Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter   Housing costs rank as the top political issue for voters ages 18 to 34 heading into the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC's Q2 2026 survey. Housing costs just beat out food prices and protecting democracy on one of the closest-watched political surveys of the year.  CNBC’s Q2 2026 All-America Economic Survey polled 1,000 registered voters between July 8 and 12, and found that among voters ages 18 to 34, housing costs ranked as the single most important issue facing the country. And while both parties contributed to the passing of the ROAD to Housing Act, which became law earlier this month, the survey shows voters are more likely to trust Democrats to make housing more affordable.  Here’s a closer look at what the survey found, and what it means heading into the 2026 midterms. Why Housing Is Topping the List for Young Voters Housing ranked as the top issue overall for voters 18 to 34. It also ranked first for men ages 18 to 49, and ...

  “Just Thinking" I was watching the Giants play the Mariners the other night, yeah, I know, I'm a glutton for punishment. When the Mariners' first baseman came up to bat, I had to do a double take. His look was so unique that I immediately grabbed my phone to find out who he was. It turned out to be Josh Naylor, once I looked him up, I remembered seeing him during last year's playoffs, but on this night, it was his appearance that really caught my attention. Naylor is a big, heavy-set guy with a scruffy beard, and he looked like he had assembled his uniform randomly from different eras of baseball fashion. He was wearing a multi-colored headband under his helmet, a baggy jersey, and his baggy pants were pulled up above his knees. He wore solid-colored socks, probably compression tights extending all the way up, like Heliot Ramos. To top it off, he had on black cleats with thick white soles that extended up the sides, that looked like a pair of slip-on Skechers. The wh...

  Remember how exciting it was to buy your first place? It felt like crossing a long-awaited finish line. It gave you a place to build your life. Maybe it’s where you lived when you got married. Or where you welcomed a child or a pet into the family. But that was just the beginning. For most people, your first house was never meant to be your forever home. It’s a stepping stone for what comes next. And if your life looks different today than it did when you got the keys, you’re not stuck. Moving may be more realistic than you think. Starter Home Inventory Is Still Relatively Low If you've been wondering whether now is the right time to move up, here's something worth knowing. Starter homes remain one of the hardest types of homes to find. And that's good news if you're thinking about selling your first place. Historically, we haven’t been building enough homes for first-time buyers. And even though homebuilders have shifted more attention toward smaller, entry-level hom...

Today's home prices have a lot of buyers – especially first-time buyers – wondering if there’s even anything out there that’s in their budget. But owning a home may be more within reach than you think. Sometimes, it just means considering a different type of home. Condos and townhomes can be a great way to buy without stretching every last dollar. And right now, two things make them worth a serious look. There Are More Condos and Townhomes To Choose From Maybe you feel like there’s just nothing out there for you, and you’ve exhausted all your options. But have you considered condos or townhomes? A lot of buyers start by looking for a single-family, detached home without even realizing what that search omits from their pool of choices. According to HousingWire Data , there were 233,030 condos and townhomes for sale this June. That's more than any June in at least the past decade, and more than double the number available back in 2022 ( see graph below ): That means there are mo...

If you’ve thought about buying a home in the past few years, you may have run into two frustrations: asking prices that kept climbing and too few homes to choose from. In many places, both sticking points are letting up this summer, with lower asking prices and more homes for sale. Let’s look at the trends, and what they mean for your search. Sellers Are Pricing To Attract Buyers According to Realtor.com , the national median asking price was $430,000 in June, nearly $11,000 under what it was the year before (see graph below) That’s the eighth month in a row that the typical asking price has dipped below where they were the previous year, according to the same Realtor.com report. And while falling prices can sound worrying, this isn’t a sign of an impending crash. We’re talking about asking prices, not sold prices. This is a sign that today’s sellers are meeting the market where it is and pricing to draw buyers. And that’s actually something normal we’d expect from the market. As Dani...

  “Just Thinking" I was thinking the other day about some of the television shows many of us grew up watching in the 1960s. In some ways, they might help explain why our generation occasionally seemed a bit confused. These were prime-time, family-friendly programs that were entertaining, yet blurred the line between reality and fantasy. We were invited into worlds where monsters lived next door, horses carried on conversations, witches married advertising executives, and genies could grant wishes with a blink of an eye. We knew that none of these things existed in our day-to-day lives, but these shows captured our imaginations and left us wondering, what if? The shows that I'm referring to are; The Munsters, The Addams Family, Mr. Ed, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie. The Munsters was about a family of friendly monsters living in an ordinary American suburb, the family believed that they were completely normal, while everyone around them was shocked by their appearance and be...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter   Median Home Price Reached an All Time High in June NAR reports the median home price hit $440,600 in June, a new all-time high, as sales cooled and affordability improved. The median existing home price hit $440,600 in June, marking a new all-time high and the 36th straight month of year-over-year price increases.  Meanwhile, NAR’s Existing Home Sales report shows sales activity moved in the opposite direction. Existing home sales fell 2.4% month over month even as the year-over-year comparison remained positive.  Relative to a year ago, affordability has improved for many buyers, mainly because wage growth has outpaced the growth in home prices.  How you frame this depends on who you’re talking to and where.  The Record Price and What’s Driving It Price growth and sales activity aren’t moving together right now. The median price kept climbing while the pace of sales slowed on a month-over-month basis, and inventory staye...

