Los Altos Real Estate Blog

Last week I wrote a blog about my "Naught and Nice Lists" for 2011 and in that list I included the Accredited Consultant in Real Estate (ACRE) designation on my naughty list.  Why?  I didn't think I could easily fit into my business model and I didn't have time to finish up the testing (even after completing the fee schedule).  Well, guess what.  It's officially off the naughtly list.  The last two days I finished the testing and graduated!

Why did I change my mind so quickly?  Well, this week has been all about catching up and I had the time.  More importantly, I also reflected back on a variable pricing structure in which I could charge different prices based on the type of real estate service and property price range.  I've decided to combine consulting with traditional commissions (that's in the course).  In the end, it became clear that I'd be much better off if I offered consulting for certain services based on client need.

In 2012, I will offer consulting and commission-based compensation options to my clients based on the type of services they need and the price range of the home.  Using this model will enable clients to choose what services they get and ensure I deliver what that want and need.  Here's an overview of who I offer consulting to:

• Buyers looking at homes up to $1M
• Sellers with properties valued to to $1M
• Developers needing pricing and marketing assessments or plans

The services will include all the things I do for my buyer and seller clients, regardless of the price range.  Each service will be priced on a "per service" and "per hour" basis, depending on the service offered.  I'll be offering consulting services on a trial basis in Q1 2012 and will evaluate how well they work in my market.  Based on how my clients like the services, I'll make adjustments to how they're delivered for the remainder of the year.

Are you looking for the best neighborhood Christmas light displays in the San Jose / Silicon Valley area?  Anyone who drives around Silicon Valley enough will happen upon one or more truly epic displays of lights in their neighborhood.  Do you have a local "Clark Griswold" who puts up 25,000 lights?  We do!  And it's all kinds of awesome.  Some displays are just lights.  Others have music timed to them broadcast on an FM channel.  Either way, there are lots of nice displays.  The website with the list of many of the best displays is CaliforniaChristmasLights.com

Some great displays to see tonight include:

• 750 Harriet, Campbell, CA
• 2387 Adele, Mountain View, CA
• Fulton Ave, Palo Alto (1700-1800 series)
• 585 Blairburry, San Jose, CA

I took my kids out to see many of the local light displays last night and there were lots of people out doing the same.  When you drive up, practice these safety tips:

• Park properly at the side of the road (don't block traffic)
• Don't block driveways
• Stay a while but make space for others who show up
• If you get out of your car, don't want on the owners property
• Enjoy being socialable with the other holiday revelers - that's what the holiday is about

While a few folks argue the merits of saying "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays", I've decided to go with Merry Whatever™.  The beauty of Merry Whatever™ is that it covers everything.  Just substitute "Whatever" for the holiday appropriate to the person you're addressing.  You see, in cosmopolitan Silicon Valley, I've got friends and clients who are Pagan, Jewish, Persian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African, and many other cultures who have absolutely no interest in Christmas.  It's just another day, which is why they keep calling to buy and sell property (yeah!).

For the record, I'm not a Christian.  For me, Christmas is about family, friends, good times, and celebrating the wonderful people around me.  That said, I'm happy to respect the religious elements of the holiday - no matter what religion you celebrate this time of year.  When I greet those who like traditional Christmas, I offer up a hearty "Merry Christmas".  When I meet the many folks from other cultures, I'll go with the Merry Whatever™ alternative:

• Happy Hanukkah
• Happy Saturnalia
• Happy Diwali (back in November)
• Merry Ramadan
• Merry Yalda
• Happy Kwanzaa
• Happy Holidays
• Merry Chrismahanukwanzadan (covers 4 holidays in one greeting!)

Whatever one applies to you, I'll be there to say the greeting of choice.  Remember, Merry Whatever™ works for every country and nationality in the world.  So, to all my friends, family, and clients, I'll leave you with these messages:

• Thank you for being a part of my life! 
• Be happy and enjoy those important people in your life.
• Celebrate what's important to you and I'll celebrate it with you.

