Who Knows What 2017 Will Bring? Napa and surrounding areas will most likely continue on their trend lines: prices increasing gradually, inventory limited, perfect properties selling fast and challenging properties taking longer, a seller’s market for the most part, cash as King, and pre-approved financing essential. Interest rates have recently gone up a quarter point, and may again. Nevertheless, these are historically low rates, lower than appreciation, and real estate outperforms most alternative investments. Purchasing power will decrease with any rise in interest rates, so there is no better time than the present to purchase. Equity can be yours in
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The Key To Home Posted By Linda Fischer At 4:37 PM •
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Even drive-by curb appeal is part of “staging.” If you’re thinking about selling, set the scene long before your first Open House. Look at your home as part of a streetscape, and consider what it “says” in marketing terms. Does it look tired and taken for granted, or does it look well-loved, desirable, the envy of all the neighbors? Here we have the same house, Before and After it was readied for sale. With a little vision you can transform what looks like a rental into what looks like a gracious home, and, put money in your pocket. In a
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And who’s flocking to these median-priced homes in Napa? Nothing about the median home price is normal in Napa. Or local. The median single-family home is now more than $575,000. What “normal,” average, “medium” single family can afford that? If a normal, average family is 3.3 persons, and it is, then a 3 or 2 bed, 2 or 1 bath home is what they need. In this price range in Napa, those houses are getting smaller and smaller, 1000 to 1500 square feet. That is getting very close to “cottage” in size and number of rooms, in fact overlapping. Charming,
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You do. Development might be a dirty word, but it’s what pays for society. In a way, we’re all developers, anyone who improves property. Property tax is based on value property owners create. Municipalities hit developers, whether individuals or corporations, with fees and mitigation requirements, and the cost of those are passed directly to the buyer, not only in the sale price, but also over and over in annual property taxes. It’s redistribution of wealth, in another disguise. Property owners and property developers pay for the local amenities all of us use: roads, schools and colleges, hospitals, emergency services, telecom,
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People buy houses while laughing, talking, listening to music, cruising in their car, on the treadmill, watching movies in bed, waiting for their Starbucks. They shop before they engage a real estate agent, to learn about the market, prices, and availability. They check Open Houses, then zero in on what they want and can afford. You knew that. But did you know where they go to do it, what website? Of course, you knew Zillow and Trulia. But did you know, more people look to Coldwell Banker? It is the leading real estate website. 43 million sets of eyes in
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As residential Realtors, we trade in The New Black, The Modern Farmhouse, Contemporary Craftsman, Minimal, Agrarian, Barn Redux, and other marketing tags. I understand the need to describe and distinguish. But I genuinely appreciate this example in which residential and commercial architecture blur in the Napa Valley. These rural ag silhouettes don’t need labels . . . this place making, pedestrian friendly project in Yountville speaks for itself. The newly approved Washington Street design for Handwritten Wines creates public space and commercial retail, office, and apartment spaces in buildings that connect to and are informed by their surroundings. It invites
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As residential Realtors, we trade in The New Black, The Modern Farmhouse, Contemporary Craftsman, Minimal, Agrarian, Barn Redux, and other marketing tags. I understand the need to describe and distinguish. But I genuinely appreciate this example in which residential and commercial architecture blur in the Napa Valley. These rural ag silhouettes don’t need labels . . . this place making, pedestrian friendly project in Yountville speaks for itself. The newly approved Washington Street design for Handwritten Wines creates public space and commercial retail, office, and apartment spaces in buildings that connect to and are informed by their surroundings. It invites
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