Geek's Number Talk: Not-so wide open spaces

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As urban dwellers, we’ve learned to love and appreciate parks, trails, and opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature. That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways to protect open spaces while still finding ways to build adequate housing for our growing population. And in some cases, it’s a costly endeavor that has a direct impact on housing costs.

As you can see from this chart, while a county like San Francisco only preserves about 5,900 acres of open space, that represents almost 20% of their available land, exponentially increasing the price of the remaining real estate. On the flip side, Sonoma County preserves a whopping 171K acres of open space, but that’s just 17% of its abundant available land.

Chic vs. Geek: Responding to Buyer Love Letters

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We’ve talked about the pros and cons of sending “love” letters to sellers to highlight all the reasons you’re the perfect buyer for their home. But what are the do’s and don'ts for a seller who receives one?

CHIC (PEARL)

While they may seem harmless, buyer “love” letters can get a seller in trouble because they often include personal information that could reveal characteristics of the buyer like race, religion, or familial status. Why is that a problem? That information could create a conscious or unconscious bias in the seller’s decision to accept or reject an offer, which would violate fair housing laws.

GEEK (KEVIN)

At the end of the day, your decision to accept or reject an offer has to be based on objective standards, like the offer amount or the ability to pay in cash. We always let sellers know up front that we will never deliver buyer love letters, and we advise them to document the basic facts of every offer they receive and their objective reasons for saying yes or no to every prospective buyer.

Geek's Number Talk: Invasion Inflation

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken a human toll that is hard to fathom if you’re not there, but you don’t have to be in Kyiv to feel the effects of the war on the free market. Inflation is on the rise, and supply chain shortages have driven prices through the roof for staples like gas, wheat, and fertilizers. And it’s no different for construction materials and home services like tree trimming. Be ready to pay extra… and wait.