Home of the Week: 3-Story Penthouse Above Picturesque Santana Row

Set in the heart of Silicon Valley, this opulent residence overlooks the European village-style Santana Row district, the destination for upscale shopping, fine dining, and exciting nightlife in San Jose. Topping the luxurious Villa Cornet, the ultraprivate, 3,856-square-foot residence at 356 Santana Row has been spectacularly redesigned with more than a million dollars in fine materials, cutting-edge technology, and top-of-the-line amenities. Lavished with imported French...

More Good News About DIY Home Remodeling

Nearly half of all homeowners who recently completed a renovation project reported doing the work themselves. Owners who improved their properties specifically for pets were even more likely to do it themselves. Whether they made renovations on their home or added features for pets, owners who took a DIY approach report being slightly happier with the results than those who hired contractors. Two months ago,...

A+D Lecture No. 44: Featuring World-Renowned Celebrity Architect Richard Landry

Pacific Union International, which recently joined technology real estate company Compass, warmly invites you to the presentation of Architecture + Design Lecture No. 44, featuring world-renowned architect Richard Landry on Jan. 28 at Pacific Design Center. Landry Design Group is known for the design of homes that innovatively reflect the imagination of its clients, including celebrities, creative types, and industry leaders. Join us as Landry...

U.S., Golden State Home Price Growth Is Expected to Slow in 2019

U.S. home prices are expected to increase by 4.8 percent year over year by November 2019. November home prices were up on an annual basis in the San Francisco and Los Angeles metropolitan areas by a respective 5.9 percent and 5.3 percent. Prices appreciation for new homes is projected to slow in 2019 in all four major Bay Area housing markets, while new-home prices in...

U.S. Homebuyer Confidence Dropped in the Second Half of 2018

Sixty-three percent of Americans thought that it was a good time to purchase real estate as of the fourth quarter, down from 72 percent on an annual basis. Over the past six years, U.S. home prices have grown about three times faster than wages. Nearly 60 percent of Americans think that the economy is heading in the right direction, up from 52 percent in the...

Compass Wishes You a Happy New Year 2019!

All of your friends in Compass’ California offices would like to wish you a very happy New Year 2019! We hope that you have a festive, relaxing, and safe holiday and that your real estate resolutions for the next 12 months come to fruition. We’re taking a couple of days off to ring in 2019 in style, but please check back on Wednesday, Jan. 2...

Homebuyers Equally Rely on the Internet and Real Estate Professionals

Ninety-three percent of all homebuyers and 99 percent of millennials used websites during their search. Photos and detailed property information are the most useful online resources for home shoppers. Nearly 90 percent of homebuyers of all ages employed the services of a real estate professional. More than nine in 10 homebuyers employed the Internet at some point in their search process, and a near equal...

Wage Growth Is Outpacing Home Price Growth in Major Bay Area Job Centers

Nationwide, housing affordability is at its lowest level in more than 10 years in the fourth quarter. Wages are growing faster than home prices on an annual basis in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Marin County is the nation’s second-least affordable housing market, with the average household needing to spend more than 120 percent of its annual wages to purchase the median-priced...

San Francisco: America’s Best City for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Residents of San Francisco have the best chance in the U.S. of keeping their New Year’s resolutions, with particularly promising prospects for building relationships. San Jose also ranks in the top 10 for resolution-friendliness, boosted by inhabitants’ inclinations to avoid bad habits. Fremont residents have the nation’s best median credit score and lowest adult obesity rate. New Year’s resolutions are easy to set but not...