FRIDAY- cosmic kerfuffle on monday, wear shades

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!

Study: The income needed to buy a home in the Bay Area has doubled in five years - Back in 2012, a minimum annual income of $90,370 was needed to purchase a Bay Area home at the median price of $447,970. Now, a home buyer needs to be bringing in $179,390 to afford a mean-priced house at $895,000, the report looking at second-quarter 2017 home sales data concludes.

Homebuyers put less and less skin in the game, adding to the market's overall risk - "The increase is primarily a function of the overall growth in purchase lending, but, after nearly four consecutive years of declines, low down payment loans have ticked upward in market share over the past 18 months as well," said Ben Graboske, executive vice president at Black Knight Data & Analytics, in a recent note. "In fact, they now account for nearly 40 percent of all purchase lending."

As Home Prices Keep Climbing, Here's What You Need to Know - Prices are continuing their steady climb because there simply aren't enough homes on the market to go around. As the economy has improved, more people who held off on becoming homeowners or trading up to bigger, better abodes are getting into the market.

Multi-Million Dollar Home Sales Spiking In Santa Clara County - “Luxury home sales — that are sales of $3 million or more — have increased more than 50 percent year to year,” said Santa Clara County Association of Realtors President Rick Smith According to the Business Journal, in June 78 homes priced at $3 million or more sold in Santa Clara County compared to 52 for the same month last year. That is a 50 percent increase.

Tech Firms Find New Opportunity in Emerging Hotspots - Silicon Valley is still the crown jewel of tech real estate, but industry leaders are taking note of new hidden gems emerging in other desirable locales across the country. The need to expand into new markets is gaining ground, especially considering the sticker shock associated with the nation’s traditional tech hub markets. Competition for real estate is fiercer than ever in places like San Francisco and Silicon Valley, leading to tremendous year-over-year rent growth. Established companies and successful startups alike find tremendous recruitment value from being in the center of the action where unemployment rates are historically low and salaries remain high. With that said, many startups and small- to mid-size companies simply find it to be cost-prohibitive.

Neighborhood Etiquette - Regardless of the type of neighborhood you live in, there are still some basic etiquette rules you should follow to be a good neighbor. The ultimate goal is to live in peace and harmony, and even though that’s not always possible, you can at least do whatever it takes to prevent hostilities and long-lasting hard feelings.

10 Keys to a Well-Functioning House - Sure, looks are important. But practical matters like layout, storage and lighting directly affect your comfort