Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  “Just Thinking" My buddy Rich sent me an Instagram Reel the other day about the legendary 1951 University of San Francisco Dons football team "Undefeated, Untied, and Uninvited." He asked me, “Did you know about this?” I laughed and replied, “Uh, yeah!” I'm a City boy, and that's some San Francisco history right there. Plus, I'm a USF alumnus and a proud former stalwart of the Grey Fog. So yes, I know a little something about them Dons. We're talking about legendary names like Ollie Matson, Gino Marchetti, Burl Toler, and Bob St. Clair. The Dons finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record and a roster loaded with incredible athletes. Ten of their starters were drafted by NFL teams, nine went on to play in the NFL, five became Pro Bowl selections, and three were eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. By any measure, it was one of the greatest teams in college football history. Another fascinating connection to the 1951 Dons is Pete Roz...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter House Beautiful reports that more than 60% of U.S. households have at least one security camera, and some sellers are listening in on buyers during showings. Would you tour a home knowing the seller was watching (and listening) via security cameras? More than 60% of U.S. households have at least one security camera, according to SafeHome.org figures cited in a recent House Beautiful article.  The share was 52% in 2024, up from 42% in 2023. Not all states require full disclosure of any in-house active camera and their locations. For buyer’s agents, an innocent comment about the home’s condition, a buyer’s excitement or even their maximum budget can cost them negotiating leverage or the deal itself. For listing agents, sellers who listen in could be exposing themselves to legal risks. House Beautiful spoke with agents who’ve seen these situations play out. Here’s what happened and what agents on both sides of the transaction should be doing di...

 If you're a homeowner getting ready to move, one question usually comes first: should you buy your next home before you sell, or sell your current house before you start looking? There's no single right answer. The best call depends on your finances, your local market, and your timeline. And a trusted agent can help you weigh all of it. But in a lot of cases these days, selling first puts you in the stronger spot. The Advantages of Selling First Selling is usually the trickier half of a move today, so getting it done first clears your biggest hurdle. And that’s especially true right now, because there are more homes for sale than there are buyers, which means houses are taking longer to sell than they did a year or two ago. So how does leading with your sale pay off? Let’s start with the money. 1. You Won’t Get Stuck Paying Two Mortgages Buy before you sell, and you could end up carrying two mortgages at once. And especially since houses are staying on the market longer these...

  “Just Thinking" I know that over the past few weeks I have been sounding like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, with his blunt observations about how neighborhoods and generations change over time. “Get the hell off my lawn.” If it’s any consolation, my inner dialog is much more intense than what I write down in “Just Thinking”. Baseball and the Giants are taking the brunt of my ire, but I have also taken shots at “The City” and some societal norms that have changed too fast. So, number 2 son, Chris, sent me an epic rant by John Gruden the other day from an interview with Jake Marsh that was reminiscent of Kevin Costner's rant in Bull Durham when he is asked what he believes in and it really hit home. Here’s the coach. Jake Marsh asks Gruden. what's something you liked 10 or 20 years ago that you wish would be brought back now? Then Chuckie goes off: I like the continuity on these rosters. I think having a different offensive coordinator or a different defensive coordinator...

“Just Thinking" It’s the middle of June, and for the Giants this is usually when the annual “June Swoon” sets in, but this year, it raises a different question: how do you swoon in June when the entire season has already felt like one long swoon? And yet, I’ll admit, I’ve been sucked in at times. I’ve let myself believe a stretch of decent baseball meant something was turning. Only to get pulled right back to reality, like so many fans, with another gut-punch loss just when it felt like things might finally be different. My hook on changing the channel is way quicker than Tony Vitello’s hook with the bullpen and honestly, that’s burned me more than once this year. I’m thinking of June 10 th , the Giants-Nationals game. I bailed early when they were down 9–1, like second inning, I figured I’d seen enough. To be fair, I had an appointment during the later innings, so I was unable to watch anyway, but while in my meeting my Giants app on my phone started blowing up, notifications goi...

  “Just Thinking" I had my topic picked out and had been holding onto it for a couple of weeks, an article I came across in SFGate back in May. I’ve been keeping it in my back pocket, like a bullet in the chamber, ready to fire at the right moment. But before I get into that, there were several impactful events that took place during the first week of June throughout history. I’ll share a few of them and you can decide if they resonate with you as much as they do with me. June 2, 1935 — Babe Ruth retires from baseball, marking the end of one of the most transformative careers in the history of the game. Yet even as he stepped away, his influence continued to shape generations of the ball players who followed. The first time I remember hearing about Babe Ruth was in the 5th grade, I was a little late to the Babe’s story, but still not as late as Smalls. We had a weeknight game at Balboa Field, one of those cold, foggy evenings in SF. A coworker of my dad’s came out to watch us play...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter NAR's May 2026 Existing-Home Sales report is out. Here's what the numbers show and how to use them with clients this week. Existing-home sales just hit their highest level since December, up 3.2% month-over-month and year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.17 million.  Prices reached a record high for May even as affordability improved across every region. Here’s what NAR’s May 2026 Existing-Home Sales report shows and how to use it with clients this week. What the Numbers Show Existing-home sales rose 3.2% from both last month and a year ago, landing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.17 million in May. That’s the highest sales pace since December, with momentum showing up in three of four regions month-over-month and year-over-year. The national numbers: $429,300 median price, up 1.3% YoY, a record high for May 35th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases 1.55 million units of inventory, up 3.3% ...

