Millennials — paying the rent, hoping for help later

Millennials — paying the rent, hoping for help later

It’s not an easy time to be young and low-paid in the Bay Area.

But most millennials are still making their own way — only about 1 in 10 in the region get help from their parents to pay rent, according to a new study by Apartment List.

Young people in the Bay Area face high costs of living — rental prices remain among the steepest in the nation, and you can easily spend $5 on a cup of coffee and more for avocado toast — but are more financially independent than peers in other metro areas.

Roughly 12 percent of respondents in San Francisco and San Jose said they received help from their parents, slightly greater than the national average of 11 percent. Young renters getting the biggest boost from family live in Denver and Phoenix, where about 15 percent still collecting a housing allowances from mom or dad.

Housing costs were generally lower in earlier generations. Since 2000, home prices have risen 75 percent and rents have climbed 61 percent, while income for people under 35 has grown 31 percent.

“Housing costs have become a much larger part of people’s income,” said Sydney Bennet, a researcher at Apartment List.

The Bay Area remains the priciest in the region. Average rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco in March is $3,400, while a similar unit in San Jose costs $2,450, according to a survey by real estate site Zumper. Only New York City, where a one-bedroom goes for $2,900 a month, approaches local rent prices.

Apartment List surveyed 13,000 users across the country for the report. About 6,000 respondents were millennials out of school and renting.

When it comes time to leap into home ownership, young folks expect a little more help from family. About 1 in 5 renters surveyed in the Bay Area hope mom and dad will pitch in for a down payment.

With the average Silicon Valley home going for seven-figures in many cities, it’s a stretch for buyers of all ages.

What do millennials expect?

Estimated share of millennial renters, students and non-students, saying they get help from their parents to pay rent, according to a survey by Apartment List.

CITY | SHARE

Denver 14.5%
Phoenix 14.5%
New York 13.6%
Atlanta 12.3%
Los Angeles 12.0%
San Francisco & San Jose 11.6%

National Average 10.8%

Houston 10.1%
Dallas 9.8%
Chicago 9.5%
Washington, DC 7.1%
Boston 5.5%



Source:  San Jose Mercury News, Louis Hansen
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/13/millennials-paying-the-rent-hoping-for-help-later/

The Silicon Valley Real Estate And Housing Blog IS BACK!

The Silicon Valley Real Estate And Housing Blog, formerly Mimi Wang Real Estate blog is BACK after almost a year and half hiatus. My goal is keep this blog updated at least several times a week with the latest with what's going on in the Silicon Valley real estate scene.

Bay Area housing market cooling as buyers dig in heels

Is the Bay Area housing market losing steam? Could be.

With more buyers saying “no” to mile-high prices, September sales of single-family homes were up a modest 2.3 percent — a far cry from the red-hot market of the last several years. And even more revealing, June-through-September sales for the nine-county region were down 5.1 percent from the same period of 2015.

That’s the upshot of a new report from CoreLogic, the real estate information service. The numbers mirrored the observations of brokers and agents, who cited push-back from buyers after years of bidding wars and spiraling prices.

“Buyers are kind of digging their feet in and saying, ‘We’ve hit a threshold of pain in terms of affordability and you’ve got to say no,’ ” said Jennifer Branchini, past president of the East Bay Association of Realtors. “It’s going to be a big issue going forward. It’s not going away.”

In Santa Clara County — the heart of Silicon Valley — the median price was frozen in place from the year before, at $910,000, and the number of sales declined a hair, by 0.3 percent. September sales dipped 4.7 percent in San Mateo County, while rising just 0.2 percent in Contra Costa County and 2.9 percent in Alameda County.

The market was more robust in some of the more affordable inland areas, including Solano County, where sales were up 19.1 percent and the typical home cost $349,000, up 5.4 percent.

Looking at the nine Bay Area counties as a whole, the median price rose 2.3 percent to $675,000. The typical house cost $498,000 in Contra Costa County, up 3.8 percent from a year earlier; $718,500 in Alameda County, up 7.5 percent; and $1.14 million in San Mateo County, up 7.1 percent.

Those still are hefty prices, to be sure. But the rate of appreciation is well off the double-digit clip of the old runaway market.

“The market’s sort of correcting itself, given how high prices had gone,” said Andrew LePage, research analyst for CoreLogic. “Given that the job market is healthy and mortgage rates are low, it suggests that the affordability problem has worsened and we still have inventory constraints in a lot of markets.”

As always, lack of inventory — housing supply, in the vernacular — is the crux of the region’s crisis.

