A couple of weeks ago the California Department of Education updated it’s Academic Performance Index (API) and you can see above how the Foster City Schools fare in the district. Outstanding to say the least. In fact, I think that you could argue that overall, they’re the best schools in the district. Brewer Island, Foster City and Audobon are uniformly excellent while Bowditch Middle School is tops among that category. Yet another reason why Foster City home values has stayed solid.
Funky Foto Contest Winner Week 108
June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Good knowledge folks! It’s impressive when you all can pick out specific play areas out of the really large selection that Foster City offers! Way to go! This weeks winner was Nancy Chang who arrived first with the Farragut Park answer followed closely by Dana Ferri. Nancy wins the $30.00 gift card to Togo’s. Great job! In addition to Nancy and Dana, we also have correct answers from Shrikant, Sandy Hughes, Pak, Alex O, Bill, Jason, Lesley, Edna, Irina, Nike, DK, Julie and Karla Knightstep. Not to mention Lola Yee on facebook. Great job folks! See you again this Friday!
Google…At It Again!
June 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Funky Foto Contest Week 108
June 11, 2010 By 21 Comments
We’re back! This nice uniform play area is, obviously, in one of Foster City’s great parks. This week’s question is simply…which one? If you’re first to answer that you’ll win a $30.00 gift card to Togo’s at the Metro Center. All the rules of the road are available to view on the left hand margin as well as on the bar above. The winner along with all other correct answers will not be published until Monday morning. Any and all silly jokes, snappy quips and all wrong answers will be published immediately if not sooner. Have a great weekend!!
It Don’t Come Easy
June 10, 2010 By 4 Comments
Last Sunday, at my open house at 1067 Hewitt Dr in San Carlos, a young guy asked me about a career in real estate. He’d been referred by one of my clients and had come especially to meet me and pick my brain a little. He works at Yahoo and had just gotten his real estate license with hopes of making a career change. He had almost all of the same pre-conceptions that I did 20 years ago about this business and it was sort of funny and fun to talk to him. Somewhere deep down he thinks 1) I can make alot of money in real estate, 2) Realtors don’t really have to work all that hard to make all that money and 3) I’m really so much smarter and so much more capable than most of those people I keep seeing holding these open houses. I know he thought these things because that’s what I thought way back when and he confirmed it when I asked him. Ultimately, he said he wants to try real estate out. Since I’ve heard that particular expression about 500 times in 20 years I gave him my standard reply…you don’t try out real estate, real estate tries you out!
I’m here to tell you…real estate is a never ending seige. It’s an incredibly hard business. That’s the truth. When I see the marketing of various discount brokers that diminish the work that “brick and mortar” agents bring to the table it makes me crazy. They really have no clue. Actually, I think they do have a clue…it’s just that their pitch cynically manipulates public misconceptions to their own end. Alas, that’s another story.
When you start in this career the biggest initial hurdle is how to get clients. It’s kind of tough to get your hands on all that money without a client or two and it’s not the easiest thing in the world to get folks to make the biggest financial decision of their lives with somebody who just got their license, has had very little training and essentially is clueless about the process. Oh yeah, how about that gravy train of cash all those realtor types are rolling in? Last year the average income of Realtors, according to the National Association of Realtors, was $36,700. In San Mateo county a year ago 65% of agents sold 2 or less homes in a year.
Here’s the thing, the vast majority of successful agents I know who do indeed make good money…have earned it! They’ve worked their butts off too. I can’t tell you how many amazing stories of personal triumph I’ve heard among real estate agents. I know many immigrants who have come to this country with very little and who knew almost nobody and have become successful in this business. I admire them greatly. A couple of years ago an agent and friend of mine, Denise Pearson, died when an aneurysm in her brain ruptured while she was working out. I went to her memorial service…along with about 100 other agents I knew, and I was profoundly moved by the pride I felt at being a part of that group of people. They were all survivors, every agent I saw there were just terrific people, who care deeply for their families, their clients and their industry.
I’ll say it again…I’m proud of what I do and I love doing it. Here’s a link to Denise’s obituary. It pretty much says it all:
Is It Slow?
June 8, 2010 By 2 Comments
This is the big question for alot of us realtor types right now…is it slow? The answer seems to change by the minute too! One minute I’m certain we’ve slid back into 2009…and the next minute it’s 2005. Weird! It really did seem very, very hot about a month ago and it’s not really like that right now…I think! What’s it like in Foster City is the question?
Currently there are 18 single family homes listed for sale here in FC. There’s also a total of 21 pending sales! Hmmm…not too shabby. In the condo/townhouse category there’s 38 units currently for sale and 26 pending sales. These are really good numbers folks. Back in December of 2008 there were 27 single family homes listed and 4 pending sales. Now, that’s slow! I think it’s actually kind of normal around here right now to tell you the truth. Certainly it’s going to be interesting to see what the future holds, huh? Here’s some new listings that are worth watching:
910 Laguna listed by Jan Majeski of Alain Pinel for $1,223,000. This is a really nice place and it’s undoubtedly going to get multiple offers at this price and in this location. It’s a 2680 sq ft 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house in terrific shape.
