San Francisco Real Estate - Janice Lee

How best to use baskets for home decor and storage Over the years, I have written about some arguably pretty minor topics — white paint, yard boulders and computer disposal among them. Somehow, while dwelling on all sorts of fascinating-no-point-is-too-small minutiae, I have neglected to write about a common domestic workhorse, an item most of us use. Every. Single. Day. So today, as we approach the season of gratefulness, I am giving long-overdue homage to the humble, honorable basket. An art form that began in antiquity, baskets have transcended every age, culture and civilization. Weavers have used whatever was plentiful and free – grasses, reeds, palm branches, seagrass — to fashion into everything from bowls and bins to birdcages. They’ve woven containers tight enough to hold water and loose enough to catch fish. Like the wheel, baskets are hard to improve upon. They just work. “Although baskets date back to ancient times, we still use them in the same way...

Financial sacrifices bigger for younger Bay Area home buyers Some millennial home buyers admit to dropping health insurance for a downpayment Buying a home involves sacrifices, but younger workers are pinching budgets tighter to get into a home than their predecessors. About 7 in 10 millennial and Generation Z homebuyers say they cut spending on everything from entertainment to health care to afford a down payment, while just 3 in 10 baby boomers admitted trimming expenses, according to a national Zillow survey. The survey highlights the growing gap between the cost of housing for young Bay Area residents and families compared to earlier generations. Millennials, generally between the ages of 22 and 38, are finding it necessary to take more drastic steps to cut expenses. “It’s not very affordable for young buyers,” said Zillow economist Kathryn Coursolle, adding that family help is important, too. “Generation Z and millennials are more likely to get help on their dow...

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a pocket listing? When do you recommend taking this approach?   A : There are occasions in which selling a home, “off-market” (not exposed to the wider buying public by keeping it out of the MLS) may make sense. Sellers who do not have the time, energy and/or desire to prepare their home for presentation on the Internet and to the public may prefer the off-market route. Sellers who prefer a higher level of privacy, wishing to limit access to their homes may choose this route as well. The potential downsides include a more limited buyer pool, fewer offers and ultimately a lower selling price; likely more true for properties that are not located in the most sought-after locations than those that are. Whether a pocket listing makes sense depends upon the particular property being sold and the individual needs of the seller. A : Pocket listings take several forms, but all involve limited exposure, usually outside the ML...

4 Things to Do with Your Home When Deciding to Downsize As they settle into retirement, many seniors begin taking a good, hard look at their homes. For some, the idea of living in a spacious house no longer holds any appeal, especially if it requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep. Enter the concept of downsizing, which involves paring down your possessions and moving into a smaller, more manageable home. For some seniors, this could mean purchasing a smaller house, finding an apartment, moving in with loved ones, or shifting gears altogether and moving into an assisted living facility. However, regardless of the reasons for your downsize or where you want to end up when all’s said and done, you’ll need to determine what, exactly, you’ll do with your old property. Here are four options you should consider when you start thinking about downsizing. Selling Your Home Successfully selling your home depends on quite a bit with the   current housing market , so take the...

10 reasons to buy a California home sooner rather than later Let me take on a role usually in the wheelhouse of the real estate industry and say it feels like a fairly good time to consider buying a California home. I do this as a public service. It seems the leadership of many statewide real estate groups is way too busy painting worst-case scenarios in order to fight political battles in Sacramento. I’m not sure how scaring off potential California house hunters is good business for the real estate craft, in the short run or for the long haul. Is it a shock home sales languish at modest levels and homeownership is stagnant following relentless “unaffordable” and “shortage” messaging? Could you image car dealers blaming lackluster sales — and they’re now suffering a slump, too — on a poorly-priced product? Look what Jordan Levine, deputy chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, recently told this news organization: “No one can afford houses even at lo...