Articles to Share – Page 6 – The Real Estate Beat

Consumer Guide: Preparing to Sell Your Home – Shared Article

Once you decide to sell your home, you might have questions about how to prepare it for listing and viewing by potential buyers. Here are some common considerations as you prepare your home to sell:

How do I find the right agent to sell my home?

You should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs. To guide this process, NAR has a dedicated resource with questions to consider when selecting a seller’s agent. When you work with an agent who is a REALTOR®, you are working with a professional guided by ethical duties under the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, including the pledge to protect and promote the interests of their clients. The Caton Team are proud to be Realtors!

Do I need to have my home inspected before putting it up for sale?

No, a pre-sale inspection is not required, but here in the Bay Area is to preferred.* However, an inspection can be used to identify potential issues in your home that you can consider repairing before showing your home to potential buyers and use as a differentiator for your property. If you choose to conduct a pre-sale inspection, an inspector will assess your home’s condition, including its structure, exterior, roof, plumbing, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, interiors, ventilation / insulation, and fireplaces. It may also include tests for problems that can affect human health like mold, radon gas, lead paint, and asbestos. Sometimes buyers may also conduct their own inspection as a contingency in their purchase agreement. If you uncover possible issues that may appear during a buyer’s inspection, you will have time to make any necessary changes that could impact your home’s asking price. You should also talk to your agent about disclosure requirements in your state if a pre-sale inspection uncovers an issue.

What should I do if something in my home needs to be fixed or replaced soon?

If something in your home requires a significant repair—such as a roof, a system such as HVAC, or an appliance like a dishwasher or washer / dryer—you should determine how much the repair will cost, even if you do not plan to fix it before selling the home. These estimates will help sellers determine the costs that buyers might take into consideration when negotiating a purchase agreement.

Am I required to make any cosmetic updates to my home before putting it up for sale?

No, but you may want to clean the windows, carpets, lighting fixtures, and walls, and store away clutter before showing your home to potential buyers. Sellers may also look for ways to improve “curb appeal”—how the home looks to a potential buyer when viewed from the street—by updating aspects such as landscaping, the front entrance, and paint jobs. These steps may help improve the home’s appearance in photos, which can play an important role in attracting potential buyers.

Do I need to provide information about appliances that will stay in the home after it’s sold?

You should locate warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer / dryer, dishwasher, and any other appliances or systems that will stay in the house with a new buyer. It is recommended that you find these items now to avoid any lost paperwork causing an issue with a potential buyer when you reach the time of finalizing, or “closing,” the transaction.

What does it mean to stage my home?

Staging is the process of cleaning a home and temporarily filling it with furniture and decorations that may help buyers better see themselves living in the home. While it is not required, some sellers may work with a stager to focus on certain key areas of their home that are important to buyers. Some agents may also include staging in the services they provide you.

I read this article HERE.

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The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Fransisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the utmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.

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The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

How to Qualify for Energy Efficiency Tax Credits – Shared Article

Charge up your tax savings by getting money back — and savings on utility bills.

If inflation has an upside, it may be energy improvement tax incentives. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 offers tax credits to homeowners who make specified home energy efficiency improvements.

It can be costly these days for homeowners to pay high utility bills while maintaining and improving their homes. You can help offset those costs by qualifying for new home energy efficient tax credits that go far beyond similar tax credits of the past. While you reduce energy usage, these tax credits could charge up your savings.

“There have been a number of tax incentives for energy conservation in the past decades, and they’ve been very helpful,” says Evan Liddiard, CPA, director of federal tax policy the National Association of REALTORS® in Washington, D.C. “But these new ones leave them in the dust because there are more incentives and more money on the table. Earlier laws had lifetime limits. Once a taxpayer had credits up to that limit, they couldn’t claim more. But these new rules have no lifetime limits in some of the categories. However, there are some year-to-year limits.”

Two Types of Tax Credits: How They’re Different

The tax credits are divided into two types: the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean Energy Credit, says Courtney Klosterman, home insights expert at Hippo Home Insurance Group.

Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit

This tax credit is available to homeowners making qualified energy efficient improvements to their homes. These can include exterior doors, windows, skylights, insulation, and air sealing materials or systems. Homeowners can request home energy audits from professional home energy auditors and qualify for tax credits of up to $150 per year. Auditors show homeowners where they’re losing energy and identify possible home health and safety issues. The home energy audit could help homeowners save up to 30% on their energy bills by making recommended improvements, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, Klosterman says.

Under the same program, the installation of ENERGY STAR’S most efficient exterior windows and skylights can earn owners credits up to $600 per year, Klosterman says. Installing heat pumps and biomass stoves and boilers with thermal efficiency ratings of at least 75% qualify for up to a $2,000 credit per year. Qualified improvements for that $2,000 credit include new electric or natural gas heat pumps, electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters, and biomass stoves and boilers, according to irs.gov.

