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Most Home Sales Close – Here’s How To Keep Yours on Track

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 Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that waiting, all that progress, out the window. But if you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, it rarely comes to that. Buyers who are moving at today’s rates and prices are generally moving because of some big life change. That means they’re motivated, and eager to get all the way to the closing table. According to the latest data from Redfin , only about 1 in 7 pending sales are falling through . Meaning the vast majority make it all the way to closing. And the single biggest thing that puts a deal at risk is the one you have the most power to prevent. It just takes a little smart planning before your house hits the market. Why Some Deals Fall Apart Before Closing A Redfin survey sheds light on the most common things that trip up a sale (see visual below): Here’s a bit more information on each one. Inspection or re...
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Two Historical Anniversaries This Week

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  “Just Thinking" There were two historical anniversaries this week that are note worthy that I will talk about this week. Every year on August 15, we commemorate one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history: the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. The project was started by France in 1880, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal, started the venture to cut passage through the Isthmus of Panama. However, difficult terrain, tropical diseases, engineering challenges, and financial problems led to the project's collapse. Thousands of workers lost their lives, and the French eventually abandoned the endeavor before its completion. In 1904 the United States paid $40 million purchasing the French company's remaining assets and securing the rights needed to build the canal. President Theodore Roosevelt became the driving force behind the effort, he strongly supported the canal's construction, recognizing its strategic and economic importance. Roo...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Nearly 80% of Major Metros Are Now Buyer’s Markets

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  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Nearly 80% of Major Metros Are Now Buyer’s Markets Redfin data shows homebuyer demand at a record low in July, giving buyers leverage in nearly 80% of major U.S. housing markets. The number of buyers looking for a home fell to about 966,752 in July, the lowest count on record.  Redfin counted about 1,462,921 sellers in the market during the same month, nearly half a million more than the buyers competing for those homes. When sellers outnumber buyers by this much, the buyers left in the market get more room to negotiate on price, contingencies, timeline, etc. There’s more leeway for sweetening the pot. This changes how to set both buyer and seller expectations going into fall. Are you ready for it? Buyer Demand Hit Its Lowest Point on Record Buyers dropped to about 966,752 in July, down 2.5% from June. Sellers fell too, down 0.3% to 1,462,921, the lowest seller count in a year. The difference between those two numbers comes to nearly half a mi...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move

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 When's the last time someone told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool guessed. Not what your neighbor's house sold for. What yours is actually worth right now. For a lot of homeowners, it's been years. And if you've been thinking about moving, but higher home prices or mortgage rates have made you hesitate, here’s why it’s time to take a second look at that number. Your House May Be Worth More Than You Think Home values have climbed significantly over the past 5-10 years. And even though today's market is more balanced, homeowners are building wealth every day just by owning their homes. That’s how equity works. As home values rise, and as you make your monthly payments, your equity grows. And it adds up fast. According to Cotality, the typical homeowner with a mortgage now has $310,500 in equity. That's not a small number. It’s six figures. And that’s only the national average. In many states, homeowners have built even more equit...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Higher Rates Could Actually Help Housing Supply – Here’s How

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 You may have heard the number of homes for sale isn’t growing like it was. And maybe that has you worried you won’t find a home you love when it’s time to make your move. But that may be about to change. Here’s why your pool of options may actually start ticking back up again. Growth Has Slowed, But It Hasn’t Stopped Active listings were up 2.1% year-over-year in July, according to Realtor.com . Back in January, inventory was up 10%. And in May of 2025, it was up 31.5%. So, growth has cooled off a lot over the last year. The past 3 months, though, have all seen inventory growth land in roughly the same range, which is a sign this slowdown may be nearing its floor ( see graph below ): So, what does that mean for you? Homes are still coming onto the market. Every single one of these bars shows a period where inventory grew. So, don’t be discouraged or let this make you think you’re out of options. Plus, we’ve seen more stability in the numbers lately, which is a good sign. The Most...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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The Kind of House Buyers Are Willing To Pay More For

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 That spare room on the main floor. The finished basement with a kitchenette and its own entrance. The bonus room you've been using for storage. To you, it's extra space. But to a growing pool of buyers, it's the reason they'd pick your house. Here’s why. Multi-generational homebuying is on the rise. Millions of Families Are Living Multi-Generationally The number of multi-generational households is climbing. That’s when 3 or more generations live under one roof. And data shows those households grew from 3.2 million to almost 4 million between 2014 and 2024, according to Realtor.com. And each year, more people are shopping for a larger home that fits their combined needs. While the appetite for this type of house is rising across the board, data from USAFacts shows multi-generational living is more common in some states than others. The darker the state in the map below, the more common it is in that area (see map below) Where does your state fall? Depending on where yo...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Alcatraz Was Always There

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  “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...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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