Weekly Update 1-20-2015

This week we have tips for you from an article we found interesting as well as from our newsletter. Enjoy!

5 Golden Rules of Home Staging

Team Patereau Newsletter for January, 2015

Contact Us:

1. Comment here!
2. Phone 408-981-2799
3. Email spatereau@interorealestate.com
4. Website TeamPatereau.com
5. Facebook Team Patereau
6. Twitter @susan_patereau
7. Really? Aren’t 6 ways to contact us enough?

Weekend Wellness - The Acts of Kindness

By Tammy Parkinson
CPT, ACSM, NASM, Nutritionist
Body Firm Personal Training & Nutrition

Kindness.  To me, there is not many greater gifts than someone being kind.  This past weekend a new client of mine asked my husband and I to come to his restaurant for dinner so he could make us his best pizza.  Well, if you know me...I don't eat pizza; however I glanced at the menu and knew I could create something.  I mostly wanted to say hello, enjoy a quick salad and get on with the last weekend before Christmas.  I mean, I had a list a million sheets thick to take care of.  I was practicing being "present", though, so upon our journey there, I let go of obligations and figured we'd stay maybe an hour; calculating in the back of my mind that I still had time to wrap presents if we were home in another hour and a half.

After a full tour of his impeccable 20 year old establishment and introductions to all his staff, Ali led us over to a table made up just for us.  He brought over his special eggplant creation, homemade baklava (I'm on my no sugar challenge so my husband had to step up here and have some!) a glass of wine for each of us, freshly made bread (again, my husband "had" to step up here) and then proceeded to ask us about our lives.  He was genuinely interested in "us" and spent time inquiring.  When we arrived, I asked for some lemon with my water.  After about 10 minutes I thought he had forgotten.  Then to my surprise, one of his employees was asked by Ali to run to his house down the street and pick us about 10 fresh lemons from his tree!  Ali knew I loved them and he was at close of business so was running out. 

Intero Insider: Home Sales Slip During Winter Lull

By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

The first monthly home sales numbers of 2014 came out late last week, giving us a peek into the year ahead. The prognosis? It’s been a harsh winter in much of the country, impacting America’s appetite for moving.

Perhaps to no one’s surprise, existing-home sales slowed down in January, falling to their lowest level in a year and a half in the National Association of Realtors’ latest report. Total sales, which include townhomes, condos and co-ops, fell 5.1% to an adjusted rate of 4.62 million in January from December, and were 5.1% below the pace seen in January 2013.

It was the slowest month since July 2012.

What’s causing the slowdown and do we need to worry?

Intero Insider - Are Homes Still Affordable in the U. S.?

By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

Who would've thought in 2012 that just two short years later we'd be hearing talk and worry over housing affordability in the U.S.? Well it's here. And with affordability comes the inevitable talk of housing bubbles.

A rapid growth in home prices will conjure up these worries and debates every time. And that's exactly what's happening in some parts of the country – mostly the west.

The median existing single-family home price climbed in 73% of metropolitan markets in the fourth quarter of 2013 from the previous year, according to a recent National Association of Realtors report. Forty-two of the metropolitan areas tracked in the report, or 26%, had double-digit increases, while two were unchanged and 43 recorded lower median prices.

The five most expensive housing markets in the fourth quarter were all in the west: San Jose, Calif., where the median existing single-family prices was $775,000; San Francisco at $682,400; Honolulu at $670,800; Anaheim-Santa Ana, Calif., at $666,300; and San Diego, where the median prices $476,800.

The five least expensive housing markets in the fourth quarter were Toledo, Ohio, where the median single-family home price was $80,500; Rockgord, Ill., at $81,400; Cumberland, Md., at $89,500; Elmira, N.Y., at $99,500; and South Bend, Ind., with a median price of $101,100.

Rising values in the west has been a good thing for homeowners who've seen significant gains in equity – in some cases enabling them the freedom to sell for the first time in several years. This housing activity is also helping to drive local economies through increased consumer spending.

But in some cases, home prices have risen faster than incomes, which impedes some buyers from getting in. That's where affordability concerns start to come into play.

This is also the segment of the market that will be impacted the most by any spikes in mortgage rates, which could stand to price out some buyers.

What we're looking for now in these rapidly rising markets is an increase in housing supply. A lack of available homes is the culprit behind much of the fast pace.

The average supply of homes during the fourth quarter was 4.9 months, up slightly from 4.8 months during the fourth quarter of 2012. However, NAR points out that a supply of 6-6.5 months represents a balance between buyers and sellers. So you can see why there's such frenzy in certain markets right now.

Housing supply will continue to play a large role in affordability this year. Things to watch out for include housing starts for new construction and hopefully a big spring home buying season that spurs more owners to put their homes on the market.

