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Are Home Prices Going To Fall?

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It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “ What if I buy, and home prices go down?” With everything in the news, that concern makes some sense. No one wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time. But here’s what’s important to know. You don’t want to get hung up on the few places seeing slight declines right now. When you zoom out and look at the full picture, home prices usually rise over time. What the Data Really Shows Take a look at the visual below. It uses data from Case-Shiller and Bilello to show how home prices have changed year by year going all the way back to the 1950s. Here’s the key takeaway. Outside of the housing crash, home prices have either held steady or increased in just about every year for decades ( see visual below ) : That’s a remarkably consistent track record. And it shows something a lot of headlines miss. While short-term shifts can happen, it’s the long-term gains that really matter. Why Prices Tend To Rise Over Time Th...
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Old Blue Eyes

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  “Just Thinking" On May 14, 1998, Frank Sinatra died at Cedars‑Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 82. When I was young, he was the man, a chart‑topping singer, an Academy Award winning actor, the unmistakable leader of the Rat Pack, Nancy Sinatra’s father, and forever known as the Chairman of the Board. During the 1950s, Sinatra hosted his own television variety program, The Frank Sinatra Show, a bit before my time. But I do remember his presence on television in the 1960s, with appearances on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and The Dean Martin Show. In the 1960s and 1970s, he also became known for a series of one-off television specials, star‑studded events that showcased his influence and connections. These specials featured appearances by legends such as Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Ella Fitzgerald. One of the things I remember hearing about is the Rat Pack. They weren’t just a group; the...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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What Today’s Youngest Homebuyers Want From Agents

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  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter National Association of REALTORS ® 2026 Generational Trends Report shows Gen Z is just 4% of buyers but is already reshaping how homes are bought. Just 4% of today’s homebuyers are Gen Z. That number looks small until you take a closer look at who’s behind it: buyers in their early 20s, stepping into the market with lower incomes and more debt than the generations that came before them.  The National Association of REALTORS ®  2026 Generational Trends report digs into who these buyers are. They’re more likely to be single, for one. They’re also more likely to need financial support to close. And they’re heavily reliant on real estate agents for guidance, despite the steady increase in AI tools for home shoppers.  They’re entering the market earlier than expected, and they’re doing it on their own terms. And if you start with a clear understanding of what they need from you, you’re ahead of the game.  Here’s what you n...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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What the Foreclosure Headlines Aren’t Telling You

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You've probably seen the headlines saying, " foreclosures are on the rise ,” and maybe your mind jumped straight to 2008. That’s understandable. A lot of people remember that crash and all the foreclosures that happened during that window, and they’re hoping something like that never happens again.  But this isn’t a repeat of what happened back then. Here’s the context to prove it. Foreclosures Are Rising, But They’re Still Historically Low Yes, foreclosure filings are up 26% from a year ago, according to ATTOM . And they’ve been rising for 5 straight quarters. That's a real trend worth paying attention to. But the full picture isn’t scary like the headlines suggest. The reality is the increase we’re seeing is a sign of the market normalizing. Here's an important thing to know about this chart. The extremely low numbers you see in 2020 and 2021 don't represent what's " normal ." That's when the government put a moratorium on foreclosures to help...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Running On Empty

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  “Just Thinking" Sometimes when I sit down to think, there’s just… nothing. I’ll find myself staring off into space, like I’m looking into a big black hole, trying to grab onto a thought that just isn’t there. On those days, when I’m digging for a topic for my “just thinking,” I come up empty. So, I start running through the basics, things I’ve done, places I’ve been, people I know. If that doesn’t spark anything, I dig a little deeper, flipping through the mental file cabinet of movies, TV shows, actors, songs, and bands. By that point I’m really reaching and still nothing. That’s when the panic starts to creep in… what now? Then I circle back to something that’s worked for me before, history. Did you know that on May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially dedicated? The whole idea behind it actually came out of a rivalry between Walter Chrysler of Chrysler Corporation and John Jakob Raskob of General Motors, basically a race to see who could build the tallest skyscra...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Data Shows that 55% Of Sellers and 42% of Buyers are Boomers

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Check Out This Weeks Newsletter NAR’s 2026 report shows Boomers are 55% of sellers and 42% of buyers, a reminder of how much this group is shaping real estate opportunity. More than half of all home sellers right now are Baby Boomers.  Boomers are also a major force on the buying side at 42%. The industry has spent years chasing younger households, but the group controlling the majority of for-sale housing has been hiding in plain sight.  The National Association of REALTORS ®  2026 Generational Trends report has the numbers to back that up. Boomers represent the largest share of sellers by a wide margin, and their decisions influence where inventory moves and how long it stays. Listings create momentum in any market, and the data show Boomers control the listings. Agents who build around this segment get direct access to inventory at a time when the market is still undersupplied. Let’s unpack the data, starting with how dominant Boomers are on both sides of the tran...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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The Secret To Selling Fast, No Matter the Market

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  When you put your house on the market, you don’t just want it to sell. You want it to sell fast . But the thing is, nationally, it’s taking a little longer to sell lately. And that slowdown can feel frustrating if you want a fast process. Here’s what you need to realize. In every market right now, there’s one clear exception: Well-priced, well-presented homes are still selling, and it’s often faster than you’d expect. If you can tap into that, you can still set yourself up to move quickly, too. Here’s how to get it done. How Long It Takes To Sell Today According to Realtor.com , homes are selling in about 52 days right now. That’s how long the process takes from the day it hits the market until closing day . And while that may sound slow to you, it’s not slow . It’s normal . That’s because it’s pretty much right in line with what it was during the last normal years in the market (see 2018-2019 in the graph below): It just feels slow when you’re eager to move – or when you think ...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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