Homeowners can claim tax credits of up to 30% of what they spend in a year for every year up to 2032, Liddiard says. If an owner spent $4,000 on insulation one year and claimed a $1,200 credit, they could buy improved windows and skylights for $4,000 the next year, claiming another $1,200.

Residential Clean Energy Credit

This tax credit is available to homeowners who invest in renewable energy for their homes, including solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cells, or battery storage technology, Klosterman reports.

This credit intentionally covers improvements that aren’t common yet, Liddiard says. “The tax credit was put together with an eye toward what might become more widely available over the next 10 years, such as fuel cells. Congress took the time to really look forward to what could be widely available in the next decade.”

“It might be advisable to get started by having a home energy audit and learning what an expert recommends,” Liddiard continues. “And then you plan it out per year for the maximum tax credit. That way you can gain the maximum tax credit for what you intend to do over a period of years.”

After 2032, the Residential Clean Energy Credit annual reimbursement drops to 26% in 2033 and to 22% in 2034, according to Liddiard. “Another nuance: If you do all the upgrades in one year, you can carry forward to future years what credits you don’t use.”

There are key distinctions between the two types of tax credits: “This carry-forward is not available with the Energy Efficient Home Improvement [Credit],” Liddiard says. In addition, a rule on the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit says the home can’t be new and must be an existing home and the taxpayer’s primary residence.

The Residential Clean Energy Credit can be used by an owner of either a new or existing home and even if you are a tenant in a rental home. In addition, some of these credits can be claimed on a second home if you’re not renting it out, Liddiard says.

Prioritizing Energy Efficiency Projects

Planning is essential in prioritizing energy efficiency projects, says DR Richardson, cofounder of Broomfield, Colo.-based Elephant Energy, which helps homeowners upgrade their homes and make them more climate friendly. “An average home will have one water heater and one furnace, and you want to plan it out,” he says “You want to install the heat pump one year and the heat pump water heater the next year to maximize those credits.”

For energy improvements made during the year, claiming the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit requires homeowners to file Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits Part II, with their tax returns. The credit must be claimed for the tax year in which the installation was made, not the year it was merely purchased, the IRS states.

Avoid the mistake of installing equipment that isn’t efficient enough to qualify for the tax credits, Richardson says. “And, of course, the federal government doesn’t make it perfectly clear to the average consumer which products are sufficiently efficient,” he adds. “So, you want to work with a contractor. Most buyers are not buying from the store, and the average salesperson would not necessarily know.”

Newer Homes Can Benefit from Energy Efficiency Too

Liddiard speaks about home energy efficiency improvements from personal experience. He recently had to replace the furnace in his 11-year-old home. “It’s remarkable how much furnaces have improved over just 10 years,” he observes.

“Your home does not have to be 40 years old for you to reap significant benefits and tax credits from energy efficient home improvements you undertake.”

I read this article HERE. By: Jeffrey Steele

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DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

What to Know About Automated Valuation Models – Shared Article

Since the debut of the controversial Zestimate, online home value estimates have become an immutable part of the listing conversation.

But the best real estate agents have embraced the ubiquity of automated valuation models (AVMs)—and use their estimates to show clients the value they bring to appropriately pricing and selling a home.

“These estimates don’t intimidate me—they can even be mildly helpful,” says Scott Lewis, CRS, broker with the Scott Lewis Group at John L. Scott Real Estate in Ashland, Oregon. “But truly evaluating a home and determining its real market value requires a human touch because it’s a human who’s purchasing the home.”

AVMs estimate a home’s value with a trove of data, typically comparable home sales, home features (age, square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms), public records (tax assessments, prior sales) and market trends.

“When AVMs first became public, they were viewed as gospel by everyone,” says Carl Medford, CRS, sales agent at Keller Williams Advisors in Fremont, California. “Now that time has passed, and the real estate community as a whole has been debunking this literally for years, we are seeing fewer clients thinking these are accurate.”

So, instead of shying away from AVM estimates, many agents lean into them and explain how they work, show where they are typically accurate and where they aren’t, point out their limitations and use them to provide sellers with insight into how they create a listing strategy that actually sells houses. Here’s how agents can use AVMs to their advantage.

1. Provide estimates upfront.

Most agents assume their clients are already familiar with these numbers, so they come prepared to discuss what’s on sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Homes.com and Redfin. The presentation of these figures is itself a clue to their limited accuracy—they often represent a wide range of price points, particularly for homes that haven’t seen the market for some time. A home near Medford that has been off-market for years had estimates ranging from $1.155 million to $1.532 million—a variance of nearly $400,000.

