Gorgeous Homes in Mountain View and Los Altos_Broker Tour June. 6

By Jeni Pfeiffer, Associate Broker, Realtor

June 6, 2014 – It was a busy Mountain View and Los Altos Broker Tour today! Here are some highlights of homes that I visited. First, three favorites from the Mountain View Whisman Station:

  1. 125 HUNTINGTON CT Mountain View – Boasts 16 year new unit with 3 Bedrooms and 2 1/2 Baths, listed for $849,000. with $215 HOA fees – Serenity and pride of ownership, I found the painted soft beach colors very soothing.
  2. 121 FREDERICK CT Mountain View featuring 3 Bedrooms and 2 1/2 Baths – The stately column entryway is handsome! This nice end unit means more windows, natural light and lovely views of the greenbelt! Listed for $840,000 with $215 HOA fees.
  3. 248 WALKER DR #8 Mountain View featuring 2 Bedrooms and 2 Baths, 33 year new. The greenbelt view is inviting, and unit has been nicely updated. Listed for $698,000 with $440 HOA fee.

Continue reading →

Magnificent SF Pacific Heights Decorator Showcase 2014 Mansion

By Jeni Pfeiffer, Associate Broker, Realtor

2014 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. 3660 Jackson Street_Pacific Heights designed by Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville

2014 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. 3660 Jackson Street_Pacific Heights designed by Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville.

Today is the final day to tour the magnificent 3660 Jackson Street, San Francisco Pacific Heights Decorator Showcase 2014 mansion.

Crafted in 1908 for Alfred and Rose Sutro, designed by the architectural team of Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville, this stately Classical Revival structure, embraced by climbing figs, sits on a third of an acre overlooking the Presidio and San Francisco Bay.

This extraordinary home was listed for sale in 2013, and quickly Sold for $18,000,000. Dozens of the Bay Area’s top interior and landscape designers have transformed the elegant 9,000 square-foot mansion combining modern touches with an elegant backdrop. Continue reading →

Mortgage Rates May 9_2014 in Silicon Valley

Courtesy Tony Guaraldi, VP of Mortgage Lending Guaranteed Rate Mortgage

CLICK HERE for the current Friday Mortgage Rate Sheet effective May 9, 2014.

As we had hoped Bonds continued to climb for most of the week.  As you can see from the below Bond prices are at their peak for 2014 which means rates are among the best available this year so far.  Continue reading →

Low-water landscapes think outside the box

By Angela Hill: Oakland Tribune, March 6, 2014

Water-Wise Garden_Photo Courtesy Jeni Pfeiffer

Water-Wise Garden_Photo Courtesy Jeni Pfeiffer

Gardeners, dry those tears — or maybe collect them to water your hydrangeas. Yes, we’re looking at drought-induced water restrictions in the coming months despite the recent rain, and reality soon will place California home landscapes on a permanent water diet — reducing liquid-loving lawns and moisture-gluttonous plants and instead bulking up on water-wise vegetation that’s fit for the future.

But that doesn’t mean we will be left with rock gardens and cactus — not that there’s anything wrong with that. Experts say we can use this as an opportunity to get creative, think outside the boxwood, reimagine lawn areas and go wild with the abundant beauty of natives, succulents and even, yes, cactus in its many colors and structural shapes.

CLICK HERE for the full Mercury News Article

Silicon Valley Mortgage Update_March 8, 2014

Courtesy Tony Guaraldi, VP of Mortgage Lending Guaranteed Rate

Welcome to our Friday update. The Jobs report for February is out and it beat expectations coming in at 175,000 jobs created above expectations of 150,000.  Additionally there were upward revisions from the past two months reports of 25,000 additional jobs created.

CLICK HERE for the current mortgage rate sheet. Continue reading →

Silicon Valley BART and future values of local real estate

By Jeni Pfeiffer, Associate Broker, Realtor

How will the future Silicon Valley BART affect Bay Area real estate values?

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is building the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon Valley Project with expected service to begin in 2018. This will extend BART coverage from Warm Springs Fremont to Berryessa with a stop in-between at Milpitas.

What does this mean for Silicon Valley real estate? Reflective in Japan, Sweden, and European countries, transit-oriented development (TOD) have been enthusiastically desirable here for residents seeking alternatives to transportation via car only.

