Real Estatin' the Facts

- From buying bullets to job-hunting: How California’s new laws could change your life in 2018 - Three California housing issues to watch in 2018 - California will soon see impact of GOP tax plan with loss of affordable housing - Silicon Valley will soon see a 'mass migration' of tech companies and talent, says Redfin CEO - Survey: Most say tax law will change their plans to buy a home - Tuck Into These 8 Cozy Backyard Sheds and Studios - How to Divide an Open-Plan Space With a Half-Wall Enjoy!

- 5 Homeownership Changes Coming Under New Tax Law - Bay Area housing: Active listings sank in November as prices shot up again - SF built one new home for every 10.4 new jobs last year - Share of Adults Living with Roommates Higher than Ever Before - Insurers Could Drop Fire Coverage in California - Neat Ways to Fit a Console Table Into Your Small Hallway - 3 Simple and Easy Details to Get Ready for Holiday Guests Enjoy!

- No housing bubble in sight — and other predictions for 2018 - Yellen: Tax Reform Will Likely Provide ‘Some Lift’ to Economy - San Jose approves 40 tiny homes for the homeless - Silicon Valley might get some relief from high housing prices - Dear Monty: 10 common real estate scams - Ask These 8 Questions to Get Your Family Organizing Station Right - How to Design a Warm, Welcoming Bathroom for Today Enjoy! No housing bubble in sight — and other predictions for 2018  - A real-estate site’s predictions for 2018 offer yet more disappointing news for would-be first-time homebuyers in California hoping that the New Year might bring some relief. Yellen: Tax Reform Will Likely Provide ‘Some Lift’ to Economy  - The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the third time this year. The increase to the Fed's benchmark interest rate had been widely anticipated in the weeks leading up to the Fed's meeting, and further interest rate hikes are expected ...

- GOP tax plans jeopardize California home values, Realtors warn - Seasonal chill cools rents in hot Bay Area apartment market - Milpitas: San Jose firm continues BART-related work - As Fires Burn Near Los Angeles, Destroyed Lots Go Up for Sale in Napa - Experts Raise Expectations for Home Price Growth in 2018 - Data Watch: What’s Great, and What’s Not, About a Small Home - Your Checklist for Quick Houseguest Prep Enjoy!

- Mortgage cap would hit California, Florida, New York hardest - Housing crisis may prompt softening of rules for mixed-use urban projects - Equity Rich Properties Surge - More than one-third of the 15 most expensive ZIP codes in the US are in the Bay Area - The best holiday lights in the Bay Area, mapped - How Much Space You Need (and What to Do if You Don’t Have It) Enjoy!

- House passes sweeping tax reform, including slashing mortgage interest deduction - San Jose: Leaders reject proposal to tie rent increases in certain units to inflation - Millennial-driven anti-NIMBY movement is winning with a simple message - California’s housing policy is holding back its climate policy - Holiday giving 2017: How you can help children, needy families - Books on the Move: 8 Creative Ways to Shelve Your Library Enjoy!

Photo by Entrance Fastighetsmäkleri - Look for balcony design inspiration - California's low-income housing crisis could get worse under GOP tax plan - Housing industry unites against Republican tax plan - Meet the startups fighting Bay Area’s soaring housing costs - Housing Market Grows Modestly Even as Housing Production Lags - Emerging Trends in Real Estate - 8 Ways to Extend Your Porch and Patio Season Enjoy!

- Beyond The Fires, What The Napa Valley Wine Economy Can Teach Us - West Coast Markets Leading Nation in Home Value Growth - Social benefits of homeownership - House Republican tax reform plan will slash mortgage deduction - Fed holds interest rates steady - 9 Real Ways You Can Help After a House Fire - 10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less Enjoy!

- They survived California fires -- now crisis is finding housing - Got housing? How you can help fire refugees in the North Bay - Survey Finds Affordability Driving Demand for Rental Housing - Google’s downtown San Jose village “main” construction to start in 2025 - California Pending Home Sales Stall in September - Why the Bedroom Is the New Living Room - Your Guide to Last-Minute Halloween Prep Enjoy!

A post shared by Jo-Ann Do (@joanndoes) on Oct 19, 2017 at 11:36pm PDT - Nextdoor’s Treat Map back for Halloween showing you the best streets for treats - Deadly California fires stretch an already tight housing market - Parents helping kids compete in bidding wars - Could YIMBY be the new NIMBY? - C.A.R. releases its 2018 California Housing Market Forecast - Fire-Wise Landscapes Can Help Keep Your Home and Property Safe - A Clear Solution to Zoning an Open-Plan Space Enjoy!

