Next up – Bravas – Bar de Tapas – 420 Center Street, Healdsburg, Ca
Hello! Thank you for reading REAL EATS, the beat on where to eat. I thought I’d combine my love of good food with my passion for Real Estate and blog about local restaurants. I enjoy on sharing my favorite spots up and down the San Francisco Peninsula and beyond. I hope you have a chance to enjoy the amazing food our communities have to offer.
Curious what properties are going for in Healdsburg California – click HOMES FOR SALE
Bravas – Bar de Tapas
For this entry – I ventured away from the Bay Area and I hope you do too! My husband and I were enjoying the Wine Country for a little get-a-way and house hunting when we came upon Bravas. We used Yelp to help us narrow down the search close to our hotel. There were so many choices but for some reason I was drawn to Bravas. With a click we made a reservation and little did I know the experience would last me a lifetime.
I love tapas, little plates of goodness and a nice cocktail. Well, Bravas offered this and so much more. Nestled in a craftsman home converted into this restaurant – I instantly loved the décor and mixed home and bar feel. It was like hanging out in your friends really cool home. With a bar at the center, an awesome remodel of modern mixed with rustic. I truly enjoyed it the moment we walked in.
Where to begin! We started with sliders – the Duck Boccadillo (meatball) and Pork Cheek Bocca. Wow! The duck was tender and well seasoned. The savory sauce it was serviced with, tomato sofrito and green olive purée was excellent. The pork cheek was a new experience for me – I’d never had it before. Wonderful portion of pork cheek, dripping with flavor and served salsa verde and pequillo pepper.
Next we had the Creamy Chicken, Ham & Gruyere Cheese Croquetas. Oh My God. Little bites of fried heaven. I really cannot say enough. We savored these! Then we had a little vegetable intermission – the grilled Asparagus served with aioli and sprinkled with cheese.
On to the Skirt Steak, served with red onion marmalade and valdeón cheese – was a delicious! I truly enjoyed the marmalade; it was a nice surprise, meat cooked perfectly. And then, we had the Octopus! This by far was my most favorite dish in taste and presentation. Served with smoked paprika and olives was amazing. The seasoning spot on and the Octopus grilled perfectly!
And when we didn’t think we had any more room – we had to try the Cider Braised Chorizo served with fried Shishito Peppers. What a delight. The peppers were fresh and crispy, the chorizo had a good spice!
Now doesn’t that sound delicious! We coupled our dinner with Mojitos, laughter and good fun. One of my best nights with my man! A wonderful food experience! So if you find yourself in Healdsburg – make sure to detour over to Bravas!
The Caton Team does not receive any compensation for any posts, we use YELP for ease of use. All restaurant reviews are unsolicited and unpaid. Photos of dishes and edites are my own. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Third party information not verified.
Got Real Estate Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
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.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
If you’ve heard the news – you’re aware of the wire transfer fraud during real estate transactions. Scary stuff. Please take note that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Drysdale Properties and The Caton Team have taken precautions to protect our clients. Preferably using cashiers checks in lieu of a wires to be frank. We’ve also taken precautions with email. If you prefer please email us at sabrina.caton@bhhsdrysdale.com.
Testimonials From Our FANTASTIC Clients 2023 and beyond…
“Sabrina went above and beyond in helping us sell our home. Due to the pandemic, we were trapped across the country, and Sabrina helped us with virtually every aspect of prepping the home for sale before listing. She gave honest and excellent advice on what would be cost-effective to update prior to the sale. The home attracted a lot of attention, more than we anticipated, and we had showings every 30 minutes all day until our offer date was set. We were thrilled to sell our home way over our asking price, much higher than our expectations! We highly recommend the Caton team!”
– Katherine 2021
– Talin in 2020
Outstanding relators. Sabrina was an excellent communicator with us, and a fierce negotiator on our behalf. Having Susan’s expertise made us stronger each step of the way. Sabrina and Susan first impressed us with their clear knowledge and strong experience, as well as their warmth. They showed clear willingness to understand us as clients and support us in our goal of buying in SF, even when it appeared out of reach. Even though they are based on the Peninsula, they both demonstrated a strong understanding of the SF market and instantly built an effective working relationship with the sellers agents, or strengthened an existing relationship. When it was clear we needed to make a change in our search, Sabrina was understanding and helped guide us to a house we ADORE. Sabrina and Susan quickly sized up properties we were interested in and provided us with factual, detailed responses to help us make decisions about proceeding with properties. Sabrina was clear, thorough and direct in reviewing disclosures with us and helped us as first time buyers to feel comfortable with the process, especially in managing contingencies and the risks involved. Sabrina is highly organized and timely in writing offers, she even knew how to make our letters to the sellers stronger. Sabrina wowed us with her negotiating and advocacy for us with the sellers agent. We were overall thrilled with Sabrina and Susan’s work and will definitely work with them again in the future.
– J.R. in 2021
“The Caton Team was great. They took care of everything quickly and professionally. There were no surprises because they have an impeccable attention to detail. They pricing advice they gave us was spot on.”
Cindy & Ryan 2021
“The Caton Team is UNBELIEVABLE! As first-time homebuyers, we had a lot of questions and worries. Sabrina and Susan guided us expertly through each step of the way. From start to finish, our journey with The Caton Team exceeded our expectations. Sabrina and Susan work tirelessly for their clients, have incredible communication skills, endless patience, and an incredible wealth of knowledge. They are both so personable, kind, and funny, which made working with them pure joy. Simply put, we would not be sitting in our dream home right now without them! I can’t recommend them highly enough – trust me when I say that you will be in the absolute best hands with Sabrina and Susan!”
– Sarah 2021
Sabrina, I’m very impressed by your dedication and how professional and respectful you are dealing with other agents. I would pick you as my listing agent if I were a seller. Hope to work with you in the future.
– Fellow Realtor 2021
Sabrina and Susan are not only expert realtors with a wealth of knowledge of the Bay Area market, but they are also educators. They are patient, kind, and thorough as they guided us through buying our first ever home in the Bay Area. They also took the time to build relationships with other realtors that we met along the way and were always willing to share their knowledge and experience. They are also tenacious and always went the extra mile whenever needed to help us during all parts of the home-buying process. Sabrina and Susan really listened to what our priorities were as a family and guided us every step of the way. They worked at the pace we felt comfortable with and gave us positive encouragement when we needed it. Sabrina and Susan made the seemingly impossible, possible! We are forever grateful to them for helping us to buy our first home! We would and have highly recommended Sabrina and Susan to close friends. Thank you Sabrina and Sue!
– Cori – 2021
Sabrina and Susan were amazing partners in our first home buying experience. They were always available for questions we had and guided us through the unique experience of buying a house during a global pandemic. Fantastic experience overall and we would happily recommend to anyone in the Bay Area!
– Art – 2021
Sabrina and Susan were an incredible help in selling our house. They moved at the pace we needed and answered every question we had. They adapted to the difficulties of selling in 2020 with ease. FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for all your did helping us. I appreciate how patient you were throughout and how helpful you were to me personally.
– Ben in 2020
Sabrina and Sue did a great job of helping us sell our townhouse in San Mateo. While real estate can be challenging during Covid 19, Sabrina and Sue were well versed in all of the regulations and made the process very smooth. They advised us on how to stage the house to show it to its best advantages.They also advised us as to the best pricing strategies as we were under a time constraint to sell our house and buy another one within a very short timeframe. It took approximately 3 days from the time our house was put on the market to obtaining an offer. They were with us every step of the way and also helped us to find our new forever home.
– Pam in 2020
Sabrina and Sue were a great help in finding our new home in Danville. They sold our home in San Mateo within 3 days of listing it on the market. They were very knowledgeable about buying and selling during Covid 19. After deciding on our wish list of # of bedrooms and baths, desired location and price range; they worked with us to set up times for viewing within the scope of our wishlist. After viewing five homes, we decided to make an offer on one. We have now moved into our forever home, but it didn’t stop there. About three weeks after moving in, we experienced a problem with our air conditioner. Water leaking out of a light fixture in the ceiling! We texted Sabrina that evening and she contacted the home warranty company and made sure we had someone come and check out the problem the next day. The Caton team service did not stop with the handing over of the keys for which we are very appreciative. If you are looking to buy or sell, we would definitely give them a thumbs up!
– Pam in 2020
“We were wowed by The Caton Team, their skills in evaluating properties, negotiating with sellers agents and guiding us through the home buying process were outstanding.”
– Alex 2021
Was very satisfied with the performance and decisions made on the sale and purchase of the properties that we made. I would strongly recommend this team again.
