Ignore Your Own Taste When Prepping a Home for Sale

Everybody loves their own tastes, which certainly makes sense when you think about it. However, prepping and staging a home to achieve the highest possible sales price is both an art and a science. Problems arise when Sellers allow their own style preferences…

The Trap of Long-Term Listing Agreements

Long-term listing agreements are great for Realtors® and bad for Sellers. Period. As a real estate attorney and real estate broker, I have encountered countless clients who felt their agent wasn’t living up to their expectations, yet the agent would…

DeLeon Realty Expands the China Initiative

While still only a small part of the DeLeon team’s marketing approach, we have enjoyed tremendous success in tapping into the burgeoning Chinese buyer pool. In fact, we have become well-known to the Chinese community throughout the Bay Area through…

Agents’ Heightened Duties to Clients under Saffie v. Schmeling

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…

Neighborhood Spotlight — Old Palo Alto

Unquestionably one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Silicon Valley, Old Palo Alto has a unique blend of spectacular architecture, large parcels, great public schools, and a central location that has made the neighborhood highly desirable to multiple…

The Downside to Live Offer Presentations

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…

Buying Real Estate Sight Unseen

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…

Ken DeLeon: Silicon Valley’s real estate rock star

San Jose Mercury News -  June 12, 2015 http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28303598/ken-deleon-silicon-valleys-real-estate-rock-star LOS ALTOS -- Ken DeLeon parks his Rolls-Royce outside the Georgian-style mini-mansion that he anticipates selling…

Vacation Areas Poised for Strong Real Estate Appreciation

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…

Unlocking Value Before You Sell

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…