- Hit the Mark With Creative House Numbers - Here's How You Can Help Those Affected By Fires In Northern California - Santa Rosa housing scarce before the fire — what now? - S.F. mayor wants to speed up approvals for housing construction - Homebuyers rush to riskier mortgages as home prices heat up - Mortgage Fraud Is Back on the Rise - Tile Trends: Styles You Need to Know Enjoy!

- How to Give Essential Bees the Support They Need - Jerry Brown signs new California affordable housing laws - Dying malls could help ease housing crisis - Equifax just changed the rest of your life - Down payment preferences and how they influence cost of home - Preparing your home for a disaster - 6 Ideas From the Most Popular New Sunrooms on Houzz Enjoy!

- 6 Ways to Make the Most of This Weekend - Trump’s tax reform plan is a mixed bag for real estate - New report reveals Bay Area home prices won't roll back anytime soon - Bay Area housing: Prices climb in August with low inventory - Important California bills waiting for Governor Jerry Brown’s signature - Flip, Rent, or Hold: What's the Best Path to Real Estate Riches? - Not Ready to Remodel Your Bathroom? Try a Mini Makeover Instead Enjoy!

- Aging Gracefully: Select the Right Materials for a Modern Home - Housing Production Holds Steady in August - Starter-home Inventory Peaks in the Fall - 10 points to keep in mind about housing affordability in California - The State Housing Package - Leaving the Bay Area? These folks did it — with mixed results - 10 Ideas for Styling Your Patio for Outdoor Dining This Fall Enjoy!

- Tour an Inspiring Edible Garden in the Santa Ynez Foothills - The Equifax Breach: What It Means, and What To Do - Written by a friend in the know - Experts: Bay Area, prepare for future flooding - Co-borrowing to buy a home is gaining popularity - How Immigrants Are Transforming the American Dream—and Real Estate Along With It - Granny flats are on the upswing - California’s housing costs are driving its No. 1 poverty ranking - 28 Outdoor Projects Everyone Should Know About Enjoy!

- What to Know About Adding a Deck - Silicon Valley home sales keep going up despite sharp drop in listings - Are we headed for another housing collapse? - Investors grab Sunnyvale building in Google area of interest - The first house these Bay Area residents purchased wasn’t in the Bay Area - Investing In Real Estate: Aesthetics Count - Supply and demand - 8 Small Spaces Where Paint Can Make a Big Impact Enjoy!

“The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” ~John Muir - Hurricane Harvey: How You Can Help - Hurricane Harvey flood claims will hit insurance program as Congress struggles to fix it - Home Values Higher than Ever in Almost Half of Nation's Largest Markets - Bay Area real estate: Home sales drop markedly, and prices keep climbing - Only in the Bay Area: Real estate for progressives at UC Berkeley - Vallejo is again the nation’s hottest real estate market, followed by San Jose and San Francisco - Why I Chose 2 Styles of Cabinets in My Kitchen Remodel Enjoy!

- Choose the Tile That’s Right for Your Room - In the Bay Area, 49% of baby boomers, 42% of millennials can’t afford rent - Here are the Bay Area cities where prices have risen the most - California’s housing crisis was decades in the making - Jumbo loans get less expensive - San Jose: Retailers hold “community hostage” by keeping leases on empty buildings - The Artful Garden: Enchanting Lighting Enjoy!

As someone who visits many different neighborhoods, the importance of good neighbors is often underappreciated. Good neighbors make our life in a neighborhood safer, happier and more fun. We also tend to have more peace of mind. Although we can choose our friends but not our neighbors, we must remember that we get what we give.  By fostering a healthy and respectful relationship, everybody stands to gain. So let's start creating better futures today. - 9 Built-In Garden Benches to Relax On - Study: The income needed to buy a home in the Bay Area has doubled in five years - Homebuyers put less and less skin in the game, adding to the market's overall risk - As Home Prices Keep Climbing, Here's What You Need to Know - Multi-Million Dollar Home Sales Spiking In Santa Clara County - Tech Firms Find New Opportunity in Emerging Hotspots - 10 Keys to a Well-Functioning House Extra credit reading: - Neighborhood Etiquette Enjoy!

- 10 Ways to Make Weeknights Feel More Special - Scammers Target Real Estate Buyers Through Email Schemes - Higher Housing Prices and Tight Inventory Drag Down California Housing Affordability - 2017 Begins with Spike in Number of Renters Shopping for Homes - Former Sunnyvale mobile home park to become 108-unit housing project - BART stations in Milpitas and Berryessa won’t open early after all - Decorating Master Class: 10 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them Enjoy!

