Wednesday, December 19, 2018

3 Trends in Real Estate Market




A new report by RE/MAX sampled MLS data from 53 metropolitan areas in the US and found that the number of home for sale in November declined 6.9% from October.  The report shows that inventory has declined over the last 4 consecutive months.  The report also compares the first 11 months of 2017 to 2018, showing home prices have risen 6%.
3 trends are emerging in the current market:
1.    Buyers are grappling with affordability issues and tight inventory.  Interest rates are expected to increase, edging some out of the market (we have solutions – CALL US).
2.    Sellers are unsure how to react with the prospect of a cooling market fueled by rising rates and over-heated home prices.
3.    Listings that are priced properly are still selling quickly.
History tells us that we cannot sustain rising home prices, lowering inventory, and rising interest rates – look for new trends to develop soon. All three trends underscore the importance of a professional real estate agent that can navigate an ever-changing market.


The Easterbrook Team "Makes the Loan Process Easy!"

Porch Pirates Foiled by NASA Engineer




We’re all in the housing business.  There is a current phenomenon affecting people that have packages delivered to their front doors.  YouTube sensation, Mark Rober, a NASA engineer that helped put the rover on Mars, was plagued by “porch pirates” stealing packages off his front door.  Here’s how he got his revenge – this is classic! CLICK HERE



The Easterbrook Team is Your Local Lender!

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Market Now for a Strong Spring Tomorrow!


What You Do Today Will Echo 4 Months from Now

On the Easterbrook Team, we firmly believe that “getting the word out” is critical to any business.  Timing, however, is also critical to nail your sales goals.   For inspiration, we turn to our friends at Forbes Magazine:
Here are 11 more current marketing ideas for real estate agents – CLICK HERE.
On the Easterbrook Team, we would love to partner in your success.  We have many resources for you, including a marketing team to provide custom marketing pieces.

Office Christmas Party!


Statistics show that 1 in 3 people will do something that they will regret at an office Christmas Party.  The average attendee will hear 7 pieces of gossip throughout the evening – CLICK HERE for Article

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Women are Snatching Them Up in Record Numbers!


They say statistics don’t lie.  The stats are in:  

·         More single women buy homes than single men.  According to the NAR 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends, 18% of recent home buyers were single females while only 7% were single males.
o   Women are entering marriage later in life – age 27 now, compared to 21.5 years in 1940.
o   In 1940, only 3.8% of women graduated college, compared to 30.2% now with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
o   Women professionals are on the rise – civil engineers increased by 977%, pharmacists by 434%, surgeons by 334%, and lawyers and judges by 681%.
o   According to the CSA retail site, women are quite influential. Women influence 91% of all home sales. The influence 85% of all purchases.
·         From Panel Study of Income Dynamics, having wealthy parents increases a young adult’s likelihood of owning a home by 8 percentage points. The study also found that a 10% increase in parental wealth increases a young adult’s likelihood of owning a home by 0.15 to 0.20%. If two sets of parents are identical in everything else, but wealth, and one set has $260K in wealth and another has $200K, the child of the wealthier family will have a 5-6% greater chance of owning a home than the child of the less wealthy family.  This is a strong reminder that our clients that have bought homes with children are likely to encourage their family members to buy.   
Speaking of successful women, Oprah Winfrey is worth approximately $2B.  For those looking to the New Year and change, she shares an inspirational thought on moving your life forward on her website: CLICK HERE.



The Easterbrook Team

Thursday, November 8, 2018

It's November!



The year, as usual, is sailing by, and we find ourselves in November, the month of Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving. Most of us forget that there are 130,000 of our soldiers buried in other countries. Here is a moving 17-minute video of the Montfaucon cemetery,  during which the stunning question is asked, at 13:45 in the video by a young French woman guide at the cemetery, "What would we do if we were called to fight for another country's freedom?" She also states, at 13:21: ".... those soldiers didn't die for their country, they died for my country...they died for a freedom they would never experience...".

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

2019 Year of the Millennial!

....Statistically They Will Be Buying Your Next House!


Millennial Migration to Sacramento

Millennials are moving to Sacramento in record numbers - #3 on the top 10 cities for Millennial growth in the US.  This is no accident.  Millennials are moving to Sacramento for 3 top reasons: It’s popular among other Millennials, Sacramento has a relatively low “rich threshold”, and housing is relatively low. 
Popularity: It is well-known in millennial circles (yes, they move in packs) that Sacramento is a popular place to live.  There is lots of growth, employment, excellent schools, and plentiful recreation.  Pew Research recently did a study of all the top cities in the US.  Although California wasn’t even in the top 10 states, Sacramento was 3rd on the list.  10,000 millennials moved here recently.  We lost 5,600 of them and were left with a net of 6,680. 
Low “Rich Threshold”: In the US, the definition of “rich” is an income of two times the median income.  Nationally, the threshold for rich is $120K per year.  To be considered rich in Sacramento, a household would have to make $104,142 or more.  This figure varies from city to city.  Sacramento has plentiful employment and also benefits from the migration of high paying tech jobs that are expanding here from the Bay Area.  If you wanted to bypass the rich threshold in Seattle, for instance, you’d have to make at least close to $150K.  Sactown is sounding pretty affordable in comparison.
Low Cost of Housing: Typically, when people move to a new area, then rent.  The average cost of rent can be a big draw or deterrent if someone is moving to an area. The average monthly rent is Sacramento is $1,292 – much less than Seattle’s average of $2,180 – and far less than the average single bedroom apartment in San Francisco of $3,500 per month! 
It’s no surprise that a group of people that are known best for their research of everything from where to get the richest cup of coffee to who serves the best avocado toast, that millennials are coming to Sacramento in record numbers.  We welcome them and congratulate them on their fine choice of place to reside (but we knew it all along).  For more info on millennial migration, CLICK HERE.



Revealing Millennial Stats
A new survey by Engel & Völkers of 1,000 HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) millennials is very revealing of their preferences and beliefs.
·         80% rely on “influencers” to make purchasing decisions. They also said that would consider hiring one as a real estate agent.
·         When asked what makes a luxury brand, 80% cited “superior quality”, while 64% cited reputation as the top factor. 47% of HENRYs surveyed consider premium price as indicate of a luxury real estate.
·         98% of HENRYs surveyed said that they rely on social media or review-based websites, like Yelp, before making a purchase.
·         Here’s the rest of the story – and it’s not on Instagram.  The top factors for HENRYs for choosing a real estate agent specifically are referrals from friends and family (59%), reputation in the local neighborhood that there are interested in (53%), and local neighborhood expertise (50%). 
HENRYs are the next generation of homebuyers.  Unlike some past generations, millennial buyers are not “captured”, but rather they will seek you out if they feel you are knowledgeable and trustworthy.  Real estate agents that wish to connect with them should position themselves as trusted advisors and sources of insider information before, during, and after the transaction. 
It’s not enough to just to a good job.  A lasting connection must be made to grow your sphere of influence with HENRYs.  The magic happens when a HENRY posts what a good experience they had after you represented them on a home purchase.