Risk Taken By Buyers Investing in the Willows Has Paid Off

Much like “Risk,” the famous board game and source of intense family discord, purchasing real estate always involves the investment of limited resources – armies in “Risk,”equate to personal savings in real estate. In addition, people must decide…

Efficiency Drives the Blueprints for DeLeon

Throughout my entire life I have been drawn to efficiency. While I enjoyed all of my Mathematics and Economics classes, my favorite class was Operations Research. A simple summary of Operations Research is that it uses mathematical algorithms to find…

Liquidated Damages, Initial with Care!

These days, it seems like every small transaction requires long and complex forms filled with legal jargon. It is often difficult to tell exactly what certain contract provisions mean, and even harder to understand how the provisions operate. This may…

A Study of Appreciation in Atherton, California

Location, Location, Location While the citizens of this quiet town probably would have preferred to have been overlooked, Atherton, California was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the most expensive ZIP code in America in 2013. With a population of 7,060…

Worldwide Real Estate Impact on Silicon Valley

Discord is a better teacher than concord. Consequently, I make it a priority to travel; its unique experiences are an important component of a lifelong education. I have recently focused my travels on learning more about real estate markets around the…

Enforceability of the “As-Is” Provision in Residential Real Estate Purchase Contracts

Given the hot housing market in Silicon Valley, buyers, in the face of multiple all-cash offers, feel pressured to make their offers as appealing as possible. Not only do these buyers make offers with no contingencies, they also take the property “As-Is.”…

Atherton 2014: The Evolving Expectation of Privacy

By Ken DeLeon  In October 2014, Forbes named Atherton, California (94027) the most expensive zip code in the country for the second year in a row. The local market has been experiencing incredible appreciation, which is directly attributable to both…

Ideas for Outdoor Living

With summer upon us, getting your outdoor spaces looking beautiful doesn’t have to be stressful and demanding. No matter how big or small your outdoor space is, here are some helpful and simple ideas that can get you ready for some low maintenance entertaining…

Some Like It Hot

While summer temperatures are going up, what is rising more rapidly are local home prices. Even after 4 years of appreciation, this year’s market shows no signs of weakening with multiple offers for many homes resulting in double-digit appreciation…

Savvy Use of the 1031 Exchange

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin, 1789 Could Mr. Franklin have been half wrong? The answer is yes for individuals willing to make systematic and disciplined use of tax deferred exchanges…