Blog - Michelle Elliott

Community, San Jose Housing Market Updates, San Jose Real Estate

The First Episode for “Say What You Want About Real Estate!” Podcast

So excited to let you know that my good friend Kristina Rogers and I have started our own podcast; this is our very first episode for “Say What You Want About Real Estate!” We are 2 Silicon Valley Realtors with 30 years of experience between us. We are moms and both have husbands in the […]
San Jose Real Estate

Jumbo Loans 101: What San Jose Homebuyers Need to Know

If you’re planning to buy a home in San Jose, don’t be surprised if your lender mentions a jumbo loan. With home prices in Silicon Valley, many buyers find themselves looking at jumbo financing—not because they’re purchasing a luxury property, but simply because of the loan amount needed. Here’s what a jumbo loan is and […]
San Jose Real Estate

What Is Mello-Roos?

If you’re shopping for a home in San Jose, you’ve probably come across the term Mello-Roos in a listing or disclosure packet. For many buyers, it’s one of the most confusing parts of buying a home. The good news is that it’s actually pretty simple once you know what it is. Here’s what Mello-Roos means […]
Community, San Jose Housing Market Updates

San Jose Housing Market Update July 2026

Is the San Jose Housing Market Cooling Down? What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know Quick Summary San Jose home prices are holding steady at $1.46M, largely flat year-over-year List prices dropped 5% year-over-year, and price cuts are up 18% since last year Inventory remains tight, with most homes still selling in under 60 […]

Community The First Episode for “Say What You Want About Real Estate!” Podcast So excited to let you know that my good friend Kristina Rogers and I have started our own podcast; this is our very first episode for “Say What You Want About Real Estate!” We are 2 Silicon Valley Realtors with 30 years of experience between us. We are moms and both have husbands in the […]

San Jose Real Estate Jumbo Loans 101: What San Jose Homebuyers Need to Know If you’re planning to buy a home in San Jose, don’t be surprised if your lender mentions a jumbo loan. With home prices in Silicon Valley, many buyers find themselves looking at jumbo financing—not because they’re purchasing a luxury property, but simply because of the loan amount needed. Here’s what a jumbo loan is and […]

San Jose Real Estate What Is Mello-Roos? If you’re shopping for a home in San Jose, you’ve probably come across the term Mello-Roos in a listing or disclosure packet. For many buyers, it’s one of the most confusing parts of buying a home. The good news is that it’s actually pretty simple once you know what it is. Here’s what Mello-Roos means […]

Community San Jose Housing Market Update July 2026 Is the San Jose Housing Market Cooling Down? What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know Quick Summary San Jose home prices are holding steady at $1.46M, largely flat year-over-year List prices dropped 5% year-over-year, and price cuts are up 18% since last year Inventory remains tight, with most homes still selling in under 60 […]

Home Buying Self-Employed or 1099? Here’s How Lenders Look at Your Income When You Buy a Home If you’re self-employed, own a business, freelance, or earn part of your income as a 1099 contractor, getting a mortgage can feel a little more complicated than it does for someone receiving a traditional W-2 paycheck. But complicated doesn’t mean impossible. Self-employed buyers purchase homes every day. The biggest difference is that lenders may need […]

Home Buying Escrow, Title, and Closing in California: Who Does What—and What Are You Paying For? Once your offer is accepted, you start hearing three words constantly: Escrow. Title. Closing. They can sound like different names for the same thing. They’re not. Each one plays a different role in getting you from an accepted offer to actually owning the home, and understanding who does what can make the whole transaction feel […]

Home Buying Rate Buydowns vs. Seller Credits vs. a Price Cut: What Could Save Buyers More? When you’re buying a home, negotiating the price can feel like the obvious place to start. But here’s something buyers don’t always realize: getting $10,000 off the purchase price isn’t necessarily the same as getting $10,000 in seller concessions. Depending on your loan, your cash available for closing, how long you plan to own the […]

San Jose Real Estate Selling and Buying at the Same Time in San Jose: A Move-Up Buyer’s Guide If you already own a home and you’re thinking about moving up, you may have found yourself asking: How am I supposed to buy my next home when so much of my money is tied up in the one I already own? This is one of the biggest challenges move-up buyers face in San Jose […]

Community California’s Homeowners Insurance Crisis: What San Jose Buyers Need to Know If you’ve looked for homeowners insurance in California recently, you’ve probably noticed it’s become much more difficult—and much more expensive—to get coverage. Many buyers are surprised to learn that the biggest challenge isn’t just higher premiums. In some parts of the state, it’s finding an insurance company that’s willing to write a new policy at […]

