Issue No. 23 | Nov 11, 2026
SPRING ISN’T A STRATEGY
By November, it’s easy to start treating real estate as next year’s business.
We’ll look after the holidays. We’ll talk about selling in January. We’ll see what rates do.
Sometimes that’s the right decision. Moving should fit your life.
But there’s a difference between choosing to wait and assuming everyone else is waiting, too.
Both of my listings are now pending: Villa delle Viti in Concord and the full-floor penthouse in Adams Point. My buyers have also officially closed on their home in Rockridge, a property that attracted substantial interest when it came to market.
Three very different homes. Buyers making decisions before the year is over.
That doesn’t tell us everything about the market. It does give us a reason to question the idea that meaningful activity is finished until spring.
FEWER HOMES DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN LESS COMPETITION
Here’s a number worth paying attention to.
Bay East’s October report for the Oakland area showed 356 active single-family listings, compared with 501 a year earlier. That’s roughly 29% fewer homes available.
Average time on market was also shorter: 25 days versus 30 last October.
My takeaway: buyers shouldn’t assume a later date on the calendar automatically gives them more negotiating power. That depends on what else they can buy, and how many other people want the same home.
Spring may bring more choices. It can also bring more people shopping alongside you.
The useful question is whether today’s available homes offer something that works for your life and your budget.
RATES ARE PART OF THE DECISION
Borrowing costs still deserve a careful look. Freddie Mac’s November 5 survey put the national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage at 7.18%, down from 7.24% the previous week but above 6.22% a year earlier.
A small weekly improvement doesn’t erase the affordability challenge.
For buyers, I’d rather work from a payment you can comfortably carry today than build a purchase around a hoped-for refinance.
For sellers, that same math matters. Buyers are evaluating your price alongside financing, insurance, property taxes, and the work a home may need.
Understanding that calculation helps us position a home realistically.
SAVE THE DATE
RVSP
TWO HOMES. NOW PENDING.
4360 Kingswood Drive, Concord | Villa delle Viti
The sunset views, vineyard, orchard, outdoor kitchen, and swim spa gave this home a distinctive offering. It’s now under contract, and I’m pleased to be guiding my sellers through the next steps.
Take the tour: 4360kingswood.com
424 Orange Street #401, Oakland
Adams Point Penthouse
An entire floor to itself, generous outdoor spaces, and the convenience of condo living. This home is also now pending.
Take the tour: 424orangest401.com
AND A NEW CHAPTER IN ROCKRIDGE
Congratulations to my buyers!
This home drew plenty of attention. Securing it took a well-structured offer, clear communication, and confidence on the other side that we would follow through.
An agent’s reputation is built over many transactions. When colleagues know how you work, that credibility can help your clients compete. I’m delighted to hand these buyers their keys.
IF NEXT YEAR IS ON YOUR MIND
You don’t need to move before December 31 to make good use of November.
If selling is a possibility, we can walk through your home and identify which improvements deserve your money before you start hiring people.
If buying is on the horizon, we can establish a comfortable budget and study what homes are actually selling for before you decide whether to make an offer.
You can choose spring as your timing. Let’s make sure there’s a plan behind it.
Text, call, or reply anytime. You are NEVER bothering me. I’m here for all questions, concerns, and curiosities!
