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Articles by David Goll
What real estate experts expect on the Midpeninsula this fall Original
Peninsula real estate experts who shared their fall housing predictions are, clockwise from top left, Elyse Barca, Tori Atwell, Brian Chancellor, Patrick Foy, Chris Iverson and Alexander Lewicki. The Midpeninsula housing market is heading into fall with low inventory, strong demand and questions about where prices are headed. We asked six local real estate agents what they saw this summer and what they expect to see by Thanksgiving. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
New wave of buyers heads to Peninsula — some paying $10M just for ‘dirt’ Original
This Tuscan-inspired property. which includes three houses, sold for $56 million in Portola Valley last November. Photo by Matt Anello, courtesy Chris Iverson. THE MIDPENINSULA MARKET AT A GLANCE New buyers: More tech workers are moving south from San Francisco, attracted by larger homes, schools and relatively easy commutes. Returning workers: People who moved away during the pandemic are coming back as employers tighten return-to-office requirements.
A tale of 2 housing markets: Spring reveals split in Peninsula real estate Original
This five-bedroom, seven-bath house in Atherton was listed for $32.5 million at the start of spring. Photo by Matt Anello, courtesy Charlene Cogan, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno. The Midpeninsula’s spring housing market is shaping up as a tale of two buyers: confident, high-end purchasers driving competition and prices in the luxury market, and more cautious shoppers weighing layoffs, interest rates and global instability before making a move.
What Peninsula homeowners need to know about sewer inspections before selling Original
Homes perched on hillsides, like these pictured here in Los Altos Hills, can face greater sewer line issues due to tree roots and shifting soil, experts say. Photo courtesy Getty Images. Sewers. Probably not the first thing homeowners think about when preparing their property for sale. In a growing number of Bay Area cities, however, the condition of the underground sewer line that connects a house to the city’s main system can mean the difference between closing a sale — or delaying it.
Neighborhood Archives
For years, Crescent Park residents have been complaining to the city about incessant construction and zoning violations at a compound constructed by Mark Zuckerberg, who has been buying up homes since 2011. Now, the city is preparing to take action.
AI boom gives Midpeninsula homebuyers fresh momentum Original
Midpeninsula Realtors are looking to a strong stock market, booming AI companies, a steady health care sector and the possibility of lower interest rates to give the fall housing market a lift. A boost could help the local market recover from a year that started strong but slumped in the second quarter — typically the busiest time of year — as tariff upheavals under President Donald Trump shook the economy. The market swings and overall uncertainty left many buyers and sellers on the sidelines.
Realtors weigh-in on how Trump's tariffs could impact buyers and sellers on the Midpeninsula
Peninsula Realtors from left to right: Elyce Barca, Compass Real Estate; Brian Chancellor, Christie’s International Real Estate, Sereno; Denise Welsh, Compass Real Estate. Courtesy photos. Despite the exclusive nature of the Midpeninsula’s expensive housing market, it is hard to avoid all national and international impacts on local homebuyers and sellers.
House hunting on the Peninsula this spring? Get ready for some serious competition Original
The Midpeninsula’s residential real estate market should remain mostly above the fray this spring despite economic uncertainties, a roller coaster stock market and relatively high interest rates. That is the cautiously optimistic assessment, at least, from the region’s Realtors. They even predict an incremental improvement in the area’s famous lack of housing inventory during the upcoming season.
Menlo Park woman recounts narrow escape from L.A. fires and 364-mile journey to find a new home
Heather Vandenberghe is among the Mipeninsula’s newest residents, having just moved into an Eichler rental home in Menlo Park earlier this year. Vandenberghe was working with local Realtor Lori Buecheler of Compass real estate and also using home-searching web sites on her own when she found the short-term rental property only three days after beginning her search.
Profile Archives
Posted inProfile It was an extraordinarily windy day that began with Heather Vandenberghe cutting up her Christmas tree for disposal out in front of her hillside home overlooking the ocean in Pacific Palisades. Moments later, she walked to the front of her house and saw approaching flames. She and her daugther narrowly escaped the wildfire. They drove to the Bay Area the next day and began their search for a new home in Menlo Park.
Planning to add a backyard cottage? Try shopping for one on your local city website
By the start of next year, Californians looking to add accessory dwelling units to their backyards will be able to shop around for preapproved plans on their local city website as part of a statewide push to make the process easier and encourage more affordable housing to be built.