2. Point out the limitations.

“All that any of the websites can typically see of any property is the roof,” Medford says. “They have no way of accessing the current interior to see any upgrades or property condition.”

This blind spot may or may not work in the sellers’ favor, depending on what they’ve done to their property during their tenure as homeowners, but pointing out this missing information is a good way to get sellers on board with your valuation—which includes actually looking inside the house.

Jessica Olevsky, CRS, broker-owner at JPAR Stellar Living in Gaithersburg, Maryland, points out what’s not included as well as what is. For example, Zillow uses public property records that include refinances and home loans, where appraisals are typically more generous, she says. They also consider older comps, whose price points may already be nearly irrelevant in a changing market, Olevsky adds.

AVMs also struggle for accuracy in areas with less uniform housing stock, where true comps are hard to find.

“If you have unique properties, which is most of the world, then those numbers are just guidelines,” says Tamara O’Connor, CRS, broker-owner at Premier Living Properties in St. Charles, Illinois.

3. Detail the advantages of your analysis.

An agent’s comparative market analysis (CMA), however, looks beyond market trends and home configurations, Medford says.

“A CMA takes into account property conditions, amenities, upgrades, condition of the overall neighborhood and other specifics that an AVM cannot effectively address,” he says.

Many CRSs also look at more comps than an AVM does, including active listings, under-contract and just-sold homes, as well as homes that were listed but were withdrawn or expired.

“There’s a lot we can learn from those that did not sell,” Lewis says. “Why didn’t they sell? What was the price per square foot, location, condition, views, etc., and how do those elements compare to our property?”

Olevsky will also walk sellers through her pricing process: “We do the math right in front of the client,” she says. This offers transparency that you just can’t get with the “black box” algorithms behind AVMs.

4. Highlight the advantages of local knowledge.

Algorithms may be based on local data, but there’s no experience behind that, Lewis says.

“We all have access to the same data, but it’s our local experience that gives us a distinct advantage,” he adds.

O’Connor knew this when selling her father’s home in faraway South Carolina, so she trusted a local agent’s suggested price point over her own.

“If it were that easy to price property without having that local knowledge, I would have priced it $50,000 less,” she says. “All that experience successfully pricing properties in my market doesn’t make me an expert in another.”

5. Provide examples of estimates vs. your sold prices.

Medford has carefully tracked some of his listings through the sales process—off-market, listing, under contract, sold—to see how the estimates shifted. Rarely was the AVM accurate (even after it sold), but it got closer when the home was listed, proving that even the algorithms heavily weigh local real estate agents’ listing prowess.

6. Remind them that there is a range.

There’s always a range of value, depending on how skilled and experienced an agent is as well as what kind of pre-listing investments homeowners are willing to make, Lewis says.

Even Zillow acknowledges that there’s a range of values, which they quietly present right below the single-number Zestimate.

“I will say to the sellers, ‘Do you think your home is going to sell for a set price like that, or do you think there’s a range based on the skill of the agent?'” Lewis says, prompting him to provide more information on how he can get homes to the higher end of his range.

“Once pricing is off the table, you can then focus on the things that differentiate you from other agents,” Medford says. “But chances are, helping them understand pricing may be all the differentiation you need to win the day.”

Zillow CEO Can’t Meet His Own Zestimate

Are your clients stuck on an AVM price point you know they can’t achieve? Offer them this anecdote:

Zillow’s then-CEO Spencer Rascoff sold his Seattle home in 2016 for $1.05 million—a price that fell 40% below its Zestimate of $1.75 million, shown on the property’s listing page just a day later.

Have no fear – that’s why The Caton Team is here – we can help you determine the value of your home for sale – reach out so we can be of service – Info@TheCatonTeam.com

I read this article HERE.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

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The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
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Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

The Worst Home Colors for Selling in 2025 – Shared Article

As we head into Spring – so does the Real Estate Market. Time to get those homes ready for sale!

A new survey of home staging professionals reveals the most off-putting colors to home buyers.

Bold, bright colors may be trendy, but they also can be distracting to potential home buyers. The home remodeling site Fixr.com surveyed home staging and design professionals to uncover the most off-putting paint colors to home buyers in 2025.

And their findings are clear: Don’t go too wild when you’re trying to sell a home.

Photo by Sabrina Caton 2024

The Most Off-Putting Interior Colors for Home Buyers in 2025

Lime green: 73%
Bold pink: 42%
Red: 35%
Purple: 33%
Bold orange: 30%
Mustard yellow: 20%

Pinks, reds and purples have emerged as trendy colors lately for the home, and many of these hues comprise paint firms’ selections for the 2025 Colors of the Year. But home buyers may have a tough time looking past color schemes that are too bright. Instead of using these palettes in heavy doses, home stagers advise reserving them for home accessories or artwork—small doses that can attract but not overwhelm a space.

