The DeLeon Insight July 2017

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Table of Contents

 

SUMMER SPLASH: BUY A HOME BEFORE THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

By Michael Repka, ESQ. | CEO & General Counsel

Buyers often say they would like to purchase a home over the summer and settle in before the new school year starts. Nevertheless, the majority of listings are brought onto the market during two windows of time: spring and fall. In effect, the summer becomes a “dead time” in large part because of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Namely, Realtors® believe there will not be enough listings on the market to keep a buyer’s attention, so they advise sellers to wait until September to sell.

Generally speaking, this is good advice. The steady flow of new listings during the busy spring months of March and April and the fall months of September and October keep buyers constantly checking the newspapers and the MLS. As the number of listings dies down, so does buyer interest. There still are plenty of buyers looking to purchase properties, but it requires an extremely aggressive marketing campaign to jolt them out of hibernation…READ MORE

RESOLVING REAL ESTATE DISPUTES

By Michael Repka, ESQ. | CEO & General Counsel

Most real estate transactions close without a hitch. Agents on both sides explain the rights and responsibilities to their clients, and everyone does as required and expected. By and large, agents are competent and thorough, and buyers and sellers are reasonable. But, things don’t always go as planned.

When a dispute arises, most parties fall into one of two camps. There are those who are too eager to sue, and those who are too scared of litigation. This often leads to unfair results. In an effort to avoid lawyers, some parties give in and give up their rights or claims, even though they are entirely correct in their positions and could receive restitution with little effort. On the other hand, some parties casually threaten litigation as if it were a mere inconvenience rather than an onerous process…READ MORE

SILICON VALLEY: WORLD LEADER IN INNOVATION

By Ken DeLeon, ESQ | Founder

I was invited to an international real estate conference in South America to discuss what factors led to Silicon Valley’s rise, and how it consistently reinvents itself through continual innovation. This article explores what unique factors led to Silicon Valley’s explosive growth. By identifying these, other regions can follow a successful blueprint to build their own innovation centers.

Silicon Valley is a region of worldwide fame that is often emulated, yet has never been successfully replicated. How did this small region grow from humble origins 70 years ago into the economic juggernaut that is now the epicenter of world innovation…READ MORE

HOW TO COMPETE AGAINST AN ALL CASH OFFER

I often hear of buyers’ fears of competing against cash buyers. As a Bay Area native, I have witnessed many of my friends move away to more affordable cities, partly due to high real estate prices and the frustration of competing against cash buyers. The buyers I represent are often in technology or professional industries— individuals with great salaries but not necessarily a large amount of liquid assets. They are able to get loans with competitive interest rates through our preferred lenders, but oftentimes are forced to compete against all-cash offers. A recent survey of listing agents showed that approximately 33 percent of offers in Silicon Valley were cash offers—the highest in California, with San Francisco following closely behind at 30 percent.

The following are some strategies that I have used to get my buyers’ financed offers accepted when competing with cash offers…READ MORE

NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNITY CENTER OF PALO ALTO

Community Center, as it is appropriately named, is just that—a community-centric neighborhood of Palo Alto where residents feel a strong connection to each other and the neighborhood itself. With a population of approximately 2,000, Community Center sees very low turnover with only 14 homes being available and sold in the past 12 months…READ MORE

NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: GREEN GABLES OF PALO ALTO

For savvy buyers wanting access to the premier schools located in North Palo Alto, the Green Gables neighborhood has traditionally been viewed as the value option. With beautiful parks, tree-lined streets, easy access to commute corridors, and two neighborhood-focused shopping districts…READ MORE