Fall real estate slowdown? Election-year slump? Think again
By David Goll Despite the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November — which has been known to put a chill on the fall home buying season every four years — industry insiders in the Midpeninsula residential real estate market foresee a hotter autumn this year than last thanks in large part to the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate cuts coupled with strong pent-up demand for housing. Just about the only thing holding back the market is the region’s ongoing lack of housing inventory.
Home improvement Archives
Much of the Midpeninsula’s soil contains naturally occurring salt, a result of its proximity to the San Francisco Bay, which can quietly damage trees over time. Coastal flooding, storm surge and even the use of recycled irrigation water can introduce additional salt into soils and onto foliage. The result is a lesser-known but serious threat: salt stress.
Hours of work and the long‐run effects of in‐work transfers
1 INTRODUCTION The growth of ‘in-work’ transfers, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the USA and Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC) in the UK, has been a major development in transfer policy in developed economies in recent decades. These have been viewed as a tool for raising living standards among low-earning households, but also, crucially, for changing incentives.
New real estate commission rules to roll out Aug.17: Here’s how selling and buying a home will change Original
Big changes are coming to how homes are bought and sold beginning Aug. 17 when new rules roll out that will revamp how Realtors get paid commission. The changes, which are part of a $418 million court settlement that the trade group the National Association of Realtors announced in March, put an end to the decades-old practice requiring home sellers to pay 5% to 6% of a home’s purchase price to cover the commission for both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent.
Belle Haven Archives
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco is moving ahead with a plan to build eight affordable town homes in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood. Proponents say it is a chance to own a home in a city where the average price is about $2.7 million.
Atherton Archives
Posted inAtherton A northbound passenger train collided with an occupied vehicle on the tracks in Atherton Friday night, Caltrain said. The collision with train 133 occurred about 8:30 p.m. at Fair Oaks Lane, railroad spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said in a statement. The vehicle’s driver was injured and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, she said.
The sticker shock over high-interest rates is over - but will buyers be able to find a home on the Peninsula? Original
Spring typically marks the busiest residential market season of the year. Despite higher mortgage rates and the chronic problem of insufficient housing inventory, sales activity has been ramping up since the cold, rainy weeks of late winter, kicking off what could be a fairly brisk spring. Realtor Jasmine Lee finds optimism growing out of a busy February.
Meet the energy consultants helping Peninsula residents lower their bills
In an era where the understandable desire to save money on spiraling energy costs has dovetailed with reducing carbon footprints, home energy assessments have become a popular formula for achieving both goals. It may become even more commonplace this year as customers of PG&E face yet another increase in gas and electricity rates, after an average annual increase of nearly $400 just went into effect at the start of this year.
Featured Archives
A Menlo-Atherton High teacher taught a controversial lesson at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton on Nov. 3. Around half of the people who spoke during the public comment portion of the Wednesday meeting came out in support of her.
Besides packing and setting up your new home, here's other ways concierges can make moving way easier
As anyone who has ever had to schlep heavy boxes full of books and magazines or angle cumbersome bookcases and sofas through doorways never-wide-enough can tell you, moving is universally regarded as one of life’s least desirable tasks. Ditto for unloading boxes and setting up on the other end. Moving experiences can vary dramatically for people hiring one of the nearly 18,000 moving companies in the United States — an industry this year.
Besides packing and setting up your new home, here's other ways concierges can make moving way easier
As anyone who has ever had to schlep heavy boxes full of books and magazines or angle cumbersome bookcases and sofas through doorways never-wide-enough can tell you, moving is universally regarded as one of life’s least desirable tasks. Ditto for unloading boxes and setting up on the other end. Moving experiences can vary dramatically for people hiring one of the nearly 18,000 moving companies in the United States — an industry this year.
Besides packing and setting up your new home, here's other ways concierges can make moving way easier
Real Estate As anyone who has ever had to schlep heavy boxes full of books and magazines or angle cumbersome bookcases and sofas through doorways never-wide-enough can tell you, moving is universally regarded as one of life’s least desirable tasks. Ditto for unloading boxes and setting up on the other end. Moving experiences can vary dramatically for people hiring one of the nearly 18,000 moving companies in the United States — an industry this year.
Besides packing and setting up your new home, here's other ways concierges can make moving way easier
Real Estate As anyone who has ever had to schlep heavy boxes full of books and magazines or angle cumbersome bookcases and sofas through doorways never-wide-enough can tell you, moving is universally regarded as one of life’s least desirable tasks. Ditto for unloading boxes and setting up on the other end. Moving experiences can vary dramatically for people hiring one of the nearly 18,000 moving companies in the United States — an industry this year.