Written by Melissa Dittmann Tracey – contributing editor for REALTOR® Magazine and editor of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog.

I read this article HERE.

My two cents – warm whites walls and crisp door/window frames are my preferred go-to color when prepping a home for sale. The photos come out warm opposed to cold and grey. Coupled with great staging – you’re sure to garnish online action that turns into feet in the door.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

Effective. Efficient. Responsive. The Caton Team 🏡

How can The Caton Team help You?

Get exclusive inside access when you follow us on Facebook & Instagram

Got Real Estate Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 40+ years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – wouldn’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

3 New AI-created Security Threats You Need to Know About – Shared Article

Artificial intelligence is fast becoming a go-to technology for real estate agents coast-to-coast, helping to boost productivity. But AI has a darker side. Cybercriminals and scammers are using AI to create more sophisticated, harder-to-detect scams.

Trust and accuracy are required in real estate, making AI-generated fraud particularly dangerous. Today, criminals can use AI to produce fake real estate documents that look entirely legitimate, mimic buyers with disturbingly real personas, and craft emails with links that lead straight to chaos.

For every real estate agent, staying ahead of these threats is crucial to protect yourselves, your clients, and your transactions.

Here are three new AI-created security threats:

1. From seals to signatures: AI forgery grows

A real estate title is legal proof of property ownership, conveying a buyer’s legal rights to their new home or investment. Scammers, however, are now using AI to forge title documents to steal properties right under the noses of buyers and homeowners.

Advanced AI tools have become frighteningly accurate: they can clone the look of authentic titles, complete with official seals, signatures, and watermarks. This isn’t just about editing a few details in Photoshop; AI can analyze thousands of actual titles, learn patterns, and produce documents virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.

An increase in AI-powered real estate fraud represents a serious concern if you are trying to buy or sell a home. Imagine completing a transaction with a forged title, only to discover later that the property belongs to someone else. Such fraud can lead to disruptive consequences for everyone involved, from financial losses to tarnished reputations.

The use of AI means these forgeries can slip by even the most eagle-eyed. That’s why real estate agents must practice secure real estate processes, be diligent in looking for micro-errors, and, when available, turn to advanced verification software whenever possible.

Pro Tip: Always cross-reference any document you receive by contacting the vetted title company to confirm the document’s legitimacy.

2. Fake buyers

Another unsettling trend is the rise of AI-created fake buyers. Scammers can now generate realistic personas to impersonate potential buyers or sellers, complete with personalized backgrounds, social media profiles, and even websites. A common tactic is for cybercriminals to pose as international buyers, tech-savvy investors, or high-net-worth individuals who seem eager to engage but have ulterior motives.

AI that creates fake buyers makes them alarmingly convincing. By pulling information from public sources and constructing a “profile” tailored to appeal to a real estate agent, scammers can develop profiles that seem credible, complete with social media accounts.

Initially, a fake buyer may ask simple questions about the local market or pretend to be interested in a property, but eventually, they will try to convince an agent that they have an urgent need to buy. Accelerated sales are often a smokescreen to try to advance a transaction so that not all the normal due diligence boxes are checked.

The fallout can be catastrophic, as an agent, since you may invest your time and resources while unknowingly engaging with a fictional entity who wants to defraud you. To guard against fraud, you must verify buyer identities early on in your conversations with prospective clients and rely on transparent communication channels and background-checking software like Forewarn to identify suspicious behavior before it’s too late.

Pro Tip: Be sure to dig deep into social media profiles, as most buyer profiles typically have a longer, more detailed digital history than fake ones.

3. AI phishing schemes

AI-powered phishing emails are becoming practically a daily occurrence. AI is turning phishing emails from obvious scams to near-flawless imitations of legitimate ones. AI has access to an unprecedented amount of data, giving it the ability to craft phishing emails that seem highly personalized, often including real phone numbers or addresses and details that align with a legitimate business.

Emails might look like an official notification to approve a login attempt, verify a recent charge, or confirm a password change. It could appear as a notice from a bank about a trust deposit or a message from a well-known title company about confirming a wire transfer.

These emails are particularly dangerous for real estate agents, who often field countless emails each day. You can no longer identify fraudulent emails by looking for poor grammar or fuzzy logos. These AI-generated emails can contain highly convincing content, making it easy to dupe the recipient.

Phone calls from real numbers in the email can be part of these scams and add another layer of deception. The links in the email are the real threat. These digital fraudsters aim to have you click links that infect your computers, compromise client information, or gain access to your computer or internal systems.

Even initial multi-factor authentication may not be enough, as cybercriminals are finding ways to use AI to bypass MFA solutions.