– John 2020
“Sabrina and Susan were great advisors throughout the process of selling my old house and buying the new one. They helped me early on consider my options and timing, as well as helping me arrange my financial plan so I would be ready to pounce at the right opportunity. When the right house came along, they sprang into action, negotiating with years of local experience and knowledge of other realtors, but also ethics of honesty and fairness, which were important to me. I was particularly impressed with the professional, yet doggedly determined way they communicated with me and all the different partners in the process, from loan officers to escrow agents to the other parties’ realtors. In the end, I met all of my real estate goals thanks to their honest support and steady guidance.”
– Kit for Redfin Partnership with The Caton Team and Berkshire Hathaway 2020
“I have already recommended them to several people who plan to purchase homes in the next 5 years. They are wonderful, we consider them friends. My wife and I have worked with Sabrina and Sue to buy multiple houses and sell one. 11 stars. :)”
– Sean 2020
Sabrina and Susan helped me evaluate my buying needs and counsel me on the appropriate buying strategy for a competitive market. They helped me wait for the right time , but were also ready to pounce when the opportunity came. They were on top of all communications, including tricky ones with the solar company and escrow agent, which they negotiated with pleasant but dogged determination. Their combined knowledge and experience of the local agents gave me confidence throughout the process, and I particularly appreciated their ethical standards for transactions.
– Kit 2020
“Susan and Sabrina, The Caton (Dream)Team –
Thirteen years ago, we met Susan Caton who so kindly helped us find our first home in the Bay Area. She was mindful of our budget and attentive to our wish list. We landed a great starter home fit to our needs and close to work. In 2012, when it cametime to relocate into a neighborhood with great schools, we once again called upon Susan, who now was partner with her daughter-in-law, Sabrina, to find the right house for our growing family. First, Susan and Sabrina helped sell our house within 2 weeks time at a price within our expectations. Then, they delivered BIG by helping us find our next dream home in a competitive market with little time to spare knowing Facebook millionaires would soon bring stiff competition to the housing market. All along, even when our first two offers fell through, Susan and Sabrina helped us keep our focus and always had our best interest in mind. Settling for less than our hearts desired was not the answer, and our patience combined with our trust in Susan and Sabrina paid off when we stumbled upon our dream home. We can honestly say that working with The Caton Dream Team has been a true pleasure as it has enabled us to find a wonderful place to call home, not only once, but twice. When the time comes, we will gladly call upon their services again, and we highly recommend them to anyone looking to find their first or next dream home.”
– Heather R – 6.18.2013 via Zillow – 5 Stars
Sabrina and Sue recently helped us both sell our old home and purchase our new forever home.They were very knowledgeable about buying and selling during Covid 19.They advised us on staging our property to it’s best advantage as well as pricing for a quick sale.We were anxious to find anotherproperty to purchase within a quick turn-around.After setting the parameters of # of bedrooms and baths, location, and pricing; they worked with us to tour the homes in which we were interested.After viewing 5 homes, we made an offer and were in the process of closing within days.The service didn’t stop with the handing over of the keys.After living in our new place for about 3 weeks, we experienced a problem with the air conditioner with water leaking from a light fixture in the ceiling!We contacted Sabrina that evening and she worked with the warranty company to have someone come out to service it the next day!We give the Caton team a big thumbs up
– Pam B. 8.31.2020 via Zillow – 5 Stars
To The Future Clients of The Caton Team
Buying a house can be a very scary experience especially in the San Francisco Bay Area where very high stakes are involved.I have purchased home in other states and nothing was quite like it is here.
The Caton Team helped smooth and ease the way whenever there was a ‘pothole-in-the-road’ on the way to owning my home.It is nice having a “team approach” because I felt like I would receive two opinions that gave me different perspectives to look at.I was then ale to see through their eyes the ‘diamond in the rough’ and, what I could do with it.
I found them to be kind, caring, understanding and sensitive to my needs, informative, diligent and sympathetic to my situation.Their follow-through was great!They didn’t leaving me hanging with “I’ll get back to you.”They found the answers to all my questions and in a timely manner.
I felt they went above and beyond when I asked them to video tape an entire house, including a fuze box and “sniff” the craw space for me.I happened to be in another state at the time and needed them to act quickly because the property I was looking at was very active.This really helped because it made up my mind that I was gong to bid on it.
I liked the fact that, if I couldn’t reach Sabrina I could talk to Susan and, the messages got communicated between them. We were all on the same page!
I am so grateful that they were able to move quickly through the process so I could be in the game of the ‘biding war”.
And, as it turned out, with either advice I got the home I was bidding on and wanted!
Thank you Caton Team!
– Jenny B.
Sabrina and team are fantastic. Responsive, honest, transparent and efficient. She’s also well-connected in the real estate community on the peninsula – whether buying or selling, you can’t ask for better representation. I highly recommend her!
– Kenny H.
“The Caton Team were absolutely excellent. They are quick to respond to any issues or questions that I may had. They personally found places that were right for me in the places that I wanted to live in. I ended up buying a place at a much lower price than I initially thought I would have to pay. You can’t do wrong with them.”
– Tonton R. from Google – 5 stars
“Sabrina and Susan were very helpful and made the buying and selling my condo a very easy process. Any issues that came up, they were on top of it and handle the problems. When I had any questions, they were quick to respond. I highly recommend the Sabrina and Susan Caton.”
– Frank
Testimonial of the Day – from Mike on Google – 5 stars
“I can’t say enough about this awesome duo of Sabrina and Sue!! They are with you every step of the way. Answering all the question as well as helping with the emotional side of selling your home. Second time I have worked with them and would recommend highly!
“Another Happy Client.”
-Sean M.
“Sabrina was everything you want in a realtor…knowledgeable, courteous, went the extra mile , honest, patient and understanding to your needs. I would definitely utilize her services again if I ever needed them!”
– Jenny on Realtor.com
“Very honest.”
– Fredric & Heather R.
“Sabrina and Sue are a wonderful team. I never once felt ignored or at a loss. They held my hand the entire time and I’m so grateful for their help and knowledge in making this process so easy.”
– Brittany
To future clients of The Caton Team,
The Caton Team is made up of Susan Caton and Sabrina Caton, or as I like to refer to them as the Dynamic Duo of Real Estate. They are trustworthy, honest, straight-forward, and experts in the real estate business. I might be a little biased, because of my friendship with them, but nothing will test a friendship more than the process of buying and selling a home. As everyone knows when you sell your home you want the most money for the least amount of effort and you want the process to be quick and smooth. The Caton Team will make sure you have all of the necessary information and knowledge to understand how to stage your home and what the process will be along with a realistic timeline of what you can expect. If you follow their directions and listen to what they say, your home selling experience will be painless and quick. For us this ended up being less than a week with our home selling for more than what we expected. The entire process from filling out the required paperwork to negotiating went smoothly and was overall painless on our end. At the end of the day we got more than what we wanted and were in a great position to start hunting for a new home.
This brings me to how The Caton Team helped us buy a new home for what we wanted, while making sure that we got the home that we wanted. Since we had already bought and sold our first home with The Caton Team, using them again to buy another house did not require much thought, actually required no thought. We went into the process wanting the best of the best in the best location, because who does not want that for themselves? They were kind enough to listen to our wants and desires and showed us what we could afford in the areas we were looking. It took a few homes to realize that our expectations were not in sync with the market, because currently in early 2015 homes are going like hot cakes and for more than what they are listed at by a fair amount.
This is when we sat down again and started looking at other areas that were just as nice, but we had ignored initially. The important part here is while they mentioned this information early on, they allowed us to realize it on our own that we needed to look outside of our ideal areas if we wanted our dream house. Once we realized what they were saying we expanded our search and found the home that we wanted. After our initial open house we contacted The Caton Team and informed them that we found the home that we wanted. This is when The Caton Team sprang into action, they immediately started requesting all of the disclosures from the seller’s agent and contacted the seller’s agent to gain any additional knowledge that might not be in the supplied paperwork. They then shared this information openly with us, as one would expect, and started laying down the groundwork of what we would need to do if we truly wanted this house. They supplied us with the tools necessary to make an informed decision and provided us with comparable sales (COMPS) in that particular area, so that we would have an idea of what houses were selling for and where the market was heading (spoiler alert, market was only going upwards). Their attention to detail and understanding of the market allowed us to make the best offer we could, while not overbidding or underbidding and making sure that we would have our offer accepted. As you have already guessed, our offer was accepted almost immediately and we are now homeowners of a home that we wanted in an area that is ideal.
