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,…

How the Real Estate Industry Works

As the real estate market heats up and commission checks continue to grow, people often wonder how the real estate industry works. This curiosity may stem from interest in a career move or surprise over the size of the commission checks in Silicon Valley—either…

4 Tips for Refurbishing Your Landscaping on a Moderate Budget

During the summer, we as Californians love taking advantage of our outdoor spaces. However, by spending more time in these spaces that we have forgotten most of the year, we tend to notice the imperfections we ignored all winter. That brown lawn or dead…

Real Property Tax Breaks Under the Mills Act

Many homeowners and homebuyers are attracted to historic homes due to their charm, majesty, and/ or history. Some areas, such as Professorville in Palo Alto, are known for their high concentrations of historic homes. Although the buyers and owners of…

Chinese Stock Market Woes and the RMB Devaluations Impact on Silicon Valley Real Estate

The recent turmoil in the Asian stock markets, most notably in China, and the devaluation of the Chinese currency have evoked many questions about the likelihood of continued investment in Bay Area real estate by Chinese buyers. Coincidentally, we were…

Resolving Real Estate Disputes

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…

Neighborhood Spotlight – Appreciation Potential in Redwood City

The reputation of Redwood City is rising as rapidly as the many cranes dotting the downtown skyline. Once viewed as on the periphery of Silicon Valley, Redwood City’s vibrant downtown and thriving start-up scene is making this formerly sleepy town one…

Structuring Listing Agreements

Ask any real estate attorney about disputes between sellers and listing agents and you are likely to hear a lament about the lack of specificity in residential real property listing agreements. The forms widely used in Silicon Valley are generally written…