  Quick gut reaction. Which investment do Americans trust more than stocks, gold, savings accounts, and bonds? The answer hasn't changed in 14 years.  It's real estate. And this year, that answer comes with even more conviction behind it. New data shows people aren't just saying homeownership is a smart move, they're feeling better about it than they have in years. Let's dig into why. Real Estate Takes the Top Spot – Again Every year, Gallup asks Americans to name the best long-term investment. And for the 14th year in a row, real estate came out on top ( see graph below ): That's not a fluke or a hot streak. That's 14 straight years of beating out stocks, gold, and everything else. Think about everything that's happened in that stretch – rising rates, market swings, election years, you name it. Through all of it, Americans kept picking real estate. That kind of staying power says something about how people view homeownership – and it makes sense. Histo...

  If you've been thinking about selling, you've probably seen plenty of headlines suggesting buyers have just about disappeared. But there's a big difference between a slow market and a stalled one. Yes, mortgage rates are still higher than most people would like. Homes aren’t selling as fast as they were. And every week seems to bring another headline about buyers sitting on the sidelines. But here's what you haven't heard. Despite everything going on, buyer demand has been remarkably resilient. In fact, more sellers are getting to put up the “pending sale” sign now than during the last two years. What's even more surprising is that they're doing it at a time of year when activity usually starts to slow down. And if you're thinking about selling, that's a trend worth paying attention to. Buyers Are More Active Than You Think One of the best ways to measure buyer demand is by looking at pending home sales. Those are homes that have gone under contrac...

  “Just Thinking" Well, I watched the US soccer team and was caught up in the hype, sitting by myself chanting USA, USA until the goal keep left the goal and kicked the ground instead of the ball giving Belgium a cheapie 3 rd goal. I confess that I really don’t understand the game but am really impressed by the stamina and athleticism of the players. Now that the United Sates is out of the tournament, I am relieved that I don’t need to watch another match for 4 more years.   Well, I watched the U.S. soccer team and, like millions of other Americans, got caught up in the hype. There I was, sitting by myself in front of the TV, enthusiastically chanting, "USA! USA!" Then came the moment when the goalkeeper left the net, took a swing at the ball, and kicked the ground rather than the ball itself, gifting Belgium a cheap third goal. At that point, even a soccer novice like me knew that couldn't be good. I'll confess that I still don't fully understand the game. ...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Realtor.com's 2026 midyear forecast shows home price growth slowing to 1.2% while mortgage rates hold steady and affordability improves for buyers. Realtor.com’s Mid-Year Forecast downgrades its home price growth projection to 1.2% for 2026, one full percent down from the original 2.2% projection.  The revised figure puts price growth even further below the 3.4% projected inflation rate, further reducing the share of household income going to monthly housing costs even as other costs rise to squeeze homebuyer budgets.  Read on for key data points you’ll want to include in your conversations with clients.  Home Price Growth Is Cooling Faster Than Expected Realtor.com downgraded its price growth forecast for the year, and it’s not keeping pace with inflation. Price growth forecast: 1.2% for 2026, down from the original 2.2% projection Year to date price growth: 1.0% over last year Projected inflation for 2026: 3.4% Sellers are respondi...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Bank of America’s 2026 Homebuyer Insights Report shows that 53% of consumers now favor buying, and confidence in homeownership is up across every attitude the survey measured. Affordability is still the number one barrier, and it’s gotten worse since last year. But fewer buyers are waiting for perfect conditions.  Here’s what the data shows.  90% Say a Home Is a Valuable Investment (Up 11 Points YoY) Based on 2026 survey responses, homeownership sentiment went up across every measured attitude compared to the 2025 survey:  90% say a home is a valuable investment, up from 79% in 2025 94% say homeownership provides stability, up from 83% in 2025 87% say owning a home feels like a milestone, up from 78% in 2025 86% say owning a home brings emotional fulfillment, up from 75% in 2025 32% say they’re more confident in their ability to buy this year, up from 27% in 2025 This is essential data for both buyer agents and listing agents. Your b...

“Just Thinking" Tomorrow, we celebrate our nation's independence, a monumental day every year, but even more meaningful this year as we celebrate America's 250th birthday. Having lived through our nation's Bicentennial in 1976, I feel truly blessed to be here to celebrate another monumental anniversary, with the freedoms and opportunities that make this country so special. "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." — Ronald Reagan Every year, Tracy and I make our way downtown to watch the Martinez 4 th of July parade. It's a fun tradition, a wonderful display of patriotism, community spirit, and small-town America that feels like it came straight from a Norman Rockwell painting. This year, however, there is a little twist with a little more excitement, rather than merely watching from the sidelines, I'll be participating in this year’s parade. I have decorations for my truck, I couple of flag poles, one with Old Glory and one w...