Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  “Just Thinking" On August 11, 1934, a group of federal prisoners classified as the nation’s “most dangerous” arrived at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop located 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay. Growing up in San Francisco, Alcatraz was always there, sitting in the middle of the bay between the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Although the prison closed in 1963, when I was still a kid, the island remained a constant presence on the horizon. For me, Alcatraz was more than a landmark. It was woven into the backdrop of everyday life, surrounded by stories, legends, and mysteries that fueled my imagination growing up. Among the inmates who served time at the maximum-security prison were the notorious gangster Al “Scarface” Capone and Robert Stroud, better known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Though more than a dozen escape attempts were made over the years, no inmate is known to have successfully escaped The Rock, as the prison was famously nicknamed. That reputation, comb...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Ivy Zelman says there is no U.S. housing shortage and the market has settled into balance. Byron Lazine unpacks her CNBC interview on the Hot Sheet. Ivy Zelman, CEO of Zelman & Associates, joined CNBC recently for a discussion on the U.S. housing market. The biggest takeaway from their latest analysis:  “Our view is that the market is balanced and that there is not a shortage.” Zelman’s case rests on a handful of data points: spec inventory levels, new home sales trends, a fresh demographic report on population and household growth, and price corrections already showing up in specific markets.   Is There a Housing Inventory Shortage?  For the better part of the last several years, the housing industry’s explanation for tight supply and firm prices came down to one idea: there aren’t enough homes. That shortage narrative shaped how builders planned communities and how the market thought about risk. Zelman describes a differe...

 Ask around and almost every homebuyer out there wants to know if there’s a way to get a better deal. And just about every seller wants to know if they'll still get top dollar. The interesting thing is... both can be right at the exact same time . It just depends on where you live. That's because today's housing market isn't moving in one direction anymore. Some markets clearly favor buyers. Others still favor sellers. But most are sitting somewhere in the middle. And knowing which market you're actually in can completely change the strategy you use to buy or sell (and what expectations you should have). Let’s break it down. One Number Tells You Who's Got Leverage So how do you know which market you're in? There's one number that tells the story faster than anything else: the months' supply of homes for sale. It's the clearest signal of who's got leverage – and what strategy you'll need. Think of it like this. Imagine no additional homes...

 If you're waiting for mortgage rates to fall a lot before you buy, you may be waiting a while. But before you get discouraged, there's a number working behind the scenes that's actually good for you right now. It's called the spread, and once you understand it, you may see today’s rates in a whole new light. The Pattern That’s Held for 50+ Years For starters, mortgage rates don't move on their own. They tend to follow the 10-year treasury yield, a number tied to how investors feel about the economy. It’s not an exact science, since plenty of other factors can move it day to day, but broadly speaking, when the economy looks strong, that yield tends to climb over time. When the outlook gets shaky, it tends to ease. For over 50 years, the 10-year treasury yield and mortgage rates have moved almost in lockstep ( see graph below ): The gap between them is called the “spread.” On average, that gap runs about 1.76 percentage points. And that spread impacts your mortgage r...

  If you’re planning to buy your next home soon, you’ve probably heard the old rule about saving 20% for your down payment. The truth is, you usually don’t have to. Plenty of loan options let qualified buyers put down much less. But a lot of repeat buyers are choosing to put down 20% anyway. So, why are they if they don’t have to? Two reasons. They know a bigger down payment pays off, and after years in their current house, they’ve built up enough equity that it’s finally possible. Repeat Buyers Put More Money Down According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical repeat buyer puts down 23% when they buy a home (see graph below): That’s more than double the 10% they may have put down as a first-time buyer. So, how do they manage it? Their equity . When you’ve owned a house for a while, two things tend to happen. One, you pay down your mortgage, and two, your home’s value climbs. The difference between what you still owe on your mortgage and what your house is w...

  “Just Thinking" I know, I know, here he goes again, talking Giants baseball. How could I not, the Giants are in the news… “Fire Sale”. With the trade deadline fast approaching, Buster posted a sign, everything must go, make us an offer. I remember back when we read newspapers, going straight to the Green Section, first thing I did was check the standings in both leagues, then checked the home run leaders, next the batting average leaders. No Green Pages to check, but I did check the standings today, although, not in last place, the Giants currently sit at 48-67, 21 games out of first place.  With 47 games remaining to play, the low water mark from 1985 when they, we, suffered through a 100-loss season may be well within reach. The two of the trades that were pretty much inevitable, but hurt the most, were Luis Arraez, Heliot Ramos. Luis Arraez was batting 324 when he left the Giants, he was truly one of the bright spots this season, super fun to watch both offensively and de...