Remaining aware is critical. Real estate agents must look carefully at every email, especially those that prompt you to click on a link or download an attachment. Verification is vital: whenever you have the slightest doubt, don’t click. It’s better to be cautious and reach out to the source directly, preferably by phone, and avoid clicking any embedded links.

Pro tip: Hover your cursor – or right mouse click – over any link in an email to see where it leads. If the URL looks suspicious or doesn’t match the official domain of the supposed sender, do not click.

Staying vigilant

AI-driven scams are becoming more common, increasing the need for real estate agents to remain vigilant. Fake titles, AI-generated buyers, and convincing phishing emails aren’t just hypothetical threats; they’re here now and becoming more sophisticated and believable. Staying informed, implementing rigorous verification processes, and trusting in secure systems are the best defenses real estate agents can use to battle against complex scams.

More waves of cyber threats in real estate are coming. Well-prepared real estate agents will ask the hard questions, trust their instincts, and continue educating themselves about emerging risks.

AI will continue to be used by bad actors, but an informed and vigilant real estate community can slow down or stop many threats. The good news is that real estate agents have an ally to help. If you need advice on spotting AI threats, learning how to make your systems more secure, or better understanding the pluses and minuses of AI, Tech Helpline is here to help, and an analyst is available with a click, call, or text – and ready to assist you.

To view the original article, visit the Tech Helpline blog.

Loan Programs in California

First Mortgage Programs | Down Payment Assistance Programs

CalHFA offers a variety of loan programs to help you purchase a home in California.

First Mortgage Programs

Government Loans

CalHFA FHA Loan Program
The CalHFA FHA Program is an FHA-insured loan featuring a CalHFA 30 year fixed interest rate first mortgage.

CalPLUS FHA Loan Program
The CalPLUS FHA program is an FHA-insured first mortgage with a slightly higher 30 year fixed interest rate than our standard FHA program and is combined with the CalHFA Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for closing costs.

CalHFA VA Loan Program
The CalHFA VA program is a VA-insured loan featuring a CalHFA fixed interest rate first mortgage. This loan is a 30-year fixed interest rate first mortgage.

CalHFA USDA Program
The CalHFA USDA Program is a USDA Guaranteed first mortgage loan program, which can be combined with the MyHome Assistance Program (MyHome). This loan is a 30-year fixed interest rate first mortgage.

Conventional Loans

CalHFA Conventional Loan Program
The CalHFA Conventional program is a first mortgage loan insured through private mortgage insurance on the conventional market. The interest rate on the CalHFA Conventional is fixed throughout the 30-year term.

CalPLUS Conventional Loan Program
The CalPLUS Conventional program is a conventional first mortgage with a slightly higher 30 year fixed interest rate than our standard conventional program and is combined with the CalHFA Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for closing costs.

Down Payment Assistance Programs

The money you put “down” or the down payment on your home loan can be one of the largest hurdles for many first-time homebuyers. That’s why CalHFA offers several options for down payment and closing cost assistance. This type of assistance is often called a second or subordinate loan. CalHFA’s subordinate loans are “silent seconds”, meaning payments on this loan are deferred so you do not have to make a payment on this assistance until your home is sold, refinanced or paid in full. This helps to keep your monthly mortgage payment affordable.

California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan
The California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan is a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers to be used in conjunction with the Dream For All Conventional first mortgage for down payment and/or closing costs.

MyHome Assistance Program
CalHFA Government Loans (FHA): MyHome offers a deferred-payment junior loan of an amount up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value to assist with down payment and/or closing costs.

CalHFA Conventional Loans: MyHome offers a deferred-payment junior loan of an amount up to the lesser of 3% of the purchase price or appraised value to assist with down payment and/or closing costs.

I read this article HERE.

The Caton Team loves working with buyers – learn what a Buyer’s Agent and The Caton Team does for our clients >>> Read more HERE.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

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How can The Caton Team help You?

Get exclusive inside access when you follow us on Facebook & Instagram

Got Real Estate Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

The Condo “Naughty List” – Excerpts Shared from Article

I read this article HERE, by Christian Leonard.

Hello – thank you for tuning into today’s blog post. I am sharing excerpts from the San Francisco Chronicle Article about the condo naughty list.

As if getting a home in the Bay Area wasn’t hard enough, now we have another layer to add to it – a condo naughty list.

Due to the condo collapse in Florida and balcony failure in Berkeley, lenders are taking a step back in caution regarding how these condo complex and their Home Owners Associations are handling the maintenance of their buildings. Some are not handling it well. As a result, some complexes have been red-flagged and deemed unlendable until reports come in stating the opposite.

“More than 700 California condominium complexes are flagged in Fannie Mae’s database as being ‘unavailable,’ meaning the company won’t purchase loans for units there, according to data provided by condo law firm Alcock Marcus. The number of affected condos has skyrocketed in the past few years.

