales continues, with January sales rising for the third consecutive month with a pace that is now above year-ago levels. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the improvement is good but could be better. “The uptrend in home sales is consistent with improvements in the economy and jobs, which are helping boost consumer confidence,” Yun said. “The extremely favorable housing affordability conditions are a big factor, but buyers have been constrained by unnecessarily tight credit. As a result, there are ...

Spring has arrived early this year and I am not just referring to the beautiful weather! The local real estate market is showing signs of a typical spring market, with a big increase in activity. Sales in our office were up about 20% in January. Just last week it was reported that one of our listings in San Carlos, listed at $800,000, had 12 offers on it! Also, we just sold a new home in Redwood City for $1,300,000, a new home in Menlo Park for over $4,000,000 and three homes in Palo Alto in the $1.2 to $1.500,000 range. All of these homes ...

Here is a photo of the shopping center located at the corner of Portola Road and Alpine Road around 1964. Although we have experienced a great deal of change since this photo was taken, it is refreshing to know that a few things remain the same ... almost.

The outlook for real estate is looking brighter than last year. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says “The market is recovering and we should trend up to a healthy, sustainable level in 2011.” Yun also added that “ home price prospects will vary depending largely upon the local job market conditions.” California is one state that is seeing home sales rise. Home sales rose by 9.2% from October to November and continued to increase into December. On a local level, our office sales were ...

The consensus is that our economy is improving and that we should see moderate growth in 2011. This is good news for the real estate market. Some of our local markets have already shown signs of improvement reporting an increase in number of sales over last year. Most recently there have even been multiple offers on some properties—especially in the Palo Alto market place. The demand for housing continues to exceed our supply on the peninsula. More good news—the upper end of the market is starting to show signs of recovery as well....

Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules. < >

Here is a fascinating graphic from the Washington Post about where in the US, by County, foreclosures have taken place, color coded by percentage.

Situated in one of Redwood City’s oldest and most coveted neighborhoods, this graceful Edgewood Park home sits on an expansive lot to create an exquisite living environment. Rarely do you find the perfect combination of home and neighborhood! Approximately 4,050 square feet of living space situated on a lot of approximately 33,350 square feet Four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms The family room kitchen offers views to both the front and rear yard. It is highlighted by a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling ...

We are proud to say that our new listing at 451 La Mesa Drive, in Portola Valley, was selected by the agents at a competing firm as the most interesting new home to come to market in the past week. The attached advertisement is currently running in The Daily Wamp. The Daily WAMP is a new local newspaper targeting residents living in Woodside, Atherton, Menlo Park and Portola Valley (hence the name, WAMP). WAMP has teamed up with Dreyfus Properties to review new listings from local brokerages. Dreyfus Properties’ agents pick one home ...