Roadmap with Irina - February 2025

The single-family home market in Santa Clara County was much more active in February compared to January this year. There were 20% more homes sold, 13% more new listings, and the median sale price increased by 10%. Additionally, homes sold faster, averaging 16 days on the market compared to 25 days in January.

For condos and townhouses, the median sale price surpassed the $1 million mark and continued to rise, reaching $1.1 million. Sales activity increased by 34%, and the average time to sell dropped to 22 days compared to 45 days in January. There were also 24% more new condos and townhouses listed.

The main question remains: “How is the market now?” Over the past two weeks, I’ve heard from colleagues that the market has softened slightly, with homes staying on the market a little longer and some selling for less than the most recent neighborhood sales. Currently, there are 1,789 homes for sale in Santa Clara County, which means more options for buyers and the potential for a more balanced market. Let’s see how this shift impacts buyer activity and sale prices in the coming weeks.

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.

I grew up in a small village, and from an early age, my siblings and I learned how to take care of the garden, keep the house clean, do the dishes, and help my mom with the laundry (by the way, we didn’t have a washing machine back then), and other essential life skills. Yes, it was a different time and environment, and I hated working so much back then, but those experiences taught us valuable lessons. Maybe that’s why I became a workaholic later in life and wasn’t afraid to challenge myself with difficult projects.
 
When we bought our house here, it was brand new, so we didn’t have to do any renovations, but there was plenty of work to be done in the backyard. I planted fruit trees, replaced broken sprinklers, and fixed water pipes that I had accidentally damaged while digging in the dirt. Remembering my tough childhood, I never wanted a vegetable garden in my own backyard, but thanks to my persistent son, we planted a few tomato bushes that produced enough fruit to inspire me. Since then, I’ve been planting them every year.
I’ve also done plenty of work inside the house. I painted the entire house once and the kids’ rooms twice, fixed leaking faucets, sewed new covers for outdoor cushions, applied a clear coat to the hardwood floors, re-grouted the showers, changed upholstery, and more. My mother-in-law was impressed and scared when one day she found me on a ladder drilling holes to install curtain rods when I was 7 months pregnant. Ladies, don’t try that at home!

My biggest project of all time was paving a walkway around our house. It took me a year to complete (and my youngest child was just two years old at the time), but I got it done, and it’s still in good shape. I bought a book about laying paver stones, did all the prep work, purchased all the materials (gravel, sand, and pavers), and rented all the necessary equipment including a brick saw. When I say I did it, I mean I did it all. Alone. Digging, spreading the gravel and sand, tamping, cutting pavers, you name it. My husband helped me load and unload the heavy equipment from the car, and that was it. I was beyond exhausted when everything was finally done, and I promised myself never to do it again, but I was proud of my achievement and the fact that I didn’t give up halfway through. And now, I have a story to tell.

I remember one day my son asked me why I did so many things myself when I could just hire someone. I told him that I have a lot of respect for people who can do things with their own hands, even as a hobby, because it helps you appreciate hard-working people more and teaches you valuable life skills. I’d like to believe that conversation was a turning point for him. He went on to take auto mechanic classes in college, worked in a car repair shop for a few months, fixed and sold a couple of cars with a friend, learned how to fix things around the house (although he also learned how to break them), and even picked up basic knitting and cooking. Now I am sure he can survive anywhere.

When I was a kid, there was a song called “Dad Can Do Anything,” but in reality, it was a song about moms who can do everything. I’m absolutely convinced that women can do anything if we have to. I have done a lot of things in the past, trying to prove to others that I could do more and achieve more. Looking back, I realize that all those years of hard work, persistence, and determination shaped me into who I am today. I no longer feel the need to prove myself, I have already done that, and it is a great feeling to look at everything I’ve done so far and know that every effort was worth it. 

Always yours,
Irina