Condo Prices Moving Up in 9 Silicon Valley Cities

By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR

Defying the odds – and despite steeply decreased sales – condo prices in March, 2008, rose higher than the same month last year in eight of 13 Silicon Valley cities. Most are the usual pricey communities with good (and some are excellent) public schools: Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale. But – surprise! – also in this group was South County’s Gilroy, which was among the first in Santa Clara County to be hit by falling sales and prices.

Countywide, total condo sales were down by more than half to $111,694,474 in March, 2008, compared to the same month in 2007. Only Los Altos saw an increase in condo units sold and dollar volume.

The good news: In March, we saw the same upward countywide sales trend for condo sales that we’re been seeing for single-family home sales early in this 2008 Spring-Summer selling season. Total sales volume and units sold rose for the third consecutive month.

Obviously buyers are being lured by the growing inventory of condos for sale – which, percentagewise, is not growing as quickly as single-family home inventory – and dropping prices from sellers who are ready to move on.

If you’re ”shopping for a good value,” here are the cities where the median selling price for a condo dropped in March, 2008, compared to the same month in 2007:

Campbell – $532,500 median condo sales price in March 2008 ($627,775 in March 2007)
Milpitas – $414,093 ($507,500)
Morgan Hill – $416,093 ($520,000)
San Jose – $465,000 ($508,000)

Remember, all real estate is local so be sure to ask me about price and inventory trends for specific neighborhoods where you are searching.

TIP: Traditionally, the largest number of home sales in any given year in the Silicon Valley occurs in April, May and June. Make sure you don’t miss this year’s window of opportunity.

Related Link: Spring Silicon Valley Home Sales Trending Upward

Alicia Lanier is a REALTOR, e-PRO, and member of the Coldwell Banker Sterling Society which places her among the top 11% of agents internationally    www.AliciaLanier.com  408-491-1634

 

 

Silicon Valley Farmers’ Markets … Enjoy!

By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR

The Silicon Valley – world-renown for its edgy technology – also is on the cutting edge of the “buy locally” credo now being espoused by everyone from global warming activists to revolutionary chefs like Alice Waters to city leaders and neighborhood associations looking to establish a sense of community.

Alice Waters, chef of Berkley’s Chez Panisse, urges in her recent book, The Art of Simple Food, to

“Eat locally and sustainably. Learn where your food comes from and how it is produced. Seek out a diverse variety of vegetables and fruits from small, local producers who take care of the land. Buy eggs, meat, and fish from producers whose practices are organic, humane, and environmentally sound.”

This is sound advice, and we Silicon Valley residents are lucky that most of us have no further to look than our nearest neighborhood Farmers’ Market to easily put this into practice. And, in fact, most of these colorful weekly gatherings offer us even more. One recent Sunday at my nearby Farmers Market in Historic Downtown Campbell, I not only discovered a colorful array of veggies and fruits, meat and fish, eggs and bread, but also vendors selling exquisite orchids and other plants and herbs, hand-thrown pottery and artistic tile tables, hand-crafted jewelry and and a potpourri of other wares. And there was a musician singing his heart out smack dab in the middle of it all. 

There’s something soul satisfying about buying in such a friendly, neighborly atmosphere while knowing I’m buying organic and healthy food and contributing to the economic health of local vendors. Also, because the shorter the distance that food has to travel the better it is for our planet, buying local helps us reduce the waste of natural resources. It’s a win-win for everybody.

Visit the California Farmers Market Association website to find days and hours for Farmers Markets in the following cities: Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Blossom Hill and The Villages in San Jose, and Saratoga.

Visit the Urban Village Farmers Market Association website to find days and hours for Farmers Markets in the following cities: Campbell, Los Altos, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale.

Visit the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association website to find days and hours for Farmers Markets in Cupertino, Milpitas, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Downtown San Jose and the following San Jose neighborhoods: Alum Rock, Berryessa, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, and Santana Row.

