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3519 South Court, Palo Alto

By David Blockhus on 4.19.12 - Please leave a comment.

We’ve got a great new listing in the southern part of Midtown Palo Alto. I write “we” because I am co-listing this property with Hannelore Blanchard, my cubicle mate in the office. It really is a fantastic home with four good-sized bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The house has been remodeled, albeit an older remodel, but nicely done none the less.

The heart of the home (figurative and literally) is the kitchen which features granite counter tops with eat-in bar, stainless steel appliances (however, the ovens are older), and an abundance of cabinet space. Adjacent to the kitchen is a great workspace area that currently is being used as an office. The spacious living room is highlighted by the wood burning fireplace. Skylights provide additional light and a few open to provide air circulation.

The backyard is exquisite. Imagine relaxing on a lounge chair with a good glass of wine and looking out onto your own private oasis. Follow the strolling path as it meanders around Japanese Maples, fruit trees, redwoods and the beautiful Koi pond. The second bedroom has its own private deck with raised garden box.

Pending availability, school aged children would attend Fairmeadow Elementary School (API 950), Jane Lathrop Stanford (JLS) Middle School (API 927) and Gunn High School (API 909).

We will be holding the home open this “Earth day” weekend from 1:30 -4:40 p.m.

See photos and virtual tour below:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

5 Reasons it Might Make Sense to Buy a Home in Los Altos During the Holidays

By David Blockhus on 11.8.11 - Please leave a comment.

It is early November. Does it make sense to buy a home now or wait until next spring when housing inventories are typically higher. Although there is no definitive answer, this video points to a few things that buyers should think about before making the decision to buy now or wait.

Note: There are properties that are currently for sale but not listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). As we get later on in the year, more properties will be taken off the MLS and re-introduced to the market in February. These are opportunities to buy a home in town at a discount. Make sure your agent has access to these listings or you may be missing out on a good buying opportunity.

If you don’t have an agent working for you, I would be happy to sit down with you to discuss your housing options. Please call me directly at 650 917-4250. Thank you.

How is the Los Altos Single Family Home Real Estate Market Doing?

By David Blockhus on 11.4.11 - Please leave a comment.

See below for Los Altos single family home sales data. The statistics detail home sales since January 2006.

Great Hiking on Rancho San Antonio’s PG&E Trail

By David Blockhus on 10.17.11 - Please leave a comment.

Anyone who knows me knows I love to get outdoors and explore. One of my favorite local destinations is Rancho San Antonio County Park and one of my favorite trails is the PG&E trail. Last week I brought my video camera to capture the scenery.

Five Critical Things to Think About if You Are Thinking of Buying or Selling a Home in Los Altos With a Swimming Pool

By David Blockhus on 10.5.11 - Please leave a comment.

The following video details the Five Critical things to think about if you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Los Altos with swimming pool.

Benefits of pool ownership:

Great exercise
Great for entertaining
Fun
Relaxation
Aesthetic beauty

Downsides of pool ownership:

Safety and liability issues
Maintenance and operational expenses

Things to consider if you are buying a home with a pool:

Pool condition – have it inspected
Is it relatively safe for those who aren’t water safe? Can you make it safe with minimal expense?
Is it in a neighborhood or market segment where the pool adds value to the property or takes value away from the property?

Things home sellers who have a pool should consider:

Fully disclose the pool’s condition and operational expenses
If home is in a neighborhood that doesn’t have many pools or if the pool’s condition is suspect, do a cost analysis to see if it makes sense to fill in the pool and landscape the yard before putting home on market.

Swimming pools are a great lifestyle investment but not necessarily a great financial investment. The property’s location and market segment can help in determining its marketability.

Click Los Altos Homes for sale with Swimming Pools if you are interested in finding a home in Los Altos with a swimming pool

How Long Does it Take to Buy a Home in Los Altos?

By David Blockhus on 9.26.11 - Please leave a comment.

I enjoy working with home buyers. To take them from “I don’t know what the heck I’m doing” to handing over the keys to their new home is awesome. One of the most interesting questions that often I get is “How long does it actually take to buy a home?” Well, there isn’t an official time clock for home buying, but the following video entitled “How Long Does it take to Buy a Home in Los Altos” explains the process and steps that buyers can take to move the process along.

Keys to making the process more efficient:

Know yourself and your needs
Understand the local real estate market
Use a knowledgeable Realtor
Understand the purchase contract
Don’t be afraid to ask questions

FYI – July and August 2011, the average escrow period was 48 days. The prior three months, the average escrow period was 29 days.

Lastly, According to the National Association of Realtors 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the home buying process takes approximately 12 weeks.

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to find your dream home, click here?

Title and Escrow Explained

By David Blockhus on 9.21.11 - Please leave a comment.

The following video explains what title companies do for home buyers and home sellers here in Los Altos as well as Santa Clara County.

For further information on the title insurance, click on Understanding Title Insurance.

For further information on the escrow process, click on The Role of the escrow holder.

Should you have any questions about the escrow process, please call or text me at 650 465-0755 .

Great Loan Rates Make it an Outstanding Time to Buy or Refinance Your Los Altos Home

By David Blockhus on 9.13.11 - Please leave a comment.

The following video discusses current loan rates and opportunities they may create in our local real estate market.

Click loan rates to see the rate sheet discussed in the video.

Should you have any questions about the value of your home in today’s market or you wish to take advantage of today’s great loan rates and purchase a home, please call or text me at 650 465-0755.

A 100 Million Dollar Question

By David Blockhus on 9.7.11 - Please leave a comment.

Back in February 2011, Yuri Milner, a Russian Billionaire, purchased a magnificent estate in Los Altos Hills. It appears that the 100 million dollar sales price was the highest sales price for a single family home in the United States. The following video shows what 100 million dollars could buy in today’s Los Altos Hills real estate market.

The Multiple Listing Service properties mentioned in the video are:

12500 Corbetta Lane, Los Altos Hills. Listed at $17 Million by Steven Ferrari of Ferrari Properties.
12661 Robleda Road, Los Altos Hills. Listed at $10,888,000. by Joan Miller of Alain Pinel Realtors.

Should you have any questions about the value of your home in today’s market or you wish to purchase a home, please call or text me at 650 465-0755.

Search for Los Altos Homes by Walk Score

By David Blockhus on 4.20.11 - Please leave a comment.

Lets face it, today’s home buyers are concerned with the walkability of their future home. They prefer to live in neighborhoods that are near work, shopping, parks and schools. Younger buyers as well as those downsizing want to be able to walk to most everything. That is why a home’s walkscore is so important.

According to the Walkscore website, “Walk Score can help you find a walkable place to live by measuring how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle, not how pretty the area is for walking. The score ranges from 0 (completely car-dependent) to 100 (walker’s paradise).”

The following video explains walkscore and how to search for homes based on their walkscore.