Chris Trapani, founder and CEO of the Sereno Group, did some additional data-crunching to show just how scant the supply has become in Santa Clara County.

“January of 2000, right before the NASDAQ peak, was known as the all-time low” for inventory in the county, he said. “We didn’t actually eclipse that low until January of 2014, and then 2015 was even lower. And then the start of 2016 was a little click up — a nominal increase.

“We’re running on three to four years now of the lowest consecutive starts for inventory that we have on record.”

Trapani’s analysis of the Multiple Listings Service shows 1,510 active listings for single-family homes in September — down from 1,750 in September 2015 and down even further from 1,804 in September 2014. On top of that, his September data show a 7.6 percent year-over-year decline in closed deals. “It makes you wonder” whether prices “have gotten out of reach for an increasing number of buyers,” he said.

Prices remain high, Trapani, said, “but that’s because the inventory is so low. It doesn’t take that many buyers to buoy that kind of market.”

And the supply is stagnant, in his estimation, often because so many owners fear paying capital gains taxes on houses that have wildly appreciated, sometimes by millions of dollars. “They consider the taxes and say, ‘I’m not going to make that move.’ ”

Given the nature of the market, it can take some maneuvering to close a deal.

Nicole and Murray Dennon moved in 2012 from Seattle, where they owned a 3,500-square-foot Craftsman-style home, to Los Gatos, where they bought a house from friends — a 1,350-square-foot bungalow for the couple and their two children. A year ago, they began looking for a bigger place and were repeatedly frustrated by the prices, to the point that they feared they would have to leave the area even though they have a respectable income.



Murray works in the tech sector. Nicole is from a successful farming family. Yet “there were moments when we went, ‘Wow, did we make the right move, coming here?’ ” Nicole said.

Meanwhile, their agent, Kim Richman of the Sereno Group, spotted a house in Los Gatos last spring: a 2,500-square-foot fixer-upper with four bedrooms that listed for $2.4 million.

The Dennons — who built their house in Seattle — were willing to put in the sweat equity. But the house was owned by a family whose members couldn’t decide whether to sell and pulled the property off the market. Richman kept negotiating, quietly. The owners were stop-and-go, but in the end, after rounds of offers and counter-offers, agreed to sell — for $1.95 million. However, they put multiple contingencies into the contract, including that the Dennons sell their bungalow within two weeks of signing.

The bungalow went in less than a week for $1.42 million — $30,000 under the asking price — and the Dennons will soon move into their fixer-upper.

“We’re here for life,” Nicole said, “back in a big ol’ house.”

Source: San Jose Mercury News, Richard Scheinin
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/27/bay-area-home-sales-and-prices-inch-up-in-september/

Movers Reveal: 5 of the Dumbest Mistakes They’ve Seen People Make

We all do seriously inane things when we’re moving. The first time I moved into an apartment alone, I decided I could save 400 bucks by doing it all myself. And I would have, too, if I hadn’t dropped a desk on my bare toe right at the start (that’s right, folks—I was also moving in flip-flops). In the end, not only did I not save that cash, but the whole thing cost me about $600 in medical bills.

Maybe you’ll have better luck (or common sense). But here’s the thing: When you’re moving, it’s surprisingly easy to make dumb and costly mistakes. Just ask these moving companies, who’ve seen the good, the bad, and the stupid.

1. Forgetting to pack

“Clients aren’t always prepared. It literally happens daily. You would be surprised if you knew how many clients we have found still asleep when we rang the doorbell. Recently, we received a call from a potential client on a Friday afternoon for the following Monday. They said they’d have everything packed and ready to go. We knew better, but we booked the move and showed up Monday. And yes, not one single box was packed.”—Derek Mills, co-founder of Square Cow Movers in central Texas

If you leave anything until the last minute, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

“It adds exponentially to the stress level for the client and movers,” Mills says. And when you’re under stress, something is bound to go wrong. Save yourself the headache, and be totally prepared the night before.

2. Packing in the least efficient way possible

“One customer of ours attempted to save money by packing all of their belongings in plastic bags. Think about an entire kitchen’s worth of dishes and stemware in Hefty bags. Not good! Another customer loaded their dresser drawers and armoire with books, photos and other assorted sundries.”—Aaron Steed, CEO and founder of Meathead Movers in California

The smarter way: If you properly wrap your belongings, you’ll not only keep them from breaking, but you’ll keep your sanity intact as well.

