Kevin Kieffer's Blog Posts

Considering selling your home? Countertops create the sizzle in the kitchen and many other areas both inside and outside the home. Check out my recent interview with HomeLight regarding the various

Low rates are fantastic for the real estate market right now but most certainly will lead to an inventory lock down in the future. Motivation to sell and move up which usually happens approximately-

If buying isn’t an option, make it yourself. Indeed, in 2020 homeowners across the country found themselves forced into spending more time at home, and they were spending that time in different

Compass is the only real estate brokerage brand that speaks to the next generation of luxury buyer exquisitely. This ‘next generation’ (of all ages) work in industries that have advanced far

Compass ran an analysis on homes that are priced less than 2MM in Contra Costa County and throughout #DiabloValley area. Compass compared overpricing a home with those priced at fair market value.

Winter is here you can feel the chill in the area coming from Pacific ocean off the bay. This week, especially today with the strong winds making a mess of all the leaves that everyone did their

Proposition 5 qualified for the ballot this year with over 1 million signatures from registered voters. If this proposition passes it will enable homeowners who are 55+ to sell their existing

The first significant reform of the U.S. tax code since 1986 has finally passed and changes have been made to both individual and corporate tax rates. As a real estate professional I am often asked

Do a little “homework”--Although online research can never take the place of an experienced Realtor, it is a great way to get started. You can compare mortgage rates, get a rough idea about

I believe everyone is very aware of the proposed congressional tax reform. California will feel an impact as many of changes will certainly impact current homeowners as well as potential

Home ownership is commonly associated with a sense of accomplishment and success and this certainly rings true in the bay area with the high cost of housing. Just this year, the median home price

California continues to lead the nation with 9 hot cities listed in the top 20 and Vallejo, CA being ranked #1. Buyers unfortunately know this all too well, often times offering on several homes

The market continues to struggle with low inventory which naturally has an upward affect on prices. Demand remains steady but inventory diminishes, leaving many folks still battling to get the home

Desi and Ozzie are brothers. They both wanted to purchase a home for the first time, but they decided to take two distinctly different approaches. Desi decided to enlist the help of a,

Now what? Will the election have any significant impact on the housing market? My initial thought based on the positive response in the stock market is yes. As the stock market gyrates higher,

The East Bay Real Estate market is staying relatively steady, however there are pockets of softness in the higher end markets (over $1M) . As we move through November and December, the market will

Are the "bidding wars" officially over in the East Bay? Not necessarily, but they have diminished considerably. For the most part the market is decelerating but that is seasonal and further

Showcase listing near downtown Clayton, CaliforniaProperty: 220 Roundhill Place Clayton, CA 94517NEARLY 1 ACRE LOT AND ZONED FOR HORSES You will love this stunning and spacious 5,550 sq.ft,

Another great summer for East Bay real estate sales with 5,034 sold properties between June 1, 2016 and Aug 31, 2016 (Contra Costa & Alameda County) . However, total sales volume in both counties

Our team would like to wish you and your family a happy Fourth of July weekend. The market generally slows down around this time of year with many buyers and sellers taking vacations. Over the

We would like to wish all of our clients, friends and family a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. There are many bay area events going on in case you are not heading to Tahoe like the other 55,000

Bidding on properties these days continues to be a bit of a battle. Our Team Leader, Kevin R Kieffer was featured in San Jose Mercury news April 20th regarding recent real estate sales 

The Super Bowl not only represents the largest global sports event of the year, it also marks the beginning of a new listing inventory surge that happens across the nation following the game. No one

Great news for buyers! 30 year fixed interest rates have dipped back below 4% due to the recent downturn in the stock market and flight to safety as many investors prefer bonds during

The transition to TRID is going smoothly for most lenders, buyers & sellers.  TRID took effect on Oct 3, 2015 and has slowed down the loan process slightly.Under the,

Just a friendly reminder to be sure and set your clocks back one hour November 1st, this Sunday. The East Bay market continues to do well with no real slow down on pending activity.

Labor Day is coming up soon and is quite possibly one of the most popular and relaxing family holidays of the year. Nearly everyone takes off for the weekend and in the bay area, most of them are

Although there is much talk of rates rising, the mortgage market still has favorable rates for buyers looking to get into the Bay Area housing market. Purchase rates are still hovering near 4% and

The Bay Area continues to move forward at a very fast pace. As of the first week in June there are 3,154 properties active in the East Bay and the last week alone 741 new listings;

There is absolutely no correlation with free coffee and the housing market but since Peet's Coffee & Tea is giving away free coffee on Mother's Day, we thought we would share it with you.

Spring is commonly known as the best time to sell and surprisingly the "spring market" kicks off generally when the Super Bowl is over. Although it is not officially spring from a seasonal

Happy New Year! Interest rates remain low with average rates ranging from 3.93% APR - 4.18% APR. These rates are expected to remain relatively stable through spring, and at this time we are

The rainy weather and holidays create a great opportunity for buyers. Those who are motivated can locate some great deals as many buyers get distracted with other activities and

Where is the market going from here? Flat to slightly up is my guess. There are definitely some signs of leveling off, however, much of that is due to sellers overshooting the price

Buyer's market or balanced market? Either way, this is welcome news for most buyers and even sellers. Over the last few months we have seen a leveling in prices. Acceleration of home prices,

Where did everyone go? Well half the folks I know took a trip up to Tahoe for the 4th of July weekend. Many bay area residents in general are out on other vacations around the world as July is

The Northern California East Bay market continues to face the challenges of low inventory. Many homeowners are in the "wait it out one more year" mode as they are just breaching their underwater

Getting into a home in a very competitive market is all about having a leveraged strategy.Of course cash is king. All things being equal, it is very difficult to beat a buyer with lots of cash,

Values are up significantly in the Bay Area and this could represent a great opportunity for investors with rental properties to look to the favorable tax code provided by completing a 

Your best chance for success starts with understanding the type of market you are in. When inventory is severely reduced, sellers have leverage. Well-priced homes in desirable areas typically

Prices will continue stabilize throughout 2014 as there is not enough inventory coming to market to create the price escalations that we experienced in 2013. This morning I pulled all active&

This is a very encouraging report (link below) from the Association of Realtors. 23 states are within 10 percent of their peak prices. Some folks may want to say "here we go again".

