Spring is Here

I know the headlines are all doom and gloom about the real estate market dying, but remember; markets are local. Depending on where you are buying or selling, your experience may or may not match the media stories. Certain neighborhoods or even certain streets in certain neighborhoods, may be doing better than you thought after hearing the five o'clock news.

A couple weeks ago I represented a buyer making an offer for a property in a pleasant neighborhood near Piedmont Ave. in Oakland. Nice house, not huge; not cheap either. There were nine offers.

Last week I represented buyers for a property in El Cerrito. West Contra Costa County has been in the headlines recently, with those doom and gloom stories representing the sad case of some Richmond neighborhoods' declining values. Well, for that house in El Cerrito, you'd never know there was a down market nearby. This property received five offers. Reading county statistics would not have given a clear picture of the buyer response to that house.

The lesson here? It's crucial to your success in the market that you be as informed as possible from as many sources as possible. Read and listen to the news for the big picture, but listen to your agent too.