As a Mountain View Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Mountain View?" The answer is simple: Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers.   There are currently 14 single family Mountain View homes for sale, down from 16 last week. There are currently 14 Mountain View town homes/condos for sale, down from 15 last week. There are currently 23 pending sales of Mountain View single family homes, up from 18 last week. There are currently 31 pending sales of Mountain View Town homes/Condos, down from 29 last week. As of Feb 24, 2013 there were 23 single family Mountain View homes sold ranging in price from $685,000 to $2,165,000. As of Feb 24, 2013  of 2013 there were 33 Mountain View Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $250,000 to $1,075,000.   These numbers a... 03/10/2013

  As a Santa Clara Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Santa Clara?" The answer is simple: Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers. There are currently 27 single family Santa Clara homes for sale, up from 24 last week. There are currently 12 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale, down from 14 last week. There are currently 46 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes. There are currently 43 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos, up from 38 last week. In Feb. of 2013 there were 20 single family Santa Clara homes sold ranging in price from $399,000 to $1,155,000. In Feb of 2013 there were 19 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $265,000 to $833,000   These numbers are still low, but a little better than last week. I was hopin... 03/10/2013

If you are a Santa Clara condo seller which do you think is riskier for you, not the buyer, taking an offer with a loan contingency, or taking an offer for your Santa Clara condo for sale with an inspection contingency? This question pre supposed several givens: 1. You have multiple offers from which to choose 2. The buyer has been fully pre-approved by a direct lender, is from this country or has the legal status necessary to obtain a loan, and did not ask for an appraisal contingency. 3. You have done all of the inspections on your Santa Clara condo before the sale including property, termite, roof, chimney, and have all of the HOA documents. So assuming all of the above conditions have been met, and you have several offers which are around the same price, which would you prefer? As a... 03/03/2013

Hot Buy! GotDailyDeals $10 Coupon for $20 in Food at Bombay Garden  by Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley guide If you, like me, love Indian food, you probably already know about Bombay Garden Restaurants. While I've only eaten at the one in Santa Clara, Calif., they also have restaurants in San Mateo and Newark, Calif. Usually I buy gift cards for Bombay Garden at Costco, where they sell $100 worth in food for $80, which is a great deal. For one more day, GotDailyDeals is offering a special buy 1 $10 Coupon good for $20 in food at Bombay Garden. You can buy a maximum of two coupons and they are good through August 6, 2013. My only complaint is the restaurant is too popular, especially among techies. We try to arrive at either 11:30 or after 1 to avoid a long line through the buffet. M... 03/03/2013

  As a Santa Clara Real Estate Agent I am always being asked, "How's the market in Santa Clara?" The answer is simple: Not enough inventory, plenty of buyers. There are currently 24 single family Santa Clara homes for sale. There are currently 14 Santa Clara town homes/condos for sale. There are currently 14 pending sales of Santa Clara single family homes. There are currently 38 pending sales of Santa Clara town homes/Condos. In Feb. of 2013 there were 20 single family Santa Clara homes sold ranging in price from $399,000 to $1,155,000. In Feb of 2013 there were 19 Santa Clara Town Homes/Condos sold ranging in price from $265,000 to $833,000   These numbers are still low, but a little better than last week. I was hoping they will be doubled by the end of February and triple by the end ... 03/02/2013

It is a common occurrence in the Silicon Valley for homes that are in Probate to also go into default. For many older home owners there is scant cash in the bank, they may still have a mortgage, and without a trust a home goes to Probate. When that happens the bills, including the mortgage do not get paid until a Personal Representative is appointed by the court. This can be a lengthy process if there is a disagreement amongst heirs as to who should be in charge. Unfortunately that is a very common occurrence in Santa Clara probate sales. So while the relatives are arguing over who rules the Santa Clara Probate roost, the mortgage does not get paid and the lender starts the foreclosure process.   Once at least three payments are missed a Notice of Default may be filed on the Santa Clara... 01/26/2013

ARTICLE REVIEW- Housing Rebound Extends Into 2013: The Washington Post and Bloomberg released an article a couple weeks ago that I would like to share. It discusses the impact of real estate growth on the economy as a whole. It is suggested that it will take another few years some areas of the country to return to pre recession home values, however "San Francisco Bay area, are [is] actually close to where the normal areas are" states Jed Kolko, cheif economis of Trulia Inc. Home buyers are looking to take advantage of record low interest rates and lower prices. One of the most common questions I receive is "is it too late to find a great deal?" This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on what you are looking for. Short sales and foreclosure properties are down 7% from o... 01/26/2013