“Take note: Boxes and protective material like bubble wrap and newsprint are the most effective means of carrying, transporting, and protecting one’s personal items,” Steed says. But don’t attempt to use furniture to store heavy items: The furniture can break under the stress. Empty those drawers, and pack the contents in boxes.

3. Bringing the drama

“About two years ago, one of our movers showed up to load a truck for a woman who had booked a move well in advance. The day of the move, we show up to load her truck, and it wasn’t there. No one was there to answer the door and no one returned our phone calls.

“After we wait for 20 minutes, hoping for a callback, she opens the front door and she’s heavily intoxicated. She then asked us to drive her to a truck rental agency, which we did. After we secured her truck and finished loading all her items, her husband comes home and begins physically and verbally panicking because he claimed the things we loaded were all his! This resulted in a lengthy yelling match, with one telling us to load certain items and the other telling us to unload the same items—simultaneously. Nothing got moved that day.”—Mike Glanz, CEO of HireAHelper

The smarter way: If the movers have to hang around while you sort things out, you’ll likely be charged. Instead, get the personal stuff out of the way long before they show up … and we don’t just mean personal belongings.

4. Shipping a fully packed car

“A mistake customers routinely make [when transporting their car in an interstate move] is packing their vehicles with personal items. People sometimes get the idea they can use their car as a giant suitcase, and this will not work. Auto transporters are only licensed to carry automobiles, not freight. Also, these carriers have to go through weight stations going across the country. If they are overweight, they will get fined and can pass that fine down to the customer with the packed car.”—Brett Deinum, manager at AAcrossUSA Auto Transport

The smarter way: You can’t use your car as a way to transport your boxes, but that doesn’t mean you have to clean it out entirely, either.

“We have found that most carriers will let the customer get away with around 50 pounds of personal items secured in the vehicle,” Deinum says.

5. Not taping both ends of your boxes

“One situation that comes to mind happens quite often, but I remember this one move in particular because of the scale. The client we were moving went to great lengths to excessively tape the tops of their hundreds of boxes … but completely forgot to tape the bottoms. Of course, as soon as the first boxes were picked up, the bottoms opened up, and all the contents unloaded onto the floor. The associate moving the boxes simply turned them over and put the contents back in, hundreds of times. And we all know, time is money!”—Ashley Thibodeaux Herbert, COO of Bart’s Office Moving, Inc. in New Orleans, LA

The smarter way: Movers will be happy to fix your boxes for you, but it’ll cost you. Save yourself money, and test-lift a few boxes before the movers get there. And for goodness sake, tape up all of the sides!

Source: Realtor.com, Angela Colley
http://www.realtor.com/advice/move/dumbest-mistakes-movers-see/?iid=rdc_news_hp_carousel_theLatest

California housing market to see modest gains in 2017, Realtors forecast

California’s housing market will post modest gains next year amid tight supplies and the lowest housing affordability in six years, the California Association of Realtors forecast Thursday.

Sales of existing single-family homes – which make up about 68 percent of the overall market – are projected to rise 1.4 percent in 2017 to 413,000 transactions.

Next year’s small gain will follow a projected 2016 sales drop of 0.4 percent to 407,300 deals, the forecast said.

Meanwhile, the median house price – or price at the midpoint of all sales – is projected to rise 4.3 percent to $525,600. That’s the smallest percentage gain in six years.

By comparison, 2016 house prices are projected to be up 6.2 percent to $503,900 by the end of December.

“The net result will be California’s housing market posting a modest increase in 2017,” said Leslie Appleton-Young, the Realtor association’s chief economist. “The underlying fundamentals continue to support overall home sales growth, but headwinds, such as global economic uncertainty and deteriorating housing affordability, will temper stronger sales activity.”

Housing affordability will fall as price gains continue to outpace pay raises.

Just 29 percent California homebuyers will be able to afford a median-priced house next year, the association predicted. By comparison, more than half the buyers could afford the median-priced home in 2011-12.

In Southern California, house sales are projected to be virtually unchanged this year and next from 2015’s sales pace, the forecast said. Sales are projected to rise 0.4 percent this year and 0.7 percent next year.

The median house price in the region is projected to be up 5.4 percent by the end of 2016 and to rise 3.2 percent to $501,500 next year.

The state’s hottest housing market – the San Francisco Bay Area – will see larger price jumps amid falling sales as buyers flee to more affordable markets. The forecast projected sales declines of 6.4 percent and 5.6 percent in 2016 and 2017.

