- Tom BrezsnyHonorary Post-CoupleSeptember 13, 2021Picking up the thread...eavesdropping on a real life real estate situation courtesy of Richard and Rachel (a local couple whose names have been changed.) They’ve graciously agreed to share their story and be the Honorary Poster-Couple for the huge swathe of aging baby-boomers out there that’s trying to figure out what comes next in the last third of their lives. Richard and Rachel have owned a 4br, 3ba, 3200 sq ft home on the non- ocean side of Hwy 1 for twenty-five years. Their kids...
- Tom BrezsnyCounter-Intuitive WisdomSeptember 7, 2021Continuing the conversation… about the counter-intuitive approach to pricing many sellers are still having trouble wrapping their heads around as they navigate the new normal of today’s market: You can get more for your house by listing it for less! Let me say it again... sellers often get a higher price in the end if they list their house at a lower price up front. Wow, that goes against every ounce of conventional wisdom that Sales 101 ever taught us. It’s one more befuddling...
- Dax NollenbergerDax’s Data- The Benefits of Strategic PricingSeptember 2, 2021Let’s talk through a hypothetical scenario for a moment. You’re discussing listing price strategy with your Santa Cruz realtor and the agent suggests a price range between 1.3M and 1.4M. The house, based on 5 comparable homes in the area, is worth about 1.4M. While initially on board, a few days go by and you see a comparable house down the street that was originally listed for 1.3M sell for 1.5M after only 6 days on the market. “That’s what my neighbor got for a...
- Tom BrezsnyWhat’s Wrong with Wiggle RoomAugust 31, 2021For those who have been following the conversation on the shift that’s happening in the market, we’ll return to that next week. Meanwhile... more about pricing. I’m amazed at the number of people out there who still think they have to list their houses higher than what they’re hoping for in order to get what they really want when they sell. Contrary to the overwhelming evidence this historic, low inventory market has provided, some folks insist on sticking to the powerful conditioning they received in...
- Tom BrezsnyHorse LatitudesAugust 23, 2021It’s that time again. The Dog Days of Summer. Or as some call them: the horse latitudes. That’s an old sailing term for the doldrums, a place where the wind dies down and the sails go slack. And even though I start off each year, knowing we’ll eventually arrive at this point, it’s always a surprise when we actually get here. As ready as I think I am, I’m never really ready to ratchet down from the torrid pace of the previous few months. For...
- Tom BrezsnyNot on a crash courseAugust 16, 2021Continuing the conversation... talking about the busiest, longest, highest appreciating market we’ve ever seen. A market no one could have imagined a year ago. And from the lofty perch of our current $1.3 million dollar median price, we’re also trying to imagine what the market will look like in another year. There are really only four possibilities: 1. The market can keep appreciating 2. It can level out 3. It can go through a ‘normal” 10-15% adjustment 4. It can come to a screeching halt ...
- Dax NollenbergerDax’s DataAugust 11, 2021The inventory in July was the second most inventory in the last 3 years (behind only May 2021)! While on the surface that’s good news for buyers, looking holistically gives a bit of a different picture of the market as a whole. Days on market was only 15 days which is the 3rd lowest number of days in a 3-year period. Months of inventory, which tells us how quickly we would run out of inventory if no more supply came on the market, is at...
- Tom BrezsnyA crash course on Why The Market isn’t Going to CrashAugust 9, 2021Continuing the conversation….talking about the busiest, longest, highest appreciating market we’ve ever seen and trying to imagine where it’s headed in the coming year. There are plenty of people still suffering pangs of PTSD from the Great Recession of 2008, who remain certain that the market is going to crash even though there’s no evidence of a bubble anywhere on the horizon. For those folks, here’s a crash course on Why The Market isn’t Going to Crash: Debt: In 2008 we had record high loan...
- Tom BrezsnyThere are some searches that google just can’t help you withAugust 2, 2021“There are some searches that google just can’t help you with.” Recent message in front of a Sunnyvale church Continuing....wondering whether we’re at an inflection point where the all-encompassing embrace of technology will finally begin to wane. As more folks get overwhelmed by the cumulative effects of too much tech and begin to resist the temptation to integrate one more device and password into their daily lives. Where is real estate’s place in all of this? How does tech’s powerful drive to make everything faster...