Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  “Just Thinking” Well, beat the drum and hold the phone the sun came out today we’re born again, there’s new grass on the field. The 2025 Giants took the field yesterday in Cincinnati to open the new season with an exciting come from behind 6-4 victory that featured some exciting 9 th  inning heroics. It’s the first time that Giants won on opening day when trailing through 8 innings since they beat the Mets back on April 10, 1968. Speaking of San Francisco, I watched Bullitt again, but having not seen it in such along time it felt like I watched it for the first time. Bullitt is remembered for its heart pounding car chase through the streets of San Francisco, but it was much more, it was a gritty action thriller that rewrote the rules of the genre with Steve McQueen at its fast-paced core.  The movie came out in 1968 with Steve “The Cooler King” McQueen at the height of his career. McQueen plays a hard as steel police lieutenant Frank Billett, who is charged with protect...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter NAR economists weigh in on home sales and mortgage rates—and how the election results, the economy and changing buyer demographics could impact your real estate business in the year ahead. The last two years have been tough for many people who work in home sales or who were in the market to buy or sell, but the worst may be over, Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS®, told a crowd of real estate professionals during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Boston on Friday. Yun released a rosier forecast for the housing market for 2025 and 2026, with an outlook for higher home sales and moderating mortgage rates. Also speaking at Friday’s Residential Economic Issues and Trends Forum, NAR’s Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz shared new NAR data that looked at who’s buying homes today. The data shows growth in all-cash buyers, multigenerational purchases and single buyers. On the selling side, homeowners are feeling ric...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter For nearly half of Americans, home is more than just a place to live—it’s a sanctuary, a workspace, and an investment in their future. According to new research from Fannie Mae, 44% of consumers say their home has grown more important in recent years, compared to just 10% who say it has become less important. And it’s not just about finances—security, location, and lifestyle upgrades are now major driving forces behind homeownership demand. This shift in consumer sentiment is reshaping the market, influencing buying decisions, and pushing inventory pressures even further. Here’s what the latest research reveals about why homes have taken on new importance—and what it means for real estate agents and homebuyers moving forward. Why Home Matters More Than Ever With housing affordability at historic lows, many homeowners recognize they couldn’t afford their current home in today’s market—making them value what they already have even more. The top reaso...

  “Just Thinking” It’s hard to believe, but this week marks the 5 th  anniversary "15 Days to Slow the Spread" initiative, The two weeks turned into two plus years, and it seems so surreal, five years ago our way of life was turned on its head and our lives were changed forever. The lockdowns, that started in March of 2020 varied widely by region and triggered some seismic shifts in daily life, work, and society. Here are some of the most notable changes, based on how they reshaped things at the time and lingered afterward: One of the biggest and most impactful changes was school closures, schools went to virtual teaching with little time to prep. Teachers turned into Zoom wranglers, while kids stared at screens instead of blackboards relying on parents to became co-educators. Studies show that the learning loss was brutal with reading and math scores dropping significantly. The two years of virtual school had a huge impact on the social development of the students. The mass ...

 "Just Thinking" March 14th (3/14) is celebrated as  Pi Day , honoring the mathematical constant π (3.14159...), often marked by math-related activities and, of course, eating pie! It was during this week in 1894 that Coca-Cola began selling its drink in square glass bottles, initially available only in Mississippi. Before this, Coke, like beer, it was only served on tap. There are many notable birthdays on this day in history; Albert Einstein (1879) – the most influential physicists of all time. Billy Crystal (1948) – Comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Michael Caine (1933) – famous British actor. Quincy Jones (1933) – Music producer, composer, and arranger. Stephen Curry (1988) –Golden State Warriors Superstar. Yesterday I performed my yearly pilgrimage to the tax man. The anxiety starts kicking in the week before as I gather all my forms and start working on receipts and organizing all of the necessary paperwork. Again, I promise myself that I will spend an hour or so each...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter The decision to sell a home is rarely just about dollars and cents — and in 2025, the fear factor is more real than ever. According to new data from Clever Real Estate, 91% of homeowners admit they’re delaying selling due to at least one major concern. From sky-high mortgage rates to the sheer headache of packing, sellers are putting off moves — even if they want (or need) to make a change. If you’re a listing agent trying to bring hesitant clients off the fence, priority number one is understanding exactly what is holding your sellers back.  Read on for the top 10 possible reasons.  #1. Mortgage Rate Paralysis This one’s no surprise. Over 60% of homeowners with mortgages have rates below 4%, thanks to the unicorn years of 2020 and 2021.  Compare that to today’s rates hovering closer to 6.75%, and the math just doesn’t math. Why swap a low monthly payment for a much higher one? For many sellers, the fear of trading a dream rate for a...

  "Just Thinking" By the end of the 1950s, the transition from radio to television was, for the most part, a fait accompli. Shows like  The Lone Ranger ,  The Shadow , and  Gunsmoke  seamlessly transferred their loyal fans to the new form of household entertainment. As television evolved, new shows emerged, and new stars became mainstream. Some transitioned from radio, others moved from the big screen, and many took advantage of the new medium to achieve mainstream success. Starting with this transition and for the next quarter century, three names—representing five actors—were constant figures on television or on the cover of  TV Guide : Conrad, Connors, and O’Connor. The first actor of note is Chuck Connors, known as the Rifleman, an athlete turned actor. Born in Brooklyn, he attended Seton Hall University on an athletic scholarship and served in the Army during World War II as a tank warfare instructor. After his service but before becoming an actor, Con...

  “Just Thinking” On this day in 1983, M*A*S*H aired its final episode after 11 seasons, featuring a special finale watched by 77% of the television audience. This was the largest audience share ever for a single TV show.  I think that M.A.S.H. would be a great article by itself, with 11 seasons of material to choose from, I could also include references to the classic movie starring Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland. We are, however, going in a different direction. I got to thinking, once again, about television shows that we watched growing up, on one of the 3 networks, on our one TV with the entire family. Hollywood Squares was one of the shows that was often watched on our family’s television. I remember Mom and Dad cracking up and us not getting most of the jokes. Peter Marshall was the long-time host and straight man who would pitch the set-up lines to the squares. The squares were famous actors, but I didn’t know many of them for anything other than Hollywood Squares; ...

    Check out This Weeks Newsletter In January, the average mortgage rate was 6.71% and the average home value was $355,328 In 2025, affordability may improve somewhat as rates inch down. But prices will likely continue to rise. Hopeful buyers should start preparing as early as possible by saving money and improving their credit. Thanks to climbing home prices and high mortgage rates, it's been a tough few years for the housing market, leaving many hopeful homebuyers eager to get off the sidelines and into a home. Housing market conditions may ease somewhat in 2025 now that the Federal Reserve has started cutting rates. But it's likely still going to be expensive to get a mortgage and purchase a home. If you're planning to buy or sell soon, here's what you need to know about housing market predictions in 2025, and how you can prepare. Overview of the housing market The average home value in the U.S. is $355,328, according to Zillow — up 2.7% year over year. In January, ...