10 Strange But True Events That Happened in History on December 29 By Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate guide selling homes in San Jose Are you an inquisitive person who enjoys learning? If you’ve read my blog, you know one of the pastimes I enjoy is discovering new facts and interesting pieces of history. I like to share intriguing stories from our local newspaper the San Jose Mercury News, as well as my favorite print and online magazines Mental Floss, the National Geographic Society or  Smithsonian Magazine. Other times I find articles or facts online at The History Place, Brainy History,or Dates In History. These events for today’s blog post are culled from History Orb. While these interesting items are intriguing, they have nothing to do with my real estate business, ... 12/29/2012

Global Winter Wonderland at Great America in Santa Clara Ca Holiday Fun for Everyone!   Global Winter Wonderland is open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day! Daily Schedule Dec 14, 2012 through January 1, 2013 Friday & Saturday from 4:00pm to 11:00pm Sunday through Thursday from 4:00pm through 10:00pm Admission Prices Adults Ages 13-61 $18.00 Senior Ages 62+ $16.00 Junior Ages 5-12 $16.00 Children ages 4 & under FREE Unlimited rides $15.00 Season Gold Pass* $29.00 * All Ages - Includes unlimited admission and rides. Return as many times as you like. What great value for ongoing holiday fun at Global Winter Wonderland. Great America is located at 4701 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Courtesy of Kathleen Daniels, San Jose Homes for Sale - San Jose... 12/21/2012

5 Curious Historical Facts That Happened on December 20 By Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate guide selling homes in San Jose One of the things I enjoy most about living in Silicon Valley, Calif. is the freedom to be weird and explore a variety of interests. I enjoy learning new facts and odd pieces of history. Sometimes I come across intriguing facts while reading our local San Jose Mercury News, Mental Floss or  Smithsonian Magazine. Other times I find stories or tidbits online at The History Place, Brainy Historyor National Geographic Society. Today’s collection of facts was found at The People History. While these interesting items are intriguing, they have nothing to do with selling homes in Silicon Valley: instead, they add fun and fascination to life. Here are today’... 12/20/2012

25 Minutes Left to Earn 500 Points Hurry to Enter Holiday Card Contest by Michelle Carr Crowe It's not too late! You have 20 Minutes Left to Earn 500 Points so Hurry to Enter Holiday Card Contest. It's pretty simple, you just need to be all original.   Use your own photo or image and create a holiday card to someone important - a client, a vendor, a family member or even your pals here at ActiveRain. Be sure to read all 10 rules and include 2 paragraphs about/to the person, as well as about the person and why you chose them. Use the tagline Holiday Greeting. Then post it to Holiday Greeting Card Contest-APPRECIATION! Hurry-I know you can do it! Here is mine-   Holiday Greeting & Free Hugs to My Beautiful Loving Daughter Monique by Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley Guide This is an ent... 11/30/2012

City of Santa Clara, California - What's the market like for buying or selling a condo or townhouse?When the downturn occurred in the housing market in 2007, condominiums and townhouses were hurt more than single family homes in many of our Peninsula and Silicon Valley communities. While the price drops here weren't as steep as in many other parts of the state or the country, they were real. Inventory built; days on market increased; prices dropped.Now, 5 years later, we're seeing a different condominium and townhouse market. Interest rates are low, Silicon Valley employers are hiring, and buyers are ready. 835 Woodhams Oaks Place in Santa Clara came on the market last week. The first open houses were held this past weekend. On Saturday, 14 groups came through in the first 15 minutes --... 11/12/2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 10:30am to Noon Tuesday, November 13, 2012 from 7:45pm to 9:15pm Santa Clara Kenpo Academy, Silicon Valley's most prestigious martial arts school, is offering two women's self defense workshops in November. If you've been wanting to learn usable, street-wise self defense techniques - this is the workshop for you. Taught by senior instructors with experience in self defense systems such as karate and kick boxing, you'll learn how to avoid or handle many threatening situations experienced in daily life. Call (408) 505-1067 email scka@santaclarakenpoacademy.com www.santaclarakenpoacademy.com 11/05/2012

