The price of gold is at an all time high, more than 10x what it was around 1980 when the price shot up. Before then it had been relatively flat for decades. The price of Bay Area real estate has had a slower trajectory up. As you can see in this Median Home Price Trends…
I know you might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t the number one life goal to find inner peace, get married, achieve true happiness, or become a yoga guru?” And sure, those are all popular goals—but let’s talk about a truly achievable, life-changing goal that can actually fund your path to inner peace: Buy a house. Why…
There’s a reason why I’ve dragged my feet in converting my fixer garage into an ADU: Every year California improves statewide laws with regulations for building accessory dwelling units (ADUs). In 2025 some of the most exciting laws squash rules that some local cities were hoping to impose. Maxable is a company that provides end-to-end…
The Getty Center and Getty Villa emerged from the 2025 Los Angeles fire disaster as examples of fire hardening best practices. Yes, they had staff to supplement all of the measures the Getty team took to stop fire approaching and stop smoke from penetrating the buildings. But they also meticulously followed best practices for fire hardening…
Is the reward worth the risk of collaborating with a flipper / developer to update an older home in an affluent neighborhood before selling? The idea of transforming a million dollar home into a $3 million property — rather than selling it to someone else who will do just that — is worth exploring. Partnering…
“Eighty-two percent of home buyers express regrets about their recent property purchase. Their most common regret: buying a home that requires too much maintenance.” (Clever Real Estate survey) Is fear stopping you from buying a home when you really want to own and invest in your future, instead of renting? The answer is to address…
Imagine opening up your home to show off your remodeled kitchen. That’s what 8-10 Rockridge homeowners do every other year along with their builders, architects, and interior designers. Seeing these renovated and reimagined kitchens with the latest cabinetry, space-saving ideas, and glowing cabinet hardware is the ultimate inspiration to refresh your kitchen — especially if…
If you own rental property — whether an entire rental or you are renting part of your house out or some other type of investment property — you may qualify for a tax-deferred 1031 exchange when you sell. As of this moment, investors can usually exchange one investment for up to three investments of “like…
Thinking of a budget remodel to update or fix things about your house that you don’t like? Join the club! There’s nothing like living in a space for a while to figure out what you would like to change in layout or use of the space. That’s why I give my home buying clients a…
Do you feel like home buying has its ups and downs and winding road with plenty obstacles and hopefully triumphs? Congratulations! You are living Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey — the story of adventure, challenge and “finding home” that you see in every hit movie (think: Nemo, Ice Age, Star Wars, Under the Tuscan Sun, Wizard…