How California's fire insurance woes are impacting Peninsula homeowners
Over the past decade, multiple destructive wildfires have ravaged California, creating an unprecedented homeowners insurance crisis both locally and statewide. Obtaining new homeowners insurance policies — and even securing renewals on existing policies in some cases — has become increasingly difficult in parts of the Midpeninsula and throughout the state considered high-risk for wildfires.
How California's fire insurance woes are impacting Peninsula homeowners
Real Estate Over the past decade, multiple destructive wildfires have ravaged California, creating an unprecedented homeowners insurance crisis both locally and statewide. Obtaining new homeowners insurance policies — and even securing renewals on existing policies in some cases — has become increasingly difficult in parts of the Midpeninsula and throughout the state considered high-risk for wildfires.
Demand for Peninsula housing picks up as would-be homebuyers adjust to mortgage-rate realities
Real Estate Higher interest rates or not, 'people need housing' Housing sales, prices and inventory may be down and mortgage interest rates may be higher than they’ve been in years, but Midpeninsula real estate professionals maintain a cautious optimism for the fall.
Demand for Peninsula housing picks up as would-be homebuyers adjust to mortgage-rate realities
Real Estate Higher interest rates or not, 'people need housing' Housing sales, prices and inventory may be down and mortgage interest rates may be higher than they’ve been in years, but Midpeninsula real estate professionals maintain a cautious optimism for the fall.
Millennials forge creative paths toward homeownership
News From investing with roommates to buying fixer-uppers, Gen Y is undeniable force on real estate scene Once considered homebuying johnny-and-jenny-come-latelies, members of the millennial generation have been making up for lost time. Now ranging in age from 27 to 42, the nation's 75 million millennials have become the driving force of residential home sales in recent years. In 2022, they made up more than half of all homebuyers, according to a report from Rent Café.
Millennials forge creative paths toward homeownership
Real Estate From investing with roommates to buying fixer-uppers, Gen Y is undeniable force on Peninsula real estate scene Once considered homebuying johnny-and-jenny-come-latelies, members of the millennial generation have been making up for lost time. Now ranging in age from 27 to 42, the nation’s 75 million millennials have become the driving force of residential home sales in recent years. In 2022, they made up more than half of all homebuyers, according to a report from Rent Café.
Millennials forge creative paths toward homeownership
Real Estate From investing with roommates to buying fixer-uppers, Gen Y is undeniable force on Peninsula real estate scene Once considered homebuying johnny-and-jenny-come-latelies, members of the millennial generation have been making up for lost time. Now ranging in age from 27 to 42, the nation’s 75 million millennials have become the driving force of residential home sales in recent years. In 2022, they made up more than half of all homebuyers, according to a report from Rent Café.
Millennials forge creative paths toward homeownership
Real Estate From investing with roommates to buying fixer-uppers, Gen Y is undeniable force on Peninsula real estate scene Once considered homebuying johnny-and-jenny-come-latelies, members of the millennial generation have been making up for lost time. Now ranging in age from 27 to 42, the nation’s 75 million millennials have become the driving force of residential home sales in recent years. In 2022, they made up more than half of all homebuyers, according to a report from Rent Café.
AI is here - and it's changing the way houses are bought and sold
News How virtual 'assistants' are answering questions, compiling sales listings and connecting homebuyers with human agents Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the realm of residential real estate.
AI is here - and it's changing the way houses are bought and sold
News How virtual 'assistants' are answering questions, compiling sales listings and connecting homebuyers with human agents by David Goll / Contributor Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the realm of residential real estate.
AI is here — and it's changing the way houses are bought and sold
Real Estate How virtual 'assistants' are answering questions, compiling sales listings and connecting homebuyers with human agents Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the realm of residential real estate on the Midpeninsula.
AI is here — and it's changing the way houses are bought and sold
“We sincerely want to help home buyers, and what Realtors don’t especially love is having to answer repetitive questions,” said Ades, while explaining the many ways AI can be utilized in the homebuying process.
How remote work is reshaping the local housing market
NEWS ALERT: Council decides: California Avenue to stay closed to cars News With commute distance no longer a major consideration, buyers seek properties with more flexibility More than three years after the pandemic shifted workplaces from office buildings to private residences, the work-from-home phenomenon continues to be a factor in the Midpeninsula housing market. According to a number of local Realtors, it's likely to be a factor for many seasons to come.