KB Berryessa Project_Courtesy Calthorpe Associates

KB Berryessa Project_Courtesy Calthorpe Associates

TOD developments are mixed-use residential and commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. Builder KB Home, for example, purchased 10 acres on the north side of the 120-acre San Jose Flea Market operation, and has already started selling homes in their Berryessa Crossing Development. Continue reading →

Mortgage Lending Changes and Rates – Jan. 10, 2014

Courtesy Tony Guaraldi, VP of Mortgage Lending Guaranteed Rate Mortgage

Holly Guacamole!  We unexpected got a lousy jobs report this morning and Mortgage Bonds are the beneficiary!  The Bureau of Labor Statics reported the economy created 74,000 jobs missing huge on the forecasts that predicted a range of 200k to 250k jobs! For comparison the number for October was 200k created and November was 241k created so this was really out of left field!  The Jobs Report each month is always the biggest market mover and again its tied to Fed stimulus right now so reactions to the news are exacerbated for Mortgage Bonds.  You can see the large green box on the right of the chart below showing the bond market rally today but you can also see we are a long ways off from where rates were in Mid-November.  We will enjoy the improvement for now and continue to watch it as we still have some room to run before hitting resistance.  Hopefully we can hold onto these gains today as its typically a volatile day after the jobs report like this!

CLICK HERE for the January 10, 2014 Guaranteed Mortgage Rate Sheet  Continue reading →

Hot new Homes in Sunnyvale_Broker Tour Jan. 9

By Jeni Pfeiffer, Associate Broker, Realtor

First Broker Tour of the year in Sunnyvale and new homes that I viewed today! One of my favorites, tucked away in the exclusive Hidden Valley Complex:

  • 867 RATTAN TERRACE, priced at $730,000, is a 1,649 sq ft townhome with 3 spacious Bedrooms/3 Baths. It is as serene as being in the middle of a quiet redwood grove forest! Beautiful and lush community just minutes to new Apple campus & 49er stadium. This is an end unit with beautiful views, plantation shutters, an open and airy feel.

Three wonderful homes on tour today were in both the Cherry Chase Elementary and Homestead High School District: Continue reading →

Mortgage Rate update Nov 29_2013

Courtesy Tony Guaraldi VP of Mortgage Lending

We’ve got some housing numbers to share with you this week and all of it points to a strong and stable housing market. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index was reported this week showing values increased nationally by 0.3% in September.  The Year over Year is up 8.5% which is a good number for national appreciation of home prices.  The Case Shiller Home Price Index for September which tracks closing prices in 20 major cities in the US reported values were up 0.7%.   Home Prices are up 13.3% according to them year over year.  This is the best number in 7.5 years!  Robert Shiller was interviewed on CNBC and although the numbers look good they did not scare him in terms of a potential housing bubble.  He explained that those surveyed were not too optimistic which alleviates any bubble concerns he may have had.  He noted the rate of appreciation is slowing but this is probably a good thing as 13% appreciation is not sustainable, but there is nothing wrong with 6% appreciation which may be where housing is headed nationally.

CLICK HERE for the current Mortgage Rate Sheet  Continue reading →

Wonderful Homes on Mountain View, Los Altos Broker Tour_Nov 22

326 Church St, Mtn View. Courtesy Michael Galli, Alain Pinel

326 Church St, Mtn View. Courtesy Michael Galli, Alain Pinel

By Jeni Pfeiffer, Associate Broker, Realtor

Nov 22 Broker Tour: Really unique homes on tour today! Top of the list is 326 CHURCH ST in Mountain View, built by Ugo Mancini, with an architecture blend of Eichler meets Art Decco and Palm Springs with a touch of Italianate Style. The home boasts 2,005 Sq.Ft. with 3 Bedrooms and 2 Baths, and a spacious backyard listed at $1,398,000.  Mancini had owned a car dealership on El Camino called Mancini Motors. Agent Michael Galli, from Alain Pinel states that Mancini, also built the fascinating, iconic home next door as well.

420 CHIQUITA AVE in Mountain View is a jewel of a home, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and 1,147 sqft of living space. The spacious backyard invites relaxing and entertaining. It is listed at $899,000. Continue reading →