Condo Ownership Sensible in SF, San Jose and Oakland

The San Jose Mercury reported that data shows that buying condos, versus renting, makes financial sense in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland in this current market.

A study done by Trulia of the nation’s fifty largest cities focusing on rent-versus-buy price analysis revealed that these Bay Area cities, especially San Jose, ownership is less expensive.
They calculated a rent-to-buy ratio of cost, and any city with a rent-to-buy ratio of 15 or below means that it is less expensive to buy. San Jose’s ratio is 12-1.
Oakland and San Francisco, where renting is cheaper, can make more financial sense to buy depending on the situation. Oakland has a ratio of 16, and San Francisco 19.
To read more about the math behind the study, read the San Jose Mercury article here, or you can take a look at Trulia’s entire report of the fifty biggest cities in the country here.

Four Ways to Spice Up an Open House

Open houses are a great way to meet potential clients, and showcasing the home in an attention-getting way can cement potential sellers’ confidence in the Realtor.

 

1. Take advantage of branding opportunities.

Water bottles on hot days with a custom label can be a great source of advertising. A picture of the house with contact information on the bottle is not only fun, but a way to keep both the home and the Realtor in the mind of the visitor after the open house.

2. Go beyond the basics with food.

You may have heard the age-old technique of baking cookies in the home to infuse it with the scent of homemade treats. However, food at an open house can be another way to stand out. It can encourage people to stay longer and strike up a conversation. Think outside the box – ice cream, chocolate fountains with strawberries, or lattes from an espresso machine.

3. Don’t forget the music.
Having music softly playing enhances the atmosphere and detracts from an empty feeling in the home and makes it more inviting. Soft jazz or other non-lyrical music can be played from an iPod and dock system. Have it centrally located so the music is heard throughout the home.

4. Consider the early evening
A recent Realtor Magazine article suggested holding open houses not only on Sundays, but during twilight hours. This way, people can visit the home directly after work, expanding the potential buyer pool.