If you have made it this far, then you realize why The Caton Team is really The Dynamic Duo of Real Estate. They make sure you are provided with the proper tools and information to make the best decision for yourself. They will work tirelessly with you and will not be a 9-5 agent, they will be honest, trustworthy, and straight-forward. You will not feel like you are getting the short-end of the deal and at the end of the day you will feel great about your decision to work with The Caton Team.
-The Liere Family
“Sabrina and Susan of Berkshire Hathaway, were the perfect real estate agents for me. As a first-time buyer, I had very little knowledge of how the process of purchasing a home actually worked. They are friendly, approachable, patient, strategic and persistent. Sabrina maintained great communication throughout the entire experience. They always got back to me quickly and they were willing to meet or discuss potential condos that I selected as potential buys. She even recommended a lending agent in the area, which I ended up using. Without them edging me along, I’m fairly certain I would have given up, thinking this whole “buying a house” ordeal was not for me. It’s simply too difficult for a working person to complete on their own.
Now that I have purchased my condo, I’m happy to see that Sabrina is still involved. She has collected my new keys and mail, answered my escrow questions and will do the final walk through. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend or use them again.”
– Ashley
“I worked with Sabrina and Sue a few years back and they were so professional. I was going thru a divorce and had to sell my condo. I was beyond upset. (Not because of the divorce but selling the condo) haha… Thru this difficult time they were so amazing and made me feel at ease. The housing market at that time was not the best but they did their best to make sure I got a good deal. The condo wasn’t on the market for too long and I was able to sell it for a decent price. Thank you to both for making that transition in my life a little easier. Definitely will be using them again if and ever I can buy again.”
-Elena
“We had a great experience buying a house through the Caton team. Sabrina and Susan were patient in answering our many questions, and helped guide us in the offer process to help win a bid on our second offer even in this crazy market! They are easy to get in touch with over email, text, or phone, and detail oriented to make sure nothing fell through the cracks. We’d highly recommend them!”
-Katherine
Hi Susan and Sabrina,
I just thought I’d take a moment to write you both to say how much of a pleasure it has been to once again have had another successful property transaction come to fruition with you both at the helm (yay, three now)!
I can’t say enough how Victor and I have been so happy you’ve been our representatives in both our buying and selling transactions, and that your dedication and hard work, creativity and professionalism have always made a world of difference all throughout the process of buying and selling our homes. From the smallest details like your fantastic web page ads and captioning to your weekly and continuous updates and presence at the property for showings and repairs. You’ve left nothing to chance!
It’s clear that experience counts, and your research and broad-based knowledge of the local real estate and larger markets in general, have always provided us with a solid backdrop from which we could make our decisions. You’ve always provided us with good information, solid recommendations, and I’m grateful that we had you both as our representatives.
Additionally, I want to say on a personal note, that you are both so considerate and thoughtful, and I always feel that we are in good hands when you’re on the job. Thank you again for this recent and very successful sale of our property, and we look forward to our continued relationship with you in future transactions.
I did not have your Broker’s contact information, but if you would please forward him/her this e-mail, I’d appreciate it, because I’d like them to know that you have permanent fans!
Thanks again, Helen and Victor
“Susan and Sabrina, The Caton (Dream)Team –
Thirteen years ago, we met Susan Caton who so kindly helped us find our first home in the Bay Area. She was mindful of our budget and attentive to our wish list. We landed a great starter home fit to our needs and close to work. In 2012, when it came time to relocate into a neighborhood with great schools, we once again called upon Susan, who now was partner with her daughter-in-law, Sabrina, to find the right house for our growing family. First, Susan and Sabrina helped sell our house within 2 weeks time at a price within our expectations. Then, they delivered BIG by helping us find our next dream home in a competitive market with little time to spare knowing Facebook millionaires would soon bring stiff competition to the housing market. All along, even when our first two offers fell through, Susan and Sabrina helped us keep our focus and always had our best interest in mind. Settling for less than our hearts desired was not the answer, and our patience combined with our trust in Susan and Sabrina paid off when we stumbled upon our dream home. We can honestly say that working with The Caton Dream Team has been a true pleasure as it has enabled us to find a wonderful place to call home, not only once, but twice. When the time comes, we will gladly call upon their services again, and we highly recommend them to anyone looking to find their first or next dream home.”
– Fredric and Heather R.
“I recently worked with The Caton team (Sabrina and Sue) to purchase my first home. I was referred to the team by a co-worker who had just purchased a condo with them. He had a great experience, and recommended them for their honesty, responsiveness and availability (even at night and weekends). I found this assessment to be 100% true.
I first met Sabrina and Sue when I was interviewing realtors. They recommended I come to their office for the interview. They were the only ones to recommend this, which already set them apart in my mind. During the interview they shared their process and approach and how our relationship would work. I decided to work with the Caton team for several reasons. 1) A great referral 2) Their open and honest personalities 3) Their sincere concern that I find exactly what I am looking for 3) Their combined years of experience and specialization in the peninsula.
After our first meeting, they set up their home search for the criteria we discussed. Part way through the search, my criteria changed, and they updated the search for the new criteria. Periodically, they would check in to see if I saw anything that I liked. We narrowed the search by going through what I liked and disliked about each listing that I reviewed online.
Sabrina and Sue answered all of my questions along the process. They came to the home inspection and to sign papers at title company. The title company representative that I signed papers with commented on how lucky I was to have my realtors there, looking out for my best interests, as a lot of first time buyers come alone, signing papers they don’t understand.
After receiving keys to my new home, the Caton team continued to support me. They referred me to painters their colleagues had worked with and found multiple contractors who would do the work I needed.
Sabrina and Sue are really easy to work with. It’s like talking with friends when I reach out to them. They are very approachable, trust worthy and hard working. They always answer questions I have or research to find the answers if they do not have them right away. I highly recommend them and will use them again for future real estate needs.”
– CJ T.
“The Caton team is awesome! Susan and Sabrina were an awesome fit for my husband and I as first-time homebuyers, but I highly recommend them for anyone at any stage of buying a home. They went above and beyond to help us locate a wonderful home and took us step by step through the often confusing short sale process. It felt less like we were working with realtors and more like we were working with good friends or family! Thank you, thank you, Sabrina and Susan!”
-Marie B.
“If anyone can get it done quickly it would be you two. By far the best Realtors west of the Mississippi.”
– Josh L.
“The Caton Team is A-Number-One in our book. Susan and Sabrina are consummate Pros. They do exhaustive research, they know how to price a home in today’s competitive market, and they know how to stage a home for maximum buyer appeal. They’ve sold two homes for us, and we’re completely satisfied with everything they do. You go, girls!”
-Russ & Elena H.
“I met Sabrina and Susan during our recent rental home search. As we were not prepared for a move (current homeowners informed us that they were selling the house after 1 year of listing the home as a rental) we needed to act quickly and diligently to find our new home. My initial communications were with Sabrina as she was hosting an open house. Her emails were prompt and friendly and I got to know her a bit through email. When I met up with her for the open house, she was just as friendly in person as was her partner, Susan. They were welcoming throughout the process and provided wonderful thorough follow up on behalf of the homeowner. Susan made herself available on a Saturday morning for the signing of the lease and has been in contact with us as we prepare for the move-in. We have very much enjoyed working with the Caton Team and would recommend them for rental guidance and hopefully in the near future, home ownership!”
– Angela J.
“The Caton team has helped me find my perfect condo within a month of looking! And then later found me great tenants to rent it out. They work quickly and are very professional. Plus, these are just a pair of wonderful women to be around. They are very trustworthy and have their Clients’ best interest in mind. I will be using them again for all my real estate needs, and I recommend them to everyone else! Thank you so much!”
-Caitlin G.
“The Caton Team are the best. They are very easy to work with and know what they are doing. Made a very stressful time much easier! I would recommend them to all. First time buyers and people that have sold many times will enjoy working with these wonderful ladies!”
-Chris & Gary C.
“The Caton Team has helped us many times. Susan and Sabrina are wonderful and we will use them again when the time comes. They know everything about the bay area and never pressure you about making decisions. We couldn’t ask for a better team.”
-Elisa D.
“I’m pretty sure without The Caton Team we wouldn’t have been able to buy our house. We started looking right before the housing market crashed and was going back and forth on qualifying for a loan. They made it happen-it’s a long story and I can make short and sweet. Please use The Caton Team for you house buying needs! Really!”
– Nisi C.
