California, Bay Area Housing Affordability Declines on an Annual Basis

Twenty-nine percent of Golden State households could afford to buy the median-priced $550,990 single-family home in the fourth quarter, up slightly from the third quarter but down from one year earlier. About one in five households in the nine-county Bay Area could afford to purchase the median-priced $895,000 home, down on both a quarterly and annual basis. San Francisco is California’s toughest market for buyers,...

Pacific Union's January 2018 Real Estate Update

The median sales price rose on an annual basis in January in every Bay Area region in which Pacific Union operates except Napa County, while the Mid-Peninsula was the only region to see inventory conditions improve. Click on the image accompanying each of our regions below for an expanded look at local real estate activity in January. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY The median sales price in...

Bay Area January Home Sales Slow, Not Because of Financial Volatility but Lack of Supply

Executive Summary: January Bay Area home sales were down by 12 percent on an annual basis, following the lowest inventory levels in three years. Silicon Valley posted the largest sales decline, though decreases in all areas were driven by fewer home sales below $1 million. Sales of homes priced between $1 million and $3 million were stronger than the year before. Homes priced above $3...

Video: January Bay Area Home Sales

Check out this short animation on January Bay Area housing market conditions. To read the full analysis by Pacific Union Chief Economist Selma Hepp, click here.  

Say What? A Guide to Real Estate Lingo

The process of shopping for and purchasing a home is a unique experience. In fact, while house hunting, you may hear words and phrases that you have not heard before, and they may seem vague or confusing. Below, we’ve collected a few commonly used words and phrases, along with their descriptions as they relate to the world of real estate. And remember, your real estate...

Most Americans Aspire to Homeownership

About 80 percent of non-homeowners hope to eventually purchase property and think it is a crucial part of the American dream. Two-thirds of Americans say that they would have some level of difficulty saving for a down payment. More than half of non-homeowners point to an inability to afford one as the primary reason they do not own property. More than eight in 10 renters...

Silicon Valley Again Earns High Marks for Education in 2018

Three Silicon Valley public-school districts again rank as California’s best this year. Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto ranks as the top high school in the state. Stanford University tops the list of America’s best colleges. While high-paying and plentiful tech jobs are fueling buyer demand for Silicon Valley homes, the fact that the region’s public schools consistently rank among the best in...

Bay Area Home Sellers Again Led the Nation for Profits in 2017

Nationwide, home sellers netted an average return on investment of $54,000 in 2017, representing a 29.7 percent profit since the date of purchase. San Jose and San Francisco sellers profited by a respective 90.9 percent and 73.3 percent, the highest in the country. San Jose was the most expensive U.S. housing market in 2017, with a median sales price of $960,000, followed by San Francisco...

Real Estate Roundup: Bay Area Home Price Growth Hits Historic Run

Here’s a look at recent news of interest to homebuyers, home sellers, and the home-curious. BAY AREA HOUSING MARKET APPRECIATION ON A NEARLY SIX-YEAR RUN Double-digit percent home price growth persisted across the Bay Area in the final month of 2017, matching the appreciation streak seen leading up to the last housing boom. Citing CoreLogic data, The Mercury News reports that the median sales price...