Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  “Just Thinking" This week’s “Just Thinking” is based on a line from two of my favorites, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper who were heard saying “well, hell just froze over” after Justin Verlander won his first game of the year and his first win as a Giant. Having gone winless in his first 16 starts and boasting a 0-8 record, he was not as bad as his record would have you believe, up until his last two starts, runs were hard to come by. His start against the A’s before the All Star break and the Blue Jays coming out of the break had me questioning weather or not he could come back, even in his 17 start, against the Braves he had a rough first inning, throwing 40 pitches and loading the bases, he was able to get out of it and settle down to chalk up the win. Up until this point Verlander’s greatest Giants moments were giving up 2 of Pablo Sandoval’s 3 home runs in game 1 of the 2012 World Series. I don’t mean to diminish the accomplishments of Verlander, he has been a beast over the c...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter   If you were holding out hope for a major housing market rebound this year, you might want to recalibrate. According to the Realtor.com® 2025 Forecast Update, home sales are now projected to drop below 2024’s already low levels. And affordability remains one of the biggest roadblocks for buyers and sellers alike. Despite more inventory and signs of a more balanced market, buyer demand has not returned to pre-pandemic form. High mortgage rates, stubbornly elevated prices, and a spike in delistings are stalling the momentum many hoped to see by midyear. Read on for the big takeaways. #1: Inventory is Up, But Buyers Aren’t Jumping The housing market is shifting slowly toward balance. Nationwide, the months’ supply of homes for sale has hit 4.6 months, the highest level since 2016. Inventory has also jumped nearly 17% year-over-year, offering more options for buyers who have been on the sidelines. But more homes on the market haven’t translated i...

“Just Thinking" On this day in 1955 Disneyland opened its doors to the public. After a year of laborious construction and a $17 million investment Disneyland opened its gates for the first time. The day before on July 17 th  a special “International Press Preview” was held, which was only opened to invited guests. The Opening Day festivities included the dedication and a parade, which were covered by ABC with a 90 minute live special called “Dateline Disneyland”. The broadcast started at 7:30 pm and ran until 9:00pm and hosted by television personalities Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan and Bob Cummings. At the time, it was one of the largest live broadcasts ever with ninety million viewers watching. All was not well as the gate opened for the first time, workmen were still planting trees and, in some areas, still had wet paint. The asphalt on Main Street USA had been placed earlier that morning and was so soft that the spiked heels on woman’s shoes sank into the asphalt. Part of the...

Check Out This Weeks Newsletter First-Time Buyers Are Older, Fewer, and Struggling to Compete A generational shift in homeownership is underway. And for real estate professionals, the latest data offers both a warning and an opportunity. The national homeownership rate has fallen to 65.1%, the lowest it’s been in five years, according to a Realtor.com analysis of Census data.  But younger and historically marginalized buyers are taking the biggest hit. That finding echoes another data point from the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2024 Profile of Buyers and Sellers: just over 1.1 million Americans bought their first home in 2024, the lowest number since the NAR began tracking that figure in 1989. The average age of a first-time buyer also rose to a record high of 38. So what’s driving these shifts? And how can agents stay relevant to the buyers still in the game? Younger Buyers Are Being Pushed Out Realtor.com’s senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones confirmed what many a...

  “Just Thinking" Free Slurpee Day 2025: Grab A Free Slurpee On July 11 At 7-11. Celebrate National Slurpee Day on July 11 at 7-eleven. Get a free small Slurpee today. On this day in 1961 Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game was played in Candlestick Park. Candlestick was the new home of the recently relocated SF Giants and was a showcase for West Coast Baseball. Back when the players played to win in the All-Star game, the National League scored two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning to win 5–4. Stu Miller was the winning pitcher and Hoyt Wilhelm was the losing pitcher. Future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn of the Braves was the starting pitcher for the National League, playing in his 13 th  All Star game, his opposing pitcher was future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford of the Yankees playing in his 8 th  All Star game. The Giants had 2 Hall of Famers in the National Leagues Starting lineup, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. Over its life and besides all of its criticism, Candle...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter If your sellers are convinced their home will sell in 24 hours with multiple offers over asking, you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong to be concerned. A new report from Clever Offers shows a striking mismatch between what homeowners  think  will happen when they list and what sellers who’ve actually been through the process experienced over the past year. The survey polled 500 Americans who sold between early 2024 and early 2025 and another 500 who plan to sell by mid-2026. The results reveal a serious gap between market perception and market reality, one that could sabotage seller expectations if agents aren’t having the right conversations early. Sellers Expect Over-Asking Offers, Quick Sales, and Minimal Compromises Confidence is high. Reality? Not so much. Here’s where future sellers are most out of step with those who’ve already sold: 72% of future sellers expect offers above asking. Only 42% of recent sellers got them. 77% believe...

“Just Thinking” When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such ...

Check Out This Weeks Newsletter When you’re gathering with clients or neighbors this July 4th, if anyone asks, “ Which state is the most patriotic? ” you won’t have to guess. Thanks to WalletHub’s latest data drop, you’ll have a definitive answer, and a few surprising facts to go with it. WalletHub ranked all 50 states across 13 different metrics to find where Americans show the most pride and civic commitment. The full study compares states on things like military service, voter turnout, and volunteerism.  Let’s take a look at some of the standouts. Top 3 Most Patriotic States in 2025 Virginia tops the list this year, and not just because it’s home to the Pentagon. For every 100,000 civilians, Virginia has over 1,850 active-duty military personnel, ranking third in the country. More than 103 veterans per 1,000 civilians call the state home, and nearly 73% of adults voted in the 2024 presidential election, well above the national average of 66%.  Add in a top-five ranking for ...