Three Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Mover

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 Considering Selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Today, Scott Cramer from Ace Relocation joins us to discuss three things to look for when selecting a moving company.

1. Pay attention to the mover's reputation. Do your research. Read customer reviews, and make sure everyone that you allow into your home is on the up and up.
2. Make sure the company has workers' compensation insurance.This ensures that if someone gets injured on the job, the company will not sue the homeowners.
3. The mover should care. You want them to care for the home and the goods they are moving.

With Ace Relocation, the home itself will be protected by rug and hardwood floor covers, and everything will be wrapped appropriately. Anything that's breakable will be covered first with cardboard, then pad-wrapped, and then shrink-wrapped.

That's why we recommend Scott Cramer and Ace Relocation to all of our clients. Ace Relocation is a great moving company. To contact Scott, call (408) 605-7412 or email SCramer@AceRelocation.com.

As always, if you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We'd be happy to help you.

Google & Apple Pushing Home Prices Higher

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 Considering Selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Today, I want to discuss how Google and Apple will push home prices higher this year and beyond.

The #1 drive of home appreciation is job growth. The precursor of job growth is the leasing of commercial office space; when big companies plan to hire more people, the first thing they do is go out and find more space. Recently, I spoke with Phil Maloney, the nation's top commercial leasing broker, and he shared some interesting facts:

• Google has recently acquired 5 million square feet of new office space
• Apple added 100,000 square feet of new office space per week in 2014
• There will be a rough total of 10 million square feet of office space that will house 50,000-60,000 workers

To put these numbers in perspective: last year, Silicon Valley as a whole created around 42,000 jobs. With Google and Apple looking to add up to 60,000 new jobs in the coming years, these two giants alone are going to create more than the whole area did in 2014! With Silicon Valley thriving, you can expect to see a strong economy that will continue to create jobs, which will effectively push up both wages and the price of property!

If you're a buyer, the sooner you act, the better. The price and payment of the home you want are only going to rise. If you're a seller, it's important to realize that rising prices will hit a ceiling; we're in a seller's market right now, so there's no better time to get top dollar for your home! Give us a call or shoot us a quick email if you have any additional questions about how Google and Apple will push home prices higher in the years to come. We would love to hear from you!

As always, we'll be right here, ready to help you create a better life through real estate!  

2015 Real Estate Forecast

Considering Buying? Click here for gateway access to MLS

 Considering Selling? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Welcome back, everyone. Today we are going to give you our 2015 market forecast. This information will be very useful to you as the year goes on, especially if you're thinking about buying or selling. In order to know about where we are going, it's important to know where we have been. Here are some of the numbers from 2014, split into 5 important categories:

Sales
Sales in Silicon Valley peaked back in 2012, when we sold over 18,000 homes. In 2014, we sold a little over 16,500 homes. While the number is going down, it's still a healthy figure, based on our inventory.

Inventory
Back in 2010, we had 5 months of inventory, and that was the closest we've been to a balanced market. Since then, we have been on a decline, and we now only have about 1.5 months of inventory available, putting us in a hot seller's market. 


Median Price
The median home price has skyrocketed in the last few years. In 2010, the average home cost around $450,000, but with steady appreciation, including an increase of 19% between 2012 and 2013, the average price is now near $725,000. This appreciation can't be sustained for much longer, however.

Interest Rates
Mortgage interest rates are around 4% right now, but are projected to be near 5% by the end of 2015.

Affordability
Affordability has decreased substantially over the last few years. In 2013, 50% of people could afford homes. That figure has dropped to 20% so far in 2015. 

So what do these numbers mean for 2015? Here are our predictions for what will happen this year:

• We expect sales to increase, by about 2%.
• Home prices are going to appreciate, but by just about 6%.
• Interest rates will rise to near 5% .
• Affordability is going to continue to decrease.

If you have been considering making a move, 2015 is the year to do it. With such low inventory, you'll be able to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. If you are buying, home prices and interest rates are expected to rise, so the home you may qualify for now could be a whole lot nicer than the one you would qualify for in a few months. 

If you have any questions for us, be sure to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!