The impact of being on the list could be severe. A bank often won’t lend money for a condo that’s on that list, said Kevin Casey, a Bay Area loan officer with Guarantee Mortgage. That means the buyer has to either get a non-qualified mortgage, which is a riskier type of loan that comes with higher interest rates, or back out of the deal entirely.”

This is terrible news for first-time buyers or price-sensitive clients, where condo or townhome purchases are the first step into getting into the Real Estate market. Especially here in the Bay Area.

“Exactly which condo buildings are blacklisted is unclear — Allcock Marcus declined to provide the list itself. Only lenders are able to access the database, and both buyers and sellers may not know that a condo is flagged until they’ve already made a deal. But the Mercury News reported that about 168 Bay Area complexes are on the list, including 21 in San Francisco. ” Thankfully, knowing this information now, we’ll have our lenders take a look at that list before we proceed.

“Condo owners and sellers were already struggling to find insurance, with providers either leaving the state or significantly raising rates. Those insurance woes have also resulted in the Bay Area having some of the highest HOA fees in the country. And in the Walnut Creek retirement community of Rossmoor, most buyers have to pay in cash after Fannie and Freddie announced they would no longer back mortgages there unless it was funded for a complete loss. Rossmoor is one of 35 flagged condo complexes in Walnut Creek, according to the Mercury News.

Casey, the Guarantee Mortgage agent, said buyers who are considering bidding on a condo should make sure it’s in a well-run association, as that can determine how much time they spend navigating issues later in the deal.

“You’re buying two things,” Casey said. “You’re buying what’s between the walls, and you’re buying the management company. So you have to spend … a good amount of time looking at that HOA.””

That is so well said, and why it is so important that buyers take the time to actually read the Home Owners Association Documents but even that isn’t enough to know the structural integrity of the building. This will require each complex to do its due diligence, employ the correct inspectors to clear any red flags if a complex is flagged. This will require the members of the association to approve these expenses, and I hope they do – and sooner rather than later – as this list will impact the value and desirability of these units. Which in turn will impact the current owners there and affect their ability to sell should the time come to move.

Not the news I want to hear as a Realtor – but also the news I want to hear because the safety of my clients and friends matters.

Thank you for reading today’s post, and know The Caton Team is here to help – reach out with your Real Estate questions or concerns.

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The Caton Team believes, in order to be successful in the San Francisco | Peninsula | Bay Area | Silicon Valley Real Estate Market, we have to think and act differently. We do this by positioning our clients in the strongest light, representing them with the utmost integrity, while strategically maneuvering through negotiations and contracts. Together we make dreams come true.

A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined local Real Estate experience and knowledge – wouldn’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.

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DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

Predatory app steals data, uses it for blackmail – Shared Article

A malicious app claiming to be a financial management tool has been downloaded 100,000 times from the Google Play Store. The app— known as “Finance Simplified”—belongs to the SpyLoan family which specializes in predatory lending.

Sometimes malware creators manage to get their apps listed in the official app store. This is a great benefit for them since it lends a sense of legitimacy to the app, and they don’t have to convince users to sideload the app from an unofficial site.

So, it gives them a much larger audience, they can lean on the trust we invest in the official app stores and users don’t have to do anything they might perceive as suspicious.

While Google has enhanced security measures in place—including AI-powered threat detection and real-time scanning— that are designed to detect and block malicious apps more effectively, the cat-and-mouse game between cybercriminals and security measures continues, with each side trying to outsmart the other.

In this case, the loan app evaded detection on Google Play, by loading a WebView to redirect users to an external website from where they could download the app hosted on an Amazon EC2 server.

Predatory lending is any lending practice where the borrower is taken advantage of by the lender. Predatory lenders impose lending terms that are unfair or abusive.

The apps in the SpyLoan family offer attractive loan terms with virtually no background checks. But when the apps are installed, they steal information from the victim’s device that can be used to blackmail the victim. Especially when they miss any payments on the loan.

Among the stolen information are listed contacts, call logs, text messages, photos, and the device’s location.

Although the app has now been removed from Google Play, it may continue to run on affected devices, collecting sensitive information in the background.

The researchers found that the app only targets users in India with the recommended loan applications and the redirect to an external website.

The information stolen from users could well be used for malicious purposes or sold to other cybercriminals.

Losing data related to a financial account can have severe consequences. If you find an app from this family or another information stealer on your device, there are a few guidelines to follow to limit the damage:

Set up identity monitoring. Identity monitoring alerts you if your personal information is found being traded illegally online, and helps you recover after.

