April 17th, 2025 Happy Thursday I was chatting with a client this week who said something I hear all the time “I check Zillow every day just to see what’s going on.” Totally get it. Zillow is like real estate’s version of TikTok… easy to scroll, addictive, and always showing you just enough to keep you coming back. But here’s the thing you probably haven’t heard—Zillow is in a dogfight with traditional real estate brokerages. It’s not making headlines, but it’s quietly changing how you (and...
11 days ago • 5 min read
April 10th, 2025 Happy Thursday Hold on for the roller coaster ride of global economies... more on that in a moment. A client recently sent me a listing they were really excited about in Carlsbad—4 beds, solid layout, and priced just under the comps. It looked like a light fixer… but the agent remarks told another story. This was a trust sale, AS-IS, with a pre-listing inspection already done (rare in our market). The report revealed ~$75K in repairs… and that’s the optimistic version....
18 days ago • 3 min read
April 3rd, 2025 Happy Thursday I love podcasts because you can tap into the brain of someone you’d otherwise never have "access" to. This week, Naval Ravikant launched a new episode on Modern Wisdom (which is rare) & shared some amazing thoughts. If you don't know Naval, he's a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor with a track record of building, backing, and thinking differently. But what really sticks with me is his philosophy on life. “The only real test of intelligence is if you get...
25 days ago • 5 min read
March 27th, 2025 Happy Thursday Avoiding Competition Might Cost You More Than Facing ItLast week we talked about PROS of buying off market. What about cons? Yesterday, I met with a buyer who told me she only wanted off-market deals. No bidding wars, no stress. I get it—competing can be exhausting. But here’s the twist: by avoiding competition, she might end up paying more. It’s a common myth that off-market = better deal. In reality, active listings—yes, the ones with multiple offers—often...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
March 20th, 2025 Happy Thursday Sometimes, the best deals never hit the market. This past week, we closed on a beautiful modern home in Encinitas for our buyers—completely turnkey, west of the 5, and just a short bike ride to the beach. The catch? It was never publicly listed. I first heard about this home at a local realtor networking session, where a Compass agent mentioned it in passing. The details were vague, but I knew it could be a perfect fit for one of my clients. We connected, got...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
March 13th, 2025 Happy Thursday If you’ve been following the headlines, you’ve probably noticed some mixed signals about interest rates. The new administration is pushing for lower rates to make borrowing more affordable, but the Federal Reserve isn’t budging just yet. Meanwhile, the bond market—often ahead of the curve—is already adjusting in anticipation of what’s next. So, what does this all mean for you? If you're looking to buy, mortgage rates are still hovering around 6.5%–7%, making...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
March 6th, 2025 Happy Thursday The Truth About List Prices & Price Reductions Looking at sold-to-list price ratios can be misleading because a list price is just an ask—not a guarantee. It can be a strategic starting point, like an auction designed to drive competition, or an aspirational number that a seller hopes to achieve. Every seller and agent takes a different approach to pricing, and it’s ultimately a marketing tactic. Some homes are intentionally priced below the competition to...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
February 27th, 2025 Happy Thursday Lately, I’ve had multiple transactions where home inspections revealed significant issues. It’s easy to spend money on aesthetic upgrades, but no one enjoys shelling out thousands for the less exciting (yet crucial) fixes—think drainage, roofs, plumbing, and other functional necessities. These are the things buyers rarely notice when touring homes BEFORE writing an offer, but they can make or break a deal. See below for a quick list of maintenance items to...
2 months ago • 3 min read
February 20th, 2025 Happy Thursday Friendly reminder that real estate is always HPYER LOCAL. Regardless of what's going on in the rest of San Diego County, or the Nation... [don't believe all headlines] North County is booming. I took clients to this property this past week. List price $2,250,000. 3 bedroom, golf course views just under 3k sqft in La Costa. It wasn't a great fit for them, but apparently, it is for others. They got multiple offers over ask. 60+ groups at the open house over...
2 months ago • 3 min read