211 Duck Ct listed by Janice Woods of Alain Pinel for $849,000. This is a really cute 3 and 2 in great shape and priced right. It’s an 1890 sq ft floorplan and it’s clean.
1302 Melbourne listed by Rip Miller of Alain Pinel for $1,255,000. No, I’m not singling out APR agents today! This super nice 4 and 3 is actually the home of blog reader and foto contest participant Anita Reimann…and this is a really wonderful home! Go get um you guys!
1072 Tiller listed by Peggy LeDoux of Cashin Company for $759,000. See! Not everybody is from APR! This Bayfront Court townhouse is really incredibly gorgeous! It’s not a waterfront but it’s so nice it’ll be interesting to see how it does!
Is it slow? Let’s see how long it takes for these to sell…
Funky Foto Contest Winner Week 107
June 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Great Park knowledge folks! I wonder how many of you have actually hit a ball at this field? Congratulations to Sheetal Shetty who wins the $30.00 gift card to Cold Stone Creamery! In addition to Sheetal, the correct answer was given by Kirstin, Pak, Jim S, Anita Reiman, Shrikant, Jason, Dana Ferri and Debbie Seligman. Congratulations folks…and good job! See you all again this Friday!
One Smart Penguin
June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This little Penguin, being chased by Orcas, has a bright idea!
Funky Foto Contest Week 107
June 4, 2010 By 20 Comments
Well I, for one, sure am going to avoid parking here! The question is, can any of these folks actually hit one that far? (I suspect yes!). Anyway, this weeks contest begs the question…where is this unsafe place? If you’re the first to answer this question you’ll receive a $30.00 gift card to Cold Stone Creamery in the Metro Center. All the rules of the road are available to view on the left hand margin as well as on the bar above. The winner along with all other correct answers will not be published until Monday morning. Any and all silly jokes, snappy quips and all wrong answers will be published immediately if not sooner. Have a great weekend!!
Open House Ads
June 3, 2010 By 2 Comments
Here’s an oldie but a goodie…this post is 2 years old but I think it’s still relevant…
OK, this may sound like a bit of a rant. (some of you are saying…”what else is new?”) Open House ads in the newspaper make me crazy. Last Friday morning I called the San Francisco Chronicle and placed an ad in the Sunday open home guide for a new listing of mine. During this process I create the ad itself, stipulate it’s length and pay for it at the time with either a credit or debit card. After we had worked through all of the details they gave me a confirmation number for the ad. Just for your info, a three line open house ad in the Sunday real estate section cost’s $118.00..slightly more if you want bold type. Sunday morning I went and got the paper from the driveway, pulled out the open house guide in the Real Estate section and guess what…no ad.
Of course, I called the Chronicle Monday morning to find out what happened and had to leave a message because nobody could help me…I’m still waiting for them to return my call. I know from several past experiences just like this that it’ll come down to one of two problems…1) They (or I) transposed a number from my ATM check card and thus it didn’t go through (they never call you back when that happens, and who knows why they just don’t run your card while you’re on the phone with them)..and/or 2) the ad ran in the wrong community or county, oops! I’ve finally come to this conclusion…who cares?
Here’s one of the great secrets of the real estate business folks…Sunday Open House ads are worthless and Realtors buy them knowing that full well. They do it to appease their sellers, who want to be assured that they’re getting their monies worth out of the commissions that they’re paying. Many sellers think an Open House Ad is critical and we resisit illuminating them. We don’t want them to think we’re cutting corners on their marketing so we pay it, sort of like hush money. With each successive year of Internet technology, print ads have gotten more and more irrelevant. In spite of missing the Chronicle’s ad on Sunday I had at least 100 people at my open house. They came from the directional signs, Craigslist and MLSlistings open house guide. For the last 3 or 4 years I’ve asked people at my open houses how they found the place…90-95% say from one of these 3 options. It’s rare to hear anybody mention a print ad. Yet I see 10 and 12 line ads in the Chronicle every weekend complete with photos of the houses…I’ll bet they cost $500.00 or more. There’s no way they bring one single person more than a 2 line ad will…if they bring anybody at all. Obviously, this is a very technologically sophisticated area where potential buyers see new listings instantly via multiple on-line resources, print Open House ads are an anachronism.
Last year I had a seller who called me at 8:15 one Sunday morning when he noticed the Chronicle didn’t run our ad.(Sound familiar?) He was really panicked that nobody would come to the open house. We ended up with more people that week than we did the week before with the ad! Once upon a time Sunday open house ads actually may have introduced a potential buyer to a listing…can you imagine that being said now?
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