Why People Set Up Revocable or “Family” Trusts

A quick perusal of county records reveals a large number of homes are owned in trusts. Typically these trusts are creatively named something like the “John and Jane Doe Family Trust.” Almost everyone who is even the slightest bit affluent, including…

What Exactly Is DeLeon? A Man? A Team? A Brokerage?

There is a bit of a controversy in the real estate community. Many wonder whether it is fair to compare the DeLeon Team to the individual agents or small teams of two or three agents and a couple of assistants. Simply put, the DeLeon Team is unique unto…

Breathing Life into an Expired Listing

Anyone who has ever walked down a café-lined street in an unfamiliar foreign city understands the draw of a crowd. Whether a packed restaurant or a bustling store, interest reflects desirability. A few years ago, my wife and I were in Tokyo looking for…

Fence Disputes and Good Neighbor Fences

We have all heard the expression, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Nevertheless, there are countless bitter disputes between neighbors over the location, construction, and maintenance of fences. Fortunately, the original California Civil Code §841,…

A New Option for Real Estate Commissions that Further Aligns Incentives

Real estate commissions have traditionally been based on a transaction-based model as opposed to a performance-based model. When the time comes to resell, regardless of whether the home doubles in value or declines by half, the real estate agent who helped…

2015: The Year in Review

2015 was a tale of two years. The year started off tremendously well with a surge of prices and activity very early in the spring. Not surprisingly, given its recent performance, the Palo Alto market was particularly strong. From March 2014 to March 2015,…

Make Any Space Modern

Do you love modern style but live in a not-so-modern home? To achieve a modern vibe in your home, you don’t have to make very large adjustments. By using these easy guidelines, you can quickly bring modern touches to any space. Scheme a New Scheme Color…

A Study in Appreciation: Palo Alto’s High-End Neighborhoods

DeLeon Insight - January 1, 2016 Ken DeLeon, Esq., DeLeon Realty Founder While a rising tide may lift all boats, not all boats are suitable for a long-term voyage. Over the past few years Silicon Valley has enjoyed a rapidly appreciating real…

Common Staging Mistakes and How to Fix Them

DeLeon Insight - January 1, 2016 Margie Fontanilla, DeLeon Design Coordinator    A well-staged home shows better and has a better chance of selling faster than an unstaged home. Many buyers have difficulty seeing beyond the room…

How to Choose Paint Colors for Your Home

When redecorating your home, one of the most important decisions is choosing paint colors. Painting is a quick and reasonable way to give old rooms a fresh, new look. However, you must be careful to match colors with your home’s style and decorations,…