Each Farmers Market has its own personality and vendor mix … I suggest you visit several to find your own personal favorites. 

Alicia Lanier is a REALTOR, e-PRO, and member of the Coldwell Banker Sterling Society which places her among the top 11% of agents internationally    www.AliciaLanier.com  408-491-1634

IN MEMORIUM: Mary Veronica Barmettler ~ A Grand Lady, A Tireless Activist, A Good Friend

By Alicia Lanier

To the distress and grief of all who knew her, Mary Barmettler left this life on April 8, 2008. She had endured a month-long sudden illness that hospitalized her in a coma for most of her remaining days, but she was fortunate to be tended by husband Bill, who calls her the “love of my life”, as well as her four children and four grandchildren. There also was a cadre of medical personnel for whom Mary’s care was extremely personal. As a nurse, Mary had worked with and mentored some of the staff who helped with her care. There’s a sweetness about that.

But, the irony of Mary spending her final days on Earth unconscious in a hospital bed is heart-breaking to me. A generous and giving woman, she was perhaps the most active and energetic seventysomething I have ever known. I met Mary and Bill five years ago, so our paths paralleled for only a brief period. But there was definitely “something” about Mary that immediately attracted the awe and admiration of anyone who crossed her path.

Upon retirement, Mary was not content to simply tend her vegetable garden and her elegant collection of orchids and make sure that all visitors to their West San Jose home never left without a jar of her raspberry jam, some of her famous holiday cookies, or other tasty treat – although  those “hobbies” remained life passions for her. Instead, she and Bill together set out to spend their Golden Years sharing and helping improve the world in ways that touched a diverse universe of people throughout Santa Clara County.

Mary cared deeply about her grandchildren and wanted to leave the world a healthier place for them. Global warming and other environmental problems were of huge concern for her, so she joined wholeheartedly with others to help combat them.

Mary’s concern for the homeless was breathtakingly compassionate, and she was a hands-on participant in San Jose’s annual Project Homeless Connect that matches unfortunate citizens with appropriate resources to address their every physical need.

As a nurse and hospice volunteer, Mary had helped the living heal and the dying end their final days in as much comfort – and dignity – as possible.

As a political activist, Mary campaigned and wrote frequent Letters to the Editor for worthy individuals and causes – including campaign finance reform and single-payer universal health care – with extraordinary clarity, energy and passion. And, she was the most tireless voter registration advocate I ever observed … organizing and working at frequent voter registration events at the shopping mall and for the monthly New Citizen Naturalization Ceremony.

Because of her seeingly boundless love and energy, it is not surprising that several hundred family and friends of Mary Barmettler gathered Friday in the Grand Ballroom of the Hayes Mansion to celebrate the woman who had touched their lives. It was a true love fest, with stories and laughter and, of course, tears. Mary’s daughter Ellie Kehmeier reflected the many loving anecdotes when she said this of her mother: “She lived all her life as if she only had six more months to live.”

Mary inspired and motivated me and countless others to help, in ways large and small, to improve our world. She was, quite simply, a Giver  – of her friendship, her awesome garden bounty, her energy, her respect, her love.

We won’t forget you or your legacy, Mary. Rest in peace.

A memorial fund in Mary Veronica Barmettler’s name has been established with the Yosemite Fund. (Be sure to check the box on the donation form that says: My donation is a tribute to someone special.)

 

Spring Silicon Valley Home Sales Trending Upward

By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR

Despite what you’re hearing from the mainstream media – which, by the way, generally runs about 30-45 days behind in reporting home sales stats – the MLS statistics for Santa Clara County in March show that our Spring home sales season is trending upward. Certainly the total single-family home unit sales and dollar volume are steeply under years past. But I believe sales movement upward for the second month in a row is a healthy sign for our housing market.

