Chuck Barberini Real Estate

Want to buy a house this year, but not sure if the timing’s right? Seasonally, it may actually be a better time to buy than you expect. Yes, mortgage rates have been ticking up lately – and that’s creating some real challenges with affordability. No one’s arguing that. But there are also predictable trends that happen this time every year that can put some wind back in your sails. According to research coming out of Realtor.com , nationally, the week of September 27 – October 3 will be the best time to buy this year for this very reason: “ The week of September 27–October 3 brings together the market conditions buyers value most —elevated inventory, less competition and prices that have eased from their seasonal high— giving prepared buyers a way to offset high rates with savings on price and room to negotiate with confidence ." But that’s the national best week. Depending on where you live, your local sweet spot may come a little earlier or later ( see map below ): It all depend...

“Just Thinking" I was at the dentist yesterday, and it was a bit of a milestone. He is my new dentist, the first new one I've had in probably 15 years. Come to think of it, I believe he's only the fourth dentist I've ever had. When we were kids, we went to Dr. Johnson. He was a mean old bastard who used to yell at my sisters when they cried. After that, I moved on to Dr. Krammer in San Bruno. He had a great office, and I stayed with him for years, even after I moved to the East Bay. Eventually, I bounced around a bit before landing with Dr. Steve, a great guy whose office was in a beautiful old Victorian in Pacheco. Unfortunately, the building burned down earlier this year, forcing him to close the practice. That led me to my newest dentist. Uncle Abe referred me to Dr. Connor, who seems like someone I'll be able to stick with for quite a while. As it turns out, he's a young guy that graduated from Alhambra High School a year ahead of Chris and Kylee. While sit...

Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Homes are selling at a steady pace, but buyers have more time and choices Home sales remained steady in July across the East Bay, but buyers have more time to make decisions, more homes to choose from and, in some parts of the market, more room to negotiate than they did during the pandemic housing boom. House hunters in the East Bay are finding a much different market than they would have encountered a few years ago. Homes are taking longer to sell, bidding wars are less common, and buyers generally have more breathing room before making an offer. In July, the typical home sold in 42 days, compared with 37 days during the market frenzy of July 2021. Sellers also received about 101.5% of their asking price on average, down from nearly 110% during the summer of 2021. That does not mean demand has disappeared. A total of 1,811 homes sold in July, almost identical to the 1,831 sold a year earlier. But today's buyers are competing in a market that looks ...

Data centers probably weren't on your list of things to think about when buying or selling a home. School districts? Sure. How close you are to family? Absolutely. A large building full of computer servers down the road? Probably not. But that may be changing. Data centers are popping up in more communities across the country. And as they do, buyers and homeowners are starting to wonder what having one nearby could mean for everything from home values to utility bills. So, let's get into what the data actually says. Because there's a lot more nuance here than if they’re “good” or “bad.” Data Centers Are Showing Up in a Lot More ZIP Codes According to Realtor.com, back in 2015, only about a dozen ZIP codes had a large data center. But by the first half of 2026, that number had climbed to more than 100 – and it's projected to rise even further by the end of the year ( see graph below ): That's a pretty dramatic increase in just over a decade. HousingWire shows a lot ...

Ask a couple people how the housing market is doing and you’ll probably get a couple different answers. That’s because right now, the market runs on 2 very different tracks, split by price point. Knowing which track your house is on changes everything about your sale, from your asking price to how long you can expect to wait before an offer comes in. Here’s what you need to know. Home Sales Are Picking Up Speed at the Top of the Market Rates and buyer competition are shaping this market differently depending on price point. Look at recent sales data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the pattern jumps right out.  Homes priced under $250,000 saw sales drop 2-3% compared to last year, while homes priced above $750,000 saw sales climb by double digits ( see graph below ): What’s behind the divide? Due to higher rates and the last few years of home price appreciation, fewer buyers can comfortably afford homes at the entry-level price point right now – especially first...

 For most first-time buyers, the hardest part of buying a home is making the numbers work. You budget, you save, and the finish line still feels far away.  But your salary is only half the equation. Where you live shapes what you can afford just as much. And if you can work remotely, you have an advantage a lot of buyers don't.  You're not tied to living where the jobs are, so you can look where your money goes further. Where You Work Doesn’t Have To Dictate Where You Live Remote job openings are on the rise. According to FlexJobs , remote job postings climbed 22% from the quarter before. That’s the second quarter in a row of double-digit growth.  More remote roles mean more people can choose a home base around the life they want to build. As Forbes puts it:  “Remote employees, freelancers, consultants, entrepreneurs, and business owners have the flexibility to choose a home base based on the life they want to build, whether that means more space, a lower cost...