“I can’t say enough about what an incredibly professional job Sabrina did; she went above and beyond the call of duty! We would not be in our house today were it not for her tireless efforts. She’s so knowledgeable and works tenaciously for her clients.
Thank you Sabrina!
– Rip R.
“Great working with you guys!”
-Aaron B.
“I have worked with many realtors during my 15 years as a mortgage broker and Sabrina Caton is by far one of the best real estate agents I have ever had the pleasure of working with on a number of purchase transactions over the years. She is upbeat and personable with a great sense of humor. She consistently works with her clients best interests in mind and is not afraid to tackle the tough deals. I have personally seen her negotiate to lower the purchase price by $25,000 after the contract was already signed when the buyers’ appraisal came in below the purchase price. You can count on Sabrina for high energy, professional real estate services!”
-Melanie Flynn – Windsor Capital
“Susan & Sabrina did an excellent job, I am very happy. I highly recommend them.”
– Heidi & Robert M.
“Susan & Sabrina were great, very helpful, and understanding. They were never pushy and made sure we were making the right choices at all times. We would use them again for our next property purchase.”
– Anthony D. & Elisa L.
“Susan & Sabrina did a wonderful job, they are easy to communicate with, they were willing to put in extra time and work in getting our house ready to sell.”
– Kathy & Rodney H.
“I knew I wanted to work with Susan immediately because she actually listened to our needs, and gave sound, practical advice and information without a sales pitch. I would recommend her to anyone. She was absolutely helpful and made the whole thing easy and painless. I didn’t worry about anything as long as she was working on it.”
– Alicia S. and John G.
“Sabrina did an excellent job, she went above and beyond from the beginning to the end of the transaction making sure we understood every detail. She made things very easy on us – we appreciate all her hard work. We used them for both our real estate deals.”
– Kathy & Rodney H.
“When we need to sale our home – we definitely will call them again!”
– Loyda C. & Carol J.
“We loved working with Susan. I feel I have gained a new friendship. She was totally honest and trustworthy. She made selling our home a pleasant experience.”
– Ken & Elain S.
“Susan went above and beyond what she had to do. She was the only help I had getting my parents home cleaned and emptied so I could sell. I live in Sacramento and didn’t have the time to get down to San Carlos. She truly was a “God Send”. She is FABULOUS! I can’t say enough about her! Please know you have one hell of a woman working for Prudential. Please make sure she receives kudos for a job well done!”
– Andrew R.
“Susan was always available to us, providing information and assurance during the selling process of our home. Thank You!
– Leo & Carlotta O.
“We felt very relaxed and trusted their personality.”
– William & Helen G.
“They did an excellent job and we would recommend them!
– Steve & Stacy G.
“Thank you – Flawless Service!”
– Danielle C. & Thomas G.
“I will recommend them to all my friends and family.”
– Diane S.
“We wanted to work with Sabrina. She was wonderful. She put up with lots of emotions / family dynamic around the sale of this home, as it was our families house. I appreciated her sensitivity and solid knowledge. We would be happy to work with her again and pass along any new clients as well.
– Nancy R.
“I highly recommend them!”
– Derek H.
“Susan helped us so much. She advised us and “rode” with us though the entire ordeal. She is a very “real” person and shares concerns. She advises and makes one feel extremely comfortable. I would recommend her to another person unconditionally. She is an excellent agent who goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
– Russ & Elena H.
“They were great. They made the entire process as fun and easy as it could be. Thank you!”
– Matthew S.
“Susan was extremely helpful in making our first move in 44 years painless. It was a major undertaking. Thank you!”
– Betty C.
“Very thorough. Informed me of the newest listings. Made intelligent recommendations and opinions on listings without being pushy. The attention given to me made me feel as if I were the only client. I am extremely satisfied with the service.”
– Toshinari K.
“They were very professional and helpful. We could not complete the transaction without them.”
– Takeshi & Nana M.
“We selected Susan over two other agents because we liked her better.”
– Daniel S.
“EXCELLENT JOB! Lots of support throughout the process! Great personalities and professionalism! Very responsive to our concerns during the sale – thank you!”
– Mike & Lynn A.
“Sabrina is a highly effective real-estate agent. She has in-depth of knowledge of the market, strong negotiation skills and provides highly personalized service…she really listens to the needs of her client and delivers based on those needs.”
– Elif S.
“I was impressed with the attention to detail throughout the sale process. True Professionals!
– John K.
“We were very happy with Susan as she helped us through a difficult situation. Thanks is just not enough to say for what she did!”
– Donald & Roseanna M.
“Definitely an asset to your company!”
– Rosemary P.
“They are such real / genuine people. I felt I could lean and trust them particularly with some very important but difficult to understand questions. They are WONDERFUL!”
– Patricia P.
“Susan has impeccable integrity, what a great individual. Thank you for a wonderful transaction.”
– Pamela G.
“What a great experience. I live 4 hours away and shopping for rentals is not easy. The Caton Team made my shopping experience less stressful. Always ready to answer any questions I had, anytime I had them. I highly recommend this Team.”
– Julienne E.
THANK YOU to our wonderful clients for taking the time to share your experience with The Caton Team. We appreciate you.
Got Real Estate Questions? The Caton Team is here to help.
We strive to be more than just Realtors – we are also your home resource. If you have any real estate questions, concerns, need a referral or some guidance – we are here for you. Contact us at your convenience – we are but a call, text or click away!
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.
A mother and daughter-in-law team with over 35 years of combined, local Real Estate experience and knowledge – would’t you like The Caton Team to represent you? Let us know how we can be of service. Contact us any time.
Call| Text 650-799-4333 | EmailInfo@TheCatonTeam.com
The Caton Team – Susan & SabrinaA Family of RealtorsEffective. Efficient. Responsive.
What can we do for you?
The Caton Team Testimonials | The Caton Team Blog – The Real Estate Beat | TheCatonTeam.com | Facebook | Instagram | HomeSnap | Pintrest | LinkedIN Sabrina | LinkedIN SusanWant Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App: Mobile Real Estate by The Caton TeamBerkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties
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.
Copyright 2000-2022
Sabrina and team are fantastic. Responsive, honest, transparent and efficient. She’s also well-connected in the real estate community on the peninsula – whether buying or selling, you can’t ask for better representation. I highly recommned her!
– Kenny H.
“Very honest.”
– Fredric & Heather R.
Sabrina and Sue are a wonderful team. I never once felt ignored or at a loss. They held my hand the entire time and I’m so grateful for their help and knowledge in making this process so easy.
– Brittany
To future clients of The Caton Team,
The Caton Team is made up of Susan Caton and Sabrina Caton, or as I like to refer to them as the Dynamic Duo of Real Estate. They are trustworthy, honest, straight-forward, and experts in the real estate business. I might be a little biased, because of my friendship with them, but nothing will test a friendship more than the process of buying and selling a home. As everyone knows when you sell your home you want the most money for the least amount of effort and you want the process to be quick and smooth. The Caton Team will make sure you have all of the necessary information and knowledge to understand how to stage your home and what the process will be along with a realistic timeline of what you can expect. If you follow their directions and listen to what they say, your home selling experience will be painless and quick. For us this ended up being less than a week with our home selling for more than what we expected. The entire process from filling out the required paperwork to negotiating went smoothly and was overall painless on our end. At the end of the day we got more than what we wanted and were in a great position to start hunting for a new home.
This brings me to how The Caton Team helped us buy a new home for what we wanted, while making sure that we got the home that we wanted. Since we had already bought and sold our first home with The Caton Team, using them again to buy another house did not require much thought, actually required no thought. We went into the process wanting the best of the best in the best location, because who does not want that for themselves? They were kind enough to listen to our wants and desires and showed us what we could afford in the areas we were looking. It took a few homes to realize that our expectations were not in sync with the market, because currently in early 2015 homes are going like hot cakes and for more than what they are listed at by a fair amount.
This is when we sat down again and started looking at other areas that were just as nice, but we had ignored initially. The important part here is while they mentioned this information early on, they allowed us to realize it on our own that we needed to look outside of our ideal areas if we wanted our dream house. Once we realized what they were saying we expanded our search and found the home that we wanted. After our initial open house we contacted The Caton Team and informed them that we found the home that we wanted. This is when The Caton Team sprang into action, they immediately started requesting all of the disclosures from the seller’s agent and contacted the seller’s agent to gain any additional knowledge that might not be in the supplied paperwork. They then shared this information openly with us, as one would expect, and started laying down the groundwork of what we would need to do if we truly wanted this house. They supplied us with the tools necessary to make an informed decision and provided us with comparable sales (COMPS) in that particular area, so that we would have an idea of what houses were selling for and where the market was heading (spoiler alert, market was only going upwards). Their attention to detail and understanding of the market allowed us to make the best offer we could, while not overbidding or underbidding and making sure that we would have our offer accepted. As you have already guessed, our offer was accepted almost immediately and we are now homeowners of a home that we wanted in an area that is ideal.