Realtors across the nation receive calls weekly from clients, both investors and traditional buyers, seeking bank owned / REO properties. Unfortunately for small investors and hopeful,

The housing market has been on a tear since March of 2012. We have seen substantial year over year value improvements throughout the nation and this price movement is even more

East Bay's Housing Market has great momentumThe East Bay market continues to move at a nice pace. As of today, Oct 7th, there are 3,540 active listings in the East Bay which includes Alameda

Prices continue to rise, albeit at a more tepid pace than the quick spike we have seen over the last 18 months. However based on trajectory, there will be another 8.3 million homeowners

As with previous housing cycles, the nation follows California's lead. When the downturn happened, it was California to lead the housing market into the doldrums. In Spring of 2012 I recall

Great News for Short Sellers! FHA guideline changes were just released! Prior guidelines to qualify for an FHA backed loan required a 36 month waiting period for

With the Bay Area markets moving up anywhere from 15-25% over the last year, many investors have stepped out of the market as the cash flow proposition has diminished significantly. Their is still

With the housing recovery in full swing and many other economic indicators pointing in the right direction, it should be no surprise that rates are trending up. The Fed's hint about easing its

Shea Homes is opening a new sales office in Late June / Early July in Dublin off of Central Parkway in East Dublin.  They are introducing there new townhouse collection Ravello.  

95th Livermore Rodeo Well the Annual Worlds Fastest Livermore Rodeo is back!!!!  Festivities Kicked  off last night and go through the weekend!    Put on your cowboy boots

I have always been a firm believer of following the big money. Generally speaking these entities (big money firms) have the resources to perform far greater diligence than the average investor

The City of Pleasant Hill has free concerts this summer every other Sunday at 6pm.  The Sunset by the Lake summer concert series is from May 26 to September 1 at 100 Gregory Lane.

 Buying home can be an very fun and strenuous time in your life.   To help you understand the home buying process here are some steps on what to expect.  Step 1 

FNC Residential Price Index which was created by the mortgage industry just announced that we are at 28 month high for home prices in February. Housing data takes about 60 days to compile and

Taylor Morrison's Marquis Lafayette is ready for their first release. You may have seen the signs off highway 24 at the corner of Mt. Diablo and Pleasant Hill Road. Starting prices will be just$

You would never know we are two weeks into Spring. Inventory is picking up slightly but not at previous levels seen in the bay area. We are going to ease into an inventory pick up but we won't see

As inventories have dried up and buyers have rushed to the market, we have seen the supply and demand principle in action. Similar to what we experienced in 2006, buyers are required to get creative

The Spring Market is in full swing but where is the inventory? This time of year is generally when most homeowners are putting their homes on the market and buyers are out in droves looking to make

The market has definitively turned a corner since March of last year with prices moving up 15% year over year in the area. The historically low rates, diminishing inventory of homes as well as the

Livermore and Pleasanton markets along with several other East Bay markets are experiencing significant inventory shortage as buyers continue to compete with the limited supply. Pending properties

If you're thinking of selling your home, and you expect that the total amount you owe on your mortgage will be greater than the selling price of your home, you may be facing a short sale. A short

Well finally there is some great news in the housing market for homeowners! Since March of 2012 (nearly a year ago), we are up an average of 20% in the Pleasant Hill area. Pleasant Hill is a small

I hear it so often now, I just nod my head and agree. Yes, the market is crazy right now. Yes, anything that goes on the market gets multiple offers. It's a battle out there for homes. Every

Condominiums tend to be the affordable home for most first-time home buyers.  Lately condos have been appreciating faster than single family homes.  According to DataQuick, sales are at

FHA will hike premiums on mortgages this year The Federal Housing Administration stated last week that it will raise premiums on new mortgages it insures. Increases are expected to be about 10 basis

December is usually slower due to the holidays but slow would be a big understatement.  Homeowners continue to see values rise as buyers see a severe shortage of available housing. San Ramon

Well if the stock market is any indication, one would guess that we are heading in the right direction. It is trending higher and with that generally goes the housing market. For this year mortgage

RealtyTrac reported that foreclosure filings are up 25% in 2012 but this is not reflecting in the inventory of new bank owned homes or new short sale listings either. Many of those homeowners are

It's the simple "Supply and Demand" that is fueling this competitive market we are in.  Low inventory and buyers trying to take advantage of extremely low interest rates are allowing sellers to

Great news from the FHA! They have extended their temporary Anti-Flipping waiver for two more years. The extension will last till 12/31/2014. The intent of the Anti-Flipping rule was to mitigate

There are many factors driving the housing market. NAR expects to see a 10% increase in home sales in 2013 and about 7% increase in 2014. Last year existing home sales ended near 4.6 milliion. New

Great news on the legislation front as these developments will assist with the steady recovery in the Real Estate market as we move along in 2013. Mortgage Cancellation Relief is extended for

The inventory shortaqe continues in the East Bay. We expect this to correct as homeowners breach their underwater mark and decide to make a move during the spring market. Headlines today are showing