If you are a new (or even experienced Santa Clara investor) you may wonder which makes a better investment, a condo or a single family home in the Silicon Valley? The answer is either, depending on your goals. The most important question is are you more interested in cash flow or long term appreciation? Here are the facts: 1. Rents are more effected by bedrooms and square footage than lot size. Dollar for dollar you will get a higher rent per dollar spent with a condo than a single family home that costs the same amount. 2. Condos have HOA fees that Single Family homes do not have, but much of the HOA fee goes towards expenses you would have to pay if it was a single family home such as insurance, landscaping, often water and garbage, and exterior repairs. 3. In the Silicon Valley the v... 10/23/2012

Why a Silicon Valley Seller Should Provide a Roof Inspection Report By Michelle Carr-Crowe, Silicon Valley real estate agent and home selling expert Why should a Silicon Valley Seller Provide a Roof Inspection Report? Sellers from Los Gatos to Mountain View, Calif. ask me this every in my real estate consultation appointments. Paying for inspections is something the buyer should do, not the seller… right? Of course a buyer may pay for a second roof inspection. However, in today's market, providing a roof inspection can head off expensive negotiations before they start.  And a roof, property inspection report (and a pest inspection) can help buyers make quicker decisions when it's time to make offers-and forego additional negotiations when it's time to remove contingencies. If you're con... 10/21/2012

AR/DocuSign Challenge: Going Paperless in My Real Estate Business-The Mission for Eliminating Inefficiencies Continues Going Paperless I confess…I love paper. I fear losing important documents. This leads me to squirrel away hazardous piles of “important papers” all over the house. The only problem is I can’t always find that most critical paper at the time I truly need it. So this ActiveRain/DocuSign Challenge: Going Paperless in Your Real Estate Business-The Mission for Eliminating Inefficiencies Continuesis hitting me at a good time-I’ve got to get more efficient with my documents while using less storage space. So let’s check on my progress so far. In the original challenge, I included several things I initiated to eliminate inefficiencies: 1)    Limiting distractions by using daily... 09/28/2012

Seven September Celebrations By Michelle Carr Crowe, Silicon Valley guide and Cupertino real estate agent History fascinates me. If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you know I enjoy learning new facts and odd truths about our world. Did you know there are seven September celebrations? It’s true. For example September is not only Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, it’s also Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. (That’s appropriate, isn’t it?) It’s Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month and Infant Mortality Awareness Month. (Sadly, drugs and alcohol are contributing factors to low birth weight, birth defects and failure to thrive syndrome in babies.) The next three easily go together: Apple Month, Chicken Month and Cholesterol Education Month. Although September was originally the seventh mo... 09/23/2012

National Night Out is Tu., Aug. 7-Meet Neighbors & Turn on Porch Lights by Michelle Carr-Crowe, Silicon Valley guide and San Jose real estate agent National Night Out, a community-building event celebrated from coast to coast, occurs this coming Tues., August 7th. Throughout Silicon Valley, from Cupertino to San Jose to Santa Clara, cities and towns feature an abundance of opportunities to meet the people who live near you. The first National Night Out involved 400 communities in 23 states and 2.5 million people. This is the 29th annual National Night Out.  It's estimated cities from all 50 U.S. states as well as all territories and military bases will participate this year. Remember, the best deterrent to crime are neighbors who know, care and watch out for each other.  Whether you par... 08/05/2012

In Santa Clara from Jan 1, 2012 until June 30, 2012 there were: 97 closed short sales 47 closed bank owned homes Total sales during this time period were 491 Total % Short Sales: 19.8% Total % REO Sales: 9.6% Total Percentage  Santa Clara Distressed Properties: 29.4% 29.4% of all Santa Clara sales being distressed is enough to have an effect on the overall market. However, as inventory is still so low, unless these homes are truly physically distressed, which is more common with bank owned homes at this level, most homes will not sell for much less than fair market value. There are twice as many short sales as foreclosures in this time period which is what we are seeing in many other cities.  If you have any questions about short sales or foreclosures in Santa Clara County please feel f... 07/27/2012

Did You Know July 26, 2012 is Aunts & Uncles Day? By Michelle Carr-Crowe, Silicon Valley guide, San Jose Holidays Examiner & Cupertino REALTOR® Just when it seems everyone knows about all of the obscure holidays in the world, along comes July 26, Aunts & Uncles Day. According to Holiday Insights, a website that tracks a variety of real as well as obscure events, it happens every July 26. During a career as a fulltime freelance writer for the Silicon Valley Business Journal, entertainment editor for San Jose Magazine and longtime resident of Santa Clara County, Aunts & Uncles Day just never came up before on any other calendar. Perhaps that’s because when researching the origin of Aunts & Uncles Day no historical documentation comes up. It makes a blogger suspect another person was just ... 07/25/2012