Kevin Kieffer's Blog Posts

Kevin Kieffer's Blog Posts

Compare Countertop Materials To Consider Both Inside And Outside Your Home
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 rega...

Low Rates Now Will Have Big Impact On Inventory In The Future
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 happ...

Remodeling Surge Battles Supply Shortage ROI Challenges Heres Why
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 ti...

Why Compass And Eastbaypro To Achieve Your Real Estate Goals
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 hav...

The Dangers Of Overpricing In Diablo Valley
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 fa...

The Winter Season
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 ever...

Prop 5 Expected Inventory Impact
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 sel...

Tax Reform Law Bay Area Update Mortage Interest Deduction MID
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...

Ready To Purchase Your Next Home Five Key Steps To Help You Get Started
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 r...

Congressional Tax Cut And Job Act Proposal
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 w...

Why The Kitchen Is Important For Home Buyers
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 m...

Top 20 Hottest Performing Real Estate Markets In The Nation
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...

Bay Area Low Inventory Higher Prices
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 battlin...

A Tail Of Two Buyers AKA How To Succeed Or Fail Buying A Home In A Sellers Market
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...

Bay Area Real Estate Update Post Election Market
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 gyr...

Preparing For A Home Purchase And Getting Your Credit In Order
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 Decembe...

Fall Market Buying Opportunities In The Bay Area
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 an...

Showcase Listing Downtown Clayton California
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 spaciou...

Bubble Talk Starting As We Near 2006 Peak Prices
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 i...

EastBayPro Team Wishes You A Happy Fourth Of July Weekend
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 va...

EastBayPro Team Wishing You A Happy And Safe Memorial Day Weekend
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 lik...

Give It Your Best Shot With All You Got When Offering On A Bay Area Home
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 est...

Listing Inventory Expecting To Surge After Super Bowl Sunday
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 followin...

Great Spring Real Estate Market Expected For The Bay Area In 2016
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 bond...

TRID Now In Full Swing For Home Purchases
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...

Fall Back This Sunday November 1st Reminder To Set Your Clocks Back
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 p...

Labor Day Holiday Creates A Pause In Bay Area Inventory
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, m...

Mid Summer Market Update For Bay Area Real Estate
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 hove...

Graduations And Vacations Present Great Buying Opportunities In The East Bay
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&nbs...

Free Coffee And Strong Spring Housing Market In The East Bay
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 ...

Are You Ready For Some Listings
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 ...

Early Outlook On The Spring Real Estate Market In The East Bay
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 th...

Tis The Season To Be Buying
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 ac...

Fall And Winter Home Buyers Being More Selective
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 overshootin...

Buyers Market Or Balanced Market East Bay Summer 2014 Update
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 ...

Season Of Distraction Is Home Buyers Advantage
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...

Lack Of Inventory Continues To Challenge Buyers
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 th...

Buying In A Sellers Market Part II
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 wit...

Time For A 1031 Exchange Bay Area Real Estate Investors
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 com...

Buying In A Sellers Market
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...

Northern California Market Update Case Of The Missing Inventory
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 ...

California Real Estate Near Peak Prices NAR Reports What Next
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 "...

The Missing Bank Owned Properties And REO Disappearing Act
Realtors across the nation receive calls weekly from clients, both investors and traditional buyers, seeking bank owned / REO properties. Unfortunately for small investors and...

Government Shutdown Induced Market Breather
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 i...

East Bay Housing Market Still Strong In October
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 i...

Rising Prices Expected To Have Positive Impact On Inventory In 2014
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 ...

Did Your City Make The Recovery List
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 ...

New FHA Guidelines Helping Short Sellers Back Into Housing Market Sooner
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...

Owner Occupied Buyers Filling The Void
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...

Rates Trending Up As Expected
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 ab...

Shea Townhomes Coming Soon In Dublin Ca
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 Rave...

95th Livermore Rodeo June 6th Through June 9th
95th Livermore Rodeo Well the Annual Worlds Fastest Livermore Rodeo is back!!!!  Festivities Kicked  off last night and go through the weekend!    Put on y...

Following The Big Money Into Investment Properties
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...

Pleasant Hill FREE Summer Concerts
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...

Steps To Buying A Home
 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. ...

Bay Area Makes the Price Index Improvement List
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 ...

Taylor Morrison Releasing New Townhouses in Lafayette
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...

Is it Spring Yet
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 ...

Writing the Winning Offer in a Competitive Market
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 requir...

Not So Hot Spring Market In Bay Area
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 drove...

Lower Sales Expected Due to Low Inventory
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 home...

Livermore and Pleasanton inventory squeeze
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. Pe...

Guide to Short Sales
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 shor...

Market Spotlight Pleasant Hill California
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. Pleasan...

Trains Running Through Your Backyard Are Just Fine
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 ho...

The Bay Area Condo Market Is HOT
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 DataQuic...

Premiums Increasing for FHA Buyers
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...

Local Market Statistic Recap
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 hou...

Northern California - Bay Area New Normal
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 t...

Short Sales Slowing In the East Bay
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...

What a Sellers Market we are in
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 a...

Flippers Helping Communities Recover
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 w...

Great Market Trajectory Forecasted
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...

Positive Legislation for Homeowners
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 e...

Inventory shortage continues in the East Bay
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...

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