Market Minute
Buyer vibes
The past two weekends I have held open houses at my listing and I noticed two things: Buyers were in a good mood and there were a lot of them!
The nice weather and an increase in homes for sale has made buyers happy.
Sellers are feeling pretty good, too. Prices have increased despite high interest rates and problems securing insurance.
Check out my Market Minute video (to the left!) or read this report published by Compass about the Spring market.
Real Estate Confidential
How accurate are online home estimates like Zillow and Redfin? Most people assume they are on target. The reality is more complex. The problem that most people can't see the complexities.
Above, Zillow says my home is worth $1,517,00, while Redfin estimates $1,466,00. Both sites also offer a range. How precise is that!
Zillow and Redfin cannot account for a lot — say the the condition of the foundation, or whether I need a new roof. Nor do they consider real interest level on the home. As such, these estimates rarely provide the level of confidence you need to actually make buying or selling decisions.
Online estimates aren't bad if you want to get a general sense of what your house is worth. But they are not bankable numbers.
If you are interested in seeing how accurate the estimates are for you home, reach out and we can find out together.
Kim's Corner
Most people roll their property taxes and insurance into their mortgage. But if you are like me and do not, or if you don't have a mortgage, you may need a little reminder.
If you live in Alameda County, you can sign up to get email reminders when property taxes are due. It has saved me more than once!