Several buyers or sellers will just stay put and add on or make changes to their present homes. This is always an option - until the contractor submits the bid for the work or doesn’t call back for a few weeks. It seems this year more than ever folks considering selling don’t have a place to go and there are plenty of buyers competing with one another.

Whatever the reason, it is important to recognize the advantages of home ownership and to get into the market as best you can. Anyone considering buying or selling should acknowledge the market and position themselves to make the right move.

I love to sell homes during the spring months regardless of the challenges (see below). As I travel from Oakland through Berkeley, on through Kensington and Albany, I can’t help but marvel at the beautiful spring flowers, the blossoming trees and the green hills. The landscapes are fresh, the homes appear washed and the gardens bursting with weeds aplenty. Yes, there has to be room for everything. Spring is a beautiful time of year.

And with the spring comes lots of water. Roofs leak and basements flood. That’s OK. Every problem has a solution and it’s not always so expensive to repair. However, if the owners have ignored the problem for years then the costs can escalate. Buyers, when performing their inspections, must prioritize repairs to a property and usually water related issues come first. If there is a great deal of work, the repair costs have a direct effect on the final sales price. We have several excellent trades-people in the area that can assess the problem. If you would like the names of these people, email me for their contact numbers.