If you have made it this far, then you realize why The Caton Team is really The Dynamic Duo of Real Estate. They make sure you are provided with the proper tools and information to make the best decision for yourself. They will work tirelessly with you and will not be a 9-5 agent, they will be honest, trustworthy, and straight-forward. You will not feel like you are getting the short-end of the deal and at the end of the day you will feel great about your decision to work with The Caton Team.
-The Liere Family
“Sabrina and Susan of Berkshire Hathaway, were the perfect real estate agents for me. As a first-time buyer, I had very little knowledge of how the process of purchasing a home actually worked. They are friendly, approachable, patient, strategic and persistent. Sabrina maintained great communication throughout the entire experience. They always got back to me quickly and they were willing to meet or discuss potential condos that I selected as potential buys. She even recommended a lending agent in the area, which I ended up using. Without them edging me along, I’m fairly certain I would have given up, thinking this whole “buying a house” ordeal was not for me. It’s simply too difficult for a working person to complete on their own.
Now that I have purchased my condo, I’m happy to see that Sabrina is still involved. She has collected my new keys and mail, answered my escrow questions and will do the final walk through. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend or use them again.”
– Ashley
“I worked with Sabrina and Sue a few years back and they were so professional. I was going thru a divorce and had to sell my condo. I was beyond upset. (Not because of the divorce but selling the condo) haha… Thru this difficult time they were so amazing and made me feel at ease. The housing market at that time was not the best but they did their best to make sure I got a good deal. The condo wasn’t on the market for too long and I was able to sell it for a decent price. Thank you to both for making that transition in my life a little easier. Definitely will be using them again if and ever I can buy again.”
-Elena
“We had a great experience buying a house through the Caton team. Sabrina and Susan were patient in answering our many questions, and helped guide us in the offer process to help win a bid on our second offer even in this crazy market! They are easy to get in touch with over email, text, or phone, and detail oriented to make sure nothing fell through the cracks. We’d highly recommend them!”
-Katherine
Hi Susan and Sabrina,
I just thought I’d take a moment to write you both to say how much of a pleasure it has been to once again have had another successful property transaction come to fruition with you both at the helm (yay, three now)!
I can’t say enough how Victor and I have been so happy you’ve been our representatives in both our buying and selling transactions, and that your dedication and hard work, creativity and professionalism have always made a world of difference all throughout the process of buying and selling our homes. From the smallest details like your fantastic web page ads and captioning to your weekly and continuous updates and presence at the property for showings and repairs. You’ve left nothing to chance!
It’s clear that experience counts, and your research and broad-based knowledge of the local real estate and larger markets in general, have always provided us with a solid backdrop from which we could make our decisions. You’ve always provided us with good information, solid recommendations, and I’m grateful that we had you both as our representatives.
Additionally, I want to say on a personal note, that you are both so considerate and thoughtful, and I always feel that we are in good hands when you’re on the job. Thank you again for this recent and very successful sale of our property, and we look forward to our continued relationship with you in future transactions.
I did not have your Broker’s contact information, but if you would please forward him/her this e-mail, I’d appreciate it, because I’d like them to know that you have permanent fans!
Thanks again, Helen and Victor
“Susan and Sabrina, The Caton (Dream)Team –
Thirteen years ago, we met Susan Caton who so kindly helped us find our first home in the Bay Area. She was mindful of our budget and attentive to our wish list. We landed a great starter home fit to our needs and close to work. In 2012, when it came time to relocate into a neighborhood with great schools, we once again called upon Susan, who now was partner with her daughter-in-law, Sabrina, to find the right house for our growing family. First, Susan and Sabrina helped sell our house within 2 weeks time at a price within our expectations. Then, they delivered BIG by helping us find our next dream home in a competitive market with little time to spare knowing Facebook millionaires would soon bring stiff competition to the housing market. All along, even when our first two offers fell through, Susan and Sabrina helped us keep our focus and always had our best interest in mind. Settling for less than our hearts desired was not the answer, and our patience combined with our trust in Susan and Sabrina paid off when we stumbled upon our dream home. We can honestly say that working with The Caton Dream Team has been a true pleasure as it has enabled us to find a wonderful place to call home, not only once, but twice. When the time comes, we will gladly call upon their services again, and we highly recommend them to anyone looking to find their first or next dream home.”
– Fredric and Heather R.
“I recently worked with The Caton team (Sabrina and Sue) to purchase my first home. I was referred to the team by a co-worker who had just purchased a condo with them. He had a great experience, and recommended them for their honesty, responsiveness and availability (even at night and weekends). I found this assessment to be 100% true.
I first met Sabrina and Sue when I was interviewing realtors. They recommended I come to their office for the interview. They were the only ones to recommend this, which already set them apart in my mind. During the interview they shared their process and approach and how our relationship would work. I decided to work with the Caton team for several reasons. 1) A great referral 2) Their open and honest personalities 3) Their sincere concern that I find exactly what I am looking for 3) Their combined years of experience and specialization in the peninsula.
After our first meeting, they set up their home search for the criteria we discussed. Part way through the search, my criteria changed, and they updated the search for the new criteria. Periodically, they would check in to see if I saw anything that I liked. We narrowed the search by going through what I liked and disliked about each listing that I reviewed online.
Sabrina and Sue answered all of my questions along the process. They came to the home inspection and to sign papers at title company. The title company representative that I signed papers with commented on how lucky I was to have my realtors there, looking out for my best interests, as a lot of first time buyers come alone, signing papers they don’t understand.
After receiving keys to my new home, the Caton team continued to support me. They referred me to painters their colleagues had worked with and found multiple contractors who would do the work I needed.
Sabrina and Sue are really easy to work with. It’s like talking with friends when I reach out to them. They are very approachable, trust worthy and hard working. They always answer questions I have or research to find the answers if they do not have them right away. I highly recommend them and will use them again for future real estate needs.”
– CJ T.
“The Caton team is awesome! Susan and Sabrina were an awesome fit for my husband and I as first-time homebuyers, but I highly recommend them for anyone at any stage of buying a home. They went above and beyond to help us locate a wonderful home and took us step by step through the often confusing short sale process. It felt less like we were working with realtors and more like we were working with good friends or family! Thank you, thank you, Sabrina and Susan!”
-Marie B.
“If anyone can get it done quickly it would be you two. By far the best Realtors west of the Mississippi.”
– Josh L.
“The Caton Team is A-Number-One in our book. Susan and Sabrina are consummate Pros. They do exhaustive research, they know how to price a home in today’s competitive market, and they know how to stage a home for maximum buyer appeal. They’ve sold two homes for us, and we’re completely satisfied with everything they do. You go, girls!”
-Russ & Elena H.
“I met Sabrina and Susan during our recent rental home search. As we were not prepared for a move (current homeowners informed us that they were selling the house after 1 year of listing the home as a rental) we needed to act quickly and diligently to find our new home. My initial communications were with Sabrina as she was hosting an open house. Her emails were prompt and friendly and I got to know her a bit through email. When I met up with her for the open house, she was just as friendly in person as was her partner, Susan. They were welcoming throughout the process and provided wonderful thorough follow up on behalf of the homeowner. Susan made herself available on a Saturday morning for the signing of the lease and has been in contact with us as we prepare for the move-in. We have very much enjoyed working with the Caton Team and would recommend them for rental guidance and hopefully in the near future, home ownership!”
– Angela J.
“The Caton team has helped me find my perfect condo within a month of looking! And then later found me great tenants to rent it out. They work quickly and are very professional. Plus, these are just a pair of wonderful women to be around. They are very trustworthy and have their Clients’ best interest in mind. I will be using them again for all my real estate needs, and I recommend them to everyone else! Thank you so much!”
-Caitlin G.
“The Caton Team are the best. They are very easy to work with and know what they are doing. Made a very stressful time much easier! I would recommend them to all. First time buyers and people that have sold many times will enjoy working with these wonderful ladies!”
-Chris & Gary C.
“The Caton Team has helped us many times. Susan and Sabrina are wonderful and we will use them again when the time comes. They know everything about the bay area and never pressure you about making decisions. We couldn’t ask for a better team.”
