Roadmap with Irina - April 2023

Roadmap with Irina - April 2023

MARKET SNAPSHOT
Hi Iren, 

In Santa Clara County, the median single-family home cost $1,682,500 and sold in 9 days for 103% of the list price based on 642 sales in March 2023.

- Inventory was 610 up 2% from February 2022 and up 3% from March 2022​​​​​​
- Number of new listings for the month of March was up 27% over February, and down -41% from March of last year
- Closed sales were up 80% from February from 357 to 642, closed sales down -34% from March 2022

The real estate market is changing very quickly. I sold a house in Sunnyvale recently, and before I put that house on the market, all other sold houses received around 6-8 offers and were sold over the asking price. However, when I put my listing on the market, although I had super busy open houses, I only received 2 offers but managed to negotiate the price higher and sold over asking as well. Two houses in the same neighborhood that went on the market after mine received 1-2 offers and sold either at the asking price or below. Buyers have a lot of fear and even if they like the house and are financially ready, they are not rushing into buying and overpaying.

But it also depends on the price point. The most active market is in the price range under 1 mil because it is the most affordable. The 1-2 mil price range is a stable market with multiple offers and solid buyers. But most buyer’s hesitancy is on the market over 2 mil: higher monthly payments and more fears about economics.

April is almost over and in a couple of weeks I will update you on the real estate market. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I am always here for you!

If you are thinking about buying or selling, let’s connect, talk about your options, run some numbers, and see if this is the right time for you. Call me, I am always here for you.
 
 
RECYCLING SYMBOLS DECODED


Sure, you’ve seen the small recycling symbols that seem to be stamped on everything from plastics to glass, metal, and paper — but do you really know what they mean? Before you head to the recycling center or take your latest aluminum can collection to the curb, check out these common recycling symbols to learn how these items are intended to be recycled.

The Möbius Loop
Designed by then-23-year-old college student Gary Anderson in 1970, this is the technical name for the universally recognized logo that means an item is capable of being recycled. It is based on the premise of “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Waste electrical
From home appliances to mobile phones, items that bear this mark can be recycled. Check with your local recycling center about the availability of this program. Many centers will even come to your house or curb to pick up the items for you!

Compostable
Created by the Biodegradable Products Institute, this logo helps consumers know which items are compostable. Composting is a great way to recycle in your own home—and provides useful compost for your garden!

Hazardous
Products or materials bearing this symbol are radioactive, biohazardous, flammable, and/or toxic. To protect the environment, items bearing these symbols should never be recycled, dispose of properly and with care.

Glass
This familiar mark reminds us to dispose of glass bottles and jars in a bottle bank or a glass household recycling collection. Various facilities, such as arenas or stadiums, will often have designated bins for the proper recycling of glass items.

Wood
This mark was developed by the Forest Stewardship Council, and designates and recognizes products that contain wood from responsibly sustained and well-managed forests. In these forests, as trees are felled, saplings are planted, helping to sustain the delicate balance of the forest ecosystem.

The Tidyman
While not directly related to recycling, this logo reminds us to dispose of the item in a responsible and thoughtful manner in designated containers.

The Green Dot
This symbol lets us know the producer supports recycling programs.

Putting it into practice
The next time you see one of these symbols, we hope you will have a better understanding of the thought behind each of them, as well as what they mean. Responsible disposal and recycling is crucial for the health of our environment—and for future generations.

 
THE LUXURY OF LONELINESS
Everyone needs some daily quiet time just for themselves. Recently, I had the luxury of staying home alone for 3 full days! It was wonderful!
 
My older daughter had the opportunity to go to Japan with her best friend and a group of teenagers for a week. I was super happy for her: I don’t know when we will be able to go to Japan as a family, and we don’t speak the language, so she had the perfect companions to visit and experience the country together. She is having a great time there trying new food, visiting historical and cultural places, and seeing all the beautiful sites that Japan has.
 
The rest of the family went to Hawaii for a week. My mother-in-law is turning 75 years old soon, and my husband wanted to take his mom on a special trip for her birthday. My youngest daughter decided that she will be the perfect addition to the group, so the three of them went together. According to their photos and messages, they are having a blast in Maui, and I am very happy for them as well.
 
And I happily stayed home alone. Since I got married, I’ve always had someone around, and I need my time alone, even just for a few minutes a day, to relax and regroup. Although I still have all our pets to take care of, it doesn’t bother me; they don’t make a lot of noise and don’t talk back, so it doesn’t count. I didn’t do anything crazy: no parties, loud music, midnight movie watching, or anything else. I still worked every day, made calls, met my clients, went to meetings, worked on marketing, etc. But I started the day alone and I ended the day alone. My cleaners did a deep cleaning of the house a few days before everyone left, and the house remained clean for the whole week! It’s so cool that I could find everything exactly where I left it! I enjoyed every minute of being alone because I knew that it would end soon. I had time to read a book without being interrupted. I thought about important things that really matter to me, but I was always busy to think about them. I analyzed my work and made some changes that will, hopefully, help me to be more organized. And ended the day off by knitting as much as I wanted. In other words, I was both very productive and relaxed.
 
So, it turned out that when everyone was getting new experiences and impressions somewhere else, I had my own vacation time and discoveries right in my own house. Tomorrow morning, I am picking up my daughter at the airport, and in a few days the rest of the family returns, so we will be back together and will have so much to share. I am not sure if the kids will understand that being alone wasn’t boring at all, but they will get it later. I hope that you have the same experience as I had at least once, so you could understand the luxury of being alone.
Always yours,
Irina 
 
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Work With Irina

Working mainly by referrals, I do my best to provide excellent real estate services to my clients, always exceeding their expectations. Whether they are buying or selling, I walk them through every transaction step, making it transparent and smooth. My relationships are always based on open communication, loyalty, and true commitment.

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