- Dwarf Citrus Trees Offer Miniature Size With Maximum Flavor - Homeowners Can Spend More Than $9,000 a Year on Hidden Homeownership and Maintenance Costs - Here’s what $500,000 will get you in the Bay Area housing market - Bay Area real estate prices between a simmer and a boil - Report: Rents rise in San Jose for sixth straight month - San Jose flood response: An ‘A’ in aftermath, ‘F’ in foresight - 9 Smart Charging-Station Solutions for Decluttering Your Cables Extra credit reading: - Addressing California’s Greatest Real Estate Need Enjoy!

-  5 Invaluable Lessons From a Landscape Architect - Homeownership is a Sound Investment - Bay Area real estate: Home prices leap to yet another record high - What Silicon Valley employees are doing with their red-hot stock grants - Here's where the Bay Area's 'best-value' neighborhoods are located, according to Trulia - These Bay Area homes were built by Joseph Eichler to be affordable and now cost millions - 10 Low-Maintenance, High-Fun Backyards Enjoy!

- Could Technology Make You More Neighborly? - Bay Area real estate: Region leads California in cost per square foot — and the tightest housing supply - Bay Area rent increases leave wage gains in the dust - Steph Curry did it. How do you lose money in the Bay Area real-estate market? - The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis - What Do Home Buyers Buy after Moving - Sheds for Every Kind of Garden For extra credit reading: - Can San Jose Revitalize Local Food and Farms in Silicon Valley? - 5 Healthcare Trends Impacting Medical Real Estate In The Bay Area - Six Trends Poised to Reshape Homeownership Demand Enoy!

- 11 Foolproof Storage Solutions for Corner Kitchen Cabinets - Bay Area property assessments hit $1.6 trillion after 7.4% rise - Lack of affordable housing hampering Bay Area growth - Housing woes, labor shortages might “disrupt” Bay Area economy, forecast says - Bay Area rents: Oakland rises, San Francisco and San Jose decline — but little relief - Facebook village? Social media giant to build 'social housing' - Trending Now: 4 Ways to Design a Home Office Enjoy!

- This Under-$100 DIY Project Can Transform a Room in a Day - And they’re off! 3 Bay Area cities snag top spots in study of fastest-moving US markets - Real Deal: California housing market rebounds in May, but inventory remains low - Tech Is Booming, But Lack Of Affordability Is Pushing Everyone Else Out, CRE Experts Say - Bay Area rents see summer jump - As real estate boom continues, what impact on the Bay Area economy? - Peek Inside These 12 Romantic Courtyards and Walled Gardens Enjoy!

-  How to Cool Down a Room - In the Bay Area, even starter homes can cost $500,000 - Rent or Buy? 2017 Begins with Spike in Number of Renters Shopping for Homes - Why Can’t They Build More Homes Where the Jobs Are? - California and Bay Area housing set to get even pricier, says UCLA - How to know when to refinance - 10 Outdoor Updates for Summer That Won’t Break the Bank Enjoy!

- How to Recycle or Repurpose Your Kitchen Sink - Google village presents San Jose with a tightrope - Bay Area home prices keep trending up, up, up … though not everywhere - Boomers nearing end of life may boost home cities - Extreme heat: Tips to stay cool during warm weather - See the Many Ways to Use Modular Shelves Enjoy!

-  These Urban Art Pieces Invite Connection With People and Place - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invests $5 million to help teachers buy homes - Google Invests In Modular Homes to Combat Silicon Valley Housing Crunch - Millennials undaunted by competitive housing market - Fannie to Loosen Mortgage Requirements - Led By China, Foreign Investment in U.S. Commercial Real Estate on the Rise - 7 Alternatives to the Painted Accent Wall Enjoy!

- America Celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s 150th Birthday - Silicon Valley Real Estate: Prices Up, but Sales Down - San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek among best places to raise family - Google in talks on possible 6M-square foot downtown San Jose office - San Jose downtown property buyers widen footprint, spend $124 million - Art installation adds purpose and color to San Jose park - 21 Top Design Ideas From This Week’s Stories Enjoy!

Photo by Chango & Co.  -  Discover transitional home design design ideas -  11 Ways to Make an Impact With Color in a Room - Silicon Valley Realtors take homeownership concerns to the Capitol - Bay Area Homeowners, Real Estate Agents React to Lawsuit Over Zillow Estimates - Report: Cheaper to buy than rent in Bay Area - Bay Area jobs-housing rebalance needs government upgrade: builder group - Butler: How the village system is helping seniors - Make an Entrance With a Dramatic Front Door Enjoy!

