Home Buying

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Community How Many Homes Should You Tour Before Buying in San Jose LOCAL EXPERT SUMMARY: Navigating a competitive market requires strategy, and touring homes should be an educational process rather than a race to hit a specific number. In my 20+ years representing Bay Area buyers, I have helped clients transition from overwhelmed house hunters to confident homeowners by teaching them how to efficiently evaluate Santa Clara […]
Home Buying Home-Buying Trends in 2026: Suburban vs. Urban 2026 Home-Buying Trends: Are Buyers Choosing Suburbs or Cities? Where do buyers want to live in 2026? The answer isn’t as simple as city versus suburb. Today’s buyers are balancing home prices, available inventory, commute needs, space, housing type and overall monthly costs. For some, that calculation points toward a suburban home with more square […]
Home Buying How Much Housing Inventory Is Available in San Jose Right Now? How Much Housing Inventory Is Available in San Jose Right Now? If you’re thinking about buying a home in San Jose, one of the most important numbers to watch isn’t necessarily the median sales price. It’s housing inventory. Simply put, inventory tells us how many homes are available for buyers to purchase. When fewer homes […]
Home Buying How to Win Multiple-Offer Bids in San Jose & the South Bay (without over paying) How to Win Multiple-Offer Bids in San Jose & the South Bay (without over paying) Quick Facts In competitive San Jose and South Bay listings, sellers often prioritize deal certainty over the single highest price A fully underwritten pre-approval (not just a standard pre-approval letter) is increasingly what it takes to be taken seriously by […]
Home Buying Building an ADU in San Jose: What Homeowners and Buyers Should Know in 2026 If you’re considering buying a home in San Jose—or already own one—an Accessory Dwelling Unit may open up possibilities you hadn’t considered. Maybe you’d like additional living space. Maybe you’re thinking about long-term rental income. Or perhaps you simply want a property that gives you more flexibility as your needs change over time. Whatever the […]
Home Buying What is an Appraisal Gap? What is an appraisal gap? What actually is an appraisal gap? An appraisal gap occurs when the agreed-upon purchase price of a home exceeds the lender’s appraised value, which means the bank won’t finance the difference. In competitive markets like Willow Glen, where single-family homes in Santa Clara County sold at a 105% sale-to-list ratio […]
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 […]
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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 […]
Home Buying Why Does My Neighbor Pay Less Property Tax? Prop 13 Explained LOCAL EXPERT SUMMARY: Understanding Proposition 13 is one of the most critical steps for buyers calculating their true purchasing power in Santa Clara County. In my 20+ years representing Bay Area buyers, I have helped countless clients leverage this unique California law to accurately forecast their long-term housing costs and build sustainable equity. Key Takeaways […]
Home Buying Bridge Loans in Silicon Valley: How to Buy Your Next Home Before Selling Your Current One Bridge Loans in Silicon Valley: How to Buy Your Next Home Before Selling Your Current One If you own a home in Silicon Valley and you’re thinking about making a move, you may find yourself in a very Silicon Valley kind of dilemma: You have substantial equity in your current home—but you need that equity […]
Home Buying Downsizing in Willow Glen: A Fresh Start for Your Next Chapter There comes a point when the house that once felt just right starts to feel like more work than it’s worth. Maybe the kids have moved out, the guest rooms rarely get used, or you’re simply ready to spend less time maintaining a home and more time enjoying life. If that sounds familiar, you’re not […]
Home Buying What Are Off-Market (Pocket) Listings—and How Can You Find Them? If you’ve ever heard someone say, “We bought our house before it even hit the market,” you may have wondered how that’s possible. Those homes are often called off-market listings, pocket listings, or office exclusives. While they’re not as common as traditional MLS listings, they do exist—and in a competitive market like San Jose, they […]
Home Buying 9 Outdated Home Features Silicon Valley Buyers Notice—and What Sellers Should Do About Them 9 Outdated Home Features Silicon Valley Buyers Notice—and What Sellers Should Do About Them If you’re preparing to sell a home in Silicon Valley, you may start looking around your house a little differently. Suddenly, the kitchen cabinets you’ve lived with for 15 years look darker. The bathroom feels older. The carpet starts bothering you. […]
Downtown San Jose Understanding the Loan Contingency in California’s CAR Real Estate Contract Understanding the Loan Contingency in California’s CAR Real Estate Contract If you’re buying a home in California, you’ll likely encounter the California Association of Realtors (CAR) Residential Purchase Agreement—the standardized contract used in over 95% of residential property sales in the state. One of its most important protections for buyers is the loan contingency, also […]
Home Buying Condo or Single-Family Home? Here’s What First-Time Buyers Should Know in San Jose If you’re buying your first home in San Jose, you’ve probably noticed one thing pretty quickly: There’s a big price difference between a condo and a single-family home. For many buyers, that difference shapes the entire search. While every budget is different, condos and townhomes typically offer a much more affordable way to get into […]
Home Buying Buying Your Next Home Before Selling Your Current One? Here’s How Silicon Valley Homeowners Make It Work One of the questions I get asked most often is: “Do I need to sell my current home before I can buy my next one?” The honest answer is…it depends. If you’re moving up, downsizing, or simply relocating within Silicon Valley, you’re probably counting on the equity in your current home to help buy the […]
Home Buying How AI Is Changing Silicon Valley Real Estate—and What It Means for Buyers and Sellers Silicon Valley has always been shaped by the tech industry, but the latest wave of artificial intelligence is creating a different kind of real estate market. We’re not just seeing new companies pop up—we’re seeing billions of dollars flowing into AI startups, companies expanding their office space, and employees using stock gains to buy homes […]
Home Buying Escalation Clauses: Do They Actually Work in Silicon Valley? If you’ve been reading home buying advice online, you’ve probably come across something called an escalation clause. On paper, it sounds like the perfect strategy for a bidding war—you don’t have to guess the winning price, and you only pay more if someone else offers more. In reality, it’s a little more complicated. Here in […]
Home Buying 5 Ways to Win a Bidding War Without Making the Highest Offer If you’ve been looking for a home in San Jose, Willow Glen, or anywhere in Silicon Valley, you’ve probably noticed one thing—great homes don’t stay on the market for long. A new listing hits the MLS, the open houses are packed all weekend, and by the time offers are due, the seller has several to […]
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Michelle elliott | CalRE #01777533

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