Gilroy's Mayor - An Interview

Had a chance recently to spend some time with Gilroy’s Mayor Don Gage. Hosted our Public Access TV station’s first-in-a-series about the Mayor, and the workings of the City of Gilroy. Here’s the first show.

Intero Prestigio - Latest Issue

Here's the latest issue of Intero Prestigio, our magazine of luxury properties for sale. Please take a look at these beautiful properties, and contact us if you would like to take the first step to make one yours.

Happy Valentine's Day

Intero Insider: Falling In Love with a House

By Gino Blefari, CEO, Intero Real Estate Services

Obviously, realtor.com put together this survey to have a little fun before Valentine’s Day. But do these emotional connections hurt or help buyers and sellers in the long run?

Real estate is highly emotional. We all knew this. But now we have statistics to show just how much this is the case for typical home buyers.

Monday Morning Mojo: Ride or Get Run Over!

By Tom Tognoli, COO & Founder
, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

When you woke up this morning, were you fired up and excited to improve…find a way to do it different…do it better…be innovative…change? So many people fight it…trying to stay the same and play it safe because things are okay and it’s working…they don’t want to rock the boat, take risks, and ruin a good thing.  Unfortunately, if you don’t look for a better way…trying to improve everyday, you will wake up one day and everything around you will have changed and it will be too late…it will seem like it happened overnight without warning and what caused your success in the past, both personally and professionally, will be the cause of your demise.

Change is an exciting thing.

When you just let go and don’t fight it the opportunities are endless and everything will just flow…if you resist and fight, you are in for a battle filled with disappointments and hard work that don’t produce much of anything.  It is like standing on a railroad track trying to stop a train going 100 mph…you just can’t do it…its not possible.  So, you can jump on the train and enjoy the ride, or get run over…it’s your choice.

Luxury Insider: The Year of the Condo

By Alain Pinel, General Manager of Intero Prestigio international, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

In the real estate residential arena, as everybody knows, the dynamic duo is made of Single Family Homes and Condos. In some towns, SFH represent 100% of the housing stock. In some districts of large cities, condos (together with co-ops) represent 100% of the stock. For the most part, they cohabit in harmony, as they serve different needs for different people.

Since towns, at this point and going forward, are far more likely to grow vertically than stretching horizontally due to the lack of buildable space where people want/need to live and work, condos keep on mushrooming very quickly on the land.

A Tale of Two Markets

By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

Two sets of data about California real estate released this past week reveal a housing market that’s healthy, yet complicated and moving in a few different directions.

What we’re seeing is a market that’s improving overall, but that continues to struggle with supply – especially in certain pockets like the San Francisco Bay Area.

2013 brought about vast improvements in the state’s luxury markets, with sales of homes costing $1 million or more soaring 45% to their highest level in six years, according to La Jolla-based housing data company DataQuick.

Life is like a roll of toilet paper

By Tom Tognoli, COO & Founder, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc

Where does the time go?

This past Friday I turned 50. I feel great and don’t feel 50…however that is supposed to feel, but it is still hard for me to wrap my head around. I feel like I am maybe in my mid 30’s, but 50…no way. Where does the time go? I am sure most of you reading this can relate.

Now…don’t get me wrong…it’s all good and I am good with it. I am blessed with so many amazing things…a great family, I live in the most amazing place in the world, I am healthy, my family is healthy, I am happily married and I have two great kids, I live in a beautiful home, have great friends, and have helped build a great company, but how in the world did this happen? How did I get to be 50? How did it become 32 years since I graduated high school? How have I been married for 22 years? How has it been over 12 years since we started Intero? And how in the world did my boys get to be 16 and 14? All of you with kids totally get this.

Happy Groundhog Day

One Cool Thing

Can you find where you live? Where you want to live?

Intero Insider: Move-up Buyers Hungry for Bigger, More Expensive Homes

By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

Here’s a term we haven’t heard much of in the last few years: move-up buyer. But many markets are now seeing many more of these folks. Some are even showing signs of strength in luxury or the high-end of the market thanks to this type of buyer.

After the recession started to take hold in 2008, the market for large and expensive homes fell as more buyers looked for more affordable places to live that weren’t as much of a drain to heat, cool and keep lit up.