-Elisa D.
“I’m pretty sure without The Caton Team we wouldn’t have been able to buy our house. We started looking right before the housing market crashed and was going back and forth on qualifying for a loan. They made it happen-it’s a long story and I can make short and sweet. Please use The Caton Team for you house buying needs! Really!”
– Nisi C.
“I can’t say enough about what an incredibly professional job Sabrina did; she went above and beyond the call of duty! We would not be in our house today were it not for her tireless efforts. She’s so knowledgeable and works tenaciously for her clients. Thank you Sabrina!
- Rip R.
“Great working with you guys!”
-Aaron B.
“I have worked with many realtors during my 15 years as a mortgage broker and Sabrina Caton is by far one of the best real estate agents I have ever had the pleasure of working with on a number of purchase transactions over the years. She is upbeat and personable with a great sense of humor. She consistently works with her clients best interests in mind and is not afraid to tackle the tough deals. I have personally seen her negotiate to lower the purchase price by $25,000 after the contract was already signed when the buyers’ appraisal came in below the purchase price. You can count on Sabrina for high energy, professional real estate services!”
-Melanie Flynn – Windsor Capital
“Susan & Sabrina did an excellent job, I am very happy. I highly recommend them.”
– Heidi & Robert M.
“Susan & Sabrina were great, very helpful, and understanding. They were never pushy and made sure we were making the right choices at all times. We would use them again for our next property purchase.”
– Anthony D. & Elisa L.
“Susan & Sabrina did a wonderful job, they are easy to communicate with, they were willing to put in extra time and work in getting our house ready to sell.”
– Kathy & Rodney H.
“I knew I wanted to work with Susan immediately because she actually listened to our needs, and gave sound, practical advice and information without a sales pitch. I would recommend her to anyone. She was absolutely helpful and made the whole thing easy and painless. I didn’t worry about anything as long as she was working on it.”
– Alicia S. and John G.
“Sabrina did an excellent job, she went above and beyond from the beginning to the end of the transaction making sure we understood every detail. She made things very easy on us – we appreciate all her hard work. We used them for both our real estate deals.”
– Kathy & Rodney H.
“When we need to sale our home – we definitely will call them again!”
– Loyda C. & Carol J.
“We loved working with Susan. I feel I have gained a new friendship. She was totally honest and trustworthy. She made selling our home a pleasant experience.”
– Ken & Elain S.
“Susan went above and beyond what she had to do. She was the only help I had getting my parents home cleaned and emptied so I could sell. I live in Sacramento and didn’t have the time to get down to San Carlos. She truly was a “God Send”. She is FABULOUS! I can’t say enough about her! Please know you have one hell of a woman working for Prudential. Please make sure she receives kudos for a job well done!”
– Andrew R.
“Susan was always available to us, providing information and assurance during the selling process of our home. Thank You!
– Leo & Carlotta O.
“We felt very relaxed and trusted their personality.”
– William & Helen G.
“They did an excellent job and we would recommend them!
– Steve & Stacy G.
“Thank you – Flawless Service!”
– Danielle C. & Thomas G.
“I will recommend them to all my friends and family.”
– Diane S.
“We wanted to work with Sabrina. She was wonderful. She put up with lots of emotions / family dynamic around the sale of this home, as it was our families house. I appreciated her sensitivity and solid knowledge. We would be happy to work with her again and pass along any new clients as well.
– Nancy R.
“I highly recommend them!”
– Derek H.
“Susan helped us so much. She advised us and “rode” with us though the entire ordeal. She is a very “real” person and shares concerns. She advises and makes one feel extremely comfortable. I would recommend her to another person unconditionally. She is an excellent agent who goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
– Russ & Elena H.
“They were great. They made the entire process as fun and easy as it could be. Thank you!”
– Matthew S.
“Susan was extremely helpful in making our first move in 44 years painless. It was a major undertaking. Thank you!”
– Betty C.
“Very thorough. Informed me of the newest listings. Made intelligent recommendations and opinions on listings without being pushy. The attention given to me made me feel as if I were the only client. I am extremely satisfied with the service.”
– Toshinari K.
“They were very professional and helpful. We could not complete the transaction without them.”
– Takeshi & Nana M.
“We selected Susan over two other agents because we liked her better.”
– Daniel S.
“EXCELLENT JOB! Lots of support throughout the process! Great personalities and professionalism! Very responsive to our concerns during the sale – thank you!”
– Mike & Lynn A.
“Sabrina is a highly effective real-estate agent. She has in-depth of knowledge of the market, strong negotiation skills and provides highly personalized service…she really listens to the needs of her client and delivers based on those needs.”
– Elif S.
“I was impressed with the attention to detail throughout the sale process. True Professionals!
– John K.
“We were very happy with Susan as she helped us through a difficult situation. Thanks is just not enough to say for what she did!”
– Donald & Roseanna M.
“Definitely an asset to your company!”
– Rosemary P.
“They are such real / genuine people. I felt I could lean and trust them particularly with some very important but difficult to understand questions. They are WONDERFUL!”
– Patricia P.
“Susan has impeccable integrity, what a great individual. Thank you for a wonderful transaction.”
– Pamela G.
“What a great experience. I live 4 hours away and shopping for rentals is not easy. The Caton Team made my shopping experience less stressful. Always ready to answer any questions I had, anytime I had them. I highly recommend this Team.”
– Julienne E.
Millennials and young Gen X’ers are flocking to bigger cities to be close to the action. But with the rising cost of city living, they’re being forced to either pay a premium for rent or find affordable housing outside of the city.
These first-time homebuyers aren’t just migrating to any suburb. They’re looking for amenity-rich suburbs that have more of an urban feel with restaurants, nightspots, entertainment, stores and public transportation – all within walking or biking distance. (I.E. San Carlos!)
They aren’t interested in sinking every hard-earned penny into their house. They prefer smaller, more modest single-family homes and want to allow room in their budget for other things they find important, like travel. And the suburbs are just the place for them to find this.
A shorter commute between home and work is also very important, and contrary to what many may think, the suburbs represent a major share of the jobs base. In fact, in the top 40 metro areas, 84% of all jobs are outside of the center-city core.
Plus, suburbs also typically offer better quality school systems and a safer setting than major metropolitan cities, making them even more ideal for younger families.
To capitalize on this increased demand and make themselves even more appealing, many suburbs will be investing more in their downtown commerce areas and expanding their public transportation offerings.
So, next time you work with younger first-time homebuyers, try to keep these things in mind. Are there amenity-rich suburbs near you that could be ideal locations for them? Are these suburbs close to your clients’ work? Do they offer great school systems and affordable housing? Get back to the burbs and you could get back more happy younger clients.
I know just the towns – Call the Caton Team for all your Real Estate needs!
Multigenerational homes are not unheard of – I like this new trend since it embraces so many cultures that care for their elders and gives a chance to younger home owners who need a roommate and personal space. What are your thoughts?
New Homes Make Room for Mom, Dad, Roommates and Airbnb-ers
We hear it over and over in real estate: affordability is increasingly becoming an issue for prospective homebuyers across the country. U.S. home prices have increased by 25% since the beginning of the recovery in 2011, according to S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, while median household incomes have barely budged. Apartment rents, meanwhile, have jumped by 20% since 2010, according to data tracker Reis Inc., making it more difficult for prospective home buyers to save for down payments.
Now, home builders are trying to appeal to the group of homebuyers who are being priced out from making a purchase. We have already looked at companies that are producing low-cost starter homes for millennials in our story Will Low-Cost Starter Homes Bring More Millennials to the Market?, but there are other building companies that are taking a different approach to home affordability.
As a nod to rising housing costs across the U.S., a Las Vegas developer presented its vision of the New American Home that included nontraditional living arrangements to help ease families’ financial burdens and was designed around the concept of roommates.
The 5,200-square foot home, on a hill overlooking the Vegas skyline, includes a second-floor unit that can house aging parents or recent college grads with unstable employment prospects. If necessary, the home, constructed by local developer Element Design Build, could even accommodate two families pooling their resources.
The home was unveiled at the International Builders’ Show, the industry’s largest trade show where the latest concepts and technologies are showcased. This year affordability concerns were on display as home builders say they are seeing growing demand for properties designed to be shared with family members or roommates or even rented out to tourists.
Another home at the trade show, built by Pardee Homes, a member of the California-based TRI Pointe Group, was designed to cater to the tastes of younger home buyers in the mid-$300,000 range. It includes two guest suites that can be rented on home-sharing sites like Airbnb. Both include separate entrances and a small kitchenette and can accommodate a single person or couple in need of a roommate. TRI Pointe found that 35% of young adults want to be able to rent out space in their homes at least part-time.