The bad news is that only two micro-markets – Mountain View and the tiny enclave of Monte Sereno - registered higher single-family home sales volume in March compared to the same month in 2007. The good news is that these two cities plus five others – Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Sunnyvale – all experienced higher median selling prices in March 2008 compared to March 2007. Ditto for trendy Willow Glen in San Jose. These areas all have in common good schools and upper-end homes in prestigious neighborhoods. 

Is your single-family home in one of the following? Then smile as you enjoy your appreciating equity because here are the year-over-year median prices:

Campbell – Median selling price of $812,000 in March 2008 ($787,000 in March 2007)
Cupertino – $1,185,000 ($1,140,000)
Los Altos – $1,911,000 ($1,646,500)
Los Altos Hills – $2,928,000 ($2,400,000)
Monte Sereno – $1,820,000 ($1,732,500)
Mountain View – $1,095,000 ($953,000)
Sunnyvale – $940,500 ($813,500)
San Jose Willow Glen – $875,000 ($855,000)

Where are the bargains for home-buyers who’ve been waiting for prices to bottom out? There are some good values in the cities in the list below that experienced the most dramatic year-over-year declines in median selling prices: 

Gilroy – $538,000 median sales price in March 2008 (down from $789,900 in March 2007)
Los Gatos – $1,400,000 ($1,427,000)
Milpitas - $561,625 ($700,000)
Morgan Hill – $660,000 ($849,975)
Palo Alto – $1,617,500 ($1,634,994)
San Jose – $662,500 ($734,250)  
San Martin – $1,330,000 ($1,345,000)
Santa Clara – $700,500 ($720,000)
Saratoga – $1,595,000 ($1,770,000)

Inventories of homes for sale are up in all Silicon Valley cities except Saratoga; and, countywide, the total inventory at the end of March was 61% higher than the same time last year.. The average time a home stays for sale in Santa Clara County is 76 days. Total single-family sales volume in the county in March 2008 was $573,717,647, steeply down from $969,852,882 the same month in 2007.

TIP:  Looking for a bargain? Ask me for a list of the San Jose neighborhoods with steep price declines. Or, perhaps you want to know the potential selling price for your home or a similar home in your neighborhood? If so, just call or e-mail me. 

Coming Soon: The Condo Scene

Alicia Lanier is a REALTOR, e-PRO, and member of the Coldwell Banker Sterling Society which places her among the top 11% of agents internationally    www.AliciaLanier.com  408-491-1634

Tip for Silicon Valley Sellers in Slow Market

By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR

As our Silicon Valley inventory grows in some slower markets, sellers are having to face the painful truth that today’s buyers are looking for not just a good, but a great bargain. Which has prompted many sellers, who are desperate to move on, to discount their properties into “short sale” territory where their house is priced at less than they owe on their home loan.

I have found as a REALTOR who sometimes is faced with a challenging home that properly staging a home – from a simple declutter-reorganizing to a full-own redecorating of a vacant home – can frequently make a buyer fall in love with a home and influence them to buy even if it’s not priced at bargain-basement levels.

At least one stager says that well staged homes sell approximately 32% faster than non-staged homes. They also sell for 3 to 10% more. If you’re wanting to sell now or in the near future, ask me to stop by for a free “audit” of your home to find out whether staging would make the difference in whether you could sell for top dollar and more quickly in our current housing market.

Meanwhile, check out some free staging tips and learn how to make your home more desirable. 

Alicia Lanier is a REALTOR and a member of the Coldwell Banker Sterling Society (2007) and Diamond Society (2006, 2004)  www.AliciaLanier.com  408-491-1634

Convention Diary ‘08: President Clinton, Speaker Pelosi Keynote Dem Convention in Silicon Valley

By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR

Over 2,000 Democrats from across the state gathered last weekend in San Jose for the annual convention of the California Democratic Party. The biggest attraction was former President Bill Clinton who was the keynoter at the Sunday general session. His immediate message to delegates: “Chill out … we’re not going to divide our Party … we Democrats are going to take back the White House whoever turns out to be our presidential candidate.”

