A little bit of a drizzle didn’t stop the Narodny Team from seeing the fresh listings today. The market is dangerously thirsty for new inventory. Finally, we are seeing signs of supply increasing after the holiday drought. With 6 new listings in San Rafael becoming available in the past week, we sincerely hope this trend continues to create a more level playing field for today’s buyers.

Of the new San Rafael inventory I toured today, here is how I rank them from a value perspective (bang for your buck, mass appeal, resale potential, etc). See embedded links for pictures:

1. 121 Kinross Dr - Okay, okay, yes it’s the most expensive on this list. However, this house embodies some of the qualities that are so rare in today’s Marin inventory - big…

Although you should probably keep your distance from anyone that says they can predict the market perfectly, there are certain financial indicators that can help forecast buyer and seller behavior and its effect on home prices. The new tax law has everyone on edge. No one knows what this law will do to buyer demand or inventory levels. However, Keeping Current Matters and CoreLogic have done an amazing job compiling data into two infographics that will help your everyday consumer understand its effects. 

Predictions on 2018 prices without new tax law enacted:

Adjusted predictions with new tax laws enforced:

 With or without a new tax code, appreciation is in site. With continued low rates, it is still an extremely good time to buy or…

Multiple offer scenarios are extremely stressful. The process is saturated with uncertainty and frustration. If you are planning to submit an offer with a pool of others, identifying the right price to get the house is very difficult. You don’t want to overpay, and you definitely don’t want to lose out by a hair.

The thinking process is different if you aren't emotionally attached to the house in question. For this exercise, let's assume you really want this one. This is your baby and you’ll stretch as far as your financial comfort zone allows.

Picture a price in your head that you can see yourself offering. To manage your expectations properly, here are two future hypothetical scenarios you want to avoid as it relates to your offer price:

• …

Most sellers have strong opinions on allocating money towards staging costs.Is placing some furniture in the home really going to make a difference in the sale? Are those miniature soaps and potpourri going to bring in offers? Keeping Current Matters has developed a helpful infographic to tell us how important staging can be:

You can find more info on National Association of Realtor's profile on home staging.

On a personal note, staging is usually effective in luxury markets. Staging will fulfill a void in a buyer's imagination and recognize a space's potential. Giving buyers the ability to visualize themselves in a beautifully furnished space will translate to a higher value for the home. For a free consultation and see if your home would…

The Narodny Team is VERY excited to be #1 Team for Transactions in 2017. Thanks for all the love and support from everyone, especially my amazing clients.

Demand has outweighed supply for the past 4 + years. In a market with many competitive offer situations, the list price can become an arbitrary number. In the Bay Area especially, it’s common for homes to go far beyond the value of neighborhood comps.

Why do we care?

If the winning buyer is obtaining a loan, this means they also likely need to get an appraisal to verify the value matches up with the purchase price. In an appreciating market, sometimes these appraisals come up short. When appraisals come in below the purchase price, the buyer has the option to exit the transaction or re-negotiate. Although this does not always apply if the buyer is paying cash or has a “no contingencies” offer, it’s worth paying attention to.

How do sellers…

Ahhh yes, the tempting For Sale By Owner. Many sellers, especially in today’s market, believe they can do our job for free. “I’ll just take some pics with my phone, plop it on Zillow, how hard can it be? Psh, piece of cake.”

Courtesy of Narodny Team and Keeping Current Matters, listed below are only a few of the many reasons why FSBO’s now represent only 8% of the country’s homes on the market (a portion of which actually sell):

• Most homeowners think they have the nicest house on the block, and usually list a price to reflect that sentiment, driving buyers away.

• Not understanding how to market a home will drastically influence the end price received.

• It helps to have an advocate who knows what finishes and home designs the…