Weekend Wellness: Myth vs. Reality

By Tammy Parkinson, CPT, ACSM, NASM, Nutritionist, Body Firm Personal Training & Nutrition

In my line of work, I hear a lot of terrific tips…as well as a lot of very confusing marketing “ploys”…

Here’s a little test for you to determine what’s a myth and what’s truth in every day grocery life:

Myths:

1. Sugar is fattening
2. A salad is always your best option
3. To remove all the fat from poultry, remove the skin
4. 2% milk is considered low fat
5. No sugar added means there is no sugar in the product
6. Reduced fat is considered the best choice for a low fat meal
7. Always choose peanut butter without cholesterol
8. Chili, green tea and ginger speeds up your metabolism
9. Nuts and cheese are great protein options
10. Cereal is a terrific breakfast choice

Cool Apps: Don’t Lose Your New Year’s Motivation

By John Thompson, Executive Vice President, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

We’ve just concluded the first month of the year and I’m sure many of you have lost sight of your New Year’s Resolutions already. Coming into February, people tend to slack off, allowing themselves a little more lenience and by March, they’ve all together given up. Well, today I bring you an app that will, hopefully, keep you motivated through the whole year.

We all know that success in weight loss or a healthy lifestyle is more than just working out 5 days a week. It takes focus and energy to really adjust your whole way of thinking. Today’s app can help with just that. Fitbit will not only track your activity but will help you eat better, sleep better and keep you overall motivated to meet your goals!

Walk the Dog

 By Tom Tognoli, COO & Founder, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc

This year I want to

• walk 500 miles
• exercise 125 hours
• burn 50,000 extra calories
• finish 10 books
• pray regularly and give thanks for the blessings in my life
• spend time every week with my wife just talking about life, our family, our dreams and our goals
• be less stressed
• lower my blood pressure and cholesterol level
• have more energy at work and with my family
• be more patient
• make more money
• be in better shape
• lose 10 to 15 pounds
• live longer
• significantly reduce my chances of getting sick
• see my mom and dad 3 to 4 times a week

…that’s all.

Sounds pretty daunting, doesn’t it? What would you say if I told you that it can all be accomplished by spending 30 minutes 5 times a week. I am sure most of you are skeptical.

One of my commitments for 2014 is walking our dog 5 times a week after dinner. When I decided to start doing it, I did not do it for all of the reasons above…I just knew our dog needed a walk and I knew it was better for me to go for a walk than sitting on the couch watching sitcoms all night.  So far I have been pretty good about doing it. Most of the time Lynn and I walk Ryder together, but sometimes I do it on my own listening to a book on tape, inspiring music, or just thinking. Guess what? If I am just consistent about doing my 30 minute walk 5 times a week, I will accomplish all of this…really! If you don’t believe me, or even if you do, there is a great book I recommend you read or listen too….The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.  The Slight Edge is all about the monumental impact of doing a little something consistently.

Be Kind To Yourself

By Tammy Parkinson, CPT, ACSM, NASM, Nutritionist, Body Firm Personal Training & Nutrition

I think one of the most valued “acts” is kindness. I know when someone opens a door for me, or smiles, or offers to do something to help, if feels great. I also know when I am kind, it can feel equally as nice, if not better.

How often are we kind to our bodies? We easily can think of ways to be nice to others, however how often do we eat foods which do harm? How often do we consider what we feed ourselves as acts of kindness or acts of destruction? We have foods which can cause problems as simple as weight gain to acid reflux, all the way to diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. When we eat, do we want to be kind to our bodies? If not, why? Something to think about.

Then of course, there are the workouts. There are those who will ignore any sort of activity for a variety of reasons for weeks, then go out and destroy their bodies in a long torturous run let say, or a bike ride after weeks on the couch and office chair. They’ll feel sore, hurt and tired, and end up ignoring their bodies for another few weeks. Then there’s the person who lifts weights, sporadically and carelessly only to injure themselves because if improper preparation and mindfulness. Is this kind?

Your New Donation Companion

By John Thompson, Executive Vice President, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

We all do it. Drop off a bag of clothes at the local Salvation Army and take the donation receipt with the intention of filling it out later and then loose it.  Now, with a drop off every few months, these dismissed and lost receipts can add up to a huge pile of missed tax credits. Your donations are something you already do so you might as well take advantage of them, right?

Well, iDonatedIt is an app that will help you organize and stay on top of your generous donations without needing that receipt. The app tracks the date your donations are made, the organization they went to, what you donated and the value of those items. Just think, one place to track all of the information for your donations; compliant and IRS ready. The app does cost $2.99 but the return on your investment is well worth it.

Setting up and using it is extremely simple too. When you go to make a donation, add a new donation event right from the home screen of the app. Enter the name and address of the charity, the date the donation was made and attach a photo of the donated items if you like. Add the items you donated and an estimated value will automatically be provided by the app. Once the donation event is complete, a report is created and sent to your email. It’s all so simple and done in about 5 minutes! No more loosing receipts, racking your brain about the donation you made last April, or dismissing great value in your generosity. You’ll be so ready for tax season you won’t know what to do with yourself.