Last year, the California Court of Appeals handed down a decision that may have serious repercussions for the real estate broker community (Saffie v. Schmeling, Fourth Appellate District, Case No. E055716, dated March 7, 2014). In Saffie, a Buyer’s broker was held liable for simply passing along disclosures received from a listing agent without analyzing […]
In this hot Sellers’ market, multiple offers and above-asking bids are common. In fact, it is not unusual for a home to receive ten or more offers. Naturally, agents who are representing Buyers like the opportunity to present their clients’ offers directly to the Sellers so they can argue points beyond the price and terms […]
The world is getting smaller and technology is getting better. It is no surprise then that the Silicon Valley real estate market has seen an increase in the number of people who are buying homes without personally visiting the properties. There are two main reasons for this phenomenon. First, the heated pace of the market […]
Over the past year or so, there has been a marked increase in people selling their Bay Area homes and moving to certain easily accessible get-a-way locations. In addition to offering a refreshing change of pace, many of these areas also offer a tempting arbitrage opportunity. When compared to prime parts of Silicon Valley, vacation […]
In the March edition of the DeLeon Insight, we examined “fixer-uppers” as an opportunity for buyers to get a relative value in this red-hot sellers’ market. In this article, we will look at ways in which prospective sellers can make sure they aren’t the ones selling their home at a “relative value.” In other words, […]
Although the practice is completely legal and widely accepted in California, it seems impossible for one real estate agent to zealously represent both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction, even when the situation is properly disclosed. Simply too much conflict of interest exists. Nevertheless, many agents are tempted by the thought of […]
Between the demands of the federal government and the State of California, the “Tax Man” has played a key role in the current housing shortage in Silicon Valley. Although area real estate has been a remarkably good investment over the past 30 years, the sale of one highly appreciated property can result in a tax […]
For the DeLeon team, 2014 was a phenomenal year. Our sales soared 65% to approximately $559 million—a number never achieved by any Northern California Realtor® or team. In fact, our team’s sales volume exceeds all but a few local brokerage offices, despite the fact that most offices aggregate the sales of scores of individual agents […]
The confluence of a vibrant economy, ideal climate, and intellectual capital draws people to Silicon Valley from around the world. This melding of cultures, ideas, and approaches only serves to intensify the appeal of this area. As the demographic profile of the area changes, so does the real estate market. These changes can be seen […]
There are a lot of theories out there regarding the use of contingencies in real estate offers. Unfortunately many agents and buyers shift towards absolutes, such as “all offers have to be non-contingent in this hot seller’s market” or “the buyers should always have a financing contingency because you never know what the bank might […]
