When is a down bay area real estate market going to hit bottom?

When is a down bay area real estate market going to hit bottom?

by Matt Larsen

This has been a very hot topic amongst the nation's top economists, professors and citizens. With many billions of dollars sitting on the sidelines watching the game, the magic question seems to be when is the market going to bottom out? It seems that many are waiting to get the deal of a century rather than recognizing the incredible opportunities that are here now. The sad truth is that when there is a hot market of any kind for potential huge returns, there is also the byproduct of greed that comes with it. The average person is heavily influenced by the media forgetting that their job is to sell the news. They are after ratings and not necessarily going to report the complete small details that are prevalent. The bay area is a magical place unlike any other. It is home to a very wide array of things to do and home to some of the best weather in the world.

I have clients tell me all the time that the best time to buy bay area real estate is not now. The market is going to go down further and it will then be the best time. The truth is that no one has a crystal ball and no one can predict for sure when the market will completely bottom out. It is however; a good idea to keep in minds the simple rules of supply and demand. This of course is going to be somewhat contingent on what type of property is sought after. With the extremely high cost of property here, it is difficult, although not impossible, to find income properties that will cash flow without a substantial down payment. The bay area is an industry leader for high tech, biotech, finance, money markets, trading floors, engineering and many other skilled professions. We also need to keep in mind that the bay area is home to some of the finest universities in the world including Stanford, The University of California at Berkeley, The University of California at San Francisco and many others. If we take these elements into consideration and add the fact that there is very little land to build, it would seem that there is and will be a definite demand for housing now and in the future. So again we visit the question when is the best time to buy?

In my opinion, with the huge selection of inventory and interest rates as low as they are, the best time to buy is now. Many make the mistake of wanting to wait until the absolute bottom hits so they don't lose any money. If a property that sold a year ago is being offered for twenty percent less today, is that a good deal? Of course it is. We need to keep in mind that in a short time the market is destined to rebound and the majority of us will only see the bottom of the market in the rear view mirror. A deal is a deal and if the price is right and one is ready to buy, do it. The truth is that in many areas of the San Francisco region, the prices are not going down they're going up. According to the latest numbers from Data Quick, The average median household value across nine bay area counties is four percent higher than it was a year ago. The closer you get to the heart of metropolis, the more the demand for that location. San Francisco, Marin and the peninsula have all gone up in value from this time last year. Alameda County is also us four percent from last year.

The bottom line is the bay area is a great place to live, work and play. There is a reason that it is expensive to live here. It is desirable! There are incredible deals for bay area property right now and who knows exactly how long it will last. Advise for people who are serious and actively in the market, find your property while the good deals are still here and be happy with what you've found. Contact Team Enterprise for more pointers and tips or to answer any questions that you may have.