Our housing market — and the greater economy — remain in a period of adjustment, making buyers and sellers more cautious as they wait to see how the dust will settle. One key indicator of this adjustment is the percentage of homes selling below their list price, which you can track in the chart below.
We all love hosting our family and friends during the holidays, but after all the food and fun and merriment, there’s the inevitable mess to clean up. Need some tips to speed up the process? We’ve got your back.
I like to get a head start on my cleaning by planning ahead. Clear out your fridge to make room for leftovers, line your roasting pan before cooking your meat of choice, and soak your pots and pans right after you finish to fight those tough grease stains.
As the DIY half of our team, I’m never satisfied with off-the-shelf cleaning products. If you want to get your home spic and span and smelling great, try cooking up one of these recipes for essential oils before starting your post-holiday cleanse.
Savvy home buyers willing to spend a little more in the short term could reap a tremendous long-term reward by investing in a single-family home with an existing ADU — perfect for renting out one home while you live in the other!
Have a look at some properties that fit the bill.
It was more of the same on the San Mateo County real estate market in October. Sales continue to dip year over year – down 39% for houses and nearly 50% for condos – and homes are spending much more time on the market than they were at the same time in 2021. Interestingly, median condo sales prices are up 12% from last year, but houses are selling for 5% less.
It may be colder and cloudier outside, but winter can still be a productive time in your garden. Need some tips for making the most of the slow season?
Believe it or not, winter is the perfect time for planting. Visit your local nursery to pick up whatever varieties of bulbs they have in stock, grab a guide on Google, and get your Spring plants in the ground now. While you’re digging around, be sure to clear out all the dead plant material in your garden to make room for the healthy plants and keep pests at bay. And that compost you’ve been collecting? Now’s your chance to mix it in with the topsoil to give your bulbs an extra boost of nutrition.
GEEK (Kevin)
Need a break from planting? Try your hand at pruning deciduous plants (the ones that lose their leaves in winter) like fruit trees, vines, roses, maples, and more. Start by getting rid of all the dead weight, then focus on aesthetics like thinning out crossed or rubbing branches. Just remember not to trim more than 30% of the plant if you don’t know what you’re doing. You may end up inadvertently harming the plant. Don’t know what kind of plant you’re pruning? Take a picture to your nursery and ask a pro.
