Chuck Barberini Real Estate

The Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time since 2023 during the September FOMC meeting. Here’s what the latest Fed hike means for mortgage rates, housing and buyers. The Fed just raised rates for the first time since 2023 At its September 16 meeting, the Federal Reserve unanimously voted to hike its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, bringing the target range to 3.75%–4%. For housing, the timing matters. Mortgage rates were already moving higher heading into the meeting, with the average 30-year fixed now above 7%. And while a Fed hike doesn’t automatically push mortgage rates higher, the message from Chair Kevin Warsh was that inflation is still the problem the Fed is focused on solving. Here’s what the decision means for housing, mortgage rates and what comes next. What the Fed Said About the Rate Hike The Fed’s policy statement ran three short paragraphs, and the third was devoted entirely to inflation: “Inflation remains elevated. Today’s policy action will support a time...

“Just Thinking" I found myself thinking about football this week. The NFL has wrapped up Week One, college football is in full swing, and high school football has once again turned on the Friday night lights. One thing that cannot be denied is that, even though practices begin in the heat of summer, football has always been the first true sign that fall is on its way. These days, Halloween decorations and candy start appearing in stores before August is over, and the Spirit Halloween stores have popped up in a shopping center near you. Like it or not, the slow march toward the end of the year has begun, and it began with kick off of the Patriots vs Seahawks game last Wednesday night. From there, it’s a straight run into the fourth quarter of 2026, bringing with it Halloween, the end of Daylight-Saving Time, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the welcoming in of the New Year. But before I launch into a full-blown rant about how quickly the year seems to be slipping away, I wanted to shar...

  Selling your house this fall is absolutely doable. But there’s something you need to know about this time of year.  Buyer activity typically starts to slow while the number of homes for sale climb – and you need the right strategy to get attention in this type of market. The good news? There’s a lot you can control. From how you price and present your house to how you negotiate and respond to feedback. Here are four things you’ll want to get right this fall.  #1: Price To Get Buyers’ Attention In the fall, there are typically fewer buyers looking and more homes for them to choose from. So, you want to make the most of every buyer who comes across your house. And your price is one of the first things that can make them stop and take a closer look – or keep scrolling.  That’s why this isn’t the time to start high “just to see what happens.” If buyers think your house is overpriced, they have plenty of other options to move on to. And that could leave you sitting and ...

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...

  As we get together with family and friends for barbecues, parades, and one last big summer weekend, Labor Day gives us a chance to think about something a little deeper... the hardworking people who help keep this country running every day. It's a day to recognize the American worker and appreciate the generations of men and women whose hard work helped build the country we enjoy today. Labor Day dates back to the late 1800s, when America's factories, railroads, and industries were booming. Workers often faced long hours, tough conditions, and low pay. As labor groups pushed for fair treatment and recognition, the first Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882, in New York City. Thousands of workers marched together to show the importance and strength of the labor movement. The idea quickly caught on. Oregon became the first state to officially recognize Labor Day in 1887, and other states soon followed. Then in 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation m...

  “Just Thinking" I was sitting around the other day thinking about how big the generational divide has become when it comes to movie lines that have worked their way into our everyday language. I was watching a Giants game the other night (I know – I know). A new Braves pitcher came in, and he threw a pitch that sailed on him, Dave Flemming immediately said, "Just a bit outside," and Hunter Pence followed it up with, "Too bad there wasn't a bull to hit." Without thinking I knew that they were riffing on Bull Durham, when Nuke LaLoosh uncorks a wild pitch and drills the giant bull mascot in the stands. Most people from my generation would also get the reference, we grew up quoting movies. But I'm willing to bet the kids of Gen X, Y or Z had absolutely no clue what Flemm and Pence were talking about. Unless, of course, they were lucky enough to have a cool-ass dad, you know the type, the dad that is a wealth of useless information, random movie trivia, l...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter New-home supply sits at 9.6 months in July, with builders pricing below the resale median. Here’s why and two plays for agents to run right now. New-home sales dropped 10.5% from June to July, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Builders have 488,000 homes on the market, and the median price on those homes fell to $393,800, a number below the median price of an existing home.  Builders are pricing new construction under the resale market, and buyers are noticing. More than a few are wondering, “Why not just focus on new homes?”  Incentives are called that for a reason. And if builders are offering more than existing-home sellers to reduce the cost of a home purchase, cash-strapped buyers are going to lean.  What gets lost in all the incentive talk is what they mean for buyers five years down the road. We’re breaking down the numbers to explain why builders can price this low, plus two agent plays to put into ...