by Gary Belk | Dec 24, 2015 | Real Estate, San Francisco Real Estate |
Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey. Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists about where they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number. The results of their latest survey: Home values will appreciate by 3.9% by the end of 2015, 3.4% in 2016 and 3.1% in each of the following four years (as shown below). That means the average annual appreciation will be 3.2% over the next 5 years. The prediction for cumulative appreciation rose from 18.1% to 21.6% by 2020. Even the experts making up the most bearish quartile of the survey still are projecting a cumulative appreciation of 13.8%. Bottom Line Individual opinions make headlines. We believe the survey is a fairer depiction of future...
by Gary Belk | Dec 2, 2015 | Neighborhoods, News and Reviews, Real Estate, San Francisco Real Estate |
Our listing at 1111 Oak Street just made SFgate.com. Katie Dowd wrote a nice piece about the oldest house in San Francisco. Read the...
by Gary Belk | Nov 10, 2015 | Blog, Business, Real Estate, San Francisco Real Estate |
Leave the driving to us • Avoid parking hassles • See twice as many homes The Smarter Way to See More Homes At no cost to you, one of our professional drivers (not an agent or taxi) drives you to and from open houses in style, saving you time and money. They’ll pick you up from your home or office. You’ll be driven directly to the door of each open house. And you’ll be driven back to your location. No parking. Minimal walking. No cost. Result? You can see twice as many homes in the same afternoon. FREE Open House Chauffeur Service Exclusive to Urban Focus Clients Visiting open houses in the Bay Area can be frustrating and inefficient…. You search for parking. You walk to an open house. You walk back to your car. You do it again. Meanwhile, you’re losing valuable house-hunting time…. Arrange for our FREE 5-star quality chauffeur service today. Call our office phone 415-813-5083 ext 3 or email us below Your Name (required) Your Email (required) Your Message [honeypot...
by Gary Belk | Nov 9, 2015 | Business, Real Estate, San Francisco Real Estate |
Making an Offer on a Property Verbal contracts or offers are not legally enforceable when it comes to the sale of real estate. Therefore, you need to enter into a written contract, which starts with your written proposal. This proposal not only specifies price, but all the terms and conditions of the purchase. REALTORS® in California use forms that are approved by the California Department of Real Estate. These are the only forms that real estate agents are allowed to use. We have a variety of standard forms (including Residential Purchase Agreements) that are kept up to date with the changing laws. In addition, REALTORS® cover the questions that need to be answered during the process. There are certain disclosure laws that must be complied with by the seller, and the REALTOR® will ensure that this takes place. After the offer is drawn up and signed, it will be presented to the seller of the property. What the Offer Contains The purchase offer you submit, if accepted as it stands, will become a binding sales contract (also known as a purchase agreement, earnest money agreement or deposit receipt). It’s important, therefore, that it contains all the items that will serve as a “blueprint for the final sale.” These purchase offer items include such things as: Address of the property Sale price Terms — for example, all cash or subject to your obtaining a mortgage for a given amount Seller’s promise to provide clear title (ownership) Target date for closing (the actual date title is transferred to you) Amount of earnest money deposit accompanying the offer, and whether it’s a...
by Gary Belk | Jun 6, 2015 | Business, Neighborhood, Neighborhoods, Potrero Hill/Dogpatch, San Francisco Real Estate |
San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood wasn’t always a trendy, happening neighborhood. Chances are, until recently, most San Francisco residents wouldn’t have been able to point it out on the map. But beginning in the 1990s, developers began in earnest, transforming the neighborhood’s former industrial space into housing and commercial space. In fact, according to a recent report from the San Francisco Planning Department, more industrial space is being converted to housing in the Dogpatch than in any other neighborhood in the city. This rapid evolution has put Dogpatch squarely on the map. It’s now a favorite up-and-coming neighborhood, or as Huffington Post called it in 2013, “San Francisco’s newest indie neighborhood.” That rising popularity makes sense. Not only has the Dogpatch added loads of housing since the Dot Com boom, now trendy cafes, off-beat shops, and pop-up farmers markets are sprouting up on every corner. The rate of develop doesn’t seem likely to slow any time soon either. At least five condo buildings are set to rise in the next 18 months, the mega development at Pier 70 is hoping to break ground in 2017, and many of the neighborhood’s historic properties are being slated for conversion to lofts and upscale condos. Simply put, the up-and-coming Dogpatch is coming into its own. A Changing Landscape Dogpatch wasn’t much of a neighborhood prior to the 1990s. There were few residents, and the neighborhood was mostly home to warehouses and industrial facilities. Until recently, that gritty, industrial past was still visible, but with the recent spate of development, Dogpatch has mostly shed its working-class roots. This rapid change is causing property values...
by Gary Belk | Dec 7, 2014 | Business, News and Reviews, Newsletters, Real Estate, San Francisco Real Estate |
Today, we use mobile devices to do everything. We use them to buy movie tickets, find nearby restaurants – and increasingly – we’re using them to shop for homes. According to a recent National Association of Realtors survey, 50 percent of buyers said they used a mobile device to shop for their home in the last year. Traditional marketing methods like yard signs and open houses are attracting a smaller pool of buyers. Just 9 percent of respondents said they found their home this way. Instead, the survey highlighted the importance the Internet and mobile devices play in selling a home. For instance, 43 percent of buyers browse online listings as their first-step in buying a home, and that’s even more accurate for younger buyers. Sixty-five percent of buyers aged 25-44 years old use a mobile device in their home search, compared to just 45 percent who attended open houses. What Does Mobile Mean for Sellers? There are dozens of real estate listings apps from sites like Redfin, Trulia, and Zillow, and the list continues to grow. They’ve made it easier than ever to search for homes by price, location, lot size, etc. Today, your listing is at the fingertips of millions – if it’s marketed correctly. Effective mobile and Internet listings are much like “digital yard signs.” Buyers want to see photos, detailed property information, neighborhood data and virtual/interactive tours. Today, a thorough mobile listing is as effective as a well-attended open house. Equally as important, your listing needs to appear in the right online channels. At Urban Focus Real Estate, we understand the importance of digital marketing...