I saw a great article from Renee Burrows this morning about expired listings in Las Vegas and some of the many reasons they didn't sell.  In Silicon Valley, we have a lot of expired listings and many of the reasons they don't sell include those she cited; overpriced, poor photography, badly staged, ridiculous showing instructions, and so forth.  There are thousands of licensed agents in Silicon Valley and a large number of those sell nothing all year.  They get their license to help family and friends sell their homes at a discount, largely as a favor.  So, as a home seller, are they doing you a favor if your house doesn't sell?

Congratulations on hiring your relative!  They got licensed to help you save a little money.  They'll be cheap.  A lot less expensive than the full-price agent at the leading local brokerage.  However, remember that you get what you pay for.  That offer to help you sell your home and kick-back most or all of the commission will backfire.  Do you really expect someone with no experience to print a flyer, put it in the MLS, and sell your home at higher than market price?  To effectively sell your home requires knowledge and experience about marketing and sales, specifically in four key areas:

Product - Your home and how good it looks.  If it needs repairs, paint, staging, or anything else to make it look good you need to know and it needs to be done.  I'll tell you what you need to do and you may not like it but it's what is necessary to get your home sold.  Failure to clean it up will prevent it from selling.  Will your cousin tell you that?

Price - Your home needs to be priced competitively.  I don't care what you paid for it or how much effort you put into maintaining it.  A buyer will pay what it's worth in the current market.  I'll tell you what the price should be to appeal to that buyer - within 1-2%.  Pricing too high will prevent it from selling.  Telling you it's worth more just to be nice will not get your home sold.  Will your brother-in-law tell you that?

Place - Location is everything and if you're at the end of a bad intersection, near a busy road, or backed against a commercial zone your home will be worth less - period.  No matter how nice it is, buyers will discount for location.  I'll tell you that and if you really want to sell, you'll listen.  Telling you a bad location won't make a difference isn't honest.  Will your sister the agent tell you the truth?

Promotion - Your home needs to be marketed effectively.  Putting it on the MLS is not marketing.  Taking a couple of photos with an iPhone and putting them in a flyer made with Microsoft Word isn't marketing either.  Professional marketing means professional photos, video, virtual tour, flyers on card stock, mailers, ads, and more that the inexperienced, bargain-basement, newbie relative is very unlikely to be able to do.  Doing cheap marketing or incomplete marketing will not get the word to the buyers and agents.  If you're going to sell, do it right - with a professional REALTOR who knows how to do it.

So, feel free to use a relative to try and sell your home.  When the listing expires after being unsold for several months, call me.  I'll help you get it done right.

I've been to this (in fact I went last year) and it's one of the largest Christmas displays I've ever seen.  It takes up the entire 2-acre Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park with over 60 displays that include animated characters, community made Christmas trees, and holiday decorations.  They even have "snow" that shoots out over guests from time to time.

In addition to the displays, visitors can enjoy:

• Meet with Santa
• Live entertainment
• Amusement rides and games for kids and adults
• Concessions with fun foods including international favorites
• Gifts and toys for sale
• DONATION BOXES!  This is important, please donate.

ADMISSION:  Free!

HOURS:  9:00AM to Midnight

DATES:  Daily through Jan 1st, 2011

That's the best part, the whole thing is free but it costs a lot of money to keep it going.  They event organizers ask that you donate just $1 for each person who visits.  With close to 500,000 visitors every year, just $1 per person would fund the entire program for next year.

With so many restaurants in the downtown area within walking distance (we went to Spaghetti Factory last year), it's easy to plan an eveing in downtown San Jose.

There are lots of well known displays of lights throughout the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.  One of the best known is the Fantasy of Lights held in Vasona Park in Los Gatos.  This 1.5 mile drive through the park showcases an seemingly endless array of light displays and holiday displays.  It's really simple, just pack your family, friends, whoever into your car and drive through the park to see the displays. The lines are long and you will drive slowly so don't think it'll just be a quick trip.  So, that makes it a great opportunity to get out of the house and see something festive and fun.  The tour can easily take an hour or more so plan ahead!

• Time:  6:00-10:00PM
• Dates:  Everyday through Dec 31st
• Address:  333 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA
• Tickets: $15 per vehicle (up to 9 passengers) - $25 per vehicle (10-25 passengers)

Want to avoid the lines and waiting?  Try the Reindeer Express!  This Saturday and Sunday only you can sign up to view the displays and sounds from the comfort of a luxury bus.  The cost is $8 per person and buses leave at 6PM and 8PM.  For me, this is the best way to go because you can just hop on the bus and go on the tour without waiting.  Space is limited though so get your tickets early.  Advance registration is required so don't just drop in.