Change your password. You can make a stolen password useless to thieves by changing it. Choose a strong password that you don’t use for anything else. Better yet, let a password manager choose one for you.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). If you can, use a FIDO2-compliant hardware key, laptop or phone as your second factor. Some forms of two-factor authentication (2FA) can be phished just as easily as a password. 2FA that relies on a FIDO2 device can’t be phished.

Consider not storing your card details. It’s definitely more convenient to get sites to remember your card details for you, but we highly recommend not storing that information on websites.

I read this article HERE.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent – Shared Article

If you’re ready to sell your home, you should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs. Here are ten questions you should consider when selecting an agent – with answers by The Caton Team. I read this article HERE.

1. Are you a REALTOR®?

When you work with an agent who is a REALTOR®, you are working with a professional guided by ethical duties under the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, including the pledge to protect and promote the interests of their clients.

The Caton Team are proud Realtors and uphold the Code of Ethics.

2. What types of services can you provide me?

Your agent can help you with marketing your property, interfacing with buyer’s agents, handling showings and open houses, negotiating the purchase agreement on your behalf, assisting throughout the closing process, and more.

The Caton Team shared some info here & here. Please reach out for password.

3. Are you familiar with the market where I am selling my home?

Your agent must be licensed where you are selling your home. But they should also have the market knowledge to facilitate a successful transaction. While prior experience with the market where your property is located is not a requirement, local knowledge could help your agent develop a strategy that resonates with local buyers.

The Caton Team was born and raised in the San Francisco Peninsula, aka Silicon Valley, and has over 40+ years of combined local Real Estate experience. Our clients’ journey has taken us to San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, Alameda County, and, of course, our home county of San Mateo.

4. What will be included in our listing contract?

At the outset of your relationship, you and your agent will sign a listing agreement that says the agent can represent you and market your property to potential buyers and their agents and establishes the sale price for your home. It will also lay out the type of professional representation your agent will provide and what they will be paid for those services. Remember that agent compensation is fully negotiable and not set by law.

Each client is unique as is the contract between us. We will review it with you directly.

5. How did you arrive at your suggested list price for my home?

Setting a strong initial asking price based on your agent’s knowledge of the market is important for capturing buyer interest and securing the best possible offer. Your agent should conduct market research to determine an appropriate price that both attracts prospective buyers and ensures you receive a fair market value for your home.

The Caton Team believes in transparency, we provide a market analysis and the raw data we used to arrive at the suggested price. Ultimately – you will decide your price once reviewing the data.

6. How will you market my home?

Agents may use a variety of marketing methods to reach potential buyers, and they should walk you through the pros and cons of each option. For example, one tool agents use to market properties is a Multiple Listing Service (MLS), an online platform that compiles home listings from brokerages in a given market, to reach the largest possible pool of buyers and potentially attract the best offer.

The Caton Team is happy to review our marketing plan with our clients directly and do not post our plan online. Please contact us at 650.799.4333 | Info@TheCatonTeam.com

7. How do I attract potential buyers?

There are many strategies that may help attract potential buyers. For example, offers of compensation—when you or your agent compensate another agent for bringing a buyer to successfully close the transaction—and seller concessions—when you cover certain costs associated with purchasing a home for the buyer—may lead to a better or faster offer by reducing out-of-pocket and upfront expenses for prospective buyers.

The Caton Team is happy to review our marketing plan and how we attract potential buyers with our clients directly and do not post our plan online. Please contact us at 650.799.4333 | Info@TheCatonTeam.com

8. What do I need to do to get my house ready?

To prepare your home for listing, your agent may suggest investing in necessary repairs or other upgrades that may help enhance buyer interest for the property.

The Caton Team loves this question – let’s take a look at your home and help you figure this out. Please contact us at 650.799.4333 | Info@TheCatonTeam.com

9. How will you vet potential buyers?

An important part of selling your home is ensuring that prospective buyers are financially prepared to follow through with their offer. Discuss with your agent how they plan to evaluate prospective buyers, which may include requiring a pre-approval letter to be submitted alongside the offer.

10. Do you have references I can speak with?

Many agents will be happy to connect you with satisfied clients they have worked with in the past who can speak to their experience.

YES – please read our TESTIMONIALS and read one of our favorite experiences here.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

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How can The Caton Team help You?

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The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

How Homeowners Are Overhauling Their Outdated Kitchens – Shared Article

Kitchen remodelers are prioritizing some of these latest trends.

Nearly half of homes in the U.S. are more than 40 years old and likely have kitchens reflecting styles of a past era. That’s helping to lead to an increase in kitchen remodels, and homeowners are shelling out more money for an upgrade.

While the kitchen is often a focal point of the home, a renovation can be costly. Homeowners tend to recover about 75% of the cost of a kitchen overhaul at resale, one of the highest ROIs for home remodeling projects, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ Remodeling Impact report.