- Photo Flip: 50 Cool Ideas for Outdoor Showers - 130 bills proposed in Sacramento to address housing crisis - Bay Area home prices reach record highs, but sales tumble - San Jose City Council approves Greyhound condo towers - San Jose Considers Outlawing Section 8 Discrimination - 10 Great Ideas for What Lies Beneath (the Stairs) Enjoy!

- A Small Fixer-Upper Offers a Guide for Flippers - San Jose City Council declines to enact mobile home park closure policy - Why Stanford is buying apartments in Los Altos - California housing market downshifts in April - California housing affordability inches up in first quarter - Op-ed: Homeownership creates pathway to wealth - 12 Ways To Make Any Bathroom Look Bigger Enjoy!

Photo by Simply Grove - Look for midcentury living room design inspiration - 10 Reasons to Skip Having That Yard Sale - Why this Bay Area neighborhood ranks as California’s 'healthiest' homeownership market - San Jose: Long-sought renter protections against eviction take effect - California’s Fading Promise: Millennial Prospects in the Golden State - Realtors share concern about Trump’s tax reform proposal - Is the Traditional Real Estate Model Under Pressure? - 9 Ways to Create a Kid-Friendly Living Area Enjoy!

- 12 Ways to Fill Your Built-In Planter - Trulia's 'Heat Map' Is A Fascinating Look Into Urban America's Real Estate Market - Bay Area home sales strong: Median price close to record high - More expect home values to continue rising - In Silicon Valley, even mobile homes are getting too pricey for longtime residents - Realtor website surveys homebuyer preferences - Try Dimensional Tile for a Designed Look Enjoy!

- 380-Square-Foot Loft Doesn’t Waste an Inch of Space - Homeownership in the Crosshairs of Latest Tax Plan, Say Realtors - Rents Rise at Slowest Pace in Five Years - 1 in 5 Bay Area home buyers are looking to leave: Here’s where they’re going (map) - Milpitas BART Station to open in December, VTA… - Amazon expands brick-and-mortar bookstore to Silicon Valley - What to Look for in a House if You Plan to Age in Place Enjoy!

- How to Recycle Your Kitchen Cabinets - San Jose City Council approves policy against no-cause evictions - Renters view down payment as largest barrier to homeownership - Teacher, teacher, can you live here? - Top Cities for Millennials - Home sales and prices jump across the Bay Area, California - Homeowner value estimate continues to outpace appraisals - Trending Now: 6 Popular Ideas for Decks and Terraces Enjoy!

- 6 Ways You Can Save on Your Garden Renovation - Should borrowers wait to save 20% down or buy now? - San Jose flood: Struggling residents get a hand from nonprofit - San Jose: Council mulls new condos planned for Japantown - Is California housing hot or cold? 2 reports offer polar opposite views - Home in America: Immigrants and Housing Demand - 10 Tile Layouts You Haven’t Thought Of Enjoy!

- How to Write a Design Brief for Your New Home or Remodel - Is the Rent Too High? Renters May Be in Luck in These Cities - A new fight over California rent control is coming - San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco job markets expected to cool - SAN JOSE APPROVES CAR PROGRAM TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS - Younger Bay Area residents support new housing, but older generation is more hostile - Open-Plan Living: Partition Your Way to Comfortable Spaces Enjoy!

- 8 Times in Your Life to Take Advantage of a Major Declutter - San Jose: City looks to landlords to help house residents displaced by Feb. 21 flood - Seller’s market? Bay Area home sales slip, but prices soar - Silicon Valley’s real estate race reaches working-class Alviso - Population growth in the Bay Area slows, as job growth eases - Real Estate Choices Help California Meet Climate Goals and Grow Local Economies - 11 Surprising Ways Wallpaper Can Elevate Your Ceiling Enjoy!

- 7 Things to Make Room for in a Small Home - California home sales start year off strong…but will that last? - February pending home sales and Market Pulse Survey - Homebuyers Face Bidding Wars on Scarcer-Than-Ever U.S. Listings - How to Prepare Your Budget for Buying Your First Home - Scam Alert: How To Avoid Utility Fraud - What to Look For in a House if You Have Kids Enjoy!

- Expert Tips for Growing Edibles in Containers - Reporting Change Could Raise Credit Scores, Risk - Fed Raises Rate for Second Time in Three Months - Somehow, Bay Area home prices went up yet again in February - Waging the fight for affordable housing - The state's housing crisis won't be solved unless Californians embrace new home building, report says - Great Home Project: Pass-Through Kitchen Window Enjoy!

