Selling in Silicon Valley - Want to come along for the wild ride?

[2017SoFarSoGood]

I'm prepping my house for sale in Silicon Valley, California - just south of San Francisco. The property market is completely insane. It is astonishing who can actually pay these prices - especially when you realize that most purchases are cash. That's right, cash. With no contingencies and no chain.

Will be chronicling the madness of this sale here. I will then be purchasing a smaller (cheaper we hope) property nearer to SF. They say 'good luck with that. Feel free to join in, or simply ignore. Should be very interesting.

Wowfudge seems to have answered you re the floor plan 2017.

I'm sure anyone with the slightest interest in homes in your beautiful area, will come and look for themselves. Or their realtor will put them straight re floor layout.

Good luck!

We are told the video shall make it all clear.

Today the movers are taking the bulk of our lovely furniture off to storage for the duration. It will be very strange to live on staging props for the rest of the time we are here.

Pest and home inspections tomorrow. Fingers crossed that they don't find any issues.

I'm popping in to nosey 😊

My friend just sold her house in Southern California - we all got to watch the FB live video by the agent. Stunning house - v v dull presentation. You have so much more knowledge, insight and enthusiasm - that I would make sure you are adding this to their script.....eg the views, wildlife etc - they will know the dull nuts and bolts sq footage etc - but you can add the colour / sparkle.....good luck...yours is similar to my house in the UK - mine is single storey MCM, mostly glass, great open rural views - UK buyers not so enthusiastic....much preferring trad cottage style....

Sitting on my deck with iced coffee and realizing this will not be mine soon.

It sounds like you have some misgivings about the move 2017. Would you stay if you had some changes made ? (e.g. a lift installed)Or do finances come into the equation?

We moved from our first home to one with a wonderful garden and immediately regretted it We only stayed for 5 years (long ones they were, too )and have now lived in our lovely home with a small garden for nearly two decades.

I don't mean we regretted the large garden- that was what we fell in love with. But it coloured our judgement. The area was completely wrong for us & we never really settled.

It is hard to leave but it is mainly to reduce my commute time. It is almost four hours round-trip, and has become so busy I have to stand on the train 3 or 4 days out of 5. It doesn't leave much time to enjoy at home and frankly I can't even bear the thought of it stretching out ahead of me. So, either have to retire too early or move closer to work.

The money we release shall also help retire in the next couple of years, so it all makes sense.

Still sad to leave though.

Toldmy Exactly right on the issue of one asset swaying us. I'm going to be very way of falling in love this time, and shall try to stick to a checklist 😟

Wary. I shall be way wary.

Oh yes I remember you saying on the Safe Thread about trying to hurry back for Kyle's cracking job. And all the various modes of transport you used. ( I've a memory like a sieve!)
Good luck with it all.

The view is fabulous. Good luck.

Pest & General House Inspections yesterday: Very scary results! Pest guy said the outside looked good but said he found a couple of spots with termite action. He said he would be recommending a tenting but seemed to indicate that it would be something for the buyer to take care of. Home inspector said 2 hairline cracks in foundation probably from natural movement of local rock. He mentioned the bare rockface under the house where the furnace is and indicated that that's the way they left it with houses built back then (1950's). I guess he was saying that in this day and age, it would be built with a retaining wall. Some untidy wiring in one area in crawl space under roof that an electrician could probably clean up in a few hours. Gutters are plugged with leaves and grit - which we knew. Lastly, he said he would like to see the straps of the water heater attached to studs. Currently they are attached to 2X4s that are just nailed into sheetrock. It wouldn't be easy for handyman to do this as there are plumbing pipes behind that wall. A stud finder cannot differentiate between wood and pipes. DH & I were freaking out learning all of this, needless to say. Scary stuff.

From Agent: Sounds great! Seriously. Fumigation is needed in 60+% of our homes, buyers expect it. All good there. Home inspector is tough on properties and if that is all he had to say again, minor. Don't worry about water heater. It is strapped and braced. Cracks in foundation sound totally normal and expected. Wiring again minor, no concerns. Gutters will be cleaned Tuesday. Flashing on roof area is a roof repair. Let buyers handle. I'm very pleased.

Guess it really is a seller’s market.

house built in 1958 and yes, it was full structural survey. The guy went every where (up/down/under/over) and that is what was found. Glad we're not doing it or paying

I love threads like this.

Good luck op.

today's amusing incident: We have a rather expensive (admittedly not to everone's taste) light fixture that I want to take with me. Handy man attempted to remove it for about an hour yesterday, finally with DH's assistance. No luck. Today both attempt again, no luck. DH Persists. He finally gets the nut loose to unscrew it. Look at what our lovely Italian installers used to put it up. That is clever.

It worked. For several years! . The Murano glass shades are already packed away. Let's hope it all survives the move.

There's a theme developing here 2017 Hidden Mexico medal in the safe, hidden coin in the light fittings.

I wonder if they'll be anything glimmering in the guttering...

Ooh Toldmy you are right. Now I'm going to keep my eyes open!

The views from your house are fantastic! I grew up in the bay area, but live in Yorkshire now and when I look at property in CA I just can't believe it. I looked up my childhood house recently in Santa Clara, tiny 3 bed, medium garden... 1.4 million! Oh. My. God.

My best friend works for a family owned mortgage company in San Ramon and the things she tells me are incredible. I always ask how can people afford these houses. Her answer is that she regularly has clients in their 50s and 60s who live in multi million dollar houses but haven't got a penny to their name. Every time the house gets equity, they refinance and take the money. They essentially have nothing! No savings, just spend every penny they can get on new cars, vacations, massive house. She says it's a real eye opener seeing financial details of so many people.

Whenever DH and I have considered moving back to CA I ask my friend how could we possibly afford a house (we have a good income but couldn't afford £1 million + in my opinion), and she says don't worry, she could get us a mortgage and into house no problem. Mind boggling.

Henny I'm as baffled as you at the whole lifestyle thing. It has always confounded me how people can afford their lifestyles when I know what they make (people who work for /work me for example) living far above my level. It has been the case more often than not that they are living off of their equity. I can see if you have nobody to leave it to perhaps but otherwise it is a terrifying thought. A mortgage is enough debt for me. The thought of not having one and owning outright is something I so look forward to.

I've been following the safe threads and now this one and I just had to say that I pictured a Rodney and Del Boy moment with your light fitting! Glad it wasn't that though!

Ha Solo DH did come through the living room ceiling at our last house hence my reluctance for him to 'assist' the handyman.

Most of our furniture is gone. Two more days to spiff up closets and pack last of the bits that make it our home. Cleaning squad Tuesday inside and out, and gardening crew for final tidy, then staging Wednesday. Drone, video and photographs Thursday.

Am so interested to see what the stager brings. This is the interesting bit. Before the very scary bits!

104 here yesterday. Expected to stay hot all weekend. Thank goodness I have the excuse of working indoors.