Bay Area prices, meanwhile, are forecast to increase by more than 6 percent both this year and next, rising to $833,600 in 2017.

Mortgage interest rates are forecast to rise next year, but not by much. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is expected to be 4 percent in 2017, compared to this years near-record low of 3.6 percent

Source: San Jose Mercury News, Jeff Collins
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/09/29/california-housing-market-to-see-modest-gains-in-2017-realtors-forecast/

7 Reasons Fall Might Just Be the Best Time to Buy a Home

Spring and summer usually get all the real estate glory with lofty accolades as the best time to buy a home—and, of course, the busiest. Meanwhile, their seasonal sibling, fall, often gets tossed to the leaf pile by potential buyers who might think autumn is just about haunted houses and turkey dinners rather than house hunting.

But surprise! Fall is not only a great time to buy a home, it might also be the best season to find the perfect property (and not just because you can browse the listings while cupping a pumpkin latte).

Read on to discover the many reasons.

Reason No. 1: Lower home prices

The best month to snag a deal when buying a home? October. This isn’t just some random guess; it’s based on RealtyTrac’s analysis of more than 32 million home sales over 15 years. The resulting data showed that on average, October buyers paid 2.6% below estimated market value at the time for their homes.

For a house that would normally be $300,000, 2.6% translates into a $7,800 discount. Those savings are nothing to sneeze at, so bargain hunters should get hopping once autumn rolls around. (For an even better deal, aim for Oct. 8, when buyers get a home, on average, at 10.8% below estimated market value.)

“For buyers looking for a better deal, fall is a great time to make offers,” says New York City Realtor® Joanne R. Douglas. (In case you’re wondering, the worst month for buyers is April, when homes sell for 1.2% above estimated market value. The worst single day is Jan. 19, with an average 9.6% premium.)

Reason No. 2: Less competition

Like a beach after Labor Day, the realty market clears out as the days turn crisp. Most summer buyers have already found a home, meaning a fall buyer will have way less competition for the available houses on the market, says Bill Golden of Re/Max Metro Atlanta Cityside. And don’t worry about those buyers who didn’t close before August, either.

“Many folks will drop out of the market until after the new year,” says Golden, giving a fall buyer even greater room to roam at open houses. There may not be as many properties to choose from, but as Golden says, “a little patience and perseverance could reap big rewards.”

Reason No. 3: Worn-out home sellers

Say hello to your little friend, leverage. Sellers who have their homes on the market in the fall “are generally people who need to sell, which can make for better negotiations for the buyer,” says Golden. And if a home you have your eye on has been on the market all summer, you’re really in the driver’s seat as far as making an offer the seller can’t refuse. The longer a home sits on the market, the more negotiating power the buyer wields.

Reason No. 4: The holidays are around the corner

Not only are most home sellers worn out after the summer selling season, they’re also caught between a real estate rock and a hard place in that the holidays are barreling down on them. If they want to move and settle down in time to host Thanksgiving and put up their Christmas lights, they’ll have to close, fast. So use this preholiday window to your advantage by offering to help them vacate fast if they cut you a deal.

Reason No. 5: Year-end tax credits

No one wants to buy a home purely to make their accountant happy. But there’s a sweet added incentive to closing on a home at the end of the fiscal year. Come the following April 15, you might be able to take some nice tax deductions, including closing costs, property tax, and mortgage interest, to offset your taxable earnings.

Reason No. 6: More quality time with your real estate team

As the year comes to an end, fewer buyers also means you should have the full attention of your real estate agent, mortgage broker, real estate lawyer, and everyone else on your house hunting team. You can take your time to ask all those questions you have about earnest money, due diligence, title transfers, and more without feeling like you’re horning in their busiest season to turn a buck.

Reason No. 7: Home improvement bargains

Once you close on that home you found in the fall, you may want to upgrade your appliances. Luckily, December is when major appliances—refrigerators, stoves, washers, and dryers—are at their very cheapest, according to Consumer Reports. It’s also the best time of year to buy cookware and TVs.

So once you’re settled in (and provided you have any money left), get ready to renovate!

Source: Realtor.com, Margaret Heidenry
http://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/reasons-fall-is-the-best-time-to-buy-a-home/?is_wp_site=1

LOL! Why you shouldn't For Sale By Owner

They say you never get a second change to make a good first impression. Well, professional marketing is a must when selling your home, and it is the professional marketing that often makes the difference is getting your home sold in a market where your property is competing against many others. An experienced Realtor can provide that professional marketing and get your home sold for Top Dollar!