Not all whites are created equal. Some say “timeless.” Others scream “surgery suite.”

You’d think picking a white paint would be simple.

You go to the store. You say, “I want white.” But then they hand you 87 different swatches with names like Chantilly Lace and Decorator’s White, and before you know it, you're second-guessing every wall in your house and wondering if maybe bare drywall isn’t so bad after all.

But don’t panic—I’ve been there. So here’s a simple breakdown to help you pick a white that actually works in your space, not just one that looks pretty on Pinterest.

Welcome to the first quarter recap edition of the market watch. We typically see higher sale prices in Q1 and Q2 each year. Q1 includes some of the most active months for real estate. Sellers usually wait until after the holidays to begin prepping their homes for market. And many buyers take the holidays off of home hunting to be with family and friends. So when the new year hits there is a big uptick in available homes, and there are buyers from last year, and new buyers from the current year to swoop them up. In a healthy market, we expect days on market to go down, there to be more sales, and for prices to go up.

Homeownership in California can feel out of reach for many, especially with rising prices and competitive markets. But what if there was a way to get up to 20% assistance for your down payment or closing costs? That’s exactly what the California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan aims to do!

Sidewalks are a crucial part of Oakland’s infrastructure, providing safe and accessible pedestrian pathways throughout the city. While sidewalks are technically public property, the responsibility for their maintenance often falls on homeowners. If you own a home in Oakland, it’s essential to understand your obligations—especially if you’re considering selling your property.

February 2025 housing data by the numbers

January 2025 housing data by the numbers

How Do Property Taxes Work in California?

By Eli Fletcher, The Fletcher Real Estate Team

"The only two certainties in lifeare death and taxes." – Benjamin Franklin. And if you own property in California, you know just how true that is! But here’s the surprising part: despite California’s reputation for high costs, our property tax rates are actually lower than the national average. Let’s dive into how it all works, so you’re never caught off guard.

The summer slowdown definitely impacted this quarter’s numbers. Prices have dropped across the board compared to Q2 of this year. But year over year, average sale price and average list price have remained relatively flat.

Happy November - 

The election results may or may not be what you were hoping for. This last month we had wonky interest rate activity because the markets did not know how to price in for each presidential hopeful’s fiscal policy differences.

Thanksgiving was a blast, this year I ditched the bird and made a beef wellington for the family. It turned out great. My dad pointed out that the dish was named after Duke Wellington who beat Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo. Why does he know that?

Happy New Year! Mortgage rates are at their highest level since June, hovering around 7.15% for a 30 year fixed. It seems that we are now in the ‘higher for longer’ territory.