Red hot local real estate market looks sustainable | Tim Talk | Tim Hunt | DanvilleSanRamon.com |

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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Red hot local real estate market looks sustainable

Uploaded: Aug 12, 2021
The Livermore Valley real estate market is still red hot and likely sustainable for months if not years to come.
That’s the conclusion from David Stark, the public affairs director for the Bay East Association of Realtors headquartered here in Pleasanton. Stark, in his first in-person appearance in almost two years, spoke to the Pleasanton Men’s Club under the very warm tent at Barone’s Restaurant Tuesday.
The median sales price for a single-family home in Pleasanton is now $1.6 million and the low inventory of homes on the market that he outlined in a presentation two years ago remains. The effect of the pandemic and the shutdown was a 90-day downward blip that was quickly overcome when the real estate industry figured out how to do virtual showings and other innovations.
2020 saw an inventory bump after the first 90 days and then another one in the fall, a unique situation according to Stark.
Just how hot is the market? A good measure is the days on the market. The highest number this year was 15 days in January, when the real estate market traditionally is on an extended holiday. Typically, the market picks up after the Super Bowl. Since then it has bounced around 10 days in all three cities. A more typical market would be 30 days or more.
The bottom line: Stark believes the numbers show that the market is sustainable. Thanks to the low interest rates and the demand the board has added a new statistic, tracking pending sales. These are homes under contract and they have been closing at the expected rate.
Stark pointed out another key factor that is driving people from the South Bay, the Peninsula and San Francisco to the Tri-Valley—the type of single-family homes that make up our communities. Most of the homes in our cities were built later than 1970 so they have decent size lots; three, four or five bedrooms; two or more bathrooms and thus have space for a “staycation” in the backyard and rooms for people to work at home.
That’s led to plenty of sales at 10% or more over the listing price. On a $1.6 million median priced Pleasanton home, that's another $160k. Stark also pointed out that despite very low interest rates, homebuyers still had to come up with a 20% down payment for a conventional loan.
Given the over-asking prices, some Realtors may resort to low balling the list price. Why? Because it ensures showings said Realtor Scott Piper. That tactic has completely distorted the Oakland Hills/Piedmont market he said and hoped it would not be established here.
The same work-at-home factor now has propelled Brentwood into the picture now that could be permanent or just a couple days a week required in an office. Homes cost significantly less and many are newer and larger. The delta variant has slowed office reopenings dramatically so that’s a story to be written in the long term.
The Tri-Valley’s location (equidistant from San Francisco and the Silicon Valley) plus its type of housing stock will continue to make it desirable for people looking to raise their families here.


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Comments

Posted by Gib Souza, a resident of another community,
on Aug 12, 2021 at 10:06 am

Gib Souza is a registered user.

Tim
As now a 5 plus year resident of Brentwood after 40 plus years in Livermore, the only impediment to living in Brentwood is Vasco Road. Yes, traffic on Vasco has become somewhat more bearable through the pandemic but I have noticed commute traffic increasing over the past month or two. And, it is a race track - no way can you do 55 mph without taking your life in your hands especially on the Livermore to Brentwood side of the road. A safer road is being ignored by our County politicians and who will likely continue to do so until there is a high profile, deadly accident. Yes, Livermore will have to participate in whatever solution is in store for Vasco Road. The sooner the better. Yet, there will before too many accidents occurring on Vasco that don't seem to raise concern amongst the politicos.
Brentwood is a great community dealing with many of the same issues that Livermore has concerned itself with over the years. Growth is the main concern. I am glad to see growth concerns since the model and outcome in Livermore seems viable and thriving.


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