San Francisco Real Estate - Janice Lee

Do not hesitate to contact me at (415) 832-9151 for any real estate purpose you may have. Janice Lee 415-832-9151 International President's Premier Top Producer, Realtor JaniceFLee@gmail.com www.JaniceLeeHomes.com BRE #01720205

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2014, it’s a good time to take a look at what might be in store for the local housing market in the coming year. While I don’t claim to have a crystal ball, I feel very optimistic about the potential for a strong housing market in 2014. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that home prices across the country  – but especially in Silicon Valley and other parts of the Bay Area – have zoomed back to near record territory. Valuations jumped 25% or more in some communities over the past year, nearing or even exceeding their pre-recession highs. Prices in Palo Alto are nearly 40% above their 2007 peak, one of the largest gains in a recent survey. So what do we do for an encore in 2014? I see four major reasons why the Bay Area’s housing market will continue to be strong in the coming year: 1. A robust local economy. The Bay Area economy is one of the strongest in the country. Silicon Valley, the Peninsula and San Francisco are t...

10 Miller Place #502 79 Navajo Avenue 140 Manor Drive

A new report out this week shows that the Bay Area’s housing market continues to gain strength with growing demand and a shortage of listings driving prices sharply higher and boosting sales once again in January. DataQuick, the La Jolla-based real estate information service, reported that the local market turned in its strongest January sales in six years and marked the 10th straight year-over-year increase in the median sale price of a Bay Area home.   A total of 5,501 new and resale single-family homes and condos sold last month in the nine-county Bay Area, up 3.2 percent from January a year ago. Last month’s sales were the strongest since January 2007 before the downturn in the housing market. The real story here, though, is the rapidly increasing median sale price for Bay Area homes. In January, the median price paid for a home in the region jumped to $415,000, surging 27.3 percent from a year ago. DataQuick noted that half of the increase in the med...

La Jolla, CA.--The number of homes sold in the Bay Area increased on a year-over-year basis for the sixteenth month in a row in October while the median price paid rose for the sixth month, the result of a gradual rebalancing of the real estate market. Mortgage availability remains an issue, a real estate information service reported.  A total of 7,795 new and resale homes were sold in the nine-county Bay Area last month. That was up 13.8 percent from 6,850 in September, and up 21.0 percent from 6,444 for October 2011, according to San Diego-based DataQuick. 

Extraordinary 5 bedrooms 4 bathrooms home has undergone a complete transformation with quality & style. Light filled open living/dining area with new dark kitchen cabinetry, designer backsplash, counters, 36” SS stove & hood, refrigerator & dishwasher. High 9” ceilings, recessed lights, crown molding, hardwood floors, double pane windows, skylight, roof, siding, furnace, fences, water heater, plumbing & electrical. Masterfully designed on 3 levels, top floor consists of 3bd/2ba, slate deck w/ city views. One is a master suite with large walk-in closet. The main level has 2bd/2ba & in-unit W/D & access to 2nd deck. TOTO toilets, unique tile design & vanities in each bath. 2 rms/1 ba on lower level unwarranted. Blocks to Cortland shops and restaurants, 280 & 101. First Open House – Sunday, November 4th 2:00-4:00 p.m. Tuesday Open House – November 6th 2:00-3:30 p.m. MLS #402594 Offered at $849,000 ...

By now it’s clear that this will not be an easy economic recovery. For every two steps forward we take one step back, as this week’s mixed economic signals show. On one hand, it was good to see improved GDP growth figures announced Friday. The U.S. economy grew at a better-than-expected 2 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department announced. That’s up from a 1.3 percent growth rate in the second quarter. The improvement was driven in part by greater consumer spending, but also defense spending and the government sector. Many analysts cautioned that the economy is still facing significant headwinds and warned that GDP isn’t likely to climb much above this level through the coming year. On the bright side, real estate continues to be one of the better performing sectors of the economy, as the recent Bay Area housing report from DataQuick reaffirmed. The La Jolla-based real estate research firm reported that Bay Area home prices last month rose to ...

La Jolla, CA.--The median price paid for a Bay Area home rose to its highest level in more than four years in September, the result of a slowly improving economy, low mortgage interest rates and shifts in market mix, a real estate information service reported. The median price paid for new and resale homes in the nine-county Bay Area rose to $429,000 last month. That was up 4.6 percent from $410,000 in August and up 17.5 percent from $365,000 in September a year ago. It was the highest since August 2008 when it was $447,000, according to San Diego-based DataQuick. The low point of the current real estate cycle was $290,000 in March 2009, while the peak was $665,000 in June/July 2007. About half of the median’s peak-to-trough drop, as well as the median’s 17.5 percent increase over the last year, can be attributed to a shift in the sales mix. For example, foreclosure resales are at half the level of a year ago. And the number of homes that sold last month for less ...

Now that the housing market is picking up once again, a growing number of first-time homebuyers are jumping in, attracted by relatively low home prices in some areas and historically low mortgage interest rates. In fact, many first time homebuyers have discovered that for the first time in years it’s actually cheaper to own a home than it is to rent one. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard recently reported that the median priced home in the U.S. (when calculated in today’s dollars) is roughly half as much as it was in 1990! And as rents have steadily risen in recent years, the Harvard study found that mortgage payments on the median U.S. home is now 23 percent less than rent payments for the same home. So as new buyers look to take advantage of this great opportunity, what are they looking for in their first home – and what do they need to know about buying real estate for the first time? We thought it would be interesting to take a look at the wants an...

The Bay Area posted its strongest home sales for the month of August in six years, the result of low mortgage interest rates, an improving economy and increasing demand in mid- to move-up market segments. The median price paid for a home eased back a notch from June and July, but was well ahead of last year for the fifth consecutive month, a real estate information service reported.

The last phase of the home buying process is crucial. You have already taken care of the inspection and the like, but now you have to wrap it all up. Then, your entire home shopping process will finally pay off on closing day. As they say, “It’s time to bring it on home!” Hopefully, your settlement or escrow process has moved forward without hitting any major snags. But at this point you need to review these ten last-minute tips for a smooth closing to make sure that you have covered all the bases. Ten Last-Minute Tips for a Smooth Closing  You reviewed your estimated closing twice already and are about to review the document a third and final time right before closing. Don’t wait until the last few days or hours. Check with the closing company to make sure the seller has stayed on schedule. If you have negotiated for repairs to be made by the seller, chances are he will wait until the last minute to do them. He will want to make sure all of your contingencies ha...

Home sales in the Bay Area rose on a year-over-year basis for the 13th month in a row in July, the result of increased mid- and up-market buying activity. The median price paid for a home was the highest since August 2008, a real estate information service reported. A total of 8,461 new and resale homes were sold in the nine-county Bay Area last month. That was down 1.4 percent from 8,577 the month before, and up 22.9 percent from 6,887 for July 2011. The decline from June is normal for the Bay Area summer season. July sales have varied from 6,666 in 1995 to 14,258 in 2004, while the average for all Julys since 1988, when DataQuick’s statistics start, is 9,371. “The market has really been lopsided the past couple of years, tilted toward low-end bargain chasing. Now it’s re-balancing, slowly, with increased activity in mid and move-up markets. But mortgage availability remains one of the big challenges in the Bay Area,” said John Walsh, DataQuick president. The median...