If someone tells you what “the Bay Area housing market” is doing right now, my first question would be: Which part? Because August produced two numbers that almost seem like they belong to different markets. New listings in San Jose jumped 25.5% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, San Francisco home sales increased 9.5% year over year — the largest increase among the major metros Redfin tracked. Same Bay Area. Very different story. And for buyers, sellers and agents, that differe

For the past several years, insurance has become one of the biggest headaches in California real estate. Homeowners have faced rising premiums. Some carriers reduced their exposure. Some stopped accepting new customers. Buyers discovered that obtaining insurance could become an unexpected obstacle during escrow. Now there is finally a development worth watching. On September 18, 2026, the California Department of Insurance announced that State Farm and Allstate filed plans to

California Homeowners: Check Your Insurance Before the Rain Starts Most homeowners understand that they need homeowners insurance. What many people don't realize is what their homeowners policy may not cover. Flooding is one of the biggest examples. On September 22, 2026, the California Department of Insurance urged residents to review their insurance as the state prepares for potentially significant El Niño storms. The Department specifically warned that homeowners and rente

Is the Orange County housing market going up or down? The answer depends on which number you're looking at. September 2026 data from Realtor.com shows a fascinating split. Orange County's median listing price was $1,299,000, down 3.01% from one year earlier. But the median sold price was $1,225,000, up 5.15% year over year. At the same time, active listings were up 2.84% year over year, reaching 8,078 homes. Same county. Same month. Very different headlines. Asking Price and

Why So Many of California’s Richest Suburbs Are in the Bay Area California has wealthy communities from San Diego to Orange County to Los Angeles. But one region dominates a recent ranking of California's richest suburbs: The Bay Area. A San Francisco Chronicle analysis of Census income data and Zillow home values found that eight of California's 10 richest suburbs were in the Bay Area. Los Altos topped the ranking, followed by a group that included Alamo, Orinda, Saratoga, M

For several years, buying a home often meant competing with multiple offers, shortening contingency periods and asking the seller for as little as possible. That conversation is changing. According to Redfin, sellers provided concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales in August 2026, up from 42.6% one year earlier. Redfin defines a concession as something the seller provides that reduces the buyer’s total cost of purchasing the home, such as help with closing costs, repairs or a

If someone tells you what “the Bay Area housing market” is doing right now, my first question would be: Which part? Because August produced two numbers that almost seem like they belong to different markets. New listings in San Jose jumped 25.5% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, San Francisco home sales increased 9.5% year over year — the largest increase among the major metros Redfin tracked. Same Bay Area. Very different story. And for buyers, sellers and agents, that differe

Buying a home in California is an exciting journey, but it can also feel overwhelming. One of the biggest steps is finding the right mortgage loan. With so many options out there, how do you know which one fits your needs best? I’m here to help you navigate this process with clear, friendly advice. Together, we’ll explore what makes a mortgage loan great, how to find the best deals, and what to watch out for along the way. Understanding the Best Mortgage Loans California Offe

The bond market just crossed another major threshold. On Thursday, the 10-year Treasury yield reached 5.22% — its highest level since 2007. That's a remarkable move considering the 10-year has risen roughly 0.60% in just the last month. Mortgage-backed securities have sold off sharply alongside Treasuries, creating one of the most difficult stretches for mortgage pricing we've experienced this year. So what's happening? And perhaps more importantly for homebuyers and homeowne

There is a window in real estate that buyers routinely underestimate. It is not January. It is not the spring frenzy. And it is definitely not the weekend when every other buyer suddenly decides they are ready. For several markets — including San Francisco — late September has historically been one of the better periods for buyers to find negotiating opportunities. That does not mean every house is suddenly cheap. It means the balance between seller motivation and buyer compe

A condo can look perfect. Great location. Updated kitchen. Ocean view. Monthly payment works. You love the unit. But here's something I've learned after nearly 24 years in the mortgage business: When you buy a condo, you aren't only buying the condo. You're buying the HOA too. And that distinction can affect far more than your monthly HOA dues. It can affect your insurance costs. It can affect special assessments. It can affect your ability to finance the property. And eventu

There is a weird thing happening in housing right now. Nationally, buyers have more negotiating power than they have had in years. But if you are buying in California, where you are buying matters enormously. Redfin reported that sellers gave concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales in August, the highest August share in its data going back to 2020. Concessions can include help with closing costs, repairs or mortgage-rate buydowns. Now look at California. Riverside:

California buyers already have enough to think about. Price. Payment. Down payment. Closing costs. HOA dues. And now there is another line item becoming impossible to ignore: Homeowners insurance. This is no longer just a wildfire-zone issue either. Recent reporting shows insurance availability problems spreading into newer Inland Empire communities that historically would not have been considered the obvious “hard-to-insure” areas. That changes the homebuyi

Everyone keeps talking about a slow housing market. San Francisco apparently didn’t get the memo. August data from Compass shows 85% of San Francisco single-family home sales closed above asking price, while 54% of condos sold above asking. The median single-family price reached approximately $1.855 million, and the condo median was about $1.233 million. So yes, the broader Bay Area cooled seasonally. But “cooling” and “easy for buyers” are definitely not the same thing. I. S

California real estate has officially reached the point where the comparisons sound made up. For $1.5 million, you could shop for a home or condo in San Francisco. Or you could head about 90 minutes away and buy approximately 400 acres of California marshland on Van Sickle Island. Yes, seriously. The historic Concord Farms Duck Club, located in Solano County's Suisun Marsh, hit the market in September 2026 for $1.5 million. The property sits about 19 miles south of Su

Imagine this. You make $300,000 a year. Your credit score is 800. You have enough money to put 25% down. Your debt-to-income ratio is comfortably within mortgage guidelines. You've been pre-approved. You find a condo you love. And then your lender tells you: The loan may not work. Your first reaction would probably be: “How? You already approved me.” And that's exactly where condo financing becomes different from financing a typical single-family home.

How does the calculation work? Choose the accounts. Personal statements, business statements, or sometimes both. Choose the period. Twelve or 24 months, depending on the program. Remove what isn’t income. Transfers between your own accounts, loan proceeds, refunds and unusual one-time deposits generally come out. Apply an expense factor for business statements. Because deposits aren’t profit, the lender counts only a portion. A common approach is a percentage such as 50%, tho

In most cases, you can transfer your home into a revocable living trust without triggering your mortgage’s due-on-sale clause. Federal law generally protects those transfers when you remain a beneficiary and keep living in the home. The details matter, especially when you refinance or buy. Does moving my home into a trust trigger the due-on-sale clause? Usually not for a revocable trust where you’re a beneficiary and still occupy the home. Federal law carves out that kind of

A VA loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members and some surviving spouses. It often allows zero down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, and it can be assumable. Who qualifies? Eligibility depends on your service history and discharge status. You confirm it with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which we can usually pull for you. Active duty, veterans, Guard and Reser

For many buyers, yes, but not by doing what worked five years ago. Affordability in California now comes from structure: the right loan, assistance you may not know exists, and a payment plan built around today’s rates and insurance costs. What’s making it harder? Prices are only part of it. Higher mortgage rates raise the payment. Homeowners insurance has become a real cost in many areas. Property taxes and HOA dues add to the monthly number. When you add it all up, the paym