The amount homeowners are spending on a kitchen renovation continues to grow, with the median spend rising to $60,000 over the past year, according to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, a survey based on more than 1,600 renovating homeowners. What’s more, the number of homeowners taking on a “premium kitchen renovation”—spending a minimum of $180,000—has grown by 20% over the past year, the survey shows.

“As kitchens take on a more centralized role in daily activities, homeowners are choosing to surrender neighboring rooms and exterior spaces for additional kitchen square footage to meet their needs,” says Marine Sargsyan, staff economist for the home remodeling site Houzz. Indeed, more than a third of renovating homeowners say they increased the square footage of their kitchens by sacrificing other spaces—typically, the dining room or living room, the survey shows.

So how are these renovating homeowners allocating their money to pay for kitchen makeovers? The Houzz survey uncovers some of the following priorities.

Backsplashes are reaching for the ceiling.

Full backsplash coverage, stretching to the cabinets, range hood or even the ceiling, is becoming more appealing to consumers. Also, while the majority of homeowners choose tile for their backsplash (76%), about a quarter are opting for larger, bold backsplashes, according to the Houzz survey.

Photo credit: Joe Hendrickson / Getty Images

Countertops go dark.

White remains the top choice for kitchen countertops—favored by 41% of consumers—but black is gaining popularity. Nearly one in five homeowners chose black for a contrasting island countertop, the Houzz survey finds.

Photo credit: Joe Hendrickson / Getty Images

Some touches of glass.

Glass-front accent cabinets are adding display spaces into the kitchen, like a more modern form of the china cabinet. For example, homeowners are mixing in glass-front accent cabinets with shaker cabinets, which are the most common style. They’re using these accent cabinets to show off glassware, decorative items or dishware.

Photo credit: PC Photography / Getty Images

Hardwood flooring loses some appeal.

Hardwood flooring for the kitchen is declining slightly in popularity, with only 24% of renovating homeowners selecting it for their remodels. Meanwhile, vinyl or resilient flooring and ceramic or porcelain tile are increasing in popularity, at 22% and 20%, respectively.

Photo credit: Artem Perevozchikov / Getty Images

Smart cooking device upgrades.

More smart home tech is entering the kitchen, and a smart oven is a bigger priority for renovators, the Houzz survey finds. Nearly two-thirds of homeowners chose ovens with specialty features, like phone monitor controls, remote timer activation, control locks, precise temperature control and automated cooking, according to the Houzz survey.

Traditional styles make a comeback.

Transitional style—a blend of traditional and modern elements—is the most popular for kitchen design, but the number of renovating homeowners opting for a more traditional look is gaining attention. In fact, traditional now ranks as the number two most popular kitchen style, nudging out modern and contemporary kitchen designs, the Houzz survey shows.

Written by Melissa Dittmann Tracey

I read this article HERE.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

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How can The Caton Team help You?

Get exclusive inside access when you follow us on Facebook & Instagram

Got Real Estate Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina
A Family of Realtors
Effective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

DRE # | Sabrina 01413526 | Susan 01238225 | Team 70000218 | Office 01499008

The Caton Team does not receive compensation for any posts. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third-party information not verified.

How do I find the right agent to sell my home?

Do I need to have my home inspected before putting it up for sale?

What should I do if something in my home needs to be fixed or replaced soon?

Am I required to make any cosmetic updates to my home before putting it up for sale?

Do I need to provide information about appliances that will stay in the home after it’s sold?

What does it mean to stage my home?

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Two Types of Tax Credits: How They’re Different

Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit

Residential Clean Energy Credit

Prioritizing Energy Efficiency Projects

Newer Homes Can Benefit from Energy Efficiency Too

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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1. Provide estimates upfront.

2. Point out the limitations.

3. Detail the advantages of your analysis.

4. Highlight the advantages of local knowledge.

5. Provide examples of estimates vs. your sold prices.

6. Remind them that there is a range.

Zillow CEO Can’t Meet His Own Zestimate

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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1. From seals to signatures: AI forgery grows

2. Fake buyers

3. AI phishing schemes

Staying vigilant

Related reading

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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First Mortgage Programs

Government Loans

Conventional Loans

Down Payment Assistance Programs

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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1. Are you a REALTOR®?

2. What types of services can you provide me?

3. Are you familiar with the market where I am selling my home?

4. What will be included in our listing contract?

5. How did you arrive at your suggested list price for my home?

6. How will you market my home?

7. How do I attract potential buyers?

8. What do I need to do to get my house ready?

9. How will you vet potential buyers?

10. Do you have references I can speak with?

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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Backsplashes are reaching for the ceiling.

Countertops go dark.

Some touches of glass.

Hardwood flooring loses some appeal.

Smart cooking device upgrades.

Traditional styles make a comeback.

Got Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties, Redwood City Ca.

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