Character

There are many Realtors in the market place that do a really good job of helping their clients. I strive to be one of those professionals who perform at the highest level. What sets most good service providers apart from the others is character. I look for it myself when I am looking for a good service provider as well.



So I recently went to my lovely wife to ask her to help me come up with a brand or logo that I could use to communicate my character to others in the way that I work and perform services for the clients that hire me. So she asked me a bunch of questions about who I am, what I like to do, and the attributes that I respect in other people. Based on the information she gathered, my wife and my step son Ryan came up with the following:

It looks awesome! My step son Ryan drew the background image on the "Paint" program that comes installed with every PC you buy. I was astounded at what he can do on that program. My wife suggested to him how the image should look and he pulled it off beautifully. My wife took the image and put it in the background you see and consulted with me on the content and layout. I am very blessed to have such talented people in my life. Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! I love it and will put into use immediately.

Stages Of A Market Cycle

I recently ran across this information while researching data for a home buyer seminar that I put on last month. It lays out the stages of a real estate market cycle. You can see on the slide when the minimum and maximum risk opportunity's are and when it is a good time and bad time to buy in the market. I would say that we are closer to the mimimum risk end of the spectrum. Meaning....now is a good time to buy. This is especially true for entry level buyers. (See my previous blog entry for why.)

I see a huge opportunity for home owners who have equity to move up in this market as well. Don't hesitate. I have noticed that real estate in California tends to move in a pack like mentality. Be the first and get the deal. When the pack moves, prices go up and the deals are harder to find.

Multiple Offers Are Back

There is a lot of talk in the media still about how bad the housing market is right now. I know that bad news sells newspapers, but enough is enough. I am a full time Realtor working in Santa Clara County and I can testify to you all that the market is picked up momentum. I have clients that are looking for the American dream right now. They are shopping for a 3 bedrooom/2 bath home in San Jose at a price range from $350,000 and down. Now, in the past, you might have said no way. But not in todays market. These types of properties are out there and ready for the taking. However, like anything else in life, timing is everything. My clients and I are seeing at first hand the return of the real estate market in Santa Clara county.

Most of the homes that we see at this price range are now pending sale. Meaning, the bank or the seller has already accepted an offer for the property. There are two, three and sometimes ten offers on bank owned properties in this price range. The competition for homes like the one my client is looking for has skyrocketed. Multiple offers are back.

So I would say that real estate is alive and well in Santa Clara County. Homes are selling and you can look to the MLS for proof. For those of you who have equity and are looking to move up. Now is the time to do it. Take advantage of low interest rates, lower purchase prices, and lower property taxes. Dont miss the boat. Opportunity is knocking at your door.

I Got The Shots for My India Trip

I am going to India. It is a country that I can honestly say that I never thought I would travel to. My wife's nephew, Adam, moved over there and is working in Bollywood. He is engaged to an Indian actress model and is getting married on Valentines Day. So I was pretty excited about the whole thing and started planning for the trip. You know, stuff like where your going to stay, whats the weather like, what the culture is and how you get around once you get there. That's when I saw it. You need shots to go there. Shots don't really scare me. But the thought of someone shoving a two inch needle into my arm so I can travel half way around the world did not exactly make me feel good either. I got advice from everyone. Some people said you dont need them. Some said get as many as you can. One wise guy at work said pack lots of toilet paper. The US Department of State website scared me sufficiently enough to seek the advice of a travel doctor. So I set an appointment.

My wife and I go down there to get some advice and I figure at best maybe I get one shot and some malaria pills. Wrong! Boy was I wrong. First of all, the doctor had zero sense of humor and I felt more like I was going to the principals office than getting information on travel shots. However, I still had hope. I thought, just ask him to tell us what the risks are and I could decide which shots to get or not get. Strike Two! Wrong again. The doctor proceeds to scare both my wife and I into the following:

1) Hepatitis A
2) Typhoid
3) Polio
4) Flu
5) Malaria, and a prescription for the India version of.........
6) Montezuma's Revenge.

Lets not also forget that we were strongly encouraged to cover ourselves in DEET daily, sleep in DEET under a mosquito net and to stand in the wind to avoid being bitten by mosquito's during the day. That sounds like fun. He also goes on to say that we could also get something called Dengue Fever(pronounced Ding eee) for which there is no vaccination for. Apparently Dengue Fever causes you to writhe in pain for FOUR days wishing you were dead before you wake up on the 5th day feeling just fine.

So there I was experiencing Strike Three. I received three shots, two in my left arm, one in my right arm, with a two inch needle so that I could travel half way around the world. So much for my plan.

More Than Just a Real Estate Market

The media has been broadcasting to the world how bad the real estate market currently is in this country. What they fail to say is that real estate is more than just homes. It is about the people who live in them and the community that we all live in. We all share the same streets, parks, restaurants, and schools. We live together, work together, celebrate our lives, dreams, and accomplishments together. We hold each other up through joy and pain as a community. So real estate is more than just a market. Real estate is where families share life together. Real estate is where businesses sell their goods or provide services to the community. Real estate is part of the life blood of any community. So keep this in mind the next time you hear about how many homes have been forclosed upon or how far home prices have fallen. We all share the same burden. So lets roll up our sleaves and show the world what the United States is made out of and lets work together as a community to turn this thing around.