The Ainsley House in downtown Campbell is a historic home with an old "Cotswold" style roof that stands out from more contemporary styles of the surrounding neighborhood.  It offers a very "Dickens" feeling to the holidays when it's decked out in decorations and holiday lights.  Thus, it's a great time for the Holiday Open House.  This is a chance to:

• Tour Ainsley House
• See all the decorations inside and out
• Enjoy a few refreshments
• Listen to live entertainment

Since you're within easy walking distance of the downtown restaurants, it's easy to stop by either before or after dinner to make a fun-filled evening.  My personal favorite is Aqui but there are plenty to choose from.

• Location:  Ainsley House
• Time:  5:30-8:00PM
• Dates:  Dec 15-18th
• Tickets:  $10 (members) or $15 (non-members)  These may be purchased in advance or at the door
• Address:  300 Grant Street, Campbell, CA
• Phone:  408-866-2758

The grounds at Ainsley House really are very nice and the decorations are truly some of the best in the area.  If you've never been there, this is one of the best times all year to stop by and visit.  Give it a look!

This Saturday, December 17th at 7:30PM, the Winchester Orchestra of San Jose will present a variety of classic Broadway musical tunes and Christmas music to celebrate the season.  Music comes from some well-known Broadway plays including South Pacific and Gypsy.  This event is also help on December 18th in San Jose.  See the Winchester Orchestra website for details. 

The Saratoga concert takes place at West Valley College located at:

14000 Fruitvale Ave

Saratoga, CA  95070

Tickets are either $10 or $20 and may be ordered by calling 408-866-5302 or visiting the Winchester Orchestra website.  There should be plenty of parking in Lot 7 and the website has directions depending on where you're driving from.  If you'd like to listen to something a little different and need a break from "The Nutcracker" then this is a good option.

When you grew up, did you always wonder what it would be like to actually meet Santa?  Of course, and you got a chance to at the mall.  How about actually having breakfast with him?  Well, kids have the chance to actually do that at Maltby's restaurant in Los Altos!  When you go to the Breakfast with Santa event at Maltby's in Los Altos on December 17th at 9AM, you and your child will get to actually meet and greet with Santa.

You can purchase tickets at the following locations:

• Adventure Toys
• Cranberry Scoop
• Los Altos Village Association
• Maltby's

Seating is limited and always sells out.  The location has changed from year to year so make sure you remember that it's at Maltby's this year.  All kids must be accompanied by a parent, no drop-offs.  Ticket prices are $20 per person, either kids or adults and of course, includes breakfast.  You'll want to get there early to get a good seat.  Each child will get a chance to meet Santa in person in a unique environment. You'll have a chance to take photos and capture the moment forever.

This event is only 2 days away so I strongly suggest calling now to get your spot.  Visit the Breakfast with Santa website for details.

Residents have been enjoying old-fashioned carriage rides in Los Altos during the holidays for years.  They've actually grown in popularity is recent times as people realize it's a nice way to enjoy a special memory and see all the bright lights in the slightly Dickensian downtown area.  Los Altos lights up all the trees on State and Main Streets to set up most of the path used for the carriage rides.  Rides are scheduled every 30 minutes from 5PM - 9PM on the following dates:

• December 16, 17, 18th
• December 23, 26, 27th

The carriage is a spacious white coach with enough space to comfortably seat 4 adults and 2 children.  The carriage is open so you'll want to dress warmly.  If you need to, bring gloves, mittens, or hand warmers.  It's perfect for a family outting but just as nice for a romantic treat.  Either way, there's plenty of time to take pictures before or after the ride so you have something to remember the event by.

The cost if $80 per ride (no matter how many people in the carriage) and once booked, it's non-refundable.  Call 650-949-5282 to make reservations.  Also note that weather is not a factor in cancellations or refunds.  If it rains, the ride goes on.  This event is put on by the Los Altos Village Association and is usually sold out quick.  Give them a call today.