 A lot of people who want to move are telling themselves the same thing: "Maybe I'll just wait until later this year once things calm down."   While waiting sounds like a good plan, there's something worth knowing before you decide. Rates aren’t expected to change much, so if that’s the #1 reason you’re waiting, it may not pay off. And there may be other things you miss out on in the meantime.  Historically, Summer is one of the strongest seasons of the year for both buyers and sellers. And if you delay your move until Fall or Winter, some of those opportunities may already be fading. Buyers: Fresh Inventory Is Your Real Summer Advantage One of the biggest frustrations buyers have faced over the past few years has been a lack of affordable options. Maybe you’ve run into that yourself: You find a house you like, but it's out of your budget. You find something in your budget, but you don’t like it. Or worse, nothing interesting hits the market for weeks. Historicall...

 If affordability has been the biggest thing standing between you and a home, there's a little good news.   Asking prices have started to come down. The typical seller listed their house for a median of $429,500 in May. That’s 2.4% lower than a year ago, according to Realtor.com . On its own, that won't transform what you can afford, but in today’s market every little bit helps and it signals a broader shift taking place. Buyers Are Finally Catching a Break Check out this data from Realtor.com and you can see this is the first May in years where buyers have caught any sort of break price-wise. Each May from 2022-2025, things held pretty steady. But this year? You can see that more noticeable shift in your favor (see graph below) : While the dip from $440,000 to $429,500 isn’t a big one, it gives you more breathing room. And that’s not a small thing when affordability has been this tough. Now, lower asking prices don’t mean every home is suddenly within your range. But they do...

  Whether you're dreaming about buying your first home or wondering if it’s time to move on from the one you're in, affordability is probably weighing on your mind. Home prices are still high in many markets, and even though things have improved a bit over the past year, making the numbers work can still feel like a stretch. But the people finding ways to move right now usually have one thing in common. They didn't wait for affordability to come to them. They went looking for it. According to PODS , 61% of people across all generations say affordability is the biggest factor when deciding where to move. And it's led a growing number of people to do one thing – broaden their search to include more affordable areas they hadn't seriously considered before. As PODS , put it: ". . . moving is increasingly driven by affordability, connection, and quality of life. As economic pressures persist, Americans are taking a more intentional, values-driven approach to where ...

  “Just Thinking" When you think of historic basketball coaches, several legendary names immediately come to mind. Phil Jackson, with his 11 NBA championships, Pat Riley’s five NBA titles, Red Auerbach set the standard, capturing nine NBA championships, Coach Norman Dale, Hoosiers. Coach K with five national championships and three Olympic gold medals, Bobby Knight’s three national titles and a 29 year run at Indiana. Dean Smith, Coach Carter and Jimmy Valvano, “Don’t give up… don’t ever give up.” The list goes on, and many notable figures could be added, but when I think of the truly iconic basketball coach, one name stands above the rest, John Wooden, the “Wizard of Westwood.” On June 4, 2010, Wooden passed away at the age of 99, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy. He was not only revered for his unparalleled success, leading UCLA to 10 national championships, but also for the timeless coaching philosophy and values he instilled in his players and the game itself. Woodend wa...

    Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Cash buyers just hit their lowest share since 2020. Here's what the data means for financed buyers and the script to get them off the sidelines. For the past few years, financed buyers have had it rough. On top of affordability challenges, cash offers were everywhere, and sellers loved them. Buyers without a pile of liquid money felt like they were showing up to a gunfight with a water pistol.  A lot of those buyers eventually just stopped showing up.  Good news for those buyers? The water’s getting warmer. According to a new Redfin report, 28.8% of U.S. home purchases were made in all cash in March 2026. That’s tied for the lowest March share since 2020, and it’s down from 29.8% just a year ago.  The all-cash surge that peaked at nearly 35% in 2023 is cooling off, and the buyers who got squeezed out during that run should be on your call list right now. The conditions that made cash offers nearly impossible to beat have ...

  “Just Thinking" On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened for a pedestrian day, which was unlike anything the city had ever seen. Thousands of people stepped onto the newly finished span, eager to celebrate the much-anticipated opening and to take advantage of a chance to stroll high above the churning waters of the Golden Gate. By the end of the day, more than 200,000 people had crossed the bridge. There was no single “first walker”, just a surge of humanity claiming the moment together. One person of note was Donald Bryan, a college sprinter who made his mark by becoming the first person to cross the entire span, running the full distance. The following day, the bridge opened to automobiles, transforming it from an engineering marvel into a vital artery connecting San Francisco to Marin County and beyond. Frank Pierce Doyle, the Santa Rosa banker often called the “father of the Golden Gate Bridge,” is credited with being the first to ride across, while his chau...