- How to Grow a Modern Pollinator Garden - 2 Weeks After San Jose Flood, Many Evacuees Still In Shelters - Trump Budget Considers $6 Billion Cut to HUD Funding - Bay Area home sales: ‘Flat is the new black’ - Sales of homes under $500K plummet in Bay Area - Luxury home sales jump in Silicon Valley - 11 Nice-to-Have Upgrades for Your New Home Enjoy!

Photo by Charmean Neithart Interiors - More transitional kitchen photos - How to Waste Less Food - Bay Area home sales lose steam, but prices climb — a little - Realtors warn of new industry scam - California Needs 1.8 Million Homes to Meet Demand - Home Buyers Say Rising Interest Rates are Top Concern - Case by case, legal aid attorneys battle displacement in the Bay Area - 12 Smart Storage Solutions to Reduce Clutter Enjoy!

Photo by McKinney Photography - Look for Mediterranean landscape pictures - 4 Practices for Healthier Landscapes - Helping Flood Victims in San Jose - California home sales start 2017 on a strong note - Silicon Valley housing prices skyrocket - San Jose region’s traffic-congestion delays hit a new high - Landlords Are Taking Over the U.S. Housing Market - How to Design a Comfortable Home Office Enjoy!

Photo by E.R. Miller - Search transitional living room pictures -  Wi-Fi: What It Is and How to Make It Work Better in Your Home - Higher Wages, Seasonal Price Declines Hold California Housing Affordability in Check - Who’s Accountable for the California Housing Crisis - Realtor.com Names Top 10 Suburban Hotspots - Rebound anticipated for Silicon Valley commercial real estate - What’s in Store for the Luxury Real Estate Market in 2017? - 20 Compact Islands Fit to Serve Enjoy!

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc Durham - See more Home Design Photos Happy early Valentine's Day! As some of you may or may not know, I'm a big fan of staying home whenever I can. My home is far from perfect, but it's wonderful to me. I love my habits of stalking my neighbor for signs of life at his place, squirrel-watching, listening to the birds / trees / kids (the sounds have been pleasantly amplified due to the rain), and trying to figure out which favorite chair (I have several favorites) I will be sitting in to finish off whatever thing the day requires. All of this before I turn the key in the front door.  Home is definitely where my heart is. I'm curious, what are your home rituals / what do you love about your home? Feel free to drop me a line :)  On to the reads! Enjoy!

Photo by Charlie Allen Renovations, Inc. - Look for contemporary bathroom design inspiration - How to Check the Quality of a Contractor’s Work - California commercial real estate market trends continue, despite 2016 election results - Real estate investors gear up for a big year - Once red hot, Bay Area housing market still simmers - San Jose: City audit finds rent control policy needs more changes - Realtors pick their top 10 hottest housing markets for 2017 - How to Make Your Kitchen Island Your New Favorite Dining Spot Enjoy!

Photo by Kirkwood McCarthy - More industrial living room ideas - Garden Steps Can Take Your Landscape to a New Place - Study Finds January, February Great for Buying - Rising Mortgage Rates Are Dampening First-Time Buyer Plans for Spring - Trump’s swift mortgage move angers real estate industry - These 3 East Bay housing markets are among state’s “healthiest” - Creating Housing That Older Americans Will Need - Reconsidering the Old-Fashioned Vestibule Enjoy!

Photo by ALICE BLACK INTERIORS - Search transitional home office design ideas - 10 Things You Should Do When You Work From Home - These Are Becoming Millennial Magnet Cities - First-Time Millennial Homeowners Are Aspirational but Practical - Down Payment Costs Home Buyers an Average of 2/3 of Annual Income - Housing Headed for the ‘European Model’ - For a Classy Look, Pair Brick With These 9 Hardscape Materials Enjoy!

By Holm Design & Consulting LLC Minnetonka - See more Home Design Photos How You Can Help the First Endangered U.S. Bee Species - Industry Expert: The Only Thing to Fear in 2017 is Fear Itself - Zillow predicts hottest neighborhoods in San Jose metro, Oakland - Brown Revisits Plan to Increase Housing Construction Statewide - Tiny houses rise as an economical option but face legal barriers - The 3 Biggest Reasons You Can’t Sell Your Home - What an Open-Plan Addition Can Do for Your Old House Enjoy!

Photo by Guy Plumbing & Heating, Inc. - Look for home design pictures How to Identify and Fix Plumbing Issues Happy New Year to you all, you straight up crushed it in 2016. So, with a fresh new year/day/moment, let's be proactive about finding and creating opportunities for ourselves and each other. Start small, go big, make adjustments - every bit counts; go forth and conquer.  As usual, new reads enclosed.   Enjoy!