Kevin+Jonathan In and On the Media

Kevin+Jonathan on the media

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Q+A

The San Francisco Chronicle asks expert area realtors questions every week for their Sound-Off segment found in its Sunday Real Estate Section. The online counter part appears on SF Gate. We've been asked to contribute and do so fairly often, which is what you're seeing here.  

Q: How do you expect the recent spike in COVID-19 cases to affect the Bay Area’s housing market?

A: Since COVID started, many aspects of the Bay Area’s housing market stayed the same: it still costs about $1,000 per square foot to buy a home in San Francisco. People are still buying and selling.

Lenders are still lending (at very low interest rates). But it’s also changed: There are fewer transactions overall. Prices have stayed strong for houses but dipped a bit for condos. And there are no open houses.

The latest spike in COVID-19 cases will impact the housing market like everything else: it’ll interrupt our slow crawl towards a semblance of normalcy. You won’t be able to stumble upon an open house while out one weekend for a long while.

But the spike stresses why it’s even more important to work with good agents especially now.

Private appointments that agents facilitate are the only way to see a property for sale in person. More important, because COVID has really highlighted what “home” means to people, who better to help guide people with expertise, perspective and context sorely needed now than your friendly agent?

The online version of this was published on July 5, 2020 while the print version was also published on Sunday, July 5, 2020. Find the online version here.

A Second Wave's impact on San Francisco's housing market

For More Sound-Off Snippets...

 

MIMBYs instead YIMBYs and NIMBYs Maybe? Kevin and Jonathan Get Asked About Declines in New Construction Starts (Spring 2023)

While acute market forces are curtailing new construction starts now, development here was already an uphill battle. Development timelines take years, so any non-NIMBY-related delays in adding new homes will keep housing prices high that much longer. But even for people who can afford to buy in the Bay Area, there’s a shortage of accessible destination homes for folks who are downsizing or ones who can no longer do the stairs in their 3-story Victorian.

SF Chronicle: Do the NFL Playoffs Impact Open Houses?

Rather than try to compete with the 49ers’ post-season run as very relevant contenders to be Super Bowl champions, many agents will treat this bit of hometown civic pride like a holiday and accommodate sports fans who are also trying to buy a small part of that hometown.

In SF Gate: Looking Past the Headlines - Sept 4, 2022

Conflicting news reports about the real estate ‘market’ are concerning because they gloss over the fact that the housing market is very nuanced as each property is unique. Folks can lose sight that buying a home not only serves the very basic purpose of shelter but is also the main way folks can build wealth.

Infographic: How Was 2021 in San Francisco?

2021 was a banner year for San Francisco’s housing market. See how houses, condos and TICs sold and how demand met increased inventory with prices still going up with Kevin Ho and Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties, San Francisco.

On the Media: K+J on Home Staging's Importance

Home staging will show people how they can change their lives by living differently and better than they do now. We cannot underscore how important this really is; forgoing staging runs the risk of costing far more than a staging fee with a reduced sale price.

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