San Jose Real Estate Multi-Generational Home Buying in San Jose: Can Your Family Pool Income to Qualify? With home prices as high as they are in San Jose and throughout Santa Clara County, more buyers are asking a very practical question: Can we buy a home together as a family? Maybe parents want to help an adult child purchase their first home. Maybe adult children are planning to buy a property where […]

San Jose Real Estate Buying a House With Your Partner in San Jose: What to Decide First Buying a home together is exciting. You’re touring properties, imagining where the furniture will go, talking about neighborhoods, and figuring out how much house you can comfortably afford. But if you’re buying with a partner you’re not married to, there are a few conversations worth having before you fall in love with a house and […]

San Jose Real Estate Closing Costs in California: What San Jose Buyers Actually Need to Know You’ve saved for the down payment. You’ve gotten pre-approved. You’ve found the house. And then someone mentions closing costs. For many buyers, especially first-time buyers, this is the part of the purchase that can feel surprisingly confusing. There are lender fees, title charges, escrow costs, prepaid taxes, insurance, recording fees—and suddenly it seems like everyone […]

Blossom Valley 95136-Blossom Valley Housing Market Update: What Changed From June to July 2026? If you’re thinking about buying a home in San Jose’s 95136 ZIP code, Blossom Valley area, the July numbers give us an interesting look at how the market changed as we moved further into summer. Compared with June, the average sale price came down, homes took a little longer to sell, and slightly fewer properties […]

San Jose Real Estate Down Payment Assistance in Santa Clara County: What Buyers Should Know in 2026 If you’re trying to buy your first home in Santa Clara County, the down payment can feel like the biggest obstacle of all. And honestly, that’s understandable. When homes in Silicon Valley routinely sell for seven figures, even buyers with strong incomes can struggle to save enough cash for a traditional down payment while also […]

San Jose Real Estate Off-Market Listings in San Jose: What Buyers Should Actually Know in 2026 “Off-market” is one of those real estate phrases that can sound more mysterious than it really is. You may hear that a home sold “before it hit the market,” that an agent has access to “private inventory,” or that certain listings are available only through insider relationships. Some of that is legitimate. Some of it […]

Cambrian 95124 – Cambrian – Housing Market Update: What Changed From June to July 2026? If you’re thinking about buying a home in San Jose’s 95124 ZIP code, you may have noticed that the market felt a little different in July. And the numbers seem to support that. Compared with June, fewer homes sold, the average sale price was lower, homes took longer to sell, and buyers weren’t paying quite […]

Cambrian Willow Glen vs. Cambrian: Which San Jose Neighborhood Fits Your Home Search? If your San Jose home search has come down to Willow Glen vs. Cambrian, you’re comparing two areas with very different housing styles and day-to-day experiences. The question isn’t really which neighborhood is “better.” It’s which one gives you more of what matters for your particular home search. Are you hoping to walk to restaurants […]

San Jose Real Estate San Jose Neighborhoods First-Time Homebuyers Should Consider Buying your first home in San Jose can be exciting—and, yes, a little intimidating. Once you start looking at prices in Santa Clara County, it becomes pretty clear that “affordable” means something different here than it does in many other parts of the country. But here’s something I remind first-time buyers all the time: You […]

San Jose Real Estate Earthquake Insurance: Is It Worth It? Standard California homeowners insurance policies don’t cover earthquake damage — a fact that surprises many buyers relocating to San Jose from other parts of the country. Deciding whether to purchase separate earthquake coverage is a genuinely personal calculation, but here’s the framework to think it through. Why Standard Homeowners Insurance Doesn’t Cover Earthquakes Earthquake risk […]

Google San Jose Campus Where to Live in San Jose If You Work at Google If you’re relocating to Silicon Valley for a job at Google—or already work there and are thinking about buying a home—it’s tempting to start your search with one question: Which neighborhood gives me the shortest commute? Commute matters, of course. But when you’re making a major home purchase, it shouldn’t be the only factor. San […]

Home Buying Why Does My Neighbor Pay Less Property Tax? Prop 13 Explained One of the biggest surprises for many homebuyers in California isn’t the mortgage—it’s the property taxes. You might move into your dream home only to discover that your neighbor, who lives in the exact same model, pays thousands of dollars less in property taxes every year. It doesn’t seem fair at first, but there’s a […]