An eight-car garage and an indoor ice hockey rink: A look inside Silicon Valley's luxury homes
Even with the market cooldown, demand for homes priced at $5M and up remains steady. During a year that has seen a residential real estate market cool-down thanks to rising interest rates and other economic and political factors, the Midpeninsula’s luxury home market has not been immune from its effects. Insiders know, however, the local luxury market is a resilient one with a national and international reach and reputation.
Peninsula homes attract multiple bids, sales $1M over asking price
Low inventory, high demand pushes some Midpeninsula home sales $1M over asking price price As the world lurches from one unpredictable crisis to another, one thing is certain: The Midpeninsula housing market continues to remain above the fray with the spring season looking more robust than ever. Local real estate professionals say since the tumultuous, two-year COVID-19 pandemic, spacious properties in more semirural communities have remained in high demand.
A rare opportunity for the Wright home
Most properties attract buyers for the features they have rather than the ones they don't - that's not the case for the 1,940-square-foot, single-story Mathews House in Atherton that the went on the market for $8 million this spring. Each of the walls in this 1952-era home, except one, lacks 90-degree angles.
Hold on! The spring market is going to be a very wild ride
As the world lurches from one unpredictable crisis to another, one thing is certain: The Midpeninsula housing market continues to remain above the fray with the spring season looking more robust than ever. Local real estate professionals say since the tumultuous, two-year COVID-19 pandemic, spacious properties in more semirural communities have remained in high demand.
Rare Frank Lloyd Wright home hits the Midpeninsula market
Atherton home was designed by 20th-century modern master by David Goll / Contributor Uploaded: Mon, Apr 18, 2022, 10:37 pm Most properties attract buyers for the features they have rather than the ones they don't — that's not the case for the 1,940-square-foot, single-story Mathews House in Atherton that went on the market for $8 million this spring. Each of the walls in this 1952-era home, except one, lacks 90-degree angles.
Hold on! The spring market is going to be a very wild ride
They are most often being snapped up by Bay Area buyers these days. "It has become an incredibly local market," Dreyfus said. "A few buyers from outside the area, but the international market has largely disappeared." Many of these buyers are willing to compete with other buyers and pay a lot over the asking price, he added. Dreyfus described a recent local sale in Woodside where a house listed for $7 million drew four offers and ended up being sold for $8.2 million.
Home renovations rebound despite delays, higher costs
Peninsula sees a remodeling boom by David Goll / Contributor Uploaded: Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 6:21 pm Plunging into planning a major remodel of his newly purchased Menlo Park Eichler shortly before the COVID-19 shutdown last year, tech exec Andrew Fedak could not possibly have foreseen delays caused by a once-in-a-century global pandemic. The city's all-online permitting process has been challenging and lengthy, he said.
All the home's a stage
When a real estate agent helps an owner put a Midpeninsula home on the market, besides carefully setting the price and scheduling open houses, there is now another universally standard practice that can boost the selling price of a home -- staging. Preparing properties inside and out for prospective buyers can increase a home's sale price and also cut time spent on the market. The practice has spawned a 21st-century industry.
Socio-economic differences in total education spending in England: middle-class welfare no more -
Pupils benefit from a large amount of state funding for education in the 12+ years they spend in formal education, about £73,000 on average for pupils aged 16 in Summer 2010 in England. The total amount they experience is shaped by their education choices (e.g. whether to stay on post 16 and/or go to higher education) and the nature of the funding system for each stage of education.
Historical skew towards the rich in education spending finally at an end -
Children from richer families used to benefit much more from public spending on education than did those from poorer backgrounds. Back in the 1980s, this gap was very big as few poorer children stayed in education past age 16, let alone went on to higher education. Even among those taking their GCSEs in 2003, those from the richest fifth of families were getting nearly £6,000 more spent on their education than were those from the poorest fifth.
Selling the nest?
Lucy Berman has a unique perspective, experiencing firsthand both sides of the empty-nester conundrum having a major impact on the tight Midpeninsula housing market. A real estate agent since 2004, she sees potential homebuyers struggling to find homes they can afford in one of the nation's most expensive housing markets. With the expense comes the fact that available home inventory continues to shrink.
It takes two -- million dollars, that is
"Today, things are not overheated like they were last year," said Michael Dreyfus, owner of Dreyfus Sotheby's International Realty, with offices in Palo Alto and Menlo Park. "We're not seeing buyers lined up out the front door like we did earlier, especially in the above-$2-million category. However, this is still a very affluent and high-end market, so things are very good. I really prefer the kind of market we have today." It is still high end, indeed.
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