The hot-and-cold-running microclimates of the past few weeks have apparently
started to temper geographically. The typical spring onslaught of listings
remains hesitant this year, though there has been a refreshing, if slight,
up-tick in inventory in most areas. Most areas are also seeing stale
inventory starting to sell, and not just due to price reductions but
also to the limited selection available to buyers that are getting weary
of the hunt.
While San Francisco and most of the Peninsula remain ravenous for homes
to show and sell in all price categories, Burlingame, Castro Valley,
Danville, Livermore, Oakland, Orinda, Redwood City, Santa Rosa, San
Carlos and Woodside/Portola Valley all report an upswing in inventory
coming on the market and are feeling more balanced activity.
Multiple offer situations are finally slowing down a bit, though upper-tier
homes (and virtually anything in San Francisco) are continuing
to see an increase in multiple and pre-emptive offers. There were
12 offers on a Portola Valley listing priced at $2,995,000. One Burlingame
home that was listed at $1,388,000 had 13 offers and closed at $1,801,000.
Reports from the North Bay indicate that the luxury market over $2 million
is particularly hot in Greenbrae, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Ross, and
Novato notes momentum in high-end sales as well. A Mill Valley tear-down
priced at $800,000 sold significantly over asking and, in San Francisco,
some high-end pre-emptives are going pre-MLS.
We held an increased number of homes open, over 540, and they were
all well-attended. Some Sebastopol opens reported over 40 groups going
through and a San Mateo Park home had over 100 groups in attendance.
San Francisco Agents were noticing that it was difficult to get in and
out of open houses in Noe Valley due to the number of people out looking!
All in all, things continue to bode well for spring with listing inventory
remaining steady for 14 offices, increasing for 14 and decreasing in
only 2. Sales activity remains steady in 18 offices, increased for 5
offices and declined for 7. Over 220 offers were ratified and more than
70 multiple offer situations occurred. We may have lost an hour of sleep,
but we gained an extra hour of daylight to get those homes ready for
the market.
Rick Turley
President
Coldwell Banker SF/Peninsula