“A lot of their motivation for doing that is to make the financial step of buying their home more doable,” said Linda Mamet, vice president of corporate marketing at TRI Pointe.
Brad Hunter, chief economist at Metrostudy, a construction-research firm, said builders are stepping up efforts to build such homes to “capture the zeitgeist of affordability.”
Do you think this is a smart building approach to home affordability? Would you be willing to rent out space in your home as a first-time buyer?
One of the biggest hurdle I see – is saving up for the 20% down payment for a home loan. And with the cost of housing in the Bay Area – that 20% is a very pretty penny. In fact, it seems almost impossible for some to even fathom how to save that much. So the prospect of a low down payment could help get buyers into the market. Enjoy this article…
Low Down Payment Loans Are Back
A feature of the housing crisis is back.
Just because you haven’t saved up enough for a 20% down payment—or even 10%—doesn’t mean you’re locked out of the housing market.
In 2015, 26% of loans for home purchases were made with down payments of less than 10% of the home’s value, according to data released Thursday from RealtyTrac. That’s a 10% increase from 2014. In fact, the number of home owners who purchased homes with low down payments has been steadily increasing for the past five years.
The uptick is due in large part to a reduction in the cost of mortgages offered by the Federal Housing Administration, which underwrites loans to borrowers with subpar credit. While critics worry that a surge in low-money-down lending could set the stage for a reprise of the housing bubble, market watchers say the most important result of the change is to make homeownership a more realistic goal for many people, especially first-time buyers. In recent years, there has also not been a significant difference in the number of people who default on low-down-payment loans as opposed to those with higher down payments, according to data from the Urban Institute.
“Low-down-payment lending isn’t synonymous with risky lending,” says Nikitra Bailey, executive vice president of external affairs at the Center for Responsible Lending.
Indeed, the FHA has always offered loans with down payments as low as 3.5% to qualified buyers.
Still, there are considerations if you’re thinking about going that route. For one, it means you’ll have less equity in the home. You’ll also need to pay for private mortgage insurance, required for loans with down payments of less than 20% to guard against the risk of default.
If you’re looking to become a homeowner but can only afford to put a small amount down, here are a few more things to keep in mind:
Talk to a certified credit counselor, Bailey says. An adviser can walk you through your finances and help you decide if you’re in a position to buy a home despite not having a lot of savings built up. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also sponsors housing counseling agencies nationwide; you can find a list state-by-state directory here.
Keep in mind the cost of private mortgage insurance, which is required for anyone buying a home with a down payment of less than 20% of the value of the home. Add that on top of monthly mortgage premiums (and the higher interest rates you’ll likely pay when you put down less money), and in the long run taking out an FHA loan with a low down payment could be more expensive than paying 20% upfront. Additionally, the agency now also requires that certain borrowers pay insurance for the entire term of the mortgage, unless they refinance.
Make sure you’re able to set aside at least 1% of the house’s value in cash, in case you need to tap into it for maintenance or emergency repairs, says Mark Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute. And of course, be prepared for unforeseen financial challenges in your own life: For instance, if you were to lose your job, you’d ideally want to have enough savings to cover six months of mortgage payments.
I am all about innovation and positive change. When I heard that crowdfunding has made its way into the Real Estate market – I thought I’d have a look. Read this article I found about a local company – RealtyShares…
RealtyShares Gets $10M From Menlo To Grow Its Platform For Crowdfunding Real Estate Projects
Sort of like a “LendingClub for real estate,” RealtyShares has taken the idea of crowdfunding and applied it to the real estate market. After about a year of operations in which it was able to show product-market fit, the company has raised $10 million in funding from Menlo Ventures to quickly grow the number of projects made available to investors.
Unlike some other crowdfunding platforms, RealtyShares isn’t aimed at the consumer market. Like AngelList, it is focused fully on helping accredited investors easily find opportunities for investment. Its main goal is to reduce the friction between project sponsors and real estate developers looking for capital and investors who are looking to diversify their portfolios.
RealtyShares accomplishes this by doing the actual work of underwriting opportunities for outside investors, and allowing them to invest as little as $5,000 into any individual project. As a result, it can give them access to projects that were either too small or too difficult to underwrite themselves.
For real estate developers, meanwhile, RealtyShare’s model helps them get access to capital much faster than if they were to turn to a bank or other lender to fund a project. Projects on average are fully funded within four days of being put on the RealtyShares platform.
Since being founded, it’s funded hundreds of residential and commercial properties worth more than $300 million. More importantly for investors, it’s already returned some of their capital, enabling them to re-invest in its platform. RealtyShares founder and CEO Nav Athwal tells me that investments on the platform have paid back $2 million in capital so far, though it’s early days.
Returns vary by project, based on the type of deal (commercial versus residential), as well as risk profile and whether they are debt or equity deals. But they can range from 8 percent to 20 percent, which generally outperforms most other investment opportunities available.
RealtyShares has been growing quickly, as it increases the number of projects that investors can put money into. Just over the last few months, it’s seen both the number of deals available and dollar value of investments made on its platform double month-over-month. Part of that growth has just come from having a bigger pipeline of deals come its way.
Athwal says the company is receiving about 1,000 applications a month from borrowers, which is up from about 300 at the end of 2014. It then does the work of narrowing down which projects it makes available to potential investors. According to Athwal, in March investors on its platform funded about 15 deals to the tune of $7 million.
But there’s a lot more deals it could make available, if it had the ability to underwrite its projects more efficiently. That’s where the most recent funding comes in. With it, RealtyShares will invest in hiring more people and streamlining its internal processes in an effort to more quickly vet applications that come its way.
Today it’s announcing a $10 million Series A round of financing led by Menlo Ventures, which also includes participation from previous investor General Catalyst. Along with the funding, Menlo Ventures general partner John Jarve will join the board.
According to Athwal, part of the reason RealtyShares decided to go with Menlo was the firm’s investment in and Jarve’s participation on the board of Betterment. He believes that experience will be useful in helping to grow his platform for real estate investment.
With the newfound cash, Athwal says RealtyShares will be looking to bring on more underwriters to handle the increasing volume of applications coming its way.
The company will also be investing in automating its internal processes for reviewing applications. Athwal believes that such automation will enable RealtyShares to more efficiently screen out projects which aren’t the best fit for the platform, thereby giving its underwriters the ability to focus on more qualified applications and project leads. Either way, the goal is to keep the quality of projects listed high, so that investors can keep investing with confidence.
DISCLAIMER – The Caton Team does not endorse this company or product – all blog content is for your enjoyment. Please contact your CPA for financial guidance.
With the real estate market as expensive as it is here in the Bay Area – once you buy the house – how do you decorate it? Thought I would share this article – enjoy!
Do’s and Don’ts for Buying Furniture on a Budget
Furniture can be crazy expensive, and investing in designer or heirloom pieces isn’t always feasible. So how can you furnish your home with pieces that look and feel like they’ll last longer than a season? At Décor Aid, we always try to score the best deals for our clients. Here are some of our designers’ best tips for maximizing your budget.
Do be willing to buy floor models
You can save a lot of money by purchasing pieces at the end of the season when stores are changing their display to new collections. If you find an inexpensive wooden piece but the shade is too light, you can restain it darker. If it’s slightly damaged, it might be easy to repair.
Don’t forget to inspect floor models thoroughly
Sit on a chair to ensure it’s sturdy. Push on a table to make sure it doesn’t wobble. Open and close dresser drawers to check that they slide smoothly. Look at the quality of the finish–there should be no bubbles, peeling, or chips, and the color should seem evenly applied. The upholstery seams should be straight and there shouldn’t be any holes in the fabric.
Obtain as much information about the piece’s history as you can: How long it has been on the floor? Was it a customer return? If it was a customer been a return, beware–it’s full history is unknown. Find all the skeletons in the closet before deciding whether or not to purchase.
Do consider buying a replica
This is a great way to get a high-end looking piece without a major investment. Although these pieces are not heirloom quality, depending on use they will last a long time. If you later decide the piece no longer fits your style or works in your space, you won’t feel bad selling it or swapping it out.
Don’t buy something that feels flimsy
As a general rule, if a piece is lightweight, then it’s probably not sturdy or well-made. Even engineered wood products, such as furniture made from MDF (medium density fiberboard) are heavy if they are a good quality. Solid wood items are preferable.
