Year: 2021

No End In Sight

December 27, 2021Continuing the conversation…. Is there any end in sight for this crazy market? (To catch up go to our blog here) This has been the longest running, highest flying, craziest-making “up” market any of us have ever seen. For nine years, a historic low level of supply has held sway over the market and leveraged a remarkable rise in intensity, competition and of course, prices. Along the way, records have been broken and most standards of normal have fallen by the wayside. In fact, the entire...

Prop 19 Q&A

December 21, 2021On November 3rd, 2020 California voters approved Proposition 19. This new law expands the special rules allowing eligible homeowners to transfer their property’s assessed value to the purchase of a replacement property and changes the property tax rules on family transfers of real property. Purchase of Replacement Principal Residence When is this law effective? The portion of Prop 19 relating to the purchase of replacement property takes effect on April 1, 2021. Where can I move? Eligible homeowners could keep their lower property tax bill...

Is there any end in sight?

December 20, 2021Picking up the thread… getting a read on the real estate market, while answering a few of the most common questions people out there are asking. Here’s a recap: Question # 1: “The market is slowing down isn’t it?” Answer: Yes and No. The market certainly “feels” slower in almost every respect, except for the prices homes are selling for. A downshift in intensity is normal for this time of year. Seasonal patterns in 2020 were casualties of an unprecedented post-shelter-in-place surge. This year they’re...

Dax Nollenberger

- Dax Nollenberger

Dax’s Data: The True Cost of Changing Interest Rates

December 15, 2021With all this talk about inflation and the inevitable increase in interest rates coming in 2022, I wanted to dive into the actual effect that interest rates have on both your buying power and the overall cost of the loan. Now, the two obvious conclusions are that as interest rates increase, buying power decreases and the cost of the loan gets more expensive. But at what rate? And at what impact to the affordability of homes? Low-interest rates have been a major talking point as...

The market can’t just keep going up forever can it?

December 13, 2021Returning to last week’s question… the one being asked with a lot more frequency these days: “The market is really slowing down isn’t it?. There’s a presumptive tone that often accompanies it, almost like it’s a given that the market must be slowing down, along the lines of that other question we’ve heard repeatedly in recent years: “The market can’t just keep going up forever can it?” My response to the first question is: A resounding YES and NO at the same time. It is...

Is the market really slowing down?

December 8, 2021It’s mid November...the market is starting to downshift as we approach the holidays. Along with the change of pace, I’m noticing a change in the way people are asking their favorite question. Instead of “What’s happening with the market?” it’s “The market is really slowing down isn’t it?” This reflects a presumptive shift in perception that assumes that after a year and a half of unmitigated craziness, the market is hitting its inevitable inflection point and settling back down to earth into some kind...

Dax Nollenberger

- Dax Nollenberger

Dax’s Data: The Value of Professional Staging & Photography

November 23, 2021The Monetary Value of Professional Staging & Photography Let me begin by just saying this, the value of professional staging and photography is real and I have the numbers to prove it. Before I dive into the numbers, let me tell you exactly how I collected and analyzed the data. I looked at over 500 recently sold single-family homes in Santa Cruz County from July 17th, 2021 to November 5th, 2021. I scrolled through the pictures on the MLS and marked whether it was staged,...

It is and isn’t slowing down

November 15, 2021It’s mid November...the market is starting to downshift as we approach the holidays. Along with the change of pace, I’m noticing a change in the way people are asking their favorite question. Instead of “What’s happening with the market?” it’s “The market is really slowing down isn’t it?” This reflects a presumptive shift in perception that assumes that after a year and a half of unmitigated craziness, the market is hitting its inevitable inflection point and settling back down to earth into some kind...

Join The Downsizing Conversation

November 10, 2021I keep experiencing a sense of déjà vu lately. At least four or five times a week, I find myself in the middle of the same conversation with completely different people that I only seemingly randomly came into contact with. Coincidence? I think not. I don't believe In coincidences anymore. Everything has meaning if you pay attention. The scenario usually goes like this: A call comes in. The person on the line is thinking about selling a home. They have a few questions. They wonder...