War Stories—Overly Aggressive Lien-Holder

By Michael Repka, Esq. I recently had a listing in Palo Alto, which illustrated the importance of having free legal representation as part of the listing. The facts of this war story are interesting to say the least. The home was owned by a…

Patience Went From Being a Virtue to a Necessity When Constructing a Home

Risk of Using Friends & Family As Your Real Estate Agent

By Michael Repka, DeLeon Listing Team When I originally got my real estate license many years ago, a manager pulled me aside and gave me what she considered wisdom. These words were really powerful because they clearly showed me what’s wrong…

CBS News: Hillside Estate in South Bay Lists for $55 Million

The Diminishing Role of Buyers' Agents

By Michael Repka Over the past 20 years, technology has enhanced and improved many industries. The quality of products and services has gone up, while, thanks to improvements in efficiency, the cost to consumers has often gone down. Unfortunately,…

Palo Alto Spotlight: Rinconada and Mitchell Parks

By Michelle Lee As a long-term resident, it sometimes feels like there’s not much to do in this quiet small town where the bars close at 10:00 pm and the streets are empty by 9:00 pm – how many can relate? However with recent remodels, expansions,…

Open House Liability: The Risk and Benefits of Open Houses

By Audrey Sun Although I have been with DeLeon Realty for over four years, I still remember my time as an independent contractor agent working at a big brokerage. At my old firm there was always a push for open houses. However, much of what I heard…

A Snapshot of Some Real Estate Related Propositions on the November Ballot

By Michael Repka, Esq. It is easy to tell when an election is coming up—just watch the countless television commercials paid for by special interest groups. However, every proposition seems to be either the greatest idea ever or pure evil, depending…

Hidden Dangers to Arbitration in Real Estate Contracts

By Michael Repka, Esq. When looking to buy or sell real estate, many clients ask their real estate agent whether they should initial the arbitration provision. If initialed by both sides, this provision binds the parties to arbitrate most disputes…

Silicon Valley's New Icon: Apple Park Campus

By Michelle Lee, DeLeon Marketing Dept Driving down from San Francisco to San Jose only takes an hour, but you’ll pass some of the world’s most influential company headquarters along the way. From famous Facebook in Menlo Park and Google in…