Do pay attention to the fabric
Natural fibers and fabrics are preferable, but most have synthetics mixed in–even the most high-end textiles have a small percentage woven through for durability and stain resistance. Buying fabrics mixed with synthetics can help you keep costs down, but consider the quality: A fabric with about half or less synthetic is fine, as long as it still has a natural look and feel.
The most durable fabrics for upholstery are velvet and tweed. For windows, linen provides privacy and lets light in. Wool sateen is the ultimate choice for a more substantial fabric: its ultra-luxurious, and drapes well with a subtle sheen.
Don’t forget to consider your lifestyle
If you have kids or pets, or you’re choosing a piece for a high-traffic area, we often recommend indoor/outdoor fabrics. They are super durable and beautiful, so you don’t have to worry that your living room is full of patio furniture.
If you or a family member has allergies, synthetic fabrics are the way to go. Ultra suede and micro suede fabrics feel lush and soft. It has a thin pile, so it doesn’t collect dust like thicker weaves do. They are also durable, versatile, and available in every color imaginable.
I don’t know about you folks – but with the price of real estate around here – my mind is all about investing – to raise some capital in order to invest in more real estate. I am blessed with a wonderful team of financial advisors, but I too enjoy combing the net to find new insights. I came across this article, written by the founder of GoldBean. Enjoy…
Want to Learn About Investing? Ask Questions Like a 5-Year-Old
For most people, the topic of money brings out many emotions — including confusion. Because of this, it can be difficult to learn about investing, and finding out how to grow your money can seem overwhelming.
At an event last week, I co-presented on this same topic, and want to share some thoughts around “talking about money” here.
Although reading up on a financial topic is a great place to start, there is nothing like getting out there in the real world and asking a lot of questions. This, I believe, is where the real learning happens. Asking questions, and asking them confidently, is the first step toward financial empowerment.
These questions don’t have to be too involved and studied either. In fact, I suggest you channel your inner 5-year-old and come up with some of the simplest questions. Believe it or not, these often are the hardest.
As you get responses, you should be following up with phrases like Why? What? How much? and How? until you really understand what is being discussed.
For example, let’s say you’re at a picnic, and you find yourself talking to someone who seems like they know about investing.
First, you should find out who they are by asking, “Are you an investor?” If the person responds, “Yes,” you should follow up by asking, “Do you invest for yourself or do you work in finance and invest other people’s money?”
Once you have this info, you can ask for their point of view, such as, “I’m interested in learning about investing and getting started — what would you do if you were starting out on your investment journey today?”
My guess is that the person, regardless if they are a professional investor, self-directed investor, or work with an advisor, will give probably a very safe answer, like, “Look for low-fee ETFs that track the overall market.”
Now comes the critical part of your conversation. Don’t end it there by saying “OK, thanks,” and then go and quietly Google “What’s an ETF?”
Just like a 5-year-old, you should keep the questions coming no matter how basic they may be. In this same example, ask them, “Why an ETF?” And if that doesn’t answer the question, ask, “What exactly is an ETF? How much are they? How do I buy one?” And ask, “Can I lose money if the market goes down with this approach?” (Which, by the way, the answer is yes.)
Asking questions can also be great for unlocking opportunities. Imagine if you’d asked simple questions in the early days of companies like Apple, Amazon, Netflix, or Google? If you are in your thirties or older, you probably remember using each one of these for the first time and having your mind blown by their innovations. Imagine if you’d asked, “Is this a public company?” “Can I buy shares in it?”
Simple questions aren’t just for learning. If you already have an investment advisor, or someone who manages your money for you, your most critical job is to be empowered to ask the tough questions. After all, it’s your money! So go ahead and ask without a hint of hesitation or embarrassment. For example:
Question #1: How well has my portfolio done vs. the market? (Also ask which benchmark they are using to determine “the market”.)
Question #2: Does my return include or exclude your fees? How much did I make after you took your fee?
Question #3: How much in total am I paying you?
Getting clear answers to these questions every year will show you the true value over time of having an advisor. If you get fuzzy answers, that’s a red flag! Channel your inner 5-year-old and keep on asking.
Also consider that the market is experiencing the longest bull run in history as well. So, if there is a downturn (or the more opaque term, “market correction”), remember that great opportunities exist during downturns if you can buy when everyone else is panicking. If you’re concerned, ask this question of the experts you come across: “If prices went down significantly, what would you do?” Prepare ahead of time and get familiar with how investing works so you can be ready for when the New York Stock Exchange becomes an outlet mall.
Sure, there are many more questions that need to be asked about investments — specifically around your risk, fees, expected returns, and timeframes — but those will come with time.
Like many things in life, keeping it simple and sticking to the basics is the best way to begin learning. So take a deep breath, and just ask.
Jane Barratt is a member of the DailyWorth Connect program.
You? Buy a home? If that prospect sounds as unlikely as your becoming the next U.S. president—well, this campaign season has shown us that anything can happen.
Sure, amassing the funds and slogging through the necessary paperwork for your own piece of the real estate pie can be daunting, especially if you’re a less-than-stellar loan candidate. Still, if you just assume there’s no way you could buy a home, without doing any research, you could be missing out.
Here are some oft-cited reasons people don’t buy a home, and the reality checks showing why they shouldn’t give up hope.
Reason No. 1: ‘I don’t have enough money for a down payment’
This is probably the most common justification for not making the leap into homeownership. After all, few people have a huge chunk of cash lying around—and you need 20% down to buy a home, right? Wrong.
“Needing a 20% down payment has lingered as a myth for years and causes many potential home buyers, including those in the millennial generation, to miss out on getting into a home,” says Christina Bartning with National MI, a private mortgage insurer in Emeryville, CA.
In addition, “grants are an excellent way for young buyers with good credit and stable employment to subsidize their down payment,” says Realtor® Mike Murray of the Murray Home Team at Coldwell Banker in Annapolis, MD. “These can typically be obtained by taking homeownership courses or purchasing in designated community development areas.”
However, if you do put down less, keep in mind you’ll need private mortgage insurance until you pay down the loan to the 20% threshold.
Reason No. 2: ‘I can’t afford a mortgage payment’
“Some people don’t realize the amount they pay in rent is more than if they had a mortgage,” says Realtor Kenneth Cagan of the Cagan Team in Coral Springs, FL. “Landlords are trying to recoup their taxes, insurance, maintenance fees and still make a profit. When you buy, you’re investing in yourself.”
“Laniesha, a young mother of two, gave us every excuse in the book as to why she couldn’t purchase a home, from ‘I don’t make enough money’ to ‘I am not married,’” says Samuel Robinson, NHSR’s marketing and public relations officer. “After explaining that none of these issues could stop her, we worked with Laniesha to pay off her debts and raise her credit score. She’ll be purchasing her new home in 2016.”
Reason No. 3: ‘I don’t have good enough credit history to get a mortgage’
So you’ve made some late payments, or have other skeletons in your past that have dinged your credit score. That doesn’t put a mortgage out of reach.
“If you’ve paid down your credit cards and kept a steady job, your application may be approved,” says SmartAsset’s Smith. “Potential home buyers with bad credit can also explore options like lease-to-buy programs, financing through the seller, and loans from private lenders.”
Meanwhile, you can slowly improve your credit score by paying your bills on time and keeping your balances and inquiries low, says Murray. A licensed loan officer should be able to set up a one-year outline to get your credit on track.
But there’s one substantial caveat: Typically, mortgages for people with a lower credit score do come with a higher mortgage rate. And a very low score may require a higher down payment.
Reason No. 4: ‘I don’t have any credit history at all’
Even without a credit card, there are ways to build credit history, says Anne Postic of Mortgages.com.
“If you’re a renter, ask your landlord about reporting your payments to establish a history. Experian makes it easy for your landlord to report your payments, or for you to do it yourself.”
Reason No. 5: ‘I haven’t been at my job long enough’
“Work history is important,” says Jeremy David Schachter with Pinnacle Capital Mortgage in Phoenix AZ. “But even if you recently changed jobs and have only been there for a month, you can get qualified depending on your income and field.” A letter from your boss or place of employment will go a long way, so be sure to ask if you fear your relatively brief employment history might be an issue.
Reason No. 6: ‘I can’t find a home I like in my price range’
“People often think they have to buy their last home first,” says Fort Myers, FL, Realtor Angeline Sackett. But making a dream home a reality takes time. After all, they call first homes “starters” for a reason, right?
Now that we covered this – why don’t you call The Caton Team and we can help you every step of the way!
You must be logged in to post a comment.