4th of July Parties and “Real Estate Talk”

The 4th of Julyweekend is full of parties and gatherings and this year was no execption. I count myself lucky to spend a great deal of time at my home in Sonoma and with that we have had a constant ebb of friends from different affiliations who’ve visited us then made the plunge to purchase a home here. It has become a regular event to attend 4th of July by the pool of our friends, Scott and Dawn, from Noe Valley whose daughter is a classmate of our daughter. These parties like all Bay Area parties become full of ‘real estate talk’ and discussion and this year was no different. I do believe it highlights another difference between San Franciscans and ‘the rest of the country’ in that even throughout all the ups and downs in real estate we’re still ‘real estate centric’.

This real estate focus is due to an number of reasons but I believe the limited availability and heightened pricing push it to the forefront. I’ve also recently returned from visiting family in West Texas and there prices have stayed the same for decades. West Texas real estate just plods along and folks don’t have a comparable awareness. San Franciscans are keenly aware of the market and as I described to one acquaintance at the pool party they’re like ‘cats on the prowl’ whether or not they’re planning to do anything ‘now’ they’re still out on the prowl.

Topics that hit the top of the real estate talk list were current appraisal practices and the fall-out from them, neighborhood valuation differnces and coporate relocation recommendations.  These very specific topics brought out everyone’s opinions and experiences and were not only lively but fun to hear. If you have some specific incidents you’d like to share drop me a line and I’ll put them up here for conversation.

All the Best for a Great Week…..Lance