In fact, if one played “fly on the wall” and listened in on conversations among delegates, there appears to be a large majority who have pledged support to one candidate but would still remain ”true blue” if push came to shove and the other ended up as the candidate. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged the strong support for each candidate and urged at the Welcome Reception: “Keep your eye on the prize … the White House.” Like 60+ other undeclared California Super Delegates to the Democratic national convention in Denver, Speaker Pelosi has not declared support for either candidate. Although there was a rumor around the convention that she will eventually support Senator Obama.

Speaker Pelosi, however, was publicly neutral in her praise of the two last candidates, saying, “I applaud their intellect, their eloquence … and their stamina!” The line drew cheers and laughter from the delegates. What did the applause meter register as she mentioned each of the candidates by name? Certainly, there was enthusiastic applause and cheering for each – but the response to Senator Obama was just slightly louder, stronger, and more sustained from my vantage point near the podium.

Former President Clinton, of course, spent a large part of his address explaining why he believes that Hillary Clinton is the stronger choice. He also pointed out that daughter Chelsea had been asked on the campaign trail whether she thought her mother would be a “better” president than her father had been. “Without blinking an eye, Chelsea said ‘yes’ … and, you know what? … I do, too,” said the smiling former President.

I frankly believe Bill Clinton is a brilliant speaker, and he peppered his seemingly off-the-cuff presentation with downhome stories laced with stats that make you realize the crisis our country is facing. By the way, here’s one statistic that should give each of us pause about the current real estate meltdown. He explained that the rising tide of foreclosures impacts everyone. “Each foreclosure in a city has a negative economic impact of $250,000 to $350,000 on the area,” he said. “That is why Democrats should favor a federal moratorium on foreclosures and, for anyone who has not missed a mortgage payment, a federal guarantee of their mortgage payments for five years. If the government can bail out Bear Stearns, it can surely save one million hardworking American families from losing their homes.” 

Speaking on behalf of Senator Obama was his California campaign co-chair, District Attorney Kamala Harris from San Francisco. Jokingly she mentioned her possibly misguided decision to share the podium with the popular former President Clinton. Then, more seriously, said: ”But that is what the Obama campaign has been all about: the audacity to do what seems unimaginable.”

At one time or another, a couple of dozen Silicon Valley elected officials (read: Super Delegates) spoke to the state delegates. To mention a few, there was Congressmember Mike Honda, who is also vice chair of the Democratic National Party; Congressmember Zoe Lofgren; Lt. Governor John Garamendi (the word in the hall was that he will be definitely be making a run for governor); Congressmember Jerry McNerney (Lofgren shared a few campaign ideas with McNerney for his upcoming re-election campaign); and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

On Saturday, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed welcomed the delegates to his city and took a moment to boast about how “San Jose and the Silicon Valley have changed the world in the past few decades” and about the city’s recently adopted Green Vision Plan. The latter is designed to “ensure San Jose reduces its energy consumption by 50% and becomes a zero-waste city.” Mayor Reed is a lifelong Democrat who has been a maverick when it comes to the SCC Party political structure, and some expressed hope that his convention appearance would help bridge the strained relations evident during the Mayoral campaign. 

All in all, there were no surprises … just loyal California Democrats wishing and hoping and planning to take back the White House come November.

I invite you to view my 2008 Convention Diary in pictures.  For an indepth look at the 2008 California Democratic Party convention, check out the convention link at www.cadem.org for the many session videos and downloads.

Related Link: Convention Diary: California Democrats Convening in the Silicon Valley Friday Through Sunday

Alicia Lanier was a delegate to the California State Convention for Assembly District 24. She is a REALTOR and a member of the Coldwell Banker Sterling Society (2007) and Diamond Society (2006, 2004)  www.AliciaLanier.com  408-491-1634