Tag Archives: Real Estate

Did Housing Market Bottom?

In my last article, I pointed out that the inventory of single-family homes for sale in San Mateo County was declining, while the number of homes sold was rising. I noted that these might be “indications of a pending upward … Continue reading

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Current Market Trends: Single Family Home Sales in San Mateo County

I wrote in an earlier blog about the seasonal variations of real estate sales during a calendar year (Trends In Residential Real Estate In San Mateo County). Considering that these seasonal patterns are repeated every year regardless of the overall … Continue reading

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A Steel-Framed House

Most California houses are wood-framed. Typically, the walls are built with wood studs and covered with plywood and gypsum board; floors, ceilings, and roofs are built with wood joists, rafters, and trusses. We have designed many of these. The other … Continue reading

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Capital Gains or Inflation Tax?

A portion of the “capital gains” on any investment is the price appreciation due to inflation. It follows that a part of the capital gains tax is an “inflation tax.” So, why don’t we separate and call it what it … Continue reading

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A Trend in Home Remodeling: Knocking Down the Walls!

“Knocking down the walls” was the general theme of several projects we did last year at OAK Structural. In most cases, the clients wanted to remove and/or rearrange interior walls of their homes as part of a kitchen remodeling project. … Continue reading

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How Earthquake-Resilient is Your City?

This week I attended the 2012 Northern California Earthquake Hazards Workshop at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park. I was particularly interested in hearing the presentations and a panel discussion on “Implementing and Exporting SPUR’s Resilient City Initiative.” SPUR … Continue reading

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Trends in Residential Real Estate in San Mateo County

We are already in the third week of 2012, and I thought it would be worthwhile to review the current trends in single family residence sales in San Mateo County. I analyzed the sales data for a seven-year period from … Continue reading

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Accuracy of Web-Based Home-Value Estimates

You can just type the address of a house into  certain web sites and get market value estimates for it.  Before you rely on these estimates, you need to understand the method behind them and how accurate (or inaccurate) they can … Continue reading

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Energy costs to impact appraised home values and mortgage qualification standards

According to an L. A. Times article, a recently introduced bill will require Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA to consider energy costs of homes when underwriting loans.  It will also require home appraisals to account for the energy efficiency of … Continue reading

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Why Should You Start Looking for a House During the Holiday Season?

You probably have heard that the Holiday Season is a good time to look for a house, as most people would be more worried about family dinners, holiday parties, and shopping for presents than looking for a new house.  With fewer buyers on the … Continue reading

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